"Take your time leaving, both of you."
The female sales associate, dressed in a small suit, black stockings, a short skirt, and high heels, smilingly bid Jiang Chen and Fang Qing farewell as they left.
It must be admitted, the sales personnel at these luxury brand dealerships are also exceptional in appearance, all handsome men and beautiful women.
Take the saleswoman who had just served them, for instance, with her voluptuous figure and seductive eyes, she had a European beauty to her. Outside of this context, she could have easily been a model.
"What are you laughing at?"
Fang Qing looked curiously at Jiang Chen who had laughed for no apparent reason.
"Nothing, just remembered a joke," he said.
Jiang Chen touched his nose, "They say at stores like Maserati and Lamborghini, every time a car is sold, a saleswoman leaves. Not sure if it’s true or not."
Fang Qing stopped in her tracks.
"Do you want to know? I have that saleswoman’s WeChat, want me to send it to you so you can ask her in detail?"
Jiang Chen coughed lightly and shook his head sensibly, "Never mind, I was just saying."
Still, Fang Qing took out her phone.
"What are you doing?" Jiang Chen asked urgently.
"I’m going to call my dad."
"Why are you calling Uncle Fang for?" Jiang Chen asked incredulously.
"You’re giving me such an expensive gift, I naturally have to tell my parents about it."
Unable to persuade her otherwise, Fang Qing could only settle for the next best thing, wanting to pick the cheapest Maserati model, the Ghibli, but Jiang Chen ignored her wishes and straight away booked her a Quattroporte instead.
The entire process, including signing the contract, took less than forty minutes, which was also why the saleswoman had such a sweet smile.
"How old are you anyway? Still thinking of reporting everything to your parents?"
Jiang Chen quickly grabbed her wrist.
"Why shouldn’t I tell them?" Fang Qing replied, her emotions rising like a tide.
She wasn’t so much elated because she was going to own a car many dreamed of having in half a month’s time.
Rather, it was because the boy she grew up with had truly made something of himself.
She wanted to news with her parents at the earliest opportunity.
Jiang Chen was not wrong; her parents had always treated him as one of their own, and sometimes she, their own daughter, even felt jealous.
If they knew about Jiang Chen’s current success, they would surely be very comforted.
"No... It’s not appropriate," Jiang Chen stammered.
"Why is it not appropriate?" Fang Qing pressed on.
Jiang Chen showed a hint of embarrassment, "I’m worried that Uncle Fang and Auntie might overthink it."
Fang Qing was momentarily taken aback, but with her sharp wit, she quickly grasped his point.
"You also think gifting a car is too extravagant, huh?" she said somewhat teasingly.
Jiang Chen didn’t think a car worth less than two million was that extravagant. Considering what the Fang family had done for him, no amount of repayment would be too much, but his thoughts could not represent the Fang family’s.
Two million might be negligible to him now, but the Fangs were an ordinary family. Moreover, he and Fang Qing were often teased as the "golden boy and jade girl" when they were kids. If her parents found out he gave her such an expensive gift, they might suspect he had ulterior motives towards their daughter.
"You can tell them if you want, but you need to explain it properly," he cleared his throat and said seriously.
"Explain properly? I’m a bit lost on what you mean," Fang Qing replied, her expression reminiscent of the mischievous young girl she used to be.
She recalled how she had once snitched to their elders about him "writing her love letters," a memory Jiang Chen couldn’t forget to this day.
If she actually made that call, perhaps she wouldn’t spin tales, but with her skills, there were plenty of ways to make the elders speculate reasonably.
"Fang Qing, I worked like an ox and a horse for you last night, and today I accompanied you all this way to buy a car. You can’t repay kindness with ingratitude, can you?"
"I am reporting to my parents, aren’t I? This is how I show my gratitude to you," she said with an innocent look.
Jiang Chen was helpless.
Fang Qing giggled and shook her arm, "Aren’t you letting go? I have Li Shuru’s contact information, careful I don’t snitch on you to her."
Seeing this, Jiang Chen finally relaxed and let go of her hand.
"I’m not worried. Shu Rui wouldn’t be swayed by you," he said.
"Oh, seems like you know how to keep things under control at home," Fang Qing teased, indeed refraining from calling her parents.
"Give it some time, once you’ve settled into your career, then you can tell Uncle Fang about it, just say you bought it yourself, they won’t overthink it then," he suggested.
They wouldn’t be coming to Capital City anytime soon, and with the earnings from this industry, working for a year or two and buying a car on loan shouldn’t seem too extravagant.
Fang Qing neither agreed nor disagreed.
"Let’s go," she said.
"Where to?" Jiang Chen asked subconsciously.
"Like you said, you’ve showered so many favors on me, I have to express my thanks somehow. I’ll take you out for a stroll," she said.
Jiang Chen responded with a silent chuckle, then nodded in agreement.
The two, who had come from a small city, once again took the subway to a place every citizen should visit at least once.
The Peaceful Sky Gate.
"Had I known, we should’ve come here earlier; we won’t be able to see the flag-raising ceremony now," Fang Qing lamented.
"You’ve never seen it?"
"Of course, I’ve seen it, but you haven’t, right?"
Fang Qing turned to him, "I guess this fulfills one of your wishes, doesn’t it?"
Looking at the city gate he had only seen on TV news before, Jiang Chen was torn between laughter and tears.
This indeed was his first time here.
"Yes, thanks to the great and talented Miss Fang for fulfilling my wish," he said.
Besides the locals, many foreigners visited Peaceful Sky Gate to observe and take photos.
The imposing soldiers stood ramrod straight in their guardhouses, their determined gazes steadfast like javelins, exemplifying the demeanor of a great nation.