Chapter 68 - 66: Don’t We Seem Like a Couple on a Blind Date?

Chapter 68: Chapter 66: Don’t We Seem Like a Couple on a Blind Date?

With everyone watching, Chen Yuan left.

Watching his retreating figure, Fang Youning pouted, feeling a little miffed.

’Why couldn’t he stay a little longer? Even if he was busy, he should have at least waited until I finished singing before leaving.’

’Then again, he probably went to study his vocabulary. Staying would have been a waste of time for him, so I guess I get it.’

While Fang Youning was grumbling to herself, Chen Yuan had already left the main building, reached the campus gate, and hailed a taxi to Qingyue City.

On the way, he received a message from Jiang Wanyi. She was also on her way and would be arriving soon.

Besides Jiang Wanyi’s message, there was also one from Fang Youning.

She told him she had advanced and could now compete in the Campus Top Ten Singers competition in the auditorium.

’The professional judges really knew their stuff. If she hadn’t advanced after that, it would have been completely rigged. After all, her version of "Lupin Flower" wasn’t overly childish.’

After arriving at Qingyue City, they arranged to meet by the elevators on the first floor.

After waiting a few minutes, he saw Jiang Wanyi appear on the escalator.

He glanced at his watch. It was 5:40 PM, twenty minutes earlier than they had planned.

But neither of them would have imagined that just a few hours earlier, they had been so close to each other.

Jiang Wanyi was wearing a gray patterned skirt and a light cyan, flutter-sleeved knit top. A thin belt cinched her waist, creating a look that was both fashionable and full of mature, feminine charm.

She wore a pair of nude-colored flats adorned with gold studs. Looking at her complete outfit, it was hard to associate her with being a mother.

"Did the baby look for you when you left?" Chen Yuan asked with a smile.

"Don’t even ask. I was scared to death."

"What happened? Is the baby not feeling well?"

Chen Yuan’s reaction made Jiang Wanyi pause.

She hadn’t expected him to be concerned about that, and an indescribable warmth flowed through her heart.

’He seems to care about Mili just as much as I do.’

"She’s fine, but she suddenly called out ’Daddy.’ My mom was right there, and it gave me a huge scare."

"Kids say the darndest things. What’s there to be afraid of?"

"I was afraid my mom would get the wrong idea. There are no men in the house, so who would she be calling ’Daddy’?"

"You’re insulting my gender."

"As long as I know what really happened, that’s enough," Jiang Wanyi said with a smile.

"Let’s go, we can browse around. That baby store just opened, and it’s pretty big. Today’s the last day of their grand opening sale, let’s see if there’s anything useful."

"Okay."

Since it wasn’t the weekend, the mall wasn’t as crowded as one might expect.

It was Chen Yuan’s first time here, and the interior decor seemed to align more with a younger generation’s aesthetic.

Jiang Wanyi glanced down at her clothes, plucked a stray hair off, and tugged at the fabric a few times, adjusting her outfit to look more presentable.

"Can you see if there’s anything wrong with my makeup?" Jiang Wanyi asked, looking at Chen Yuan.

"It’s fine."

"Don’t be so dismissive. Look properly."

Jiang Wanyi leaned a little closer. "Is my foundation cakey?"

"No, really. Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?"

"Several people looked at me as soon as we came in. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my clothes, so I wanted you to check if my makeup is cakey or smudged."

"Isn’t that normal? People stare when they see someone good-looking. It’s a daily struggle I have to face. Just a minor annoyance, I’m used to it."

"It’s not normal." Jiang Wanyi said, her expression doubtful.

"I even saw some people laughing. Snickering, actually. Maybe this outfit isn’t appropriate for my age, and they’re starting to point and whisper?"

"Are you kidding? Count every single person in this mall, and not one of them compares to you. What right do they have to point fingers?"

"Don’t say that. Look at the women working at the counters, they’re all gorgeous."

Jiang Wanyi’s heart swelled with delight, and her anxiety subsided. She whispered:

"But people really are snickering. If you don’t believe me, just watch."

As the two of them walked toward the baby store, Chen Yuan also started paying attention.

’It looked like she was right. But it probably had nothing to do with her outfit, and her makeup was fine, too.’

’What the hell is everyone whispering for?’

"I think I know why they’re laughing," Chen Yuan said suddenly.

"Why?" Jiang Wanyi asked.

"I’m not telling you."

"You’re so annoying! Hurry up and tell me," Jiang Wanyi whined playfully.

"I can’t tell you right now. I need to run a little test."

"What kind of test?"

Chen Yuan held out an arm. Jiang Wanyi knew what he was asking and felt a little embarrassed.

"You want me to take your arm?"

"It’s not just about taking my arm. We’re conducting a test."

She wrinkled her delicate, nimble nose, her face flushing with a captivating, girlish coyness.

"I have a feeling this ’test’ is just an excuse. You have ulterior motives, don’t you?"

"So, are you going to try it or not?"

"Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll give you a chance today."

Tentatively, Jiang Wanyi looped her hand through Chen Yuan’s arm, and her heart couldn’t help but race.

’It had been a very long time since she’d held a man’s arm like this.’

The moment Jiang Wanyi took his arm, Chen Yuan also felt something shift.

’It really felt like he was out shopping with his girlfriend.’

What set his mind racing the most was the softness pressing against his arm, a touch so light it was almost not there, like the tentative push-and-pull between a man and a woman.

"Didn’t you say you were running a test? Can you tell me the results now?"

Jiang Wanyi said this on purpose.

’She figured Chen Yuan just wanted to experience this feeling and had come up with this excuse.’

’This whole ’test’ business was just an excuse the little rascal had come up with.’

Meanwhile, she was trying her best to control the distance between them—not too close, but not too far either.

’Those two mounds were attached to her own body, so she could feel even the lightest touch.’

’If they were a couple, this kind of contact would be perfectly fine; the woman wouldn’t even think twice about it.’

’But their relationship was a bit... complicated.’

’But her hand was already linked through his arm. They were so close, she couldn’t just pointedly pull away now, could she?’

After a few seconds of internal conflict, Jiang Wanyi decided to stop thinking about it.

’He hadn’t just touched them, he’d seen them when he helped her with lactation. Getting worked up over this little thing now felt a bit melodramatic.’

"Look at the passersby in the mall. See? No one is snickering anymore, right?"

Subconsciously, Jiang Wanyi focused her attention on the other shoppers.

She realized it was just as Chen Yuan said. It seemed like no one was looking at her anymore. Everyone was focused on their own affairs, a stark contrast to moments ago.

"What’s going on? They stopped looking at me just because I took your arm?"

"Yep."

Jiang Wanyi was completely baffled.

"Why is that?"

"Let go of my arm first."

Jiang Wanyi still didn’t understand, but she did as he said.

"Look at us right now. Don’t we look like two people who met on a blind date, hit it off, and are now on their first date, too awkward to dare make any move with their hands?"