The Billionaire's Hidden Affection

Chapter 677 - 674: Hold On and Don’t Let Go 9_1

The woman found her attitude surprisingly pleasant. She took the sour plum soup and laughed. "The bags you have here are so expensive. I’ve been sitting here for more than half an hour. More people are here for the free air conditioning than to actually buy."

"Well, letting people enjoy the AC isn’t so bad," Yan Xixi replied.

The woman sighed deeply. "SIGH, bags like these... we could never afford one in our lifetime."

Yan Xixi seemed unconcerned. "I couldn’t afford them before either. When I couldn’t, I’d just buy a fake one. They’re all for carrying things, right? They do the same job."

The woman asked curiously, "Why buy a fake one?"

"It’s vanity, HAHA. People who don’t know any better might mistake you for being fair-skinned, rich, and beautiful."

"Why would you want people to mistake you for being fair-skinned, rich, and beautiful?"

"Only those who are fair-skinned, rich, and beautiful can attract wealthy, handsome men, right? People are snobbish, you know? It starts from when they’re kids. If they see someone well-dressed and good-looking, they always treat them a little differently."

The woman laughed. "Miss, I’ve never met anyone as candid as you."

Yan Xixi lowered her voice. "SHHH, I don’t tell just anyone."

Both women laughed.

"Alright, please, make yourself comfortable. We don’t close until ten, so you can enjoy the air conditioning to your heart’s content. I need to get back to work now."

The woman continued to sip her chilled sour plum soup, perfectly at ease. Around her, there were several others also enjoying the free air conditioning. This was unlike any other luxury store. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what was different, but after observing for a while, she realized it was the woman overseeing the store.

She wore the same simple uniform as the other staff and was remarkably patient. Even towards those who were clearly just there to escape the heat, her attitude was surprisingly gracious.

In fact, most high-end boutiques wouldn’t tolerate freeloaders. The icy, disdainful glares from the sales assistants there would be enough to drive ordinary people away.

So this was the renowned Yan Xixi, the ’Fairy’ often described by others as a wicked woman.

The night grew deeper.

Yan Xixi walked home under the moonlight.

She particularly loved this long, tree-lined avenue with its dim streetlamps and lush, flourishing foliage. It wasn’t even ten o’clock, and only a few people were scattered about.

In the past, after dinner, Wan Donglin had loved to take walks. When he lived here, he would always pull her along for a stroll that lasted over half an hour. Often, when he seemed tired from the walk, she would quietly run up from behind him. She would throw her arms around his neck and plead, "Carry me!"

She wasn’t actually tired; she just enjoyed seeing his amusing reaction to her sudden antics.

She stopped, gazing up at the high, distant sky.

The phone never rang. It’s been over two months. Doesn’t the person who disappeared even care?

All the forced cheerfulness from the day vanished. She stared fixedly at her phone, desperately hoping for a miracle. But the miracle never came.

She stood there for a long while before continuing home.

Turning past a small fountain, she neared the building where she lived.

As she walked, she suddenly felt something was amiss.

She pretended to casually bend down to pick something up, then quickly glanced back—but there was no one there.

The security in her residential complex had always been excellent. Yet, there was a terrifying presence in the air.

Suddenly, she pulled out her phone and spoke loudly into it, "...I’m almost there, just a minute more... Hey, sorry to keep you waiting... Darling, I’m really close now, don’t be mad, okay?"

There were very few pedestrians around the fountain now. She quickened her pace slightly. Just as she reached the corner, someone grabbed her from behind.

She gasped, but her cry was instantly stifled...

(I’ll leave it here for today, the climax of the story will come tomorrow...)