From a distance, he saw the words "Yindu" atop a sixteen-story building. The taxi slowly came to a stop. As soon as William Smith got out, he spotted Grace standing at the entrance of the mall, looking around. As usual, Grace wore a different outfit every day—today, she had on a light, low-cut top with a crescent-shaped neckline plunging to its limit. The pure white blouse blended seamlessly with her creamy, jade-like skin, paired with light blue capri pants and a small red purse, making her look exceptionally fresh and elegant—outshining even the professional models in the Yindu window displays.

"Ugh, why are you so slow? You made me wait half an hour!" Grace had already spotted William Smith getting out of the taxi from afar. Before the cab had even driven off, she ran over, hooked her arm through William Smith's as usual, and began to act all coy and spoiled.

"Hey, now you're blaming me? It's not even three-thirty yet. Do you have any sense of time?" William Smith let her hold his arm and replied. He knew that if he deliberately avoided her arm, she'd probably go straight for his neck.

"You have no sense of romance at all. Don't you know you should take the initiative when shopping with a girl? You actually made me wait for you." Grace clung to William Smith's arm as they entered Yindu together.

"Come on, if I wanted romance, I'd rather go home and sleep!" William Smith said as he walked.

"Pfft, there are tons of people who'd love to go shopping with me. You should feel lucky! Having a beauty by your side is something to show off." Grace teased, and seeing William Smith looking embarrassed, she burst out laughing without a care, drawing glances from people nearby. At that moment, Grace would glare around and say, "What are you looking at? Never seen a beauty with a handsome guy before?"

……

Once the shopping began, William Smith knew his ordeal had arrived. It was pretty much the same as before, maybe even worse. At every stop, Grace would try things on over and over, whether she planned to buy or not, always taking a few glances. If she liked something, she'd turn and ask, "William Smith, does this look good on me?" Or, "Which one do you think I should pick, William Smith?" Sometimes she'd just call out, "William Smith, come help me put this on."

William Smith followed absentmindedly behind, and whenever she asked, he'd mechanically reply, "Good, looks great, everything looks good on you!" Until Grace picked out another pair of earrings and asked, "Brother Smith, do these look good?" No answer. She turned around and realized William Smith was gone. Annoyed, she went back to find him, only to see William Smith leaning against the stairs, catching his breath with the shopping bags.

"Ugh, you're slacking off even when shopping with me." Grace marched over and dragged William Smith back.

"Oh, come on, little miss, let me rest a bit. We've been at this for an hour, and I've just been circling behind you. Even if you're not tired, I am!" William Smith complained as she pulled him along.

"No way, not allowed. You slack off every time we go out!" Grace showed no mercy, pouting as she tugged William Smith along.

"Alright, alright, you win... Just stop pulling me, I'll walk on my own!" William Smith gave in.

When they reached the women's clothing section on the fifth floor, William Smith finally got a chance to rest. In front of a counter selling Etam clothes, the colorful summer outfits caught Grace's eye. William Smith quickly said, "Grace, go pick something out, this place is great!" Watching the sales assistant help Grace choose clothes, William Smith happily sat down in the assistant's chair.

What followed was a one-woman fashion show. Grace was like a chameleon—one moment in a pink short-sleeved top with a light shawl, hair up like a catwoman, and William Smith would lean on the counter, give a thumbs up, and say, "Nice!" Then she'd change into a red short jacket and skirt, and William Smith would give another thumbs up, "Beautiful!"

Usually at this point, Grace would beam like a child and blow William Smith a kiss from afar. After trying on several outfits, Grace finally asked, "William Smith, which one is the best?" That stumped William Smith—he realized he'd just been giving thumbs up without actually paying attention, and even if he had, he couldn't tell the difference.

"Uh... Grace, I'm seeing double by now. How about this one?" William Smith scratched his head, embarrassed, just pointing at one at random, hoping Grace wouldn't notice he hadn't been paying attention.

"Good eye! You picked the most expensive one, and it's a backless dress." Grace grinned at him, clearly delighted by William Smith's answer, then turned to the sales assistant, "Could you please wrap this up for me?" The happy sales assistant hurried to pack it up, probably thinking she'd found a big spender.

"Grace, can you really wear this out?" William Smith asked cautiously, worried that the outfit he'd picked looked like a bunch of torn rags and might have some unintended consequences.

"You picked it, so I'll wear it for you next time!" Grace snuggled up to William Smith's arm, looking up at him with a hint of longing in her eyes, which made William Smith quickly avert his gaze.

"Hello, that will be 2,280 yuan in total!" The sales assistant handed over the receipt.

"Wow! That's so expensive... Let me see," William Smith took the receipt, puzzled. The blouse and skirt were made of fabric usually used for apron linings, yet they cost as much as a whole cart of cloth. He said, "Grace, this is way too expensive!"