With the addition of two men, the other female customers became noticeably more reserved when choosing lingerie, and the volume of conversation among women discussing color and style also dropped.
The shopkeeper led Lin Tian to the seating area to wait, then turned around to fetch something from the glass case. After all, Lin Tian was a man, and it wasn’t appropriate to take him to choose products alongside other women, as it could affect the other female customers.
Before long, Lin Tian saw the shopkeeper return with several beautifully packaged boxes. She opened each one, displaying them in front of Lin Tian and the man with the face mask. Lin Tian thought all the styles looked fantastic; he was dazzled and didn’t know how to choose.
The shopkeeper knew that the two men would be lost, so she smiled at Lin Tian and said, "What is your girlfriend’s temperament like? Tell me, and I can help you make a choice."
What temperament? Lin Tian felt a pang of awkwardness. Zhang Lingyu wasn’t his girlfriend, how would he know her temperament? Looking left and right at the lingerie on the table, his eyes landed on a purple set.
"This purple one is called ’Lady’s Secret’, the latest and most fashionable design," the shopkeeper said, noticing Lin Tian’s interest in that piece and explaining promptly.
Lady’s Secret, whoever named this was truly talented, just the name was enticing enough. Lin Tian nodded thoughtfully, clearly interested. However, the man with the face mask shook his head after a glance, his eyes wandering to a red set instead.
"Oh, sir, this one is called ’Passionate Knight’. Does it suit you?" noted the shopkeeper with her keen observation, immediately understanding what the man with the face mask was thinking.
Passionate Knight! At the sound of this, the man with the face mask’s gaze turned embarrassingly awkward, and the skin exposed outside his clothes reddened. Lin Tian knew by his reaction that it was a perfect match; perhaps his girlfriend was a ’Passionate Knight’ in that regard. The beautiful shopkeeper held a smile in her eyes, her cheeks slightly flushed, clearly understanding the implications.
Lin Tian shook his head with a chuckle, ready to make a decision, when a sickeningly sweet voice came from behind them.
"Sweetie—, hmm, I want all of these designs."
Gross... Lin Tian’s stomach churned, nearly gagging at the sound. He turned and saw a middle-aged, portly man hugging a young woman garishly made up and scantily clad.
"Madam, I’ll take them all; please wrap them up for me!" the fat man declared, pointing at all the boxes on the table, speaking gruffly.
The voice made Lin Tian think of the phrase "throwing one’s weight around." A flicker of disgust crossed the shopkeeper’s eyes, but she didn’t get angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "Sir, these gentlemen were first to select these designs; you might want to consider the other styles available."
The seductive smile dazzled the middle-aged man, who sneakily eyed the shopkeeper’s figure and was instinctively inclined to agree. However, the gaudy woman clung to his arm, whining incessantly.
"Sweetie, I want them, I really do!"
Good Lord, could she be any more revolting! Lin Tian felt goosebumps all over. In public, this woman had no shame. However, the fat man seemed to lap it up.
"Madam, I’ll pay double the price, just wrap them all up for me!" The fat man reached into the wallet under his arm, ready to pull out money.
"Sir, business is done on a first-come-first-served basis. Please take a look at the other styles, there are many new designs," the shopkeeper replied patiently.
The fat man’s face showed embarrassment, as it was an upscale section of the shop, and he was too ashamed to be overly crude. He looked at his female companion imploringly, suggesting they should choose something else.
But it was unclear if the woman genuinely liked them or was just being pretentious.
He turned to Lin Tian and said, "Young man, how about you let us have them?"
If it had been any normal woman, Lin Tian might have agreed, but this woman’s appearance and voice were just too grating. So, expressionless, he shook his head and declined the fat man’s request.
The fat man frowned, but still spoke in a calm tone, "How about this? I’ll cover your expenses here as long as you give up these designs, what do you say?"
As he spoke, a sense of superiority gleamed in his eyes. To him, a young man shouldn’t turn down money. His female companion clearly felt above them, looking down on Lin Tian and the man with the mask.
Nowadays, even mistresses dared to be brazen. Not only did Lin Tian chuckle coldly, but the man with the mask also looked disdainfully at them, as if they were clowns. Their expressions deeply irritated the gaudy woman.
Pointing at Lin Tian, she shrieked, "You really don’t know what’s good for you, being polite to you meant respecting you. Do you even have the money to buy these? Don’t embarrass yourselves, get out of here, this place isn’t meant for the likes of you!"
The man with the mask was about to explode with fury, but Lin Tian held him back, knowing that getting into it with this kind of woman would only spur her on further. With just a light comment, Lin Tian completely crushed her.
"Miss, these designs aren’t suitable for you either!"
The gaudy woman’s face turned as grotesque as if she had swallowed a hundred flies. The man with the mask gave Lin Tian an admiring thumbs up, settling back to see how she’d handle it.
"You... you... I’ll kill you!" Unable to be restrained, she lunged at Lin Tian, reaching to scratch his face.
Lin Tian simply caught her wrist with a light grasp, then pushed her off, sending the gaudy woman stumbling back several steps.
"Hubby, they’re bullying me, you have to avenge me, break their legs," she wailed, throwing herself into the fat man’s arms, her words filled with malice.
The commotion had already attracted the attention of other customers outside, who snickered at the couple upon hearing her vicious words.
"You dare bully my woman, you’re asking for it!" shouted the fat man, stepping toward Lin Tian to deliver a slap.
"Hmph!" Lin Tian snorted softly, staying seated on the couch. Just as the shopkeeper and the man with the mask thought he couldn’t dodge, Lin Tian caught the fat man’s approaching hand in a flash, and with a light flick...
"Ah..." The fat man screamed, clutching his arm, which Lin Tian had just flicked out of joint. Large beads of sweat rolled down his greasy face, which had turned the color of liver.
"You... you’ve got guts. Just wait and see if you can leave! Hmph!" The fat man’s eyes were filled with malice; the flashy woman was so scared she seemed bewildered. She helped her man out, fleeing from the Victoria Beauty Workshop.
This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om