First Time Shopping

Watching Long Aotian leave, Li Qingxue took a deep breath and slowly stood up from the lawn.

She patted her bottom, stretched lazily under the sunlight, feeling refreshed and happy about everything around her.

Just then, her phone rang in her pocket.

She glanced at the caller ID—it was her deskmate, Wang Rui. As soon as she answered, Wang Rui’s anxious voice came through: “Qingxue, are you okay?”

Hearing this, Li Qingxue was puzzled.

You’re the one calling me, so why are you asking if I’m okay? Shouldn’t it be you who has something to talk about?

So she asked, “I’m fine. What’s up?”

“Really? You’re okay?” Wang Rui’s tone sounded skeptical, but she continued, “Gao Quan just called me and said you were upset, like you were crying in secret, and asked me to comfort you.”

“What? Why would I be upset? And do I seem like the type to cry in secret?” Li Qingxue was almost speechless.

This had happened twice before: “Is Gao Quan out of his mind?”

“I don’t know either. From what Gao Quan said, it seems like Ye Liangchen told him.” Wang Rui explained honestly.

“Don’t answer their calls anymore. They’re so annoying.” Li Qingxue said irritably.

After what happened last night, Li Qingxue had finally managed to adjust her mood. But now, thinking about it again, her emotions were starting to spiral once more.

There was no helping it—some things were hard to let go of, at least not for a while.

Li Qingxue then recounted yesterday’s events to Wang Rui. After hearing the story, Wang Rui was shocked and said it was absolutely ridiculous.

Since they were in the same class, Wang Rui knew that Ye Liangchen’s grades had dropped significantly in the recent monthly exam. But she never expected him to shift the blame onto Li Qingxue, claiming that her supposed romantic relationship had affected him...

Besides, Li Qingxue wasn’t even dating anyone! As her deskmate, Wang Rui was practically inseparable from her at school. If Li Qingxue were in a relationship, wouldn’t she know?

Wang Rui decided then and there to never answer Gao Quan’s calls again.

......

Back at home, Long Aotian took a shower and changed into fresh clothes.

He had promised to take Hu Yuying out for a nice meal today. When going out with a girl, it was only natural to pay some attention to his appearance.

Checking the time, he remembered that Hu Yuying had mentioned her part-time job would end at noon.

Perfect timing for lunch.

Long Aotian left the house early.

Before heading out, he stopped by the bank to withdraw some cash.

Lately, thanks to the foresight he gained from reading novels, Long Aotian hadn’t made a fortune, but he had been earning small amounts steadily.

He had plenty of money on hand.

“Just hang in there a bit longer. After graduation, I’ll upgrade to a smartphone.”

Looking at the text notification on his keypad phone about the cash withdrawal, Long Aotian muttered to himself.

The internet era had already begun, but people weren’t yet accustomed to mobile payments.

As the digital age progressed, mobile payments would soon become the norm.

A smartphone was essential.

Tucking the money into his pocket, Long Aotian headed toward Nanfeng Plaza.

Meanwhile, in the fourth-floor restroom of Nanfeng Plaza, Hu Yuying had finished her part-time job an hour early.

She hadn’t forgotten that today was the day she’d be going out with Long Aotian.

So she ended her shift early to give herself time to freshen up.

Before this, Hu Yuying had never felt the need to doll herself up.

It wasn’t because she was lazy—it just hadn’t been necessary.

Before meeting Long Aotian, her life had been quite monotonous.

School, home, part-time work on Saturday mornings, back home in the afternoon, and then out to the market in the evening.

Evening markets were the best because vegetables were heavily discounted, making them much cheaper.

But today was different. It was the first time Long Aotian had invited her out, so... well, she just wanted to look her best.

Last night, she had washed her long-unworn canvas shoes and put on clothes she rarely wore. Though they still looked simple, they were a nice change from her usual school uniform.

Standing in front of the restroom mirror, Hu Yuying took a deep breath, nervously adjusted her clothes, and then stepped out.

Outside, the sunlight was warm but a bit too bright. She squinted and raised a hand to shield her eyes.

Pulling out her phone, she stared at Long Aotian’s QQ profile, wanting to message him but unsure how to start.

A few moments later, a group of children ran out of the mall, laughing and chasing each other.

As they passed by, one of the kids stumbled, and Hu Yuying quickly reached out, saying, “Careful!”

The child regained their balance without falling, but another kid caught them, and they all laughed and continued their game.

Watching the children play, Hu Yuying couldn’t help but smile. Back in her village, she used to play similar games with her friends—tag, blind man’s bluff, and hide-and-seek.

As the kids ran off, Hu Yuying turned to retreat into the shade of the building to wait for Long Aotian.

But as soon as she took a step, she felt something wrong with her shoe.

Looking down, she saw that the sole had come loose, separating from the heel as she walked.

“What do I do now?”

“Hu Yuying.” A voice called from behind.

Hu Yuying quickly stood up and turned toward the voice.

Long Aotian was wearing a white t-shirt and black casual pants, looking effortlessly cool.

“L-Long Aotian,” Hu Yuying stammered, her face flushing as she glanced at her shoes. She stood frozen, not daring to move.

Watching Long Aotian approach, Hu Yuying tightly clutched her clothes, feeling utterly flustered.

“Are you hot? Let’s go inside the mall to cool off.” Seeing her red face, Long Aotian couldn’t help but chuckle.

Hu Yuying quickly shook her head. It wasn’t that she was hot...

Long Aotian held open the mall’s curtain and glanced back at her. “Come on, why are you just standing there like a dazed deer?”

“Oh.” Hu Yuying bit her lip and shuffled awkwardly toward Long Aotian, her shoes scraping against the ground.

She looked up at him, only to find him staring at her feet. Embarrassed, she turned to the side, hiding her shoes from view.

Clutching her clothes tightly, she suddenly felt too ashamed to look at Long Aotian. Struggling to suppress her discomfort, she said in a barely audible voice, “Long Aotian, I... I don’t feel like shopping today.”

Her voice was soft, like a feather brushing past one’s ear before falling silently to the ground.

Hu Yuying hung her head, knowing that her words would dampen Long Aotian’s mood. But she couldn’t help it.

For the first time, she felt truly embarrassed, especially in front of Long Aotian. She didn’t want him to see her in such an awkward state...