Chapter 74 - Acknowledgement
After school ended that afternoon, He Xuan was with the three sisters—Su Dongyan, Zhong Xue, and Yun Xiaoli.
The girls began gossiping about Fang Hong and Lin Ruoshui's dinner the night before. He Xuan, however, was feeling irritable. She forced herself to smile and engage in the conversation, pretending to be interested.
"Yesterday, I specifically asked Ruoshui about it. Can you guess what she said?" Yun Xiaoli asked, clearly delighted. "That damn girl kept denying it until I showed her the photo I took. She still refused to admit it. Do you know what she said? She claimed she only asked Fang Hong for help, but when I asked her what kind of help, she refused to answer."
Zhong Xue immediately chimed in: "Exactly! Why would they cuddle like that? I saw how she acted, like a little bird."
At this point, He Xuan was no longer interested in hearing about their gossip concerning Fang Hong and Lin Ruoshui. She immediately changed the subject. "Alright, enough gossip. How about we go shopping? Don't you all want to get the new iPhone 3? I'll buy one for each of you."
Her mood, which had been irritable, lightened slightly at the prospect of spending. She wanted to buy things to distract herself from the boredom weighing on her.
Su Dongyan, Zhong Xue, and Yun Xiaoli all stared at her in astonishment. Their mouths opened wide, forming a perfect oval shape. Yun Xiaoli was the first to react, asking, "Xuan, did I hear that correctly?"
Zhong Xue couldn't help but comment, "The iPhone 3 costs over 4,000 yuan. If you're buying one for each of us, that's over 10,000 yuan. How did you get so much money?"
Feeling the attention of her friends on her, He Xuan finally felt a little better. She proudly replied, "It's not just the iPhone. I plan to max out this credit card today. Buy whatever you want, and I'll cover it."
The three girls exchanged looks of disbelief. He Xuan took out the credit card that Fang Hong had given her, waving it in front of their eyes with a smile. "It's a Diamond Credit Card."
The three girls stared in amazement. After realizing what it meant, they began chattering excitedly.
Su Dongyan asked, "Wait, is that really a Diamond Credit Card?"
Zhong Xue added, "I've heard that it's the highest-level card, with an overdraft limit starting in the hundreds of thousands."
Yun Xiaoli grinned and teased, "Xuan, tell me honestly, are you involved with some rich godfather or something?"
He Xuan rolled her eyes in response and said, "What are you talking about? My boyfriend is only six months younger than me, and he's tall, rich, and handsome. What godfather are you talking about?"
The three girls gasped in unison. "Xuan, you have a boyfriend?"
After a moment of stunned silence, Yun Xiaoli broke the quiet with a playful remark, "I didn't expect you to betray the organization! A tall, rich, and handsome boyfriend?"
Su Dongyan eagerly asked, "Hurry up, tell us who your tall, rich, and handsome boyfriend is! Show us a picture!"
The three girls laughed, their curiosity piqued. With the Diamond Credit Card in hand and the knowledge that He Xuan had a wealthy and handsome boyfriend, they couldn't help but feel envious.
"Not now," He Xuan replied with a smile, "I'll tell you later."
Yun Xiaoli raised an eyebrow. "Why not now? Don't be shy. Maybe you're worried we'll steal your man."
He Xuan's playful expression faltered for a moment. The thought crossed her mind that her friends might indeed try to 'poach' him. But she quickly regained her composure and said, "Do you want the iPhone 3 or not? Do you want Estee Lauder products? If you do, then let's go shopping. Buy whatever you want today, and I'll pay for everything."
The three girls paused for a moment, their curiosity about He Xuan's boyfriend temporarily forgotten. Zhong Xue smirked. "Since you won't tell us who your boyfriend is, we'll just have to expose him ourselves later. After all, if he's that rich, the sisters will show no mercy."
He Xuan grinned. "Fine, no problem. Let's go!"
With that, the girls left the school and headed to Xincheng District's commercial center, ready for a shopping spree.
They started by visiting a local iPhone store, where iPhones were incredibly popular, especially among girls who weren't particularly concerned about the phone's performance but rather about keeping up with trends.
In the store, the girls quickly picked out their favorite iPhone 3 colors and styles. They also added an Apple MacBook and other accessories to their shopping carts.
"Alright, the total comes to 52,952 yuan," the salesperson said with excitement, not expecting such a large order.
He Xuan calmly handed over the Diamond Credit Card and said, "No password."
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After a while, the sales employee approached and handed He Xuan the card with both hands, saying, "Miss, you can't swipe this card—it's been suspended. You'll need to call the bank."
He Xuan was taken aback.
Several of the women who were trying out new mobile phones also paused and looked up when they heard this, their attention shifting to He Xuan.
The atmosphere immediately became awkward.
Not only were the other customers uneasy, but the employees in the store were also visibly tense. The products had already been activated, and the total came to more than 50,000 yuan, which was no small sum. One employee, who was responsible for packaging, silently placed the items down and walked off, as if trying to avoid any trouble.
Realizing what had just happened, He Xuan quickly understood why the card was declined. The stares from those around her made her feel flustered and embarrassed, but she quickly composed herself. With a forced smile, she turned to the salesperson and asked, "You said this card has been suspended?"
The salesperson nodded affirmatively.
He Xuan feigned helplessness and said, "I must have missed the credit limit. It's probably maxed out."
At that moment, Yun Xiaoli, with a dramatic expression, chimed in, "No way! Xuan, you're really living extravagantly!"
Zhong Xue couldn't help but remark, "Seriously? A card maxed out already? What did you buy?"
Desperate to cover up the awkwardness and regain some control of the situation, He Xuan quickly came up with an excuse. She stuck out her tongue and smiled, "Oh, maybe I bought some gems and jewelry a few days ago. I wasn't paying attention to the limit."
Turning to the salesperson, she added, "Can you go ahead and package the items for me? I'll restore the overdraft limit tomorrow, and then I can come back to pay and pick up the items. Is that alright?"
The salesperson hesitated for a moment, clearly unsure about how to proceed. The products had already been activated, and if the payment wasn't settled, it could cause issues. However, the women, especially He Xuan, were clearly wealthy, and it was obvious that they didn't want to risk offending such customers. The salesperson didn't want to cause any problems, fearing the consequences of upsetting someone like her.
After a brief pause, the salesperson looked conflicted.
At that moment, the store manager walked in. He was already aware of the situation but still asked the sales staff about the details. Then he smiled warmly and addressed He Xuan directly, "No problem, no problem. It's not unusual for someone not to notice when the credit limit is maxed out…"
The manager smiled reassuringly. "Since these products have been activated and the cards have already been used for the new phones, there's no need to disassemble anything. You can take the products today. We're grateful for your support and we appreciate you choosing our store."
The manager then smoothly suggested, "If you can't pay with the card today, we can take down your contact information, and you can pay later. We'll send the product to you, and you can use the POS machine at the door to settle the payment. Does that sound good?"
The store manager's tone was polite and accommodating, as he quickly found a solution that respected the customer. Even though the card couldn't be swiped, he was sure that the card was legitimate. A diamond credit card indicated wealth, and he didn't want to risk losing a valuable customer over a few thousand yuan.
Furthermore, he believed that the real cardholder wasn't the woman in front of him but someone important, probably someone who wouldn't let a small amount of money cause any trouble. He wanted to avoid escalating the situation, prioritizing the relationship with the customer over the immediate sale.
With a smile, the manager continued, "We'll write an IOU for you. If you don't mind, leave your contact information and ID so we can verify it. We'll send someone over with the products, and you can pay then. Is that acceptable?"
He Xuan considered the offer for a moment before nodding. "Alright, let's do that."
It was the best solution under the circumstances. It would allow her to save face, avoid embarrassment in front of her friends, and prevent anyone from finding out that her card had been suspended.
"Thank you, Miss," the store manager said politely, motioning for He Xuan to follow him. "Please, this way."
He quickly drew up an IOU, asked He Xuan for her ID to confirm the details, and had her sign the document, leaving her contact information and a fingerprint. The whole process was completed in under two minutes.
He Xuan and her sisters, now with their purchased products in hand, left the store.
While the store manager was certainly taking a risk by letting He Xuan leave without paying, he had made his decision after carefully weighing the situation. If they insisted on payment right away, it could have caused embarrassment for the customer. If the cardholder was indeed a powerful person, things could get complicated, and the store didn't want to make an enemy of them.
There was always a risk that the money might not be recovered, but the store manager judged that the probability of that happening was low. However, he was willing to take the chance to avoid creating a bigger issue.
He was more concerned about managing the situation without making a scene. After all, maintaining customer relations was more important than a few thousand yuan.
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Later, He Xuan's friends, teasing her with the nickname "Prodigal Lady," couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy in their eyes. It was easier to accept this label than to explain the real reason behind the situation, especially considering the embarrassment she had just gone through.
He Xuan returned to her dormitory, chatting with her sisters for a while before leaving the school. She felt uneasy as she headed back to the Binhu community.
It was during this time that she realized the gravity of her earlier mistakes. She had been under the illusion that Fang Hong had changed, that she had transformed him over time. But looking back on everything, she saw that he had indulged her every whim. He had always been willing to give her anything she wanted, whether it was material goods or affection. He had centered his life around her.
But now, for the first time, He Xuan realized something crucial. While Fang Hong could give her all the things she desired, he could just as easily take them away. She had lashed out at him in the morning, only to freeze him out in the afternoon without hesitation.
The weight of her actions hit her all at once.
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Binhu District.
He Xuan entered the community, finally deciding to admit her mistake to Fang Hong. She didn't want to lose everything now. There aren't many people who can remain optimistic and calm when faced with such a situation.
Since she started dating Fang Hong, He Xuan had found every day to be full of joy. All her worries seemed to vanish, leaving only happiness. She could live carefree, enjoying life, and feeling that the whole world was beautiful.
Except for that morning.
He Xuan arrived at her apartment floor, stepped out of the elevator, and stood outside her door for a moment. She hesitated but eventually took out her keys and unlocked the door.
Once inside, she noticed Fang Hong wasn't in the living room.
However, she could hear the sound of a shower running from the bathroom. The sound faded soon after, and shortly after, Fang Hong walked into the living room, wearing a bathrobe.
When he saw He Xuan, they both stared at each other for a moment. Neither of them spoke, and the living room was filled with a heavy silence.
He Xuan broke the silence, speaking softly: "I was wrong... What happened this morning will never happen again."
Hearing this, Fang Hong, who had been about to light a cigarette, stopped. He put the lighter down, extinguishing the flame. He rested his hand on the armrest of the sofa, and with his legs crossed, he looked up at He Xuan.
Their gazes locked, and He Xuan's eyes seemed watery and full of vulnerability.
Fang Hong put the unlit cigarette back in its case, nodded, and responded in a calmer, gentler tone. "Alright, I accept your apology. After this, you need to understand that you can use my card however you want. There's no problem with that, but it comes with conditions."
He Xuan looked at him for a while before lowering her gaze and speaking softly: "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. I didn't understand the situation earlier."
Fang Hong slowly shook his head, cutting her off with a calm, measured tone. "This isn't just about misunderstanding. Even if there was no misunderstanding, you still shouldn't dictate things to me. According to the previous agreement, the nature of our relationship—whether we continue or not—should be up to you. I will accept whatever you choose. If you ever want to end it, you can tell me anytime. But you shouldn't act the way you did this morning. Don't you agree?"
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