Chapter Seventy-Four: Encountering Him Again

The apartment over there was more or less tidied up. Song Hui had taken a walk through it, yet she couldn’t help but feel the place still lacked some furniture and decorations.

Yu Yunxi was at work, and Song Hui didn’t want to keep troubling her, especially since the magazine wasn’t really hers anymore.

The furniture store was dazzling, a myriad of goods on display. Song Hui’s eyes sparkled as she weaved between the furniture. Soon, she spotted an exquisite deep green fabric sofa. She looked around, but the sales assistants were all gathered together, laughing and chatting among themselves, not paying her the slightest attention.

“Hello, how much is this sofa?” Song Hui raised her head and called loudly in their direction.

One of the saleswomen gave her a contemptuous once-over, snorted coldly, and said with disdain, “The price is listed right there. You can see for yourself.”

Song Hui lowered her head and searched carefully, but she couldn’t see any price tag at all. Frowning, she kept her patience and said, “Sorry, I don’t see any price.”

The saleswomen’s faces were full of annoyance; none of them wanted to serve Song Hui. After some shoving among themselves, the one who had first spoken to Song Hui reluctantly walked over.

The saleswoman looked to be in her thirties, her whole demeanor petty and small-minded. She glanced around and, indeed, found no tag. Still, she stuck out her neck and arrogantly declared, “This sofa is eight thousand seven hundred.”

Only then did Song Hui understand the saleswoman’s attitude. She was no longer Shen Huaiqing—the noble heiress, the wife of the Fu family. Now she was just a pale-faced, plainly dressed ordinary person.

Back then, wherever she went, staff would greet her with bright smiles. She’d gotten used to it. After these months, she had almost forgotten what a life of hardship she’d lived before becoming Shen Huaiqing.

Never mind, she thought. No use dwelling on it. Song Hui ran her hand over the fabric and said seriously, “This material isn’t worth that price.”

The saleswoman immediately slapped Song Hui’s hand away, her thick brows arching in annoyance. “If you’re not buying, don’t touch it. If you damage it, can you afford to pay?”

Song Hui withdrew her hand in pain, suppressing her anger as she fixed the saleswoman with a cold glare.

“Is this how your company treats customers?” Song Hui asked, heading to the counter to complain to the manager.

But the saleswoman just shrugged indifferently and sneered, “You come in here to cause trouble because you can’t afford anything. Go ahead and complain; won’t help you. Our manager’s on a business trip this month.” She toyed with her nails, seeing right through Song Hui’s intentions.

The fury Song Hui had struggled to contain finally burst forth. Her narrow eyes locked on the saleswoman as she strode to the sofa, took out the scissors she’d just bought at the supermarket from her bag, and, before the saleswoman could react, plunged them into the sofa. The fabric tore with a loud rip.

The saleswoman gasped, grabbing Song Hui and shouting, “Pay up! You must pay for this!” Her garishly painted lips looked grotesque as she continued, “Not only do you have to pay, I’m calling the police. You’re a madwoman!”

Song Hui was never one to pick a fight, but if someone tested her limits, she would never show mercy. She shook off the saleswoman’s hand, her voice airy and her lips curling into a cold smile. “Apologize to me and I’ll pay right away.”

The saleswoman laughed mockingly, thinking this little girl dared to act tough. “As if!” she spat at Song Hui’s feet.

With a thud, the saleswoman suddenly dropped to her knees, panic all over her face.

Song Hui was startled too, and when she looked up, she saw someone standing behind the saleswoman.

It was Fu Chen again.

“Apologize,” Fu Chen commanded, looming over the saleswoman, his voice icy and his dark eyes seething with barely contained rage. It was as if a blade of frost was slicing through the air, making everyone’s blood run cold.

The atmosphere seemed to freeze solid.

Song Hui stared at Fu Chen in a daze. The man before her radiated hostility, and she couldn’t understand—since they had parted ways, why did he keep appearing before her, disturbing the calm she’d worked so hard to regain?

The saleswoman, trembling on her knees, had no idea who this man was, but his bearing and attire left no doubt that he was no ordinary person.

From the group of onlooking saleswomen, an older woman stepped forward, likely their supervisor. Her eyes glittered with shrewdness as she respectfully addressed Fu Chen.

“Sir, it’s not good for our employee to be kneeling here in front of you. If there’s a problem, let’s sit down and resolve it calmly, shall we?”

Fu Chen turned coldly to the supervisor, a chilling smile tugging at his lips. “Or do you want to kneel with her?”

The supervisor hesitated, at a loss for words. This was clearly someone she couldn’t afford to offend.

Song Hui didn’t want any further entanglement with Fu Chen. She just wanted to finish up and leave as quickly as possible. She approached the supervisor and said coolly, “There’s no need for an apology now. I’ll pay for the sofa. Let’s go to the counter.”

The supervisor was relieved and hurried over to lead Song Hui away.

But Fu Chen reached out and pulled Song Hui back, his tired eyes fixed on her as he replied calmly, “I said you don’t need to pay.”

The supervisor was caught in a dilemma. Such an expensive sofa couldn’t simply go unpaid, but seeing the saleswoman still kneeling and sobbing, she was deeply unnerved.

“Give me your manager’s number,” Fu Chen ordered coldly.

The supervisor, grateful for the instruction, quickly dialed her manager and handed the phone to Fu Chen.

Fu Chen took the call and stepped aside. No one knew what was said, but soon he handed the phone back.

The supervisor listened to the voice on the other end, her face growing paler by the second as she nodded repeatedly, finally hanging up with trembling hands.

“We’re terribly sorry. Our company failed to properly train our staff. The employee who offended you will be dismissed immediately. You don’t need to pay for the sofa, and we’ll compensate you with ten thousand yuan for emotional distress,” the supervisor said, bowing deeply to Song Hui.

The saleswoman, hearing she was fired, collapsed to the ground as if her soul had left her, her pleading eyes fixed on the supervisor. But the supervisor wouldn’t even glance at her.

Evil is always repaid in kind.

Song Hui had never wanted to take advantage—she only wanted an apology.

“I don’t need the money. I accept your apology,” Song Hui said, and walked out of the furniture store, Fu Chen following close behind.