178: Chapter 178, 2.35 million, I want it.

As soon as they entered the store, a sales associate wearing a black suit approached them, smiling and bowing slightly, her gaze sweeping over the two of them.

Seeing the watch on Chen Fan's wrist and the exquisitely tailored coat he was wearing, the smile in her eyes deepened a little. Having been in this business for a long time, she could tell at a glance who was just browsing and who had real purchasing power.

"Sir, Madam, what would you like to see?" The sales associate's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, her speaking pace moderate, carrying a trained gentleness.

"We're looking for a bag," Chen Fan said.

"Very well, please come this way."

The sales associate turned to guide them, leading the two of them to the handbag section. The entire area wasn't large, but every bag was meticulously displayed in its own spot. The lights hit the surface of the bags, and the luster of the leather appeared exceptionally gentle.

Chen Fan walked around the store, his gaze sweeping over the display cabinets.

He didn't understand bags. In his past life, he had never bought these things, and his knowledge of luxury goods was basically limited to the level of "expensive."

But he knew one thing: Chanel was a brand that a girl of Lin Xi's age would like. It didn't need to be too flashy; a classic style would be enough.

The sales associate was very good at observing expressions. Seeing his gaze linger for an extra second on a certain bag, she calmly took it out and placed it on the display stand, holding it with both hands.

"This is a classic style, made of calfskin, with 24K gold-plated hardware. It's versatile and durable," the sales associate said while gently turning the bag's material to show the details. "Many ladies choose this as their first Chanel. The color is easy to match with clothes, and it can be carried in all seasons."

Chen Fan picked it up and flipped through it. To be honest, his eye couldn't really tell anything.

He handed the bag to Lin Xi: "Try it."

Lin Xi hesitated for a moment, then took it and stood in front of the mirror, slinging the bag over her shoulder.

The length of the strap was just right, and the bag rested against her waist. Paired with the light-colored coat she was wearing today, she looked much more refined.

She turned left and right in front of the mirror. Honestly, she also thought it looked good.

The flicker of affection in her eyes was seen by Chen Fan.

"How much is this bag?" Chen Fan turned to the sales associate.

The sales associate smiled, her voice unhurried: "This is the classic 2.55 style, made of calfskin. The price is 23,999."

The moment this number was announced, Lin Xi's hand trembled slightly.

Over twenty thousand.

She quickly calculated in her mind; it was enough to cover her living expenses for more than half a year.

She quickly took the bag off her shoulder, handed it back to the sales associate with both hands, and said, "Thank you, we'll take another look."

"Don't you like it?" Chen Fan looked at her.

Lin Xi shook her head, her voice not loud but very firm: "It's too expensive. Let's buy a cheaper one."

The sales associate on the side paused with a subtle expression.

She had seen too many couples come into the store. The girls would have their eyes glued to the bags, unable to pull them away, while their boyfriends pretended to look at their phones on the side. The two would haggle over the price for a long time, and in the end, they would either grit their teeth and buy it or leave unhappy.

There were also those with less savory relationships, where young girls would walk in arm-in-arm with their sugar daddies, specifically trying on the most expensive ones, even begging their sugar daddies to buy them.

She could tell that Lin Xi wasn't pretending; she really felt it was expensive and was genuinely trying to save money for her boyfriend.

If it were herself, she wasn't sure she could do that.

Chen Fan looked at Lin Xi's serious expression and felt a bit helpless.

She probably didn't know that twenty-something thousand was already considered the cheapest entry-level model at Chanel.

He couldn't help but rub Lin Xi's head. "Don't worry about the price, as long as you like it."

After saying that, he looked at the sales associate. "Wrap it up."

A flash of envy flickered in the sales associate's eyes, but her professionalism allowed her to quickly recover her proper smile, and she responded crisply: "Very well, sir, please wait a moment."

She took out a special shopping bag from the counter and carefully packed the bag. Her movements were very light and slow; every wrinkle was smoothed out, and every ribbon was tied neatly.

Chen Fan didn't go to the counter to wait; instead, he turned to Lin Xi: "Let's go see other things."

"Huh?" Lin Xi was stunned for a moment, her eyes widening slightly. "Still looking? Haven't we already bought a bag?"

"Besides bags, there are other things we can look at." Chen Fan's tone was matter-of-fact. "Today, everything is up to me."

After he finished speaking, he didn't wait for Lin Xi to refuse; he took her hand and walked toward the clothing section.

Lin Xi was led forward by him. She looked back at the bag that had already been packed into the bag, opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, said nothing.

Regarding this macho behavior of Chen Fan, Lin Xi didn't have a shred of dissatisfaction.

On the contrary, she felt very happy in her heart.

Chen Fan stopped in front of a row of dresses, swept his gaze over them, and landed on a classic Chanel dress.

The dress had a white body, a simple cut, and a delicate trim around the neckline.

"How about this dress? Do you like it?" He asked, pointing at the dress.

This time, he still didn't let Lin Xi choose for herself.

Because he knew too well that if he let her choose for herself, she would definitely pick the cheapest one.

The sales associate was already waiting on the side, holding a hanger, ready to take it down at any moment.

Lin Xi glanced at the cut and fabric of the dress, then looked at Chen Fan's expression, knowing that whatever she said would be useless.

"Then let me try it on."

The sales associate smiled, took down the dress, handed it to Lin Xi with both hands, and turned to lead the way, taking her to the fitting room.

Chen Fan sat on the sofa outside, casually flipping through the magazines placed in the store. They were all fashion spreads, and after flipping through a few pages, he lost interest.

At this moment, the phone rang.

He picked up his phone and took a look. It was a call from the agent, Xiao Zhang. He guessed it was to ask how he was considering that apartment. Yesterday, he had casually said "I'll consider it," and the other party was indeed keeping it in mind.

He answered the phone.

"Mr. Chen, are you available to take a call right now?" Xiao Zhang's voice carried professional enthusiasm, his speaking pace a little faster than usual, as if afraid he would hang up.

"I'm available, go ahead."

"You said yesterday you would consider it. I wonder how your consideration is going? The landlord has been urging me to ask."

"Hmm, it's only been a day. Is the landlord in such a hurry?" Chen Fan's tone was unhurried as he leaned back on the sofa, his gaze resting in the direction of the fitting room.

"The landlord is indeed in a hurry," Xiao Zhang lowered his voice, as if revealing some inside information. "He said if you really want it, he can give it to you for the price of 2.35 million. This is already his bottom line; if it goes any lower, he doesn't intend to sell."

"Hmm..." Chen Fan drew out a long sound and didn't answer immediately.

"Mr. Chen, this price is already very low for Yicui Garden, and this house is brand new; no one has lived in it for a single day." Fearing he would hesitate, Xiao Zhang added a few more sentences.

"Fine, 2.35 million, I'll take it."

Chen Fan was already very satisfied with this price in his heart. Negotiating from 2.6 million all the way down to 2.35 million, a drop of 250,000, was equivalent to a ten percent discount.