The Real Daughter Needs Saving by This Vicious Female Cannon Fodder? - Chapter 14

“See? I told you I wasn’t lying.”

The boss chuckled as he pushed one of the carts forward, walking ahead on his own.

“Take the beans. I’ll help you load them into the car.”

“This afternoon, you just need to deliver these few batches of beans. No need to tend to customers in the shop.”

“Once you’re done, you can clock out. You can bring the car back tomorrow.”

Ning Anran remained silent, placing all the coffee beans in the back seat before settling into the driver’s seat.

She had no idea what Gu Xia was scheming—what kind of trick she had up her sleeve.

She couldn’t even bring herself to refuse the boss as she had originally planned.

She didn’t want her personal issues with Gu Xia to drag down the boss, who had always been kind and supportive toward her.

There was no way Ning Anran hadn’t noticed Gu Xia’s sudden change in attitude these past few days. But despite staying on guard, she still hadn’t seen Gu Xia make any move against her.

Ning Anran was starting to doubt herself. Given Gu Xia’s notoriously impatient and fiery temper, holding back for three days was already nothing short of a miracle.

Could it be that she really had given up on pursuing Cheng Chen and wanted to reconcile?

The moment this thought surfaced, Ning Anran immediately doused it with cold water. She shook her head, mocking herself inwardly.

Ning Anran, what kind of ridiculous daydream are you having?

Haven’t you seen how she used to be? Do you really want to go back to that?

Though she thought this way, Ning Anran didn’t even realize that she had gradually let her guard down around Gu Xia.

When she was at her most helpless, when she was drowning in despair, it was Gu Xia who had given her 20,000 yuan to pay her tuition at Imperial University and bought her a down jacket to survive the winter.

…

“Holy crap, Xiaxia, you bought this much?”

“Those brats are getting off way too easy!”

“Make sure the boss saves me a bag of my favorite Geisha. I’ll have Xiao Liu pick it up.”

Yu Yingying glanced down at her phone and was instantly startled by the group chat messages.

“Tell him yourself.”

Gu Xia replied irritably, pausing her steps in front of a contemporary luxury boutique.

The last few outfits she had bought for Ning Anran had only been possible after shamelessly begging and wheedling her sister into swiping her card without hesitation.

Those clothes hadn’t been cheap, and Gu Xia had specifically asked the sales associate for the warmest sets available.

But now, looking back, she realized she’d overlooked something!

Ning Anran worked so hard at her part-time jobs—wearing high-end brands might make her a target for ill-intentioned people. And with the university being such a mixed bag, who knew what kind of nasty rumors might spread?

As the department’s beauty queen in the Fine Arts College, Gu Xia herself was no stranger to baseless gossip.

Some even claimed she was her sister’s kept mistress. Were these people blind? Her sister was her sister, not some sugar daddy!

Since when did a sugar daddy and a mistress look so much alike?

Couldn’t it just be that she was naturally gorgeous and came from a wealthy family? These people had zero imagination—or maybe they just couldn’t stand seeing others live well!

Pathetic!

“Let’s check this place out. This brand’s pretty good.”

Gao Fei had known before lunch that Gu Xia wanted to go shopping for clothes. When the three of them got together, it was always about eating, drinking, having fun, shopping for clothes, or buying makeup.

“Yeah, what do you think of this as a gift?”

“I see they have a lot of denim styles here, but I’m not sure how warm they are.”

“Maybe leather would work too…”

Gu Xia stepped right in, leaving Gao Fei and Yu Yingying exchanging strange glances behind her.

—Something’s off!

This tone was unmistakably someone picking clothes for their significant other! Gu Xia still stubbornly refused to admit it!

“Welcome.”

The saleswoman immediately approached when she saw potential customers.

“Miss, are you shopping for winter clothes for yourself? We have the latest winter down jackets here, designed by our chief designer personally…”

Gu Xia walked toward the row of simple yet warm down jackets. Her eyes immediately landed on one that looked extremely understated yet elegantly designed.

It looked perfect for Ning Anran.

“This one? You’ve come at just the right time, miss. We only have ten left in stock.”

The saleswoman took the jacket down.

“Do you have a larger size?”

“I’m not buying it for myself. It’s for a friend who’s slightly taller than me, about three to four centimeters.”

Gu Xia had roughly estimated Ning Anran’s height when they stood face to face. Ning Anran always wore the simplest canvas sneakers possible.

Even with insoles in her own shoes, Gu Xia could barely meet Ning Anran’s eye level. If she wore shoes with thicker soles, she might even be slightly taller.

“Oh, and please get the black one.”

“This fluorescent color is a bit too flashy.”

Her meticulous instructions left the two behind her completely speechless. Did Gu Xia really know Ning Anran’s measurements this well?

The more they thought about it, the more unsettling it became. Had something happened between these two without their knowledge?

“Of course, please wait a moment.”

The saleswoman was sharp—she could tell at a glance that Gu Xia and her two friends weren’t short on money, so her attitude was exceptionally good.

While the saleswoman was away, Gu Xia bent down to carefully pick out pants that would suit Ning Anran.

That night they shared a bed, Gu Xia had secretly observed Ning Anran’s figure. She wasn’t exactly skinny.

Perhaps from years of part-time jobs, Ning Anran’s body had well-defined muscles, with particularly attractive abdominal lines.

Gu Xia felt a twinge of envy.

These pants should fit her well—loose yet flattering, not too baggy.

After picking over a dozen items in one go, Gu Xia finally stopped. This was a mid-range brand, with items priced around a few hundred—not too expensive.

The total would probably be a few thousand at most.

But Gu Xia worried that if she bought too much, Ning Anran might refuse.

Still, this should be enough to keep Ning Anran warm through winter.

“Let’s get some socks and gloves too.”

Gu Xia then moved to the sock section to continue her shopping spree.

Yu Yingying whispered: “She’s definitely in love, damn it. My friends weren’t this enthusiastic even when they were dating!”

Gao Fei adjusted her sunglasses and nodded in agreement: “I concur. This is practically no different from being in a relationship.”

“I wasn’t this attentive even to my crush back in school.”

Ignoring their murmuring, Gu Xia carefully selected item after item, leaving the saleswoman grinning from ear to ear as she praised Gu Xia’s excellent taste.

The sales associate wasn’t initially sure who the stunning beauty before her was buying clothes for, but after seeing all the different sizes and styles, she’d figured it out.

Having worked in retail for so many years, she’d seen enough to know the signs.

“Miss, your girlfriend must have an amazing figure.”

“You two must be really in love.”

“Our store actually has a promotion right now—couples who shop together get a pair of matching bracelets.”

“Normally, we require both partners to be present, but since you’ve bought so much today, I’ll let you take the gift anyway.”

The sales associate pulled out a pair of bracelets and handed them over. They weren’t particularly expensive, but the craftsmanship was delicate—the kind of thing only a loving couple would wear.

Gu Xia almost refused.

But then she swallowed the words.

They were pretty. Might as well keep them.