Shopping Mall Encounter

Gu Yue shut off the television with a hint of petulance. Although the orange juice incident had ended with Tang Wulin's cheeky grin and Gu Yue's "pillow attack," the air still seemed to carry a trace of lingering smoke—or rather, a stirred-up, indescribable restlessness.

"Come on, Tang Wulin. Go to the mall with me." Gu Yue rose to her feet and dusted off nonexistent dirt from her clothes, her tone brooking no argument.

"Huh? Now?" Tang Wulin had been sprawled on the couch, savoring the lingering sweetness of orange juice on his face and Gu Yue's rare loss of composure. At her words, he sprang upright. "Wife, what time is it? The mall will be crowded. How about we stay home..."

"What would we do at home?" Gu Yue raised a brow, her gaze sweeping over the hand with which he had just been "plotting something improper." "Let you practice 'illegal entry' again?"

Tang Wulin chuckled and rubbed his nose. "That wouldn't be impossible... Mainly, I was thinking, since my wife seems to be in a good mood, shouldn't we discuss the detailed implementation rules for tonight's 'reward'?"

"Reward my ass!" Gu Yue grabbed another pillow and hurled it at him with perfect accuracy. "Hurry up, put on your shoes, and get out! I'm going to buy that dress I've had my eye on for ages."

"Yes, ma'am!" Tang Wulin caught the pillow and, like a big dog whose fur had been smoothed down, eagerly trotted to the entryway to change shoes. Going to the mall was great. He could buy his wife a gift to make up for things and maybe... salvage some of the image damage caused by spraying orange juice in her face.

The early summer sunlight was just right, and the breeze was gentle. Tang Wulin drove the slightly spacious SUV steadily toward the largest shopping center downtown.

Inside the car, Gu Yue tilted her head as she watched the streetscape race past outside the window, seeming to have calmed down considerably. Tang Wulin, meanwhile, kept stealing glances at her, trying to find an opening for conversation.

"Wife, are you thirsty? There's water in the car."

"Not thirsty."

"Then... are you sleepy? Want to take a nap?"

"Not sleepy."

"Oh..." Tang Wulin awkwardly shut his mouth and focused on driving. She still wasn't over it?

The car quickly arrived at the mall's underground parking lot. The moment they got out, they were met by the cool air conditioning, the noisy chatter of shoppers, and the aromas of all kinds of food. Tang Wulin easily found the escalator with Gu Yue, and they stepped on side by side.

The escalator slowly carried them upward. Through the glass curtain wall, they could see the bustling crowds inside the mall. Whenever Tang Wulin entered a public place, his radar-like eyes began scanning everywhere, missing nothing from newly opened bubble tea shops to discounted electronics counters.

Just as they reached the second floor, Gu Yue suddenly patted his arm lightly.

"Hey, look. Isn't that Yue Zhengyu and Xu Xiaoyan?"

Tang Wulin looked in the direction Gu Yue pointed, and sure enough, he saw two familiar figures in a casualwear boutique not far away. Yue Zhengyu wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, enthusiastically holding up a light purple dress for comparison. Xu Xiaoyan stood before the fitting mirror in a similar style, her face flushed with excitement.

Yue Zhengyu leaned close to Xu Xiaoyan and said something. She immediately beamed and lightly punched him. Yue Zhengyu looked utterly doting, as though nothing around them existed and his eyes held only his little girlfriend.

Gu Yue silently watched the scene, then looked at the husband beside her, who was craning his neck to make out the promotional sign in the neighboring store. That subtle sense of imbalance rose within her again. She withdrew her gaze and spoke softly, though every word was clear enough for Tang Wulin to hear.

"Look at Yue Zhengyu. When he compliments his girlfriend, he means every word. His eyes practically stick to her. Then look at someone who only knows how to brush me off, saying things like, 'There are no worries when you eat hot pot,' like some idiot."

Hearing this, Tang Wulin immediately withdrew his investigating gaze and turned to Gu Yue. He caught the jealousy in her words, and his competitive streak was instantly ignited. Brushing her off? An idiot? When had the mighty Tang Wulin ever been judged that way by his wife?

"Wife?" He leaned closer to Gu Yue, lowering his voice with a hint of danger. "You actually dared dislike me? Dislike your handsome, dashing, elegant, legal husband?"

Gu Yue felt a little uncomfortable under the sudden closeness of his presence. She took half a step back but forced herself to keep up her momentum. "Isn't that right? Yue Zhengyu is showing genuine affection. What about you? All you do is eat and sleep, with nothing but dirty thoughts in your head!"

"Hey!" Tang Wulin had been struck where it hurt, though he took pride in it most of the time. He wrapped an arm around Gu Yue's waist and pulled her closer into his embrace. Nearly whispering into her ear, with obvious threat and temptation in his voice, he said, "Fine. Looks like I've been too gentle with you, and you've forgotten how formidable I am. Just wait. When we get back tonight, I'll show you what 'not brushing you off' means. I guarantee you won't be able to get out of bed!"

Gu Yue's cheeks instantly turned bright red, half from embarrassment and half from anger. People were coming and going all around them, and he actually dared say something like that! She struggled to push him away, only for him to hold her tighter.

"Y-you... don't mess around!" Gu Yue warned in a low voice. Her eyes flickered, and an unconscious trace of bargaining entered her tone. "There has to be a little mushroom umbrella... or there's no deal!"

Tang Wulin halted and looked down at his wife's reddened earlobes and her forced composure. His heart blossomed with delight. How was this a refusal? It was clearly... consent? She had even laid out specific conditions?

"Sure!" His white teeth gleamed under the lights, while his eyes shone astonishingly brightly. "So you mean you agreed? For tonight?"

"I..." Gu Yue was rendered speechless. Her earlier jealousy and dissatisfaction had long since been thrown into disarray by this blatant flirting, leaving only a racing heart and a flushed face. She opened her mouth, only to realize she simply could not argue with him in a place like this. In the end, she could only pinch the soft flesh at his waist in irritation, turn her head away, and declare a temporary truce through her actions.

Tang Wulin rubbed the spot she had pinched. It hurt a little, but his heart was as sweet as honey. He did not press her further. Instead, he loosened his arm around her and took her hand, intertwining their fingers.

"Fine, fine, whatever you say. There absolutely has to be a little mushroom umbrella." He swung their joined hands, his usual cheeky grin returning, though the smile in his eyes was too deep to dissolve. "But, wife, once you've agreed, you can't go back on it. When we get home tonight, I'll perform properly and show you whether I really know how to 'brush you off'!"

Gu Yue was too exasperated to get angry at his swinging. She could only let him lead her toward the store where Xu Xiaoyan and Yue Zhengyu were. Since they were already here, they could hardly just turn around and leave. Besides... she was a little curious whether Xu Xiaoyan's dress actually looked good.

Tang Wulin, however, was not discouraged and continued exercising his silver tongue. "But honestly, wife, everyone expresses love differently. Yue Zhengyu likes to keep sweet talk on his lips, while I like... proving it with practical action!"

As he spoke, he meaningfully squeezed Gu Yue's palm and added with a blazing gaze, "For example, tonight's 'reward' action?"

Gu Yue stumbled, nearly tripping over herself. Her cheeks instantly reddened again, and this time even her neck was tinged pink. She abruptly shook off Tang Wulin's hand and glared at him viciously. "Tang Wulin! If you keep talking nonsense, you'll sleep on the couch tonight! And remember the 'little mushroom umbrella'—not one less!"

Tang Wulin immediately raised both hands in surrender, though he smiled like a cat that had successfully stolen cream. "Got it, got it! I guarantee not one will be missing! No need for the couch. I can even sleep on the floor, as long as I can stand guard outside the bedroom door..."

"You still dare bring that up?!" Gu Yue made as if to hit him.

Tang Wulin hurried behind a nearby display rack, poked out half his head, and begged with a grin, "My mistake, my mistake! Please calm down, my lady!"

Perhaps Yue Zhengyu's romance was like a gentle spring breeze, while Tang Wulin's... well, at least it was direct enough, passionate enough, and enough to make one's heart... lose control.

(As for the "little mushroom umbrella"... Gu Yue lowered her head and looked at her fingers, silently adding, there'd better really be one.)