Chapter 238

Chapter 238: Fake Bag? The reception ended. On the way back, Ruan Shaodong asked Chu Tang, "Tangtang, how did your conversation with Zhang Tingyi go?" Chu Tang brushed it off. "It went well. We even exchanged contact information." Hearing that there might be a chance, Ruan Shaodong said cheerfully, "That's great. The Zhang family is a good match for ours, and Tingyi is handsome, young, and accomplished. You two should try getting to know each other." Chu Tang's face showed no expression, and her tone was flat. "Things like this should be left to take their natural course. You can't force feelings." Ruan Shaodong said, "Feelings are cultivated. Spend more time together, and feelings will gradually develop." Chu Tang still wore a bland expression, but her voice carried a slight heaviness. "Dad, I've told you before that I'm currently focused on my career." Ruan Shaodong sensed that Chu Tang was displeased, sighed, and dropped the subject. Back at the Ruan residence, Chu Tang went upstairs with a cold expression. When she ran into Yang Xuelian, she merely greeted her with a blank face. Yang Xuelian smiled in response. After Chu Tang went upstairs, Yang Xuelian asked Ruan Shaodong, "What's wrong with Tangtang? She doesn't look too happy." Ruan Shaodong sat down on the sofa in the living room, and a servant brought him a cup of hot tea. He sighed. "At the reception, I introduced her to the Zhang boy. On the way back, I asked a couple more questions, and she got upset." Yang Xuelian frowned and sat down beside him. "Honestly, you're something else. She was already unhappy when you brought it up at dinner a while ago. Why did you introduce her to someone again today?" "The Zhang boy is a good catch. I'm impressed with him, and he's a good match for Tangtang. Isn't this for her own good? I know the Zhang family inside and out. I met up with Old Zhang a few days ago, and he and his wife are also interested. Our families are well-matched, and Tangtang wouldn't be wronged if she married into that family." "I know you mean well," Yang Xuelian said earnestly. "But if she's not willing, don't bring it up again. Tangtang's strong sense of ambition is a good thing. We should just support her career. Our Tangtang is so outstanding; she won't have trouble finding a husband in the future." Ruan Shaodong was silent for a moment, then sighed. "You're right. Third time's the charm. I won't bring it up in front of her again. Let her do as she pleases. She has her own ideas." ... Two days ago, Chu Tang had called to order a bag from a luxury brand, intending to give it to Shu Mingyue as a birthday gift. For regular members, purchasing this bag required spending at least 500,000 yuan on other items to qualify, but Chu Tang was a black-card member of the brand, and the Ruan Group was also a shareholder. So Chu Tang didn't need to meet any purchase requirements—she could simply call and order any bag she wanted. That day, the store clerk called to say the bag had arrived and asked whether Chu Tang wanted it delivered or would pick it up herself. Chu Tang happened to have plans to go shopping at that mall with Zhou Xueluo that morning, so she said she'd pick it up herself. At the mall, Zhou Xueluo hadn't arrived yet, so Chu Tang went to the store first to pick up the bag. On the way, she passed a women's clothing store and was drawn to a dress on a mannequin in the window. It was a light blue long dress with a halter neckline, made of sheer fabric, with a seaside vacation vibe. Chu Tang took a liking to it at first sight. She planned to buy it and wear it to Shu Mingyue's yacht party on Saturday. Chu Tang walked into the store. The clerk immediately recognized the haute couture brand Chu Tang was wearing. "Welcome." The clerk greeted her warmly with a smile and asked if she needed any help. Chu Tang pointed to the blue dress. "Please wrap this dress up for me." The clerk's face lit up with delight—she loved customers who were this decisive. "Of course. Please wait a moment, and I'll wrap it up for you right away." "You have great taste. This dress is a new arrival and our bestseller. This is the last one we have in the store," the clerk said with a smile. Just as the clerk was about to take the dress off the mannequin, a man and a woman walked into the store. The woman was heavily made up and dressed very scantily—a strappy camisole paired with an ultra-short denim skirt, with a voluptuous figure and long legs. "Baby, I love that dress. Buy it for me, okay?" the woman said coquettishly, pointing at the blue dress Chu Tang had her eye on. The man chuckled. "Sure, if you like it, I'll buy it." With that, he barked at the clerk in a condescending tone, "Hey, wrap that dress up for me." The clerk's expression flickered with annoyance at being called "hey." But this was the service industry, so the clerk quickly suppressed her irritation and said to the couple with a smile, "I'm sorry, sir, miss, but this dress was already chosen by this young lady first, and it's the last one we have. Would you like to look at something else? We have many other beautiful new long dresses as well." "I want that one," the woman said, her expression turning cold. The man turned to look at Chu Tang, and his eyes lit up. What a beautiful woman. Her figure was stunning too. That face was clearly naturally beautiful, untouched by any cosmetic surgery. She wasn't even in the same league as the plastic-faced beauty standing beside him. But since he had a woman with him, the man didn't openly show his lust for Chu Tang. Lust was lust, but with a woman by his side, he couldn't lose face in front of her. A man's pride was bigger than anything—he couldn't let this woman have that dress. The man looked at Chu Tang and said with righteous indignation, "I want this dress. You should look at something else." With that, he pulled out his wallet and drew a stack of red bills, handing them to Chu Tang. "Take this money." Chu Tang let out a cold laugh. "I saw this dress first. I'm not giving it up." The man frowned, his gaze drifting downward, and only then did he notice the bag she was carrying. He'd been so focused on her face and figure that he hadn't paid attention to the bag. Now that he saw it, he recognized the logo on it. A woman who could afford a bag from that brand wasn't someone you could brush off with a few thousand bucks. The man smiled and tucked the stack of bills away, his grin rakish and carefree. "My girlfriend has her eye on that dress. Could you let it go? I'm willing to pay you for it." Chu Tang's eyes were cold. "No." The woman beside him snorted. "Carrying a fake bag out in public without shame—how embarrassing." "That bag you're holding—the official website doesn't even sell it. If you're going to buy counterfeit goods, at least do your homework first, so you don't make a fool of yourself." "Fake bag?" The man looked at Chu Tang's bag again. He hadn't examined it closely before, only glanced at it, and he hadn't been able to tell it was fake. The material looked excellent, just like the real thing. "That's right, babe. I browse the official website all the time, and that style of bag isn't on there at all. Who knows where she bought the knockoff—it's honestly hilarious." The woman sneered at Chu Tang with contempt. "Anyone can tell you're a broke nobody who's never owned the real thing. You probably bought that bag in a daze without even knowing what the brand is, right? Just like those people who buy 'minmin' without even knowing the brand is Miu Miu."