Chapter 40: I decided to choose this one

“An Xue Ruo is here too? Good morning, An Xue Ruo.”

“Good morning, Lu You. Zheng Chen said you wanted to pick out a birthday gift for your sister and asked me to come help you brainstorm.”

“Thank you, An Xue Ruo. Sorry to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble at all.”

I gave an awkward smile, slung an arm around Zheng Zong’s neck, and quickly dragged him to the side.

“What the hell? Didn’t you say you knew what you were doing? Why did you need to call for backup?”

“Hey, more people means more opinions. Besides, Goddess Xue Ruo is a girl. No matter how much I, a guy, know, could I possibly know more than someone who’s also a girl?”

Zheng Zong grinned, showing two rows of pearly white teeth as he explained animatedly.

‘This isn’t a matter of knowing or not knowing, damn it!’

‘If Sister Yuan finds out I went out shopping with another girl, it’ll be a miracle if she lets me off easy.’

But since I was already here, it would be a bit embarrassing to go back now.

I might as well just bite the bullet and go through with it.

I hope Sister Yuan doesn’t find out.

“Is something wrong? Lu You? Zheng Chen?”

“It’s nothing, nothing. Let’s go, Goddess Xue Ruo.”

And so, the situation on the street became me and Zheng Zong walking side-by-side in front, with An Xue Ruo following to the side.

Two guys walking together, talking and laughing, while leaving a beautifully dressed pretty girl to the side.

This scene… why does it feel so strange?

“This shop seems to sell jewelry. Girls should all like pretty little things like this, right? Should we go in and take a look?”

Zheng Zong pointed to a rather artistic-looking storefront and said to me.

“Hmm, that makes sense. Let’s go in and see.”

“What do you think, Goddess Xue Ruo? You girls all like gorgeous and exquisite rings, necklaces, and things like that, right?”

Zheng Zong then asked An Xue Ruo, who was beside him.

“I didn’t expect you to actually know girls so well, Zheng Chen. We do indeed all quite like these things. Let’s go in and take a look.”

An Xue Ruo smiled and took the lead, pushing open the shop door.

We quickly followed her into the store.

The interior decoration was as magnificent as the jewelry on the shelves.

A petal-shaped crystal chandelier hung high overhead, tall shelves stood against the four walls, and the wooden floor added a touch of classical elegance to the place.

My gaze fell upon a silver square silk necklace hanging on the wall.

Its simple yet elegant style felt very suitable for Sister Yuan.

“Lu You, hey Lu You, look at this! Isn’t it gorgeous?”

Zheng Zong’s excited voice came from behind me.

I turned my head and looked at the black ring he was holding in his hand.

It was a finely crafted twist ring, with a high level of design.

It was extremely beautiful without any cumbersome or redundant decorations.

“It is quite nice, and it doesn’t look too expensive either.”

“Mhm, it’s elegant without losing its nobility. Simple and restrained, with a clever design. You can see the care that went into making it.”

An Xue Ruo also came over to look and gave it a serious evaluation.

“But, Lu You, take a look at the text on it.”

Now that she mentioned it, I noticed that a small line of delicate English font was engraved on the top of the ring.

“the only love for you. That doesn’t seem quite suitable as a birthday gift for one’s own sister, does it? What do you think, Lu You?”

“This is completely inappropriate. Zheng Zong, are you blind or do you not know English? You’re trying to set me up, aren’t you?”

“I’ve been wronged, Lu You! You know my English level. You can’t blame me for this.”

“…Forget it. Let’s keep looking.”

I reluctantly gave up on the ring and looked away, no longer paying it any mind.

We spent a long time looking at the other items in the shop, but we couldn’t find another satisfactory gift.

We had no choice but to leave and check out other stores.

After walking for a while longer, Zheng Zong’s phone suddenly rang.

He answered it and, after a few words, put his hands together and said apologetically to us.

“So sorry, Goddess Xue Ruo, Lu You. Relatives suddenly showed up at my house, and my mom’s calling me back now. You guys continue shopping. I’m gonna dip. Bye.”

Before An Xue Ruo and I could even respond, Zheng Zong had already bolted.

An Xue Ruo and I looked at each other.

She smiled gently, then gazed towards a clothing store in the distance.

“Should we go check out the clothing store over there? We could pick out a suitable outfit for Teacher Mo. Or you could choose a miniskirt you like. She’d probably wear it for you often.”

“When did I ever say I liked miniskirts? And Sister Yuan doesn’t like wearing skirts that are too revealing.”

“You don’t? I thought all you guys liked skirts that showed a lot of thigh. If it were a gift from you, I think Teacher Mo Yuan would still wear it often.”

“Let’s not. Miniskirts aren’t really appropriate. We can go look at other clothes, though. Let’s go. If we can’t find a suitable gift after this, then we’ll just forget it.”

After I finished speaking, I started walking towards the clothing store, which was much larger than a typical shop.

“Hello, are you two here to buy clothes? Would you like to try our new couple’s T-shirts? They’re trendy, good-looking, and the fabric is comfortable. Perfect for a young couple like you.”

As soon as we entered, a store clerk greeted us enthusiastically and then made a very inappropriate misunderstanding about us.

“You’ve misunderstood. We’re not a couple; she’s just my classmate. I’m here to pick out an outfit as a birthday gift for my older sister,” I explained to the young clerk, waving my hand.

An Xue Ruo, on the other hand, tucked her long blue hair behind her ear, smiled gracefully at the clerk, and said nothing.

“Oh, a birthday gift for a family member. Sir, how about you take a look at this one?”

The clerk pulled a white and cyan dress from the rack and showed it to me.

The elegant and uniquely beautiful dress was adorned with a few floral patterns, and the folds at the hem were evenly pleated.

A circle of small, sparkling rhinestones along the edge had the texture of real gems.

Every detail of the dress screamed that it was expensive.

‘Do I look like someone who can afford this kind of dress?’

Although a month of cross-dressing at the café had helped me save up a considerable sum, trying to touch this ridiculously expensive-looking dress with my current financial capabilities was a bit of an overestimation of my own strength.

“It’s not quite right. I don’t think it matches his sister’s aura. We’ll just look around on our own.”

After An Xue Ruo spoke, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the side.

“Did you realize I couldn’t afford that dress, An Xue Ruo?”

“No, that’s not it. I just genuinely felt that the dress didn’t match Teacher Mo Yuan’s style. Although it looks expensive, it probably isn’t so pricey that Young Miss Mo’s younger brother can’t afford it.”

“That’s a long story. In short, my financial resources are still limited. An Xue Ruo, it’s better if you don’t help me pick out clothes that look like they cost a fortune at first glance.”

“Alright then. Come look at this one. What do you think?”

I took the black and white long dress that An Xue Ruo handed me and examined it carefully.

The silk gauze texture was light throughout, with layers of woven jacquard.

The romantic skirt was adorned with just the right number of bows, and the hem was embroidered with a circle of fresh, lush floral patterns.

The graceful and slender beauty was highlighted perfectly by the chiffon fabric.

“Mhm, it’s very beautiful. You have great taste, An Xue Ruo.”

I asked about the price, and since it was within an acceptable range, I decided on it.

After paying, I carried the bag outside and proposed to An Xue Ruo.

“Thanks so much for your help this time, An Xue Ruo. I’ll treat you to a meal next time.”

“Really? I’ll remember that, then. Don’t you forget, okay?”

“Of course, I’ll definitely remember. I’m going to head back now. See you.”

“Mhm, see you.”