Chapter 11

Jace glanced at Yanny and suddenly felt a wave of irritation well up inside him for no apparent reason.

But he couldn’t quite pinpoint where it was coming from.

Perhaps it was simply because he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to hold her hand at that moment.

He casually pointed to a children’s clothing store they often visited. "Go wait over there. I need to use the restroom. Remember this: Keep your head up, and carry yourself with confidence. If you embarrass me, I’ll really give it to you—you hear me?”

Yanny nodded quickly and turned to run into the store.

Straighten my back! Lift my head! Back straight, head up!

She strutted in like a proud little chick.

Jace watched her retreating figure and couldn’t help but smile.

She’s really endearing.

This girl’s pretty sharp.

She’s pretty self-reliant, too.

At that thought, Jace immediately shook his head, snapping out of his reverie.

No, that’s not it at all.

She’s not cute at all—not even a little bit.

Yanny tiptoed into the store, her earlier swagger gradually fading as she became nervous.

The clerk spotted her, frowned, and walked over. “Little one, did you get lost?”

Yanny politely shook her head. “No, I didn’t get lost. My brother brought me here to buy clothes and told me to wait for him in the store.”

The clerk’s expression shifted as she sized Yanny up from head to toe.

Yanny was wearing a light blue, long, strapless dress that looked like a hand-me-down with tiny, faint stains on it, and a pair of old, creased Mary Janes with frayed edges on her feet.

The entire outfit probably cost less than $15.

But in their store, a single button on an ordinary garment cost $15.

How dare she come in here dressed like that?

The saleswoman gave a mocking smile and said in a sarcastic tone, "Little one, I think you’d better go outside. You’re disrupting our business! It wouldn't do to bring in germs—the other children who come here are all very delicate."

Yanny blinked her big, watery eyes and glanced outside but couldn’t spot Jace.

She shook her head firmly. "No way. If I leave, Jace won’t be able to find me when he comes back. He went to the restroom. He'll be back soon."

The saleswoman’s smile grew even more scornful. "That won't do. You can’t just stand around in our store without buying anything. Besides, we don’t know who your brother is. What if you’re here to steal something? So please, just go outside!”

Yanny frowned.

She would never steal anything.

She tried to argue, "Jace really did say I could wait here for him. I can’t leave. Just let me wait a little while longer. I promise I won’t touch a thing!"

But the clerk pushed her out firmly, saying, "I said no, and that's final. Please don’t make a scene here. What’s wrong with you?”

With that, the clerk grabbed Yanny by the arm and dragged her out the door.

Yanny looked around in confusion, but she still couldn’t see Jace anywhere. Feeling helpless, she fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.

"Then I'll just wait at the door."

Seeing her standing motionless at the entrance, the clerk’s expression darkened and she lost her patience completely. "Don't you understand what I'm saying?! I told you to leave! Dressed like that, you’re going to scare away our customers!”

Yanny flinched in fright. Her little face was a picture of helplessness. "Can't I just wait for Jace right here at the door?"

The clerk was adamant. “No! He can’t even afford a single button from our store. What are you waiting for?”

Yanny’s expression darkened, and she became angry. “How can you talk about Jace like that? He’s not that kind of person. He told me to wait here, and he’ll definitely come. You can’t make fun of him like that!”

The clerk raised an eyebrow and laughed sarcastically. "Oh, I'm so sorry—did I hit a nerve with your pride as a poor person? You’re quite the defender of your family, aren’t you?!”

Jace came out of the restroom and saw Yanny arguing with the clerk at the store entrance.

He furrowed his brow.

Yanny’s face was flushed with anger. “You can call me penniless, but don't you dare say that about Jace! He’s incredibly handsome, like a prince. He’s nothing like what you’re saying!”

She spoke clearly and logically. "Besides, Jace only brought me here because Uncle gave him money. You can’t talk about him like that!”

The shop assistant burst out laughing and glanced at the crowd of onlookers that had gathered around. Her tone was still full of mockery. "I don't know whether to feel sorry for you or praise you for being so clever."

She bent down and said in a derisive tone, "The clothes in our store aren't something someone like you can afford, understand? Your brother probably brought you here by mistake or just didn’t know any better. Standing out here like this damages our store’s image. How are we supposed to sell our merchandise?"

After saying that, she gave Yanny another once-over. "Judging by the look of you, I'd say your brother isn't much better off. I’d say you two are just as penniless.”

Yanny’s head spun, and, in a fit of rage, she shoved the clerk. "Don't you dare mention Jace again!"

The clerk didn’t budge. Instead, she grew angrier and raised her hand to shove Yanny away. "Are you out of your mind?! Who gave you permission to touch me? You’re disgusting!”

Yanny fell to the ground with a thud, her eyes instantly filling with tears.

The onlookers had had enough and shouted, “How dare you bully a child!”

"Exactly!"

The clerk retorted defiantly. “Who’s bullying her? She’s the one looking for trouble! She's dressed shabbily and claims she's waiting for her brother here—who knows if she's a thief!"

The bystanders defended the child. “What do you mean, a thief? How could such a little girl steal anything? You’ve been mocking her for being poor the whole time. Do you have any sense of morality?!”

"Does being a store clerk make you so great?"

The clerk was momentarily speechless but still pointed at Yanny defiantly. “Did I say anything wrong? She’s just a poor little thing. She shouldn’t even be here!”

Yanny already had scrapes on her body, and now blood was seeping from them.

But she endured the pain and glared defiantly at the clerk. "You were the one who insulted Jace first! I won’t let you talk about him. He brought me here to shop, and he’s a good person!”

Jace’s heart sank, and something flickered in his eyes.

The mall manager spotted him as he walked by and hurried over with a fawning smile. "My dear Jace, why didn't you let us know you were coming? You’re here alone. Let me show you around!”

Jace gave him a cold glance but said nothing.

Meanwhile, the sales clerk continued shouting, “What’s wrong with talking about your brother? I don’t think he's anything but poor—you can’t even say a word against him!”

Just then, a cool, clear voice cut in. “Am I the ‘poor fellow’ this lady’s talking about?”

The area fell silent instantly, and everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice.

Jace was dressed in a white shirt paired with tailored slacks and clean white shoes.

He was strikingly handsome, with almond-shaped eyes that exuded a blend of languid charm and noble dignity and a few strands of hair falling across his forehead. Though he appeared to be no more than ten years old, he radiated a powerful aura that drew more attention than the manager standing beside him.