Chapter 199: Unexpected Neighbors

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After the two of them checked out, the sales associate on the other side had already wrapped up the clothes. Seeing that Li Yan actually paid, Tao Lin felt a bit uncomfortable, and could only comfort herself in her heart: They must be trying to keep up appearances by spending a year’s savings to put on a show...

The show had already ended. For Li Yan, this went smoothly, not only selecting suitable clothes for Huang Ying but also avoiding the need to persuade Huang Ying to buy more expensive clothes. It also prevented Tao Lin, who wanted to outshine Huang Ying, from feeling triumphant in the end, which was a kind of relief for Huang Ying. However, Tao Lin’s boyfriend probably could afford it too, despite likely feeling the sting; the only ones who gained were the store.

There was no point in continuing. If not for Tao Lin’s repeated attempts to embarrass Huang Ying, he wouldn’t have bothered to counteract her, nor would he have engaged in their tiresome wealth-spending contest.

And Tao Lin’s boyfriend, having unexpectedly spent a large sum, also lost interest in continuing the game. Tao Lin wanted to keep going, thinking that having already put on a show once, they would run out of money if they did it again! But she’s not mindless; after dragging her boyfriend into spending thousands, she didn’t dare urge him to pay any longer. She’d have to find another opportunity to get back at them in the future.

Neither party had any interest in continuing together, so naturally, they went their separate ways outside the store. They hadn’t come from the same direction in the first place, so there was no need to deliberately avoid each other.

After walking a while, Huang Ying remained silent, holding a bag tightly with another piece of clothing inside, while her old clothes, now wrapped up, were carried by Li Yan.

Seeing her as if afraid someone might grab them, and walking so cautiously as if treading on thin ice, Li Yan figured she probably was wearing such expensive clothes for the first time in her life, afraid of ruining them, which made him feel a bit pitying and painful.

"Don’t be afraid, nobody’s going to snatch your clothes, and there’s even less to worry about the clothes you’re wearing." Li Yan comforted her in a voice not loud enough for passersby to hear.

Huang Ying loosened her grip a little, embarrassed, and quietly said, "You never know. There are so many people on the street. If someone targets us coming out of that store, it’d be a big loss if they snatched it. Besides, it’s your fault I’m so tense! A piece of clothing over ten thousand dollars—if it gets a little tear, it’s like I lost a whole outfit!"

Li Yan chuckled and lifted the bag in his hand: "Even the ordinary clothes of yours are so well taken care of. After years of wear, they only get washed and worn out, not torn. How would new clothes get torn? Just stick to your usual habits, being too concerned could cause problems."

"No way! If cheap clothes tear, it’s no big deal, but with these, any small issue would be a huge loss." Huang Ying shrugged. In fact, due to her family’s financial struggles, with her mother supporting both siblings through school, she rarely had the chance to buy new clothes. She’s always been very careful, even with cheap clothes; if they tore, it made her heartache. That kind of care is ingrained in her life.

"Have you ever seen The Matrix?"

"Huh?"

"When the protagonist goes to see the Oracle, she casually mentions that it’s okay about the vase. The protagonist finds it strange, asking what vase? Then he turns around to look, accidentally knocks over a vase, causing it to fall and break. Then he apologizes, and the Oracle says she already said it’s okay."

Huang Ying widened her eyes, not understanding what this movie scenario had to do with her nervousness about her clothes. Was he trying to say it’s okay even if they get ruined?

Li Yan continued, "The protagonist asks the Oracle how she knew about this. The Oracle says something interesting: what will really boggle your mind is... would you still have broken it if I hadn’t said anything?"

Huang Ying appeared a bit puzzled but still tried to infer: "You mean... the more I’m careful and anxious, the more likely something will go wrong?"

"Possibly! Your usual care for clothes, aside from your personality and living environment, is already part of your lifestyle habit. But right now, instead of a habit, you’re handling it with undue caution, which might ironically result in accidental mistakes and problems. It’s like those who care more about the outcome of a game tend to underperform due to the pressure. Tension creates stress." Li Yan explained with a smile.

Huang Ying thought for a moment, nodded, although she couldn’t relax right away, at least she wouldn’t be as tense as before. Earlier, she felt like she was wearing clothes made of Cloud Coins, afraid that a gust of wind might blow them away.

"Thank you."

"What for? Do we need to say thanks between us?" Li Yan smiled.

Huang Ying shook her head: "I’m not thanking you for buying me clothes, but for... standing up for me in front of others."

"I’m not just standing up for you—I’m protecting you, ensuring nobody bullies you! You also need to have a bit more self-preservation, don’t just endure everything passively." Li Yan said seriously.

"But... I don’t think it’s a big deal, just endure it and it passes. Everyone has their own perspectives, you can’t force everyone to be like you. We might not like Tao Lin, but there’s no need to confront her directly." She quietly expressed her opinion. "Besides, I’m used to it, it doesn’t really bother me."