Song Tingyou's head bumped against the chain of the other woman's bag, leaving a red scratch on her fair forehead.
She hurriedly stood up straight, covering her forehead with her hand.
The other woman's shrill voice rang out again, "I wondered who it was. So it's you, the tofu seller."
Zhang Yingying sized up Song Tingyou: a cheap old T-shirt, faded jeans, and roughly hand-sewn cloth shoes.
What era was this? How could someone still wear those hand-sewn cloth shoes with foam soles?
Zhang Yingying mocked her without disguising her disdain, "You really are pathetic and shabby."
She fiddled with the chain of her LV bag and pointed to the spot Song Tingyou had just bumped into. It was as pristine as new, without a single mark.
Zhang Yingying said, "This is my newly bought LV bag. You broke my chain. I won't ask for much, just pay me five hundred thousand yuan in compensation."
Song Tingyou replied, "You really think highly of me. Didn't you just say I'm a poor tofu seller? Let alone five hundred thousand, I can't even take out fifty bucks."
Zhang Yingying asked, "Then how much can you pay me?"
Song Tingyou said, "Zero."
Zhang Yingying froze for a moment, her face twisting in anger. "You damaged my bag and don't want to pay? Is there such a free ride in this world? You are so young, yet you already know how to be unreasonable and pester people. Sure enough, bad lands produce unruly people; poor people just have wicked hearts!"
Song Tingyou said, "If you think I broke your bag, go to a professional luxury appraisal agency. Whatever amount they determine I need to pay, I will pay."
How could Zhang Yingying dare to get an appraisal? Her LV bag wasn't broken at all. "I see how it is. You little girl just don't want to pay me."
Song Tingyou retorted, "I see how it is too. You leftover spinster just want to extort my money."
Leftover spinster!
When these words fell into Zhang Yingying's ears, she automatically translated them into "an old woman nobody wants."
Especially when she thought of how Song Xinya had successfully married Qin Yuhe, the crown prince of the Beijing circle, to become a wealthy socialite, Zhang Yingying felt completely humiliated by the comparison. Failing to marry Qin Yuhe had always been a sore spot in her heart.
Now, she found a target for her misplaced anger, blaming all the reasons she couldn't marry Qin Yuhe on Song Tingyou.
Zhang Yingying reached out and grabbed Song Tingyou's wrist. "Since you have no money, come with me to find your grandmother. Your grandmother has sold tofu her whole life; even if she doesn't have much, she must have some savings. Give me all the money your grandmother has saved her entire life!"
Song Tingyou struggled, "Let go of me!"
Zhang Yingying snapped, "I won't!"
Song Xinya walked up to Zhang Yingying's other side, reached out to grab the bag slung over her shoulder, yanked it off, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it heavily twice.
Zhang Yingying immediately let go of Song Tingyou's wrist and ran over to pick up her bag. "Ahhh! My bag! My precious bag!"
She picked up the bag from the floor, examining it left and right. "Song Xinya, since you are protecting Jian Yiyi so much, you can pay me five hundred thousand on Jian Yiyi's behalf! No, my bag is even more damaged now. You owe me one million!"
Song Xinya replied, "I'll pay you with a hundred slaps."
Zhang Yingying lifted the LV logo on the bag and held it right in front of Song Xinya's eyes. "Look for yourself! This is LV, a designer brand. It's very expensive."
Song Xinya gave it a faint glance. "An LV Pochette, entry-level, fourteen thousand yuan. The material isn't new, and there are signs of use. If put on the secondhand market, it would be fifty percent off, worth seven thousand at most."
Song Tingyou chimed in, "So her bag can be bought for just seven thousand. Hearing her say it was so expensive just now, I thought it must be worth at least seven million."
Zhang Yingying's face was full of the embarrassment of being exposed. She curled her lips and said, "You poor tofu seller, you really dare to dream. Where in the world is there a bag worth seven million?"
Song Xinya raised her arm. "This Hermes with a rose gold and black sapphire buckle in my hand is worth seven million RMB."
Zhang Yingying stared wide-eyed at the bag in Song Xinya's hand. She truly hadn't expected that Song Xinya would casually carry around a bag worth seven million.
Even in the circles of wealthy socialites, a top-tier luxury bag worth seven million would usually be kept in a locked glass display cabinet. They would only bear to bring it out for evening banquets or important occasions.
For Song Xinya to carry this bag so casually showed just how luxurious her life had become after marrying into the Qin family.
At the thought of this, Zhang Yingying felt even more bitter.
Song Xinya curled her red lips slightly, her disdainful gaze sweeping past Zhang Yingying's face, and led Song Tingyou into the Chanel boutique.
The sales associates had heard the conversation between Song Xinya and Zhang Yingying, and they all looked at the bag Song Xinya was holding.
A seven-million-yuan bag!
Even though they sold luxury goods and dealt with wealthy heiresses and socialites all year round, it was their first time seeing a bag worth seven million.
The moment Song Xinya walked through the door, the sales associates surged toward her like a tide, burning with enthusiasm.
"Madam, it is an honor to serve you."
"Madam, would you like coffee or tea? What brand? Hot or cold? Whatever you'd like to drink, we will bring it to you."
"Madam, Chanel's latest season of clothing features elegant, grand, bright, and luxurious styles. We will bring them all over for you to try on."
Song Xinya casually placed her Hermes bag on a nearby table. "No need. Bring out all the youthful, sweet, gentle, and ladylike Chanel styles for my sister to try on."
The sales associates froze for a moment, turning their heads to look at the little girl behind her whom they had ignored.
An old T-shirt, faded jeans, and hand-sewn cloth shoes.
Truly, you can't judge a book by its cover.
With a buzz, the sales associates surrounded Song Tingyou in the middle, treating her with warm hospitality.
A rack of the latest Chanel dresses was rolled out, each one exquisitely crafted and gorgeously detailed.
Song Tingyou picked out one of them and walked into the fitting room.
Song Xinya picked out a pair of silver diamond-encrusted ankle-strap chunky heels that were easy to walk in, to match the dress.
Inside the fitting room, the old T-shirt, faded jeans, and roughly stitched cloth shoes were taken off the young girl's slender, fair body.
The fitting room door opened, and the young girl, wearing the magnificent dress and silver diamond-encrusted heels, walked out gracefully and lightly.
Clothes make the man just as a saddle makes the horse; first comes looks, then comes attire.
This saying wasn't false at all.
Wearing the high-end Chanel dress, Song Tingyou was sparkling all over, breathtakingly beautiful.
The sales associates stared at her, all completely stunned and amazed by her beauty.
At this moment, Song Tingyou was like a newly sprouted sapling, and even more like a fresh lotus breaking through the mud to bloom remarkably in the water, having completed the most magnificent transformation.
Her slender white fingers lifted the hem of the skirt. With a shy look on her face, she gazed at Song Xinya. "Sister, do I look pretty in this dress?"
Song Xinya replied, "I thought of beautiful words for a long time, but none of them can compare to the beautiful you."
Song Tingyou covered her mouth, laughing happily.
Being with her sister was just too much fun.
Song Xinya asked, "Shall we take this dress then?"
"Wait a minute," Song Tingyou picked up the tag on the dress, glanced at the price, and her jaw almost dropped.
One point eight eight million!
A single little dress, one point eight eight million!
Song Tingyou remembered a saying on the internet: They could have just robbed her, but instead they gave her a little dress.
Panic written all over her face, she whispered to Song Xinya, "Sis, we have a big problem."
Song Xinya said, "Did your period suddenly start and you got blood on the dress?"
Song Tingyou replied, "...Of course not."
Song Xinya asked, "Then what is it?"
Song Tingyou said, "It is too expensive."
Song Xinya glanced at the tag in her hand. It was indeed expensive.
Song Xinya had never even bought such an expensive dress for herself.
Song Tingyou sensibly started to take off the dress. "I think as long as clothes are wearable, it is fine. They do not necessarily have to be expensive. I do not want this one, I will go pick another."
Her fingers pinched the zipper to pull it down, but Song Xinya pressed down on her hand, bent over, looked her at eye level, and asked, "Youyou, do you like this dress?"
Song Tingyou said, "I like it, but..."
"No buts," Song Xinya told her seriously. "If you like it, your sister will buy it for you."
She turned to look at the shop assistant. "No need to pack this dress, she will wear it out."
Song Xinya had the shop assistant pack up an entire row of clothes on the rack.
After paying, Song Xinya and Song Tingyou walked out of the Chanel boutique with their hands full of shopping bags.
The assistant took the bags from their hands, not forgetting to offer a compliment. "Miss Song, you look truly beautiful in this dress. You and the Madam are indeed biological sisters; both of you possess such peerless beauty that outshines everyone else."
One sentence praised two people, covering all bases.
Song Xinya said, "Since you are such a sweet talker, I will treat you to Mixue Ice Cream and Tea."
The assistant very sensibly ordered the cheapest item: "Lemonade."
Song Xinya said, "You follow me around, holding umbrellas and carrying bags. I should order you a more expensive drink, right?"
The assistant replied, "No need, Madam. I do not like expensive drinks anyway. I just like Mixue lemonade. Not because I have no money, but because I simply love the taste."
"A clean social circle, a regular life, my favorite Snow King. Having a cup every day at work is not showing off wealth, it is just one of my few hobbies. Once I was so thirsty at the company that I ordered a cup of Mixue lemonade. Who knew my colleagues would gossip about me, saying I was being pretentious. I ignored them, because I never expected my daily drink to become a brag in their mouths."
Song Xinya said, "I will buy you two cups."
The assistant said, "Thank you, sis... Madam."
The assistant drank a four-yuan cup of Mixue lemonade, while Song Tingyou ate a seventy-nine-yuan Haagen-Dazs ice cream.
At lunchtime, since all three of them could eat spicy food, Song Xinya took Song Tingyou and the assistant to eat at Haidilao.
At the mall entrance, they ran into Zhang Yingying, Li Cuirou, and Song Xuanli.
Zhang Yingying sized up the glamorous Song Tingyou. "Haven't seen you for a little while, and the pheasant has turned into a phoenix."
Song Xinya retorted, "We cannot compare to you, who has always been a pheasant."
Li Cuirou interjected, "Alright, we are all family. Do not be at each other's throats the moment you meet. Harmony brings wealth."
Song Xinya said, "It is useless saying that to me. You should say it to your daughter. The one who starts trouble the moment we meet is her, not me."
Song Xuanli's gaze swept over the bag in Song Xinya's hand. "I heard you are using a seven million yuan bag now."
Song Xinya replied, "Is there a problem? My husband bought it for me, can I not use it?"
Song Xuanli said, "The Song family's business is having difficulties right now. Since you have so many luxury items on hand, you might as well sell them for cash and give the money to me to help the Song family tide over this crisis."
Song Xinya laughed. "When the Song family was making money, I never saw you give me a dime. Now that you are out of money, you have the audacity to come asking me for it. People need their dignity like trees need their bark; but you are shameless, truly invincible in your brazenness."
Zhang Yingying spoke up for Song Xuanli, acting cute to him, "Dad, look at Song Xinya, she is so annoying."
Song Xinya swept her fingers through the hair on her forehead, her movements elegant and unhurried. "You hate me, but my bank balance has not decreased, my hair has not fallen out, the earth still turns, the rivers still flow, and not even a lightbulb in my house has burned out. What can your hatred change, you bitter chicken?"
"Have you ever seen a happy person constantly criticizing others? Have you ever seen an open-minded person always arguing over who is right and wrong? Have you ever seen someone with a rich inner life constantly negating others? Happy people are busy experiencing life, their attention focused on enjoyment rather than judging others. Only those whose lives are not going well will constantly try to make things difficult for others."
Song Xinya looked at the dark circles under Zhang Yingying's eyes and asked, "Has your sleep quality been poor lately?"
Zhang Yingying replied, "A little."
Song Xinya leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear, "Do not worry about your insomnia anymore. Cockroaches will take my place, crawling into your ears to say goodnight."
These highly stimulating words drilled into Zhang Yingying's ears, incredibly evocative, triggering the phantom sensation of a cockroach crawling across the skin inside her ear, as if a real cockroach were actually crawling inside.
Zhang Yingying screamed and took a large step back, completely panic-stricken.
Song Xinya led Song Tingyou and the assistant and continued walking forward.
Song Xuanli's voice came from behind: "The Qin Group has let it slip that they are about to publicly announce the winning bidding companies. Those selected companies have already received news from the Qin family, but our Song family has not."
Song Xinya said, "So what are you still hesitating for? Agree to my two conditions, and I can make sure the Song family wins the bid."
"You can keep hesitating if you want. Once the bidding documents are officially announced and the matter is settled, you will have absolutely no chance left."
Song Xuanli watched Song Xinya's resolute departing figure, stunned in place.
He had originally thought that by wearing her down, he could get Song Xinya to relent and lower her conditions.
To not let Rouying Education Technology Co., Ltd. be renamed to Yating Education Technology Co., Ltd.
Now it seemed that Song Xinya's attitude was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
Song Xuanli let out a long sigh.
As he turned around, his gaze swept past Song Xinya's side. Looking at the little girl wearing the Chanel dress, the more he looked at her, the more familiar she seemed, as if he had seen her somewhere before.
After finishing their meal at Haidilao, Song Xinya took Song Tingyou back to the SKP mall to continue shopping.
By the time they finished buying clothes, shoes, and bags for Song Tingyou, it was already eight o'clock in the evening.
Just when Song Tingyou felt they had bought everything and could head back, Song Xinya walked into a men's goods store.
Song Tingyou and the assistant waited outside.
After an hour, Song Xinya walked out of the men's store with a carefully wrapped gift bag in her hand.
Song Tingyou asked, "Sis, what did you buy?"
Song Xinya replied, "A gift for Mr. Qin."
A very special gift...
