Chapter 16: I’ll Buy You Clothes Once I Save Enough Money
Yu Deng skipped and bounced down the stairs, taking two or three steps at a time. Zhou Yuejun’s heart pounded along with him.
“Walk properly. Your hat is flying off.”
The moment the hat flew, it drifted backward. The string that should have been under his chin suddenly tightened against Yu Deng’s neck.
Yu Deng felt a bit suffocated. Just as he stopped, Zhou Yuejun’s hand reached over. His powerful fingers hooked the string, readjusting the hat and tying it under his chin.
Yu Deng tilted his chin and pouted: “You tied it so tight! It’s strangling me!”
When he was unhappy, his voice became muffled, as if he might let out a huff at any moment.
Zhou Yuejun quickly loosened it a bit: “We’ll be on the move soon, and there will be wind. If it falls off, you’ll be exposed to the sun. It’s better a bit tight.”
The tricycle was parked in the shade of a tree. There was a stool in the back.
Yu Deng wanted to step up, but just as he raised his foot, he lost his balance and was lifted up by Zhou Yuejun, who held him by the waist.
Seeing Yu Deng sitting on the stool, Zhou Yuejun felt an inexplicable bitterness in his heart, his brows furrowing.
Those small cars wouldn’t let the sun reach people, and he’d heard some of them even had air conditioning.
Zhou Yuejun went to the general store to buy an iced drink for Yu Deng—the kind that was completely frozen. It could be drunk, but it could also be placed nearby to let the coolness radiate out slowly.
“I borrowed the vehicle from someone. We have to bring things back, so hold on while we’re moving.”
Actually, Zhou Yuejun’s driving was quite good and steady, but once the sun came out and shone on a person, it was easy to sweat.
Around seven-thirty, Yu Deng and Zhou Yuejun arrived at the market in the city center.
There were many things sold here—appliances, clothing, furniture, food, and toys.
Yu Deng was dazzled, but he only gave everything a casual glance.
The aisles were crowded, so Zhou Yuejun took Yu Deng’s hand: “Hold on. It’s easy to get separated in a crowd.”
His hand was rough, feeling as though it were covered in thick calluses, but Yu Deng’s hand was soft and silky. He didn’t even dare to grip it firmly.
“Let’s buy the appliances first.” He could spend whatever money was left on Yu Deng.
Yu Deng had no complaints, immersed in the joy of getting a TV and a fridge.
The moment they entered the shop, the owner greeted them warmly.
Zhou Yuejun did all the looking while Yu Deng sat in the draft of a fan, taking two sips of the melting ice water.
Despite being a man of few words normally, Zhou Yuejun’s tongue was quite nimble when it came to bargaining.
Once the price was settled, Zhou Yuejun produced a large stack of money, receiving only two bills back in change.
He told the owner: “Keep them here for now. We’ll come to pick them up in the afternoon.”
It was rare for them to come out; he couldn’t just let Yu Deng follow him and bake in the sun the whole way, could he?
It would be too hot to go back at noon, so they might as well spend the day playing in the city.
This time, Yu Deng didn’t complain about the heat. Because the city center was bustling, even when brushing shoulders with people, Yu Deng was constantly distracted by novel things.
For instance, he found himself unable to move when he saw the iced milk curd at the roadside.
The iced milk curd contained milk, dark tortoise jelly, and fruit. It looked both sweet and cold; Yu Deng was certain it would be delicious.
When he looked at Zhou Yuejun, his eyes were full of craving, and he even licked his lips: “I… I have money, I just forgot to bring it out.”
His money was all given to him by Zhou Yuejun anyway; he hadn’t brought much from the Yu family.
Zhou Yuejun paid, and the gloom on Yu Deng’s face vanished instantly. He took the ice bowl in his hands and took a sip through the straw.
Immediately, his smile bloomed like a flower: “It’s so good! You have a sip.”
Yu Deng held it to Zhou Yuejun’s mouth, and Zhou Yuejun only took a shallow sip to taste it.
Zhou Yuejun fanned him: “Let’s go buy a couple of outfits.”
Yu Deng: “Huh?”
Buying him clothes again?
Whatever he wanted, the man bought. Even when he didn’t ask, the man was eager to buy. This Zhou Yuejun was truly “love-brained.”
Well, if he didn’t develop a big appetite, how would he squander money at school? And how would he think of hooking up with a rich second-generation heir and dumping Zhou Yuejun?
Zhou Yuejun led Yu Deng into a clothing store. Yu Deng chose one piece, and Zhou Yuejun chose another—all in brighter colors. Yu Deng looked good in anything.
Buying new clothes naturally made Yu Deng happy, but he didn’t forget Zhou Yuejun: “Aren’t you buying anything for yourself?”
There were underwear sold here; the solid colors looked better than the prints, and the fabric was soft and comfortable to the touch.
Zhou Yuejun thought about buying a few more pairs for Yu Deng as well: “Not buying. Clothes get ruined at the site. Give me three of these.”
Zhou Yuejun was willing to spend money on Yu Deng, constantly handing out bills. He didn’t feel the pinch, but Yu Deng did.
“Then…”
Yu Deng hesitated for a moment. He felt that since he usually did a good job of being a “vicious cannon fodder,” it wasn’t wrong to be nice to Zhou Yuejun once in a while.
He curled his lips, revealing his small white canines: “Then once I’ve saved enough money, I’ll bring you here to buy some?”
Even though Yu Deng was just saying it, Zhou Yuejun was happy. Because Yu Deng was smiling, his long lashes curved and his eyes flickered with light, reflecting Zhou Yuejun’s face.
It was as if Yu Deng only had eyes for him.
As a bad man, one naturally had to make empty promises, but Yu Deng felt he should be a bit nicer to Zhou Yuejun.
With a little bit of kindness here and there, Zhou Yuejun would surely spend even more money on him.
There was a KFC in the city. Zhou Yuejun didn’t know what they served—he’d never seen it before and only knew it was expensive—but since there was air conditioning inside, he led Yu Deng in.
It was very crowded; they only found two seats in a corner.
The moment Yu Deng sat down, he couldn’t stop sighing: “So comfortable. It’s so cool.”
His pink little face was full of ease, looking like he was drunk—so intoxicated he’d likely stumble and lose his way.
Zhou Yuejun looked at the menu, his expression unchanged: “What do you want to eat? Order for yourself.”
Yu Deng leaned his head against the wall, focused only on enjoyment as he commanded Zhou Yuejun: “I’m not ordering. I want to enjoy the air conditioner. You order.”
Looking at him like that, Zhou Yuejun really wanted to carry an air conditioner home so Yu Deng could enjoy it every day.
He ordered a chicken wing set, a burger, nuggets, fries, and a cola. This single bill cost dozens of yuan; he didn’t even blink.
Because Zhou Yuejun ordered single portions, and he usually ate a lot, Yu Deng couldn’t help but worry about the amount: “Is it enough for the two of us?”
He had just raised his head and caught a glimpse of the prices on the receipt, causing him to gasp.
“So expensive?!”
“They charge four yuan for a single drink! The general store only charges fifty cents.”
“Everything else is expensive too.”
“It’s like they’re robbing me of my money!”
Zhou Yuejun didn’t feel bad about the money. Hearing Yu Deng’s complaints, he even let out a light laugh.
“Don’t you have no money anyway?”
Yu Deng was so anxious he picked at his hands. He couldn’t sit still, almost bouncing off the seat, his face puffed out with indignation.
Zhou Yuejun joked: “I have money. I won’t let you get beaten for eating a meal you can’t pay for.”
Since he’d brought Yu Deng out today, he’d let him have his fill of fun.
“Consider it an early celebration for your Gaokao results tomorrow.”
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