Chapter 1159: Niggling Feeling

"Uhm, thank you," Long Jinjing said in a small voice. She took the leather belt and avoided the foreign man's gaze while taking a few steps away to create some distance between them. He was so tall, taller than Lu Zihao that he seemed to be invading her personal space by just standing there and looking at her.

"You're very welcome." The man smiled, making his dimples appear deeper on both his cheeks.

The female associates in the boutique kept on stealing glances at him. They straightened their postures and made quick adjustments on their hair and clothes in the hopes of attracting his attention. Their attempts, however, were all futile. The handsome, foreign man's eyes were all on the lone female customer of the boutique at this time.

Long Jinjing studied the leather belt and could immediately imagine Lu Zihao wearing it. The belt was simple yet appeared very masculine. Its thick, metal buckle looked durable but also luxurious at the same time. She glanced at the foreign man who recommended it to her. He had good taste, she admitted.

However, she still decided not to buy this particular belt. She chose another similar one instead with a different buckle design. This was because she felt uncomfortable buying something that the strange, foreign man recommended for her own boyfriend. Nevertheless, she still continued holding the belt, not wanting to appear rude by discarding it immediately after someone just recommended it to her. She would just leave it off at the cashier later.

Long Jinjing didn't want to stay at the boutique for too long but didn't want to leave empty-handed either. It was difficult to decide which ones to buy but she eventually chose a leather belt, a pair of leather gloves, and an all-black cowl scarf that could also function as a face mask. 

She chose the last item because it might help Lu Zihao hide his identity by covering his face when doing…whatever he did for work. Her moral values screamed at her for choosing such a gift, making her feel a little guilty like an accomplice to a crime. She forced the feeling out of her mind and instead focused on the growing anticipation for her dinner date with Lu Zihao tonight.

While she handed all three of her chosen items to the female sales associate, including the leather belt that the foreigner gave her earlier (which she planned on ditching at the cashier later), a huge shadow blocked her from behind. She was startled and released a little shriek.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?" The foreigner asked her with kind eyes and a smile. 

She patted her chest and could feel her wildly beating heart. 

'Calm down, Jinjing!' she scolded herself and flushed in embarrassment under the gaze of everyone in the boutique who witnessed her overreaction.

"I…I'm fine. I'm just naturally a little j-jumpy. Please don't mind it and continue with your shopping. I'll be off first."

She walked away, not waiting for him to respond to her excuse, and headed straight to the cashier area to pay for her chosen items. There was a weird niggling feeling at the back of her mind. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was but she was sure that it was because of the foreign man. For some reason, there was something about him that bothered her.

It wasn't because he was giving her bad vibes. Well, yes, he was emitting some bad vibes but not in a perverted way. On the contrary, she sensed something familiar about him. It was confusing her so much. For now, she decided to avoid interacting with the foreigner. They were strangers anyway and wouldn't see each other again after this.

The man, however, didn't seem to realize that she was avoiding him. He followed her to the cashier while another sales associate helped ring up his items. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]

"Great choices," he commented while looking at her purchases. "I bet your boyfriend will love all of them because a beautiful woman personally chose and bought them for him. He's a lucky man, no?"

Despite wanting to distance herself from the foreigner, she couldn't help but smile upon hearing his compliments. Her thoughts were immediately filled with Lu Zihao. She was imagining his reaction once she gave him the presents that she was currently buying for him. They weren't anything too expensive or rare but she hoped that he would like them just because she chose them for him. 

"Thanks," she whispered.

He flashed a bigger smile and the effect was immediate. A few sales associate lost control and squealed. His smile just magnified his handsomeness. 

Only Long Jinjing turned her head away and avoided looking directly at him. Deep inside, she admitted that the man was indeed handsome. 

'My Nikolai is more handsome and more masculine.'

Her thoughts calmed her down. She finally finished paying for her items and took the shopping bag. The man also finished up at the cashier and took his own shopping bag. She walked away quickly but he was faster. He soon overtook her and opened the door for her. 

"Thank you," she said to be polite.

"My pleasure. It was lovely meeting you today. By the way, my name is René Alejandro. May I also have the pleasure of knowing your name, beautiful lady?"

She flushed at being called a beautiful lady to her face. Still, she was hesitant in giving him her name. "Uhm…."

"Miss, are you finished?" Robin appeared and reached over to carry her shopping bag. "Shall we go home now?"

"Ah…y-yes!" She glanced at the foreigner who introduced himself as René Alejandro. But before she could say anything to him, Robin took her arm and pulled her away like a child.

Once they were gone, René Alejandro stayed standing in front of the boutique. There was a slight smile on his face, yet his eyes were devoid of any emotions. Passersby couldn't help but pause walking to look at him. Some even took photos and videos of him. He wasn't worried at all. In fact, he wanted his presence as René Alejandro, the son of the Vizconde of Castillo de Estrellas of Spain, to be known across China.

A few minutes later, a sports car parked beside him. He got on it and it sped away to the admiration of the spectators.