Chapter 34 Part 1

She didn’t know how long it had been—perhaps just a matter of seconds—before the noisy sounds flooded back into her ears.

Gu Ningzi walked over. “Are you getting off work early today?”

Watching her approach through the crowd, Chi Nuan took a deep breath and tried to speak in a calm tone. “The Boss Lady let us off for the holiday.”

Gu Ningzi smiled. “How are you planning to spend it?”

Chi Nuan said, “…I was just about to go buy some things for Little Wutong.”

Gu Ningzi didn’t know who Little Wutong was, so Chi Nuan explained, “Brother’s baby. They gave him the milk name Little Wutong for now.”

Gu Ningzi nodded. “I’ll go with you.”

The two walked side by side. After a while, Chi Nuan realized, “…Didn’t we agree yesterday that you wouldn’t come here anymore?”

Gu Ningzi said, “I…”

Gu Ningzi added, “It’s not raining today.”

Chi Nuan said, “…”

It’s not that I don’t want you doing things that could lead to misunderstandings, especially today on Qixi… If she didn’t know Gu Ningzi didn’t like girls, Chi Nuan might have even started suspecting that she liked her too.

Gu Ningzi’s tone sounded a bit puzzled. “Why are you hung up on this? We haven’t seen each other in a long time, so I especially wanted to come see you.”

Chi Nuan nodded haphazardly and dropped the topic.

After walking through the pedestrian street and crossing an intersection, they reached a large mall. Following the signs, they found the floor with maternity and baby products and browsed as they went.

Faced with the dazzling array of goods, Chi Nuan thought of the baby clothes Chi Qingchuan had sorted last night—all thin summer outfits. With the due date at the end of August, the summer clothes wouldn’t last long; in the blink of an eye, it would be time for long-sleeved shirts and pants. She might as well buy a few fall outfits for Little Wutong.

They entered a store for a baby clothing brand. The new fall line had already come out, but luckily Chi Nuan had gotten paid today, so buying for Little Wutong didn’t hurt her wallet.

Confronted with all sorts of cute little outfits, Chi Nuan was spoiled for choice and couldn’t decide after a while. Gu Ningzi reminded her, “Which ones would your sister-in-law like?”

…Right! Little Wutong was so small he had no say in what he wore; as long as Yue Yun liked them, she’d put them on him often.

After picking out the clothes, Chi Nuan spotted soft little hats and socks on the shelf and couldn’t resist buying a few more.

After checking out, they left the mall together. Outside, there were many kids selling flowers. Chi Nuan didn’t know how she and Gu Ningzi had been targeted, but a little boy blocked Gu Ningzi’s path. “Big sis, it’s Qixi Festival—buy a flower for the pretty girl next to you!”

Chi Nuan: “…”

Gu Ningzi: “…”

The little boy grinned. “Buy one! Just twenty bucks. Today is Qixi Valentine’s Day!”

Chi Nuan turned to see Gu Ningzi’s reaction, only to find Gu Ningzi looking right back at her.

The little boy said, “Big sis, buy one! The girl next to you is so pretty, and it’s Valentine’s Day. Look at her empty hands—she’ll be so disappointed and regretful when she gets home. I bet she’d be thrilled if she got a flower from you!”

Chi Nuan: “…”

Gu Ningzi asked him, “Why is your mouth so sweet?”

The little boy quickly picked out a rose and handed it to Gu Ningzi, blinking his eyes. “Because I’ve been surrounded by all that lovey-dovey couple energy today!”

Gu Ningzi paid, and the little boy scampered off to find his next target, laughing.

Chi Nuan’s face grew hot, her eyes sparkling brightly like they held the stars.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” Gu Ningzi smiled and gave her the rose.

Chi Nuan took it, feeling both excited and shy. “Thanks. Happy Valentine’s Day to you too.”

They walked to the crosswalk to wait for the light. Chi Nuan kept glancing at the rose the whole way, unable to hide her smile, so she kept dipping her head to conceal it.

When the light turned green, Gu Ningzi took Chi Nuan’s hand and led her across the zebra crossing.

In the sweltering summer night, from the moment their hands linked, they didn’t let go. Chi Nuan’s heart pounded like a frightened deer. Getting a flower from the person she liked, holding hands with the person she liked—this was a Qixi Festival she hadn’t even dared to dream of.

Just let herself indulge for this little while. She pushed aside all those heartbreaking, tormenting thoughts and immersed herself in the moment.

Every step underfoot felt precious. Chi Nuan only wished the road could stretch on longer, just a bit longer. But eventually, they reached the open-air parking lot.

Gu Ningzi let go first. Chi Nuan instinctively reached out but grasped at empty air.

Gu Ningzi opened the car door for her, her expression normal. “I’ll drive you home.”

Yeah, time to face reality. From start to finish, she’d been the only one harboring stray thoughts.

The rose had been hawked by a street seller, and girls holding hands while shopping was perfectly normal. Gu Ningzi had said it herself—she came because they hadn’t seen each other in ages, based on their good classmate friendship.

Chi Nuan let out an almost inaudible sigh and got into the car.

The car drove quietly forward. Ten or so minutes passed quickly, and Gu Ningzi pulled into the neighborhood.

They sat in the car, the dome light casting a soft glow. Chi Nuan turned to Gu Ningzi. “Gu Ningzi.”

Gu Ningzi said, “Hm?”

Chi Nuan said, “I’m really happy you came today, it’s just—”

Gu Ningzi guessed the ending from the beginning. “Are you going to tell me again not to come anymore?”

“…” Chi Nuan said awkwardly, “School’s starting soon. After that, we’ll see each other every day, right? …I really feel bad about you running back and forth like this.”