“Are all these clothes behind you yours?”
Hu Yuying was sitting in front of the stall, so Li Qingxue could also see the garments hanging behind her.
“Mhm, all of these are.” Hu Yuying glanced proudly at the densely packed clothes on display.
“They’re really nice. Can I buy one too?” Li Qingxue had her eyes on a white short-sleeved top, which would pair perfectly with the pants she was wearing today—it’d look great.
“Of course!” Hu Yuying replied with a smile.
She then stood up and walked closer to the hanging clothes. “Qingxue, tell me which one you like, and I’ll find your size.”
“This one?”
“Oh, this one’s similar to what I’m wearing. Want me to show you how it looks on?”
After setting her phone down on the small table, she adjusted the angle and slowly stepped back until her entire figure was framed in the camera.
As Hu Yuying came fully into view, the outfit became clear—a simple white ice-silk short-sleeved top paired with sleek black ice-silk trousers.
Under the sunlight, her skin seemed even fairer. Perhaps it was her first time modeling for a phone camera, or maybe it was the growing number of onlookers turning their eyes toward her, but a faint blush crept onto Hu Yuying’s cheeks.
She looked fresh—no, more accurately, there was an innocent, almost naive charm about her.
The simplicity of the clothes somehow accentuated an indescribable purity in her appearance, and the shy flush on her face added a touch of delicate allure to that innocence.
“Um, is this okay?” Hu Yuying asked softly, glancing at the phone on the table.
“Perfect,” Li Qingxue’s voice came through the phone.
Hu Yuying exhaled in relief and quickly stepped forward to pick up her phone again.
“S-so, this is how it looks on.”
“It’s lovely,” Li Qingxue praised warmly, her smile evident in her voice.
Seeing Li Qingxue’s bright grin on the screen, Hu Yuying couldn’t help but giggle softly in response.
Li Qingxue seemed to radiate the best of youth—playful and sharp-witted, yet with a hint of lazy grace. It was hard not to be swept up by her beauty and enthusiasm.
After confirming Li Qingxue’s size, Hu Yuying quickly found the matching piece. “We’re the same size, so this should fit you just fine.”
“But how should I get it to you?”
Li Qingxue chuckled. “By the waterfront. Long Aotian knows the place.”
“Got it. Long Ge went to the restroom, but I’ll let him know when he’s back.”
“Let me know what?” Long Aotian had just returned in time to hear Hu Yuying mention him.
As he approached, he noticed the girl was in the middle of a video call.
“Well, well, good morning!”
“Eek—I haven’t even washed up yet, don’t look!” The moment Li Qingxue saw Long Aotian’s face fill the screen, she immediately ducked under her blanket, leaving only a pair of mischievous, gleaming eyes visible as she scolded him.
“Hahaha, someone’s shy,” Long Aotian teased before stepping aside.
Only after he moved away did Li Qingxue emerge from her blanket cocoon. “Long Aotian, I picked out a top. When you come back, stop by the waterfront so I can grab it.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll bring it over later,” Long Aotian’s voice carried clearly from off-screen.
“Mhm, but no funny business.”
Li Qingxue couldn’t forget how this troublemaker had scammed Ye Liangchen out of 299 yuan in one go.
“He won’t. Long Ge doesn’t pull tricks,” Hu Yuying assured her.
By now, the area was getting busier.
Long Aotian scanned the street and gestured. “Yuying, why don’t you take Li Qingxue around for a bit?”
“Okay! But… will you be fine here alone?”
“Remove the word ‘but.’”
Li Qingxue’s voice crackled through the phone: “Ugh, so full of himself!”
Hu Yuying stifled a laugh and set off with her phone in hand.
“Yuying, what’s that thing over there? It looks so pretty—can you buy one for me? I’ll pay you back along with the top.”
Hearing this, Hu Yuying glanced at the stall owner, then turned away and whispered, “Qingxue, Long Ge said those are fake… not worth it…”
“What about that one? That rainbow cotton candy looks delicious!”
Hu Yuying hurried past before looking back and murmuring, “No good either. Long Ge said those are just food coloring—they’ll stain your mouth…”
Watching Hu Yuying dart from stall to stall, Long Aotian stretched lazily. “Seems like they’re hitting it off.”
“Time for me to kick off today’s hustle.”
With that, he hit the playback button on his speaker.
Instantly, a booming announcement echoed through the market: *“Yiwu Garments! Yiwu Garments! Boss ran off with his mistress! Everything just 19 yuan! All items 19 yuan!”*
By the time Hu Yuying returned, two hours had flown by.
That was… kind of terrifying.
“You’re back. Take a break—we’ll grab food soon.”
“Mhm.” Hu Yuying nodded, then spoke into her phone. “I’ll be getting lunch soon.”
“Alright, I should eat too.”
With that, the call finally ended.
“Seems like you two really clicked,” Long Aotian remarked.
Hu Yuying smiled and nodded. “Yeah, Qingxue’s really easy to talk to. We get along well.”
“She’s going to A University for finance, and I’ll be in business administration. Different departments, but they’re right next to each other.”
Clearly, having a friend in a new city was something to be happy about.
“Oh, and she said she’d bake cookies tonight and bring them to the waterfront.”
“She wants to thank me for showing her around all morning.”
“I told her it wasn’t necessary, but she insisted I try them…” Hu Yuying’s voice trailed off, then she hesitantly added, “Long Ge… can we just give the top to Qingxue for free?”
When no immediate answer came, she peeked up nervously—only to see Long Aotian’s lips twitching.
His hand instinctively dove into his pocket, fingers tightening around a certain rock-hard biscuit. *Damn. Still as unyielding as ever.*
“Yuying, listen to me. Let’s… skip the cookies, okay?”
“Huh? But wouldn’t that be rude? Qingxue’s already started baking them. If I back out now, she might feel bad…” Hu Yuying mumbled, not out of greed but genuine concern.
Li Qingxue had been so excited to share her homemade treats. Backing out after agreeing felt… wrong.
Long Aotian let out a dry laugh and patted her shoulder. “You’re too naive. You have no idea that some ‘food’ in this world could double as construction material…”
“Just give Li Qingxue the top. It’s no big loss…”
**[Hu Yuying: Long Ge says if y’all don’t hit that like button, he’s coming for you…]**