usenovelgroup 091 I treated you like a buddy, but you...
091 I treated you like a buddy, but you...
After taking a shower and changing their clothes, Wang Zhe and Zhu Qi got back into the Audi.
However, besides the two people, there was also Su Xiaocheng in the car. Although she wasn't the one who fell into the water, nor was she the one who wanted to buy clothes, she insisted on coming along, so Zhu Qi let her.
Half an hour later, the car drove into the parking lot of Hangzhou City Building.
After getting out of the car and entering the mall, Zhu Qi asked, "What style do you like? Casual, business, or sporty?"
Wang Zhe casually replied, "I'm not picky, as long as it's comfortable. Anyway, I usually just go to the office at school besides attending classes."
Zhu Qi smiled and nodded: "So, on the premise of comfort? Do you prefer someone more serious and mature, or someone younger and cooler?"
Wang Zhe: "Anything is fine..."
Zhu Qi snapped her fingers: "Then let's try them all! We have plenty of time, we can try different styles."
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaocheng, who was standing next to her, became a little anxious.
Want to try them all? How long would that take?
If Sister Qiqi were to accompany him to try on clothes one by one, and comment on them as "So handsome" or "Try this one across the street"... just thinking about that scene made Su Xiaocheng feel incredibly jealous.
So she quickly interjected, "Sister Qiqi, Wang Zhe only brought a backpack this time, not a suitcase. If he buys too many clothes, there won't be any room to pack them when he gets back."
However, upon hearing this, Zhu Qi not only didn't back down, but her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands, saying, "That's right! Perfect, then let's buy another suitcase!"
Su Xiaocheng: "..."
Wang Zhe was also somewhat dumbfounded.
Although I knew this senior was from a wealthy family, this was still incredibly extravagant.
"No, no, no, senior, there's really no need for that. I just need one set of clothes to change into. If you're going to buy me a suitcase that costs several thousand dollars, that's just too extravagant."
"Don't exaggerate, you're a startup partner! The project is progressing smoothly, so it's only right to give you a small reward. Don't be shy, I'll buy it, you can take it; it's a company benefit."
However, Wang Zhe not only shook his head, but his expression also became serious.
"Senior, you're doing it wrong. As an entrepreneur, you should keep your personal and professional lives separate, and you should be very careful with your money. Our project has only just finished its demo and hasn't even launched yet, let alone made a profit. Every penny should be spent wisely, on servers, outsourced art, and marketing. At a time like this, throwing money around because of personal relationships is a big no-no."
His words were resounding and powerful.
Zhu Qi's eyes were slightly dazed. In a daze, she seemed to see her father reprimanding his subordinates again.
"Then..." Zhu Qi bit her lip, her voice softening, "What if we're not in a business partnership, but just friends?"
Wang Zhe laughed, his tone softening: "As friends, there's no need to spend so much money. Buying an outfit is enough; my backpack can fit it all, so there's really no need to buy a suitcase."
Zhu Qi thought for a moment, seemingly convinced, and nodded: "Okay, I'll do as you say. I'll buy one."
Although she verbally agreed, the admonition from him that "entrepreneurs should keep their public and private affairs separate and be frugal" made her look at Wang Zhe with even greater intensity.
Su Xiaocheng felt a mix of emotions as she watched this scene.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
The three of them went up to the men's clothing floor of the mall.
As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I was greeted by a luxuriously decorated Gucci boutique. The mannequins in the window were wearing the latest season's designs, exuding an aura of wealth.
Zhu Qi pointed to the store entrance and asked casually, "Want to go in and take a look? Their new styles this year seem pretty good."
Wang Zhe glanced at the huge logo and shook his head. "This brand is too flashy; it's not suitable for me to wear to school. Let's go to that other store."
Zhu Qi followed his finger and looked down: "Converse?"
Wang Zhe nodded and said, "I prefer this one."
Of course, he didn't actually like the brand that much; he just guessed that it was the cheapest on this floor, and its style was youthful, which suited the image of a college student.
The three of them entered the Converse store.
The store has a street-style casual vibe, and even the R&B music they play has that trendy street feel.
Wang Zhe didn't ask the sales assistant for recommendations. He wandered around the lobby and casually picked out a simple light-colored short-sleeved shirt, a pair of black cargo pants, and then picked out a pair of classic black high-top canvas shoes from the shoe wall.
"This one will do."
He went into the fitting room and came out less than a minute later.
The light-colored T-shirt accentuated his healthy complexion, the cargo pants highlighted his long legs, and the canvas shoes added a touch of youthful energy. Although they were all basic styles, they looked surprisingly charming on him, thanks to his upright posture and calm, confident demeanor.
Zhu Qi kept staring at the door of the fitting room.
The moment Wang Zhe walked out, her eyes lit up instantly.
"Handsome!" Zhu Qi immediately praised, "You really look handsome. This simple style really suits you; it makes you look especially clean and refreshing."
Wang Zhe smiled, walked to the mirror and looked at himself: "Okay, this one will do."
Just then, Zhu Qi walked to his side and straightened the hem of his clothes with a very natural movement.
Su Xiaocheng was stunned again.
"Is this really all you want?" Zhu Qi still felt it was a bit too little, after all, this amount of money was barely a fraction of what she needed. "How about picking out another sweatshirt? Or trying on some other shoes?"
Wang Zhe looked at Zhu Qi in the mirror, shook his head and said, "Let it go this time. Once our game is launched and profitable, we'll buy everything in sight, and I won't hesitate to rip you off."
Zhu Qi listened to these words and sensed the confidence in them.
Then she couldn't help but laugh, her eyes crinkling: "Then it's a deal. I'll treat you to the best shopping malls in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and I'll even have your black card ready!"
The two smiled at each other, and the atmosphere was incredibly harmonious.
Standing to the side, Su Xiaocheng felt like a 1,000-watt light bulb, and one with such high resistance that it was about to explode.
No, we can't let them keep talking like this!
I need to shift my focus!
Su Xiaocheng's eyes lit up, and she suddenly suggested, "Sister Qiqi, since you're already here, why don't you buy some clothes? I feel that this Converse store would suit your style perfectly!"
Zhu Qi paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll pick out two too."
She walked to the women's clothing section and ran her fingers along the hangers.
Su Xiaocheng quickly moved closer: "Sister Qiqi, how about this hoodie? Or this baseball jacket? They're both really cool!"
However, Zhu Qi's fingers did not linger on those cool, androgynous clothes.
Finally, her hand stopped on a dress.
It was a black denim mini skirt, A-line style, with some distressed frayed edges at the hem.
Zhu Qi picked up the short skirt, held it up against herself, and turned to ask Wang Zhe, "How about this one?"
Before Wang Zhe could speak, Su Xiaocheng froze.
She stared at Zhu Qi with her mouth agape, as if she had seen the sun rise in the west.
Sister Qiqi... picked up the skirt?
You know, ever since Su Xiaocheng met Zhu Qi, she has never seen her wear a skirt! Whether it's in class, drawing, or just hanging out, Zhu Qi always wears pants, going for a look that's even cooler than some guys.
But now, she actually chose a short skirt?
Wang Zhe didn't see anything wrong with it. He glanced at it and nodded, saying, "It's fine. This denim skirt with canvas shoes is a classic combination, both energetic and..."
He paused, swallowed the word "feminine," and used another word, "without losing his playfulness."
"Okay, I'll give it a try."
Zhu Qi took the dress and then grabbed a white fitted T-shirt before walking into the fitting room.
Su Xiaocheng remained frozen in place, like a statue.
It wasn't until the fitting room door closed that she came to her senses, mechanically turning her neck to look at Wang Zhe.
"What's wrong?" Wang Zhe was fixing his hair in front of the mirror when he saw Su Xiaocheng's ghost-like expression and couldn't help but laugh. "Your jaw is about to drop to the ground."
Su Xiaocheng murmured, "Sister Qiqi... never used to wear skirts."
"Really?" Wang Zhe was somewhat surprised.
"She never wears them!" Su Xiaocheng emphasized. "She hates wearing skirts the most, saying they're inconvenient. But just now, why did she choose a short skirt?"
Wang Zhe smiled and said nonchalantly, "What's so surprising about that? People change, maybe she just suddenly wanted to change her style."
In his view, although Zhu Qi usually dresses in a neutral style, she is still a girl. It's perfectly normal for a girl to love beauty and try on a dress.
"normal?"
Su Xiaocheng glanced at him, her gaze becoming increasingly complex, even carrying a hint of resentment.
This is not normal at all!
As the saying goes, a woman dresses up for the one she loves. If a girl who always goes for a neutral style suddenly starts wearing skirts, it's like a gamer who only plays video games suddenly starting to wear perfume – it's definitely because she's found someone she's attracted to!
And who this person is, is there even a need to ask?
Looking at the completely oblivious "culprit" in front of her, Su Xiaocheng felt angry, anxious, and deeply powerless.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Wang Zhe sensed the murderous intent in her eyes, touched his face, and asked, "Is there something on my face?"
Su Xiaocheng took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help but speak.
She walked to Wang Zhe's side, stood slightly on tiptoe, and said in an extremely serious, even somewhat tragic tone:
"We've gotten along really well since we met, so I've always considered you a friend... no, a buddy."
Wang Zhe was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Me too, buddy. What's up?"
Su Xiaocheng turned around, pretending to look at other clothes, so as not to reveal an even more resentful look.
At this moment, Wang Zhe turned around and looked at his pants in the mirror again.
Su Xiaocheng turned around and stared at his back, gritting her teeth, and muttered something quietly in a voice only she could hear:
"I treated you like a buddy, but you...you actually cheated on me!"
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.