Chu Yang chuckled, while Zhang Jingzhi rolled her eyes at her and pouted at Xiao Xiao, saying, "Are we sisters? Honestly! I didn't even have time to go home and change! I'm just wearing your clothes, and you're so stingy! Humph!"
"Fine! I give up! You choose, okay?" Xiao Xiao opened the door to the dressing room and laughed.
Zhang Jingzhi rushed in and rummaged through Xiao Xiao's wardrobe, turning it upside down, but couldn't find a single satisfactory piece of clothing. They were either too revealing or too provocative.
Seeing that Zhang Jingzhi was causing trouble, Chu Yang said, "I'm going to find He Yiyang first," and ran off.
"Xiao Xiao, you earn quite a bit, can't you buy a piece of clothing that can cover you up a bit more?"
"Please! Sister, any one of my clothes is worth half a month's salary for you!" Xiao Xiao said.
Zhang Jingzhi picked up a very low-cut sweater with two fingers, and said with a sneer, "You call this a winter outfit?"
Xiao Xiao rolled her eyes at her, "The clothes have to match, understand? Sis? Who told you to go around with your neck bare?"
Finally, Xiao Xiao couldn't bear to see her wardrobe being so ravaged, so she picked out a set of clothes for Zhang Jingzhi and asked, "Sister, do you trust me?"
"ah?"
“If you trust me, wear this, okay? I guarantee Yang Lei will stare at you!" Xiao Xiao said, handing her a light green short coat.
Zhang Jingzhi put it on with some skepticism, then looked at the somewhat oversized coat that barely reached her thighs, paired with black high-waisted trousers. She couldn't help but grin: "Xiao Xiao, you can actually wear this out? This coat is so childish! And it's a round neck! And these trousers, this—"
"Chanel, do you understand? I only let you wear it because you have great legs! That's exactly the kind of innocent and stunning look I wanted!"
"It's 'amazing' and 'stunning' enough, but whether it's truly 'amazing' is another matter."
"Do you want it or not? This is it! If you don't want it, then leave!" Xiao Xiao lost her patience, closed the wardrobe door, leaned against it, and said with her arms crossed.
Actually, Zhang Jingzhi trusted Xiao Xiao's judgment quite a bit, but she had always dressed like a well-bred young lady, so it wasn't surprising that she was dressed like this all of a sudden. Luckily, they were even wearing the same shoe size. Xiao Xiao found her a pair of matching boots. "Here! A big bag to match the outfit! And long gloves! You can take the sunglasses or not, it's only afternoon anyway, and it'll probably get dark soon!" With that, she was about to kick her out.
"No, no rush, I haven't put on makeup yet! Can I borrow your luxury items again?" Zhang Jingzhi called out again.
Xiao Xiao finally managed to get Zhang Jingzhi out the door and breathed a sigh of relief. She figured Zhang Jingzhi would have to come back to pack her things soon, so she only had this short time to catch up on some sleep. Just as she climbed into bed, the doorbell rang again. Xiao Xiao was furious. She had taken a whole day off, and couldn't she even get a moment to sleep? That dawdling Zhang Jingzhi! The clothes were hers, the makeup was hers—it was as if the "core" inside wasn't Xiao Xiao herself!
"Are you ever going to shut up? I might as well go on your date instead!" Xiao Xiao shouted as she opened the door, then stopped abruptly, frozen in place.
Xiao Xiao (revised)
Jiang Sicheng stood outside the door, stunned.
Since she was at home, Xiao Xiao deviated from her usual sophisticated and sexy attire, wearing only a white long-sleeved knit sweater and a pair of baggy khaki casual pants. Although it concealed some of her figure, it also exuded a lazy innocence.
The mesh of the knitted sweater was a bit large, and you could vaguely see the patterned underwear she wore underneath.
Jiang Sicheng was stunned for a moment, and then his face turned red again!
Xiao Xiao truly felt helpless with the man in front of her. She hadn't said a word, hadn't seduced him, and hadn't bothered him, so why was his face turning red again? Xiao Xiao raised the corners of her lips, a charming smile on her face, "Officer Jiang, did you knock on the wrong door?"
Jiang Sicheng lowered his head, one hand in his pocket, the other hand lightly clenched into a fist in front of him, his thumb constantly rubbing his index finger joint.
Xiao Xiao waited for a long time before she heard him say in a low voice, "No, I came to find you."
"Looking for me?" Xiao Xiao deliberately drew out the "me," leaned against the security door with her arms crossed, and chuckled as she looked at Jiang Sicheng. "Officer Jiang, did I hear that right? What do you want? I haven't done anything to you this time, have I? I haven't even left the house yet today, so it's not a traffic violation, is it? Or have you changed careers and stopped being a traffic cop and started working as a beat cop?"
Jiang Sicheng pursed his lips and looked up at Xiao Xiao, "Could you let me in first before we talk?"
Xiao Xiao chuckled and shook her head. "No, please don't go in. We're a man and a woman alone together. Even if you don't care about my pitifully poor reputation, you should at least think about yourself, right? You're such a bright and pure young man. If you go through this door, aren't you afraid I'll lose my bestial instincts and do something to you?"
Jiang Sicheng originally came today intending to apologize to Xiao Xiao properly, but seeing Xiao Xiao's attitude, his anger rose again. However, he was in the wrong first, so he couldn't blame the girl for being petty. He decided to just bear with it.
He silently looked at Xiao Xiao, who, not to be outdone, looked up and met his gaze.
A neighbor passing by saw this pair practicing their eye contact and was puzzled, so he couldn't help but take a second look.
"Can't you speak properly?" Jiang Sicheng asked, glancing awkwardly at Xiao Xiao's neighbor.
"No way!" Xiao Xiao sneered, completely unconcerned about the neighbors' strange looks. "I didn't invite you here, I just like to say it! What's it to you? Hey! What are you doing? Let go!"
Jiang Sicheng grabbed Xiao Xiao's shoulders with his hands, ignoring her cries, and forcefully dragged her into the house. The door slammed shut behind them. Xiao Xiao angrily said, "This is trespassing!"
Jiang Sicheng was also a little angry, "So what if I trespassed? What are you going to do about it?"
When he said that, Xiao Xiao was a little stunned. This young traffic cop could also cheat? She looked up at Jiang Sicheng and stared directly into his eyes.
Jiang Sicheng felt a little guilty under her gaze, turned his head to avoid her eyes, and blushed slightly.
Xiao Xiao suddenly laughed. She was confused. Why was she so anxious and upset about this man? Seeing Jiang Sicheng avoiding her gaze, Xiao Xiao mischievously followed his gaze. The more he avoided her, the more she chased after him.
Jiang Sicheng lowered his head, and Xiao Xiao leaned forward to get closer to him. Seeing that his face was about to blush again, she deliberately smiled and said, "Oh, I understand. You've fallen for me, haven't you?"
His eyes darted around in a panic, and he quickly pushed Xiao Xiao away, "No, no!"
"Then why did you contact me?" Xiao Xiao pressed.
Jiang Sicheng avoided Xiao Xiao and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"Huh? What did you say?" Xiao Xiao found the young policeman even more interesting; he was quite fun to tease.
Jiang Sicheng knew that Xiao Xiao was deliberately teasing him. He glanced at her with slight annoyance and said, "I'm sorry, I apologize for what I said that day!"
Xiao Xiao chuckled, gathered her disheveled hair to one side, and stared at Jiang Sicheng without saying a word.
“I…I apologize, I didn’t mean to say those things that day,” he said.
"So what did you want to say that day?" Xiao Xiao asked with a cold smile.
Jiang Sicheng remained silent, his face flushed.
Xiao Xiao opened the door and gestured for them to enter.
Jiang Sicheng stood there motionless.
"What? You really want me to use my ultimate move?" Xiao Xiao laughed lightly.
Jiang Sicheng stared at Xiao Xiao for a moment, then finally turned and walked towards the door. Xiao Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and was about to close the door when he blocked it with his hand. "Actually, what I wanted to say was that I think I really like you a little," he said softly.
Xiao Xiao paused in closing the door, which was then pushed open by Jiang Sicheng. His face flushed even more, but he still mustered the courage to look directly at Xiao Xiao. Xiao Xiao was taken aback at first, then smiled again, raising an eyebrow at Jiang Sicheng as she held the door and asked, "Hmm?"
"I said I like you!" he said again, his eyes showing a hint of panic, yet surprisingly bright, like two small flames burning, reflecting red on his face.
Xiao Xiao stared at him quietly for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly, as if she had heard a funny joke, and turned her face away with a smile.
This was the first time she had lost in a direct eye contact with him.
Her laughter made him feel a little embarrassed. Besides panic, he also felt ashamed and angry at being mocked. Perhaps he was bewitched. She was laughing at him, but he still didn't want to run away. He just stood there watching her with his lips pursed.
Xiao Xiao finally stopped laughing, turned around to look at him, and asked with a smile, "And then?"
She was playing tricks on him again! Seeing the smile in her eyes and brows, he felt a surge of anger. He pursed his lips even tighter, making his entire face stiffen, but he still refused to speak.
Seeing his awkward expression, Xiao Xiao found it even more amusing, and a playful urge arose within her. She laughed and asked, "You really like me?"
Jiang Sicheng looked at her and nodded solemnly.
"Alright, since you like me, then kiss me," Xiao Xiao said with a light laugh, lifting her face closer to him. "Come on, give me a kiss, show me some sincerity."
Jiang Sicheng stood there, blushing and embarrassed as he looked at Xiao Xiao. Seeing her lips so close to his eyes, he suddenly felt flustered.
"Officer Jiang, I know your heart is very healthy and beats very strongly, but could you please slow it down a bit?" Xiao Xiao teased, mischievously moving closer to him.
Jiang Sicheng awkwardly grabbed Xiao Xiao's shoulder as she leaned closer, and said in embarrassment and anger, "You?..."
Xiao Xiao chuckled, "What's wrong with me? I've always been a very casual woman, it's not like you're finding out for the first time!" As she spoke, she deliberately moved closer to Jiang Sicheng.
Seeing Jiang Sicheng frowning and twisting his shoulders, Xiao Xiao chuckled inwardly. Sure enough, this trick was most effective on men like him! But it was a pity to scare this young traffic cop away like that. Such an interesting man was hard to find these days!
"Come on, give me a kiss. If you dare to kiss me, I'll be your girlfriend!" Xiao Xiao was still being arrogant, confident that Jiang Sicheng was too shy to kiss her.
Jiang Sicheng frowned even more deeply, and his eyes flashed with anger.
Xiao Xiao then withdrew her strength and sneered, "Since you're not going to kiss me, then Officer Jiang, please go back. I don't have time to play these childish love games with you. Didn't you say yourself that I'm a casual woman? What I need is a man, not—"
"Do you keep your word?" Jiang Sicheng suddenly interrupted her.
Xiao Xiao was stunned. "Huh?" Before she could react, she felt Jiang Sicheng's hand on her shoulder tighten and she was pulled into his arms. Then Jiang Sicheng's lips "collided" with hers.
Yes, it wasn't a kiss, it was a bump, and quite a bump at that. Xiao Xiao's lips collided with her front teeth without warning, and her tongue immediately tasted a slightly metallic sweetness.
Xiao Xiao felt a sharp pain in her lips, and Jiang Sicheng's lips had already left hers.
She then realized why he had suddenly asked that question, and looked up at Jiang Sicheng angrily, only to see a sly smile in his eyes. Xiao Xiao was momentarily stunned.
Jiang Sicheng released his hand, his face tense, and said, "You have to keep your word!" Without waiting for Xiao Xiao to speak, he turned around and hurried downstairs. Only after he reached the exit did he steady his steps, reach out and touch his burning lips, only then realizing that they were actually a little sore inside.
Zhang Jingzhi (revised)
When Zhang Jingzhi arrived at the meeting place, she glanced at her watch and realized she was a full hour early. She felt a pang of annoyance, thinking how pathetic she was to be so impatient! She also felt a bit resentful towards Xiao Xiao; if Xiao Xiao hadn't been in such a hurry to get her out, she would have dawdled a little longer and wouldn't have been so early!
If Wang Yuhan knew this, he'd laugh at her for ages. He once said that you could tell a man and woman's active or passive relationship just by how early or late they arrived at a date! Whoever arrived earlier was already at a disadvantage from the start!
Although Wang Yuhan is not a very good person, there is some truth to what he says, and Zhang Jingzhi acknowledges that!
The outfit Xiao Xiao chose for her was quite eye-catching. Ever since she got off the bus, she had received an unprecedented number of stares. Zhang Jingzhi felt a little uneasy, unsure whether the stares were because it looked good or because it seemed strange. Wearing such a bright color in the dead of winter required a certain level of mental fortitude; she really wouldn't dare to wear it out without it.
Zhang Jingzhi had intended to wander around the area to while away the hour, but she felt awkward wearing Xiao Xiao's outfit, so she had no choice but to sit down in the coffee shop across the street to kill time. The location was quite good; she could see the entrance of the restaurant across the street right away, and she could spot Yang Lei as soon as he arrived.
Zhang Jingzhi thought that she would wait until Yang Lei arrived before going to see him. This way, she could show her modesty and also demonstrate that she was a punctual girl. Wang Yuhan had also said that most men appreciated girls who were punctual.
After drinking a cup of coffee, Zhang Jingzhi felt a bit sleepy. She had been so worried about Ming Lei last night that she had barely slept. Now that she was feeling sleepy, and with the soothing music playing, she couldn't help but nod off. Just as she was dozing off, she felt someone sitting opposite her. Feeling a little strange, she forced her eyelids open to look. As soon as she saw it, her drowsiness vanished. There she was, Yang Lei, looking at her with a gentle smile on his face.
Zhang Jingzhi was so embarrassed that she sat up straight in an instant and stammered, "You, what brings you here?"
Yang Lei was taken aback by her question, then laughed, "If I didn't come, wouldn't I be breaking our promise? You arrived a long time ago?"
"No," Zhang Jingzhi quickly smiled gently, "I just arrived too." She regretted saying it immediately; she was going to fall asleep as soon as she arrived? Wasn't that obviously a lie?
Fortunately, Yang Lei didn't dwell on the issue. Zhang Jingzhi perked up, a gentle, slightly shy smile on her face as she looked at the coffee cup in front of her, but she was also secretly wondering how Yang Lei knew she was here.
Seeing Zhang Jingzhi's expression, Yang Lei chuckled softly and said, "Zhang Jingzhi, judging from your usual behavior, I never imagined you could be so muddle-headed."
"Huh?" This time she was truly confused.
Yang Lei chuckled, pointed across the street, and said, "Silly girl, you've come to the wrong place! Luckily I saw you outside. Don't you even know what you can eat here!"
But she didn't go into the wrong place! She came to this coffee shop on purpose! Zhang Jingzhi found this problem difficult to explain. She either had to admit that she was confused, or she had to confess to Yang Lei that she had come here to avoid arriving early for their date!
"Let's go!" Yang Lei stood up and went to pay the bill for Zhang Jingzhi. Seeing this, Zhang Jingzhi quickly put on her coat and followed him. When Yang Lei turned around and saw Zhang Jingzhi's coat, his eyes lit up, and he sincerely praised, "It's beautiful!"
Zhang Jingzhi felt her face getting hot. She smiled shyly at Yang Lei, unsure of how to respond. According to Western custom, she should say "thank you," but Chinese people should say "not at all." Just as she was struggling with this dilemma, she noticed that Yang Lei naturally took her hand and pulled her outside.