Jiuguang Department Store

There were plenty of people downstairs chattering away. It seemed some of his mother's friends had come over for a visit.

When the two of them came downstairs, the aunties' eyes lit up at the same time, and they all turned to look at them.

Lu Mingfei was startled by the sight, while Chu Zihang didn't react at all, as if this were perfectly ordinary.

"So this is Mingfei? Xiaoyan was right—Zihang's friend is a handsome young man too," one of the aunties said.

"That's right, that's right." A chorus of agreement immediately followed.

"Hello, Aunties." Lu Mingfei greeted them.

"Wow, Mingfei is so polite!"

"Mingfei, what school do you go to? What grade are you in? Are you and Chu Zihang schoolmates?" Aunt Annie asked curiously.

Lu Mingfei looked to Chu Zihang for help.

Chu Zihang stepped forward. "Aunt Annie, he's my junior. He's in his final year of high school, but Kassel College has already accepted him early, so we'll be schoolmates in both high school and college."

"Mingfei is so impressive! He's just as handsome as Zihang, and he goes to the same school, too. Mingfei, would you like to be my godson?" Aunt Annie said with a grin.

"Don't be ridiculous. He's my son's classmate." Su Xiaoyan interrupted her with a serious look, then added, "If anyone's going to make him their godson, it should be me!"

Seeing her joke around like that, her friends immediately started tickling Su Xiaoyan. Her laughter rang out.

What a lively bunch of aunties, Lu Mingfei thought.

Chu Zihang beckoned to Lu Mingfei, signaling him to hurry up and come outside. Lu Mingfei quickly followed.

When they reached the entrance, Su Xiaoyan hurried after them and pulled Lu Mingfei aside.

"You and Zihang go to the same school, and you're the first friend he's personally invited home. When you go to Kassel later, make sure you look out for each other. Don't let his cold expression fool you; he's a good person deep down."

Su Xiaoyan offered Lu Mingfei a few words of advice. What she really wanted was for the two of them to support each other while they were overseas.

Lu Mingfei quickly agreed.

A new car was parked in the garage, dark blue and long and low, like it was sleeping.

The Porsche Panamera was Dad's new toy. He'd generously told Chu Zihang he could use the car whenever he needed it.

For one thing, Chu Zihang was a good driver and almost certainly wouldn't damage the car. For another, Dad was happy to let his stepson show off the family's wealth and taste to his classmates in his place, since he was so busy.

"Get in."

Lu Mingfei climbed into the car.

"Should I take you home, or are you going somewhere else?"

Chu Zihang asked what he wanted to do.

"Su Xiaoqiang told me this morning to meet her over there today. Just take me there," Lu Mingfei replied.

"Oh, Senior Brother Chu, could I borrow your phone? I want to send her a message," Lu Mingfei asked.

"Sure." Chu Zihang handed him his phone.

Lu Mingfei logged into QQ and typed, "I'm on my way."

He hit send, and Su Xiaoqiang replied immediately.

After deleting his QQ account, Lu Mingfei handed the phone back to Chu Zihang.

"I hope you didn't mind what happened just now. My mom and her friends have always been pretty carefree," Chu Zihang said.

Lu Mingfei nodded, seemingly unbothered.

The engine started. The 4.8-liter V8 roared, the gears of the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission meshed tightly, and power flowed evenly to all four wheels. The garage door slowly rose, sunlight spilled across the windshield like a waterfall, and Chu Zihang released the brake and floored it.

The car pulled out of Peacock Mansion.

When they arrived, Lu Mingfei saw Su Xiaoqiang waiting outside.

She wore a white thermal shirt and light-blue jeans that hugged her legs, giving her a trim look. A long coat completed the outfit, and she looked fresh and neat.

"Senior Brother Chu, I'm here. You can head back now."

After getting out, Lu Mingfei said goodbye to Chu Zihang.

Once he'd dropped Lu Mingfei off, Chu Zihang drove away.

Su Xiaoqiang jogged over to Lu Mingfei and spun around once. "Well? Do I look good today?"

"You have the beauty to make fish sink, geese fall, the moon hide, and flowers blush!" Lu Mingfei gave her a thumbs-up.

"Hee-hee." Su Xiaoqiang's eyes narrowed with delight.

Then Uncle Chen pulled up in a Mercedes-Benz S500. Su Xiaoqiang tugged Lu Mingfei into the car, and they sat together in the back.

"Uncle Chen, take us to Jiuguang Department Store."

"Of course, miss."

"What are we going there for?" Lu Mingfei asked.

Jiuguang Department Store was probably the biggest department store in the city. Most people came to browse when they had something they wanted to buy. Lu Mingfei never had anything in particular to shop for, so he didn't come here often.

"To shop. What, do you have a problem with that?" Su Xiaoqiang gave Lu Mingfei an unfriendly look.

Lu Mingfei immediately raised both hands. "I have no objections."

"Good."

Su Xiaoqiang exuded the air of a queen.

Uncle Chen drove in silence, sighing to himself. Kids these days didn't even try to hide their puppy love. Weren't they worried that President Su would find out?

When they reached Jiuguang Department Store, Lu Mingfei and Su Xiaoqiang got out.

"Uncle Chen, you can go ahead. We'll call you when we're done."

"Of course, miss," Uncle Chen replied.

After waving goodbye to Uncle Chen, Su Xiaoqiang pulled Lu Mingfei into Jiuguang Department Store.

At the entrance, Su Xiaoqiang looked Lu Mingfei over.

"By the way, turn around for me."

Though he had no idea what she was up to, Lu Mingfei did as he was told and turned around.

"Hmm."

Su Xiaoqiang thought it over for a moment.

"What you're wearing is okay, but it's still not quite right."

"Little Goddess, could you say that in a way I can understand?" Lu Mingfei tapped her on the head.

"Are you seriously that dense? Do I have to spell out that your outfit doesn't look good?" Su Xiaoqiang covered her forehead and glared at him angrily.

"And don't call me Little Goddess anymore. That's a nickname other people gave me. I'm telling you to come up with something else, and fast!"

Seeing her like this, Lu Mingfei ventured, "Should I call you Su Xiaoqiang?"

Su Xiaoqiang couldn't take it anymore. "Don't you think using my full name sounds so distant?"

Thinking about how Chen Wenwen had recently started calling Lu Mingfei "Mingfei," while she still had to use his full name, made Su Xiaoqiang furious. Could it be that this loser still had a thing for Chen Wenwen?

Well, he wasn't a loser anymore. He'd transformed. She was afraid that if Chen Wenwen made a move on him, he'd fall for it.

Lu Mingfei finally understood. Su Xiaoqiang just wanted them to have a more affectionate way of addressing each other as friends. Girls were impossible to understand. Couldn't she just say so?