Unlike the heavy atmosphere inside the Zhuang Manor, Lory and Yang Xi Ying is taking a stroll just the two of them without the company of the maids but of course, the shadow guard from Jiu Yun and Hei Shen sects are secretly following them.
"Xi Ying which one is good, this one or this one?" Lory shows two hairpins, one is a flower made from seashells and long tassels the other made from pearl, and starfish made from crystal.
?
"Both of them are good just take both of them..." Yang Xi Ying didn't bother to choose, she shops like a typical rich kid.
"Hey, why don't we buy the same hairpin for the tree of us!" Lory squeal excitedly, she always wants to do this with her girlfriends sadly she doesn't have a close girlfriend and if she had female friends all of them are hunters, and none of them like jewelry.
Yang Xi Ying thought is a good idea "That's a good idea, then we have to choose the best hairpin we got!" she clapped her hands excitedly "Let's find the shopkeeper!" she pulls Lory's hand in a hurry.
"But I still take these two hairpins" Lory kept the two hairpins she just picks before.
"Yes – yes, just take everything you want, your husband pocket not even shake even if you buy the whole stores after all do you forgot you have your share from Xilin Tea house, don't tell me you never check the money?" she pretends to be shocked, however, Yang Xi Ying wasn't surprised if Lory had no idea about her own money judging because Zhao Li Xin has provided her with everything she needs, it was expected that Lory didn't have a chance to spend her own money.
"No…..I forgot" Lory said with a blank face, she genuinely forgot about her own money.
Yang Xi Ying meets with the shopkeeper who is a middle-aged man who looks like an old scholar, he dresses nicely but not excessive, he pulls his hair into a topknot and secures it with a simple green jade hairpin.
He bow politely at Yang Xi Ying and Lory, as an owner of the jewel shop, he had seen many noble and rich women all his life so is easy for him to recognize the two women in front of him are not from low status even though the two girls came without their maidservants.
"May I help you?" the shopkeeper politely said.
"Yes, we want to buy three identical hairpins as a token, so I want the hairpin to be special, one of the kinds" Yang Xi Ying speaks gently just like a noble daughter should be.
The shopkeeper stroke his beard as he tries to decide which hairpin he had to present, the two girls looks very rich and have no problem with money, especially the girl who stands behind, he sees the small flower hairpin she wears, and the shopkeeper almost shriek.
The hairpin may be small, but every gem that used to mimic the shape of a lily flower is very clear and also very detailed, the gem is flawless it looks like a flower made from water.
He doesn't know who made the hairpin but the talent of the artist is the best he ever saw. For someone who affords to pay a talented artist this caliber, the shopkeeper needs to be extra careful what kinda hairpin he want to show for not to embarrass himself.
"Why don't I introduce you to the artist who designs our jewelry in the private room" the shopkeeper lifts his hand and make a polite gesture to follow him.
On the second floor they are greed with the man who looks like the shopkeeper turn out the artist is the shopkeeper brother, he shows lory and Yang Xi Ying his more precious collection, the problem is all of them only have one series so if they want to buy three identical hairpins they must wait for a month, Lory and yang Xi Ying didn't mind they give the down payment, just when they got out, Lory was stunned by the woman in front of her, no not because she's beautiful but because she remains her with Ming Ru Yi, the princess that she met at the ancient forest 'The Christmas tree girl.'
Lory's reaction when she saw the girl is: 'Holly SH*T another one!"
The girl wearing a shocking silk pink hanfu with big yellow peony flower embroidery, with lace on the tip of her sleeves, if that not flashy enough she wear a long frill skirt and last but not least the amount of gold hairpin in her intricated hairstyle, the hairpin long tassels make a sound every time she moves, it becomes annoying after a while.
But at least that girl is more sensible than Ming Ru Yi Because she wears fancy clothes to the jewelry shop. Lory tries to be positive and not to judge other people's fashion sense but then Lory sees Yang Xi Ying's beautiful eyebrow creased, it was obvious that she also questions the flashy dress and question the woman's taste in her head.
"Apologize!"
The flashy woman suddenly shouted, Lory's flinches, she thought that the flashy woman knows Yang Xi Ying mocked her secretly.
"Because of you I drop the hairpin, you must compensate me!" the flashy woman scold a woman with a plain dress.
Lory sigh in relief because they are not in trouble but then she saw the girl with a plain dress petrified look, her body shaken from fear while the flashy girl and her entourage scold and laughing at her, and bystander just stands there and watches.
With a stuttering voice, the plain little girl said: "It's not me…. Is….is young miss that push me and drop the hairpin…"
"So you said it's my fault!" the flashy girl glared indignantly.
"I…I..don't mean that…" the plain girl got more terrified. c
"Then what you mean!" the other girl next to the flashy girl join to scolded the little girl.
The shopkeeper saw the commotion, he worries the other visitors would be disturbed by the commotion so he immediately runs towards the flashy girl "Excuse Miss Zhuang, is there any problem here?" the shopkeeper cupped his fist politely.
Lory and Yang Xi Ying exchanged a glance, they meet another Zhuang family two days in a row, such bad luck!
"Of course there is a problem, how can you let a poor woman like her enter the store, don't you afraid she might steal anything from here!" The flashy girl berated the shopkeeper as if the man is her servants.
The shop keeper swallows his dissatisfaction, he more or less has experience with the Zhuang family, and most of them are acted like this, annoying. The shopkeeper throws business smiles and said "Don't worry Miss Zhuang this place is planted with a thief detector array so no one could steal in here" he assured her.
'There's such a thing?' Lory stares at Yang Xi Ying with widened eyes, then Yang Xi Ying casually nods with the questioning expression 'you don't know?'
The flashy girl still not give in, she points at the plain girl then shouted: "But you cannot allow any dog and cat to enter this shop, this kind of person could only bring shamed to the place like this!"
'Ouch, that harsh!' Lory mouth twitch.
The plain girl's face turns red, she was humiliated in public but she can't do anything, she keeps her head down as her eyes swelled up. The little girl on the verged of crying but the flashy girl and her entourage still not done with her.
"What is she doing here anyway, don't tell me she ant to buy jewelry?" one of them who wear the same lavish dress sickered.
"How can she afford it, I don't think she has enough money even to buy a wooden hairpin" the girl giggles.
"You can't say that, isn't she the third master Zhuang personal maid, perhaps the third master satisfied with her service so he gives her more money to buy nice thing…" the other girl whisper to each other with a loud voice so everyone could hear clearly, they imply the master and the servant have an inappropriate relationship.
"My master is not like that!" the plain girl for the first time raised her voice.
"Of course he can't, he is a useless crippled what can he do?" the flashy girl mocked.
The plain girl wants to shout again but she knew she only make everything worst so she swallows her anger, she doesn't mind being mocked but she can't let other people ridiculed her master.
"How much is the hairpin, I will pay for it" Yang Xi Ying's gentle voice make the room death-silence.
Everyone turns their eyes to the beautiful lady with soft peach color hanfu, she dresses modestly but she looks elegant and sophisticated as she stands with her back straight proudly the lady demeanor is calm and poise, obviously show her noble status.
Then people see the woman with white and purple hanfu beside the elegant lady the woman not as beautiful as the latter but she has a pair of beautiful eyes and exudes mysterious charm, she incited people's curiosity just by standing there with mild expression and everyone was automatically drawn to her.
"Miss Yang?" the shopkeeper embarrassed because his honorable guest witness the commotion in his stores, what an unlucky day…
"Who are you? Do you know is rude to poke other people's business" the flashy woman glare at Yang Xi Ying.
Lory then chuckles lightly "Do you think is not rude to shout in public like a crazy dog?" Lory gives a cynical smile.
"YOU!" she almost choking on her rage.
"I never see you before, are you a newcomer from other cities?" another girl size up Lory from head to toe, she feel relief that Lory didn't look like someone from an influential family because her dress is too modest.
Feeling triumph already she become more brazen "Do you know this lady is Zhuang Mo Lan, master Zhuang Zhen Yu granddaughter do you still dare to call her dog?" she raised her chin arrogantly.
"Why don't you kneel and bark three times, maybe Miss Zhuang will let you go?" another girl join the fun and laugh like a villainess on the opera shop that Lory saw on television, then the girl smiles sweetly at Zhuang Mu Lan "What do you think miss Zhuang?"
Zhuang Mu Lan scoffed in disdain "I think about it when they actually did it" she raised her nose arrogantly, she is confident the two girls would be terrified by now.
On the other side the girl with plain-clothes was anxious she didn't want to implicate other people so she swallows her dignity and begs "Young Miss…please, this is my fault, let's not involved o….other people" she said with a trembling voice.
Rage suddenly overtook her, Zhuang Mu Lan raised her hand as she berated the poor little woman "You lowly basta*d dare to tell me what to do!" she swings her hand right to the plain woman faces. She knew she will be beaten mercilessly again today she surrender to her fate.
But the tight slap she waits for never comes but instead, she was startled by the sound of the breaking wall.
When the little girl opens her eyes, she greets by the elegant woman's awesome kicking pose and Zhuang Mu Lan's figure is nowhere to see. the little girl blinks her eyes to make sure she's not dreaming.
Lory crosses her arms on her chest then sighs, it seem they going into a brawl.
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