The Contest

Miss Fang beside Chen Zihang had a gentle temperament and carried herself like a proper young lady of a distinguished family. Chen Zihang, on the other hand, was flamboyant, arrogant, and proud.

Yet these two people with completely opposite personalities had ended up together.

"Siyao, you don't need to concern yourself with this. I know what I'm doing."

After hearing Miss Fang's persuasion, Chen Zihang did not turn around as he spoke to her. By then, his tone was no longer as overbearing as before.

"Young master, please have some mercy and let Young Master Zihang have this bracelet." The shopkeeper's face was full of anxiety as she tried to persuade Chen Cheng.

Seeing that Chen Cheng remained unmoved, the shopkeeper was frantic with worry.

After a while, she hurried over to Chen Zihang and said humbly, "Young Master Zihang, how about looking at something else? Our shop also has the Vast Sea Bright Moon Crown and the Clear Water Demon Jade. They're both fine items, and I guarantee Miss Fang will like them."

The shopkeeper wore a broad smile, one that was flattering yet helpless, revealing the lowly plight of those beneath others.

Being able to open such a large accessories shop in Anyang City showed that the owner behind it had some degree of influence. Yet no matter what kind of power it was, it paled in comparison to a colossal force like the Chen Family.

If anyone else dared to cause trouble in the shop, the guards would have long since thrown them out. But when it came to Chen Zihang, they would not dare offend him even if they had a hundred times more courage.

The guards in the shop had already hidden far away the moment Chen Zihang entered. They did not dare interfere in his affairs. Even if Chen Zihang smashed the entire shop, its owner would still have to bow and apologize to him, afraid that he might so much as bump into something while wrecking the place.

"Shopkeeper Yu, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you think I'm unworthy of this bracelet?" Chen Zihang's expression turned cold as he stared at the shopkeeper and demanded.

Upon hearing Chen Zihang's words, the shopkeeper's heart skipped a beat as she realized things had gone terribly wrong.

Although the Fire Rain Spiritual Light bracelet was a rare treasure, the shop still had several other accessories of a similar grade. The Jade Stream Hairpin she had introduced earlier did not have a Fourth-Order Magic Core embedded in it, but the jade used to forge it was also exceedingly precious.

The shopkeeper did not understand why Chen Zihang was so insistent on the Fire Rain Spiritual Light, but since Chen Cheng was unwilling to let it go, there was little she could do.

"Young Master Zihang, that isn't something to joke about. How could I possibly think you're unworthy of the Fire Rain Spiritual Light? It's just that this bracelet has already been purchased, and our shop truly doesn't have a second one." The shopkeeper spoke weakly, though a stiff smile still hung on her face.

"Shopkeeper, bring out that Jade Stream Hairpin for me to see." Before Chen Zihang could speak, Fang Siyao spoke first.

Hearing Fang Siyao's words, the shopkeeper quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Given Chen Zihang's temperament, Fang Siyao was probably the only one who could persuade him.

Still, even though Fang Siyao had spoken, the shopkeeper looked toward Chen Zihang. Only with his permission did she dare retrieve it.

Fang Siyao stepped closer to Chen Zihang and took his hand. An understanding smile rested on her beautiful face.

"Zihang, since someone else has already bought it, let's not make trouble. You promised to spend the whole day with me today. Don't make everyone unhappy," Fang Siyao persuaded him.

"He doesn't even own it yet, so how can this be called taking it from him? It's simply a business transaction—money in one hand, goods in the other. Besides, even things that already belong to someone can still be acquired through other means, can't they?" Chen Zihang said inexplicably as he looked at Chen Cheng.

But when Chen Zihang felt the softness in his hand, he felt an endless tenderness. He slowly closed his eyes, a trace of unwillingness on his face. After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice low.

"Go get it."

Hearing Chen Zihang's words, the shopkeeper hurried away to retrieve the item, afraid that he might change his mind.

Those who ran businesses naturally did not want their customers to have unpleasant disputes in their shops. If word got out, it would inevitably damage the shop's reputation.

After hearing Chen Zihang's baffling words, Chen Cheng suddenly guessed what lay behind his strange behavior.

"Chen Zihang, you're only acting this way today because you don't like the sight of me. But let me tell you something too: it was mine to begin with, so how can it be called taking it from someone?" Chen Cheng stared at Chen Zihang and said each word clearly.

The saleswoman who had introduced the merchandise to Chen Cheng earlier was worried when she saw this. Compared with Chen Zihang, they were all vulnerable people who sympathized with one another, and she naturally did not want to see someone bullied by him.

Most people did not even dare breathe too loudly in front of Chen Zihang, yet Chen Cheng had actually talked back to him. The saleswoman's heart leaped into her throat.

She had always believed that Chen Cheng and Chen Zihang were fighting over that bracelet.

"Young master, you should say less. Young Master Zihang isn't someone we can afford to offend," the saleswoman whispered as she gently tugged on Chen Cheng's sleeve.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly noticed Chen Zihang's gaze turn in her direction. She immediately pulled back her hand, her face turning deathly pale.

"It's over, it's over. That great demon noticed me. He won't hold a grudge against me, will he?" The saleswoman's heart pounded furiously as terror overwhelmed her.

Chen Zihang was very famous, though most of that fame was infamy.

In an environment like the Izumo Empire, anyone renowned far and wide was hardly ever a good person.

Chen Cheng noticed the tug on his sleeve, tilted his head slightly, and gave the saleswoman a kind smile.

Chen Zihang had naturally noticed the saleswoman's small gesture. He merely gave her a casual glance, nearly frightening her to death, before ignoring her again.

To Chen Zihang, she was not worth his attention. He could not even be bothered to retaliate against such an insignificant person over something so trivial.

"Chen Cheng, you'd better hold on to your things. Don't let me find an opportunity to take them from you." Chen Zihang's tone was heavy. After saying that, he lost interest in Chen Cheng, took Fang Siyao's hand, and walked toward the shopkeeper, who had already returned with the item.

It was a jade hairpin in an exquisite wooden box, milky white and beautiful. Chen Zihang gently took out the hairpin and placed it in Fang Siyao's hair. His gaze toward her was filled with tenderness.

After looking in the mirror, Fang Siyao was greatly pleased. Chen Zihang readily paid the bill, then left the shop hand in hand with Fang Siyao.

During that time, Chen Zihang did not look at Chen Cheng again, as though Chen Cheng did not exist.

Once Chen Zihang had left, the several staff members in the shop all breathed sighs of relief.

Chen Zihang's presence there just now had been suffocating.

"Young master, I'm truly sorry. Young Master Zihang is simply not someone I can afford to offend. Please forgive me if I offended you earlier." Once Chen Zihang had left, the shopkeeper immediately came before Chen Cheng and apologized with a smile.

"Do you still want this Fire Rain Spiritual Light? As compensation, how about I give you a twenty percent discount?" The shopkeeper pointed at the bracelet on Yan Lingji's wrist.

That would mean knocking more than forty thousand Gold Coins off the price. Only as the shopkeeper did she have such authority.

"Shopkeeper, this... The Fire Rain Spiritual Light is a new item, and its price has already been set. It isn't included in the discounts. If you do this, the owner will blame you when he finds out," the saleswoman from earlier reminded her softly.

"It's fine. Put it on my account," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

There were simply too many powerful families in Anyang City. The shop owner did not want to offend anyone, and Chen Zihang's earlier troublemaking had already caused her to offend Chen Cheng. What she was doing now was a form of compensation.

The sales clerk cared about profit. The higher the price, the greater the profit. But the shop owner looked at the bigger picture. To her, connections were also a kind of profit.

There were only two kinds of people who dared to trade barbs with Chen Zihang. One was the kind of reckless young fool who feared nothing; the other held a high position.

In the shop owner's eyes, Chen Cheng did not seem to be the first kind.

That was why she wanted to use this method to keep Chen Cheng as a customer.

Temporary gains and losses did not matter. What the shop owner valued was long-term profit.

This accessory shop was among the best in Anyang City. With such a beauty at his side, the shop owner believed Chen Cheng would have many more needs for accessories in the future.

Seeing the shop owner's expression, Chen Cheng gave no answer. A teasing smile hung at the corner of his lips as he said, "If you can't afford to offend Chen Zihang, what makes you think you can afford to offend me?"