Zhao Nan and Chen Xuerou came out of the hotel and saw Lin Feng sitting alone by the entrance, gazing at the starry sky. Both women were taken aback.
"Lin Feng, why aren't you going in to eat? What are you doing sitting here spacing out?" Chen Xuerou asked, puzzled.
"Teacher Chen, everyone inside is your and Teacher Zhao's classmate, not mine. I'd feel quite awkward in there, so I'd rather have some peace and quiet by myself," Lin Feng said with a smile as he stood up.
Looking at Lin Feng's solitary figure, Zhao Nan's heart suddenly ached. Yes, she and Chen Xuerou had invited Lin Feng to the gathering but had been overlooking his feelings. And not only was Lin Feng not angry, but he had also been quietly caring for her well-being. Thinking about this, Zhao Nan felt even more indebted to him.
"Xuerou, why don't we take Lin Feng shopping? It'll help him relax!" Zhao Nan proposed an idea.
"Sure! There's a new mall that just opened in the provincial capital. We can buy some new clothes," Chen Xuerou said, her interest piqued. Shopping for clothes was her favorite activity.
"Shopping? Can't we choose a different recreational activity? You two say you're taking me to relax, but aren't you just relaxing yourselves?" Lin Feng asked, amused and exasperated. He detested accompanying girls on shopping trips the most.
"What's all the fuss? Isn't it okay if I ask you to accompany me?" Chen Xuerou shot Lin Feng a look. He had already been intimate with her; surely he could fulfill this small request?
"Alright, I'll accompany you both." What else could Lin Feng say? He was just sitting there anyway, so he might as well humor them.
They followed Zhao Nan and Chen Xuerou to a large shopping mall. The two women, like fish returning to the sea, eagerly headed for the women's apparel section to look at clothes.
"Lin Feng, come help me and Nan Nan. Tell us which clothes suit us," Chen Xuerou said, picking out some rather sexy and fashionable outfits. She had always had a avant-garde sense of fashion, and with her good figure, she looked good in anything. In contrast, Zhao Nan seemed timid, only looking at the price tags rather than whether the clothes suited her.
"Teacher Zhao, don't worry about the price. I'm paying for everything here today."
"Chen Kai is pursuing you, Teacher Zhao. You shouldn't always dress so plainly. You need to dress yourself up beautifully too."
"We can't let outsiders think we're inferior to Chen Kai. While dating, we also need to maintain equality between men and women." Lin Feng was a bit speechless; Zhao Nan was too frugal. So, he chose some clothes for Zhao Nan based on her figure.
"Take these and these to try on," Lin Feng said, selecting the clothes and gesturing for Zhao Nan to go to the fitting room. Zhao Nan looked at Lin Feng's thoughtful gesture, appearing like a shy young girl. She had no strong opinions on her attire, and whatever Lin Feng picked, she would wear.
Indeed, Lin Feng had excellent taste. When Zhao Nan changed into the clothes Lin Feng had chosen, both Chen Xuerou and the mall's sales assistant were struck by her transformed appearance. A white knitted jacket paired with a silk blouse underneath accentuated Zhao Nan's proud figure and fair skin. The pleated skirt worn with silver high heels completed her look, giving her the air of a beautiful, wealthy woman.
"Try this one on too. The temperature in Qingcheng is low, so this will be warmer," Lin Feng said, nodding with satisfaction. He then chose a warmer outfit. Since Zhao Nan had fair skin, Lin Feng specifically picked a brown trench coat for her. Inside, she wore a white wool sweater. For the bottom, she had loose black women's suit trousers. She could even wear thermal leggings underneath.
"Mmm, good. It's casual and warm. Just wrap them all up for me," Lin Feng said, very pleased with the clothes he had chosen for Zhao Nan. Usually, Liu Mengyao bought his clothes, but now he was buying clothes for other women. He had transformed from a naive young man into a warm guy who cared for girls, a change he himself hadn't noticed.
On the other hand, Zhao Nan felt an inexpressible sense of gratitude and mixed emotions seeing how thoughtful Lin Feng was towards her, even thinking about buying her warmer clothes.
"Nan Nan, just listen to Lin Feng. What Lin Feng said is quite right," Chen Xuerou smiled, fully agreeing with Lin Feng's perspective. "Your class monitor comes from a wealthy and influential family. If you end up with him in the future, you really need to pay attention to your image. Although your class monitor doesn't care how you dress, his family members certainly will."
"Are you two so eager for me to be with the class monitor?" Zhao Nan bit her lip. Seeing Lin Feng and Chen Xuerou trying so hard to match her with Chen Kai, she felt a mix of emotions. She truly didn't have any romantic feelings for Chen Kai and had never considered being with him. On the contrary, she now found herself caring about Lin Feng's opinion. Her question seemed directed at Lin Feng as well.
"Teacher Zhao, your class monitor is a really good guy. I can see that he genuinely wants to be with you," Lin Feng said, sharing his thoughts. "It's not easy to find someone who loves and cherishes you. I think you should try dating him." When Lin Feng first met Zhao Nan, she was being toyed with by that scumbag Wang Tao. Now, Zhao Nan deserved to find her true love. This was something Lin Feng genuinely wished for. He hoped that the kind Zhao Nan would find happiness.
Hearing Lin Feng's response, however, Zhao Nan couldn't feel happy at all. She didn't understand what was happening to her. She had previously been very resistant to Lin Feng, but now, when it came to making a choice, she found herself caring about his thoughts. It was all so strange!
After finishing their shopping, Zhao Nan was startled by the bill. These clothes had cost Lin Feng a hundred thousand yuan. "Lin Feng, I'll pay for the clothes myself. I have enough money in my salary card." Zhao Nan didn't want Lin Feng to buy her clothes.
"Your money is your money. As your student and friend, along with Teacher Chen, consider these clothes my gift to you both."
"Don't forget, I'm the richest man in the world. If you don't take advantage of me, who will?" Lin Feng smiled nonchalantly. He knew Zhao Nan didn't have much money. If she spent it all on clothes, she'd probably be eating plain buns for the rest of the month.
"You're always boasting. Nan Nan and I appreciate your gesture, but I'm paying today." Chen Xuerou gave Lin Feng a big roll of her eyes, not believing he was the richest man in the world.
"Teacher Chen, you don't believe me either?" Lin Feng was a bit surprised. Chen Xuerou hadn't known him for just a day or two; she should be aware of his capabilities. Why did Chen Xuerou also start thinking he was bragging? Did he really not look like the richest man in the world? Or had he been too low-key before?
"It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that I think you're still a long way from being the richest man in the world," Chen Xuerou said, laughing heartily at Lin Feng's serious expression.
Lin Feng, too lazy to explain, took out his bank card and paid for the items. Chen Xuerou didn't mind much. She and Lin Feng had already become intimate, so it didn't matter who paid. However, Zhao Nan felt a little uneasy seeing Lin Feng pay for her clothes.
"How about this? Since you're buying clothes for me, I'll treat you both to a movie," Zhao Nan suggested on impulse.
"Okay, let's go see a movie then." Chen Xuerou hadn't been to the cinema in a while and really wanted to watch a film, especially with someone she loved. So, Zhao Nan and Chen Xuerou discussed it and finally bought tickets for a romantic film.
The movie was quite touching. It was about a male and female best friend who lived together, much like a couple. They liked each other but maintained a certain distance, never crossing a certain boundary. Later, the male protagonist was diagnosed with a terminal illness and had to hide his love. During his final days, he continuously tried to set up the female protagonist with another wealthy and handsome man. Every time he did so, the male protagonist would cry his heart out in secret. Eventually, the male protagonist passed away from his illness, and the female protagonist followed suit by committing suicide. It turned out the female protagonist had long known about the male protagonist's terminal illness and his desire to find her a home before he died. Thus, the female protagonist had been pretending to cooperate with him, allowing him to pass away with peace of mind.
After watching the film, Zhao Nan and Chen Xuerou were in tears. Zhao Nan even found herself thinking of Lin Feng. She felt that Lin Feng was very similar to the male protagonist in the movie, secretly making sacrifices while trying to match her with Chen Kai. With this thought, Zhao Nan's gaze towards Lin Feng became even more subtle. Perhaps she should calmly reconsider her relationship with Lin Feng. What if Lin Feng truly liked her but was unwilling to express it? Should she give him a chance to express himself? Zhao Nan felt confused.