Through the half-lowered car window, Lin Xi saw that the driver was Duan Yiheng. She opened the passenger door; after all, she couldn't let Duan Yiheng drive her. "Didn't you bring a driver today?" Lin Xi asked while fastening her seatbelt. Duan Yiheng replied,
"If you want, I'll carry it for you; if not, just have the store deliver it." Lin Xi said, "Just bring it back. Why don't you go pick out a couple of gifts for your aunt first? What are her hobbies?" Duan Yiheng chuckled, "She likes playing mahjong." Lin Xi said,
"Then how about I give her a mahjong set?" "No need," Duan Yiheng drove away from Tiandu Yuxi, "She has all kinds of brands. A brand-name mahjong set costs hundreds of thousands. Given your relationship, more wouldn't be appropriate." Lin Xi pondered for a moment and said,
"Then I'll choose something else for her." Less wouldn't be appropriate either; fifty to eighty thousand would be about right. The two entered the mall. Duan Yiheng suggested they eat first, but Lin Xi stopped him, saying, "Let's eat later, it's only this late." Duan Yiheng glanced at her, "You've had breakfast?"
Lin Xi shook her head, "I need to try on dresses later. I'm at my lightest right now; after eating, I can't even zip up my jacket." Duan Yiheng: "...Aren't you hungry?" Lin Xi: "I drank a glass of warm water this morning, so I'm not hungry yet."
A dedicated staff member greeted them, and Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng were led into a private VIP room. Lin Xi usually made an appointment with the sales associate before coming to the store, but today was an exception. Duan Yiheng had mentioned it last night, and she came this morning.
Lin Xi's sales associate prepared coffee and dessert for them. Lin Xi smiled and said, "You sent me some dresses a while ago, and I think the colors are quite suitable." The sales associate replied, "They really suit your skin tone and temperament."
Lin Xi immediately recognized them as haute couture dresses from the spring collection—light and bright colors. Lin Xi said, "I'm attending the company's charity gala in early March. Pick out a few suitable outfits for me."
The sales associate brought over a row of dresses and showed them to Lin Xi first. Lin Xi got up, picked and chose two, then went into the dressing room. Duan Yiheng casually glanced at the two Lin Xi had chosen: one a deep V-neck, the other a backless dress.
Lin Xi finished dressing and quickly came out. The first dress was a short halter top; the sequins shimmered like transparent scales under the lights. Duan Yiheng's gaze moved down, landing on her long, porcelain-white legs. Lin Xi was from the South and wasn't particularly tall, but her proportions were excellent.
Noticing his gaze, Lin Xi blushed and went back to the dressing room. She tried on five more outfits but wasn't entirely satisfied until the last one. When she came out, she clearly saw the amazement in Duan Yiheng's eyes.
It was a strapless, slit, lake-green dress. Duan Yiheng couldn't quite describe the color; it felt like a mix of light green and mint green. Perhaps neither, just somewhere in between.
The fabric shimmered under the lights, like flowing spring water. The strapless design hugged Lin Xi's figure perfectly, a flowing ribbon draped around her long neck, highlighting the graceful lines of her collarbone and shoulders.
Lin Xi liked it too, and nodded to the sales associate. "Just this one? The others you tried on were also very beautiful and suited you well." As Lin Xi hesitated, Duan Yiheng spoke up:
"Wrap them all up, and pair each dress with shoes and accessories." "Okay." The sales associate smiled and took Duan Yiheng's card. Not wanting to refuse Duan Yiheng in this place, she had just sat down when she suddenly heard him say, "Open your mouth."
"Wh...uh..." Lin Xi's open mouth was stuffed with a pink macaron. Duan Yiheng chuckled, "Is it good?" Lin Xi glared at him and popped the macaron into her mouth.
When the salesperson returned, Duan Yiheng keenly noticed a change in her gaze; she kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, seemingly casually. Lin Xi noticed too and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?" The salesperson flashed her professional eight teeth:
"I just think you and your fiancé are a good match." Lin Xi was taken aback: "Fiancé?" The salesperson was also surprised; wasn't he? "Please deliver the items to Tiandu Yuxi," Duan Yiheng suddenly interjected, then said to Lin Xi, "Let's go."
After Lin Xi left with him, the two found a restaurant to eat. Realizing what had happened, Lin Xi felt a little awkward. The sales staff in the store were paying extra attention to their customers; they must have seen the news about her and Duan Mingxuan.
The sales staff knew her identity, and there were no photos of her and Duan Mingxuan in the news; they must have mistaken Duan Yiheng for Duan Mingxuan. Duan Yiheng noticed Lin Xi's hesitant gaze. He was curious how long she could hold back before asking.
When the food was served, she remained silent. Duan Yiheng gave up, saying, "Your sales representative mistook me for Duan Mingxuan, and I wasn't even upset. Why do you look so aggrieved?" Lin Xi subconsciously touched her face, denying it:
"I'm not aggrieved at all. I'm just curious why you pulled me away without explaining." Duan Yiheng: "There's nothing to explain." Lin Xi lowered her head and whispered, "As long as you're not angry." Duan Yiheng chuckled: "I'm not angry. Let's eat."
After lunch, the two picked out a gift for Meng Huaishan's mother. Duan Yiheng drove straight to the Meng family villa, startling Lin Xi: "Aren't you going to take me back?" Duan Yiheng said,
"I'm taking the gift to my aunt. I might not be able to attend her birthday party. I also need to speak with Meng Huaishan. Please sit and wait for me a moment." Taking her back first would be a detour, so Lin Xi nodded.
Meng Huaishan's mother was very hospitable and quite outgoing, so Lin Xi wasn't reserved at all. It was her uncle who seemed a bit serious. After settling Lin Xi in, Duan Yiheng and Meng Huaishan went outside to the living room. Meng Huaishan offered him a cigarette, but Duan Yiheng shook his head:
"Got any leads?" "Your dad's really cunning," Meng Huaishan grumbled. "I've been keeping an eye on his Maybach, and then he took his mistress in a car I don't even recognize the logo of." Duan Yiheng: "..." Meng Huaishan:
"It was too late to chase after him after he realized it, and I was afraid of alerting him, so I decided to continue waiting." Duan Yiheng's brow furrowed: "His caution suggests the person he's hiding is no ordinary person." Meng Huaishan patted his shoulder:
"I'll definitely find out for you, don't worry. At the charity gala in early March, you can try to probe again." Duan Yiheng nodded: "That's all I can do." "You and Lin Xi... Hey, hey? Duan Yiheng?
Aren't you being a bit too materialistic, using and discarding people? I can't even ask about your relationship..." Duan Yiheng ignored him completely, went into the living room, politely declined his uncle and aunt's invitation to stay for dinner, and left with Lin Xi. Upon returning to Tiandu Yuxi, the items purchased from the store were delivered. Two days later, invitations to the Yinfan Group's charity gala were sent to partners, clients, shareholders, and major media outlets.