Chapter 030

The mall was quite busy on Sunday.

He Ye followed Lu Jin to the second floor, filled with various clothing stores, mostly for women.

The mall’s air conditioning was strong, so she didn’t feel sweaty while he held her hand. Outside, she didn’t want him to hold her hand at all.

There were many young couples around, behaving normally, but they attracted attention.

Most girls secretly admired Lu Jin.

In her peripheral vision, He Ye noticed how tall and slender Lu Jin was. His good looks and cold demeanor made him stand out even more.

He Ye had heard her friend Zhu Qing praise Lu Jin countless times, even before they met.

She looked away.

Logically, she should be proud to have such a boyfriend. When she first learned he liked her, she was flattered.

If Lu Jin had been unattractive or had poor grades, or if a less familiar boy had confessed to her, she probably wouldn’t have agreed.

Besides his good looks, Lu Jin treated her well. He patiently taught her programming, even in hot weather.

But why did being with him feel more uncomfortable as time went on?

She recalled their first movie date when she was relaxed until he suddenly kissed her passionately.

She eventually got used to that kind of kiss, but he…

He Ye snapped back to reality when Lu Jin gently pulled her hand.

He pointed to a store nearby and asked, “How about this one?”

He Ye looked at the brand name above the door. It looked familiar; it was the kind she and Zhu Qing would admire but never buy.

High school girls from ordinary families love fashion, but they have limited pocket money and usually won’t spend hundreds of dollars on clothes.

“It’s too expensive,” He Ye said, pulling her boyfriend back just as he was about to enter the store.

Lu Jin replied, “Let’s just take a look first. If it fits my budget for buying clothes for myself, then it’s not expensive.”

He Ye began to notice the brand of clothes her boyfriend was wearing, starting with his shoes.

Well, those shoes alone shouldn’t be cheap.

Lu Jin led her into the store, and a young salesgirl approached with a smile.

Without waiting for her to speak, Lu Jin said politely, “We’re just browsing.”

The salesgirl nodded and stepped back, smiling.

With the salesgirl out of the way, He Ye started looking at the clothes. Some styles were too mature for her, so she quickly passed them by. A few met her standards, but considering the prices, she didn’t pay much attention.

Turning a corner, she spotted a row of skirts.

Her eyes landed on a white dress decorated with small cherry-pink flowers and green leaves.

Though she hadn’t worn skirts much in high school for convenience, she still appreciated beautiful ones.

However, she quickly noticed it was a suspender skirt ^[1]a type of dress with straps that hang over the shoulders.. Even though it didn’t show too much skin, she decided it wasn’t for her.

“Do you like this?” Lu Jin asked, catching her as she tried to leave and glancing at the skirt.

He Ye replied quietly, “Forget it, I’m not used to wearing suspenders.”

“Why not? It’s perfect for a hot day,” Lu Jin said.

He Ye frowned but couldn’t help glancing at the skirt again.

Seeing this, Lu Jin signaled the salesgirl to come over.

“This one looks great, perfect for girls like you. Why not try it on? What size do you wear?” he asked.

Faced with the salesgirl’s eager smile and Lu Jin’s encouragement, He Ye reluctantly said, “Let’s go with M.”

She was 1.68 meters tall.

The salesgirl quickly found an M size and escorted He Ye to the fitting room.

Once inside, He Ye looked at the tag and gasped when she saw the price: 899 yuan! 

She had only become wealthy after the college entrance examination and couldn’t believe how expensive it was.

Not wanting to try it on, she lingered in the fitting room for a moment before stepping out, pretending she didn’t like it and pulling Lu Jin away.

After shopping for over an hour, He Ye reluctantly picked a short-sleeved shirt priced at 199 yuan, fulfilling her boyfriend’s wish to buy her clothes.

After lunch, it was too hot to go anywhere, so they ended their date and went home.

He Ye took a shower and lay down on her bed comfortably.

She hadn’t felt so relaxed in a long time. Recently, she had been busy preparing lessons, teaching, and dating Lu Jin. Finally, she had an afternoon just for herself.

Her phone was on silent, and for the first time, she took a three-hour nap.

When she woke up, the sun was still bright outside. He Ye rubbed her eyes and leaned against the head of her bed to check her phone.

Lu Jin had sent her several messages.

【I’m in the stairwell.】  

What are you doing?  

A missed video call reminder.  

【Go to sleep?】  

[I’m leaving now. Come back to me when you wake up.]  

He Ye was confused and replied: [Just woke up. What happened before?]  

Team leader: [Should I come over now?]  

He Ye frowned: [What?]  

Team leader: [Don’t worry, it’s not what you think. It won’t happen today.]  

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [Really?]  

Team Leader: [Really.]  

He Ye washed her face and brushed her hair.

Five minutes later, she quietly slipped out to the stairwell.

Lu Jin was there holding a white paper bag with the clothing store’s brand name on it.

He Ye was surprised.

Lu Jin handed it to her and said, “I want to give you something you’ll really like. The price is not too high. I can afford it with my salary.”

He Ye bit her lip.

Lu Jin smiled: “It’s 15% off, not the original price.”

He Ye asked, “What if it doesn’t fit?”

Lu Jin replied, “Then I’ll go back and get the right size.”

She couldn’t argue with him anymore.

Lu Jin said, “Why not try it on?”

After shopping, He Ye looked down at the bag and headed home.

Once in her room, she drew the curtains, took off her coat, and put on the new skirt.

There was a mirror in her closet. When she opened it, she looked at her reflection. Her arms and shoulders were fair, and her face was flushed.

To say she didn’t like it would be a lie.

He Ye looked around, raising her arms. She found it strange that even at eighteen years old, she still had no armpit hair, which made wearing a suspender skirt convenient.

Team leader: [How does it look?]  

He Ye sat on the bed and replied: [It’s okay.]  

Team leader: [I’m still here, come out and show me?]  

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [No, you can go now. Thank you.]  

In the stairwell, Lu Jin smiled: [I’m glad you like it. I’m leaving now. Will you still study programming tonight?]  

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [Yes, but don’t be distracted.]  

Team leader: [Okay.]  

On August 22, He Ye finished her last two classes, and her part-time job for the summer ended. She would use her remaining time to prepare for school and rest.

Knowing she was done with work, Zhu Qing suggested they go out together again. Once university started, everyone would be busy with their studies, making it hard to meet.

She said this in a WeChat group of six people who celebrated He Ye’s birthday.

After everyone agreed, Lu Jin said, “Okay, I’ll treat you.”  

Zhu Qing: [You should have treated us earlier! If you don’t treat us, we won’t acknowledge you as Xiao Ye’s boyfriend!]  

Wu Yuanyuan: [That’s right, it’s the tradition.]  

Zhou Xiangming: [Oh my god, I finally get to eat with you! Thanks to you two for letting me join. You don’t know, I asked him out several times this summer, but he pretended not to know me. I was so disappointed!]

Li Liang: [A journey of a thousand miles tests a horse’s strength; a person’s heart is revealed over time. Lu Jin is a man who values women over friendship.]

Zhu Qing tagged He Ye: [Come out and take care of your man.]