The shop owner wasn’t the least bit surprised by Lin Yu’s retort.
Who couldn’t spout a few lines like “I’m great at shopping” or “I’m a pro at bargaining”?
Leaning in, the shop owner lowered her voice and said,
“You look so handsome—must be a top university student, right?”
“How about 100 yuan for a pair? Just for you!”
“But don’t go telling anyone else this price, or I won’t be able to sell anything else.”
“Handsome, keep it between us, alright?”
An absolutely masterful sales pitch!
Her tone, expression, and timing—flawless in every way.
Even drama students couldn’t replicate half her skill!
Chen Qimeng watched anxiously from the side.
Would Lin Yu just pay up without a fight?
Those shorts were worth 50 or 60 yuan at most.
If he gave in now, she’d have no chance to step in.
But then again…
Lin Yu was tugging at her hand again, signaling her to stay quiet.
Normally, she rarely got the chance to go shopping with Lin Yu.
Let alone in a clothing market where prices were notoriously inflated.
If she didn’t speak up, he’d really end up overpaying!
However, Chen Qimeng didn’t know—
Back when Lin Yu was living on his own, he’d learned to haggle like a pro just to save money.
A performance?
Who could possibly outmatch him?
Lin Yu glanced at the shorts and nodded politely.
“Thanks, sis, but 100 is still a bit…”
“I’ll check out other stalls first. You go ahead.”
As he spoke, he slowly moved to hang the shorts back—deliberately dragging out the motion to give the shop owner time to react.
“Handsome, 100 really isn’t expensive! Where else are you gonna look?”
“I’m telling you, this cut is exclusive to my stall. Go ahead and compare!”
“How much were you thinking? Name a price, let’s hear it.”
“If it works, you save time, I make a sale—win-win, right?”
“Pretty lady, don’t you think? Ah, you two are such a good-looking couple!”
“I run this shop all day and hardly ever see a pair as stunning as you.”
The shop owner shifted tactics.
Chen Qimeng did look noticeably younger, true.
But standing next to Lin Yu, the age gap was still obvious.
What older woman wouldn’t love being called beautiful? Or being told she and her younger partner made a great match?
Seeing Chen Qimeng stay silent all this time, dressed so stylishly and eye-catching…
She probably wasn’t much of a haggler.
Maybe even the one bankrolling her younger boyfriend!
With that line, the shop owner was testing—was Chen Qimeng a “generous older woman”?
If she guessed right…
Wouldn’t the next words be, “We’ll take it”?
Too bad.
Normally, Chen Qimeng would’ve taken charge.
But today, she had to follow Lin Yu’s lead and keep quiet.
While the shop owner talked, Lin Yu finally—slowly—hung the shorts back up.
Naming a price now would still show he was eager to buy.
He waved a hand politely.
“Thanks, sis.”
“My girlfriend and I weren’t planning to spend that much.”
“Look at what I’m wearing—knockoffs, head to toe, all under 100 yuan.”
He said it, but didn’t actually walk away.
If he dragged Chen Qimeng off now…
The shop owner would just move on to other customers!
She wasn’t relying on one pair of shorts to pay the bills.
Only by leaving room for her to keep pitching could the negotiation continue.
Meanwhile, Chen Qimeng…
[Ding!]
[Masterful move—publicly acknowledging your relationship with the acting sect leader, secretly delighting her!]
[Reward: 50 spirit stones.]
Earlier, she’d wanted to speak but was stopped.
Now, even if she could talk, she was too flustered to form words.
Chen Qimeng gripped Lin Yu’s hand tightly, avoiding the shop owner’s gaze.
She shopped here often!
Would the shop owner recognize her?
Realize she and Lin Yu were a “couple”?
Would it seem strange?
Would people think something was wrong with her?
Head bowed, Chen Qimeng kept glancing away—only to sneak quick looks at the shop owner’s reaction.
She desperately wanted to know…
If she and Lin Yu really were…
Would others disapprove?
Chen Qimeng was stealthily observing the shop owner.
The shop owner, meanwhile, was scrutinizing Lin Yu’s outfit!
All knockoffs?
Which supplier did he get these from?
They looked so real!
How had she never heard of this source before?
The shop owner pulled the shorts back off the rack.
“Oh, come on, handsome—quality’s totally different, trust me!”
“You shop a lot, you know how it is.”
“80 yuan, just to get you as a return customer. Don’t make me beg all day.”
Lin Yu hadn’t named a price, yet the shop owner dropped to 80—meaning…
There was still plenty of room to go lower!
Now was not the time to blurt out something like “How about 30?” or “20?”
If the customer slashed the price too harshly,
It’d feel like a slap to the shop owner’s face.
Who’d enjoy being disrespected like that?
Lin Yu took the shorts back, inspecting them carefully.
Then he turned to Chen Qimeng.
“Qimeng, do you think these look good on me?”
Chen Qimeng snapped out of her thoughts—and froze.
The current situation…
Should she say they looked good or not?
She could vaguely guess Lin Yu wanted her to play along.
But they hadn’t discussed it beforehand, and this was their first time here.
How could they possibly sync up perfectly?
A hint would’ve been nice.
But Lin Yu just kept staring at her earnestly, no expression or eye signal at all.
Even the shop owner was thrown off.
She’d seen this act countless times.
But Lin Yu’s genuinely curious tone and expression showed zero signs of it being staged!
Then Chen Qimeng’s reply left the shop owner even more confused.
“They do look nice…”
After some thought, Chen Qimeng decided to be honest.
After all…
She’d picked these shorts for Lin Yu herself.
What if he really did want her opinion?
Saying they looked bad would contradict her earlier stance.
The shop owner didn’t dwell on it, quickly jumping in:
“See, pretty lady? Your boyfriend would rock these.”
“Let me grab you a fresh pair—this one can stay on display.”
At this point, Lin Yu finally made his move—mentioning price and interest for the first time…
“Sis, I really do want them.”
“Just knock it down a bit more, make it a fair deal, and we’ll browse for some tops too.”
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
