Chapter 143: The Unexpected Ally Who Came to Help Was Him

As Miss Shu clattered away in her high heels, Du Yun’s earlier displeasure at the girl’s overbearing attitude, as well as her contempt for the shop assistant’s fawning behavior, gradually faded.

After all, to Du Yun, who had weathered far greater storms, squabbling girls fighting over a few things hardly counted as a real matter.

“Sis, do you like this dress?” Compared with Du Yun’s composure, Du Zhi’s reaction was far more intense. Watching Miss Shu disappear into the distance, Du Zhi’s little face had gone deathly pale. Her tightly clasped hands seemed not to know where else to go.

As for why she was not clutching the skirt—please. Du Zhi was nervous, not foolish. The dress was so expensive that if she left fingerprints or creases on it, what would she do if they forced her to buy it?

“I don’t like it. I don’t like it. Let’s go!” Du Zhi hurriedly seized Du Yun’s hand and spoke in a trembling voice. Yet even as she said this, her gaze passed over her reflection in the mirror, and a faint gleam still flickered in her eyes.

The dress was simply too beautiful.

“We’re not leaving. You may not like the dress, but I absolutely adore it.” After gaining mental powers, Du Yun’s powers of observation had become extraordinarily keen. She had not missed the slightest change in Du Zhi’s eyes, and naturally refused to let her sister suffer for such a trivial matter.

Du Yun was carrying more than a hundred yuan. Let alone a dress marked at thirty yuan—even if she selected three or five kinds of fabric from the shelves and bought them all, she could still afford it. In fact, that was precisely what she intended to do.

“Please wrap up this dress for me. And this fabric, this one, and this one—cut enough of each to make two outfits.”

Under the long-faced shop assistant’s horrified stare, Du Yun pointed out everything she wanted with a bright smile.

“You want all of these?” The round-faced shop assistant was equally astonished. She had supported Du Yun earlier merely because there was such a thing as first come, first served, and because the sweet-looking girl seemed so pleasant that she had not wanted either party to be put in an awkward position.

Now that Du Yun actually intended to buy the dress—and so much fabric besides—the shop assistant began to hesitate. Even with the young master’s word that the sisters would be charged less, the dress alone would cost at least twenty yuan. Adding the fabric Du Yun had chosen, the total would come to more than forty yuan.

One yuan was enough to feed a household of three for an entire week. Spending more than forty yuan on a single shopping trip was nearly equivalent to a family’s food expenses for a whole year. It was hardly strange for Miss Shu, who spent money lavishly, to buy so many things. But the Du sisters did not look wealthy. Could they really spend that much?

“Why don’t you think it over?” the round-faced shop assistant said after a moment’s hesitation. “We have plenty of fabric in stock. You can come back and buy it whenever you like. There’s no need to decide today.”

The shop assistant was actually rather troubled. Selling goods was naturally a good thing, especially when so much could be sold in a single transaction. But the little girl in front of her was only fifteen or sixteen, and she was connected both to the young master and to Du Song. If she bought all this fabric on impulse, then later refused to honor the purchase and demanded a refund, the shop assistant would have no choice but to take it back, even if she had to hold her nose while doing so.

Returning a garment was no great problem. As long as it was neither dirty nor damaged, it could still be sold. Fabric, however, was different. Once a pair of scissors had cut into it, the pieces could never be restored to their original position. If the girl returned everything, took her money, and walked away as though nothing had happened, what would become of her?

The round-faced shop assistant felt utterly wretched. She wanted to persuade Du Yun, but the girl’s resolute expression made it clear she would not listen. Yet the assistant did not have the courage to take up her scissors and cut the fabric either. The atmosphere froze in an instant.

Seeing the shop assistant’s expression, Du Yun realized that she was worried about whether Du Yun could pay. She was just about to take out her money and settle the bill when the clicking of high heels sounded again.

Turning around, she saw Miss Shu striding back with an arrogant expression, two tall, sturdy bodyguards following behind her.

Du Yun naturally recognized Miss Shu. As for the two men behind her, however, Du Yun could hardly keep from laughing.

“It’s her! She tried to snatch the dress from me!” Miss Shu saw that Du Yun was still there and seemed to release a heavy sigh of relief. Turning to complain to the two men behind her, she put on the coy, delicate manner of a spoiled young woman, completely unlike the haughty heiress she had been moments before.

“Brother Zhan, Brother Du, you must get justice for me!” Miss Shu’s eyes were sparkling with tears, and her voice had softened. She sounded like a young woman in love, coquettishly appealing to the man she adored. Du Yun could not help shivering.

Could it be that Miss Shu had taken a fancy to one of them?

Du Yun’s eyes moved back and forth between Zhan Congwen and her own elder brother. Zhan Congwen’s crisp suit and shirt certainly complemented Miss Shu’s outfit perfectly, but Miss Shu kept glancing toward Du Yun’s brother. Du Yun was thoroughly confused.

“What’s going on?” As the host, Zhan Congwen naturally had to step forward first. On one side stood a friend he had grown up with; on the other was the woman who had saved his life. In every respect, he ought to intervene.

“What do you mean, what’s going on? Do you think I would lie to you?” Miss Shu pouted unhappily and glared at him.

“Heh heh, Qing, listen to you. I only asked because everyone here is an acquaintance,” Zhan Congwen said with an awkward laugh. Then he turned serious and addressed Miss Shu.

“Ahem. Let me introduce you. This is Du Song’s second younger sister, Du Yun, and this is his youngest sister, Du Zhi. Du Yun is also the one who saved my life. You’ll have to show her some respect in the future.”

For some reason, Zhan Congwen began introducing everyone.

“This is my childhood friend, Shu Xiaoqing. Her family is a prominent merchant household in the provincial capital, and she’ll be staying in the county for a while.”

After he had introduced both sides, the atmosphere became strangely awkward. The two groups, who had seemed ready to clash at any moment, were unexpectedly connected by countless ties. What were they supposed to do now?

The round-faced shop assistant had already quietly retreated to one side the moment she heard that Du Yun was Zhan Congwen’s lifesaver. She had taken the girl for a nouveau riche country bumpkin who had come into town, but it turned out she had so many connections after all. Truly, one could never judge a person by appearance.

“You’re Brother Du’s sisters?” Shu Xiaoqing paid no attention to how Zhan Congwen had introduced her. The moment she heard that Du Yun was Du Song’s sister, her attitude changed completely. Her earlier arrogance vanished without a trace, replaced by undisguised delight.