The rain outside the car window hadn’t stopped—it seemed even heavier now. Raindrops streamed down the glass, distorting the outside world into a blur. Both Mi Cai and I, severely deprived of sleep, had reclined our seats and were lying back inside the car, listening to the pattering raindrops with our eyes closed, trying to recover our energy.
With too many thoughts on my mind, I couldn’t fall asleep. Unconsciously, I clicked the seatbelt buckle beside me, making a “clack-clack” sound. Mi Cai, who had been lying still, turned on her side to face me and whispered, “Why don’t you take a nap? You’ll have to drive to Xitang later!”
I gently stroked her smooth hair, smiling as I replied, “I can’t sleep. How about singing a song for me?”
She shook her head, signaling she wasn’t in the mood for singing.
I didn’t push her. Instead, I took out a bank card from my pocket and said, “Then how about I accompany you shopping? I heard Chanel’s new two-tone leather shoes, which might become a classic, have already been released in Suzhou. I’ll give them to you!”
“Don’t spend money unnecessarily.”
I waved the card in my hand and said, “But I’m rich now—especially super rich!”
Mi Cai smiled and asked, “How rich exactly?”
I placed the card in her hand and said, “Definitely the level of a rich guy. Feel it—feel how heavy it is. It’s filled with RMB, enough to buy tons of luxury goods anytime!”
Mi Cai placed the card back in my hand and softly asked, “Are you afraid that one day, if I lose Zhuomei and this current material life, I won’t be able to get used to it?”
“Yeah, that’s why I’ve been working hard all along. I’m almost there now. Suzhou and Xitang’s shops will soon be connected, and then we’ll aim for large-scale operations.”
Mi Cai gently touched my hair, slightly complaining, “Now that you’re rich, you should also think about your dad and mom. Buy them some gifts. I still remember how he gave you money to pay the utility bills when we first met.”
Mi Cai’s words brought back memories of that day. I couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. Just a little over a year ago, this woman who once despised me so much now planned to spend her life with me. It felt like a dizzying whirlwind granted by life, and I was still caught in it, though my belief had already solidified. There would definitely come a day when we would walk out of this dizziness together.
I sat up on the chair, suddenly inspired, and said, “Let’s go buy some gifts now and return to Xuzhou to visit your dad and mom. What do you think?”
Mi Cai thought for a moment and asked, “Would it be too early or too late to go now?”
“Not too early, not too late.”
“Then would two days back in Xuzhou be enough?”
I nodded. At this moment, both Mi Cai and I shared the same feeling—no matter what storms tomorrow might bring, at least for these two days we’d find our own sunshine amidst this continuous drizzle.
…
Without further ado, we immediately drove to Zhuo Mei. First, we bought Dad a top-of-the-line fishing set and a pair of polarized sunglasses. Then we bought Mom various clothes. In no time at all, both of them were holding full shopping bags.
After leaving these shopping bags at the service desk, I dragged Mi Cai back to the Chanel counter on the third floor. Mi Cai hesitated a bit, standing outside the store unwilling to go in. I encouraged her, “Come on, the shoes are waiting for their model!”
Finally, I managed to pull Mi Cai inside. She seemed to be a regular customer, as the salesperson immediately recognized her and respectfully said, “President Mi, welcome to Chanel. The new two-tone women’s leather shoes are now available in Suzhou. Would you like to try them?”
Before Mi Cai could speak, I told the salesperson, “Bring out that black and white two-tone pair for her to try.”
Without even asking Mi Cai’s shoe size, the salesperson took a pair from the display, opened the packaging, and handed it to Mi Cai. She took the shoes from the salesperson’s hand, sat on the shoe-changing chair, took off her own shoes, and put on the more beautiful Chanel pair. After looking at them herself, she asked me, “Do they look good?”
I carefully examined them. Mi Cai’s delicate feet perfectly showcased the craftsmanship of the shoes. I couldn’t help but praise, “They’re great—really great!”
The salesperson smiled at me and said, “President Mi looks great in any shoes. She’s even helped us shoot several new product posters here in the store!”
I exclaimed, “So working at Zhuo Mei comes with such perks—no need to hire models anymore!”
The salesperson replied earnestly, “Even professional models might not achieve the effect President Mi does. Her feet are truly beautiful—they give our Chanel products a whole new charm!”
“Is it really that exaggerated?”
The salesperson nodded and said, “That’s exactly what Chanel’s China Market Director said. It’s a pity President Mi is so busy; otherwise, we’d definitely hire her as Chanel’s professional model!”
My vanity was greatly satisfied. At that moment, I looked at Mi Cai again, feeling it was my immense fortune to spend my life with this woman—not only because of her beauty, but also because of her feelings for me!
Mi Cai took off the shoes. I signaled the salesperson to wrap them up, then took out my bank card and handed it to her, indicating she should process the payment. This time, Mi Cai didn’t stop me. After putting her own shoes back on, she linked her arm with mine, leaning against me as we quietly waited for the salesperson to finish processing the payment and wrapping the shoes.
…
Shortly after, I carried the newly bought shoes and left the Chanel counter with Mi Cai. I handed the shoes to her and said, “This is your battle boots. Please keep them well.”
“Battle boots?”
“Yeah. I hope you’ll wear these shoes and be unstoppable in the business world!”
Mi Cai took the shoes from my hands, smiling as she asked, “Why do you always have so many ways to put things?”
“Life is tough, so we have to find ways to entertain ourselves. Besides, don’t you think we need to maintain this strong fighting spirit at this stage?”
Mi Cai thought for a moment and replied, “That makes sense. Then should I also get you a set of battle armor?”
Great idea! How about we go check out the nearby Baoli Department Store? The armor I want isn’t sold at your Zhuomei store…
Mi Cai smiled, silently agreeing. We walked toward the elevator to go downstairs. Almost at the same time, Mi Zhongde, Weiran, and a group of Zhuo Mei board members happened to be coming down from the fourth floor. We couldn’t avoid them and met face-to-face just moments later. Even in the bustling mall, the atmosphere instantly froze. Especially Weiran’s gaze toward Mi Cai and me—it was icy cold.
He walked toward us first, followed closely by Mi Zhongde…
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