“No way… seriously?” Yu Shan still found it utterly unbelievable.
Pushing open the door to the second floor art studio, she had fully prepared herself for a scene covered in empty wine bottles and cigarette butts.
Instead, she opened the door to reveal a spotlessly clean studio. Attached to the curtain was a flower clip, the exact kind the young girl liked, positioned so that anyone sitting at the easel could see it at any time.
Yu Shan took a deep breath.
“Ah, well… so this is the power of love?”
The artwork she was looking for rested quietly in a prominent spot, with a few grape flavored soft candies placed right beside it.
On the road, with the convertible top down, the wind roared past An Rong’s ears.
“Wow, it really isn’t cold at all!”
An Rong gripped her seatbelt tightly, looking left and right like a wary little cat.
Pei Chongxi held the steering wheel with one hand and propped her head up with the other while waiting at a red light.
An Rong’s initial surprise quickly gave way to nervousness.
“Everyone is looking at us,” An Rong said, turning to Pei Chongxi with a plea for help.
A pair of sunglasses rested on the bridge of Pei Chongxi’s nose, concealing the upper half of her face and making her expressions impossible to read.
The striking red leather seats and black steering wheel made Pei Chongxi look completely out of reach.
An Rong marveled to herself. Sister Pei, when did you become so rich?
Blinking several times, An Rong asked, “Can you teach me how to make money in the future?”
Pei Chongxi raised her chin slightly and said softly, “If you need money, just swipe my card.”
An Rong uttered a quiet “Oh,” then added, “But I still really want to find a job myself.”
The red light turned green. As the gas pedal was pressed down, An Rong felt another wave of tension.
Driving speed in the city center wasn’t fast, but An Rong couldn’t stand the stares of the people around them.
Once they reached the mall’s underground parking garage, she scrambled out of the car and immediately hid behind Pei Chongxi.
“Where are we?”
Ten years had passed, and the city had developed at an incredible pace. Everything looked novel to An Rong.
As Pei Chongxi walked ahead, An Rong timidly trailed right behind her.
“What do you want to buy?” Pei Chongxi stood in the central atrium of the mall and turned back to look at An Rong.
Her gaze fell on a nearby glass display case, polished so bright it was reflective. Behind her, a clear shadow kept following her every move.
Her An Rong had been by her side the entire time.
Pei Chongxi pressed her temple, feeling another throbbing ache in the back of her head.
An Rong held up five fingers, counting them down one by one. “I need to buy slippers, toothpaste, a toothbrush, towels, pajamas…”
An Rong listed every daily item she needed, occasionally sneaking a look up at Pei Chongxi. “Is this going to be very expensive?”
Pei Chongxi shook her head.
An Rong immediately broke into a bright, innocent smile. “Sister Pei, you’re the best!”
After that brief moment of joy, An Rong felt overwhelmed again by the bustling noise around her.
“Hello, miss! Is there anything I can help you with?”
As they stepped into a clothing store, a clerk walked over to speak to An Rong.
Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, An Rong instantly darted behind Pei Chongxi.
The clerk was startled as well.
Standing in place, Pei Chongxi subtly shifted her body to shield An Rong.
“It’s fine, we’re just browsing.”
“Oh, alright.” The clerk thought to herself. What a strange pair of customers.
The store was spacious and quiet.
An Rong had rarely visited shopping malls in the past; her last time was to buy a necklace as a 17th birthday gift for Pei Chongxi.
Being brought here so abruptly now, everything looked exorbitantly expensive.
A single set of pajamas actually cost several thousand yuan!
An Rong put down the price tag.
Using two fingers, she gently touched the edge of the pajamas, murmuring to herself, “Is this made of gold or silver?”
The clerk followed at a subtle distance. Catching sight of the clerk approaching from the corner of her eye, An Rong pulled her hand back like a caught thief and immediately scampered back behind Pei Chongxi.
Pei Chongxi asked softly, “Do you like that piece of clothing?”
An Rong shook her head violently like a rattle. “I don’t like it!”
Pei Chongxi turned her head slightly.
An Rong lowered her head and whispered, “I just touched it… they won’t make me buy it, right?”
Pei Chongxi remained silent for a moment before saying, “No, they won’t.”
An Rong gave a small “Oh,” yet continued to cling tightly to Pei Chongxi like a little tail.
Wherever Pei Chongxi walked, An Rong followed.
“This one, and this one. I’ll take both.”
Pei Chongxi called out a size based on An Rong’s figure.
The clerk broke into a bright smile. “That comes to a total of 5,634 yuan. Do you have a membership card?”
Pei Chongxi replied softly, “Yes.”
“Alright, how would you like to pay?”
An Rong gestured with two fingers, thinking that if paid in cash, five thousand yuan would be a thick stack of bills… then she watched as Pei Chongxi brought out her phone to pay.
An Rong pressed against Pei Chongxi’s back, poking half her head out carefully. When she saw the numbers on the display screen, she gasped.
“We only bought a few things, how can it be this expensive?” An Rong felt a sudden rush of dizziness.
When the clerk looked over and gave her a warm, polite smile, An Rong froze as if caught red-handed and ducked behind Pei Chongxi once more.
In the past, she had always been afraid of visiting stores like this.
The clerks who hovered over her every step made her feel as though they were watching her for shoplifting.
On the other hand, some clerks saw how plainly she dressed and how much she looked like a student, and didn’t bother paying attention to her at all.
Whether it was the former or the latter, both made the penniless An Rong feel that she didn’t belong in a shopping mall.
Leaving the store, Pei Chongxi walked over to the entrance of the mall’s VIP restroom.
It was quiet here, away from the noise outside, complete with private makeup rooms and a lounge.
Carrying the shopping bags, Pei Chongxi walked into one of the private cubicles. She turned back to look deeply at An Rong, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Want to try them on?”
An Rong tiptoed inside, staying close by her side. As the door closed behind them, it became a tiny world with just the two of them inside.
“You act so fierce and wild at home, but outside you won’t leave my side for even a second.”
The worry in Pei Chongxi’s heart diminished considerably; at least the girl wouldn’t wander off and get lost.
Now inside the enclosed space, An Rong finally let out a sigh of relief.
Over five thousand yuan… how is she ever going to pay it back?
Even though she had a great relationship with Pei Chongxi, and Pei Chongxi had agreed to spend money on her, An Rong wasn’t shameless. She knew she shouldn’t just freeload off someone else.
The girl felt her spirits drop.
Her eyes accidentally caught the back of Pei Chongxi’s phone case, where a blurry photo booth picture was tucked in.
Noticing An Rong’s gaze, Pei Chongxi didn’t hide it. She generously turned her phone around to show her the back.
“Does it look nice?”
An arm quietly wrapped around An Rong’s waist. Pei Chongxi lowered her head and used her teeth to unbutton the very first button at the collar of An Rong’s white dress.
“We took this at the underground street near school during the second semester of our freshman year in high school.”
A cool breeze seeped into her collar, causing An Rong to shudder all over.
Pei Chongxi pressed her lips against An Rong’s chest, murmuring. “That day… the sunshine was just as beautiful as today’s. An’an, wasn’t it?”
An Rong: !
What are you doing again?