Chapter 024: Falsely Accused of Theft!

In truth, Shi Runrun had not thought of that name for a long time.

It had been a fleeting emotion during her freshman year—a moment of impulsive confession, which the other person had not reciprocated. The very next day, he went abroad, leaving only a brief farewell, making it clear that he had no interest in her and asking her not to disturb him further.

But he was still her first love. Inevitably, there remained a shadow of him in her heart…

Nevertheless, there was no possibility between them anymore.

Now, she was another man's wife.

…

Yet Shi Runrun waited in the hospital for half a day and did not see the man who had promised to pick her up. Instead, his secretary, Qin Feng, arrived.

“Madam, President Xiao had an emergency meeting and instructed me to take you to the mall first,” he said, bending at the waist to open the car door for her.

Shi Runrun was still unaccustomed to being treated with such deference. Embarrassed, she smiled at Qin Feng and said, “Secretary Qin, you don’t have to be so polite with me. Just treat me as you would your own sister.”

“That won’t do! You are the president’s wife, which makes you my boss as well!”

Shi Runrun was left speechless.

Fine, she thought, she didn’t understand the rules of the wealthy world.

Qin Feng brought her to the International Finance Center in the city center.

After he politely helped her out of the car, he told her to go inside and look around—the president would be there soon.

Shi Runrun nodded and entered the mall.

She had known before entering that this place was high-end, extravagant. Yet, the moment her shoes touched the gleaming marble floor, she felt as if even standing there was uncomfortable.

Was this really a place for someone like her?

The entire mall was filled with luxury brands for men and women. From the tenth floor upward were jewelry stores, followed by lavish cosmetics for women.

Every corner of the mall exuded the overwhelming scent of money.

On the first floor, Shi Runrun picked up a small brochure from a sales assistant and discovered that the entire seventeenth floor was dedicated to bridal boutiques.

She took the sightseeing elevator upstairs and, along the way, saw brands like LV and Chanel—names she had only ever glimpsed in newspapers or on television.

She couldn’t help but swallow nervously and suddenly wanted to flee.

When the elevator stopped on the seventeenth floor, she stepped out.

The entire floor was filled with bridal shops, frequented by heiresses and socialites preparing for their weddings.

Glancing at their designer clothes and luxury handbags, then at her own simple attire, Shi Runrun felt a pang of shame.

Her grandmother had bought her many branded outfits, but she couldn’t bear to wear them, so she had stored them all in Xiao Xuezheng’s wardrobe.

Several young socialites noticed the abruptly out-of-place Shi Runrun and cast her cold, appraising glances. Unable to help herself, Shi Runrun lowered her head.

She knew all too well the disdain in their eyes. Suddenly, she found herself thinking of Xiao Xuezheng. He would not fail to see through her plain clothes.

Shi Runrun chose a bridal shop that seemed less lavish and stepped inside.

There were many sales assistants, but they all stood around chatting, serving only those who were obviously wealthy heiresses. Not a single one came to greet her.

The indifference made Shi Runrun a little nervous. But it didn’t matter—she was here to choose a wedding dress. If she found one she liked, Xiao Xuezheng would buy it when he arrived.

Thinking this, Shi Runrun began browsing on her own.

Each wedding dress, in different styles and designs, was beautiful to behold.

She found several she liked, but when she saw the prices on display, her hand, reaching out to touch the fabric, retreated on its own.

Hundreds of thousands for a single wedding dress—was this not daylight robbery?

Shi Runrun suddenly wanted to leave.

She thought to herself that weddings were merely a formality. Whether they actually had one didn’t seem so important…

Nearby, a snobbish saleswoman noticed Shi Runrun hesitating and walked over with a sneer. “Miss, all our wedding dresses are priced like this. If you can’t afford it, perhaps you should try another store.”

Her disdain was obvious.

Shi Runrun’s face flushed, but her stubbornness made her raise her head and glare at the saleswoman. “I understand. I’ve set my eyes on this one. Please take it down for me to try.”

The saleswoman glanced at her coldly, replying, “This one is three hundred eighty-nine thousand. You can only try it if you’re sure about the price.”

Shi Runrun pressed her lips together and nodded.

The saleswoman was surprised by her reaction, gave her several more scrutinizing glances, and then went inside to retrieve the dress and lead Shi Runrun to the fitting room.

No sooner had they gone in than the store manager entered.

The sales staff rushed forward to greet her. “Manager Lin, you’re here!”

Lin Jing nodded coolly, her gaze falling on the fitting room where Shi Runrun had just entered. With a fiery red smile, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

“Qingqing! Guess who I just saw? Your little sister is in our store! Tch, that shameless woman has hooked up with Xiao Xuezheng and now has money to buy a wedding dress here! Want me to help you humiliate her?”

Inside the fitting room, Shi Runrun finished changing into the dress and stepped out in front of the mirror.

The strapless gown hugged her petite frame, accentuating her curves. Her fair skin glowed against the diamond-studded white fabric, making her look like a swan.

Shi Runrun spun around, glanced at her back, and couldn’t help but smile at her reflection.

For a moment, she felt like Snow White in a fairy tale.

She truly loved this wedding dress.

But the price…

The thought made Shi Runrun frown in distress.

Not far away, Lin Jing stood watching her with a cold sneer. So, Xiao Xuezheng liked this kind of delicate beauty?

No matter how much she liked it, the price finally defeated Shi Runrun.

She decided to wait for Xiao Xuezheng to arrive. If he liked it too, they could buy it. If not, she’d choose a less expensive one.

With that thought, Shi Runrun returned to the fitting room, changed out of the dress, apologized to the saleswoman, put on her own clothes, grabbed her bag, and prepared to leave.

Behind her, she heard the saleswoman’s scornful remark.

“I knew she couldn’t afford it! What a waste of my time!”

Shi Runrun lowered her head, quickened her pace, and just wanted to get out as quickly as possible.

But just as she reached the exit, the security alarms at both sides of the door suddenly blared loudly!

She froze in shock, lifting her head in fright. In moments, several saleswomen rushed over and surrounded her.

“Miss! Please wait! We need to check your bag and your pockets!”