The Billionaire's Hidden Affection-Chapter 549 - 546: Wretched Maid, Give Up Hope 10_1

"Please, my sweetheart, I really won’t pass the exams without your help. Won’t that be a waste of your efforts?" The beautiful woman’s alluring voice managed to melt his defenses; her coquetry was, after all, a much more effective strategy than throwing a tantrum. In a light-headed state, he complied, "Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow."

Well, tomorrow is tomorrow—one more day survived. She nodded in rapid agreement.

As he gently closed the door behind him, he understood: Until she could truly let go of Huang Xiaojue, she would refuse to be intimate with another man. Actually, he felt the same way. Huang Xiaojue always served as a wedge between them. He, too, hoped to completely get rid of that constant thorn. A woman’s body is easy to acquire, but to win both her body and soul is rare. Love raises one’s standards, doesn’t it?

「On Saturday evening」

Yan Xixi and Xu Xiaoya visited the city’s most upscale shopping venue. According to unwritten industry rules, the benchmark for a top department store lay in its housing of no less than fifteen international high-end brands. To put it simply, a single bottle of face cream had to cost over a thousand yuan, and a ladies’ evening dress had to cost over ten thousand yuan.

This was part of Yan Xixi and Xu Xiaoya’s homework. Having opened a store that sold luxury bags, they naturally needed to understand the consumer market. Every weekend, they would take the time to stroll around the three most upscale A-ranked shopping malls and a handful of B-ranked shopping plazas in the city.

The items were grossly overpriced. They never bought anything, but they looked at every store they walked into.

Ever since Yan Xixi had started preparing for her exams, she hadn’t gone out in over a month. Being cooped up had made her restless, so when Xu Xiaoya invited her to get some air, she immediately agreed.

The autumn clothes were already on display, and true to form, the high-end brands displayed beautifully designed styles.

The pair covered a lot of ground and, after some time, sat down in a rest area to take a breather. A familiar voice drifted over.

"Wow, so beautiful! TSK! TSK! TSK! Zhou Ting, you look so elegant in this..."

"Truly stunning, your figure is so attractive..."

They both paused and, following the sound, saw a tall beauty trying on a dress in the boutique of a top luxury brand across from them—it was none other than Zhou Ting! And next to her, to their surprise, were Zhou Xiaoxuan and Huang’s mother.

The enthusiastic sales assistant was happily attending to the three of them.

"Pack all the items that have been tried."

"Alright, alright, you three take a rest for a moment. I’ll go swipe your card right away..."

What a surprise to run into these three here. They saw Huang’s mother and Zhou Xiaoxuan fawning over Zhou Ting as if she were the moon surrounded by stars. Zhou Xiaoxuan held her purse, and even Huang’s mother voluntarily carried two shopping bags for her. Huang’s mother wore a smile Yan Xixi had never seen before—her eyes crinkled with delight, and she looked utterly satisfied.

Xu Xiaoya glanced at Yan Xixi and whispered, "Let’s go."

Yan Xixi stood up, but the trio had already spotted them.

Zhou Xiaoxuan, with her sharp eyes, exclaimed, "Xu Xiaoya? Yan Xixi? What a coincidence, you’re here shopping too?" The two had no choice but to stop.

Huang’s mother gave Yan Xixi a cold look and ignored her. Then, she clung to Zhou Ting’s arm in an almost provocative manner, displaying their close bond. Yan Xixi merely nodded in acknowledgment.

Zhou Xiaoxuan walked over. "Such a coincidence! Are you shopping here too? What have you bought?"

Their hands were empty; they hadn’t bought anything. Xu Xiaoya replied coldly, "We’re just strolling around; we didn’t buy anything."

"Just wandering without buying anything? What’s the fun in that? Haven’t you heard? A woman’s beauty is three parts mood, seven parts shopping. Why aren’t you buying anything?"