Going Power Shopping – Part 1
Wednesday, continued…
As Hou Yi made his way down the stairs and exited the apartment on his way to the Hou Enterprises office, the maid entered Anna’s room and gently inquired, “Young Madam, is there anything I can do for you?”
Anna, still settling into her new routine, responded, “I know it’s lazy, but could you please arrange for another cup of white coffee, two sugars? Once that’s done, could you select an outfit from the few items in the wardrobe for me? I’m going shopping with my husband’s mother and aunt, so please place the clothes in the bathroom for me. Thank you.”
“No problem, Young Madam,” the maid replied quickly. After placing a call to arrange for the coffee, she entered the walk-in wardrobe and began organizing clothes for Anna. The maid couldn’t help but think that Anna was rather lazy, especially compared to Miss Yang, who had been a frequent visitor in the past. Everyone had expected Miss Yang to become the mistress of the house, but the dynamic had shifted. Miss Yang, unlike Anna, had been more demanding and often clashed with Butler Ge, who had always made sure to follow the Young Master’s orders to the letter.
Despite Anna’s apparent laziness, the maid couldn’t deny that she was much more approachable and polite than Miss Yang had ever been, and she found herself begrudgingly respecting Anna for her gentler demeanor. Still, she was aware that things had changed, and she was quietly contemplating how to reach out to Miss Yang for some personal gain. However, she knew she had to tread carefully to avoid losing her job.
Meanwhile, Anna finished her first coffee, placed the credit cards into her purse, and stepped into the bathroom to shower and change. When she returned, she noticed that only her second coffee was left on the table, and her handbag was placed neatly beside it. As she sipped the coffee, she transferred her contacts to the new phone and sent out a bulk text message informing her contacts of her new number.
Just as she finished, Butler Ge knocked at the door. “Young Madam, First Madam and Second Madam have arrived to collect you. I understand from the Young Master that you are going shopping today.”
“Thank you, Butler Ge,” Anna replied, putting her phone down and grabbing her purse.
As she walked out of the door, Butler Ge stopped her momentarily. “Young Madam, while you are shopping, please take these cards and give them to the stores for your purchases. It will make things easier for you.”
Anna nodded, and as she made her way down the stairs, she saw Hou Yi’s mother, Du AnLing, and his aunt, Leng Xi, standing by the car. Both women greeted her enthusiastically.
“Mother, Aunt, so nice to see you,” Anna said warmly.
Du AnLing smiled and said, “Hi, sweetheart!” Then, with a hint of mischief in her voice, she added, “Did my son tell you how we are going to fund today’s shopping?”
Anna chuckled, “Mother, Aunt, yes, he gave me a couple of cards to use for shopping. He also mentioned that the bodyguards have cash for small purchases.”
The two women exchanged a gleeful look, their eyes shining at the prospect of shopping with virtually unlimited resources. “This is going to be fun! We’ll make sure to pick out some complementary outfits for the three of us,” Du AnLing said excitedly.
Anna, trying to keep things under control, added, “Before we start, Yi made it very clear to me that I am only to purchase things I want, and more importantly, I am not to buy anything for either of you—except for food and drinks. He said if I did, he’d set a spending limit for me.”
Du AnLing and Leng Xi looked momentarily disappointed, clearly hoping that Anna would indulge them in their shopping sprees, but they quickly masked their disappointment with smiles. “Don’t worry, we can work with that,” they said, albeit with a hint of reluctance.
The three women entered the elevator and descended to the parking garage. Anna suddenly remembered one task she was told to do. She approached the security desk at the car park level and said, “Hello, my name is Anna Hou, I’m Hou Yi’s wife. He mentioned that when I came down, I needed to arrange for a thumbprint scan for some of the locks in our home.”
The security guard, who had been ignoring her up to that point, immediately sprang into action. “Young Madam, I will get the head of security for you right away.”
Before the guard even had a chance to knock on the office door, the head of security emerged. “Young Madam, if you could follow me, I’ll arrange the thumbprint scan right away. It should be fully operational by the time you return.”
Anna followed the head of security into the office, where the thumbprint scan took only a few seconds. She was escorted out promptly after the scan was completed, and she rejoined Du AnLing and Leng Xi, who were standing by a car with two of the bodyguards who would accompany her for the day.
Du AnLing was practically brimming with excitement. “Anna, we’ve spoken with your bodyguards, and we’ve decided that the best place to start today is M Mall. It’s got the widest variety of shops, and we should be able to get most of the things you need there. It’s been a while since I’ve been, but there are so many top labels—I’m sure we’ll find everything we need.”
Anna could almost see Du AnLing and Leng Xi rubbing their hands together in eager anticipation.
The three women climbed into the car, the two bodyguards taking the front seats, and headed toward M Mall, ready to dive into a day of extravagant shopping. Anna couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed, but she was also curious to see how this experience would unfold. It seemed like the kind of day where one could either be swept away by the thrill of spending or learn how to navigate the delicate balance of family dynamics in the midst of a shopping spree. Either way, it was bound to be an adventure.
