I Am Already A Queen

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Check The Bill First Before Making The Payment

The manager’s servile smile instantly widened to its absolute limit. Today’s single transaction had officially broken the boutique’s previous all-time sales record. He knew the corporate store owner would be utterly overjoyed when he heard the financial report.

"Yes... Yes, of course! I will process the entire invoice immediately." The manager nodded repeatedly, bowing his way toward the counter.

While they waited in the VIP lounge for the heavy purchase to be fully processed, Jiang Suhan’s phone suddenly vibrated and rang. Seeing the caller ID display his mother’s name, his warm expression cooled slightly as he answered.

"Yes, Mom. What’s wrong?" Jiang Suhan asked professionally.

"Suhan, didn’t you explicitly state this morning that you were taking Meixia to register at First Hannan School today?" Feng Lan’s sharp, demanding voice pierced through the receiver. "Then why on earth hasn’t she registered yet? What are the two of you doing idling outside?"

"Oh, I already took her there hours ago." Jiang Suhan explained with practised patience, his voice remaining level. "The vice principal ran into a scheduling delay and stated they will give us the final administrative answer tomorrow morning. We just have to wait."

However, he deliberately and calculatedly left out the frustrating details regarding the vice principal’s initial academic rejection and Qiao Meixia’s sudden entrance examination. He knew the toxic dynamics of the household all too well. Both of his parents already looked down on Qiao Meixia’s lack of status. If they found out she had almost been barred entry because she lacked a formal educational transcript, they would use it as ammunition to despise and mock her even more.

"Oh... I see." Feng Lan replied, her tone deflating slightly, frustrated that her trap had not sprung. After a brief, suspicious pause, she pushed further. "Then where exactly are the two of you right now?"

"I am currently buying new furniture for Qiaoqiao." Jiang Suhan answered naturally, entirely unapologetic.

"Buying furniture for her? What on earth for?" Feng Lan’s brow furrowed deeply on her end of the line.

"Mom, she is getting a completely new bedroom on the second floor." Jiang Suhan replied matter-of-factly. "Of course she will require brand-new, proper furniture to accompany it."

"Are you truly really going through with ruining that layout for her?" Feng Lan argued, her voice rising in defensive anger. "I told you, that is Yanna’s private painting studio!"

"Mom." Jiang Suhan’s tone shifted instantly, becoming an iron wall of authority that brooked no insubordination. "We already thoroughly discussed and finalised this matter yesterday. That specific room is being cleared out and renovated into Qiaoqiao’s bedroom starting tomorrow morning."

He paused for a heavy beat before adding with absolute finality, "And that is final."

"You...!" Feng Lan was so utterly consumed by fury that she simply let out a sharp, angry snort before violently hanging up the call.

Jiang Suhan merely lowered his phone, entirely unfazed, and slipped it back into his pocket. He did not waste a single second dwelling on his mother’s emotional outburst. As far as he was concerned, as the future head of the house, the decision had been made. Whether Jiang Yanna threw a tantrum or not, that premium room belonged exclusively to Qiao Meixia from this day forward.

A few minutes later, the floor manager finished compiling the extensive paperwork and hurried back over, holding a leather folder.

"Mr Jiang, everything has been successfully processed and is ready for your signature." The manager stated.

Jiang Suhan walked over to the terminal and casually pulled out his black elite bank card, preparing to carelessly tap it against the payment machine without even bothering to look over the itemised invoice.

Just before the magnetic card could make physical contact with the terminal, a slender, pale hand suddenly reached across the space and firmly caught his wrist, stopping his movement cold.

"Check the itemised invoice first before you authorise the payment." Qiao Meixia said, her voice completely calm, yet her eyes fixed sharply on the cashier standing behind the counter.

"Oh..." Jiang Suhan paused, looking at her hand in surprise before nodding. "You are right. It’s a good habit."

The moment those calm words were spoken aloud, the young sales assistant who had helped prepare the digital invoice instantly felt her breath hitch, and she broke out into a cold, trembling sweat.

Earlier, while secretly processing the massive order away from the manager’s sight, she had quietly and covertly added two incredibly expensive designer luxury items to the purchase list. They were items she had desperately coveted for herself for months but could never hope to afford on her commission. Seeing such a blindingly wealthy, carefree billionaire customer who clearly didn’t look at price tags, she had greedily seized the golden opportunity to pad the bill, fully believing a man of his status would never bother reviewing a tedious paper invoice.

Now, after hearing this quiet, terrifyingly sharp girl insist on reviewing the entire itemised list first, sheer panic completely overwhelmed her.

Jiang Suhan casually accepted the printed paper and began scanning his sharp eyes down the long list of item numbers. Soon, his handsome brow furrowed slightly. There were two highly expensive luxury accessories listed near the bottom that he had absolutely no recollection of selecting or discussing.

"Qiaoqiao..." Jiang Suhan pointed a long finger at the questionable invoice lines, his voice dropping an octave. "Did you happen to choose these two items when I was not looking?"

Qiao Meixia lowered her dark eyes to the receipt for a brief, calculated fraction of a second, scanning the fraudulent item codes before calmly shaking her head.

"No," Qiao Meixia said flatly, her gaze drifting back up to lock onto the trembling sales assistant over there. "I didn’t."

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