Finally, the weekend arrived.
Zhou Zhuofei stuck exactly to her original plan—sleeping in, enjoying a good meal, and then heading out in the afternoon with Xiao Wang to shop at the busiest downtown commercial district.
The streets were bustling with people over the weekend—families out together, couples on sweet dates, and groups of students trying to make the most of the last days of summer vacation. The lively atmosphere was almost overwhelming at times.
Zhou Zhuofei had never been fond of noisy, crowded places, yet shopping somehow felt incomplete without the energy of a crowd.
Humans were contradictory creatures like that. Even those who craved solitude needed to soak up the "human buzz" every now and then.
Take shopping, for example. She wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it, but being dragged out occasionally wasn’t so bad.
The key factor was who accompanied her.
If she went shopping with Du Yu, the essence of the outing was conversation—walking around was just something to do while they chatted, or a way to spark new topics.
They might critique who in the world would buy certain clothes or play the dull yet oddly addictive game of guessing prices.
With Xiao Wang, however, he was genuinely invested in the activity, often scrutinizing items more carefully than Zhou Zhuofei herself. He’d actively help her pick and choose, offering styling advice.
On top of that, Zhou Zhuofei was never one to agonize over decisions. She worked hard precisely so she wouldn’t have to check price tags the moment she saw something she liked.
As a result, their shopping trip went smoothly—one providing thoughtful suggestions, the other paying without hesitation. Zhou Zhuofei not only found a trench coat she loved but also bought several other outfits.
This was largely thanks to Xiao Wang’s help.
Instead of bluntly asking Zhou Zhuofei about her preferences, he observed. She had clear likes and dislikes and would outright state why something didn’t appeal to her.
So, by paying attention and relying on his understanding of her tastes, he could deduce what she’d like and make recommendations accordingly. Even if she hadn’t been actively looking for clothes, she’d still be willing to try something that matched her aesthetic.
It just went to show—when someone put effort into everything they did, even dating became a thoughtful endeavor.
After buying a few items, Zhou Zhuofei felt they’d shopped enough and promptly called it quits, insisting on taking Xiao Wang to buy an apron next.
The trench coat would have to wait for cooler weather, but the apron could be put to use today!
Compared to the brand-name boutiques upstairs, the shops on the basement level were more casual and affordable, designed to attract foot traffic.
Zhou Zhuofei spotted a fresh juice stand as soon as they arrived and pulled Xiao Wang over to join the queue.
Ahead of them stood a group of young men and women, all stylishly dressed but unmistakably youthful in their demeanor.
A quick listen to their chatter—topics like GPAs and roommates—confirmed Zhou Zhuofei’s guess: college students.
She turned to share this observation with Xiao Wang but noticed an odd expression on his face—he was staring blankly ahead.
"What’s wrong?" she asked.
Xiao Wang hesitated, which only piqued her curiosity further.
Just as she was about to press him, one of the boys in front turned around by chance and froze in surprise. "Bro?"
His friends also glanced back at the sound. "Su Chen, is this your brother?"
"Wow, he’s so handsome!"
The moment she heard that address, Zhou Zhuofei understood—Xiao Wang must have recognized Su Chen earlier and been unsure whether to greet him.
She studied Xiao Wang’s expression closely. Having known him long enough, she could tell he wasn’t entirely at ease—he was wearing the polite, professional smile he reserved for coworkers.
"Out with friends today?"
"Yeah, these are all my high school classmates." Su Chen was clearly outgoing and talkative, already introducing each friend to Xiao Wang one by one.
By the time Su Chen was in high school, Xiao Wang had already moved out, so he wasn’t familiar with that part of his brother’s life. Likewise, Su Chen’s friends had only heard rumors about his older brother and were now eyeing him with curiosity.
"This guy was my desk mate for two years—I mentioned him to you once."
"Hey, big bro! Su Chen used to call me ‘godfather’ all the time back then."
"Shut up," Su Chen retorted with a laugh, shoving his friend. "Don’t listen to him. I was obviously the one playing dad."
Xiao Wang greeted them warmly. "Nice to meet you all. Since we’ve run into each other, let me treat everyone to juice."
The group immediately protested.
"No, no, we’ve got our own money!"
"Seriously, big bro, you don’t have to—make Su Chen pay!"
"Why should I treat you? Dream on! Bro, don’t bother—these guys are loaded."
As he spoke, Su Chen kept sneaking glances at Zhou Zhuofei. His brother wasn’t working overtime or visiting family on a weekend but was instead shopping downtown with a beautiful woman—something was definitely up.
But he couldn’t just ask outright. What if she was just a client or coworker? That’d only cause trouble.
His mom would definitely nag him about it later.
Zhou Zhuofei noticed Su Chen’s furtive looks and smiled at him.
Su Chen immediately flushed and averted his gaze, as if caught red-handed.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wang was saying, "It’s fine. Whether I pay or Su Chen pays, it’s all the same. Order whatever you’d like—no need to hold back."
"Uh…"
The college kids weren’t completely clueless about social cues, so they all turned to Su Chen for his take.
With a careless wave, Su Chen said, "Just pick whatever. When my brother says he’s treating, he means it."
At that, the group erupted in gratitude, laying on the praise thick.
"Wow, thanks, big bro!"
"Su Chen’s the best—free drinks just for tagging along!"
"This isn’t a brother; this is a whole dad!"
"Give it a rest with the family roleplay jokes. Nobody’s laughing."
The young crowd’s energy was undeniably infectious. Though Xiao Wang had initially seemed off, their cheerful banter lifted his spirits, and his smile grew more genuine.
"Have fun today, everyone."
Soon, it was their turn to order. After the students had all chosen their drinks, Xiao Wang leaned closer to Zhou Zhuofei and asked softly, "What would you like?"
The shift in his tone was unmistakable—anyone could tell these two weren’t just acquaintances. But since even Su Chen didn’t pry, his friends certainly wouldn’t overstep.
Zhou Zhuofei had already decided while waiting in line. Without hesitation, she answered, "Green grape and pear, please."
As Xiao Wang confirmed the order with the cashier, Zhou Zhuofei was momentarily distracted until Su Chen’s voice suddenly sounded beside her.
"Hey, sis… are you and my brother coworkers?"
She turned to find that Su Chen had broken away from the group to approach her, his nosy intentions obvious.
Zhou Zhuofei smiled faintly and gave a vague reply. "You could say that. I do work at Huanyu, but we’re in different departments."
Su Chen wasn’t discouraged by not getting the answer he wanted. If his earlier assumption had been just speculation, after hearing their conversation, he felt he was probably spot-on—his older brother must be in a relationship.
Though he’d never been in one himself, his roommate had!
"So… can I call you sis-in-law?"
So blunt? Zhou Zhuofei glanced at him in surprise, thinking the personalities of these two brothers were worlds apart.
But the term "sis-in-law" felt so unfamiliar that Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t quite accept it yet. She said, "You can call me Sister Zhouzhou. My name is Zhou Zhuofei."
Su Chen immediately switched gears. "No problem! Nice to meet you, Sister Zhouzhou. I’m Su Chen—Chen as in ‘morning.’"
His enthusiasm was genuine and far from off-putting.
"Nice to meet you too. Xiao Wang mentioned you before. You’re still in university, right?"
"Yeah, but I’ll graduate next year."
"So you’re about to start working? Or are you continuing your studies?"
"I haven’t decided yet. I was actually planning to ask my brother for advice."
"It really depends on your own plans." Zhou Zhuofei shared some thoughts from her own experience, knowing Xiao Wang cared about his younger brother. Naturally, she took the conversation more seriously.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wang finished paying and turned around with the receipt, only to find Zhou Zhuofei chatting with Su Chen?
He wasn’t surprised they got along—Zhou Zhuofei could easily warm up to anyone if she wanted to.
But the person she was talking to… was Su Chen.
Xiao Wang knew how irrational his feelings were, yet he couldn’t stop himself from caring. The internal conflict between impulse and restraint finally drove him to step in and interrupt their conversation.
"What are you two talking about?"
"Graduation," Zhou Zhuofei replied. "I was discussing whether your brother should pursue further studies or start working."
"Bro, you’re way too secretive! You didn’t even tell the family you’re dating." Su Chen joked with exaggerated dramatics. "But don’t worry, I’ve had your juice—I know how to keep a secret!"
Su Chen completely understood why his brother kept personal matters private. Adults needed their own space, and once parents got involved, there’d be no end to the questions—especially since their mom was particularly chatty.
So he immediately picked his side—he’d stand firmly with his brother, sworn to secrecy.
Xiao Wang hadn’t actually thought that far ahead. He was just used to handling personal matters alone and never considered informing his family.
Still, hearing Su Chen’s words brought him some relief.
"Then I’ll leave it to you."
Su Chen grinned brightly. "No big deal. You two grab your drinks and go—don’t let me interrupt your date."
So Xiao Wang waited for the honeydew-pear juice to be ready, had the staff pack it, and the two said their goodbyes before leaving.
Su Chen was the most enthusiastic. Though he’d only known Zhou Zhuofei for about ten minutes, she’d left an excellent impression.
Besides, she was his brother’s girlfriend—of course she was the best!
"Bye, Sister Zhouzhou! Let’s game together next time."
"Sure, I’ll add you later."
The moment they turned away, Xiao Wang asked, "You added each other?"
"Just on the gaming platform." Earlier, Su Chen had casually dropped a gaming reference, and Zhou Zhuofei had played along, only to realize they were kindred spirits.
Hearing this, Xiao Wang didn’t press further. When it came to gaming, he was out of his depth.
He took Zhou Zhuofei’s hand. "Let’s go buy that apron."
