036. A True Tycoon

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Lin Shan knew that sometimes a man had to be firm. He could not always leave every decision to a woman.

Liu Ying hurriedly picked up the bag in her hand and said, “No, Lin Shan. This is far too valuable... I cannot accept it.”

Lin Shan pushed the gift back toward her, his tone slightly stern. “If I tell you to accept it, then accept it. Consider it my way of thanking you. You have worked hard these past few days!”

Liu Ying slowly lowered her hand. In the end, she accepted Lin Shan’s gift.

Afterward, Lin Shan drove Liu Ying home.

Meanwhile, at the outpatient department, Ruan Yan, Jin Minjun, Ding Lingling, and the others had gathered together once more.

“Is Lin Shan really rich? How come he drives some beat-up Honda? He certainly doesn’t look like a wealthy man to me,” Jin Minjun remarked.

Ding Lingling sneered. “He probably spent all his savings trying to win Liu Ying over. You don’t know what some pathetic flatterers are like. They earn only four or five thousand a month, live frugally, and save every penny just to show off once in a while.”

Ruan Yan frowned. She still had rather more faith in Lin Shan’s abilities. Perhaps he was simply keeping a low profile, which was why he drove such an ordinary car.

Just then, Liu Ying returned from outside. Jin Minjun and Ding Lingling looked at her with barely concealed schadenfreude, convinced that she had been deceived by some poor nobody.

Their delight soon vanished, however, when they saw the bag in Liu Ying’s hand. The Hermes logo was clearly displayed on it.

On the internet, wealthy people seemed to be everywhere. In real life, though, there were very few people in one’s social circle who could genuinely afford to carry Hermes. To ordinary wage earners, it was a luxury beyond their reach.

Everyone’s eyes fell upon Liu Ying’s bag.

Ruan Yan thought to herself, It must have been bought for her by Lin Shan. I knew I couldn’t have judged him wrongly!

Zhou Yao, who had not joined in the others’ conversation, stared at the bag in Liu Ying’s hand and exclaimed in surprise, “Wow, Sister Liu, did you go shopping for Hermes?”

Liu Ying glanced indifferently at the three people beside her before replying, “I didn’t buy it. Someone gave it to me.”

The three women immediately realized that they had indeed misjudged Lin Shan. He really was wealthy.

Zhou Yao paid no attention to their thoughts and pressed on. “What did you buy?”

That was exactly what the other three wanted to know as well. Liu Ying smiled. “Nothing much. Just a handbag.”

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Zhou Yao’s face filled with envy. “Sister Liu, could I take a look?”

“Of course!”

Liu Ying nodded readily. In front of the three women, she took the handbag out of the bag. When Ruan Yan and the others saw it, their emotions became tangled and bitter.

Of the three, Ruan Yan was the best off. She owned a Hermes handbag too, one given to her by a former admirer. The other two did not own one, but they had seen enough such items—and dreamed about them often enough—to recognize both the style and the price.

Sixty thousand!

The jealousy in their eyes was almost overflowing.

Holding the bag, Zhou Yao sighed. “Expensive things really are different. It feels so comfortable to touch. I’m so envious of you, Sister Liu!”

With that, she handed the bag back.

Liu Ying smiled as she put the handbag away, then glanced at Ruan Yan and the other two.

She had always known that the three women made snide remarks about her behind her back. She had never taken it too seriously, but if an opportunity arose, she certainly did not mind irritating them a little.

After all, she was human—and a woman. She had her vanity too.

This gift, combined with Zhou Yao’s perfectly timed remark, had satisfied Liu Ying’s vanity immensely.

“What are all of you doing gathered here?” Hua Xiong arrived at the outpatient department and immediately frowned at the crowd. “Do none of you have any work to do? Are you holding a tea party?”

The others’ expressions changed, and they promptly dispersed. At that moment, however, Ruan Yan’s thoughts began to stir.

Hua Xiong had delayed making a decision and submitting her name because he still harbored a lingering attachment to Liu Ying.

But what if she told Hua Xiong that Liu Ying and Lin Shan were already together?

With that thought, Ruan Yan made no further hesitation. “Director Hua, Liu Ying’s boyfriend bought her a Hermes handbag. She just showed it to us. I’m so envious.”

“What?!”

Hua Xiong immediately turned toward Liu Ying, his heart filled with jealousy.

He had been watching Liu Ying for so long, yet someone else had gotten to her first.

His face darkened as he looked at the bag in Liu Ying’s arms. “Was it that Lin Shan who gave it to you?”

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By then, Liu Ying no longer feared the limited authority Hua Xiong possessed. She knew that it would soon be taken away from him. Without the slightest hesitation, she admitted, “That’s right. Lin Shan gave it to me.”

The people who had been about to leave gathered around again. They sensed that Liu Ying seemed different today. Why was she suddenly so forceful whenever she faced Hua Xiong?

She looked completely unafraid.

That rich man must have given her the courage. Then again, now that she had attached herself to someone so wealthy, it probably did not matter even if she lost her job.

Hua Xiong was both furious and anxious at Liu Ying’s expression. In the past, although she had resisted him, she had still shown him a certain amount of respect in public, giving him the illusion that he held the upper hand. But her current tone made it seem as though she did not regard him at all.

Hua Xiong chuckled coldly. “Liu Ying, you’re still young. I’ve looked into Lin Shan’s background. His family is desperately poor. How could he possibly give you a handbag like that? I’d say it’s almost certainly a counterfeit. You should take it to an authorized shop and have it examined properly.”

Liu Ying took the receipt from the bag and waved it in front of him. “Director Hua, you needn’t concern yourself with this. The bag was purchased from an authorized boutique. Here is the receipt.”

Hua Xiong’s expression changed. He gave a cold snort and turned away.

Elsewhere, Ruan Yan’s eyes flickered with satisfaction. After this little scene, there was no way Hua Xiong would submit Liu Ying’s name now.

Still, she found Liu Ying’s behavior somewhat strange. She had been far too disrespectful toward Hua Xiong today. It was highly unusual.

Could her boyfriend really bring Director Hua down?

The thought suddenly appeared in Ruan Yan’s mind, but she immediately dismissed it.

I’m overthinking things. Even if that man has some money, he probably doesn’t possess that kind of influence. Heh.

When Ruan Yan saw Hua Xiong leave, she hurried after him. Hua Xiong noticed her following and exchanged a knowing glance with her. Together, they entered his office.

After locking the door, Hua Xiong impatiently pushed Ruan Yan down.

Several minutes later, Hua Xiong pulled up his zipper and cursed angrily, “That slut Liu Ying really thinks she’s some celestial goddess. Damn her.”

Ruan Yan embraced him and said sweetly, “Director Hua, she treats you like that, yet you still keep thinking about her. You should cherish the person right in front of you.”

Hua Xiong sighed inwardly, knowing he could no longer avoid the matter. He pinched Ruan Yan’s cheek and said, “All right, you little enchantress. I’ll write your name down right now.”

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