“We’re having a promotion at our supermarket today, couples’ ‘little umbrellas’ are 50% off. Do you want to grab some while you’re here?”
As she was checking them out, the female staff member’s eyes lit up with a glint of excitement just by glancing at the black stockings in her hand.
She looked at the “couple” in front of her, smiled ambiguously, and enthusiastically began her sales pitch.
“?”
Song Qiuyu was stunned.
The discounted item the staff member mentioned automatically translated in her mind to a term that would earn “performance points” if an auditor saw it.
Jiang Xiao, however, looked puzzled.
He didn’t understand the meaning of “couples’ ‘little umbrellas’,” thinking it might be a literal translation – like umbrellas couples share. But why was Song Qiuyu reacting so strongly?
Song Qiuyu’s reaction was more than just strong.
People genuinely laugh when they’re speechless.
Even if they were mistaken for a couple, they shouldn’t immediately be pushed to buy “little umbrellas,” right? Did they look like people who were about to “do it” right away? She had to explain!
The female staff member, eager to boost her sales, continued, “Our ‘little umbrellas’ here come in many flavors, very popular with young people.
We have orange, apple, strawberry, everything! And all kinds of styles too, even ‘spiked maces’!”
Jiang Xiao, who initially thought he understood, started to doubt himself halfway through, and by the end, he was completely bewildered.
A bit of never-heard-before knowledge was added to his brain.
So, umbrellas had so much to them!
Song Qiuyu watched the female staff member get more and more excited with her sales pitch, her mouth twitching.
She took a shallow breath and observed Jiang Xiao’s reaction.
Just one glance, and by some strange turn of events, her mind recalled the soft, supple touch from earlier in the men’s restroom.
Her slender fingers stiffened, curling slightly within two breaths.
Fruit-flavored, huh?
The female staff member placed a box in front of them.
On top was an orange-flavored “spiked mace.”
Song Qiuyu’s eyelashes fluttered.
If she weren’t Song Qiuyu, if she were truly Shen Xi, or if Jiang Xiao had discovered her identity, perhaps one day, late at night, Jiang Xiao would throw her onto the big bed, then tear open the fruit-flavored packaging with his teeth.
[“Song Qiuyu, this is your favorite orange. Do you want it?”]
[“Jiang Xiao, calm down! Didn’t we agree to be good brothers for life?”]
[“For life? Good brothers? When did I ever agree to something impossible like that?”]
Her ankles, about to flee, were caught by Jiang Xiao.
He pulled them forcefully towards him, placing them on his shoulders.
The orange fragrance permeated the air.
If she could, she’d rather the “spiked mace” be used to bludgeon her to death, rather than “demolish” her.
Song Qiuyu silently lit an incense stick for her brain, offering a prayer for herself.
“Sister, you misunderstood. He and I are both guys. We’re not in that kind of relationship you’re thinking of. We’re just good friends!” She coughed awkwardly, quickly explaining.
As she spoke, the silver chain cuffing their hands jingled, and a corner of the silver handcuffs became visible.
At that moment, the woman who had just been full of warm smiles froze, staring at the handcuffs on their wrists in horror.
Huh? How were they handcuffed? The people behind them in line to check out were also startled, their bodies stiffening unconsciously, wanting to move away from them.
“These are just props for a play. We’re students from the Nanfeng Drama Academy’s directing department.” Jiang Xiao timely pulled out his student ID to prove their identity.
Seeing this, the female staff member sighed in relief, as did the others in line.
They had all been wildly speculating if they were engaged in some strange couple’s role-play.
However, as they finished checking out and left, the staff member’s gaze as she watched them go was indescribably ambiguous.
Playing strange couple games and buying intimate stockings – were they really just ordinary good friends?
“Jiang Xiao, what are you planning to eat for lunch?” Song Qiuyu asked, picking up her phone and trying to call the locksmith again.
Jiang Xiao looked at the shops on both sides of the road, then back at Song Qiuyu, who was on the phone.
“This time the phone is directly off? This must be Mercury retrograde today!”
She hung up, dropping her hand in disappointment, her pretty eye-tails drooping slightly.
Then she put her phone in her pocket and, annoyed, ran a hand through her hair.
Song Qiuyu was almost going crazy.
Jiang Xiao was silent for a moment, then spoke, “Cross-the-Bridge Noodles. What about you?”
“I’ll have Cross-the-Bridge Noodles too then, too lazy to think.”
“…”
Song Qiuyu angrily led Jiang Xiao towards the Cross-the-Bridge Noodle shop by the roadside.
Upon entering, she was successfully deterred by the starting price of fourteen yuan.
In the end, they just went to the fast-food restaurant next door and got an eight-yuan meal.
There were many teaching buildings at South Drama Academy.
At this moment, Lin An and Xie Zhuran were filming their respective individual scenes in an empty classroom in one of them.
The advisor wasn’t present.
After filming for a while, they vaguely smelled the aroma of noodles and rice.
They tacitly stopped filming and turned to look outside the door.
Song Qiuyu and Jiang Xiao had returned, bringing food.
“Take a break. I brought you two bottles of water.” Song Qiuyu waved to them, walked into the classroom, and tossed them two bottles of mineral water.
“Remember to transfer the money.”
“What kind of food did you get? It smells so good!” Xie Zhuran caught the mineral water.
“Your handcuffs still aren’t off?” Lin An also caught the mineral water.
Song Qiuyu answered them one by one, carrying the food and leading Jiang Xiao to a nearby seat.
There was no one else in the classroom, so they didn’t have to hide their handcuffed hands.
Even so, the length of the handcuff chain still limited their movement.
They ate their meal, their synchronization gradually increasing.
Then, Xie Zhuran picked up his phone, aiming the camera at them.
“Don’t you think this scene would be really interesting to film as a behind-the-scenes clip?”
Song Qiuyu’s chewing motion paused, her lips pressed against the disposable chopsticks.
She thought seriously, “Then go ahead and film!”
Jiang Xiao glanced at the camera and quietly continued eating.
With a few clicks, Xie Zhuran took over a dozen photos from various angles, the flash blinking non-stop.
Lin An, with a smile, filmed Xie Zhuran scurrying around like a monkey.
Who said that wouldn’t make for a fun behind-the-scenes clip?
After the meal, there was less than an hour left of their lunch break.
Based on yesterday’s experience, if someone came to teach in this classroom, it would be at least half an hour before class started.
So, Lin An and Xie Zhuran stopped filming and changed out of their acting clothes, packing them away.
Everyone moved their location, arriving early at the classroom for the first class of the afternoon.
Then Lin An and Xie Zhuran sat down and played on their phones.
Song Qiuyu and Jiang Xiao weren’t as energetic as they were.
After the morning’s ordeal, they were both physically and mentally exhausted.
“Jiang Xiao, are you going to take a nap? I’m a bit sleepy.” Song Qiuyu tilted her head and peeked at Jiang Xiao.
Jiang Xiao nodded gently.
“Then why don’t we just make do and sleep together like this?” Song Qiuyu reluctantly opened her phone, listlessly glancing at the chat page for the Drama Department head.
On it, there were still only messages from her.
“Mm.”
Receiving an affirmative reply, Song Qiuyu put down her phone, stretched, yawned, and a tiny tear welled up in the corner of her eye.
“Then let’s sleep.”
With that, she decisively folded her arms slightly on the table, rested her small head on her right arm, faced the other direction, and closed her eyes.
Jiang Xiao didn’t delay either, similarly folding his arms slightly, facing the opposite direction, and closed his eyes.
The classroom fell silent. Their even breathing intertwined, creating soft sounds.
A deeply sleeping Song Qiuyu smacked her lips and unconsciously turned her head.
Unfortunately, Jiang Xiao also unconsciously turned his head shortly after.
They were face to face, their warm breaths mingling, yet completely unaware.
Seeing Xie Zhuran stealthily sneak in front of them, turn off the flash, and raise his phone to prank them under the guise of filming a behind-the-scenes clip, Lin An unhesitatingly raised his own phone.
Click.
She really has quite the imagination