Chapter 8: I've Been Young Too
For the rest of the time, Gu Qiu had never imagined that shopping could be such a form of torture.
Dragged and pulled along by Su Jiuyue, he was forced to eat desserts and pose for photos, followed by a relentless shopping spree where he acted as her personal pack mule, loaded down with shopping bags of all shapes and sizes.
Gu Qiu trailed behind Su Jiuyue, his hands full of paper bags, wanting to cry without tears. She, on the other hand, walked with her hands clasped behind her back, happily humming a tune as if she were having the time of her life.
"You've been such a hard worker~ Little one~"
Su Jiuyue turned back to look at the slightly panting Gu Qiu behind her, raised her wrist with a smile to check her watch, and said:
"Oh? Before we knew it, it's already dinnertime. Are you hungry, little one?"
Gu Qiu was on the verge of a mental breakdown and had no capacity left to care about whether he was hungry or not. All he wanted right now was to find somewhere to sit down and put all these heavy bags on the ground.
"I actually know a pretty good restaurant nearby. We can go eat there."
After a brief moment of thought—not only because he was completely exhausted, but also because he didn't want Su Jiuyue to spend any more money on him—he decided to put his knowledge as a college student familiar with the surrounding eateries to use and made a suggestion.
"Sure~ Lead the way then, little one."
Su Jiuyue offered a gentle smile.
She didn't care what they ate, as long as Gu Qiu was by her side, that was enough.
With that, she slowed her pace and walked side by side with him.
Following the route in his memory, Gu Qiu led Su Jiuyue through the crowds on the street just outside the shopping mall.
The sun was sinking behind the western hills.
It was prime dinnertime, and many college students had come to this mall, which was located not far from the university, planning to treat themselves at one of the restaurants inside.
Or perhaps holding hands with their girlfriends to grab some cold treats before going to catch a movie or sing karaoke.
Watching couples pass by in twos and threes, Gu Qiu couldn't help a trace of envy from slipping into his eyes.
For the first three years of college, for reasons beyond his comprehension, he had suffered a momentary lapse in judgment and signed up for all sorts of clubs and the so-called student union. In the end, instead of experiencing a vibrant and youthful college life, he had been drowned in endless club activities and student union duties, living like an overworked corporate drone.
Consequently, he had neither the free time nor the extra bandwidth to pursue a sweet college romance.
Forget about arrogant junior girls or aloof senior girls—he had none of them, remaining single since birth right up to the present day.
Throughout his entire university career, the closest he had ever gotten to a member of the opposite sex was meeting Su Jiuyue these past few days.
It was just that she acted rather eccentric and was so bewitchingly charming that it somewhat frightened him; coupled with the vast disparity in their social standing and age, it inexplicably caused Gu Qiu to keep his guard up.
In his view, how could such a flawless woman inexplicably fall in love with him at first sight?
Even romance novels wouldn't dare write heroines who throw themselves at guys this easily.
Walking beside him, Su Jiuyue occasionally stole sideways glances at Gu Qiu, noticing that he seemed lost in thought. She reached out her small hand and playfully poked him in the cheek like a mischievous child.
"What's the matter? Did seeing those couples make your mortal heart waver?"
She asked with a cheeky grin, looking at Gu Qiu.
"What mortal heart? I'm only twenty-two, okay? I'm at the prime of my youth, so naturally I yearn for that kind of normie lifestyle."
Feeling that his hands were getting sore from carrying the bags, Gu Qiu shifted them to his other hand to relieve the ache in his arms.
A smile danced in Su Jiuyue's eyes as she tilted her head to gaze at his face. "How about I try being with you? I can give you the normie lifestyle you've been dreaming of."
"Please stop joking with me, Big Sis... I can't handle being teased like this... What if I actually take it seriously?"
He shook his head as he spoke.
"I'm not joking at all~ I mean it."
"..."
Gu Qiu was truly stumped, utterly at a loss for words for a moment.
Fortunately, the restaurant was already visible in the distance. He raised his chin toward it, signaling the mature beauty beside him to look over.
"See, that's the place right there."
Su Jiuyue followed the direction he pointed and saw that the restaurant Gu Qiu mentioned was a hole-in-the-wall joint tucked deep inside a narrow alleyway.
"Little one... I said I'm treating, you didn't have to try and save me money like this... You're still a student, while I've been out in the working world for a long time. I definitely have enough money to support you."
She assumed Gu Qiu had picked this place to save her money.
"?"
A question mark slowly materialized above Gu Qiu's head.
What did she mean by "enough money to support you"?
Was she seriously planning to make him a kept man who lives off a woman?
He still had his pride, you know. If he was really going to lie down and get paid, he at least needed to have the qualification to move around a little while lying down!
So he simply chose to pretend he hadn't heard the second half of her sentence.
"You'll understand once you've eaten there. Never underestimate any hole-in-the-wall hidden deep in an alley."
Gu Qiu flashed her a mock-mysterious smile.
With that, he led Su Jiuyue inside.
The shop wasn't large—measuring barely a dozen square meters. Patches of paint were missing from the walls here and there, adorned with star posters that looked like they were from over a decade ago, and the tables and chairs possessed a distinct vintage charm.
Despite the rundown appearance, the place was impeccably clean, which came as a pleasant surprise.
As soon as he stepped inside, he familiarly found a spot to set down the shopping bags he was carrying.
After shaking out his sore arms, Gu Qiu looked toward the shop owner who emerged from the kitchen upon hearing the commotion.
"Hey, Boss, I'm here."
The owner looked to be in his forties or fifties, with tanned skin and an enthusiastic, warm demeanor.
Did you bring your girlfriend today?"
"Oh? Little Gu?
Seeing Gu Qiu accompanied by such a stunning beauty, the owner asked with an expression of profound astonishment.
It was evident that Gu Qiu was a regular here, as the owner even knew his name.
Hearing what the owner said, Gu Qiu quickly turned to check Su Jiuyue's expression and frantically waved his hands in denial:
"She's not my girlfriend! We're just friends!"
"That's right~ I'm not his girlfriend yet~"
Su Jiuyue rested her chin on her hand with a faint smile, watching Gu Qiu fluster as he tried to explain. Finding the scene immensely amusing, she added this remark just to watch the world burn.
"Oh..."
The owner nodded knowingly.
"Little Gu, let me tell you as someone older, you shouldn't keep her hanging like this."
He cast a covert glance at the breathtaking Su Jiuyue, then gave Gu Qiu a secretive thumbs-up with an ambiguous expression that clearly said, "You're a smooth operator."
Judging by Su Jiuyue's words, it seemed like Gu Qiu was the one being chased. Anyone capable of making a campus-belle-tier beauty chase after him had to be an exceptional fellow!
"It's not like that! Boss, don't get misled by what she says! There really is nothing between us! We only met yesterday!!!"
Seeing the owner's expression turn strange, Gu Qiu hurriedly explained in a panic.
They had only met yesterday, meaning they didn't even have an emotional foundation yet—how could there possibly be that kind of romantic implication?
Even people meeting up for a hookup didn't move this fast?!
The owner immediately understood.
"Impressive. You met yesterday, and today you've already made her completely devoted to you?"
"I said it's not like that!!!"
Gu Qiu wanted to cry. Why did trying to explain this things only make it look more suspicious?
"I understand, I understand... Uncle has been young too, you know... You youngsters need to be a bit more subtle..."
A knowing grin spread across the owner's face as he raised an eyebrow at Gu Qiu. "So, Little Gu, what would you and your girlfriend like to order?"
"I told you she's not my girlfriend..."
Gu Qiu rubbed his forehead in helpless resignation. Realizing it was impossible to clear up the misunderstanding anytime soon, he simply gave up and looked up at the menu on the wall.
"For two people..."
"Shredded pork with green peppers... Oh, right, and an order of pork bone soup."