C109 At the Hai Lan Home He Bought Clothes and Met His Cousin Zhang

"Beep! Beep!"

The sound of a car horn pierced the air.

Lin Dong glanced over and saw a red Beetle cruising towards him.

The window rolled down to reveal Zhang Xinrui's alluring face.

"Lin Dong, hop in!" she beckoned, gesturing to the passenger seat.

The Beetle, a car worth a tidy sum of one to two hundred thousand yuan, suggested that Zhang Xinrui came from a well-off family.

Lin Dong climbed into the car.

Zhang Xinrui maneuvered the steering wheel, heading for the parking lot exit.

Suddenly, she gasped, "Oh! What a gorgeous sports car!"

Lin Dong looked and couldn't help but smile.

The sports car she admired was the Pagani Huayran he had driven there.

Preferring to keep a low profile due to past experiences, Lin Dong had parked it in a secluded corner, not expecting Zhang Xinrui to take notice.

"What kind of car is this? I don't even recognize the emblem," she inquired.

"It's a Pagani Huayran, a limited edition. It's worth over ten million," Lin Dong replied nonchalantly from the passenger seat.

"Wow! You actually know this car? Lin Dong, I'm impressed!" Zhang Xinrui exclaimed, visibly surprised.

Lin Dong just smiled and responded, "It's alright. I've seen a friend drive one before."

"Your friend? Did you see it in QQ Speed? Is it the same?" Zhang Xinrui pointed at the Pagani Huayran.

She knew a bit about Lin Dong's background; his friends were from the same social strata as him.

Families like his were worlds apart from owning a multimillion-dollar sports car.

Zhang Xinrui assumed boys loved gaming, hence her belief that they'd see such cars in games.

Lin Dong observed Zhang Xinrui's earnest expression.

Ultimately, he chose not to elaborate, simply nodding in agreement, "Exactly, Ms. Zhang, you're incredibly astute!"

What else could he say? That he was the owner and then whip out the keys to stun Zhang Xinrui?

Lin Dong was past the phase of flaunting his wealth.

All he desired now was to remain under the radar.

He much preferred that no one knew of his wealth; it would spare him a lot of hassle.

Zhang Xinrui laughed lightly, "Don't butter me up. I'll tell you, play fewer games and focus more on your studies! You have no idea how fierce the competition is out there. Students like you are a dime a dozen! You'll regret it if you don't put in the effort!"

Alright, Ms. Zhang is online.

Lin Dong wisely clamped his mouth shut.

The beetle, accompanied by Zhang Xinrui's one-sided scolding, drove away from the school.

Once outside, Zhang Xinrui took Lin Dong to a Hai Lan Home store.

"We're here! Let's get out of the car!"

Zhang Xinrui beckoned Lin Dong.

Lin Dong glanced at the storefront and frowned slightly. "Ms. Zhang, I don't think the style of clothes here suits me."

Hai Lan Home's advertising slogan: A man's wardrobe needs a visit to Hai Lan Home just once a year!

Such a place was meant for settled men, not a youngster like Lin Dong.

"Why all the fuss? Complaining when I'm trying to buy you clothes!"

Zhang Xinrui's gaze swept over Lin Dong.

Assuming her authoritative teacher's demeanor, Lin Dong had no choice but to agree and enter the store.

"Get him a suit, a shirt, leather shoes, and socks!"

Zhang Xinrui commanded as soon as she walked in.

A sales associate who had just approached immediately said with a smile, "Certainly, sir. Please follow me."

Lin Dong followed the associate to the suit section, where he was prompted to make a selection.

The associate glanced between Zhang Xinrui and Lin Dong. With Zhang Xinrui speaking assertively about the purchase and Lin Dong tagging along, it looked like a classic case of a wealthy woman spoiling her young companion!

She thought to herself, this young man is being spoiled at such a young age by such a beautiful and affluent woman – he's truly living the dream!

Unaware of the misconception, Lin Dong showed little interest in the suits. He casually pointed to one and said, "That one will do. I'm 1.8 meters tall and weigh 62 kilograms. Find the right fit for me."

"Right away, sir!"

The associate fetched the clothes, and Lin Dong changed into them.

Moments later, Lin Dong emerged in front of Zhang Xinrui, transformed into a sharply dressed, dapper young businessman.

Zhang Xinrui's eyes brightened at the sight.

The surrounding sales staff also looked on with adoration.

Indeed, clothes make the man!

Lin Dong was already quite handsome, and even in casual attire, he exuded a great presence. Now, dressed in a suit, his charisma was undeniable!

No one in the room would argue against him being a star!

Lin Dong strode over to Zhang Xinrui, flexing his limbs, and asked, "How does this outfit look?"

Zhang Xinrui's eyes, previously aglow, couldn't resist pressing on Lin Dong's chest, overwhelmed by his handsomeness.

She then playfully remarked, "It's passable. Just wear it out. The cashier will handle the payment!"

"Alright! Please come with me!"

The waiter stood next to Lin Dong, guiding him onward.

At that moment, Lin Dong was the epitome of style, outshining even the most dashing Korean actors.

The female waitstaff couldn't help but gravitate towards him.

Dressed in a new outfit complete with leather shoes and socks, the total came to 1,350 yuan!

Brand-name stores do come with hefty price tags.

Although Hailan Home was a bit more affordable, the ensemble still broke the thousand-yuan mark.

A pained expression flickered in Zhang Xinrui's eyes as she pulled out her phone to make the payment.

"Wow, that's pricey! Maybe we should've hit up a street vendor instead. We could've gotten something similar for three to five hundred," Lin Dong said with a grin.

He raised his voice intentionally so the waitstaff could hear him.

Zhang Xinrui quickly nudged him with her elbow and shot him a glare, "Quit the chatter and just scan the WeChat code!"

Lin Dong just laughed, standing aside.

To Lin Dong, a sum over a thousand was trivial, merely a drop in the bucket.

His main goal was to get back at Zhang Xinrui for her earlier condescending attitude.

She had asked for help, yet acted so superior. Lin Dong wasn't one to take things lying down and seized the chance to knock her down a peg, which secretly delighted him.

The waiter took Lin Dong's old clothes to pack them up for him to take away.

Just then, a man entered.

"Hey, cousin, what are you doing here!?" he exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Dong looked up to see a man in a suit, staring at him and Zhang Xinrui in astonishment.

The man had an average appearance, looked to be in his thirties, a bit paunchy, and exuded a boss-like aura with his luxury watch.

"Cousin Jianghe?"

Zhang Xinrui looked at the man in surprise, but her expression soured. Lin Dong noticed that she didn't seem to have a good relationship with her cousin.

"Cousin, are you taking your boyfriend shopping for clothes?"

Her cousin glanced at her as she was paying, then at Lin Dong's old clothes that the salesperson had just bagged.

He scoffed and said, "Cousin, it's fine to have a boyfriend, even if he's not from a wealthy background. I wouldn't mock you for that. There's no need to buy a new outfit just to impress the relatives."

Zhang Xinrui bit her lip and retorted, "It's none of your business!"

After paying, she gestured for Lin Dong to grab the bag and leave.

Lin Dong gave the cousin a look but kept silent, picking up the bag and preparing to follow. This was Zhang Xinrui's family issue, and he preferred not to get involved.

"Hey, cousin, you're mistaken. It does concern me. You're dating a poor guy and even spending money on him. As a family member, I can't just watch this happen!" her cousin exclaimed, then turned to Lin Dong and barked, "You little punk! Get over here!"

Lin Dong's brow furrowed.

Zhang Xinrui's cousin was truly obnoxious. Lin Dong wasn't looking for trouble, but the cousin was clearly picking a fight, tossing around insults like 'poor kid' and 'little punk.'

Normally, Lin Dong would let it slide, but he wasn't about to be intimidated by him!