Chapter 82: The Qualifications of a Girlfriend
The next day, October 24th, on the day of the frost descent, it was suitable for traveling, meeting friends, and trading. In the comprehensive commercial area of Q District in City C, silver, white, blue, and black buildings of various heights and shapes, along with elevated pedestrian bridges and underground passages, strung together bustling streets, creating a complex urban maze.
The city’s prosperity seemed to cater to everyone, yet it was completely inconsiderate, numbing those who were familiar and marginalizing those who were not.
This was Jiang Yao’s first time shopping in the C BD area, holding a fashion magazine and a cup of juice, looking completely bewildered.
“Fortunately, it’s a weekday today, so there aren’t many people.”
Zhong Jing parked the car, and as soon as he emerged from the underground passage, he saw Jiang Yao gazing at the surrounding skyscrapers in a daze, causing him to smile: “Have you thought about where to go first? I’ll just lend a hand.”
“I don’t know…” Jiang Yao redirected her gaze to Zhong Jing’s face, looking a bit awkward, “It was always my sister who bought these things, and I only had to wear them and complain…”
“You bought this magazine on the way here, were you planning on cramming at the last minute?”
Zhong Jing glanced at the fashion magazine in Jiang Yao’s hand and couldn’t help but touch his face, taking a deep breath: “Looking at those won’t help in a hurry. Alright, stick close, and watch me!”
“That’s why I asked you for help. You know so many women, and being a scumbag, you should be well-versed in women’s clothing…”
Jiang Yao pouted and honestly followed Zhong Jing’s side.
Hearing this, Zhong Jing halted, his expression one of mixed laughter and helplessness: “Why is it every time you mention my strengths, the angle you take is different from everyone else? No wonder you argue with Jiang Yan.”
“What kind of person do you think you are? Is there another explanation? Anyway, I bragged that I would buy the clothes. I don’t care if she gets angry…”
Jiang Yao muttered stubbornly as she casually tossed the magazine and juice cup into a trash can they passed, “Since she’s not here, she can’t blame me if I buy the wrong thing.”
“Did you really argue? You two don’t look like that… What was it about?”
As Zhong Jing guided Jiang Yao into a luxurious shopping plaza, he continued to ponder how serious the disagreement between Jiang Yao and Jiang Yan had actually become.
“Hey? Brother Jing, what are you doing here?”
Suddenly, a tall and pretty young woman emerged from the bustling crowd, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, blinking her large beautiful eyes in surprise at Zhong Jing and the light golden-haired girl beside him.
“Hehe… Xiao Nuo, long time no see.”
Zhong Jing felt a chill, quickly forcing a smile, lacking in charm and heavy with embarrassment.
“A few months ago, didn’t you say you were going abroad to study? Who is she, your new employee?”
The woman, referred to as Xiao Nuo, gradually cooled her expression, looking skeptically at the pair before her, her tone turning unfriendly: “So, the second young master of the Zhong family, who has prioritized career and studies while sidelining relationships… Is this how you feel once the novelty wears off? I put food right in front of you, and you find all sorts of excuses to reject it, then immediately switch to someone else?”
“Hey, you guys chat. This has nothing to do with me!”
Seeing Zhong Jing looking around awkwardly, Jiang Yao suddenly laughed, quickly throwing a playful look at the beautiful woman before heading towards the distant escalator and rolling her eyes back at Zhong Jing.
Standing by the glass railing on the second floor, she could only see the beautiful woman tugging at Zhong Jing’s sleeve, but couldn’t hear their conversation. The malicious curiosity in Jiang Yao’s heart was gradually replaced by an odd sense of discomfort.
She isn’t that pretty; her temper is even weirder than mine. No, why should I compare myself to her… Such a scumbag wouldn’t want you; you should look for your own reasons, okay… Jiang Yao suddenly recalled some online jokes and found herself matching them to her own situation.
About five minutes later, with an angry huff, the urban beauty turned and left, and Zhong Jing hurried upstairs to Jiang Yao’s side.
“Just a small issue, an old client.” Zhong Jing said lightly, glancing at his watch, “Let’s go, and aim to finish before lunch. There are several good specialty stores upstairs; it should be enough for you to buy an entire season’s clothes.”
“You come here often? Was it always to accompany those women to shop? No wonder you’re so confident in helping me,” Jiang Yao pretended to be calm and asked.
The young man said nothing, slowly moving ahead, his eyes scanning each store as if he’d already entered a state, ignoring Jiang Yao’s sarcasm.
Zhong Jing’s handsome and dashing figure still attracted the attention of several women in the mall, even on this weekday with fewer people.
On the other hand, the girl beside him, dressed in a somewhat plain sports long shirt and jeans, would have seemed uncoordinated next to him if not for her striking light golden ponytail and attractive face.
“This one, and that one. Oh, don’t forget that scarf.”
“This outfit doesn’t suit your temperament; it makes you look older. Don’t look any further.”
“If you aren’t very sensitive to the cold, this long knit sweater will do, but it has to be paired with leggings and high boots.”
Zhong Jing exhibited the expertise of a connoisseur of women’s clothing, quickly filling their shopping cart with a variety of packages at a high efficiency.
What about my sister? I can’t help her choose…
Jiang Yao looked at the shopping cart piled high with clothes, shoes, and socks, doubting Zhong Jing’s confidence while also feeling somewhat embarrassed because they didn’t need to revisit the changing room for fittings—the decisions were made on the spot.
Zhong Jing’s unusual grasp of his own size had even reached a level that made Jiang Yao feel somewhat unsettled.
Hmm, I’m looking; right, this set can be for her. I notice she seems to like cool colors.
The store over there, the second row from the right—it’s college-style and would suit her.
There’s another store on the fourth floor with a style similar to those in the clubs; I estimate Jiang Yan will like it, though it’s slightly pricier.
Zhong Jing operated like a finely tuned machine, from route to store, completely devoid of any wasted time. Soon, a second shopping cart was filled.
Especially with every store they entered, the salespeople’s compliments were piercing, causing Jiang Yao’s ears to heat up continuously.
For example: “The styles chosen by this gentleman for his girlfriend are spot on.”
Or: “The color your boyfriend chose should be even better!”
You really are a scumbag; you even remember my sister’s sizes and styles!?
Before noon even struck, Zhong Jing’s grand shopping spree for autumn and winter was successfully concluded, taking less than two hours.
Jiang Yao stared in horror at the two fully loaded shopping carts teetering on the verge of overflowing with packages. Initially, she thought Zhong Jing was professional and efficient at helping women pick clothing, but realizing not only her but also Jiang Yan’s needs could be resolved so quickly made her mindset almost explosive.
This feeling was akin to a long-servant betraying her.
Uh… My strength is being particularly sensitive to women’s clothing parameters… Hey, why are you hitting me?
Zhong Jing shielded his sore arm, smiling as he watched Jiang Yao’s sudden emotional shift, feeling quite joyous. “I excel at providing quality life advice to others; it’s a professional habit.”
What kind of perverse profession is constantly worrying about women’s matters?
Jiang Yao bit her lip and murmured softly, “Just so you know, these are all things I chose and paid for myself; you can’t say you helped me. Remember that.”
Girls usually come to buy a little every week, enjoying the gradual pleasure of shopping, yet you’re eager to buy everything for both autumn and winter at once. It’s just like my habit, which is why I got into the groove so quickly… Don’t just stand there; let’s load up the car. We’re still racing against lunchtime.
Zhong Jing moved item by item into the car. In the spacious Bentley hybrid SUV, the trunk and back seat were filled to the brim with various packages. However, in Zhong Jing’s view, this would be ample for a girl who valued quality of life to last for about three months of freshness.
“Zhong Jing… that girl this morning, was she someone you used to play with… When you said we could get along, did you mean it in this sense?”
Jiang Yao suddenly felt afraid, taking two small steps back uncontrollably, her face turning a mix of red and white: “I… I think we should skip lunch; I need to go home first!”
As she said this, Jiang Yao hurriedly walked towards the mall passage leading to the underground parking lot, as though avoiding some monstrous presence.
Zhong Jing’s brow furrowed, quickly catching up a few steps and gripping Jiang Yao’s arm firmly: “Don’t be like this.”
“My sister has always said I have a problem, once I get close to someone, I lose my sense of measure. I’m afraid it will lead to misunderstandings later on…” Jiang Yao didn’t dare look at Zhong Jing’s face, her expression anxious, “I won’t be your friend anymore, and I won’t ask for your help…”
Zhong Jing took a deep breath, pulled out a cigarette and lit it, sitting down by a nearby fire hydrant and silently smoking. Meanwhile, Jiang Yao stood not far away in the underground parking lot pedestrian passage D, silent, as if waiting for something.
After finishing a whole cigarette, Zhong Jing calmly said, “What are you so nervous about? With your current attitude, you aren’t even qualified to be my girlfriend…”
“Hey! You hit me again! I speak the truth and you hit me; I joke and you hit me! Do you really think I have no temper to deal with you!?”
Zhong Jing jumped up, avoiding Jiang Yao’s incoming kick with a face of helpless laughter.
“You hitting me is outrageous… My sister was right; I’m actually quite foolish, unable to distinguish between your truths and lies. Anyway, you can’t treat me like that girl from this morning!”
Fuming, Jiang Yao walked back to the car, squeezed into the passenger seat, and turned her head to the side.
Perhaps to erase the memory of the earlier awkwardness, Jiang Yao started playfully nagging, while Zhong Jing wore a cheeky grin from beginning to end, as he perfectly played the role of a tool person. Jiang Yao’s kind of unpretentious silliness was uniquely hers among all the women he knew, making it worth his while.
In the afternoon, Zhong Jing drove to the entrance of a small street. Seemingly enlightened, his expression suddenly changed: “I forgot your home is inside. This is a pedestrian street; do you want to move things in and out all the way? Don’t your family have a small electric car?”
“I forgot too…” Jiang Yao awkwardly grabbed a few bags beside her, opened the car door, and felt a headache.
For the next hour, they went back and forth, bringing garment packages from the car and returning repeatedly between the car and her home, a few hundred meters distance.
Jiang Yao quietly stood at the small yard’s entrance, silently delivering one batch of clothing packages at a time to the living room, not even glancing at Zhong Jing.
“Does Jiang Yao hold a grudge against me? I only asked her once initially; could she really remember that?” Zhong Jing was already sweating profusely as he handed the last batch of bags to Jiang Yao, his tone somewhat awkward: “You must’ve had a serious argument yesterday. It seems she doesn’t welcome me into the house either; maybe I should leave.”
“You’re saying it as if I welcome you into my house! If it weren’t for me clarifying things yesterday, she would’ve wished to kill you… Anyway, thank you for today.”
Recalling the argument from yesterday, when she mentioned how their aunt did not come, she found herself embarrassed as the entire narrative had been disjointed, almost leading Jiang Yao to emotional breakdown.
“What kind of person did you portray me as in front of Jiang Yao?” Zhong Jing, feeling exhausted, sat back in the car without starting it for a while.
“What kind of person are you? Is it even necessary for me to say?” Jiang Yao shot him a cold smile and turned to walk down the alley.
“Heh, why are you so hot one moment, and cold the next…” Taking out a cigarette and lighting it, Zhong Jing’s mind conjured the image of a certain elegant Japanese socialite, leading him to self-deprecate.
Unlike most women, what she likely needed wasn’t consideration, but external control and dominance. What kind of bullying did she experience as a child… Amidst the swirling smoke, watching Jiang Yao’s figure gradually fade away, Zhong Jing couldn’t help but smile in helplessness.
