Sun Lingfei held Xu Ze’s card with excitement, circling him once before deciding—today, she would play the role of a stylist. It was time to give her boyfriend a proper makeover.
She couldn’t let Xu Ze keep wearing his old, brandless T-shirts, faded jeans, and worn-out sneakers every day. Normally, it was fine, but if he drove a Maserati dressed like that, people would definitely call him a pretentious show-off.
Ignoring Xu Ze’s protests, she dragged him through several stores—Levi’s, Jack & Jones, Lee—all trendy youth brands. Every time she spotted something she liked, she made him try it on, giving Xu Ze his first painful taste of what it meant to accompany a girl on a shopping spree.
The problem was, ever since Xu Ze had met Xiao Dao, he had grown taller. Though he didn’t look bulky, his lean, toned frame and well-proportioned muscles made clothes hang perfectly on him. Whether it was a T-shirt or a button-up, everything looked good, letting Sun Lingfei indulge in the thrill of dressing up a handsome guy.
The salesgirls, rarely encountering someone who could pull off any outfit so effortlessly, eagerly joined in, offering styling advice—from coordinating pieces to accessorizing. Xu Ze suffered through endless changes, forced to try on and model one item after another…
By the end, he was utterly exhausted but had no choice but to endure the ordeal. He estimated that he had tried on more clothes today than in his entire life up to this point.
But the results were spectacular. When they finally left, Xu Ze was completely transformed—now radiating the stylish, sunlit charm of a fashionable young man, with no trace left of the plain, down-on-his-luck boy from before.
The poor guy, now a certified heartthrob, drew plenty of admiring glances as he walked out. But with seven or eight branded shopping bags in hand and a pained expression on his face, he looked utterly pitiful.
Sun Lingfei, walking beside him, was thoroughly satisfied. Even though she hadn’t bought anything for herself, seeing Xu Ze looking several times more handsome than before filled her with an indescribable joy.
Amid the salesgirls’ repeated cooing of “Your boyfriend is so handsome!”, she found herself naturally linking arms with Xu Ze, strolling out with a bright, carefree smile.
Despite the comfort of having a beauty by his side and the faint fragrance drifting from her, Xu Ze could only force a bitter smile. Women really were born shopaholics. Even though Sun Lingfei hadn’t bought anything for herself, she had spent nearly two hours dressing him up—resulting in four shirts, four pairs of pants, three pairs of shoes, and two long chains. His hands were now full of bags.
Sun Lingfei, still riding the high, had wanted to drag Xu Ze for a haircut next, but he firmly refused. It was almost 10 PM—if they didn’t hurry to the supermarket for daily necessities, the whole trip would have been for nothing.
Luckily, the supermarket run was quick. From toothbrushes and towels to oil, salt, and condiments, they wrapped it up in under half an hour. (Of course, aside from Xu Ze’s underwear, Sun Lingfei excitedly picked out everything else.)
On their way out, Xu Ze handed the lighter clothing bags to Sun Lingfei while he carried the heavier load—a large supermarket bag in his right hand and two shoe bags in his left. A bountiful haul.
Just as they were about to leave the mall, Xu Ze finally breathed a sigh of relief—only for Sun Lingfei to stop abruptly at the exit, her eyes lighting up. Before he could react, she dragged him toward another store.
Kenzo’s L’Eau par Kenzo caught her eye. She picked up the bottle, about to ask the salesgirl to ring it up, when she suddenly remembered something. With a look of alarm, she hastily put it back and pulled Xu Ze away.
Relieved yet puzzled, Xu Ze finally asked as they descended to the parking lot: “You… changed your mind? You actually didn’t buy something you liked?”
“Mmm…” Sun Lingfei’s cheeks flushed. After hesitating, she finally admitted, “You already smell nice naturally… If you wore cologne too… what if…”
“Oh.” Xu Ze hadn’t expected that answer. Flustered, he quickly dropped the subject.
Coincidentally, as they reached the parking lot, they ran into “Brother Wu” and his heavily made-up girlfriend again. The man, about to get into his Toyota, brightened at the sight of them. Though he noticed Xu Ze’s upgraded outfit—making him noticeably more handsome—he still believed his own mature, successful charm was unbeatable.
With a smug smile, he waved. “Need a ride, you two?”
Amused, Xu Ze pressed his car key. The Maserati beside the Toyota beeped twice, making Brother Wu freeze.
Stunned, he looked between the sports car and the approaching couple before it hit him—this was the same guy who had made him buy that painfully expensive phone earlier. He had been played.
Someone who drove this wouldn’t hesitate over a phone’s price. The kid had tricked him!
Furious but realizing he was out of his league, Brother Wu forced an awkward laugh, hurried into his car, and sped off with his stunned girlfriend.
Watching his retreat, Xu Ze and Sun Lingfei burst into laughter the moment they got into the Maserati.
Back at the residential complex, Sun Lingfei insisted on seeing Xu Ze’s new place. Though it was past 10 PM, he relented, and they carried their bags up to the 15th floor of Building D.
The moment the door opened, Sun Lingfei rushed in, marveling at the décor and the living room’s massive floor-to-ceiling window. After tossing her shopping bags onto the couch, she dashed straight for Xu Ze’s bedroom—she remembered him saying his balcony faced her window, meaning his room overlooked North Lake.
Xu Ze, meanwhile, unpacked groceries in the kitchen before storing toiletries in the bathroom. Just then, Sun Lingfei’s shriek came from his room:
“Xu Ze! I’m swapping apartments with you!”
Chuckling, he walked in to find her sprawled on his bed, looking blissful and unwilling to leave. “Swapping’s not happening… but if you like it, you can move in. I wouldn’t mind.”
“Hmph! In your dreams!” Sun Lingfei huffed, cheeks reddening as she recalled that night. “You already got me to ‘sleep with you’ once. Don’t push your luck!”
“Alright, alright,” Xu Ze laughed. “If you like it so much, you can stay here tonight. I’ll take the guest room.”
Tempted, Sun Lingfei bit her lip. “No… Li Xiaorui’s waiting for me. If I don’t go back, who knows what she’ll imagine…”
Xu Ze smiled at her adorable pout, but it was late. If she didn’t return soon, her roommate would get the wrong idea. “Okay, you’ve seen the place. Time to go. I’m exhausted from your ‘abuse’ today—I’ve got class tomorrow.”
“Fine, fine.” Reluctantly, she got up, pausing at the window to take in the view of North Lake in the darkness before sighing and leaving the room.
As he walked her out, Xu Ze’s heart twinged at her reluctance. Without thinking, he offered, “Don’t look so down. I’ll give you a key tomorrow. Come by whenever you want.”
Sun Lingfei blinked, then beamed. “Really? Your place is way bigger than mine!” Delighted, she added, “I’ll visit often then. And stock your fridge—your cooking’s even better than Xiaorui’s!”
Pleased with her excuse, she waved breezily—only to spin back, narrowing her eyes. “Xu Ze, you better give me that key. Forget, and I’ll bring Xiaorui to claim your apartment. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll remember,” he sighed, already regretting his offer. Peace and quiet? Gone.
Watching her slender figure disappear into the elevator, Xu Ze felt a faint loneliness—but also a quiet warmth. I really do like this feeling…
Closing the door, he surveyed the spacious, now-too-quiet apartment. The dorm, for all its chaos—Luozi’s snoring, Gangzi and Fatty’s late-night gaming shouts—suddenly felt much cozier.
After a hot shower, he padded barefoot back to his room, collapsing onto the soft bed. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, channeling his focus inward, into the depths of his energy center.
I’ll keep pushing forward—faster, stronger. No more tears.
