Chapter 407: Chapter 300: The Past, Part 2
A thick, wide black leather belt was cinched at her waist, with several small pouches hanging from it.
Below that, she wore a pair of dark blue, straight-leg jeans. The fabric was thick and durable, with reinforced patches on key areas like the knees and seat.
The cuffs of her pants were tucked into a pair of matching high-top cowboy boots, their surfaces adorned with intricate carvings.
Feng Mountain praised her silently. ’What a perfect Western cowgirl.’
"Xia Li, this is my boss and also my brother, Feng!" Yves said, bringing the woman over to introduce her to Feng Mountain. He then introduced her in turn, "Boss, this is Xia Li, my best friend since we were kids."
Hearing those words, "best friend."
Feng Mountain was a perceptive man. He immediately noticed the trace of disappointment and reluctance hidden in Xia Li’s eyes and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
’My foolish brother, you’re blessed and you don’t even know it.’
’Such a wonderful woman is right by your side, how could you not have noticed her feelings for you?’
"Hello, Xia Li. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your outfit is amazing, it has a real Western cowboy vibe," Feng Mountain said with a polite and warm smile, trying to ease the slightly awkward atmosphere.
"Thank you!" Xia Li gave a slight curtsy in a polite response, a faint smile gracing her lips. However, a hint of unconcealable disappointment still seemed to peek through her smile.
"Xia Li, Feng wants to buy a few traditional Western cowboy outfits, and for Fiona’s, we absolutely had to come to your shop."
That dense blockhead Yves, completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere, spoke without a hint of tact. His mind was solely focused on picking out some suitable clothes for his daughter and Feng Mountain.
Hearing this, Feng Mountain and Xia Li couldn’t help but shake their heads in exasperation.
They were both at a loss for whether to laugh or cry at Yves’s blunt and clueless nature.
But Xia Li quickly composed herself. As expected of a frank and forthright Western woman, she turned and walked to a clothing rack, skillfully pulling a few denim jackets from it.
"A traditional cowboy outfit is usually composed of a cowboy hat, a denim jacket, a neckerchief, jeans, and cowboy boots. Mr. Feng, are you looking for just a jacket, or a complete set?"
Xia Li explained in detail while holding up a denim jacket for Feng Mountain to see.
The professionalism and enthusiasm of a business owner had returned to her eyes, as if the flicker of disappointment from a moment ago had been cleverly hidden away.
At this moment, she looked every bit the dedicated shop owner focused on serving her customer.
"First, get two sets for the little Angel. Then pick out three sets for me. Yves, do you want any? When Nash gets back, we’ll buy a few sets for him, too. It’s all on my tab today."
Feng Mountain said, deliberately putting on a generous air.
"Feng, is there nothing for me? How disappointing!" Director Roland said, standing to the side with an aggrieved expression.
"You can only buy one set," Feng Mountain said irritably. He cursed silently, ’If I wasn’t so concerned about saving face, I’d really love to kick this good-for-nothing director, who does nothing but freeload all day, straight into the Bering Sea.’
’He’s always trying to get a freebie. What a headache.’
’And he’s supposed to be a big-shot director who’s filmed blockbusters.’
Hearing this, Director Roland didn’t mind at all. He immediately walked over to Xia Li with great excitement, deliberately pointing at the more high-end looking clothes on the shelf. With a face full of anticipation, he said,
"Fantastic! Ma’am, please pick out a cowboy outfit for me. Hmm, the best one you have."
"No, find him the cheapest one," Feng Mountain interjected, feeling even more annoyed.
Listening to their back-and-forth, Xia Li couldn’t help but chuckle and shake her head. She didn’t say anything more, but silently picked up Fiona, walked behind the counter, and took out a child’s cowboy outfit that she had already prepared.
"I actually prepared this outfit for Fiona a long time ago. I was just worried Valerie would get angry if she found out. You know she and I don’t get along very well."
"I understand." A complex mix of emotions—gratitude and helplessness—flashed in Yves’s eyes. He quickly concealed them, however, and just looked at his daughter in Xia Li’s arms, his gaze filled with affection. "Thank you. You’re always so thoughtful."
Yves knew in his heart that Xia Li had always treated him and his daughter with genuine kindness. It was just that his current situation was too complicated, and he didn’t have the mental energy to think about other things.
However, Xia Li keenly noticed the look in Yves’s eyes. A secret sliver of happiness bloomed in her heart, as if she were hiding a little secret. An involuntary smile appeared on her face as she looked down at Fiona and said gently,
"Fiona, how about I take you for a bath first, then we can change into your new clothes? Oh, and gentlemen, could you watch the shop for me?"
Without waiting for anyone to agree, Xia Li turned and carried Fiona away. She walked with a light step through the door behind the counter, her retreating figure radiating an unconcealable joy.
Seeing this, Feng Mountain shrugged helplessly. He casually picked a cowboy hat from a shelf, put it on his head, and adjusted it a few times in front of a mirror before looking at Yves with a curious expression.
"She’s a good woman. It looks like she’s really into you. Why didn’t you two get together back then?"
Yves sighed quietly, lost in thought, and began to recount the past.
"Back then, it was me, Black Eye, Valerie, and Xia Li. The four of us were the tightest-knit group in school."
"I had the best grades back then. Black Eye was the leader of the school, he had a lot of pull. Valerie was the cheerleading captain—pretty, lively, and very popular. Xia Li was relatively quiet and didn’t talk much."
"Black Eye and I both liked Valerie at the time, but later, she and Black Eye got together."
"Right before high school graduation, Black Eye got into trouble for selling... stuff. He was found out by a gang from the next town over. He had no choice but to skip town, and before he left, he asked me to take care of Valerie. Later, Valerie was pregnant with Black Eye’s child. To keep her from being ridiculed, I married her right after I graduated high school. And that’s how we had Fiona."
"At the time, I had actually received an admission offer from the Sayer Engineering College at Dartmouth College, an Ivy League school. But because of Valerie, I turned down that offer and chose to stay in Baird Town, thinking I would take good care of her and our daughter."
WHOOSH!!
Hearing the name of that school, Director Roland let out a loud whistle. His expression was extremely exaggerated, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Dude, are you serious? That’s Dartmouth College! And Sayer Engineering College is one of the top engineering schools in the world! Fuck, do you have any idea what you gave up? That was your future, your connections, your social class, your career... all gone."
"Oh my God, this story could totally be made into a movie. It would definitely attract a lot of investors who graduated from the Ivy League. It would be a huge hit."
’This guy must have fried his brain making movies.’
’He’s just rubbing salt in the wound. Can’t he read the room?’
’Always saying things that just make people feel worse.’
"The best story right now would be you shutting your mouth!" Feng Mountain shot a helpless glare at Director Roland to stop him from talking. He then turned to Yves, his tone softening a little. "And then what? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention your parents. Didn’t they give you any advice at the time?"
Yves just gave a bitter smile. Of course he knew the weight of what Director Roland had said.
In the United States, the Ivy League holds immense prestige and influence.
Any student who graduates from an Ivy League school is immediately labeled as outstanding. They shine wherever they go and are highly sought after in the job market, with all sorts of great opportunities coming to them.
Moreover, the vast majority of graduates, without exception, become elites in their respective industries.
Take Wall Street, for example. It’s home to numerous top financial institutions and is the heart of the global financial world.
In those investment firms, high-level positions are often occupied by people with deep professional backgrounds and outstanding abilities, a large portion of whom are graduates from the Ivy League.
And he... he had just given up the chance to change his life.
...
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