He furrowed his brows slightly and, on sweeping his gaze farther, saw Shen Mianmian still two meters behind. Her short legs worked like they were motorized, thumping along until she caught up with him.
"Brother He, why have you stopped moving?"
Could it be he had purposely stopped to wait for her?
Shen Mianmian felt somewhat embarrassed; she really hadn’t been slacking off and had been trying her best to keep up with him.
But the street was crowded, and he moved quickly. Every time she had paused to catch her breath, she had found herself lagging far behind him.
Her small face, because of the running, had turned rosy, and her long eyelashes fluttered like little fans, which made her look especially adorable.
Because of her running, her hair no longer stood up as stiffly as before.
A softness flickered in the depths of his eyes, a tenderness he himself hadn’t even noticed.
"There are hair ties for sale here."
Reminded by him, Shen Mianmian only then remembered her current appearance.
During her fight with Wang Erfeng, her hair tie had snapped. Although she hadn’t looked in a mirror, she knew her hair must be as disheveled as a bird’s nest.
The person who had gone with her to buy shoes was fortunately He Nan. When the shopkeeper mistook them for siblings, he hadn’t retorted.
If it had been Li Yue instead, he probably would have maintained several meters of distance from her as they walked.
As this thought crossed her mind, she recalled the scene of her jogging behind him and couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
Meeting his gaze, Shen Mianmian’s cheeks turned a slight shade of red with embarrassment. She immediately ran over to the vendor to select a hair tie. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝓷𝓮𝓽
The vendor, watching Shen Mianmian’s frantic demeanor, wondered if the girl had money to pay.
But then, seeing He Nan following behind her, she immediately picked out a relatively prettier—and pricier—hair tie and handed it to Shen Mianmian.
"Young lady, buy this one. It’s pretty and suits a young girl like you to wear."
Shen Mianmian glanced at the hair tie with a big red flower and felt a slight twitch in the corner of her mouth. If she truly had the mindset of a sixteen-year-old, she might have liked it, but adding up both her lifetimes, she was almost sixty and really couldn’t appreciate it.
She scanned the vendor’s selection and chose a black elastic band with a strawberry charm, "Vendor, I want this one."
"This one is just ten cents." Seeing Shen Mianmian pick such a cheap item, the vendor looked slightly disappointed.
Being young really means being young. Other girls who brought men to shop would buy whatever looked good or was expensive, but this one? Just a ten-cent item.
This man obviously had money; why was this girl so foolish?
"Young lady, take another look. See if there’s anything else you like," the vendor signaled to Shen Mianmian insistently. "I also have hair clips, headbands, and scarves here."
She brought out several that she thought were pretty enough to tempt Shen Mianmian.
"I just want this one," Shen Mianmian said, unmoved, as she gathered her hair and tied it up.
It was only then that the vendor saw Shen Mianmian’s face clearly. Previously, with her hair all messy like a madwoman’s, her beauty hadn’t shone through. Now, casually tied back, her whole face was exposed, and the vendor realized how stunning the girl was, like a porcelain doll. No wonder the man, who seemed so capable, was willing to accompany her shopping.
Noticing the shoes He Nan was carrying, which were obviously for girls, it appeared he intended to replace Shen Mianmian’s entire outfit from head to toe!
The vendor felt both envious and a bit sour. With such good looks and wealth, why hadn’t she met someone like that in her youth?
Then, looking at her own reflection, she suddenly deflated.
Even being ten years younger wouldn’t have helped with her looks.