C10 Not Enough Money

Just as she was about to buy the hibiscus hairpin, the girl standing next to Meng'er suddenly spoke up with a mocking tone:

"If you can't afford it, don't bother looking. You're just wasting everyone's time... Oh, or maybe you're here to steal something? Meng'er, you should distance yourself from her. Otherwise, it'll be your family's reputation on the line."

Chi Meng'er was secretly delighted to hear the girl's words. She didn't even have to lift a finger; this fool was doing all the talking for her. All she needed to do was maintain her gentle and graceful image. Once Chi Rongyan's reputation was ruined, how could she possibly compete with her?

With this in mind, Chi Meng'er flashed a gentle smile and shook her head at the girl beside her: "Anna, no matter what, she's still my sister. If she really does something wrong, as her older sister, it's my responsibility to clean up the mess."

Saying this, Chi Meng'er turned her gaze to Chi Rongyan, her eyes filled with feigned concern: "Yan, you just got back from the countryside, so you probably don't have much money. If you need any, just let me know. Please don't do anything like that again."

Chi Rongyan glanced at Chi Meng'er with a half-smile. She hadn't planned on confronting Chi Meng'er here, but since Chi Meng'er insisted on getting involved, she decided to go along with it.

With this in mind, Chi Rongyan smiled at Chi Meng'er.

"You’re so generous, sister. But... how can I take your money?"

"It's no problem. We're sisters, after all. It's only right for me to cover for you."

Hearing Rongyan's words, Meng'er thought she had successfully tricked her and felt secretly delighted. She had brought all her savings today, a total of about $3,000. Although it pained her to see Rongyan spend $1,000 on a pair of blood-red jade earrings, as long as she maintained her image and subtly put Rongyan down, she was happy to do it.

The Duke Mansion had strict rules, and once she returned, she planned to have the servants spread the word about today’s events. Naturally, they would reaffirm her status as the second miss and look down on Rongyan, the girl who had returned from the countryside. The matriarch would surely punish Rongyan severely for this!

Rongyan noticed every change in Meng'er's expression. She smirked inwardly but kept a gentle smile on her face as she looked at Meng'er.

"Since you insist, sister, I’ll graciously accept."

She didn’t know how much money Meng'er had brought today, but whether it was making Meng'er spend a fortune or lose face, she was more than happy to see it happen.

Who told Chi Meng'er to stir up trouble when she had nothing better to do?

After scanning the room, Chi Rongyan finally picked up the gold hairpin with the hibiscus design. "I'll take this one. Thanks, sis."

"That'll be four thousand dollars. Miss, please follow me to the counter to check out."

Four thousand dollars!

Chi Meng'er's face turned a mix of colors. She opened her mouth but ultimately looked at Chi Rongyan, forcing a smile while clutching her handkerchief. "Sister, this hairpin isn't that pretty. How about choosing another one?"

"But I think it's beautiful."

Chi Rongyan blinked innocently at Chi Meng'er, who hadn't expected such a response. She could only stand there awkwardly as the tension in the room grew.

Seeing Chi Meng'er's expression worsen, Chi Rongyan feigned realization and said, "Oh, sis, did you not bring enough money? You should've said something. I don't have to spend your money."

"I..."