“Get up; we are going to Madame Chanel’s shop. I think you will like it there.”
“I don’t want to go.” Nhanyi shrank back under the covers, eyeing him suspiciously, knowing he had no good intentions.
“Do you want to spend your life parading around in front of my soldiers in a nightgown?”
He chuckled and turned to the door, stating bluntly, “See you downstairs in five minutes.”
Today, he was not wearing his black uniform trench coat but casual clothes, topped with a khaki velvet coat. Before she could step out, he took off the coat and draped it over her shivering form. He was left in just a shirt and sweater. He pulled her to the front of a black sedan, and unlike previous times, there was no driver in the car.
“My driver is on leave today, so I’m driving.” He took her arm and shoved her into the passenger seat.
This was clearly the commercial district of the city. He led her into a shop that was not large, but the clothes inside were beautiful, with simple designs, elegant patterns, and pure colors. Back when she studied in America, Nhanyi often went shopping with friends on weekends. Now, she sat quietly in a chair for customers, her expression indifferent. He, on the other hand, stood in front of the racks, quickly searching through the clothes. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he pulled out a long pink dress.
“This is this spring’s new arrival; you have great taste,” the shop assistant smiled as she approached.
“Get this lady a size small.” His gaze fell on Nhanyi.
The shop assistant accompanied Nhanyi into the fitting room. She took off the long men’s coat she had wrapped around herself, revealing only a lace nightgown underneath. The shop assistant’s eyes widened in surprise, but she held back her curiosity and said nothing.
“Miss, you should take off this nightgown to try on the dress, as the style is quite fitted,” the shop assistant smiled.
Nhanyi covered her chest, shyly saying, “I also want some essentials…” She spoke softly, “A bra, panties, stockings, and preferably shoes that aren’t too high.”
“Darling, we have everything you need; I’ll get them for you right away.” The shop assistant quickly gathered the items for her and tied a thin white leather belt around her waist to match the pink dress, accentuating her figure.
“Miss, your figure and temperament are wonderful; you look beautiful in this dress!” The shop assistant covered her mouth, laughing, “The gentleman who came in with you is quite handsome.”
Nhanyi looked down at her reflection in the mirror and snorted coldly, “Is he?” He was indeed handsome, but that didn’t necessarily make him a “gentleman.”
The shop assistant brought her, now fully dressed, in front of him.
He nodded, “Not bad, it suits you well. Choose a few more.” With that, he placed a stack of cash on the counter.
“You are truly generous,” the shop manager, who had been watching from behind the counter, covered her mouth and laughed.
Nhanyi had no desire to shop, but under the shop assistant’s strong recommendation, she still chose a few outfits for backup. He remained quietly waiting, showing no signs of impatience. The shop assistant packed the clothes she selected, and she put on the pink dress again, not because she particularly liked it, but because it was much better than wearing a lace nightgown underneath his coat. Finally, she had a decent outfit.
“Thank you for your service; I will return.” He smiled at the two women who were staring at him, then took Nhanyi’s slender arm with one hand and lifted all the large paper bags with the other, pushing open the shop’s revolving door.
The two women couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
“Oh my, who is that incredibly handsome man?”
“I don’t know; I’ve never seen him before. If I had, I swear I would never forget him. Also, he is quite generous.”
“Do you think they have some kind of relationship? It feels a bit off.”
As the two women gazed longingly at his retreating figure, suddenly, a bullet shattered the glass, crashing into the shop. The glass door of the shop instantly shattered into pieces.
“Ah—” The shop manager and the assistant screamed, hugging each other.
He quickly turned towards the sound; the gunshot was clearly aimed at him but missed, the bullet piercing through the clothing store’s glass door.
“Ah—!” Nhanyi reacted just like them, covering her head and crouching on the ground, trembling.
“Get in the car!” He yanked her into the black sedan. He started the car, and a series of gunshots rang out behind them. Bullets shattered the car windows, and she was jolted around, feeling disoriented. “Duck!” He pressed her head down against the seat.
