Chapter 135: Tearing Off the Mask

“An An, go ahead. There’s nothing to do at home anyway,” Xu Fang said, her voice dripping with a cold sneer upon hearing Wu Wan’s words.

Her family had become billionaires now, wealthier by countless times compared to before.

She was eager to see how her eldest sister’s family would continue to pretend.

Wu Wan wanted to show off at the mall, didn’t she? This was the perfect chance to slap their entire family in the face.

“Alright,” Li An’an shook her head. She didn’t quite understand her mother’s intentions, but to her, it seemed rather pointless.

They were all relatives, yet their bonds only grew more distant.

Besides, it was quite boring.

The newly opened shopping mall was the largest in Xiuwen, not closing until ten at night. Although it was a small county town, it housed many luxury brands.

Even at night, the foot traffic was considerable.

“An An, this mall was opened by the Chen family, the top family in Qian City. It’s the only one of its kind in all of Xiuwen. All the brands inside are prestigious,” Wu Wan boasted.

“Xiao Man, let me share a secret. Our Xu Jie is friends with the eldest son of the Chen family. They get along very well,” she flaunted.

Mo Han was momentarily stunned and glanced at Xu Jie. If Xu Jie really was friends with Chen Jianpeng, the eldest son of the Chen family, his future would surely be bright.

Yet Xu Jie’s face flushed red. Wu Wan’s bragging was too much. Given his position, how could he be friends with the eldest son of the Chen family in Qian City? To show off, Wu Wan would say anything.

He thought to himself that Mo Han’s family were rustic ignoramuses who surely didn’t know someone as influential as Chen’s eldest son, and he relaxed a little.

As long as they didn’t know Chen’s eldest son, he wasn’t afraid of being exposed.

Seeing the awkwardness on Xu Jie’s face, Mo Han smirked inwardly, immediately realizing Wu Wan was bluffing.

But he didn’t expose her; there was no need.

“Actually, such big shots are very easygoing. He even invited us to dinner and is very approachable. I’ll arrange for him to meet you one day,” Wu Wan continued boasting.

Xu Jie’s expression shifted again. The more Wu Wan spoke, the more outrageous it became, and the more terrified he felt.

This mall was owned by the Chen eldest son. If the staff overheard, it would be disastrous.

“Chen the Eldest is usually very busy. When would he have time?” Xu Jie was startled by Wu Wan’s exaggerations and hurriedly said.

Wu Wan shot Xu Jie a glare, clearly annoyed that he was ruining her show.

Wu Wan led everyone to the LV store. She had her eye on an LV bag for some time but had held back from buying it.

Today, she planned to flaunt it in front of Xu Fang’s family, having Xu Jie pay for it to make them envy their luxurious life.

“An An, have you ever used an LV bag?” Wu Wan asked.

Li An’an shook her head. Before, she had no money and certainly couldn’t afford such an expensive brand.

Now that she had money, she had no time to shop.

A look of disdain flashed in Wu Wan’s eyes. “I’ve set my sights on an LV bag. Take a look and tell me what you think.”

Li An’an said nothing but followed Wu Wan to a shelf.

“This bag costs over thirty thousand. Though expensive, as long as I like it, Xu Jie will buy it for me,” Wu Wan said, picking up the bag and passing it to Li An’an.

“Just over thirty thousand? That’s not expensive. If you like it, I can buy it any time,” Xu Jie said, sensing it was his moment to act the part of the wealthy man.

“Oh, A Jie, you’re really too good to me,” Wu Wan feigned surprise, though this was all scripted between her and Xu Jie.

Li An’an felt a chill but held back her words.

Wu Wan’s acting was poor. To show off in front of her, she’d need to rehearse better.

A thirty-thousand-yuan bag was nothing. Though she’d never used one, it didn’t mean she couldn’t afford it.

With her current wealth, what brand couldn’t she buy?

“An An, pick something you like here too,” Wu Wan said suddenly.

Everything here cost at least five or six thousand, and she didn’t believe that Mo Han, a security guard, could afford any of it.

“No, I don’t need anything,” Li An’an replied.

“An An, are you afraid Mo Han can’t afford it and you’ll lose face? If he can’t pay, I’ll have Xu Jie buy it for you. Just pick something,” Wu Wan said magnanimously.

But after speaking, she felt a twinge of regret. Everything here was expensive. Having Xu Jie pay for Li An’an made her uneasy.

Li An’an frowned, about to reply, when Xu Fang said, “An An, since Xu Jie wants to give it to you, just pick something. It’s hard to refuse such kindness.”

Wu Wan wanted to show off, right? She had just noticed a bag worth a hundred thousand. Let’s see how she would flaunt that now.

“Yes, An An. This is just a small token from us. Pick one,” Xu Hong smiled.

It had always been Xu Fang showing off in front of relatives, but today the roles were reversed.

Both Xu Hong and Wu Wan felt particularly satisfied at this moment.

A few thousand yuan was nothing to Xu Jie. Though it hurt a bit, he could afford it.

“Alright then,” Li An’an smiled. Wu Wan’s relentless pressure annoyed her.

“Once An An has made her choice, Xu Jie will pay, right?” Xu Fang asked Wu Wan.

Wu Wan regretted it a little but couldn’t back down now without losing face.

“Yeah, you all pick whatever you want,” Wu Wan said magnanimously.

“An An, that bag looks nice. Just choose that one,” Xu Fang teased, pointing at a top-tier bag on the crystal shelf to the left.

Li An’an saw the price and thought her mother’s eyes were sharp.

She walked over and picked it up—it was indeed beautiful. Honestly, she was tempted to buy it.

Seeing Li An’an holding a hundred-thousand-yuan bag, Wu Wan’s expression changed dramatically. Even she dared not pick such an expensive bag.

Though Xu Jie was a boss now, he didn’t have that much money. After buying a house for her parents at the engagement, his savings were nearly gone. How could he casually buy a hundred-thousand-yuan bag as a gift?

“Li An’an, how can you be so greedy? That’s the most expensive bag here,” Wu Wan said, omitting the usual honorific, showing her anger.

“You said you wanted to give it to me and told me to pick anything. I thought a hundred-thousand bag here was ordinary. Didn’t you say Xu Jie earns over a million a month? Then he should be able to afford a hundred-thousand-yuan bag,” Li An’an replied, her temper flaring. She was done pretending. Wu Wan had no limits; pretending was exhausting.

Wu Wan was speechless. She had said she’d give Li An’an a gift but never promised something that expensive. She hadn’t expected Li An’an to be so ruthless—wasn’t she just slapping her in the face?

“Li An’an, don’t get greedy. I said I’d give it to you, but can you really afford a hundred-thousand-yuan bag? Are you worthy of it?” Wu Wan snorted coldly, snatched the bag from Li An’an’s hand, and put it back on the shelf.

“Oh, if you can’t afford it, just say so. What’s the point of pretending? If my Mo Han made millions a month, I’d have her buy this entire store for you,” Xu Fang defended her daughter fiercely.

As soon as Xu Fang spoke, both sides tore off the mask of civility.

“Waiter, wrap this bag up and send it to Miss Li,” a handsome young man suddenly stepped in.

Seeing him, both Wu Wan and Xu Jie’s faces changed drastically.