?Chapter 550:


    “Man, I didn’t expect William to show up like that. That scared me half to death.” Trying to lighten the mood, someone added, “Don’t worry, Nina. That was just a fluke. We still think you’re way better than Sylvia.”


    But Nina’s face turned sour. She shoved their hands off and stormed away without a word.


    The group stood frozen for a second, confused.


    “What’s with her? We were just trying tofort her. Seriously. She lost fair and square. Sylvia’s new form is actually pretty useful.”


    Just like that, opinions began to shift.


    Meanwhile, Ste didn’t dwell on the incident. To her, it was just a minor blip in the day. That afternoon, as she was finishing up at the institute, her phone rang. It was Sharon, inviting her to go shopping.


    Ste didn’t even try to hide herck of enthusiasm. She’d never been big on shopping—usually walked into a store, grabbed whatever looked good, and was out in ten minutes t.


    But Sharon was being persistent.


    “Stel,e on. We haven’t gone shopping together in forever. And it’s seasonal shift season! New season, new wardrobe. Autumn’sing—you’re gonna need some long sleeves!”


    “It’s roasting outside, Sharon. Can’t we do this another day?”


    Ste nced at the sun zing through the institute windows and sighed.


    “There’s air conditioning in the mall,” Sharon said, chipper. “It won’t be hot at all. And besides, there’s this new boutique exhibition—they’ve got great stuff. I need to pick up a birthday gift for a friend. Come help me choose!”


    Ste hesitated for another second, then gave in.


    Ten minutester, she was standing at the mall entrance when Sharon pulled up.


    She spotted her immediately—Sharon was dressed in her usual androgynous-chic vibe: a ck camisoleyered under a tailored ck suit coat, oozing effortless cool.


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    They walked into the mall, and the refreshing st of air conditioning washed over them. Ste finally rxed a little.


    “So,” she asked, “who’s the gift for this time?”


    Sharon waved her hand like it wasn’t a big deal. “She’s one of those fancy salon clients. Shees in a lot, so I’ve gotten to know her. She’s spent a good amount here, so I figured, why not give her a birthday gift?” Ste didn’t see anything wrong with that.


    On the mall’s third floor, Ste’s eyes widened when she spotted something unexpected. “Wait, when did this antique exhibit open?”


    “I thinkst week,” Sharon answered. “I’ve been too busy toe check it out. It’s all antique jewelry, and they im some of it’s from medieval times. But honestly, who knows if that’s even true?”


    Ste figured either way, they’d see for themselves soon enough.


    The ce was filled with small booths, each run by different sellers.


    Some had rare finds brought in from overseas, while others were offering vintage secondhand pieces. Ste followed Sharon from one booth to the next, and she had to admit, the pieces looked really good.


    “Hey, what kind of jewelry does your client even like?” she asked.


    Sharon thought for a second. “The kind rich women go for. The more expensive-looking, the better.”


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