The Showroom Showdown

[Inside the LMW Car Showroom]

The doors to the showroom slid open with a soft chime. Ruxue walked in first, her heels clicking on the shiny marble floor like she owned the place. I followed behind, expecting a normal salesperson to greet us.

But then I saw her.

She was standing next to one of the luxury cars, wearing a neat uniform. Her long black hair was tied back into a ponytail. Her face was just like I remembered—beautiful and calm. But when her eyes met mine, they softened a little.

Li Meiyun.

One of the five school beauties.

But unlike the others, Meiyun was different. Back in school, she never looked down on me for being poor. She was kind, always polite. She even helped me when no one else would.

Her kindness back then… meant more to me than she ever knew.

We both stopped and stared at each other for a moment.

She looked surprised, then a bit unsure. Her eyes dropped to Ruxue's hand, which was holding onto my arm tightly. I saw something in her eyes—maybe hurt, maybe just confusion.

Before I could say anything, Ruxue stepped forward with that smug little smile of hers.

"Well, well. If it isn't Li Meiyun," she said in a fake sweet voice. "Didn't expect to see you… working. That's new."

Meiyun stayed calm. "Bai Ruxue," she said simply.

Ruxue gave a soft laugh. "I heard your family's in trouble. Losing money, going bankrupt… that must be hard. You used to be one of the rich girls."

I frowned slightly. Classic Ruxue—always acting nice while stabbing people with her words.

Meiyun's jaw tensed for a second, but she didn't lose her cool. She turned to me and smiled gently.

"Chen Yu," she said softly. "It's been a while. You've really changed."

I nodded. "Yeah. A lot has happened."

Her eyes stayed on me for a moment. It was the same look she gave me back in school when no one else did—a kind, warm look that made me feel like I mattered.

And now, she was the one being looked down on.

"I didn't expect to see you here," she said. "But I'm glad to see you doing well."

Before I could reply, Ruxue grabbed my arm and laughed.

"Oh, Meiyun, don't get emotional. He's with me now. We're here to buy a car. Shouldn't you call someone from the sales team?"

Meiyun stood up straighter. Her voice was calm, but firm.

"I'm the one in charge of premium customers today," she said. "If Mr. Chen Yu is buying, I'll be helping him."

She spoke like a professional, but I could still see it in her eyes—hurt, pride, and something else she was trying to hide.

And in that moment, I realized…

Things were about to get interesting.

I leaned closer to Bai Ruxue, bringing my mouth near her ear. My voice turned cold and distant as I said,

"I think you're getting the wrong idea. I never said you were mine. I'm just taking you out shopping today, that's all. Maybe it'll happen again, maybe not—so watch what you say next time."

Then I straightened up a little and spoke in a softer but louder tone, loud enough for Meiyun to hear.

"I'm sure you understand what I mean, Ruxue."

I smiled and laughed lightly, like we were just a happy couple sharing a private joke.

Ruxue was stunned. For a second, her body froze. Fear flashed in her eyes, even though she tried to hide it behind a forced smile.

She was scared—not of me—but of losing everything. The gifts. The attention. The money.

"I thought I could make him mine easily… but this was clearly a warning," Ruxue thought, panic rising inside her.

"If I want him to trust me, I'll have to work harder. I can't lose him… not now. I need to stay in my limits for now."

I turned back to Meiyun with a gentle expression.

"Hey, Meiyun… I didn't know about your family's situation. But if you ever need help, feel free to ask me."

She blinked, a little touched, and gave me a small smile.

"Chen… I didn't ask before because your family's condition wasn't great either," she said honestly.

"But… if I really need help someday, I'll come to you."

As we talked, I could feel Ruxue growing jealous again. Her expression didn't change, but I knew exactly what was going through her mind.

"What if he leaves me?"

"What if he gives all those gifts to Meiyun instead?"

But she stayed quiet.

"Alright, I'm here to buy a car," I said, turning back to Meiyun. "Can you recommend something for me?"

She nodded. "Sure, what's your budget?"

"Around 200 million."

She paused, shocked. Her eyes widened a little.

"I know Chen Li isn't from a rich family," she thought, "but he doesn't seem like the type to do something reckless. I'll trust him for now."

"We don't have a car in that price range ready right now," she said. "But we can place a custom order. It'll arrive in a few days."

I thought for a moment, then said calmly:

"Alright. Order it. And also…" I pointed at the most expensive car in the showroom. "I'll take that one too. But put both orders under your name. Just think of it as a little help from me."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she smiled.

"Thank you, Chen Li," she said quietly, her voice full of emotion.

Ruxue stood still, her smile slowly fading. A strange sadness crept into her heart.

"He's slipping away from me... I need to do something. Today."

"If I don't make my move now… I might lose him for good."

And then, out of nowhere, her cheeks turned pink. She started thinking about the night ahead, her mind running wild.

I looked at her, confused.

Has she gone crazy or something? I thought, watching her blush like that.

Just as we were about to move toward the car with both girls walking beside me, a loud, mocking voice interrupted us.

"Hah! Ruxue? What are you doing with this broke guy?"

We stopped.

I turned slowly toward the voice.

And smiled.