Kate was interested in new luxury imports and even so custom pieces, asking the staff to arrange a show.
Helpless, Ling Qingyu had to sit through the models' catwalk of fashionable dresses and bags. Of course, Kate noticed Ling Qingyu's disinterest, yet her keen eagerness to dress her up didn't diminish.
Then Kate suddenly rembered—Ling Qingyu owned a beauty and fashion company.
Heck, she had almost forgotten Ling Qingyu's original business, having heard about it from others. The current Ling Qingyu's prowess was on an entirely different level.
Now that she recalled it, how could Ling Qingyu possibly like other brands' products? That would be outright insulting to her own standards.
Even so, Kate's urge to dress soone up hadn't changed. She was itching to do it.
"Qingyu, can't you just change into sothing else?"
"Why are you so adamant about dressing up? I'm not a Barbie doll," Ling Qingyu rolled her eyes.
Kate frowned playfully. "That's the only way I can convince myself you're still mortal and not so far out of reach."
"Alas Kate. You think too much. I'm still very much reachable," Ling Qingyu sighed and finally relented.
The two occupied an entire private dressing room, changing outfits multiple tis. Kate bought everything without hesitation, swiping her card freely.
Ling Qingyu accepted the gifts helplessly. She knew this was Kate's playful way of repaying her and expressing gratitude.
Even so, Ling Qingyu's help couldn't be asured or repaid. What she had given was far beyond equivalence—and Kate understood that.
Finally, after satisfying Kate's hobby, Ling Qingyu let out a sigh of relief.
In truth, she also felt a subtle sense of enjoynt, listening to soone else's comntary and praise.
Of course, she knew her figure could make anything look stunning. Her appeal would never diminish—but hearing complints from a close friend still brought her happiness.
At the sa ti, Ling Qingyu grew so ntally exhausted that she swore never to indulge Kate's demands again. Even Tang Ziyi's devilish training hadn't been this draining.
By then, night had fallen. It was ti for dinner.
Initially, Ling Qingyu invited Kate back to the hotel, but Kate refused.
According to her, if Ling Qingyu didn't experience the local excitent while she was here, she would be wasting a rare opportunity.
Against Kate's playful insistence, Ling Qingyu's resistance gradually crumbled as Kate gave the address to the guards to drive them over.
"You seem unusually excited," Ling Qingyu said suspiciously. "Where are you taking ?"
"You'll know when we get there, Qingyu. I promise you won't be disappointed," Kate said, her lips curling into a mysterious smile. "In fact, you'll thank later. I can already tell you've left a lot of potential untapped."
Ling Qingyu knew Kate was referring to her unchanging fashion choices—always prioritizing comfort over style.
Co on, she lived for herself, not for others. Besides, her clothes weren't ordinary. They were bulletproof while maintaining maximum comfort. Her brand had already thoroughly penetrated the elite class in her holand.
The reason such products hadn't reached overseas markets yet was simple—elite consumption relied heavily on recomndation-based marketing.
Traditional advertisents didn't work well on the wealthy. They never wanted to appear ordinary, and comparison was always part of their mindset.
In response to Kate's complaints about her fashion sense, Ling Qingyu explained why none of the luxury brands could match her products.
Kate's reaction wasn't surprising. She gasped and grabbed Ling Qingyu's shoulders, pinching the fabric in disbelief.
Her eyes clearly showed confusion—how could sothing so thin withstand bullets and explosions?
"Stop drooling over my shirt. I'll gift you a few later," Ling Qingyu said, prompting Kate to let go.
"You promised. I didn't even say anything," Kate chuckled.
Ling Qingyu: "…"
Had she spoiled her too much?
Soon, the Suburban rolled to a stop and parked where Kate directed. The location struck Ling Qingyu as strange.
They were in an underground parking lot beneath a high-rise building, and the na on the signboard gave her a faint sense of unease.
As they climbed the stairs, Ling Qingyu paused at the first floor and glanced inside. "You brought to a bar?"
"Well, technically no. It is a public bar, but what I want to show you is a private venue," Kate replied.
Ling Qingyu shrugged and followed.
They climbed two more floors before arriving at what looked like a reception area. Why would there be a reception at this floor?
Ling Qingyu already noted the underground parking require Kate to swipe her mber card.
Surely, this floor was off-limit to most visitors.
In contrast to the tightly dressed female staff, a mature lady in a stunning evening gown stepped forward with a gleeful smile. "Kate. I thought you wouldn't co tonight."
"Hey, are you saying milady doesn't want my support?"
"Oh, Kate, I always welco custors—especially loyal VIPs like you," the lady winked.
"Give your best private room, fully equipped. And serve dinner as well."
"You're bringing a friend this ti, Kate."
"As a local, I have to entertain her properly. Let broaden her horizons. Besides, I'm helping you gain another loyal custor."
"Ho, ho, ho." The lady laughed. "Understood. Please follow ."
Clearly, the woman was the proprietress, Ling Qingyu thought. From their conversation, it was obvious Kate was a regular here—their familiarity was unmistakable.
This ti, the lady led them into a spacious elevator and swiped a card.
So far, everything felt oddly mysterious.
At first glance, the place operated like a bar—but from what Ling Qingyu could tell, it was far from simple.
The lady led them to the furthest room, one with the most elaborately decorated entrance. As she opened the door, Ling Qingyu let out a low whistle at the sheer luxury inside.
It wasn't that she hadn't experienced such extravagance before, but the fact that such services existed within an inconspicuous building in the neighborhood spoke volus.
She suspected illicit business was involved. However, she had already thoroughly investigated Kate with Athena—otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered befriending her.
Don't ask why Ling Qingyu trusted her instincts so quickly. She had far too much experience impersonating a Spirit Fox operative when raiding such compounds.
The structure felt very familiar.
Besides, the interior raised several warning signs. A large banquet table, karaoke sections, and an expansive bath area—almost like a mini swimming pool.
In the middle stood a circular stage, large enough for a dozen people to stand together.
The most eye-catching feature was the long tallic pole at its center. No matter how she looked at it, Ling Qingyu couldn't suppress her wandering thoughts.
"Thank you very much. The best service, please rember," Kate said.
"Naturally. Please enjoy, ladies."
The proprietress turned and strutted away, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor, the sound lingering in the group's silence until Kate pushed Ling Qingyu inside and shut the door.
"Kate, although I'm not too picky with food, you'd better explain where exactly you've brought ," Ling Qingyu said, enduring the urge to strangle her new friend.
By now, she wasn't naive—the pole alone made the nature of the place obvious.
"Relax, Qingyu. The food here is excellent," Kate replied with a smile as she slouched onto the nearest couch.
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