"Let me be clear, you’re holding that money for me. It’s not for you," her sister-in-law said angrily before turning to pick out a pair of pants.

Zhao Li gritted her teeth in frustration. ’It’s all Ding Ruzhi’s fault,’ she fumed silently, ’recommending such an expensive place.’

But then she saw Xue Yue and remembered the clerk calling her the owner. Feeling a little awkward, she walked over to her.

When Xue Yue saw Zhao Li approaching again, she didn’t say a word, simply watching her.

Zhao Li gave a sheepish smile. "So you’re the owner here. No wonder you always dress so fashionably. But if this place makes so much money, why do you still come to the office? We make so little there."

"I like my job," Xue Yue answered simply.

The corner of Zhao Li’s mouth twitched. ’Who actually likes their job?’ she thought. ’If it weren’t for the money, who would want to work from dawn till dusk every day?’

Seeing that Xue Yue had no intention of continuing the conversation, she quickly stated her purpose. "Um, we’re colleagues, after all. Could you give me a little discount for my sake?"

Xue Yue wasn’t surprised, as if she had already guessed why she’d come over.

Just then, Zhao Li’s sister-in-law finished picking out another pair of pants. Xue Yue asked Guan Wenwen, "What’s the total?"

Guan Wenwen replied, "The down jacket is two hundred twenty-nine, and the pants are seventy-three. The total is... three hundred and two."

Xue Yue nodded. "Round it down."

Guan Wenwen said, "So that’s an even three hundred. Should I bag up the clothes?"

The young woman nodded and looked at Zhao Li. "Sister-in-law, pay her."

Zhao Li finally snapped back to reality and looked at Xue Yue, annoyed. "You’re only taking two yuan off? We work in the same office! I brought someone here to spend money; I’m helping your business. I wouldn’t have complained if you didn’t give a fifty-percent discount, but just two yuan? Who are you looking down on?"

Xue Yue chuckled and gave Zhao Li a meaningful look. "Zhao Li, if I recall correctly, we don’t exactly get along, do we? I’m sure you came in here without knowing my connection to this shop, so there’s no talk of ’helping my business.’ We don’t force anyone to buy anything. If you want the clothes, that’s the price. If not, you’re free to leave. The door is right there."

Who said Xue Yue didn’t hold a grudge? She just hadn’t found the right opportunity for payback.

Zhao Li was furious. She turned to her sister-in-law and said, "Let’s go. We’re not buying them."

But the young woman wasn’t having it. "Sister-in-law, just pay for them. You can leave if you want."

The girl had her heart set on the clothes from this store and was determined to buy them.

Zhao Li was at a loss. She took a deep, heaving breath, pointed at Xue Yue, and said, "This is a crooked shop! I’m going to report you for unreasonable prices and defrauding customers."

Xue Yue gestured to the door. "Our prices are clearly marked. You know very well whether we’re defrauding anyone. But I won’t stop you. Be my guest."

Zhao Li seethed, wanting to leave, but her sister-in-law wouldn’t budge.

She shot her sister-in-law a glare, pulled three hundred yuan out of her pocket, counted it, and then threw it at Xue Yue.

"Here’s your money."

A handful of bills, both large and small, scattered across the floor. Xue Yue closed her eyes for a moment, not getting angry. She said to Zhao Li’s sister-in-law, "Miss, I’m sorry, but we will not be completing this transaction. Please leave."

The young woman looked bewildered. "But didn’t she already give you the money?"

"I haven’t received it. Please leave."

Xue Yue repeated herself. The young woman wanted to say more, but when her eyes met Xue Yue’s dark gaze, she instinctively looked away. She stormed over to Zhao Li and pointed a finger at her.

"What are you doing? I’m trying to buy clothes, and you’re here throwing your weight around. Look what you’ve done! Now they won’t sell to us. Are you happy now? Do you just not want me to get married? What is wrong with you? I’m going to tell my mom when I get back. We’ll see how she deals with you then."

Zhao Li retorted, "I gave her the money. It’s their fault for not catching it. Who’s to blame?"

"Is that how you give someone money? Who do you think you’re insulting?" Even Zhao Li’s sister-in-law understood her behavior was wrong.

Zhao Li looked at Xue Yue and said, "I already gave you the money. Just pick it up."

Xue Yue let out a cold laugh. "Wenwen, hang the clothes back up. That on the floor is trash. Sweep it out."

Guan Wenwen glanced at Xue Yue and nodded. "Okay, Boss."

Seeing Guan Wenwen grab a broom and start to sweep the money on the floor toward the door, Zhao Li could no longer remain calm. She quickly bent down and started picking up the cash.

Once she had gathered all the money, she counted it. It was all there. She let out a sigh of relief, only for her sister-in-law to snatch it away.

"You—"

Her sister-in-law glared at her. "What ’you’? This money was mine to begin with."

The young woman then took the money, walked up to Xue Yue, and said apologetically, "I’m so sorry. I still want those two items from before. I’ll give you the money, okay?"

Zhao Li was too ashamed to watch, her jaw clenched tight.

Xue Yue glanced at Zhao Li, then turned to her sister-in-law. "I can sell them to you. Three hundred and two. Not a cent less."

"But didn’t you just say you’d knock off those two yuan for us?"

Xue Yue chuckled softly. "That was the colleague price. You and I are not colleagues."

The young woman bit her lip, considering not buying them. But then she glanced at the clothes on the rack, imagining how her boyfriend’s eyes would light up seeing her in that outfit.

"Fine, I’ll take them," she said, pulling another two yuan from her own pocket.

Xue Yue gestured for Guan Wenwen to take and count the money.

After counting it, Guan Wenwen nodded at Xue Yue.

"Bag the clothes for her."

As Zhao Li and her sister-in-law were leaving, Xue Yue called out cheerfully behind them, "Please come again!"

With a loud SLAM, the door was forcefully shut.

Outside, Zhao Li was practically seething with rage. She stomped her foot hard, her hands on her hips.

Turning to see her sister-in-law holding the bag of clothes with a delighted look on her face only made her even more furious.

She pointed at her and cursed, "Have all the other clothing stores gone out of business? Did you have to come here to be humiliated? With our money, we can buy clothes anywhere."

Her sister-in-law rolled her eyes at her. "It’s my money; I’ll buy clothes wherever I want. Besides, didn’t you bring me here? Why don’t you do some self-reflection? The owner is your colleague, for crying out loud. If my colleague owned a clothing store, I’d make sure we were on good terms. Imagine the discounts! But you? Your relationship with her is terrible, and she still offered to knock off two yuan. I think she’s a much better person than you are."

Zhao Li was about to faint from anger at her sister-in-law’s speech. She snapped, "Are you crazy? Who’s your family here? How can you not know who’s on your side? Is this how your mother raised you?"

The sister-in-law pointed back at Zhao Li. "Oh, so now you’re not just calling me crazy, you’re insulting my mother too? I’m going home to tell her. You’ll be in for it then!" With that, she ran off toward home.

Zhao Li stood there for a long time, breathing heavily. ’If I had known Xue Yue was the owner of this shop,’ she thought, ’I would have rather died than come here.’

After a long while, she finally started walking home. But the moment she stepped through the door, she was struck with a stick by her mother-in-law, leaving Zhao Li completely stunned.