Don't stare too much

Mo Yunru put her shopping bags down on the couch and went to the dining table, where her mother was waiting. They sat down to eat together and talked about their days.

Zhong Yan asked her about her shopping trip and if she found everything she needed. Yunru told her about the things she bought and the shop where she found the cute dress.

After eating and chatting with her mother, Mo Yunru said goodnight and headed upstairs to her bedroom. She picked up her shopping bags and put them away. She took a moment to admire her new dress and felt excited about wearing it tomorrow to her mother's company.

She took a moment to admire the dress before getting a pair of comfortable pajamas before washing up.

Mo Yunru was drying her hair when she heard her phone ring. She checked the caller ID and saw that the call was from one of her friends. She accepted the call and answered as she continued to get ready for bed.

The three of them then talked for hours as their topics shifted from one another to another.

As they talked late into the night, Mo Yunru's eyes grew heavy, and her head drooped to the side. It didn't take long before the gentle rhythm of her breaths became the only sound in the room, and sleep embraced her once again.

As the night faded away, morning dawned, and daylight spilled into the room. The clock read 5 a.m.—morning had come in the blink of an eye. It was too early to get up yet.

'It's still too early; I'll sleep for 10 more minutes,' she told herself. 'No. If I fall asleep, then I won't be able to go with Mom, and I won't be able to wear the new dress." Just like that, she argued with herself for a minute, contemplating if she should get up or if she should sleep for 10 more minutes.

She let out a reluctant sigh, admitting defeat.

She grabbed a towel and her new dress and went inside the bathroom to take a shower.

After 20 minutes, she finally got out of the shower.

She wore a beautiful teal-green off-shoulder dress just above her knees. The dress had pretty flower patterns embroidered throughout. It was the perfect dress for a summer afternoon—light and airy yet still stylish and elegant.

She sat at the table near her bed and opened her makeup kit. With careful strokes, she applied concealer to conceal her barely noticeable dark circles. She highlighted her cheeks with a light peach blush and applied a mauve-pink matte tint to her lips. The whole process only took a few moments. She looked like a cheerful teen with no worries about the world.

Before heading downstairs to eat with her mother, she took one last look in the mirror, making sure her hair was brushed neatly and her makeup was flawless. She double-checked her bag to make sure it contained all necessary items, such as wipes, concealer, blush, lip matte, and her laptop. With everything in place, she gathered up her things and went downstairs to enjoy her morning meal with her mother.

She saw her mother already eating on the dining table, and she ran towards her, but too fast, afraid she'd trip since she's wearing 3-inch heels.

Her mother, Zhong Yan, sighed helplessly, looking at her daughter. "Yunru, don't run. You'll trip yourself."

She just giggled as she sat beside her mother. "I was just excited to go with you since I'll start class tomorrow."

After a delicious meal, Mo Yunru and her mother left the house. What was usually a 35-minute drive to her mother's company took 50 minutes today due to traffic. Thankfully, Mo Yunru didn't mind, as she spent the time happily looking out the window and taking in the beautiful new scenery.

As they entered the company, the employees greeted Mo Yunru's mother with admiration and respect. ''Good morning, Chairman," they said, before waving them forward and leading them towards a private elevator. Since the other elevator was too crowded, they took the private elevator to the top floor, the 16th floor, where her mother's office was located.

Mo Yunru spent her afternoon in her mother's office playing her favorite online game, 'Genshin Impact', while also trying to figure out how to use 'WeChat'. She was mindful of her studies too, so she studied in advance to ensure that she wouldn't fall behind. By the time she was done, it was already 5:40 p.m.

Then Mo Yunru saw her mother.

"Come on now, Yunru. Let's go home," her mother said as she nodded.

She grabbed her things that were scattered on the table, and she followed her mother to the parking lot, where cars were lined up and waiting to be driven home.

Mo Yunru and her mother sat in the backseat of the car. Her mother was reading some documents, or maybe some important contracts, that were needed for work.

"Mom, I read online that there's a Dicos near here. Can we stop by?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Sure," she agreed. "Uncle Chen, can we stop by at Dicos?"

Uncle Chen nodded. "Sure madam."

The driver then made a left turn, which was in the opposite direction from where they were going. After a short drive, they arrived at the desired destination, Dicos, after about 3 minutes.

She then exited the car excitedly. She missed eating some shawarma, a burger, and some chicken sandwiches. She was feeling homesick and still wasn't used to the food here—not saying it's bad or anything—just not used to it.

...

Dicos was slightly crowded, especially with some groups of teenagers that were hanging out. Nine teenagers, about 16–18 years old, were perched on tables, all wearing the same basketball uniforms. The uniforms had the word 'Yuwen' on the front and some corresponding numbers and surnames on the back. The teens were talking excitedly, and the atmosphere was filled with their boisterous laughter and chatter.

"Hey, I don't look like... a girl, right?" a boy whose hair was around his nape asked.

"Ha. Even if you were... I sure as hell wouldn't date you," a boy with a piercing scoffed.

All of them break out into obnoxious laughter. Though they were kind of loud, no one really paid attention to them.

"I like my girls shorter, curvier, and way cuter than you, Baiwei," Lu Jian commented.

"I like them smart and pretty, which also disqualifies you, Wei," Feng Jiayi chimes in next. More laughter erupts.

Lin Zhiyuan doesn't comment at all, which makes them wonder if he even has anything to contribute on the subject, though none take enough interest to ask.

Xu Baiwei paruses the chip aisle, going over their preferred list of attributes. Pretty, smart, short, curvy, cute—whatever. "Is that it? Huh," he scoffed. "I like my girl, who is pretty or maybe cute, and smart."

Lin Zhiyuan was spacing out, looking at the door as if waiting or looking at something.

Lin Zhiyuan then saw a girl with a hushy haircut. Yunru sported a unique and stylish haircut, with the front layer of her hair falling around her jaw while the back layer reached mid-back. The front layer of her hair was dyed a bright and vibrant pink, while the back remained a rich, black color. Yunru was wearing an elegant teal green dress with some fancy flower patterns embroidered onto it. The dress hugged her slim waist and fell to just above her knees, with the fabric gently clinging to her feminine curves. The entire dress was stylish and timeless, combining modern, fashionable elements with classic touches.

She doesn't look like she's from around here, that's for sure. Though she doesn't necessarily look like she isn't Chinese, maybe she is bi-racial.

Yunru walked inside the Dicos with a bright and radiant smile on her face, eager to get something to eat. She went in line at the counter and patiently waited her turn, glancing around at the bustling atmosphere.

After patiently waiting in line for a few minutes, it was finally her turn to order. With a clear idea of what she wanted, she ordered some fries, a Pepsi, and some shawarma. The employee took down her order as she paid with a card. She waited as she stood aside next to the basketball team's player.

Fu Yichen, the boy who was wearing some piercings, noticed that Lu Zhiyuan was looking at someone who was behind Xu Baiwei. He turned around and saw that he was spacing off as he looked at the girl. He then smirked. "Brother Zhi, you're staring at her too much. Don't stare too much or else she'll melt from your stare. Do you perhaps..." he paused, trying to make his next word as mysterious as possible. "like her"

Fu Yichen's words snapped Lin Zhiyuan back to reality. He blushed as the tip of his ears reddened, and he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.