Chapter Forty-Two: Matching Outfits

Early in the morning, Xia Shu received a message from Su Rouxue. She said she wanted him to join her for dinner with some friends that evening.

Knowing he wouldn’t be able to return to the dorm tonight, Xia Shu hurried to the counselor’s office to request leave after his morning training. The process turned out to be quite complicated; he had to come up with an excuse, and his family needed to call the counselor for confirmation before he finally got the stamped leave slip in hand.

He used to think that university would bring complete freedom, but reality was somewhat different. For example, freshmen had to attend evening self-study sessions until nine o’clock every night, and after military training, if you had a first period class, you had to attend early morning self-study. Senior students would come around with attendance sheets to check names and so on.

Still, Xia Shu found it acceptable. Although it wasn’t absolute freedom, it was much better than high school.

Just as he stepped out of the school gate, his phone rang. It was a call from home.

“Hello, Dad.”

“Xia Shu, are you sneaking out to meet your girlfriend today?”

“Huh? Dad, how did you know?”

“I just saw a video interview from your school. You’re something else. Why didn’t you tell us you were dating?”

“It only just started…”

Xia Shu gave a wry smile, having forgotten that the interview video was posted on DouDou. With big data promotion, his family was bound to come across it sooner or later. He had planned to wait until the relationship was more established before telling his parents, but now, with them already knowing, he could skip that step.

“Well, you’re really growing up. Where’s your girlfriend from?” On the other end, his father sounded friendly, and Xia Shu could also hear his mother chiming in from time to time.

“From Cloud City!”

“You’re fast, aren’t you? School hasn’t even been open for long and you’ve already found someone. She must be your classmate?”

“Yeah.”

“All right, you’re grown now, so we can’t control you much. But in a relationship, you need to learn to manage yourself. The monthly allowance we give you, you should learn to use wisely—don’t spend recklessly and make things hard for yourself.

And another thing, you’re an adult now, so you have to be responsible when you’re out with your girlfriend. Especially regarding… certain things that might happen between men and women. I’m telling you seriously—don’t go getting her pregnant as soon as you start university. I’m not ready to become a grandfather so soon.”

“Yes, yes, Shu, when you’re dating, you have to keep your distance. But as a man, you must be responsible. Save when you can, but don’t be stingy when it’s time to spend. If you ever run out of money, call Mom—don’t be like other kids who rush to spend and then use all sorts of loan apps.

See Auntie’s son next door? He took out loans during university, and suddenly he had to repay hundreds of thousands. Mom wants to remind you especially: be rational with your finances!”

The voices alternated on the other end.

Xia Shu chuckled and quickly replied, “I know, Dad, Mom, don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”

“Good, as long as you’re careful. When you go out with your girlfriend, send Mom a picture—I’m curious which girl managed to steal my son away.”

“What are you saying… Maybe it’s your son who stole someone’s daughter?”

“Oh, didn’t you see how popular your interview video is on DouDou? I bet your admirers are lined up, so it must be—”

“All right, all right, Dad, Mom, I’ll hang up now, I’m on the road. I’ll call you next time.”

“Okay, take care, don’t do anything excessive, be modest.”

“Got it, got it.”

Beep—

As the call ended, Xia Shu couldn’t help but smile wryly.

His parents were actually quite optimistic and not especially traditional. They often thought from his perspective, which made him feel very fortunate.

Eager to see Su Rouxue, Xia Shu hailed a cab by the roadside and soon arrived at her house.

With his own key, he opened the door.

Hearing the door close, Su Rouxue, who was applying makeup in the living room, knew her boyfriend had arrived.

When she saw Xia Shu walk in, her face immediately lit up with a joyful smile. She handed him a set of clothes from beside her onto the table. “Try these on.”

“Hm? Couple’s outfits?”

Xia Shu raised his brows and stepped over to Su Rouxue, noticing the clothes she handed him matched what she was wearing.

“Yes! You’ll meet my friends soon, so wearing matching outfits feels more fun.”

Su Rouxue giggled, continuing to apply lipstick to her enticing lips, her gaze fixed on the small mirror in her hand. “Try them on, see if they fit.”

“All right.”

Xia Shu nodded, then, right in front of Su Rouxue, took off his clothes and changed into the ones she’d bought.

The outfit still carried a faint fragrance, suggesting Su Rouxue had already washed it once.

“It fits pretty well!” Xia Shu looked down at himself. The shirt had a Mickey Mouse print on the back and a small Mickey logo on the chest. It looked simple.

He also noticed the brand, and couldn’t help but marvel at Su Rouxue’s generosity. It looked ordinary, but probably cost several thousand at least. The brand was similar to Balenciaga—comfortable fabric and excellent texture.

Su Rouxue had just finished her makeup and was switching to an eyeshadow palette. She stood up and gazed at Xia Shu with a satisfied smile. “Looks great.”

“Thank you, darling.”

Xia Shu felt a bit embarrassed. He hadn’t expected that she would be the first to give him a present.

He took a small step forward and wrapped his arms around Su Rouxue’s slender waist.

Their foreheads touched.

“No need to thank me. I’ve entered the cost of these couple’s outfits into my little ledger. When we really get married, I’ll bring it out and deduct it from your salary card every month.”

Su Rouxue’s eyes sparkled with playful mischief, her lips curled into a gentle, alluring arc.

“When that time comes, my bank card and I will be yours. You can do whatever you want with them.”

Xia Shu smiled, his gaze locking onto Su Rouxue’s tempting red lips. At that moment, he leaned in for a kiss.

Now, their kisses no longer had the awkwardness of the beginning.

It simply felt like the natural interaction between any couple.

And as they grew more accustomed, they began to explore ways to deepen the sensation of their kisses…