Stella was visiting this luxury mall in the city center for the first time, and she was dazzled by the array of high-end international brands as soon as she stepped in.
Wanda: "Stella, are you sure you want to buy a gift here?"
Stella: "Yes, my royalties have come in," she said, patting the bank card in her pocket. "I have to get the best for Leo!"
Wanda: "Alright then," Wanda, familiar with the place, led her into the GUCCI flagship store. "So, have you decided what to get?"
Stella scratched her head: "Not yet... You go ahead and browse, I'll think about it."
Wanda: "Sure, you look around too. There's suits, ties, cologne, shoes..."
Stella: "No shoes."
Wanda: "Huh? Why not?"
Stella: "Couples shouldn't give shoes. Giving shoes means sending them away, it's bad luck." She said as she flipped through her notes, "Also, no umbrellas—they symbolize separation. No fans, wind chimes, watches, or yellow flowers..."
Wanda looked perplexed: "Since when did you start believing in this stuff?"
Stella: "Better safe than sorry," she said seriously. "This concerns our lifelong happiness; I can't take any chances."
Wanda began shopping frantically, while Stella pondered over what to get.
She rubbed the little jade rabbit ring on her finger, listing down criteria in her mind:
It should be convenient to carry.It should be elegant and stylish.It should suit Leo's status and image.It should be practical.
The mall's central display was winter-themed. After gazing at it for a while, Stella suddenly recalled the image of Leo writing in his office on the day of the first snow. Her eyes lit up: "Wanda, I've got it!"
Wanda: "What are you going to get?"
Stella: "A pen!"
Stella and Wanda headed straight to the Montblanc flagship store. After half an hour of browsing, she selected a pen called "Deep Sea Blue."
The precious deep blue resin symbolized the vast ocean, the cap featured a whale design inlaid with rare gemstones, and the 18K gold nib was handcrafted—both exquisite and noble.
Moreover, this pen was a limited edition, with only 520 pieces worldwide.
520, a homophone for "I love you" in Chinese—perfect for a successful confession.
Wanda glanced at the price tag: 96,800$.
Wanda: "Stella, how much did you get for selling your novel's rights?"
Stella: "After taxes and commissions, about 150,000$."
Wanda felt sorry: "… This pen costs 100,000$!"
Stella: "Really?" She sighed in relief. "Great, I was worried I wouldn't have enough."
Wanda: "100,000$! That's enough to cover all your graduate school expenses for three years!" She sighed again. "You worked so hard for months to earn that money, and now you're spending two-thirds of it on a pen for Leo!"
Stella was quite happy, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the pen. "I don't have much, but what I can give, I will! As for the remaining third, hmm, I'll think about what else to get for Leo…"
Wanda was speechless. The girl was obsessed.
Stella also picked out a bottle of vetiver-scented ink and paid for both items. As she carried the bags out of the store, she was overjoyed, feeling as if she had already won Leo's heart just by getting the gift.
Wanda: "Don't just focus on getting gifts for Leo," she said, pulling Stella into the TOM FORD store. "You should buy something for yourself too!"
Stella thought for a moment and said, "Alright! Leo gave me a card too, I'll buy a lipstick with it, haha..."
Wanda: "Right, right, spend his money, let's go!"
The store was crowded, and they had to squeeze through to try different shades. After picking a couple of lipsticks, they were exhausted and quickly left the crowd.
Wanda: "My God, it's been too long since I went shopping. I've lost my touch."
Stella helped her carry a few bags: "Let's pay and then find a place to rest."
They had to queue up to pay. While waiting, they chatted and moved slowly forward when suddenly someone called out Stella's name.
"Stella?!"
Stella turned and squinted at a heavily made-up face behind her, taking a few seconds to recognize her: "Hannah?"
Hannah stared at her with surprise and jealousy, speaking arrogantly: "Why are you here?"
Stella: "Why are you here?" she replied calmly. "Skipping class again? High school senior?"
Hannah: "I want to! What's it to you?!"
Stella: "Nothing," she shrugged lazily. "Just remember, you have no say over me."
Hannah gritted her teeth, seeing Stella's inexpensive clothes, and her arrogance returned: "How dare you come here dressed like that, you're embarrassing! She glanced at the luxury brand bags Stella was holding and then at Wanda's Chanel diamond watch, sneering, "So, you're just a bag carrier, huh? Hahaha..."
Her words annoyed many around them who were waiting to pay. Why should one have to wear flashy brands to shop here? Having some money didn't mean you could look down on others.
Stella didn't even spare her a glance and walked straight to the counter.
Hannah, oblivious, continued to boast to Wanda: "Hey beauty, you seem to care about your status. Why hang out with her? It's degrading!"
Wanda, who knew a bit about Stella's background, quickly deduced that this bratty girl was Stella's half-sister. This person was immature and ignorant; under normal circumstances, Wanda wouldn't bother with her. But since Hannah was asking for it, she decided not to be polite.
Wanda smiled, her words sharp as a knife: "I hang out with her because she's cultured and well-mannered. Someone like me, who cares about status, wouldn't hang out with an uncultured illegitimate child. It's degrading, don't you think?"
Hannah's face turned pale, but not knowing Wanda's identity, she didn't dare provoke her. She then turned her anger towards Stella, who was about to pay. She rushed forward, cutting in front of Stella, and slapped a premium card on the counter: "Serve me first."
Stella pointed at the sign on the counter: "'No Cutting in Line', can't you read?"
Hannah raised her chin: "I'm a VIP. VIPs get priority, got it?"
Wanda snorted. If she were really a VIP, she would have been taken to the VIP lounge long ago. Who is she trying to scare?
Stella believed VIPs didn't have to queue but doubted they could cut in line. She politely asked the clerk: "Is that true?"
The clerk bowed to Stella: "Of course, you can't cut in line. I'll serve you right away." Then she turned to Hannah: "Ma'am, please queue up and wait a moment. Thank you for your cooperation."
Luxury store clerks undergo professional training. This young lady before her may be dressed plainly, but the mutton fat jade ring on her finger was undoubtedly priceless. They couldn't afford to neglect her.
Hannah was embarrassed but still argued with the clerk. Her harsh words stopped abruptly when she saw Stella pull a thin metal card from her wallet. "Black card?!"
The clerk was also shocked.
The black card, with no credit limit, is held only by billionaires or top-tier celebrities, offering the highest level of member privileges.
"How do you have a black card?" Hannah grabbed Stella's wrist in disbelief.
Stella frowned and shook her off: "It's none of your business."
The clerk respectfully helped Stella and Wanda complete their purchase, print receipts, and package the items, then courteously escorted them out.
Hannah stood rooted to the spot, glaring daggers at Stella's retreating figure.
"Mr. Starr, these are the third-quarter financial statements requiring your review and signature." Amy knocked and entered, handing the documents to her boss.
Leo's phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen and, seeing it wasn't a message from Stella, set it aside. After Amy left with the signed documents, he unlocked his phone.
It was a credit card notification.
Leo smiled, leaning back in his chair as he opened the message.
[Your card ending in 1008 was used on November 15th at 15:47 for a purchase of $430.00. Enjoy your shopping!]
Just this one. That's it.
Leo stared at the number, checking repeatedly to ensure he hadn't misread the decimal point. His face showed rare confusion.
He opened the office software: [@ExecutiveOffice-Amy, come in for a moment.]
A minute later, Amy entered with her notebook: "Mr. Starr."
Leo got straight to the point: "How much do girls usually spend when shopping?"
"... What?" Amy was puzzled, thinking she had misheard. "Well, it depends on how much they have. They often spend more than planned."
Leo pressed his lips together in thought. Stella's card didn't have a spending limit issue.
"Then what can you buy for $430?" he asked.
"$430… can buy quite a few things," Amy noted the perplexed yet sincere expression on her boss's face and guessed it had something to do with Mrs. Starr. She asked, "Mr. Starr, do you know where the money was spent?"
Leo recalled the merchant details: "TOM FORD."
Amy immediately understood: "It's a lipstick!"
"Lipstick?"
"Yes, at that price point, and at TF, Mrs. Starr probably bought a lipstick!"
Oh no, did I just blurt that out?
Fortunately, Leo only gave her a faint look without any displeasure. Amy breathed a sigh of relief.
Leo thought for a moment and then asked: "Are all lipsticks this cheap?"
Listen to this. Is this even a real question?
Amy: "Mr. Starr, lipsticks aren't very expensive individually, but there are many shades, so they can add up."
"What are shades?"
What could make the stern Mr. Starr inquire about makeup?
It's the charming Mrs. Starr!
Amy was no longer nervous and took out her phone, searching for some images to show her boss: "Shades are the different colors of lipsticks. Each shade has a different color suitable for different outfits and occasions. Each brand has dozens or hundreds of shades, and each major brand has a most popular shade, like this Armani's red tube, MAC's Chili, Chanel's Vamp… and so on."
"So one lipstick is not enough," Mr. Starr concluded.
"Absolutely not!" Amy declared firmly, her dream slipping out. "Lipsticks should be bought in sets, one box after another!"
Leo nodded solemnly: "I understand. Thank you."