Chapter 06: A Day of Shopping

Chapter 06: A Day of Shopping

Li Mingzhi took Jing Yi to the largest mall in the city center, where they swept through the mall from the first floor to the seventh, buying and eating everything in sight.

During their shopping spree, Jing Yi noticed that the technological level of this world was slightly higher than in his previous life. The city was bustling and clean, with advanced smart cars visible everywhere on the streets. Electronic products were evolving rapidly, and real-time holographic calls were now possible.

After a day of shopping, Jing Butler was completely overwhelmed by all the sights.

"Jing Butler, the clothes over there look nice. Let's go take a look," said Li Mingzhi.

"Young master," Jing Yi said, shaking the ten or so shopping bags in his hands, "I really can't carry anymore. Let's go back."

He really wanted to rest, especially in his cozy, comfy bed.

Li Mingzhi insisted, "But the clothes in that store really suit you."

Jing Yi thought for a moment and reminded him, "But I usually wear a uniform for work. I might not have many chances to wear these clothes."

Li Mingzhi fell silent for two seconds and accepted his reasoning, "Then buy them for my elder brother."

Jing Yi asked, "Are you serious?"

The clothing store Li Mingzhi pointed to specialized in soft, plush fabrics, mainly in white and pink, which looked comfortable. But Li Wenzhao, with his cold and reserved personality, wouldn't look right in such a playful style.

Jing Yi couldn't help but imagine Li Wenzhao wearing the cute plush fabric, winking at him, and saying, "Meow~"

Ugh, that's just wrong.

"No, let's go to the suit store next door," Li Mingzhi said, "Buy a suit as a gift to ask my elder brother to assign me a few people. I can't deal with Ning Jiang by myself."

That made sense.

Ning Jiang's influence had turned Li Mingzhi from someone sharp into someone overly focused on love. Now that he was back to his old self, it was important to keep an eye on him.

The two entered the store, and Li Mingzhi picked a black suit. The style was mature and steady, but the color was too dark, like something a dreary old scholar would wear.

Jing Yi pointed to the side, "How about that one? It looks good."

It was a dark gray handmade suit. The fabric was slightly cinched at the waist, with smooth lines flowing down to the legs. Under the store's bright lights, the suit's hem and cuffs sparkled subtly, adding a touch of luxury.

"Wow, Jing Butler, you have great taste!" Li Mingzhi said happily, "My brother will look incredibly handsome in this suit."

Jing Yi accepted the compliment with a clear conscience.

After all, his college major was in fine arts; this level of aesthetics was a piece of cake for him.

Li Mingzhi also picked a classic tie with a subtle pattern and cufflinks featuring lion motifs, then headed to the counter to complete the set and check out.

At the payment stage, Li Mingzhi, unusually hesitant, asked, "Jing Butler, if I use my brother's card to buy him something, what does that count as?"

Jing Yi thought for a moment, "What goes around comes around?"

Li Mingzhi: "..."

After paying, Jing Yi called a delivery service to take the shopping bags back to the Li family. Then, they headed to the Li Corporation with their new purchases.

It was 3:30 in the afternoon when Li Wenzhao had just finished an international conference. Accompanied by his secretary, he returned to his office and loosened his tie slightly. He asked, "What other appointments do I have this afternoon..."

Ding dong.

Ding dong.

Ding dong.

His phone on the desk rang three times.

Li Wenzhao frowned. Ever since he arrived at the company, his phone had been receiving credit card payment notifications. It had been two or three hours, and they were still coming in.

Is Li Mingzhi spending all my money on someone who isn't reliable?

Just as he was about to ask his secretary to check the expenditure details, the internal line phone rang. Li Wenzhao picked it up, "What is it?"

The front desk reported, "Mr. Li, there are two gentlemen here claiming to be your younger brother and butler, but they don't have an appointment."

"Let them come up."

After hanging up, Li Wenzhao said, "Mingzhi is here, go and receive him. He hasn't been to the company before, so he probably doesn't know where my office is."

"Yes." The capable secretary adjusted his glasses, turned, and left with the documents.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw two young men coming out of the elevator side by side. They were of similar age, both handsome and well-dressed, and the secretary couldn't immediately tell which one was the young master of the Li family.

"Gentlemen." The secretary suppressed the form of address and opened the door to the CEO's office. "Please come this way, Mr. Li is waiting for you in his office."

It was the first time Jing Yi had seen the Li Corporation building, located in a prime and expensive area. The CEO's office was on the 45th floor, offering a panoramic view. As soon as Jing Yi stepped out of the transparent elevator, his legs started to tremble slightly.

He had forgotten that he had mild vertigo.

Thankfully, I'm not dressed like the CEO. Otherwise, I'd be curled up in that empty elevator every day, shaking like a leaf.

"Is my brother busy?" Li Mingzhi asked.

The secretary immediately recognized Li Mingzhi as the young master and Fan Ming as the butler, and respectfully said, "The CEO has just finished a meeting and is not busy at the moment, young master, butler, please."

Jing Yi glanced at the professional, aloof secretary beside him, blinked, and thought of a scene from a story.

"This is a loyal, kind-hearted secretary who even took a bullet for the eldest young master. Even after the Li family went bankrupt, he stayed at his post, repaying the eldest young master's kindness. What a loyal guy, huh?"

Li Wenzhao slowly raised his head.

Li Mingzhi's eyes swept over the secretary and he smiled, "Secretary Fan, nice to meet you. Let me buy you a cup of milk tea."

Li Mingzhi handed over the milk tea he had just bought for Li Wenzhao.

Fan Ming was somewhat surprised, "Thank you, young master, but it's not convenient to drink beverages during work hours. Thank you for your kindness."

"Alright then." Li Mingzhi didn't insist and obediently put it away, "If you don't want it, I'll save it for my brother."

Upon entering, they found Li Wenzhao seated in his spacious, tidy office, reviewing documents. He had that cold, refined presence. "What's the matter?"

Li Mingzhi explained his request. Li Wenzhao frowned. "You should talk to your second brother about this. He runs a security firm and can provide any kind of bodyguard you need."

"That's true." Li Mingzhi scratched his head. "Jing Yi, I think we've come to the wrong place."

Jing Yi was admiring the fish tank on the wall, which housed several beautifully colored fish whose names he didn’t know. He tapped his fingers on the glass wall, making the fish swim back and forth.

Startled, Jing Yi quickly withdrew his hand and instinctively agreed. "Yes, you're right. We shouldn't have come."

Li Wenzhao let out a sigh.

Three pairs of eyes shot glances from different angles.

Jing Yi tensed. Had they noticed him playing with the fish earlier?

Li Wenzhao sneered, signed the document in his hand, and passed it to his secretary. "Jing Yi, go make a cup of tea."

Jing Yi was puzzled. Is it really necessary to have someone else do this? Is this what it’s like to be a top CEO?

He looked around and spotted a water station by the massive floor-to-ceiling window, a standard feature of the CEO's office. The tea set was laid out, and the teapot was already warmed with the perfect temperature of tea. He swiftly poured a cup and handed it to Li Wenzhao.

"CEO, here is your afternoon schedule." Fan Ming pulled up the timetable. "You have a dinner meeting with the CEO of Qin Corporation at 4 PM, a work report from the subsidiary company at 5 PM, and at 7 PM, there's Chairman Xie's birthday banquet..."

Jing Yi's hand trembled. Splash.

Whose birthday banquet? Chairman Xie's?

Jing Yi felt a jolt of panic. This was a critical moment from the original story.

Li Wenzhao accidentally got drugged at Elder Xie's birthday banquet. The villainous couple took the opportunity to make their move, spending an intimate night with Li Wenzhao. The next day, headlines about their relationship were plastered all over the news.

Readers familiar with the original story knew that the drugging and the exposure were all a scheme orchestrated by the villainous couple, aiming to gain Li Wenzhao's trust and try to dismantle the Li family, a powerful business empire, from within.

How did we get here so fast?

Jing Yi was lost in thought about how to handle the crisis when Li Wenzhao’s voice, gritted with anger, broke through. “…Jing Yi!”

“Hmm?” Jing Yi was startled.

With a splash, the warm tea splashed onto Li Wenzhao’s lap once more.

“……”

“……”

Li Wenzhao was so furious he couldn’t even form words. “Butler Jing!”

Jing Yi trembled at his tone, spilling the remaining tea as well.

“……”

“……”

Drenched.

Thankfully, Li Mingzhi had sharp instincts. Seeing his elder brother's expression change, he immediately offered the newly bought suit. “Bro, don’t get mad. We got you a new suit, handpicked by Butler Jing. It looks great on you.”

Li Wenzhao’s lips curled into a sardonic smile. “So you soaked my clothes just to give me the new ones as a peace offering?”

Jing Yi was taken aback. "There's no connection between these two things!"

Li Wenzhao stood up, still dripping wet, and took the clothes Li Mingzhi offered with a cold smirk. "And what other reason could there be? Could it be that you have a connection with Elder Xie, and just hearing his name made you excited?"

Jing Yi thought for a moment. "Well, that's right."

"If I have a connection, can I tag along?"

Li Wenzhao sneered. "You're thinking too m—"

"After all, the birthday banquet is a disaster, the prelude to the Li family's downfall. If I don't go, what will happen if Li Wenzhao steps on all the landmines himself?"

"Sigh, being a butler is such a hassle..."

"..."

Li Wenzhao’s brow twitched, and he almost let the slip go uncorrected. "...Mingzhi, get him some clothes. We'll go to the banquet together. Don’t dress too poorly and embarrass the Li family."

Li Mingzhi had just realized the birthday banquet had turned into a trap. "...Oh, okay."

Li Wenzhao's gaze swept over Jing Yi, then turned to Fan Ming. Fan Ming’s expression remained neutral, and he didn’t pay any unusual attention to Jing Butler.

...So, he couldn't hear it?

The young butler's ability seemed limited and could only spread within the Li family's premises.

That’s probably for the best; otherwise, people might think he’s crazy.

·

·

Ten minutes later, Fan Ming had already ironed the new clothes and delivered them neatly to Li Wenzhao's exclusive dressing room, his posture steady. "CEO, please."

Fan Ming was indeed a top-notch chief secretary, speaking and handling things perfectly and thoughtfully, giving a sense of security.

"Wow, such great work ability!"

Jing Yi couldn't help but praise.

"So this is what a top-tier secretary looks like in a CEO’s office. I wonder how much a secretary like this earns a month..."

Hearing this, Li Wenzhao paused, took off his jacket, and casually threw it on a chair, speaking to Fan Ming. "Secretary Fan, inform HR..."

Fan Ming took out his notebook and pen, ready to write.

Li Wenzhao said, "From next month, your salary will increase by 20,000."

Swoosh—

Fan Ming's pen tip heavily scratched across the paper, and it took him a moment to recover. "Yes, thank you, Mr. Li."

"Wow, 20,000! 20,000 yuan! Ironing clothes got you 20,000 yuan! CEOs really do spend money like water."

"Actually, I kind of helped iron something for Mr. Li earlier..."

Li Wenzhao's face darkened. "Jing Butler."

Jing Yi stood up straight immediately: "I'm here~"

The CEO treats everyone equally. Even if you don’t notice the slight creases, you should at least acknowledge the effort I put into choosing these clothes.

Is he getting a raise too? Like, 20,000 more? O.O

Li Wenzhao could guess what he was thinking without even trying, shaking off the water droplets on his tie, his tone icy: "You ruined a set of my clothes. How do you think I should punish you?"

What kind of favoritism is this?!

This is straight-up job discrimination!

Jing Yi pondered seriously, pursing his lips: "Throw some cash at me to make me feel bad?"

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Li Mingzhi: "..."

Fan Ming: "..."

Two seconds later, Jing Yi and Li Mingzhi were kicked out of the office.

Standing outside the closed door, Li Mingzhi breathed a heavy sigh of relief: "Jing Butler, how dare you talk back to my elder brother like that."

Jing Yi: "Did I talk back?"

The conversation had been going smoothly. They were just exchanging words in a friendly manner.

"Forget it." Li Mingzhi shook his head: "Don't think about it. Let's go buy clothes."

Jing Yi: "Again?!"

"We need formal attire for the birthday banquet." Li Mingzhi asked: "Do you have any, Jing Butler?"

Jing Yi shook his head: "No, I don’t."

"Then let's go. We still have time to get fitted for clothes and do our hair."

···

Three hours later, after they were all dressed up, Li Wenzhao's car arrived outside the store.

Fan Ming was driving. Jing Yi sat properly in the front passenger seat, while the Li brothers sat in the back.

"Brother," Li Mingzhi started complaining as soon as he got in the car: "We didn’t bring a gift. Isn’t it rude to go empty-handed?"

Li Wenzhao was flipping through some documents and didn’t respond.

"Young master, the CEO has everything prepared. You can just take it with you when you get out of the car." Fan Ming then glanced at Jing Yi: "Jing Butler and I are just here to assist, so we don’t need to bring anything."

Jing Yi smirked. "Pretty considerate, huh?"

"..."

The formal attire Jing Yi wore was bought with his own card, costing him several months' worth of salary in one swipe. The clothes could only be worn once, which broke his heart. If it weren’t for trying to prevent the Li family from collapsing, he wouldn’t have spent so much.

If he had to buy something expensive, he’d be broke for months.

Li Wenzhao kept his eyes forward, though his gaze would occasionally drift to a flash of white in the passenger seat.

For some reason, he always felt that Butler Jing seemed more lively and radiant than when he first joined, but upon closer inspection, there was no real change.

Jing Yi had striking features and porcelain-white skin. His black suit made his face look even more delicate and luminous. From Li Wenzhao’s angle, he could see the slight puffiness in Jing Yi’s cheeks, which bobbed up and down like a small animal’s when he spoke.

Just then, the car hit a speed bump. Jing Yi was jolted, and his head knocked against the window.

After a moment, a voice reached his ears.

“Ow, ow, ow! That hurt like crazy! How come even a luxury car can hit you this hard?! Sigh… I mean, this totally counts as a work injury, right? Maybe I’ll get some compensation or something…

“Seriously injured while protecting the Li family, I’m such a dedicated and responsible good butler. I wonder if I can convince the chef to make a plate of cola chicken wings tonight…”

Li Wenzhao: “……”

Cute? Hardly. More like a drama queen who’s obsessed with getting paid.

Sure, he looked polite and well-behaved, but that was just an act.

·

·

Half an hour later, the car arrived at the entrance to the Xie family estate. Knowing that Li Wenzhao was coming, Old Master Xie personally came to the main entrance to welcome him.

Li Wenzhao got out of the car, stood by the side adjusting his suit jacket, and looked at Jing Yi. “Didn’t you say you know Old Master Xie? Why aren’t you going to say hello?”

Jing Yi shook his head modestly. “It’s been a long time. The old man probably doesn’t remember me.”

？

He actually knew Old Master Xie?

Li Wenzhao blinked in surprise. “How do you know each other?”

The young butler started rambling, “We’re neighbors. We live under the same sky and both like breathing oxygen. We didn’t really know each other growing up. He played at his place, I played at mine.”

Li Wenzhao: “……”

Wow, what a perfect example of “never having met before.”

It’s like they’ve never crossed paths in their entire lives.