A while later, Chai Shuqing came out wearing each outfit and asked Chai Qianning to give her her opinion. Chai Qianning glanced at them and unanimously praised them as very beautiful and suitable for her.
So in the afternoon, Chai Qianning wanted to pick out a nice outfit to wear when she went to eat all-you-can-eat barbecue with Sheng Muxi.
When asked for her opinion, Chai Shuqing replied that they were all very good-looking.
Chai Qianning clicked her tongue, saying she was being perfunctory.
Chai Shuqing stared at her skirt for a while, then pointed to the light gray sweatpants on the bed: "Sis, why don't you wear those?"
"Why?" Chai Qianning couldn't help but retort mercilessly, "Do you think I'm going to participate in a track and field meet?!"
Chai Shuqing blinked and recalled the times when Sheng Muxi taught English to their class.
—The scene of her striding confidently onto the podium in high heels, instantly silencing the noisy class.
Thinking that Ms. Sheng probably wears high heels regularly, she said, "Think about it, if Ms. Sheng twists her ankle in her high heels, it will be convenient for you to carry her or hug her back."
Chai Qianning paused for a moment, her fingers gripping the corner of the skirt. She turned to look at her for a few seconds and said, "You've really thought of everything."
“I’m just afraid,” Chai Qianning paused, “that I might be the one who needs to be carried around.”
Chai Shuqing: "?"
“Didn’t you say I get out of breath after three steps?” She looked at Chai Shuqing: “Then if I go to eat with Teacher Sheng, I’ll have to walk at least several hundred steps. I might end up in the ICU because of my asthma.”
Chai Shuqing: "..."
——
With just over an hour left before heading out for dinner, Chai Qianning still hadn't decided what to wear.
After thinking it over, she picked up the light gray casual sweatpants and put them on.
It's just going out for a meal with friends; dressing too formally, like a date, makes it even stranger.
So she picked out a white, loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt from the closet and put it on.
Then, she went to the dressing mirror and put on a natural makeup look.
What had been agonizing over for most of the afternoon was finally resolved in half an hour.
She looked at herself in the mirror and finally felt much better.
She usually eats casually with her friends, but when she went out to eat with Sheng Muxi, she specially washed her hair and dressed up a little, which was quite deliberate.
Therefore, there's no need for any other fancy clothes; simple and casual is fine, otherwise it will seem too purposeful.
Just as she was about to leave to go upstairs to find Sheng Muxi, Chai Shuqing suddenly ran over and asked her which barbecue restaurant she had booked.
Chai Qianning's eyelashes fluttered: "What, you want to book the same barbecue restaurant as me?"
"No." Chai Shuqing glanced at her phone a few times. "Tell me the location so I can avoid you and Teacher Sheng."
.
After reminding her to remember to take her keys when she goes out, to be careful when she is out, and not to come back too late, Chai Qianning went upstairs to find Sheng Muxi.
Sheng Muxi was just leaving when the two of them took the elevator down to the basement parking lot and got into Sheng Muxi's car.
Perhaps because Chai Shuqing mentioned her sprained ankle, Chai Qianning paid a few more glances. Sheng Muxi was indeed wearing high heels, paired with a black long skirt with a cinched waist that accentuated her slender and beautiful figure.
The other person was wearing makeup, making her look much more glamorous than when she was without makeup. Tassel-shaped earrings hung from both earlobes, and under the elevator lights, the light spots resting on them flashed into Chai Qianning's eyes.
He has a mature and composed demeanor, with a touch of mystery.
She didn't know if Sheng Muxi usually dressed like this when she went out with friends, or if she only dressed like this when she went out to eat with her.
But it must be said that this makes Chai Qianning appear like her student.
Chai Qianning smiled inwardly, but when she spoke, there was a hint of teasing in her voice: "Teacher Sheng, people who don't know better would think you're taking your students out to eat."
At this point, Sheng Muxi paused for some reason, but Chai Qianning breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Sheng Muxi did not seem unhappy.
Sheng Muxi just smiled and stared at her loosely dressed clothes for a few seconds: "Wearing your loose and casual short-sleeved shirt will make me look fat."
The two got into the car; Sheng Muxi drove, and Chai Qianning sat in the passenger seat.
While fastening her seatbelt, Chai Qianning said, "Teacher Sheng, where are you fat?" She glanced at the other woman's slender waist and thought to herself, "You just have big breasts."
But she didn't say it so bluntly; instead, she said indirectly, "I can't pull off clothes like yours."
As the car drove out of the residential area, not wanting to disturb Sheng Muxi's driving, Chai Qianning remained silent the entire way.
The barbecue restaurant is located in a bustling commercial area of City A, and has a total of six floors.
The first floor sells jewelry, bags, and electronics; the second floor is a supermarket; the third floor sells clothes; the fourth floor is for entertainment, including a movie theater; and the fifth and sixth floors are for food.
The barbecue restaurant is on the top floor, the sixth floor.
Because it was the weekend, the store was quite crowded, but Chai Qianning didn't have to wait long after getting her number before it was their turn.
The barbecue took almost an hour to eat. Chai Qianning was more interested in grilling than in eating.
She didn't have a big appetite to begin with, but in order to keep Sheng Muxi company, she could only eat slowly, taking a bite and then looking down at her phone.
Halfway through her meal, she went to the restroom. When she returned, she saw a girl next to Sheng Muxi, seemingly asking for her WeChat ID.
By the time Chai Qianning returned, the girl had already left.
After sitting down, Chai Qianning stared at the sizzling steam rising from the grill paper for a while, then casually asked, "Did someone ask you for your WeChat just now?"
"Um."
Did you give it to me?
"I didn't think giving her my WeChat would be a big deal," Sheng Muxi paused.
Chai Qianning raised her eyelashes.
"But the moment she asked if we could date, I felt it was a bit too fast. Who starts dating someone they've known for less than a minute?" Sheng Muxi looked at her, her eyes sparkling and captivating.
Chai Qianning swallowed, and Sheng Muxi continued, "You agree, right?"
"Hmm... I guess." Chai Qianning lowered her eyelashes. "If she hadn't asked you right away if you wanted to date, would you have actually given her your WeChat?"
Sheng Muxi thought for a moment and said, "Maybe, if we're just getting to know each other as friends first. After all, it might not seem right to reject someone like that."
“Aside from online sellers, who would ask a stranger for their WeChat ID just to be friends?” Chai Qianning muttered, picking up a piece of meat and taking a bite.
Sheng Muxi held chopsticks in one hand and fiddled with a keychain in the other.
Chai Qianning noticed that the eye-catching little green pendant was still hanging on her keychain.
This design originated from a lesbian dating app. Wearing it implies that the person is a lesbian, single, and hoping to be approached by someone.
It's unclear whether Sheng Muxi knew the meaning of the pattern, but he just casually hung it on the keychain.
Chai Qianning slightly raised her chin towards the keychain: "Do you really like this pendant?"
"This?" Sheng Muxi lowered her gaze. "Ah, this is alright. I wouldn't say I really like it. It's just a pendant. My friend gave it to me."
Sheng Muxi thought for a moment and then said, "My friend insists that this thing can attract romance."
She rubbed it a few times with her fingertips, clearly not believing that such a small thing could attract love; it seemed too mystical.
But then he seemed to remember something: "By the way, it used to be always guys asking for my WeChat, but lately it seems like there are more girls asking for it."
She looked up and saw Chai Qianning staring at her with a hooked gaze, then slowly reached out her hand: "Then, could I borrow it to hang for a while?"
Chapter 13 Couple Styles
Their seats were right next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a view of the city at night. The city lights and streetlights on the road were intertwined and dazzling, creating a lively and bustling scene.
Sheng Muxi picked up the small keychain with a hint of suspicion: "You like this?"
"Mmm." Chai Qianning rested her chin on her hand. "Let me see if it can attract romance."
"Are you lacking in romantic prospects lately?" Sheng Muxi asked.
“It’s missing.” Chai Qianning looked at her fingers with interest.
Sheng Muxi hesitated for a few seconds, but still took the small pendant off the keychain: "Then you can have it."
After saying that, she seemed to realize that something was wrong, but the pendant was already in Chai Qianning's hands.
Words spoken are like water spilled; there's no reason to take them back.
Chai Qianning didn't hang the pendant on her keychain. Instead, she held it between her thumb and forefinger, looked at it a few times under the light, and then put it in her palm.
After finishing their barbecue, the two went to the fifth floor for a while. Sheng Muxi saw some yogurt fruit salad and asked Chai Qianning if she wanted to try it.
"If you want to eat it, then buy it. I don't need it."
Sheng Muxi looked into the other person's eyes for a few seconds: "You don't like it?"
Chai Qianning spoke frankly: "I don't really like yogurt."
As if she had thought of something, Sheng Muxi pondered for a moment and asked, "Then why did you make yogurt fruit salad by yourself last time?"
Chai Qianning was quite direct: "I made it for you."
"Hmm?" Sheng Muxi turned her head to the side in the crowd: "How did you know I like to eat this?"
"I accidentally saw the yogurt and fruit salad you ordered in your trash can last time, so I guessed it." Chai Qianning casually played with the small green pendant, leaning against the railing on the glass side, waiting for Sheng Muxi to go buy the fruit salad.
Looking down from the fifth floor, the first floor was bustling with people, and the lights from the ceiling made the floor shine. Chai Qianning was playing with the pendant when it suddenly fell to the ground.
As she bent down to pick it up, a girl walked past her and picked it up for her first.
She thanked her, and the girl glanced at her a few more times before leaving. Sheng Muxi returned at that moment and handed her a fruit salad without yogurt.
"This fruit salad doesn't have yogurt."
Chai Qianning smiled and said, "Then let's not call it fruit salad, let's call it fruit platter."
Sheng Muxi and Chai Qianning walked and ate, then sat down on a bench in front of a large floor-to-ceiling window. Chai Qianning faced the window and looked outside, chewing her fruit in small bites.
At this moment, Sheng Muxi's thoughts suddenly began to wander.
So, when Chai Qianning made yogurt fruit salad last time, she didn't put bananas in it. Did you see the note on her takeout order that she didn't want bananas?
She couldn't help but recall the scene after she bought the fruit salad, when a girl picked up the pendant for Chai Qian Ning and then glanced at her a few more times. She inexplicably thought of what Chai Qian Ning had said at the barbecue restaurant—that she wanted this pendant to attract romance.
So, almost without thinking, she took out her phone, intending to ask Shi Manwen about it, since it was Shi Manwen who had given her this pendant.