Qi Lihong wasn't very keen on going out to have a private conversation with Liu Wenhui's mother. She was introverted, self-deprecating, and timid, yet she wasn't foolish.
She could already sense the other party's hostility, so why would she agree to go out with her? Wouldn't that just be like asking to be bullied?
She pursed her lips, stood up, and with her head lowered, whispered softly, "So-, sorry, I'm still on duty, I can't leave."
The store had two full-time sales clerks, but in the evenings, only one stayed on duty. The two part-time workers had gone to a dinner party, so at this moment, it was just Qi Lihong and one of the sales clerks, who was currently explaining computers to a couple of customers.
Thus, when Qi Lihong said she couldn't leave, it wasn't entirely a pretext, although the thought did cross her mind.
Liu Wenhui's mother scrutinized her with a critical eye from top to bottom, and couldn't come to appreciate her way of speaking, muffled and seemingly stingy.
