Chapter 118: Borrowing Money

Jian Anan quickly put on a bright smile. "No, thank you for your kindness, Brother Jianyi." She took the gift box handed over by the sales assistant, who had carefully wrapped it, while Jin Jianyi pulled out his bank card to pay.

Shen Yue pouted silently as she watched the scene unfold. How annoying! Why did everyone have a companion, except for her? Whenever she felt down, she would splurge without a second thought. After all, she was the only girl in the family, and her father and brothers doted on her. So, in the jewelry section, whatever caught her fancy, she bought without hesitation.

Afterward, she headed to the third floor to buy a dress for the tea party she would attend that afternoon.

Jian Anan, meanwhile, paid close attention each time Shen Yue swiped her card. It was obvious the girl was naïve and rich—she would be easy to fool when the time came.

In the end, the group all reunited in the clothing section on the third floor.

Song Wanning immediately went to find Nan Yan to check out the dress she’d chosen. It was undeniable: the most expensive dress there was truly stunning. The blue, fluffy fairy dress transformed Nan Yan into a lively little sprite, and even the accessories matched perfectly.

Yun Ze had also put on a light blue suit that complemented Nan Yan’s dress, sporting a golden floral brooch on his lapel, intricately engraved with a lifelike little sprite.

Song Wanning pretended to browse through the clothes, but every time Jian Anan saw her pick up an expensive item, Jian Anan’s eyelid twitched uncontrollably.

Song Wanning knew Jian Anan must be inwardly anxious, so she deliberately took her time, wandering casually from rack to rack.

Wen Jingxing silently followed Song Wanning, saying nothing, simply watching her amuse herself at a leisurely pace.

Jin Jianyi, tired from all the walking, found a sofa and sat down nearby.

As for Shen Yue, she had the sales assistant bring her a pile of dresses, trying on one after another, but none pleased her.

Inside the fitting room, Shen Yue stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror, holding the red evening gown she’d just tried on, clad only in her undergarments. Was it because she wasn’t pretty enough that Jiang Mingzhao didn’t like her? Was it because her figure wasn’t as curvaceous and alluring as Jian Anan’s that Jiang Mingzhao disliked her flat frame? Was it because...

The more she thought, the more wronged she felt. What had she done wrong for Jiang Mingzhao to detest her so much? Why was it so hard to love someone?

She’d noticed recently that Jiang Mingzhao enjoyed spending time with Song Wanning. Could it be that he liked Song Wanning’s type?

At this thought, Shen Yue’s eyes lit up. She recalled Song Wanning’s style and the impression she gave—aloof, distant, perhaps noble? In a word: cool and glamorous.

She looked down at the deep red evening gown in her hands. If Jiang Mingzhao saw her in this dress, he would surely like her! She forgot, however, that her features leaned toward a youthful cuteness, utterly unable to carry such a bold, commanding dress.

...

Seeing that Song Wanning still couldn’t decide on a dress, Jian Anan gritted her teeth and asked her agent, Sister Yu, to lend her eighty thousand yuan.

She had only a little over twenty thousand in her account, and having wandered around with Song Wanning earlier, she’d already figured out most of the dress prices. The cheapest one was still a hundred thousand yuan—far out of her reach.

Sister Yu was surprised when she received the message, asking if Jian Anan had gotten herself into trouble. But Jian Anan had no time to explain; with Jin Jianyi shadowing her every move, she had to send messages on the sly, terrified he might catch a glimpse.

Eventually, Sister Yu transferred the money. Overjoyed, Jian Anan grabbed a rather ugly yellow dress with a broad waistline from the rack and brought it to Song Wanning.

“Ningning, I think this dress would really suit you! How about I buy it for you?”

Song Wanning shook her head. “It’s too ugly. I don’t like it,” she said bluntly.

Jian Anan was left awkward and embarrassed.

In the livestream chat, viewers burst into merciless laughter.

“Hahaha! Song Wanning’s going to kill me with laughter one of these days.”

“If only I could be as straightforward as Song Wanning. I always get stuck accepting trashy gifts from friends and can’t say a word. Then they keep bringing it up. It’s infuriating.”

“Honestly, Jian Anan really has terrible taste. That dress is atrocious.”

“I suspect she did it on purpose. Remember how perfect the outfit was during the last talent competition? It really brought out her flamboyance.”

“Dying of laughter over here.”

“You antis are going too far! Jian Anan never did anything to you. Besides, it’s a free world—people can wear what they want!”

“Can we not discuss other contestants in someone’s personal livestream?”

“Friendship in the entertainment industry is really unreliable. I don’t think Jian Anan is sincerely trying to make amends, and yet Song Wanning still wants to be friends with her.”

...

After making her remark, Song Wanning moved on to browse other dresses.

In order to persuade Song Wanning to accept her gift, Jian Anan had no choice but to keep searching, hoping to find something both attractive and within the hundred-thousand range.

All the while, she cursed inwardly: Wretch! Wretch! Wretch! Not only did she have to spend a fortune, but she also had to painstakingly choose the dress. What, being pretty makes you high and mighty? Even making friends is this difficult!

At that moment, Jian Anan spotted a deep green dress. It hugged the chest, had a darker green sash at the waist adorned with a large pink flower, and the back was entirely open—secured only by a few crisscrossed straps to prevent any wardrobe mishaps. The skirt was pleated as well, and even Jian Anan herself was tempted. Glancing at the price, she saw it was just over a hundred thousand—within her budget.

Suddenly, a wicked idea sprouted in her mind.

She immediately took the dress to Song Wanning. “Ningning, look! Isn’t this dress beautiful?”

Song Wanning examined it and nodded. “It’s not bad, but I don’t like the color. If you like it, keep it for yourself.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I’m sure this dress will look great on you!”

Without waiting for Song Wanning to respond, Jian Anan eagerly took the dress to the sales assistant to pay.

At the register, she whispered to the assistant, “Um, could you give me a pair of scissors? I noticed there are a lot of loose threads on the dress.”

The assistant was surprised. “How could that be? Let me take care of it for you.”

Jian Anan quickly refused. “No, no. It’s fine, really.”

“Are you sure…” The assistant hesitated, but Jian Anan had already stuffed the scissors into her shopping bag.

When she explained to Song Wanning, she said, “Ningning, I noticed a lot of loose threads on this dress. Let me tidy it up for you before you wear it!”

(End of the chapter)