37 Operation - Seducing Linfeng : the Date (II)
They entered the bowling stall. After Linfeng gave the cold compress to the group, they apologized once more and finally left.
He turned towards Xiong Zhi.
"What does Young Miss want to buy? Maybe your friends are already done buying the ticket."
Xiong Zhi froze.
What now? She should have distracted Linfeng with games and get a little closer with each other, but she ruined her chance. It would be awkward if she pushed to play more.
"I-I..." 'What am I going to buy?'
She looked around. She had no idea what she should buy. Then her eyes spotted a loving couple not far away from them. Her eyes lit up.
'That's right! I want to buy that!'
In the past, she has many regrets. There were so many things that she wished she could do with Linfeng. She must get this one regret with this chance no matter what, to make up for their lost time.
"Let's go to that store!" Xiong Zhi said and pulled Linfeng's hand.
When they entered inside the store, Linfeng was startled.
"Y-young Miss Zhi, are you sure this is the right store?"
Linfeng looked around awkwardly while he asked. There were matching T-shirts, matching bags, matching cups, matching toothbrushes, matching shoes, matching necklaces and accessories, matching stuffed toys, etc. In short, all items here were for couples.
No doubt, they entered a couple's store!
'What does Young Miss want in this store?'
Linfeng looked at Xiong Zhi confusedly, who was so focused on looking at the couple T-shirts.
"Does it need to be a set?" the girl asked the staff manning the store while the youth looked at their exchange.
"Yes, beautiful lady. Everything is a set for two. You cannot buy only one." The staff was even confused why the girl asked this question in a couple's store.
Linfeng's brow furrowed. He looked at Xiong Zhi, his chest feeling uncomfortable.
This time, Xiong Zhi was holding two printed T-shirts. She went to Linfeng with hopeful eyes.
"Is it nice?"
Xiong Zhi held up the two T-shirts on hangers, showing them side by side. The smaller T-shirt on the left has a half drawn heart being carried by a girl on it, while the other shirt has a boy holding the other half of the heart. The latter T-shirt was bigger than the other and clearly, it was for a boy. Definitely a couple shirt through and through.
Linfeng's brows furrowed deeper. He suppressed the unpleasant feeling and nodded silently.
He could not help but think—
'For whom is the other T-shirt?'
"Then it's settled. I'll try it out before I buy it. I'll change first. "
Xiong Zhi handed the 'boyfriend' shirt to Linfeng and then went to the dressing room to change. Linfeng looked at the shirt on his hand and casually hung it on the side. For some reason, the shirt was unpleasant to his eyes.
After two minutes, Xiong Zhi came out. She just put the shirt on top of her dress. Her dress was sleeveless and very thin, it hugged her body well. Putting the shirt on top did not make her seem bulky. Her thin coat was hanging on her arms. With the cute print on the T-shirt, Xiong Zhi really looked like a carefree teenager. A very refreshing look.
Linfeng paused for a moment as he watched her stepped closer.
Xiong Zhi went to Linfeng, took the stuffed toys, and grabbed the shirt he hung on the side.
"Your turn," she said, while shoving the shirt to Linfeng.
Linfeng blankly held the shirt, confused.
'What turn?'
"Go. Change fast, we still have to go somewhere," Xiong Zhi urged. She silently but determinedly pushed Linfeng towards the dressing room. She was a bit afraid that Linfeng would reject, so she did not want to give him the chance to do so.
"But this... Is this not your present for someone?" Linfeng asked. He was puzzled. Why did he have to change into a couple shirt?
This shirt...is it for him? Not for somebody else?
"Yes, it is. My present for you for accompanying me." Xiong Zhi quickly found an excuse to make Linfeng wear it.
...?
"But it is for... couples..." Linfeng said the last word softly, almost a whisper.
Xiong Zhi's cheeks slowly flushed red. She did not answer him but silently shoved him to the dressing room and closed the door. Her voice sounded outside.
"I will wait for you here!"
Linfeng stared at the closed door and then at the T-shirt in his hands. His eyes were stuck on the half heart that the boy was holding.
'It's not for someone else, but for me?'
If she was a common girl and he was a normal boy filled with pubertal thoughts, he would certainly assume that she was interested in him. But that was impossible, the Young Miss was the honorable and dignified, cold and indifferent lady of the Xiong family, and he was simply an aide serving her. He had also studied her lifestyle, she was not the type of romantic girl who would indulge in infatuations.
After contemplating on possible and logical reasons excluding the romantic ones, Linfeng gave up thinking about it. He finally took off his shirt and changed into the 'boyfriend' shirt.
It was harder to understand a woman's heart than to find a needle in a haystack.
When he came out of the dressing room, Xiong Zhi's eyes brightened, looking at him. He was still wearing the blue polo shirt but he now wore the couple shirt with half a heart on it inside.
Xiong Zhi quickly pulled him to the mirror. She fussed around Linfeng, adjusting his blue polo shirt so it would not hide the couple shirt inside, and adjusted her shirt as well to match the other heart on Linfeng's shirt.
Finally, they stood side by side in front of the mirror. When they looked at the reflection, on their shirts, a perfect heart was supported by a girl and a boy. It was really a matching couple shirt. The difference in height matched it well.
Xiong Zhi was happy. She had longed for this before. Now that she was reborn and came back to the past, she wanted to enjoy her youth with Linfeng, to do the things she had not done before.
Linfeng, on the other hand, stared at the image with reddening ears. He had to admit it. They looked...cute together.
However, he was still debating that it was somehow wrong. These shirts were worn by couples, right? But he and Xiong Zhi were not a couple.
But what confused him more was that he really liked it. Wearing a shirt together, a matching one at that, looking at their reflection, Linfeng could not help but have a dangerous thought.
They looked like a genuine sweet couple.
He shook his head, his heart racing, and his mind confused. He glanced at Xiong Zhi. The girl beside him was beautiful, and now that her eyes curved up, showing her happiness, she was even lovelier. Her face was still faint, but her lips were already pursed into a repressed smile, showing a faint dimple on her cheek.
Linfeng could not help but smile as well. Forget it, if Young Miss was happy. Maybe, her Young Miss simply wanted to experience wearing matching shirts. He would let it pass for now.
Xiong Zhi faced Linfeng, her eyes shining silently while she tried to make her face appear serious and casual.
"Do you like it? Can you wear it for today? If you're not comfortable, it's okay, I understand," Xiong Zhi said the last part hesitantly, obviously showing her feelings. She was hoping that Linfeng would agree to wear it for now.
This was their first date after all. Although he did not know it was a date.
Naturally, Linfeng could see how her eyes showed anticipation and hope.
He smiled, not noticing the doting on his face. "Yes. I like it. I don't mind wearing it today." He did not want to ruin her good mood.
The girl's eyes shone brilliantly, her cheeks rosy, and her cherry lips pursed into a smile.
"Thank you." Xiong Zhi gave a sincere smile.
Once again, Linfeng's heart skipped a beat. After dazing for moment, he returned her smile.
His eyes were warm.
After paying at the counter, Xiong Zhi exited the store, still holding Linfeng's hand.
They seemed to have taken holding hands for granted.
Then she turned towards him.
"Linfeng, I have something that I really wanted to do. Can you accompany me more?" Xiong Zhi asked softly.
Linfeng, taken away by the good mood, nodded with a slight smile.
"Sure. Anywhere," he answered.
Xiong Zhi's smile went wider. Then she led him to a stall with a sign, 'Sing Me'.
