C19 Shopping

Gu Yifan shot him a glare. It was all his fault she forgot about picking someone up at the airport. Otherwise, by now, she would have already charmed Zuo Xiuran with her looks and taken him to meet Hsu Moyan.

"If you tell me why, maybe I can arrange a meeting with Zuo Xiuran for you," he suggested, raising an eyebrow and offering an enticing deal.

Yifan hesitated, then asked, "Do you really know Zuo Xiuran?"

He nodded confidently. "Of course, no one knows him better than I do. So, if you tell me the reason, I'll take you to meet him. But you have to agree to one condition."

"What condition?" Yifan asked quickly. As long as it wasn't too much, she was willing to agree.

"Go shopping with me," he said with a sigh. "My family has kept me cooped up for so long, not letting me shop. It's my only hobby, and I really want someone to go with me!"

Yifan felt relieved. Just shopping? That was fine. She could handle that. "I agree, but when will you take me to see Zuo Xiuran? Don't tell me I have to wait years or decades. I don't want to play word games with you."

"Don't worry. If you go shopping with me today, I promise you'll meet Zuo Xiuran tonight. I always keep my word," he replied, his usually carefree tone unusually serious.

At that moment, two girls beside Gu Yifan looked upset, their faces still wet with tears. She clearly heard one of them say, "What a shame, Zuo Xiuran didn't make this flight."

For some reason, Gu Yifan felt a strange sensation she couldn't quite identify. Then she noticed the peculiar person in front of her adjusting their mask and putting on sunglasses, trying to blend in like just another traveler.

Suddenly, Gu Yifan remembered a saying: anyone heavily disguised at the airport is either a terrorist or a celebrity. Seeing how confident this person was about meeting Zuo Xiuran, she had a revelation. This must be Zuo Xiuran himself. All that talk about being grounded by family was nonsense; he was just avoiding being recognized by fans.

Gu Yifan decided to test her theory. She pointed at the person in front of her, eyes gleaming, and whispered, "Careful with your mask, don't get spotted."

Sure enough, the person glanced nervously behind them.

"..."

Busted. This woman's intuition was spot on.

Zuo Xiuran snapped back to reality and, lowering his voice, threatened, "Don't speak too loudly, or I'll kiss you right here and make you famous too."

Gu Yifan, now in control, wasn't fazed by his threat. "If you dare kiss me, I'll say you assaulted me when I was thirteen."

Zuo Xiuran had never encountered such a bold woman before, someone who could say things like that without batting an eye. Weren't women supposed to be shy and reserved when they met him? This was intriguing.

With a newfound interest, Zuo Xiuran took Gu Yifan's hand and started walking toward the airport exit. "Since you need something from me, if you don't keep me company, I won't go with you."

"Are you coming with me now?" Gu Yifan clicked her tongue. "If you don't, I'll shout harassment."

Zuo Xiuran felt a headache coming on. Why had he decided to strike up a conversation with this woman? If she wanted to fantasize about him, so be it; it wouldn't hurt him. But now he was stuck in a tricky situation.

Gu Yifan, sensing his change in attitude, softened her tone. "I can go shopping with you, but you have to agree to meet someone."

"Who?" The mention of meeting someone made things clearer for Zuo Xiuran. His contract was about to expire, and many entertainment companies were trying to sign him. However, he was considering starting his own studio to avoid being controlled by a company.

The news hadn't been released yet, so those companies hadn't given up.

"Which company are you with? You're quite interesting."

Gu Yifan waved her hand dismissively. "I'm not with any company. I've just been asked to pick you up and take you to meet someone. That's all I'm responsible for."

"Who's that person?"

"That's Hsu Moyan," Gu Yifan replied directly. "Once you meet him, I'm out of the picture. Whatever you discuss with him has nothing to do with me."

Zuo Xiuran nodded. "Then take me to the busiest street in A City."

"The busiest? Aren't you worried about being recognized?" Gu Yifan was curious why this person was so keen on shopping.

"Of course I'm worried, but it's been so long since I last went shopping. I really, really want to," Zuo Xiuran shrugged.

They hailed a cab and headed straight to the bustling pedestrian street. Standing amid the lively crowd, Zuo Xiuran looked helplessly at Gu Yifan. "You brought me to a pedestrian street. Do you really think I'd buy anything here?"

Gu Yifan didn't mind. "Why not? I know you guys get your clothes from sponsors, and there are rules about what you eat and drink. So, I guess you're here to enjoy some food. The big malls all have the same stuff, but if you want something authentic, this is the place."

Zuo Xiuran laughed, patting his head in realization. "Right, right, I was overthinking it."

The summer heat couldn't stop people from shopping, so the pedestrian street was packed. The two of them were jostled around in the crowd, getting separated several times. Eventually, Zuo Xiuran had no choice but to let Gu Yifan lead him by the hand through one store after another. The lingering aroma in the air made Zuo Xiuran swallow hard, and he couldn't help but ask the shop owner, "How much longer until it's ready? I'm starving."

The boss chuckled and replied, "It'll be ready soon, just hang tight for a bit."

The two of them bought a dozen different snacks. Even though they only had a little of each, there was just too much food, and they ended up feeling stuffed.

Zuo Xiuran, clutching his stomach, couldn't walk any further. He plopped down on a clean, empty stone bench, gasping for air. "I haven't even asked your name yet."

"Gu Yifan," she replied, equally full and tired. "Are you done exploring? If you are, let's hurry and meet Hsu Moyan."

Speak of the devil.

Gu Yifan's phone suddenly rang—it was Hsu Moyan, the persistent one.

She waved the phone in front of Zuo Xiuran, shrugging helplessly. "The boss is calling."

Zuo Xiuran chuckled quietly, finding it amusing.

When she answered, Hsu Moyan got straight to the point with a chilly tone: "Gu Yifan, I asked you to pick someone up. Where on earth did you take them?"

Hsu Moyan was just looking for trouble. He already knew Zuo Xiuran hadn't been on that flight, but he was annoyed after waiting endlessly for Gu Yifan's call.