Chapter 7.2

Jiang Zhe wasn’t one for many words, so after his question, he fell silent. Jiang Yu was puzzled about whether he intended to take her home or to buy clothes when she saw his car head toward a pedestrian street.

Seeing the crowd at the pedestrian street, she remembered his earlier comment about not liking crowded places. She asked, “Are you okay with this? Or do you want to wait in the car while I go buy something?”

Before she could finish, he had already opened the car door and walked around to her side, his expression calm as if it were no big deal, saying, “Let’s go.”

“Okay!”

With that, she decided to buy clothes.

Even though she had been pregnant for a while, Jiang Yu didn’t feel like she had gained weight yet and instinctively tried to buy clothes in her usual slim size. This body, both in height and shape, was similar to hers before.

After trying on a few pieces, she realized she needed to buy a size or even two sizes larger.

However, the clothes she held were quite beautiful, and there were no larger sizes available. Feeling disappointed that she couldn’t buy what she wanted, she lamented, “Why do people gain weight during pregnancy? There are so many clothes I want to buy but can’t!”

The enthusiastic sales assistant replied, “You can wear them after you give birth. You have great taste! This style won’t go out of fashion next year.”

Jiang Zhe added, “If you want to buy them, go ahead. You can keep them for later.”

Hearing him say that made Jiang Yu’s heart race. For women, the joy of buying clothes often comes from the process itself, not just wearing them. After hesitating for a moment, she confirmed she didn’t want to leave them behind and turned to the sales assistant, saying, “Please wrap these outfits for me.”

They visited a few more stores, and knowing her tendency to easily lose interest, Jiang Yu was honest with herself. She didn’t want to buy clothes she might not wear again. Instead, she focused on getting several outfits suitable for going out.

Seeing that she hadn’t bought any sleepwear, Jiang Zhe asked, “Do you want to buy pajamas?”

Jiang Yu spent a lot of time at home, so she naturally wanted to be comfortable in sleepwear. However, perhaps due to her pregnancy fogging her memory, she had forgotten about it. She was pleasantly surprised by his thoughtfulness.

“Let’s get a few sets.”

As she picked some out, Jiang Zhe watched her. He noticed that Jiang Yu now preferred cute styles, while her previous tastes leaned more toward sexy looks.

After they finished buying pajamas, Jiang Yu turned back and noticed that all the items in Jiang Zhe’s hands were hers, and he hadn’t bought anything for himself. She asked, “Hey, Jiang Zhe, don’t you want to buy something for yourself? You haven’t gotten anything, just carrying all my stuff.”

Jiang Zhe felt he had no need for anything and replied without thinking, “I don’t need anything.”

Jiang Yu glanced at his wardrobe, which consisted mostly of black, white, and gray clothes, and suggested, “I think you should buy some brighter clothes. Your wardrobe is too dull; it’s such a waste of your good looks.”

Jiang Zhe: …

He had never really considered his face to be particularly good-looking. He was often the center of attention, which made him vaguely aware that he had a face that women found appealing, but he didn’t like being in the spotlight, so all of that felt like a burden.

Jiang Zhe wanted to refuse Jiang Yu’s suggestion. He understood that if he really bought the colorful clothes she mentioned, it might attract even more attention, which he disliked. But her bright, expectant eyes made it hard for him to turn her down.

Against his better judgment, he nodded, but he quickly regretted it.

As Jiang Yu picked out clothes for him, she seemed even happier than when she was shopping for herself. She held up various styles, colors, and patterns for him to try on, treating him like a doll. While he hesitated about whether to try something on, she gently pushed him into the fitting room.

After trying on over ten outfits, Jiang Zhe finally couldn’t take it anymore and said, “Okay, that’s enough.”

Jiang Yu had a younger cousin who was seven or eight years younger than her. Although he had a decent face, he didn’t know how to dress, so she took him to a clothing store and successfully transformed him into a clean, handsome guy.

Jiang Zhe’s looks were even better than that boy’s, and she felt it was a waste not to showcase them.

Seeing her transform the usually aloof Jiang Zhe into a bright, youthful, and handsome guy made Jiang Yu extremely satisfied. She said, “Jiang Zhe, you should buy more colorful clothes. You’ll get 100% more attention.”

Seeing the radiant smile on Jiang Yu’s face, Jiang Zhe felt a subtle shift in his mood.

What was the point of that damned attention?

After they finished shopping for clothes, Jiang Yu returned home like she had just struck gold, joyfully carrying a pile of items. Once she put the clothes away in her room, she didn’t rush to try them on; instead, she went to the balcony to arrange the flowers. Seeing the flowers neatly displayed, some of them blooming vibrantly, made her feel wonderful.

She remarked, “If we could add a lounge chair or a hanging basket on the balcony, it would be perfect to read and soak up the sun when I have some free time.”

Jiang Zhe glanced up at the sky, which was a pale blue. The sun hadn’t been shining much lately.

Having formed a plan in her mind, Jiang Yu decided to get a hanging basket and a lounge chair online when she had the chance, imagining herself lying on the balcony, reading among the flowers.

After spending some time admiring the flowers, she returned to her room.

Jiang Zhe, having gauged the layout of the balcony, went back to his study.

The next afternoon, after finishing lunch, Jiang Yu took a nap. When she awoke in the evening to the aroma of food, she slipped on her slippers and padded out in her pajamas, still a bit groggy. As she stepped into the living room, she was pleasantly surprised to see the balcony transformed.

There was a pink lounge chair with a soft blanket draped over it. Next to it stood a white bookshelf where she could place a teacup. On the other side of the balcony, there was a hanging basket.

Waking up to find her dreams realized felt wonderful.

Indeed, having Mr. Snail around significantly improved the quality of life.

Jiang Yu tried lying down on the lounge chair and found it quite comfortable. The bookshelf held a few books; she picked one up and flipped through it. They were classic novels, both Chinese and foreign, which she hadn’t read much before but found intriguing. She quickly became engrossed, forgetting where she was until Jiang Zhe walked out of the kitchen and called her.

Seeing him approach, Jiang Yu couldn’t hide her surprise. “When did you set this up? It looks great!”

“When you were resting in your room.”

“As long as you like it.” His expression was calm, lacking any hint of pride, as if he hadn’t done it himself.

Jiang Yu studied his serene face and suddenly realized he was lacking something aside from clothes.

She walked over, playfully tugging at his cheek and forcing a slightly distorted smile out of him. “Jiang Zhe, you really should smile more. You shouldn’t waste that handsome face.”

Jiang Zhe didn’t understand how his lack of a smile was a waste. If not smiling meant wasting his face, then hadn’t he lived in vain all these years?

However, looking into her bright eyes, he couldn’t muster a rebuttal.

He merely said, “Dinner’s ready.”

Jiang Yu was indeed hungry and quickly jumped off the chair, bouncing toward the dining room while asking, “What delicious food did you make today?”

Jiang Zhe watched her cheerful back and thought that the only one who seemed to enjoy his cooking was her.

He could still feel the sensation of her tugging at his cheek, which made him feel a bit ticklish and stirred something special within him, as if something had lightly brushed past, leaving ripples behind…

***

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