CHAPTER 431: CHAPTER 431: THE WOOL THAT CAME TO THE DOOR

The helicopter gradually ascended, and through the window, you could see the deep blue, crystal-clear ocean below. It gleamed like satin under the sunlight, radiating a silver sheen. From the high altitude, New Island gradually shrank to the size of a palm.

Sang Ning felt puzzled. With an area as small as New Island, did it really require a helicopter? Wasn’t that a bit over the top?

It wasn’t until they crossed the bay and left New Island’s territory that Sang Ning realized the shopping destination wasn’t on New Island.

The helicopter flight wasn’t long; it took less than an hour to reach the destination.

It was only upon landing that Sang Ning learned their shopping destination was in Belis, the capital of Country B, which New Island belonged to.

New Island may be a little-known small island, but Belis is an internationally renowned metropolis. Many Chinese immigrants live here, and Chinese tourists traveling to Belis can manage daily communication even without speaking the local language.

Sang Ning stood at Belis International Plaza, looking up at the massive shopping mall in front of her.

This was the largest shopping center in Belis. Its design was irregular, with protruding cube-like blocks resembling Rubik’s cubes on the exterior. The building was made of glass and stone slabs, presenting a minimalist yet grand modern aesthetic, with an unmistakable sense of luxury that hit you instantly.

"Can’t afford it..."

That was Sang Ning’s first reaction.

Shopping to your heart’s content is women’s natural instinct. Lu Yujing and Jiang Xiaoti acted like they had arrived at paradise the moment they stepped into the mall’s entrance, linking arms and walking in without waiting for the others.

Sang Ning’s material desires had always been minimal, and shopping in a place like this obviously didn’t align with her consumption habits. She stood rooted to the spot, like a nail hammered into the ground, without moving an inch.

"Sister Sangsang, come on! Why aren’t you going in?" Song Shiye, coming up behind Sang Ning, noticed her standing there frozen and asked curiously.

Qin Feng quirked his lips into a smirk and teased, "Are you planning to act as a stone lion guarding the door?"

Sang Ning withdrew her gaze and turned to the two of them. When she spoke, her tone carried a hint of self-deprecating humility: "I don’t really need to buy anything. I’ll just accompany you while you shop."

Song Shiye lightly raised the corners of his mouth and said, "We’ve come to an island, so how can you not buy some of the pretty, unique clothes here to take photos?"

Taking beautiful travel photos is an essential part of the tourist experience for women—no woman can resist the charm of a stunning snapshot.

Sang Ning tugged at her own T-shirt and replied, "I think what I’m wearing is pretty nice."

Both Song Shiye and Qin Feng glanced at Sang Ning. Seeing her washed-out, faded short-sleeve shirt, they both showed complex expressions that were hard to describe.

Song Shiye thought Sang Ning was refreshingly natural and unpretentious, with no need for ornate outfits to adorn herself.

Qin Feng, on the other hand, felt that Sang Ning was rather careless. She was at least a popular actress, yet wearing something so shabby was just embarrassing.

If Sang Ning knew their actual thoughts, she’d probably feel annoyed. The faded short-sleeve shirt she was wearing was a vintage design, and she personally thought its style was quite unique.

To dig deeper, it all came down to the fact that she was accustomed to wearing casual, relaxed clothing and genuinely lacked any sense of fashion aesthetics.

The last to arrive were Li Haidong and Wei Lan. Hearing the trio’s conversation, Li Haidong also couldn’t help but size up Sang Ning.

Clearly, he also found Sang Ning’s outfit excessively shabby and discreetly whispered in Wei Lan’s ear, "Is Hai Chuan going bankrupt? Why can’t Azhou even afford decent clothes for his girlfriend?"

Wei Lan was likewise displeased, though her dissatisfaction was directed at her son, Li Juezhou.

Whether her son and Sang Ning would work out in the future or not, for now, they were dating, and being in a relationship meant he should care for his girlfriend. He ought to spoil her to the extreme.

Feigning disdain for Sang Ning’s attire, Li Haidong scoffed coldly, "Today, you can buy ten outfits. Price is no issue. Pick whatever you like and buy it."

"Ten outfits?" Sang Ning was shocked. They were only staying on New Island for three days—wearing three outfits a day wouldn’t even exhaust ten options.

Wei Lan hurried to explain, "Xiao Sang, don’t worry. Uncle will cover the bill. Just choose whatever you want."

Sang Ning immediately declined, "Sister Lan, I can’t accept gifts without a reason. If I like something, I’ll buy it myself. There’s no need to have you pay for it."

Wei Lan warmly took Sang Ning’s hand, saying with affection, "Come on, don’t be so formal. If not for you last night, we’d probably all be dead. This is just a small token of appreciation. Please, don’t be shy."

"Sister Lan, I understand your goodwill, but really, there’s no need for you to buy me clothes." Sang Ning’s refusal was resolute.

Li Haidong pushed directly and bluntly: "Do I really have to spell it out? You’re dressed so poorly, you’re lowering our collective standards just by walking with us. People who don’t know better might even think you’re my wife’s housemaid."

Sang Ning: ???

Wei Lan frantically shot side-eye glances at Li Haidong: "Do you even know how to talk?"

Sang Ning gave Li Haidong an intense scrutinizing look from top to bottom. He was still wearing the same cheap, gray men’s tracksuit, which didn’t look much better than her own outfit.

Unwilling to be outdone, Sang Ning retorted, "And what about you? Sister Lan’s loyal servant?"

Li Haidong raised his hand slightly, exuding the sort of irrational anger of someone who just lost a verbal joust and was on the verge of resorting to physical action.

Wei Lan fiercely pinched him and scolded, "A grown man acting like a child with petty quarreling—how embarrassing!"

Lu Yujing and Jiang Xiaoti, after browsing for a while near the entrance, spotted Li Haidong and Wei Lan and quickly approached with polite smiles, "Uncle, Aunt, now that we’re here, why aren’t you going inside?"

Li Haidong immediately concealed his earlier sharp edges from his argument with Sang Ning, resuming a composed demeanor. "Perfect timing—Xiao Lu is here."

Lu Yujing immediately sensed there might be something up and adopted an attitude of careful respect: "Uncle, is there something I can help with?"

Li Haidong cast a glance at Sang Ning and said to Lu Yujing, "Artists always have a keen sense of aesthetics. Xiao Lu, help Sang Ning pick out some nice clothes. Don’t let her dress so shabbily."

The first part of Li Haidong’s remark indeed flattered Lu Yujing, especially when she glanced at Sang Ning’s rustic clothing. This naturally made her feel a faint sense of superiority.

But the second part of the remark displeased her; Sang Ning buying clothes had nothing to do with her.

Li Haidong, not wanting Xiao Lu to feel neglected, and with a bit of a motive to flaunt his generosity in front of the younger generation, swept his gaze over everyone present and said grandly, "Not just Sang Ning—today all of your expenses will be covered by Uncle."

Qin Feng started to decline politely, "Uncle, isn’t that a bit much?"

"What’s too much about it? Today, what I say goes! If you don’t accept, you’re disrespecting me!" Li Haidong’s expression turned stern, leaving no room for rejection.

"Alright then, thank you, Uncle," Qin Feng said, his tone resembling someone receiving a red envelope during New Year—paying lip service to refusal while tightly gripping the envelope, waiting to justify accepting it after a round of courtesy.

What a joke! Even if they emptied the entire shopping center today, it would only pluck a few strands from Hai Chuan’s proverbial wool—it wouldn’t make a dent.

Qin Feng wasn’t someone who liked taking advantage of others, but when wool was delivered straight to his doorstep, there was no reason not to fleece it.