Chapter 40 Part 1

Zhu Ran returned to the Art Gallery two hours later.

The sunset hung heavily amid the buildings. Zhu Ran walked in through the automatic doors from outside, his cheeks flushed, his eyes more moist than usual, and a smile tugging uncontrollably at the corners of his mouth, as if something very happy had happened.

“Why did it take you so long?” Wang Ruyun asked him.

The smile froze on his face, then gradually faded. Zhu Ran lowered his eyes and said softly, “The customer was a bit troublesome and asked me a lot of questions.”

Wang Ruyun seemed convinced by this explanation and didn’t suspect anything. She asked again, “They didn’t give you a hard time, did they?”

Zhu Ran thought back to what Huo Boyan had done, and even now, it made his face burn with embarrassment. Where was there no trouble? He’d been troubled to death.

But when asked directly, Zhu Ran just kept a straight face and said coldly, “No.”

Wang Ruyun hummed in acknowledgment and said nothing more.

Zhu Ran had no other work that day, so he couldn’t help but start thinking about personal matters. It was already early August now, and what he’d said about thanking Huo Boyan had happened last month—he couldn’t keep putting it off.

The work at the Art Gallery wasn’t heavy; Zhu Ran only interned three days a week. But now that he was living with his mom, every time he went out, he felt on edge, and he simply hadn’t had time to meet Huo Boyan.

Dragging it out forever wasn’t an option, though, so Zhu Ran planned to find a decent excuse to go out. He hadn’t figured it out yet when, during dinner that evening, his aunt suddenly said, “Qixi is coming up. I’ve booked a new resort hotel—Sister, come celebrate the holiday with me.”

Zhu Ran’s uncle was overseas scouting talented artists, and his cousins were traveling abroad. Only his aunt was home for Qixi.

Wang Ruyun was silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement. She even told Zhu Ran to come along.

“What for? Bring Zhu Ran? He’s so outstanding and handsome; there must be countless people asking him out. How could he have time to hang out with us middle-aged ladies?” his aunt teased with a smile, then added, “I never meddle with Zilang and Zi Qing when they’re out. Children have their own blessings; adults should just mind their own business.”

Zhu Ran’s hand tightened around his chopsticks. He vaguely realized his opportunity had come, but he didn’t show it.

Wang Ruyun asked him, “Has anyone asked you out?”

“No, no one’s asked me,” Zhu Ran said. He didn’t feel like he was lying, since he was the one asking Huo Boyan.

Wang Ruyun didn’t want to seem too controlling. She glanced at Zhu Ran and said in a warning tone, “Don’t go running around.”

Zhu Ran didn’t make a sound.

Wang Ruyun added, “Even if you go out to play, you’re not allowed to stay overnight.”

Only then did Zhu Ran nod. “Got it.”

Afraid his mom would change her mind, Zhu Ran stayed completely nonchalant the whole time, acting like he couldn’t care less about going out. It wasn’t until after dinner, back in his room with the door locked, that he dove onto the big bed and finally let his true emotions show—

He could meet Huo Boyan!

Zhu Ran immediately messaged Huo Boyan to set a time. After drafting the message, he suddenly froze. Qixi Festival… Asking Huo Boyan out on this day—wouldn’t that seem too ambiguous?

But the opportunity was rare. If he missed it, who knew when the next one would come…

Huo Boyan had said he was pursuing him, so he probably wouldn’t have plans with someone else on Qixi, right? And if it was work, Zhu Ran could just go to Huo Boyan’s company and wait. It didn’t have to be going out somewhere.

Having sorted that out, Zhu Ran sent the message.

Huo Boyan replied quickly: Time works for me. Any preferences for the date? Tell me what cuisine you want or where you’d like to go, and I’ll arrange it.

Date…

Zhu Ran’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t correct Huo Boyan’s wording. He replied politely that anything was fine, but he couldn’t stay overnight—he had to go home in the evening.

Huo Boyan: Don’t worry. Before we make things official, I won’t take advantage of you.

Zhu Ran: …

Ahhhh, what is this shameless guy saying! Who wants to make things official with you!

Zhu Ran sent a string of shut-up emojis, then tossed his phone aside and buried his face in the soft pillow. Unknowingly, his mind had already started imagining what their meeting would be like.

But there was another issue to solve: He still hadn’t prepared a thank-you gift for Huo Boyan. And since Huo Boyan called it a date, he couldn’t skimp on a date gift either.

Zhu Ran did a carp flip to sit up, nearly tweaking his fragile waist. But he ignored it, dumping all the clothes from his suitcase onto the bed. He regretted finding that everything was so childish—either sportswear or casual stuff, typical college guy attire. Nothing even slightly formal for a… Pfft, for a date.

Well, since he was buying Huo Boyan a gift anyway, Zhu Ran decided to pick out a new outfit for himself too.

His aunt and mom left Friday morning. Zhu Ran didn’t have to go to the Art Gallery that day, so he immediately hailed a cab straight to Central Landmark Plaza.

No matter how many times he passed by, the aura of money here was still overwhelming.

Zhu Ran walked past gleaming luxury stores, picked out a tie clip, and selected a bottle of oceanic men’s perfume. He’d originally planned to get himself some clothes too, but Central Landmark Plaza was all high-end luxury, and while Zhu Ran had some savings, splurging on that level was still a stretch. He decided to head to a more affordable mall.

Then he passed by niuniu and got drawn in by the window mannequin.

Forget it, forget it. Just don’t buy. What money do you even have? Dreaming of luxury wear?

Wait, mid-year sale?

Zhu Ran’s feet turned, and he couldn’t resist the temptation. He went inside.

He’d never bought clothes this expensive before. He scanned the prices and felt it was unnecessary—even with the discount, it was still too pricey. It was just meeting Huo Boyan; no need to dress to the nines.

Unfortunately, the sales associate who greeted him was overly enthusiastic, cooing:

“Wow, sir, you’re so pretty! Forgive me for using that word, but you look perfect for our brand!”

“Is it your first time here? You have to try something on—it’s absolutely made for you!”

“You have this aloof vibe, a well-behaved exterior hiding rebellion, with an artist’s aura—literary and broken, not the type to settle for mediocrity. You’re the embodiment of our brand philosophy.”

Zhu Ran’s mouth twitched. He wanted to say something but held back. Are sales associates this dedicated nowadays?

Of course, it might just be sales talk to hit quotas, but Zhu Ran did match the brand’s aesthetic perfectly, looks and vibe-wise. He picked the outfit the window mannequin was wearing.

Beyond that, the sales associate strongly recommended trying a short skirt and high-waisted blouse.