Chapter 233 – Spending Money is So Fun
As time passed, the power of the late summer heat gradually weakened, and the leaves on the branches gradually turned yellow. When the first leaf fell from the tree, autumn truly arrived.
Today was the weekend, but Chen Li, for a change, didn’t laze in bed. He woke up early and went for a morning run with Wei Chen. After having breakfast, he spent an hour in the studio before Wei Chen called him out.
Originally, Chen Li was supposed to go to Master Sun’s place for a painting lesson today, but because the art and calligraphy exchange event was tomorrow, Master Sun granted Chen Li a day off to prepare himself.
It was also because of the upcoming exchange event that Wei Chen had just called Chen Li out of the studio, preparing to take him somewhere.
There was not a single formal outfit in Chen Li’s wardrobe, and since tomorrow was a formal occasion, he couldn’t go out wearing his usual casual attire. Therefore, the task of buying formal wear was now on the agenda.
Chen Li allowed Wei Chen to lead him out and take him to the city center’s mall to purchase a formal outfit.
The road was naturally not congested on the weekend, but once they reached the city center, Wei Chen’s car got stuck in traffic, making progress difficult.
Wei Chen had anticipated this situation and left an hour early, but they were still caught in traffic.
At that moment, Wei Chen’s phone rang.
He put on his earpiece and answered the call.
“Hello.” The number was unfamiliar, and Wei Chen didn’t know who was calling.
“It’s me, Achen.” A woman’s voice came through, and her emotions were hard to discern at the moment.
Wei Chen’s hand paused briefly, and he responded coldly, devoid of any emotion, “Mother.” His voice was cold and emotionless.
“Are you coming back for the Mid-Autumn Festival?” Fang Yun’s voice carried a hint of probing, and there were emotions that Wei Chen couldn’t quite identify.
“I’ll see when the time comes.” Wei Chen didn’t give a definitive answer, his gaze fixed on the slow-moving traffic ahead. He had realized that the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching without his notice.
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Just as Wei Chen thought Fang Yun had hung up, her voice came again, this time with a trace of anticipation. “Achen, come back. I want to see you.”
“I’m driving, I’ll hang up for now.” Wei Chen ultimately didn’t provide a clear response.
“Alright, drive safely,” Fang Yun said with a hint of disappointment before ending the call.
Wei Chen removed his earphones, and a pair of icy hands immediately covered his own. Wei Chen turned, and Chen Li was looking at him with concern.
Wei Chen leaned in and lightly kissed Chen Li’s lips, his eyes filled with tenderness. “Li Li, I’m fine.”
Chen Li understood Wei Chen. He could tell that Wei Chen was truly unaffected by the phone call, so he continued to focus on his phone.
In his phone, there were comics sent to him by Huang Zhenzhen, some of which she had drawn herself, and others from different authors. Some were explicit, while others had a more innocent style. Chen Li found them all quite enjoyable.
The car slowly moved through the traffic, turning what would typically be a few minutes’ drive into over a dozen minutes. When they arrived at the mall, Wei Chen circled the parking lot a few times before finding a parking spot and reversing into it smoothly.
Usually, on weekends, this road in the city center wasn’t this congested, and the mall’s parking lot wouldn’t be so packed either. It was unclear why things were different today.
Upon exiting the underground parking lot and entering the mall, Wei Chen was taken aback by the sea of people, and Chen Li felt a bit anxious as he moved closer to Wei Chen.
“Kyaaa!!! Xiang Yang, Xiang Yang!!!”
In the center of the crowd, something extraordinary seemed to be happening. High-pitched screams filled the air, with each scream louder than the last, all calling out a person’s name, Xiang Yang, in a frenzy.
The reason for the commotion was that Xiang Yang, a recently crowned international film star, and his movie crew had come to the mall to promote their latest film. The majority of the people inside the mall were there because of Xiang Yang.
The congestion in the city center and the crowded parking lot at the mall were all due to the presence of this big celebrity.
Wei Chen had no interest in such celebrities. He held Chen Li’s hand and quickly departed from the chaotic scene, taking the elevator to the men’s clothing section of the department store.
The salespeople, distracted by the repeated screams from downstairs, were finding it difficult to focus even on selling clothes. So, Wei Chen and Chen Li had a more peaceful shopping experience.
Both Wei Chen and Chen Li were not indecisive shoppers. After selecting a style they liked, he sent Chen Li to the fitting room. Wei Chen watched to see if the clothes fit well and promptly decided to make the purchase, without worrying about the price.
So, when the salespeople finally came to their senses, Chen Li and Wei Chen had already selected nearly ten sets of formal wear.
The salespeople became invigorated, quickly realizing that what mattered most was not Xiang Yang or his fans but rather serving their high-paying customers. This was an opportunity to make a substantial sale, and they couldn’t afford to be negligent.
The salesperson’s attitude changed dramatically. She specifically introduced clothes with high discounts to Wei Chen and Chen Li. Wei Chen, looking at anything that he felt suited Chen Li, bought them generously, appearing like a big spender, which left the salesperson starry-eyed.
While Wei Chen was choosing clothes for Chen Li, Chen Li was also selecting clothes for Wei Chen. His taste was excellent, and when Wei Chen tried on the clothes, it highlighted his physical advantages: tall stature, long legs, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist, forming a perfect inverted triangle shape. The smitten salesperson couldn’t help but be infatuated.
“Sir, your partner has an excellent eye; this outfit really suits you…” The salesperson raved with a heap of flattering words, and this was the first time she had praised a customer so sincerely.
Wei Chen didn’t comment on the clothes, but he liked hearing the salesperson praise Chen Li’s good taste. He had initially not planned to buy clothes, but hearing, “Your partner has an excellent eye,” made him decide to make the purchase.
In the end, Chen Li and Wei Chen entered a shopping spree mode. Wei Chen was wholeheartedly buying clothes for Chen Li, and Chen Li was determined to buy clothes for Wei Chen. After one round of shopping, they had selected nearly twenty sets of clothes.
When it came time to pay, the salesperson who had been assisting them was positively beaming.
The bill was split into two transactions, as Chen Li insisted. He wanted to pay for the clothes he had chosen for Wei Chen. After all, it was his intention to buy them for Wei Chen, so there was no way he would let Wei Chen pay for them.
Wei Chen didn’t object, allowing the salesperson to process the payments separately.
Although the salesperson was a bit puzzled, she adhered to the principle that the customer is always right, especially when it came to wealthy customers who were practically like gods. She proceeded to split the payment for the clothes.
Chen Li didn’t know the exact amount of money he had in his account, and Wei Chen didn’t inquire either. Money was like a string of numbers sitting in Chen Li’s account, hardly changing except for the income from his art sales and bank interest. The cost of these clothes was just a drop in the bucket.
After buying the clothes, they went to purchase shoes. They were in a shopping frenzy, treating it like a competition where they tried to outdo each other, “You buy for me, I’ll buy for you.”
In the end, the mall manager got involved, and they were asked to leave their address, as they promised to personally deliver the items they purchased today.
Wei Chen didn’t decline the manager’s offer, as they did buy quite a lot, and there was no way to fit it all in their car.
Once they had completed their shopping spree, Wei Chen and Chen Li didn’t linger in the mall for too long. The presence of a big celebrity and the massive crowd made it inconvenient for them to continue shopping.
The two of them took the elevator directly to the underground parking lot and found their car.
As Wei Chen fastened Chen Li’s seatbelt, he could feel that Chen Li was in a very cheerful mood. He bent down to secure the seatbelt and kissed Chen Li.
“Are you happy today?” Wei Chen asked.
Chen Li nodded and candidly said, “Spending money is really enjoyable. Well, it’s probably more enjoyable to spend money for Achen.”
Wei Chen’s eyes, behind his glasses, filled with a deep sense of amusement. He kissed Chen Li again and began, “I also think…”
Before Wei Chen could finish his sentence, the car suddenly vibrated, and they heard a “thud” sound as another car collided with theirs.
As Wei Chen unfastened his seatbelt, he told Chen Li, “Li Li, wait for me in the car. I’ll go check.”
Chen Li nodded and took out his phone to continue reading comics. Wei Chen exited the car to assess the situation.
In the opposite position on their back seat, a car had accidentally backed into Wei Chen’s car. The owner of the other car had already gotten out and was frowning as they looked at the point of collision between the two cars.
When the car owner saw Wei Chen coming out, they immediately apologized, saying, “I’m really sorry. I accidentally bumped into your car while reversing. If there’s any damage, I’ll compensate you accordingly.” The owner admitted their mistake and was very apologetic. They didn’t need Wei Chen to prompt them; they took responsibility on their own.
Seeing the other driver’s attitude, Wei Chen decided not to bother with compensation, as it would be troublesome.
“It was just a minor collision; you don’t need to compensate,” Wei Chen said.
The car owner insisted, “I can’t let this slide; it was my fault.” They reached for their wallet in their pocket, but it turned out to be empty. “I’m really sorry; my wallet is with my assistant. Can you leave your phone number? I’ll contact you directly to reimburse the repair costs when I have my wallet.”
“No need,” Wei Chen replied and turned to leave.
The car owner wanted to catch up, but they quickly realized that there was a faint flash of camera flashes in the corner, so they hurriedly returned to their car.
These paparazzi were relentless and hard to shake off, like a piece of chewing gum.
Wei Chen got back into the car, treating this incident as a minor episode and not worrying about it. He started the car and left the parking lot.
The car owner got back into their car as well, reversing more cautiously this time. They had been in a rush earlier, which had led to the collision. Otherwise, with their driving skills, they would have dominated the race on the mountain roads.
The car left the parking lot, and they made a phone call, saying, “Lele, I’m back, but I’ll be a little late. Wait for me to shake off my tail.”
The sense of mystery is genuinely annoying. The author keeps introducing new elements and players with nothing being resolved