Shen Weiyue walked forward calmly.
He didn’t even need to turn around to feel it… Zhao Qingyan’s gaze was like a blade stabbing into his back, as if she wanted nothing more than to pierce him through.
What could Director Shen do?
It was just too coincidental. A casual stroll, and he ended up seeing the campus belle’s other side… along with that perfectly rounded, taut, breathtaking figure.
With Zhao Qingyan’s temper, it would be strange if she didn’t go mad over it.
But seeing was seeing. Just because her mother could look, did that mean he couldn’t?
Shen Weiyue shrugged it off indifferently.
Besides, this top student actually dared to call him a “stupid donkey” just because she was smart. A man could be killed, but not humiliated. From now on, he’d call her a fox.
Zhao the Fox.
…
“Mom, it’s all your fault. I told you not to make me try on this kind of pants, but you insisted. Now someone saw me… it’s so annoying!”
Inside the clothing store, Zhao Qingyan complained to Lu Chunyue, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and irritation, her resentment unmistakable.
Lu Chunyue wasn’t angry at all. On the contrary, she was delighted.
She couldn’t even remember how long it had been. Perhaps since middle school, she had never seen this kind of emotion on her daughter’s face again.
Over the years, Zhao Qingyan had been invincible in her studies, and in life she had been carefully looked after. Everything had gone so smoothly that she had never even frowned, gradually growing distant from the mundane world.
Sometimes, she could spend an entire day buried in a profound book, losing herself completely, ignoring everything around her.
Girls her age… which one didn’t like pretty dresses and bags, or colorful plush toys? Things like roller skating, makeup, dressing up, watching romantic dramas…
There were so many fun things in the world, yet Zhao Qingyan had no interest in any of them.
She barely had any close friends and didn’t like interacting with others. Even going out required her mother to drag her along.
Lu Chunyue often expressed her worries to Zhao Weiming. If their daughter continued like this, it wouldn’t be good. After all, humans were social beings… how could one live completely isolated?
If she kept bottling everything up, something might eventually go wrong.
Zhao Weiming agreed completely. So when Han Changming proposed arranging a deskmate for Zhao Qingyan, even if it was a boy, he didn’t object in the slightest.
Their daughter had already been recommended for admission to a top university. What was the point of the college entrance exam now? Her physical and mental well-being mattered more.
At this moment, seeing Zhao Qingyan so embarrassed and annoyed, Lu Chunyue felt an indescribable joy. She comforted her gently, “So what if someone saw? It’s not like it’s anything shameful. There’s nothing to fuss about. Once you go to university, you won’t have school uniforms anymore. You’ll have to wear regular clothes like everyone else.”
“But I’m not in university yet. And I don’t like clothes that show off my figure this much. Just now, Shen donkey’s eyes were practically popping out. It felt like he was laughing at me.”
“Don’t give people nicknames like that. Calling someone a ‘stupid donkey’ hurts their self-esteem.”
“Didn’t he give me one too? ‘Fox’? Mom, you don’t understand… Shen Weiyue is really thick-skinned, and his mouth is sharp.”
Zhao Qingyan felt sullen. The discomfort lingered, as if the places he had seen were still exposed under his gaze. Without another word, she went to change out of the tight jeans.
She tossed the pants aside and said coldly, “I don’t want these anymore.”
“Alright, alright, we won’t take them. If you don’t want them, then forget it. Let’s pick something else. Go try a few more.”
Lu Chunyue gently pushed her toward other clothes. Then, while Zhao Qingyan was in the fitting room, she quietly signaled the sales assistant to pack the jeans.
No one knew her daughter better than she did.
If Zhao Qingyan truly disliked the pants, she wouldn’t have agreed to try them in the first place. Just because a male classmate accidentally saw her in them, did that mean she should snuff out this rare bit of interest?
On the contrary, Lu Chunyue hoped that in the less than 100 days remaining, the presence of this “stupid donkey” deskmate might help Zhao Qingyan become a little more grounded.
Besides, her daughter was so beautiful. As her mother, if she didn’t dress her up properly, it would feel like walking in fine clothes at night… what a waste.
Lu Chunyue was a greedy woman.
She didn’t just want to hear people say, “Wow, you’re Zhao Qingyan’s mother? Your daughter is amazing, her grades are incredible,” full of admiration.
She also wanted to hear, “Your daughter is so beautiful,” “She’s really stunning,” “What kind of mother could give birth to such a gorgeous daughter?”—those somewhat shallow, yet immensely satisfying compliments.
Of course she wanted to show off. Show off her precious daughter.
And just as she thought it, it came true.
When Zhao Qingyan stepped out wearing a dress, all the shop assistants’ eyes lit up. They couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh my, she’s so beautiful! How can someone be this pretty?”
Lu Chunyue’s face bloomed like a chrysanthemum as she waved her hands modestly, “Oh no, no, she’s just average… only a tiny bit prettier than most.”
Even so, her mood soared even higher, and she couldn’t stop smiling.
Zhao Qingyan looked at her speechless. She suddenly remembered a question she had once asked her mother: “Which is more important, intelligence or beauty?”
At the time, Lu Chunyue had answered without hesitation, “Why not have both? Why must you rank them?”
Her father, just a small school principal, probably wouldn’t even catch her eye.
Hmph… and she still had the nerve to say Zhao Qingyan was arrogant.
Watching her mother skillfully exchange polite modesty with the staff, Zhao Qingyan said helplessly, “Mom, stop this mutual flattery already. This dress is too short. It’s above the knees. I don’t want it.”
“What? This is short? It’s very simple and elegant, exactly your style. And it makes your skin look so fair. Look, you’re practically glowing.”
“I don’t want it. I’m not a Buddha, why should I glow? I’m going to buy sports pants.”
“…”
As Zhao Qingyan turned away, the shop assistant cast a questioning look… should this dress be handled the same way as the jeans earlier?
Lu Chunyue nodded decisively, exchanging knowing glances with the assistant behind her daughter’s back.
And so, mother and daughter continued picking clothes in this silent tug-of-war. By the time they left the store, they were carrying a large pile of bags.
Zhao Qingyan frowned in confusion and asked, “I only bought two outfits. Why are there so many bags? And they’re all sealed so tightly…”
“Mine. I bought them. Is that not allowed? They’re all sexy clothes for mature women, of course they need to be sealed,” Lu Chunyue replied without changing her expression.
“Really?”
“If you don’t believe me, check yourself. See if there are any stockings or underwear you like. If you do, take them. Don’t be shy with your mom.”
“Ah, no, no! I don’t want that. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.”
Zhao Qingyan pushed the bags away in disgust.
With a simple move of advancing by retreating, Lu Chunyue had everything under control, effortlessly steering the situation.
No matter how clever the fox was, it still couldn’t outplay the seasoned ginger.
Lu Chunyue burst into laughter.
After returning home, she quietly stuffed all the tight jeans, dresses, denim shorts, and other clothes she had bought for Zhao Qingyan into the wardrobe.
Next time she sent her daughter to Jianghai University, she would bring them along together.
After all, once in university, she would truly become an adult.