On Sunday, as promised, they went on their date. Lika was dressed in a stylish outfit, her deep red eyes radiating confidence and pride. She stood quietly under the shade of a tree, waiting for Suchen, her silver hair dancing gently in the breeze.
As Suchen walked over, Lika glanced at him, gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, and then glided forward like a phantom. Colorful gardens and flowing fountains lined both sides of the avenue, the bustling sounds of the market fading into the background as Suchen followed closely behind.
He tried his best to keep up with Lika's long strides. She stopped, lightly flicked her silver hair, turned back, leaned in close to your face, and stared at you. "I've invited you out shopping with me today, so you'd better be on your best behavior. Don't let me down, got it?"
Suchen said confidently, "Don't worry, absolutely not." In truth, he had no confidence at all because he had never been on a date with any girl, but he wasn't going to back down either—it was a rare and wonderful opportunity.
Lika said, "That's what you say. If you don't perform well, don't blame me for being ruthless." Suchen nodded repeatedly. Lika walked ahead absentmindedly, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Today, I'm taking you to a high-end mall," Lika said, her pace unceasing. "There are lots of luxury brands there, so you'd better mentally prepare yourself." Suchen nodded.
Without stopping, Lika continued forward. "Let me warn you: if you don't behave, don't blame me for being unkind." Suchen followed along.
Suddenly, Lika stopped in her tracks, turned around, and said, "Oh, and there's one more thing I need to remind you of. When I'm shopping in the mall, if you can't keep quiet, it might ruin my mood." Suchen lowered his voice. "Yes, understood." Besides, it wasn't like he was paying anyway, since he couldn't possibly afford it.
A hint of a satisfied smile appeared on Lika's face. "That's more like it. If you behave well, I'll give you a little reward." Suchen continued to follow.
Lika abruptly stopped again, turned around, and said, "Also, while I'm shopping in the mall, if you dare to look around or let your eyes wander elsewhere, bear the consequences." Suchen lowered his head and said, "Understood."
A smug smile graced Lika's face. "Good. It seems you've finally figured out your status. From now on, you're my lackey, so you must mind your words and actions at all times."
Hearing this, Suchen nodded and continued to follow her. Yet Lika didn't seem ready to let him off the hook; she casually looked him up and down, a trace of imperceptible disgust flashing in her eyes.
Just then, Lika stopped without warning, turned to face Suchen directly, and unceremoniously said, "Wait, look at what you're wearing. Isn't it a bit too tacky?" With that, she didn't forget to sweep her critical gaze over his entire body.
Suchen looked at Lika in a daze, muttering to himself: *What on earth am I supposed to do now?* He scratched his head, his gaze following Lika's tightly knitted brows as if he could feel the anxiety within her.
After a moment of silence, Lika suddenly spoke up. "How about this? You go pick out a suitable outfit for yourself in that shop over there. I'll cover the cost." She gently patted Suchen's shoulder, signaling him to hurry.
Watching Suchen walk into the shop, Lika let out a slight sigh. "Honestly, being stuck with a lackey like you is such a headache." After a short while, Suchen emerged wearing a brand-new outfit. She looked him up and down, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes. "Well, not bad. It actually suits you."
Lika nodded with satisfaction. "Let's leave it at that, then. Remember to behave yourself from now on, or I won't let you off easily." As they resumed walking, Lika stopped once more, turned back to look at Suchen, and said, "Oh, right, there's one more thing I need to remind you of."
"What is it?" Suchen asked.
Lika's gaze turned sharp. "If you ever dare to betray me, bear the consequences."
"How could I? I would never," Suchen replied.
"That's best. But if you really do betray me, the consequences won't be pretty."
Suchen continued to follow her. Lika looked at him and flashed a satisfied smile. "You know how to play along, kid. Keep up the good work, and I won't shortchange you."
Suchen kept Lika company until evening. Lika glanced at her watch and said, "It's getting late, let's head home."
"I have a feeling tonight's night sky is going to be gorgeous. Care to look at it together?" Suchen asked.
Lika raised her head toward the sky, a slight smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Hmm, it is rather lovely."
Back on their balcony at home, Lika said, "Thanks for keeping me company shopping today. I feel much more relaxed. Even though your fashion sense can be pretty tacky sometimes, I know you were genuinely keeping me company. Tonight's night sky is beautiful, just like our friendship. I hope we can spend time like this again next time."
Suchen asked tentatively, "How about a little reward?"
"What do you want?" Lika asked.
"You name it."
After thinking for a moment, Lika said, "Alright, your reward will be helping me buy breakfast tomorrow morning."
"You call that a reward?" Suchen protested.
"What else? What kind of reward do you want?"
"Can I sleep while hugging you?"
Lika instantly blushed. "Ah?! What nonsense are you babbling about?!" Inside, she thought: *What is this guy thinking?! He actually wants to sleep while hugging me—is he planning to do something to me?*
Suchen asked calmly, "Is that a yes?"
Lika was silent for a moment before saying, "Fine, just this once."
"Yay!"
Lika walked into the bedroom, lay down on the bed, and said, "Come on, I'm waiting."
Suchen lay down beside Lika. "Don't move around wildly, or I can't guarantee what might happen," she warned, turning onto her side with her back facing him. Suchen embraced her from behind.
"Hey, that's not how you're supposed to hug!" Lika protested.
With a mischievous grin, Suchen asked, "Then how are you supposed to hug?"
"Well, definitely not like this!" Suchen's hands were becoming rather restless.
"Hey, stop groping around!" Lika scolded, but Suchen ignored her. "Hey, don't push your luck!"
Eventually, Suchen fell asleep holding her. Looking at him sound asleep, Lika let out a helpless sigh. "This guy, there's really no doing anything with him."
The next day, Lika opened her eyes and found Suchen still fast asleep. "This guy sleeps like a log." Slowly, she removed his arm from around her waist.
Suchen woke up and saw Lika looking at him. "Hey, you're awake?" she asked.
Rubbing his eyes, Suchen mumbled, "Mmm."
Blushing, Lika asked, "Um... how did you sleep last night?"
"Great. It's so nice having you here," Suchen replied.
"Stop sweet-talking and get up already. We still need to go buy breakfast."
"Alright."