Chapter 60
"Just hold on a little longer; once I graduate, I’ll get a smartphone."
As Long Aotian glanced at the bank withdrawal message popping up on his old flip phone, he thought to himself.
We’ve entered the digital age, but people are still getting used to mobile payments.
With the development of the internet, mobile payment will soon become the norm.
A smartphone is indispensable.
Stuffing the cash into his pocket, Long Aotian headed towards Nanfeng Square.
At that moment, in the fourth-floor restroom of Nanfeng Square.
Hu Yuying finished her part-time job an hour early.
She hadn’t forgotten that today she was going shopping and having dinner with Long Ge.
So, she wrapped up her shift early to give herself time to get ready.
Before this, Hu Yuying had never really taken the time to prepare herself.
It wasn’t due to laziness; it just didn’t seem 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 out to the market in the evening.
The evening market was great because various vegetables would be discounted, making them much cheaper.
But today was different; this was the first time Long Ge had invited her out, so... she just wanted to look a little nicer...
Last night, she washed her canvas shoes that she hadn’t worn in ages and put on some clothes she rarely wore. Although still simple, they were much better than the usual uniform.
Looking at herself in the restroom mirror, Hu Yuying took a deep breath, nervously adjusted her clothes, and then stepped out of the restroom, heading outside.
Once outside, she felt the sunlight shining down and instinctively squinted, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the warm yet glaring light.
Taking out her phone, she looked at Long Aotian’s QQ interface, wanting to contact him but unsure how to start.
Before long, a group of children came running out of the mall, laughing and playing.
As they passed by Hu Yuying, one of the kids stumbled, and she quickly stepped forward, "Slow down!"
The child reacted quickly, managing to stay upright, but was caught by another friend.
They giggled and ran off to chase after other kids.
Watching the playful children, Hu Yuying couldn’t help but smile. Back in her village, she often played with her friends, playing tag, blind man’s bluff, and hide-and-seek.
As she watched the kids chase each other further away, Hu Yuying prepared to return to the shade of the building to wait for Long Aotian.
But just as she took a step, she felt something was off with her foot.
Glancing down, she hurriedly squatted to check her shoes.
The sole was coming off, and with each step, her shoe was separating from her heel...
"What am I going to do now?"
"Hu Yuying." A voice called from behind her.
Hu Yuying quickly stood up and turned to see where the voice was coming from.
Long Aotian was wearing a white short-sleeve shirt and black casual pants, looking quite dashing.
"Long, Long Ge," Hu Yuying called out shyly, glancing down at her shoes, her face flushing bright red as she stood frozen in place.
As Long Aotian approached, Hu Yuying tightly gripped her clothes, feeling a bit flustered.
"Are you hot? Let’s go inside the mall where it’s cooler," he said, noticing her flushed face, both amused and exasperated.
Hu Yuying quickly shook her head; it wasn’t really that hot...
Long Aotian pushed aside the mall curtain and looked back at her, "Come on, why are you just standing there like a daze?"
"Okay." Hu Yuying bit her lip, shuffling her feet to slowly move closer to Long Aotian.
When she looked up at him, she noticed he was staring at her shoes, so she awkwardly turned to the side, trying to hide them from his view.
Her hands clutched her clothes tightly, and suddenly she felt shy about looking at Long Aotian. Fighting against her discomfort, she blushed and said, "Long Ge, I... I don’t want to go shopping today."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, like a feather brushing against the ear, falling silently to the ground.
Hu Yuying lowered her head, realizing that Long Ge seemed quite interested in the outing. Saying this would surely ruin his mood, but... but...
For the first time, Hu Yuying felt embarrassed, especially in front of Long Aotian. She didn’t want him to see her in such a pitiful state...
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Chapter 72: Damn, What a Creep
Hearing her words and seeing the self-doubt on Hu Yuying’s face, Long Aotian seemed to sense something and looked down at her shoes.
Feeling his gaze, Hu Yuying’s self-esteem plummeted even further. "I’m sorry, Long Ge," she said, biting her lip, ready to turn and leave.
She felt so sad; it was such a rare opportunity to go shopping and eat with Long Ge...
"Ah~~" Hu Yuying instinctively gasped as she felt herself being lifted off the ground, startled by the sudden movement.
Long Aotian had thrown her over his shoulder. "What are you yelling for?"
"Do you dare to stand me up, huh? You must be feeling brave."
"N-no, Long Ge, please put me down..." Hu Yuying was both scared and excited, but mostly overwhelmed by the amused gazes of the people around them.
Many onlookers turned to see what was happening, and she felt so shy...
Long Aotian playfully smacked her rear. "Quiet down."
Hu Yuying froze, her face instantly turning crimson, her breath quickening.
Especially with the sensation from her backside, it was so... so embarrassing...
Feeling utterly humiliated, she covered her face with her hands, but obediently stopped struggling, allowing Long Aotian to carry her forward.
Long Aotian, after the playful smack, was momentarily stunned; it had been a reflex!
Feeling the feedback from his hand, his thoughts became muddled, and his body stiffened slightly. He realized his ears were turning red, and even the hand that had just smacked Hu Yuying was starting to sweat.
Clearing his throat, he muttered, "That’s what you get for being disobedient," as if trying to justify his impulsive action with a flimsy excuse...
The basement level of the mall was a clothing store, and Long Aotian immediately took Hu Yuying to the women’s clothing and shoe section.
After being smacked, Hu Yuying didn’t dare to resist anymore, letting Long Aotian lead her into the store.
But she was so nervous that her little hands were tightly clenched.
Once they arrived, Long Aotian squatted down and set Hu Yuying down.
As their eyes met, Hu Yuying’s gaze sparkled with excitement.
After landing, she quickly turned away, afraid he would see her flushed cheeks, biting her lip as her heart raced uncontrollably.
All she could hear was the pounding of her heart, and she felt both shy and anxious, worried that Long Aotian might hear her rapid heartbeat.
Just as Long Aotian called over a store clerk, Hu Yuying finally snapped back to reality. "Long Ge."
"Shut up."
"No, Long Ge, I still have a lot at home..."
"If you keep talking, I swear I’ll knock you out!"
Hu Yuying glanced at the price tag on the shoes, muttering softly, "So expensive."
"I’ll treat you, you stingy girl," Long Aotian chuckled.
But the price tag lingered in Hu Yuying’s mind: "What a greedy merchant."
"What are you mumbling about? Hurry up and sit down!"
Hu Yuying lowered her head and sat on the shoe-changing bench. "With this price, I could buy two pairs back in town..."
Then, while the clerk was looking for shoes, Hu Yuying gently tugged at Long Aotian’s pant leg. "How about I just get a pair of slippers? They’re the most comfortable."
Summer slippers are quite cheap, and since the prices are transparent, even in a mall like this, Hu Yuying could afford them.
"Are you done yet?"
"I don’t want Long Ge to spend money on me." Hu Yuying’s soft gaze faltered.
"Still talking? Do you want me to punch you?" Long Aotian raised his fist, and Hu Yuying quickly sat obediently on the bench, timidly glancing at him before quickly looking away.
As the clerk brought over the shoes, Long Aotian asked Hu Yuying, "Do you want to take them off yourself, or should I help you?"
Hu Yuying wanted to say something, but seeing Long Aotian’s gaze, she replied, "I’ll take them off myself."
The way they interacted made the clerk chuckle. "What’s wrong with your boyfriend taking you shopping?"
From the moment Long Aotian had carried her in, they had attracted quite a bit of attention.
"Ah?" Hu Yuying froze for a moment, quickly waving her hands at the clerk, wanting to explain, but the clerk’s mention of "boyfriend" left her mind blank.
She opened her mouth, but all that came out was the sound of her racing heart.
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