After turning off the livestream, Jiang Zhouzhou lay on her bed, letting her mind go blank.
After two consecutive days of livestreaming, she was gradually growing fond of the lively atmosphere in the Livestream Room.
In reality, she wasn't someone who enjoyed talking or laughing.
The influence of her family of origin had instilled a deep-seated sense of inferiority in her, making her reluctant to interact with others.
During her school years, classmates would whisper behind her back, calling her the aloof campus belle who ignored people. In truth, she simply didn't know how to handle interpersonal relationships and could only escape through silence.
Throughout her four years of university, the only close friends she had were her three roommates.
Livestreaming allowed her to avoid the awkwardness of face-to-face interactions while also helping her develop her social skills.
But she understood that she couldn't be a female streamer forever.
"Once I've saved enough money, I can do the things I've always wanted to do."
She dreamed of opening a flower shop, a cat café, or a coffee shop…
In a quiet and peaceful environment, she could enjoy calm and serene moments—free from endless arguments, harsh insults, or biting sarcasm…
Perhaps because the dream was so beautiful, Jiang Zhouzhou slept soundly that night.
When she woke up the next day, the sunlight was bright and warm.
After a quick wash, Jiang Zhouzhou headed out.
Haishi was a city where every inch of land was precious. To save on rent, she lived in an old residential complex in the old city district. However, the transportation there was very convenient. She took Metro Line 1 directly to the underground mall in the commercial district.
The daily necessities here were quite comprehensive, and she was accustomed to shopping in this area.
The mall was filled with a dazzling array of goods, and there were many customers shopping. After selecting the items she needed, Jiang Zhouzhou pushed her shopping cart to the pet supplies section.
Earlier, when she left home, she had spotted a stray white cat downstairs and decided to buy a bag of cat food.
However, the brand of cat food she wanted was placed quite high—on the top shelf of the aisle.
Jiang Zhouzhou, standing at 167 cm, tiptoed and barely managed to reach the cat food.
But just as she was about to grab it, she suddenly lost her balance, and her entire body tilted backward.
The expected fall never happened. Instead, Jiang Zhouzhou's back bumped into a man. A pair of hands instinctively steadied her by the waist, helping her regain her balance.
"Uh… thank you…"
Jiang Zhouzhou quickly turned around to thank the man behind her.
The first thing that caught her eye was the man's chin. He was very tall, nearly a head taller than Jiang Zhouzhou, and his presence was overwhelmingly powerful, as if the surrounding space had almost become his territory.
Jiang Zhouzhou felt like an intruder who had trespassed into his domain, her confidence instantly crushed, making her too timid to lift her head and look directly at his face.
"Were you trying to get this bag of cat food?"
The man's indifferent voice sounded from above Jiang Zhouzhou's head.
Only then did Jiang Zhouzhou look up and see that the man had already retrieved the cat food for her.
"Yes, that one."
Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
The man before her had an exceptionally striking face. His skin was very fair, but unlike Jiang Zhouzhou's pinkish fair complexion, his was a rare cool, pale tone.
Unlike the rugged features of most men, his facial lines were smooth and gentle, seemingly non-threatening. Yet, his upturned fox-like eyes added a touch of shrewdness and wildness to his appearance.
It had to be said, this was the first time Jiang Zhouzhou had ever seen such a handsome man.
Seeing that the man had helped her get the cat food, Jiang Zhouzhou was about to thank him when he placed the cat food back on the shelf.
"This brand of cat food isn't good. Let's switch to another one!"
Hearing him say this, Jiang Zhouzhou's face grew even redder. She explained, "I've never bought cat food before. I only bought this brand because I vaguely remembered seeing it online…"
The man raised an eyebrow, bent down to pick up another brand of cat food, and placed it in Jiang Zhouzhou's shopping cart.
"This brand has good quality control."
Jiang Zhouzhou bit her lip and whispered, "Th…thank you…"
"Planning to get a cat?" the man suddenly asked.
Jiang Zhouzhou looked confused: "Huh?"
After processing his question, she quickly shook her head: "No, I saw a stray white cat downstairs in our residential complex when I went out today. It seemed to be ostracized and looked quite pitiful, so I thought I'd buy some cat food…"
Her voice grew softer as she spoke, suddenly feeling a bit annoyed with herself.
Why did she obediently answer every question this man asked?
Moreover, in their conversation, the man clearly held the initiative while she remained passive.
A light chuckle came from above her head.
Jiang Zhouzhou looked up, silently questioning with her eyes what he was laughing at.
The man met her gaze openly and suddenly picked up his phone, saying to her: "Shall we exchange contact information? I have cats myself, so you can ask me anytime if you have questions about them."
Jiang Zhouzhou hesitated for a moment before taking out her phone to scan the man's WeChat QR code.
After all, she didn't know anyone else who kept cats, and if she really encountered any problems, this man might actually be helpful.
"Gu Nanfeng," he introduced himself while clicking to accept the friend request.
Hearing the name "Nanfeng," Jiang Zhouzhou instinctively thought of that Nanfeng from the livestream room.
She never expected someone would actually be named that.
Jiang Zhouzhou said: "I'm Jiang Zhouzhou. The 'Zhou' is like congee, as in rice congee."
Gu Nanfeng: "Mm, I know."
His voice remained consistently calm, yet carried a subtly flirtatious tone, especially with those narrow, upturned fox-like eyes that seemed to lock onto their prey when looking at someone.
Being somewhat socially anxious, Jiang Zhouzhou didn't dare stay with him any longer. Steeling herself, she said: "I've got everything I need, so I'll… head back now."
She gripped the shopping cart with both hands, her knuckles turning white.
Gu Nanfeng smiled: "Alright."
Hearing this, Jiang Zhouzhou felt as if she'd received a royal pardon, immediately lowering her head and quickly pushing the shopping cart away.
When her figure completely disappeared from view, Gu Nanfeng narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Even more interesting than in the livestream room!"
And more innocent, so easy to tease!
But…
Gu Nanfeng remembered when he held her waist with both hands…
Her waist was so slender, as if it could be encompassed with one hand.
She looked even thinner than in the livestream room, as if she might topple over with a gust of wind.
Especially those eyes – hidden deep within them was an inexplicable sense of fragility. That's why she didn't dare make eye contact, instinctively afraid others might see the trauma in her heart through her eyes.
After just one meeting, Gu Nanfeng had seen through Jiang Zhouzhou's facade.
He stood like an apex predator at the top of the food chain, while Jiang Zhouzhou was the prey he had locked onto…