Shopping At the Mall

Perhaps she could see Shi Yan’s confusion, so Xiao Zhao said, “The fifth master’s health is not good, so he will occasionally go to the hospital for a check-up. However, the fifth master does not go out very often. Usually, he will invite the attending physician directly to the old residence. The fifth master seldom even goes out to the courtyard. A situation like today, where we meet the fifth master in the old residence, only happens every few months.”

Shi Yan turned around and glanced at the car that had already gone far away.

It was not even nine o’clock in the morning and they were already going to the hospital for a check-up?

“So that’s how it is.”

Seeing that Shi Yan’s expression was as usual, not seeming to have the slightest bit of curiosity, Little Zhao could not help but look at her a few more times.

Didn’t Miss Shi wonder why they had stopped and waited for the fifth master to pass through when they could have passed through at the same time? Didn’t she wonder why they hadn’t rolled down the car window to greet him when they met him?

If it were anyone else, they would have died of curiosity. Miss Shi was simply too calm.

She was only nineteen years old!

This temperament…

It should be said that she was worthy of being valued by the old lady. She was outstanding indeed.

She didn’t continue to dwell on this topic. With lingering fear, she looked through the mirror at the car that had gone far away. After exhaling lightly, Little Zhao asked, “Is it convenient to ask Miss Shi what you want to buy at the mall?”

Seeing Shi Yan look up, Little Zhao explained with a smile, “There are a lot of large malls in Sea City. I’d like to know what you want to buy so that I can select the right malls.”

“There’s nothing inconvenient in you asking me. My home in the countryside doesn’t have anything special, and the journey to Sea City was quite far, so it was inconvenient to bring too much luggage. So, I didn’t prepare a welcome gift for Old Madame Jiang in advance. I plan to go to the mall to take a look.”

“A gift?”

Little Zhao never expected that she would go out early in the morning just to buy a gift.

Shi Yan smiled elegantly, “It’s my first time visiting. It’s rude to come empty-handed, and it’s already very rude of me not to prepare it in advance.”

Little Zhao looked at her and sighed once again in his heart.

Not only was Miss Shi an extraordinary person, but she was also very considerate at such a young age, even without the reminder of an elder. She really didn’t look like a person who had never seen the world apart from the countryside!

It was basic courtesy to prepare a welcome gift when visiting a guest for the first time. However, considering that Miss Shi was an orphan living in the countryside and might not be financially well off, the old lady certainly did not want Miss Shi to spend money. Although Old Madame Jiang did not remind her to pay attention to this matter, as the person that Old Madame Jiang had arranged to take care of Miss Shi temporarily, she had to mention this to Miss Shi tactfully.

Hence, Xiao Zhao said, “Actually, Old Madame Jiang is very happy that Miss Shi came as a guest. You don’t have to especially prepare a welcome gift. You agreeing to come as a guest was the best gift for Old Madame Jiang.”

Shi Yanqing smiled faintly and replied, “I don’t have to prepare a welcome gift. I just want to go shopping on the way. If there are suitable gifts, then I will buy them. If there aren’t, I won’t.”

Even though she said so, Xiao Zhao still felt that she had especially come to buy a welcome gift.

In that case, she would just choose a mall with a lower price and bring Miss Shi there.

With a single glance, Shi Yan could tell what she was thinking, but she did not say much.

A gift came from the heart, not the price. Furthermore, she planned to spend more time familiarizing herself with the city. She was not going to go home after shopping at a mall, and she would choose her gift very slowly.

About half an hour later, their car stopped in the underground parking lot of a relatively low-priced mall. The driver waited in the car while Xiao Zhao accompanied Shi Yan to take the elevator into the shopping mall.

In the first shopping mall, Shi Yan took a casual glance at the first floor but did not stop at any of the stores. She went up to the second floor, where it was the same. She took a casual glance and went up to the third floor, then the fourth floor and the fifth floor.

It took them only about half an hour to walk around the entire shopping mall.

There was no harvest.

Little Zhao did not know how to express her feelings at this moment.

Logically speaking, a person like Miss Shi, who came from the countryside, would not have seen such a big shopping mall. Even if she did not buy anything, she should not have been so calm after entering the mall.

Shouldn’t humans be filled with curiosity towards novel things?

She had lived in Sea City for more than ten years. Even if she didn’t have anything to buy, she would still want to try this or that after entering the mall.

Wasn’t shopping in a girl’s nature? She didn’t see such a thing in Miss Shi at all.

Moreover, she also saw that the reason Miss Shi didn’t enter the shop was not because of her inferiority complex. She really just didn’t like anything.

Don’t ask her how she could tell. She just had that kind of intuition all of a sudden.

Without saying much, Xiao Zhao only asked, “Miss Shi, are we going to the next shopping mall now?”

“Not for the time being. On the way here, I saw a commercial street not far away. There are many shops at that place, so I plan to go shopping there.”

There was indeed a commercial street nearby.

Just as Shi Yan was about to tell Xiao Zhao that if she got tired of shopping, she could wait for her in the car, Xiao Zhao’s phone suddenly rang.

“I’m sorry, Miss Shi. I have to take this call,” Xiao Zhao said as she picked up the phone.

She didn’t know what the other party said, but her expression had changed.

“What’s wrong?” Shi Yan asked.

“I’m sorry, Miss Shi, something happened at home. I’m afraid I can’t go shopping with you. Should I send you back first, or would you like me to find someone to accompany you? I’m really sorry, I…”

“It’s okay. If you have something to do, go ahead. I can go shopping by myself.”

“But you…”

Shi Yan smiled faintly, “It’s okay. I’m old enough, so how can I get lost? Send me the driver’s number. I’ll buy some good things and call him to pick me up.”

“Are you really okay by yourself?”

“I am. The driver is nearby, so if there’s anything, I’ll call him.”

“Then- Then, be careful, Ms. Shi. I’ll rush back to find you as soon as I’m done!”

Without waiting for Shi Yan’s reply, she turned around and ran out of the mall. It was obvious that she was very anxious.

However, two minutes later, Shi Yan received a text message from Xiao Zhao. It had been a call from the driver.

Shi Yan was shopping much slower at the mall.

She was not shopping, instead looking at the city that had changed so much.

It had been an hour since she had finished shopping. She was no longer empty handed, carrying a few bags.

She did not call the driver immediately. She had just searched on her phone and found a bookstore nearby, planning to buy some books.

Two hours later, she came out of the bookstore.

Yes, Shi Yan had spent more time shopping in the bookstore than she did in the mall. She had two large bags in her hands, and there were about twenty books in the bags.

Even though Shi Yan was strong, she couldn’t lift them all. She walked out of the bookstore and called the driver. She stood at the entrance of the bookstore and waited for the driver to come pick her up.

The driver quickly drove the car over.

There was no parking here, so they could only stop temporarily. The driver didn’t get out to help her, and Shi Yan put the things she bought into the trunk.

Just as she put the things away, a car drove past them in the opposite lane.

A woman in her forties was sitting in the back seat of the car. She was looking out of the window when she saw Shi Yan, who was putting things in the trunk.

Her expression changed slightly.

The car drove past them and soon there was no one there. The woman quickly said to the driver, “Turn around and go to the other side! Quick!”