But when the two of them finished shopping and walked out of the mall, Shi Nian apologized to Spicy Girl: "My stomach suddenly feels uncomfortable. Can you wait here for a moment? I’ll go to the restroom and be right back."
After saying this, Shi Nian turned and ran. Spicy Girl called from behind: "Are you alright? Should I go with you?"
Shi Nian waved her hand: "No, it’s fine. I can go by myself." New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
She jogged all the way back to the counter, took out her own money, and bought that set she had her eyes on. However, she couldn’t just bring it out directly. If Spicy Girl saw it, they would both feel awkward. So Shi Nian pretended to browse. It just so happened that the counter not only sold bedsheets and covers but also pajamas, towels, etc.
So Shi Nian casually bought a nightgown for herself and two large bath towels, stuffing everything into one bag. The bulging bag perfectly concealed the bedsheet set, and she walked towards the entrance with peace of mind.
When Spicy Girl saw her returning with a big paper bag, she was indeed curious, so she came up to rummage through it. She only found the nightgown and two large bath towels and felt embarrassed to dig deeper. Shi Nian barely escaped a close call.
By the time they walked out of the mall, twilight was setting in. The two of them locked arms, breathing in the floral scents carried from afar by the night breeze, and Shi Nian couldn’t help but drift into thoughts.
Recalling the murder in the morning, it felt like it should have been just a nightmare, not real, right?
Looking at this world, with all the dazzling lights and the happy smiles on pedestrians’ faces, how could there be such ugly crimes or such dark human nature in such a world?
Spicy Girl turned her head to look at her: "What are you thinking about?"
Feeling relaxed now, Shi Nian decided to probe a bit, and seriously looked into Spicy Girl’s eyes: "...Are you upset with me today because you saw me talking to Sean?"
Spicy Girl frowned: "Forget it, it’s all in the past. Maybe I was being overly sensitive."
Shi Nian frowned even more: "...Could it be that you and Sean, um...?"
Spicy Girl stopped in her tracks and looked at Shi Nian earnestly: "Yes, I’m with him, so what? Though he’s older, he doesn’t have a family. Besides, isn’t dating older guys trending back in our country?"
Saying this, Spicy Girl turned her head away, the shifting lights reflecting in her eyes, revealing a hint of loneliness and longing.
"I know you must look down on me. But my family is just working-class, and I spent all their savings to come to M Country. I had enough for tuition but no living expenses. I thought I could find a job here, but I had to first face S and Marina’s bullying as soon as I arrived. I have nothing here, no money, no support."
"Then he was the only one willing to help me. When S and Marina bullied me, he stood up for me. Later, he also helped me find a job, solving my initial problem with living expenses."
She smiled bitterly: "I don’t have anything to repay him with, except myself. So, I agreed to date him. But I made a condition that after being with me, he’s not allowed to pursue other Asian female students."
Spicy Girl’s openness surprised Shi Nian. If everything was indeed , then there really wasn’t much to it. Even though Sean tends to use conditions to pressure people to get what he wants, it’s true that Shi Nian had seen before that Sean had a bit of awe towards Spicy Girl.
That bit of awe, maybe it was genuine care?
Thinking this, Shi Nian felt completely relieved. If it was truly , it was much better, and she could even rekindle her belief that Spicy Girl wasn’t the murderer.
With such minor misunderstandings between them quickly resolved, both Shi Nian and Spicy Girl obviously felt a sense of relief.
Shi Nian then treated Spicy Girl to a meal at a restaurant.
It was a Sichuan restaurant.
The kind of restaurant that was everywhere in China, yet was shockingly expensive in M Country.
Spicy Girl carefully eyed Shi Nian’s wallet: "I appreciate your gesture. But it’s really expensive; even the rich kids at school only come here to splurge on the weekends, not every day."
At this moment, Shi Nian truly felt fortunate to have a good job and no longer needed to rely on Xiang Yuan for all her expenses, as she had in the past four years.
She smiled generously: "I won’t be coming every day either. Consider this as my own welcome dinner, and also a celebration of us becoming roommates."