Chapter 102: Isn't This Just a Junk Used Car?

Contempt—yes, that was exactly it, and a profound contempt at that. Zhang Dexing looked at Xue Tian’ai, who was gazing admiringly at the green QQ car, with utter disdain. A cold, playful smirk curled at the corner of his lips, and the scorn in his eyes was laid bare without reservation.

Zhang Dexing was ready to toy with this situation, to mock Xue Tian’ai mercilessly, and above all, to make Su Jiaqi realize that her so-called boyfriend was nothing more than a rustic bumpkin—a mere empty shell of a worthless nobody. The only one worthy of her was Zhang Dexing himself!

When Su Jiaqi saw the look of disdain on Zhang Dexing’s face, her cheeks flushed even hotter. A twinge of regret stirred within her. She had only come to the auto show because her car had broken down and she intended to buy a new one.

Yet she never expected to run into Zhang Dexing here, nor did she anticipate crossing paths with Xue Tian’ai. On a whim, she had dragged Xue Tian’ai along as a shield. What shocked her most was that the usually sharp-tongued Xue Tian’ai was now deliberately making a fool of himself.

“That simply won’t do, Mr. Xue,” Zhang Dexing said, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his hand after shaking Xue Tian’ai’s. Then, adjusting his suit tie with apparent nonchalance, he let his Rolex glint conspicuously. “With Miss Su being so beautiful, merely buying a small QQ car is far too shabby and stingy. You must understand, a beautiful woman deserves a luxury car—it’s the perfect match!”

“It’s the same for men, who need a prestigious, exquisite watch to complement them,” he added, lifting his chin proudly and glancing at Xue Tian’ai from the corner of his eye.

Xue Tian’ai’s expression darkened, and his arm around Su Jiaqi tightened slightly. His face grew serious.

Feeling this shift, Su Jiaqi was startled too, and a flicker of guilt crossed her heart. Although Xue Tian’ai had indeed played the fool when introducing his job earlier, in reality, as a CEO assistant, he still didn’t quite measure up to Zhang Dexing.

Besides, Xue Tian’ai was a man. It was only natural for him to feel a sting when another man sneered and looked down on him.

“Tian’ai, I don’t mind. You don’t have to buy such an expensive car; as long as it gets you from point A to B, it’s fine,” Su Jiaqi said, feeling obligated to defend him, even if their relationship was only pretend.

“Oh, Miss Su, why be so polite to your own boyfriend? Surely, having such a girlfriend as you, Mr. Xue wouldn’t even care about a small sum like that,” Zhang Dexing said, jealousy flickering in his eyes.

But he had no intention of letting Xue Tian’ai off the hook so easily. He fixed a challenging look on the silent Xue Tian’ai and said, “Mr. Xue, what do you think? I’m sure you wouldn’t be stingy about buying Miss Su a luxury car, would you?”

Xue Tian’ai frowned briefly but then relaxed and smiled gently, “Indeed, Mr. Zhang is right. Having such a beautiful girlfriend as Jiaqi does call for a better car.”

“Then what car do you plan to buy, Mr. Xue? I know there’s a luxury car section in the exhibition—Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini... all the top brands are there,” Zhang Dexing said, naming some of the world’s most renowned manufacturers. Even their entry-level models cost millions, far beyond what an ordinary person could afford, let alone a nerdy country bumpkin like Xue Tian’ai.

“Hmm... I haven’t heard of any of those brands before. Can such cars really suit Jiaqi?” Xue Tian’ai feigned ignorance, nodding with a puzzled look.

“Of course they can! I’m sure Miss Su will look even more radiant with those cars by her side!” Zhang Dexing quickly reassured him.

“I was actually planning to buy a Porsche or Ferrari today. How about it, Mr. Xue? Let’s go take a look together, and you can buy one too,” Zhang Dexing pressed, leaving no room for refusal.

“All right, Mr. Zhang, lead the way. Let’s check out those ‘Baojie’ and ‘Mala’ cars. If they’re good, I’ll buy one. Please give me a thorough introduction,” Xue Tian’ai said with a heavy nod.

This foolish remark caused Su Jiaqi’s expression to change. She couldn’t tell whether Xue Tian’ai was genuinely clueless or just pretending. These cars were extremely expensive; for someone earning a CEO assistant’s salary, they were astronomical.

“Hahaha, Mr. Xue, those are called Porsche and Ferrari, not ‘Baojie’ or ‘Mala’ cars,” Zhang Dexing laughed seemingly amicably, though the mockery in his tone was unmistakable. “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get a thorough introduction and help you find your dream car.”

Seeing Su Jiaqi’s subtle reaction, Zhang Dexing was certain Xue Tian’ai couldn’t afford any of these. In his mind, he already pictured the helpless, pale, and frightened expression Xue Tian’ai would wear once he learned the true prices.

“Tian’ai, let’s not. We can just look around here; there’s no need to go to the luxury section,” Su Jiaqi whispered, feeling that Xue Tian’ai was overreaching. Even with her help, she couldn’t come up with that kind of money.

“No, I think Mr. Zhang is absolutely right! A beauty deserves a fine car! Now is not the time to be stingy—otherwise, what kind of man would I be?” Xue Tian’ai said stubbornly, his face full of defiance.

That was it. Su Jiaqi had wondered if Xue Tian’ai was pretending to be naive before, but now she was certain: he was genuinely foolish.

Gone was the sharp-witted colleague from the office, the eloquent speaker on the subway. Now he was just a hotheaded, naïve young man led about by others.

“Yes, yes, exactly! There’s nothing wrong with what Mr. Xue said!” Zhang Dexing eagerly agreed, delighted that Xue Tian’ai had taken the bait.

So Zhang Dexing led the way, with Xue Tian’ai holding Su Jiaqi close behind.

Along the way, Su Jiaqi subtly tugged at Xue Tian’ai’s sleeve and whispered, “Xue, why don’t you just slip away? Don’t tell me you’re really going to embarrass yourself!”

But Xue Tian’ai seemed oblivious, simply lowering his head and giving her a foolish smile.

Watching that dazed grin, Su Jiaqi almost spat out a mouthful of blood in frustration. How had this man suddenly become so dumb?

“Fine, go ahead then! Just let me go!” she said, trying to break free from his embrace.

Yet Xue Tian’ai tightened his grip, firmly pressing her back against him.

After several failed attempts to escape, Su Jiaqi resigned herself, numb and leaning against him. She had warned him, done all she could...

If she was going to embarrass herself, so be it. After all, this was her own foolish idea. Meeting Xue Tian’ai never seemed to bring anything good—perhaps it was a cursed fate.

Thus, Zhang Dexing brought them to the luxury car section.

The first showroom they reached was Porsche’s, where rows of sleek, luxurious Porsche sports cars were proudly displayed.

“Mr. Xue, this is the Porsche showroom. Take a look and let me know if any car catches your eye. I can introduce you to them,” Zhang Dexing said warmly.

“Is this Porsche? Judging by the spelling, it should be called ‘broken second-hand car’,” Xue Tian’ai said to Su Jiaqi with a playful smirk.

Su Jiaqi stared blankly at his foolish face and nodded indifferently. It didn’t matter anymore—if he was going to say something embarrassing, she wouldn’t mind.

“Hahaha, Mr. Xue, you’re so funny! How about the Porsche 911 over there? The 977 is also quite good. And...” Zhang Dexing enthusiastically began his introduction.

“Hmm, don’t be fooled by the name ‘broken second-hand car.’ These models do look pretty good!” Xue Tian’ai agreed, clicking his tongue admiringly, then suddenly changed his tone.

“Mr. Zhang, I still think those two cars over there are the coolest!” He pointed to two sports cars, one black and one white, at the far end of the showroom.

With a resigned Su Jiaqi in his arms, he headed toward the back of the showroom.

“Oh my, Mr. Xue, you really have good taste! That’s the Porsche 918, one of the top-ranking supercars in the world, with a total horsepower of 718! It’s excellent, especially the white one—it’s simply perfect for Miss Su! What draws you to this car?” Zhang Dexing exclaimed.

“Yes, yes. After looking around, I think this model is the best here,” Xue Tian’ai nodded sincerely.

“Well then, great! Manager! Manager! Come over here! My friend is interested in the Porsche 918 and wants to buy one!” Zhang Dexing said loudly, an exaggerated smile on his face.

(Hope everyone’s enjoying the Qixi Festival! Hahaha!)