Lin ngyao looked at her family, who stood against her, and curled her lips into a bitter smile. Look at how harmonious they are; only she is the outsider, the bad one. Lin ngyao wanted to say sothing, but found her throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, making speaking—let alone breathing—difficult.
Xu Ke opened his arms and took Lin ngyao into his embrace, pressing her head against his shoulder. A wave of humid warmth flowed over from where she leaned against him, making Xu Ke’s heart grow slightly restless.
"If I rember correctly, ngyao was raised by her grandfather since childhood, right? She didn’t grow up with you. You haven’t really contributed to her upbringing in any way, so that whole ’raising her through hardship’ claim doesn’t even exist. Grandfather personally told everything about ngyao’s life. As parents, aside from giving her life, you’ve bestowed no other graces upon her. Moreover, ngyao has been supporting you for many years, and in my view, she has long repaid the gift of life you gave her, so stop playing the unfilial card. You don’t deserve it."
Xu Ke looked at the three in the room, gently soothing Lin ngyao with one hand as he coolly said, "From this day forward, stop demanding sacrifices from ngyao on your behalf, and stop talking about repaying kindness. She owes you nothing; rather, it is you who owe her a great deal. If you ever make ngyao upset again, I won’t let you off easily. If you don’t believe , just try it." Xu Ke cast a warning glance at the three and then, in the next mont, scooped Lin ngyao from the sofa, holding her firmly in his arms.
Xu Ke’s sudden movent made Lin ngyao montarily forget her tears, and the startled cry that reached her throat was swallowed back down.
Xu Ke left the Lin Family standing where they were and swaggered back to the bedroom with Lin ngyao in his arms. Lin ngyao waited for Xu Ke to put her down, but even after he sat on the sofa, he didn’t release her; instead, he placed her on his lap.
"Put down." Lin ngyao moved her head away from Xu Ke’s shoulder, looked at Xu Ke with a red nose, and pushed at his shoulder with little force. Rather than pushing Xu Ke away, she ended up being held more tightly by him.
"I don’t want to let you go." Xu Ke hugged Lin ngyao more tightly, speaking in a muffled voice.
Xu Ke’s sudden sweet words left Lin ngyao frozen in place, unsure of what to do. She didn’t speak, and the two silently held each other. After a while, when Lin ngyao pushed Xu Ke again, he finally released her, allowing her to run out of his embrace.
"It’s getting late today, you should rest early. I’m going out for a bit." Lin ngyao pointed to the bright sky outside the window, her face flushed as she stamred. Xu Ke didn’t even have ti to tease her before Lin ngyao grabbed her bag and hurriedly ran out. Before leaving, she even bumped into the door, flustered like a frightened little rabbit, causing Xu Ke to laugh aloud behind her.
"How cute, like a child." Xu Ke said with a smile, watching Lin ngyao’s fleeing figure. Then he stood up from the sofa, one hand in his pocket, and followed her out.
He was going to buy clothes for Lin ngyao because attending a banquet without a proper dress was not an option.
When Xu Ke entered the store, it was the ti of day with the least foot traffic. Five staff mbers in the store had nothing to do, each playing happily on their phones. Xu Ke saw their heads lift eagerly at the sound of the door opening, their faces displaying a professional smile, only to turn indifferent and uninterested when they sized him up.
"This is a luxury boutique, not a flea market. It’s not a place for you. Your sneakers are already dirtying the place, so leave now." The tall store clerk near the entrance glanced disdainfully at Xu Ke’s shoes, frowned, and said bluntly.
"You’ve got it wrong, the dirt isn’t just on the floor. Even the air is being polluted, okay? I’m about to be suffocated by the sudden stench of poverty. It’s really disgusting ." Another chubby-looking store clerk pinched her nose delicately, rolled her eyes, and said.
The exchange of mockery between the two clerks made the other shop assistants in the store unable to hold back their laughter.
Faced with the clerks’ ridicule and mockery, Xu Ke had no intention of responding. If this brand wasn’t one Lin ngyao liked, Xu Ke wouldn’t have set foot in this place at all.
Xu Ke rely brushed a glance over them and then focused on clothes priced no less than five figures, thoughtfully selecting. He didn’t want to stoop to the level of these clerks, but they seed unwilling to let him off easily. Seeing Xu Ke’s eyes land on a strapless long dress in a soft pink with ink wash floral designs, and observing his apparent intention to approach it, the previously outspoken tall clerk imdiately blocked his path.
"Do you not understand human speech? This is not a place for broke losers like you to browse. Get lost now. You standing here makes outsiders think we sell low-end goods. Do you know how much you’re degrading our store’s image by being here? Get as far away as possible, or don’t bla for having soone throw you out." The tall clerk said in a very hostile tone.
"Move." Xu Ke looked at the woman blocking him, speaking in an impatient tone.
"Move? As if. Which of these clothes can you even afford? Are you aware of your own condition? If you damage any item, can you afford to pay for it?" The tall clerk spat at Xu Ke with contempt.
Because the store’s main brand was high fashion, every piece was shockingly expensive. Those who usually visited were either wealthy socialites or affluent young n accompanying their female companions, none of whom the clerks dared to offend. So, they could only put on polite smiles and serve them carefully. Now, finally soone stepped in who was broke, and if she didn’t vent her frustrations now, when else could she?
"If you disappear from my sight now, I might give you a chance. Otherwise, just talking to this way, I’ll make sure you pay dearly." Xu Ke frown, speaking in an irritated tone.
The tall clerk burst into laughter upon hearing Xu Ke’s words, an ear-piercing and unpleasant sound. After a while, she stopped, rolled her eyes dramatically at Xu Ke, and said with ridicule in her voice, "You? Do you think this is TV or a novel? This is reality, okay? It’s getting dark soon, wake up from your daydream."
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