C24 He Took Her Out to Buy Clothes

"Don't think too much about it. Besides, I'm working in a very exclusive area, what's the worse that could happen?" Du Xiaoxiao faked a laugh. Afraid that her brother might catch on, she immediately added, "I just want to say that I might get off work a little late. I'm heading home in a bit, all right? Sleep well."

Gu Tianqi watched her finish the phone call, his lips pressed together. After a few minutes, she finally looked up. "My brother's not at home," she said, her voice filling with relief. "You can send me back."

"I can't let you go back like this. Since your brother isn't there, you don't have to rush back."

He drove down the street, and her eyes widened. Different stores appeared in her window, and soon enough, they were already going in the opposite direction. "What are you doing?" she asked, panicked. "I need to go home–"

"Relax, I'm not going to kidnap you." He blinked helplessly. "We're just going to make a little stop here."

He pushed the brakes right at the corner. Du Xiaoxiao looked to the side, only to see tall and slender mannequins blocking her vision. From the small chandeliers to the smooth glasses, it was obvious that he had stopped at a high-end store.

Before she could say anything, he got out of the car and pulled on her door. "Come out."

She frowned, but she did follow his orders. However, as soon as her feet hit the pavement, he gently pulled her inside.

The shop was open twenty-four hours a day, ready for any sort of wardrobe emergencies that had befallen their clients. The sales lady stood right at the front, her glinting eyes shining at the guests.

"Welcome, what is it that you need?"

"I'll need a set of clothes for this lady." He motioned to the woman standing beside him.

"Of course, sir. We'll prepare it for you immediately."

As soon as the saleswoman had finished speaking, she immediately called out to her colleague. The man standing in front of them didn't look like he was short of money. Naturally, he'd be looking for the latest and most expensive collection.

Du Xiaoxiao widened her eyes, struggling to shake away from his grip.

She didn't even need to be a genius to know what the man was trying to do.

"Let go," she complained. "I don't need you to buy clothes for me, all right? I can change at home–"

"You can change at home, but what would your neighbors say if they see you heading home like this?" He cocked up an eyebrow. "Do you think they'll keep it a secret from your brother?"

Right...she hadn't thought of that. If her nosey neighbors saw the lack of clothes on her, they'd be spouting out rumors about her situation. It wouldn't be long till Du Hengyu finds out what had happened. Knowing this, she relaxed under his grip.

A small smile curved up in his lips.

If Gu Tianqi had promised something, he'd do it even if it meant inconveniencing himself. That was his principle. Now that he had promised her some clothes, he definitely wasn't going short on the budget.

In the end, he bought a light blue dress and a pair of high heels for her.

As soon as she stepped out of the fitting room, she looked lighter on her feet. The dress hugged her on all the right sides, and the fabric highlighted her long, wavy hair. She looked like a fairy that had descended from the heavens. "You look better with this dress on," he uttered.

What did he say? Even she couldn't find it in herself to retort. How ugly did he think she was? Did she only look good when she wears this?

When they finally got into the car, she turned to him. "How much are the dress and shoes?" she asked anxiously. "I can pay you–"

"Five million."

"What did you say?" Her eyes widened as she sputtered out the amount. There was no way the dress cost five million yuan! That's even more expensive than ten years of her utility bill! "Don't joke around. This doesn't cost that much."

"It may not be worth five million, but you've forgotten to add up all the time and energy I spent picking that out for you." He gave her a side glance. "If you really want to pay it back, you can pay it with that amount. If you can't, then you can just shut up."

She almost choked at his words.

Fine! If he didn't want to accept her money, then so be it.

Du Xiaoxiao crossed her arms over her chest. Even as the car had started moving, the atmosphere between them was uncomfortable and awkward.

Gu Tianqi continued to gaze straight ahead. While he liked the fact that they were sitting in the same vehicle, he couldn't help but feel the tension rolling off of her. He glanced at her from time to time, admiring the way the dress had fitted her. Not really sure what to say, he just kept silent.

She fiddled with her fingers. The man had not only saved her, but he was also kind enough to buy her some clothes. Perhaps she really had been a bit too harsh with him.

"Thank you for today," she finally said. "But...why were you there in the first place? I didn't expect you to show up..."

The last time she heard of him, he had already gone back.

Gu Tianqi glanced at her. Although he was in a good mood now, he still didn't want to ruin his chances with her by saying that he had come to force her to get new clothes...or that he wanted to know who this young man was. It would be strange for him to say that. It wasn't as if they were together anyway.

"I was eating out with my friend," he said casually. "After we got off, I heard one of your colleagues saying that there's a pervert at the back alley and that you were the one assigned to take out the trash. I just had to take a look to make sure you were all right."

A pervert in the back alley? Realization flashed across her eyes.

Wang Dandan had done it on purpose?

It was a good thing she was already inside the vehicle because she felt her legs go numb. She knew that Wang Dandan hated her guts. Anyone could tell it from a glance, but she didn't expect that a woman would be capable of doing such a thing! It wasn't as if she had done anything against her!

The woman really deserved to go to hell.

Gu Tianqi gazed at her for a couple of seconds, but even as he did, he found no expression of anger or fury flashing across her face. Her eyebrows remained unfurrowed, and her lips were still placed in a thin line. "Aren't you angry?" he asked. "I mean if I hadn't shown up tonight, who knows what that asshole could've done to you?"

"Of course I'm angry," she snapped. "It's just...I keep on thinking what I've done to her to make her think that I deserve this."

"But you don't seem like you want to take revenge."

"Revenge? What could I do to level the playing field with her?" She laughed bitterly. "Even if I just scream at her face, it wouldn't have been enough to justify what she had done."

The only thing she needed to do was to avoid her in the future.

Du Xiaoxiao had always wanted to stay far away from trouble. She was more of a punching bag, just waiting for others to hit their mark. Unless it was truly necessary, she wasn't going to hit back.

Gu Tianqi, however, was a different person. He didn't want to be taken advantage of, and even the smallest inconvenience deserved a bit of payback. As soon as her words echoed across the car, his scowl deepened. Then, was that it? She was going to leave it be?

"I'm not asking that you scream at her face," he slowly said. "I'm just saying that you should teach her a lesson she wouldn't forget."

"Nothing happened to me anyway. It wouldn't be good to cause a scene."

"God, you're like an ostrich." He snorted. "Do you know what I'd do if I were you?"

She clutched her seatbelt. "What?"

A cool smile slipped into his lips. "I'll ask ten people to rape her ten times in the alley where she asked you to head off to. I'll take a video and send it to her–torturing her for ten months. Even if she'll kill herself, I'll swoop in to save her." Gu Tianqi gazed up at the sky. "Only when she finally collapses will my anger be gone. At that time, I'll let her fend for herself."

"I..." Du Xiaoxiao felt all the hair in her body stand up in unison.

This man really shouldn't be offended. His heart was far too dark.

She froze.

If his thoughts were really this heartless, it must be a miracle she's still alive.

As if he could see through her thoughts, he rolled his eyes. "I'm just making an analogy. Besides, no one in A City is stupid enough to do anything to me. There's no need for me to exact revenge."

"Fortunately, for them..." she murmured. "The things you said...don't you think they're too vicious?"