“What, Miss Cheng doesn’t want me to be curious about her?”
After all, being curious about someone is the beginning of wanting something. When you want something, there are ties. The deeper the ties, the harder to part.
“I... I’m just an ordinary person. What’s there to be curious about?” Her eyes flickered, her tone low and slow. She didn’t want anyone to know she was the adopted daughter of the Lu family, and she was tired of the hypocrisy of high society. She avoided anything related to social status as much as possible.
She hadn’t felt that way as a child, but as she grew up, this mindset became deeply ingrained. She wished people around her would treat her as an ordinary person, not a young lady. But the person before her... was so different.
Just then, a gust of wind blew. On both sides of the road were sturdy yuanbao maples and ginkgo trees, rustling as several leaves fell. The yuanbao maple is also called the money tree, symbolizing good fortune.
The wind messed up her hair, rebellious strands puffing out from the sides of her ears, revealing her beautiful, full forehead and smooth profile—it was truly a face that could make anyone’s heart skip a beat. Once you set eyes on it, it was hard to look away.
Ning Ci had seen many conventionally beautiful faces—bright, pure, sophisticated, monotonous. They all seemed to lack something, a certain core quality. In short, their substance wasn’t there.
But Cheng Buxi was special. Love at first sight.
Her fair fingers pressed down on the mischievous strands that had escaped behind her ears, her brows furrowed in annoyance at the unruly wind that didn’t understand romance.
What if it messed up her look? Worried her styling would be ruined, she simply moved to the other side.
Ning Ci silently moved in front of her. Even with her platform shoes, her line of sight could only reach his chin.
Her outfit tonight was indeed elaborate—a gray bodycon skirt she wore only a few times a year, shark leggings that accentuated her waist-to-hip ratio, and a dark blue cardigan on top that flattered her curves, paired with leg warmers and stacked socks, her legs thin and straight. No wonder Haozi was infatuated; she definitely had the looks.
“Miss Cheng is anything but ordinary.” Ning Ci smiled, the corners of his lips lifting. As he spoke, he reached out and picked a yuanbao maple leaf that had landed on her head.
The leaf was shaped like a sharp claw; in its prime, it must have clung to the top of the tree, striking a unique pose. Unfortunately, it had withered.
“Just her looks alone already outshine ordinary people by several streets,” he said.
Cheng Buxi’s heart stirred. Unwilling to be outdone, she mimicked his tone with a coquettish huff. “Master Ning is so charming and eloquent. I wonder how many beauties have heard such sweet words from you.”
Truly not to be underestimated, Ning Ci laughed aloud at her spicy retort. The difference between his smiling and non-smiling face was striking; his bright, luminous eyes seemed to hold a galaxy. “Funny thing, before I met Miss Cheng, I was tongue-tied. Never hit on anyone—not beauties, not even aunties. I’ve finally wised up.”
Cheng Buxi couldn’t help being infected by his mood. “Oh? Really?” she said, sweet on the outside but deep inside, all charm and allure.
“Why would I lie to you?” Cheng Buxi said nothing, just strode into the mall. Ning Ci followed with a full smile.
This mall had been open for many years, standing here since the 1930s. It had witnessed the changes in the industry and commerce of this famous city and preserved the memories of generations. It was said that it would soon close for renovation, and Cheng Buxi was quite looking forward to its future look.
A song was playing in a brand store on the first floor—Eason Chan’s “Falling Flowers and Flowing Water.” Cheng Buxi subconsciously stopped to listen.
The flowing water clearly knows its duty to cherish the flower
Why does a rare guest from the sky cause a few ripples?
The world doesn’t only have this one flower
No need to worry about what comes next in the story
If we both have our predetermined paths
Learn to be free and easy, okay?
If this trip counts as happy, then it’s not a waste of a lifetime.
The melody lingered. She suddenly remembered her childhood. One year, Eason Chan held a concert at the Workers’ Stadium, and the guest was the hugely popular Faye Wong. That was 2011; more than ten years had passed without her noticing. She was eight that year and had been taken by her elder brother. She had come to the Lu family at six and was already very familiar with Lu Tingzhou. Cheng Buxi remembered clearly: it was around seven or eight in the evening, getting dark quickly. In the VIP passage, her brother held her with one arm, walking steadily through the vast sea of fluorescent lights, looking down at the massive crowd. From then on, she remembered this old boy who sang Cantonese songs.
Ning Ci also seemed to like this song, humming along softly to the beat. Cheng Buxi was a bit surprised. “You like it too?” Ning Ci said it was okay, he listened occasionally, just for fun.
As they talked, Cheng Buxi noticed that this store sold basketball wristbands and knee pads. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately walked in. Ning Ci, who was accompanying her, naturally followed.
The store was full of the swoosh logo. Cheng Buxi knew what she wanted. A salesperson warmly greeted her. Cheng Buxi directly picked up a white knee pad and turned to ask him, “I see your teammates all wear these. Why don’t you?” It turned out to be a wristband. Ning Ci said, “I’ve worn them before, but I’m not used to them.”
“Huh?” she asked, puzzled. “They get in the way,” Ning Ci said. “And falling doesn’t look cool enough.” Cheng Buxi: “...Okay!” So she put it down.
Coming out of the discount store... “By the way... does your shoulder still hurt?” she asked again, already noticeably more familiar.
“It hurts, of course it hurts. A lot.” Ning Ci said with mock seriousness, touching the spot. “I almost couldn’t play.”
Cheng Buxi thought to herself, was the hit she gave him really that serious? Indeed, in extreme situations, adrenaline makes you invincible. Apologetic, she laughed and said there was a time she was almost late because the person giving the lecture was someone she absolutely couldn’t offend, so she ran from the first floor to the sixth in just one minute. “At that moment, I even thought I could play in a game!”
Ning Ci broke into a brilliant smile, not hiding his admiration and attraction. “Mm, Miss Cheng is as brave as a goddess. You could sign up for the women’s basketball team. I wouldn’t mind writing a recommendation letter to the league.”
“Really?” She didn’t seem to be joking. Ning Ci’s eyes lit up again and again.
Cheng Buxi continued, looking a bit troubled. “I learned a bunch of random stuff as a kid—dance, painting, musical instruments—but I didn’t master any of them.”
Ning Ci nodded, showing understanding. “Mm, I was fortunate to witness it today. Your moves were truly extraordinary, one of a kind.”
“!” If he hadn’t brought it up, fine. But now Cheng Buxi wanted to complain. “I was helping a friend out! Saving the day, okay? If her boyfriend hadn’t come to find her, I wouldn’t have had to step in and muddle through!”
So that was it. Ning Ci finally understood, and his fondness for her skyrocketed. “Mm, a heroine,” he commented.
Cheng Buxi was both embarrassed and annoyed, so she simply stopped paying him any mind.
The fate between people was so magical. Half a month ago, they were strangers in different parts of the world; now, in just a short ten-plus minutes, they could joke with each other.
The dim lights painted the cold, thin night. The two faces, once separated by the autumn chill, were now so close, so ambiguous. The heat rose too fast, feelings overflowing.
The clothes she had ruined had no logo, so Cheng Buxi didn’t know where to buy an identical replacement. But Ning Ci said he had an important interview in a few days and needed to buy a suit.
The speaker meant nothing, but the listener took it to heart. Although Cheng Buxi hadn’t started her internship yet, she secretly thought that if she were the interviewer, even if the person in front of her showed up in a tacky sailor shirt and stood there illiterate, she would still let him pass. After all, good looks reign supreme; beauty blinds reason—an eternal problem.
Cheng Buxi listened intently and immediately offered, “How about I help you pick?” Ning Ci had only mentioned it casually, but seeing her enthusiasm, he smiled and agreed, “Sure.” He resisted the urge to ruffle her hair.
The clothing stores nearby had a wide variety, mixed in quality, and prices fluctuated wildly. But she was an expert on buying suits; she had seen plenty since she was a child.
Ning Ci had sharp eyes and immediately noticed a suit store nearby. Cheng Buxi had studied her brother’s micro-expressions since childhood; she was an old hand. She read him instantly and ran over to ask the shopkeeper, “We want to buy a suit. Do you have any?”