Chapter Forty-Five

Chen Siyu quickly took out a shoebox and pulled out a pair of white high heels that suited Sun Ying. Once again, Yu Xingyue was dazzled—these high heels must be even more expensive than the dress, he thought.

“Little one, why don’t you try on these high heels first?” Yu Xingyue offered the shoes to Sun Ying.

“Big brother… I don’t want to wear them…” Sun Ying said, but she couldn’t help sneaking a glance at the shoes, her eyes sparkling.

Her gaze betrayed her, and Yu Xingyue pressed his advantage, smiling, “They suit you perfectly. Don’t refuse my kindness—unless you don’t like me.”

“No, I’d never… dislike you, big brother…”

“Hey, don’t call me ‘big brother.’ Makes me sound old,” Yu Xingyue complained.

Now Sun Ying was even more flustered. She didn’t know how to respond and lowered her head again. Seeing her petite, delicate demeanor, Yu Xingyue always had the urge to tease her and make her laugh, but Sun Ying seemed immune to jokes.

Chen Siyu interjected, “So, miss, are you going to wear them or not? If not, I’ll take them back.” She began to retrieve the high heels.

“No! I… I… I’ll wear them,” Sun Ying stammered. Chen Siyu handed her the shoes, and Sun Ying sat down to change.

While Sun Ying swapped her shoes, Yu Xingyue and Chen Siyu began chatting. Yu Xingyue was a customer, and Chen Siyu was simply doing her job by making conversation.

“Tell me, Siyu, why did you start working here? Is the pay good?” Yu Xingyue asked with curiosity.

“My mother found this job for me,” Chen Siyu replied. “She said I need to learn to be independent and not rely on my parents, so she recommended I work here. She used to work here herself, and the salary and benefits are decent.”

“You really have a wonderful mother. Unlike mine, who’s off enjoying a two-person world with Uncle Sun,” Yu Xingyue said with a wry smile.

“You didn’t have that look before. I think you’re hoping your mom finds someone soon,” Chen Siyu remarked.

“I really do hope she finds someone quickly,” Yu Xingyue laughed. “Only, I’m not sure if Uncle Sun is truly sincere about my mom. If I ever find out he isn’t good to her, I’ll make sure he pays for it.”

“You really are your mother’s good son. But isn’t it a bit early to say that? You’ve forgotten about her,” Chen Siyu said, turning to look at Sun Ying, who had finished changing.

In truth, Sun Ying had changed long ago, but hadn’t called Yu Xingyue over. She simply sat and listened to their conversation. When they spoke of her father, she felt uneasy; hearing Yu Xingyue’s comments about him made her uncomfortable. Yet, after hearing Yu Xingyue’s reasoning, she pondered: Is her father truly sincere toward big brother’s mother? She didn’t have an answer yet.

“How does it feel, little one? Do they fit?” Yu Xingyue asked.

Sun Ying tried to stand, her legs shaking. She knew these were similar to ankle boots, but they were much taller. She nearly stumbled several times, each time caught by Yu Xingyue.

“Big brother… I like… these.”

“Then it’s settled—this dress and these high heels. If you like them, I’ll buy them for you,” Yu Xingyue said, gently stroking Sun Ying’s head.

Chen Siyu watched from the side, feeling a pang of envy—not because she had feelings for Yu Xingyue, but because she wondered if, were Huang Feifan here, she might be as satisfied as Sun Ying.

Sun Ying changed back into her original clothes, and Yu Xingyue could see she liked both items. As for the high heels, she would use them when she was older.

“How much for these two, please?” Yu Xingyue asked, pulling out his card.

Chen Siyu went to the counter, and Yu Xingyue led Sun Ying over to pay. Chen Siyu smiled, “Sir, that comes to three thousand yuan. Cash or card?”

“Card, no password needed—just swipe.”

“All right, please wait a moment.” Chen Siyu took his card and processed the payment.

Yu Xingyue felt a stab of regret. “Damn! So expensive for just these two? Three thousand yuan… But seeing the little one so happy makes it worth it,” he thought.

Looking at Sun Ying’s delighted expression, Yu Xingyue felt gratified. Chen Siyu carefully packaged the dress and shoes, and Yu Xingyue reminded Sun Ying not to spoil them. Sun Ying nodded, promising to cherish them.

After bidding farewell to Chen Siyu, Yu Xingyue continued shopping with Sun Ying. They’d spent a long time in the clothing store, though it was hard to tell how much time had passed. Now, Yu Xingyue planned to treat Sun Ying to fun and good food, ready to exhaust himself for her sake.

…

Xiao Jian was punching a sandbag furiously. He’d recently encountered a problem—not too big, not too small, but, to him, it felt enormous.

To elaborate, Xiao Jian’s current predicament was that his mother was forcing him to go on a blind date. When he heard the news, he exploded in protest. How old was he? He was only in seventh grade, and had no thoughts of romance yet. Though he’d felt a spark when he met Lin Xiaxin in the supermarket, that was about it.

But that was just one issue. He’d discovered he no longer felt attracted to girls. Previously, Xiao Jian would approach pretty girls for their contact information. Now, he felt nothing. Instead, handsome boys drew his interest—he wanted to ask for their details. Everyone thought he was crazy, and Xiao Jian himself was bewildered by his behavior.

He didn’t even spare his own father. Xiao Jian’s father, analyzing his strange behavior through a scientific lens, concluded that Xiao Jian must be bisexual.

Upon hearing his father’s assessment, Xiao Jian thought it was nonsense. How could he possibly be bisexual? But subsequent events left him utterly confused.

One day, while chatting with Huang Feifan, Xiao Jian suddenly blurted out, “Darling, what have you been up to lately?” He had no idea what he was saying. Huang Feifan thought Xiao Jian was joking and didn’t pay it any mind—but things changed after that.

Whenever they spoke, Xiao Jian couldn’t control his hands; he kept wanting to touch Huang Feifan’s thigh. After touching it once, he didn’t think much of it and assumed Huang Feifan was joking, but Xiao Jian touched his thigh every time they spoke, leaving Huang Feifan exasperated.

“Xiao Jian, what are you doing? Why do you like touching my thigh so much? Are you out of your mind?” Huang Feifan demanded.

“No, I just suddenly don’t feel interested in girls anymore,” Xiao Jian replied.

“You? Not interested in girls? But you…” Huang Feifan seemed to realize something, instinctively grabbed his chair, and retreated a step, “So you’re interested in boys?”

Those words infuriated Xiao Jian. He snapped, “Me? Interested in men? That’s disgusting! Do you really think I’d be like that?”

What happened next left Xiao Jian dumbfounded. A few days later, he began pestering Yu Xingyue and the others. Now, everyone in the Tianyuan Squad except for Xiao Jian avoided him; whenever they spotted him, they’d run away. Xiao Jian’s sexual orientation seemed problematic, so until it was resolved, they decided to isolate him.

Xiao Jian couldn’t accept their response. He’d only touched someone’s thigh while talking—why such a big reaction? But in recent days, his behavior had indeed been unusual.

After tiring himself out punching the sandbag, Xiao Jian sat on the floor to rest and checked his phone. The group chat was now a ghost town—everyone’s avatar was gray.

“Damn, are they really that heartless?” Xiao Jian couldn’t believe everyone was treating him so harshly. He refused to believe no one would come online, so he waited, full of grievances, eager for someone to vent to.

Just then, he saw Rain Droplet’s avatar light up. Among everyone, Rain Droplet was the only one unaware of Xiao Jian’s situation. During the pandemic, Rain Droplet had stayed home gaming, climbing the ranks to become the top player nationwide—unmatched.

“Little Rain, I’m feeling so wronged right now [crying emoji].”

“Senior, what happened? It looks like everyone is deliberately avoiding you,” Rain Droplet asked.

Xiao Jian explained his situation. At first, Rain Droplet didn’t believe him—Xiao Jian’s story sounded exaggerated. By the end, Rain Droplet was so shocked he stopped replying.

“Senior, not to be rude, but you really need to fix this problem,” Rain Droplet responded, analyzing Xiao Jian’s behavior. Xiao Jian’s habit of touching someone’s thigh whenever he spoke was normal for him, but if he did it to a girl, he’d be seen as a pervert.

“But I’m used to it. How can I change? [wronged emoji]” Xiao Jian asked.