Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Jiang Sheshe bristled. “It really is ugly!”

In all her life, she had never seen press-on nails this ugly.

Ning Xi fell silent.

Seeing Ning Xi say nothing, Jiang Sheshe immediately looked a little awkward.

Had she been too blunt just now and hurt Ning Xi’s feelings?

After all, this was a gift Ning Xi had prepared especially for her. And Ning Xi might not have picked such ugly nails on purpose. Maybe Ning Xi’s taste was just like this…

“But if you look closely…” Jiang Sheshe quickly changed tack.

Ning Xi looked up.

“These press-on nails do have a bit of abstraction and ruggedness to them. They’ll definitely meet someone who understands them,” Jiang Sheshe praised against her conscience.

But no matter how hard she forced herself, she still couldn’t call them pretty.

Ning Xi, who had been pondering whether this jelly was expired and whether it could actually be eaten, heard Jiang Sheshe suddenly start praising the press-on nails and went straight to: “Huh? Huh? Huh?”

So this kind of bizarre, ugly nail set was considered abstract and rugged in the eyes of artistic people.

Looks like that 14.9 blind-box press-on nail set was actually pretty worth it.

And the saga of ugly gifts continued.

[Teacher, where is our Xie Zihan? Why isn’t he here?]

[Right now, I just want to know what expression Xie Lanchen will have when he sees Ning Xi’s gift for him.]

Meanwhile.

Xie Lanchen had pretty good luck. The tasks on his cards were all fairly simple, with only one that was a bit bizarre:

Stand at the entrance of the mall, open the door for each newly arriving customer one by one, greet them, and make small talk. Task duration: five minutes.

“Good morning.”

“Welcome.”

Xie Lanchen greeted the customers expressionlessly.

Although his movements and tone maintained social politeness, his cool, indifferent expression did not make anyone feel like the morning was especially good.

Even so, a line still formed at the entrance.

After all, top-tier good looks were truly a scarce resource in real life.

“Holy crap, Xiangcheng Plaza actually arranged for a little hottie so handsome it’s criminal to open the door and say good morning to you.”

“Red beans grow in the south, but this cutie beats a male model.”

“No, seriously, can I line up again later?”

Everyone in line was all talk before it was their turn, but once they saw Xie Lanchen up close, they all went quiet as chickens, only able to grin foolishly, nod, and greet him.

Until-

“Go-”

Xie Lanchen’s mechanical “Good morning” stopped short when he saw the person approaching. A rare trace of speechlessness and disdain appeared in his eyes.

“Why aren’t you saying good morning to me, handsome?” Luo Ze held back a laugh, his peach-blossom eyes curving slightly upward, clearly here to enjoy the show.

After all, not just anyone got the chance to have Xie Lanchen open the door and greet them.

Xie Lanchen stared at Luo Ze expressionlessly and enunciated every word. “Good. Mor. Ning.”

“Hey!”

Luo Ze was delighted. He gave Xie Lanchen a look, then stepped into the mall.

Xie Lanchen frowned, the expression on his face turning even colder.

However, when he saw the customer lined up after Luo Ze, the corners of his tightly pressed lips unconsciously lifted.

“Teacher Ning.”

Ning Xi smiled brightly. “Good morning, Xiao Xie.”

At that moment, the task timer ended right on cue.

The two of them entered the mall together.

Ning Xi was just about to hand the shopping bag to Xie Lanchen when her gaze met the man who had been in line ahead of him.

“Hi~”

The man’s amorous peach-blossom eyes gave Ning Xi a wink. His smile was flirtatious, but not off-putting.

A floral shirt, a straw hat, and sunglasses casually tucked into his shirt pocket.

He was the living image of a philandering young master.
Confusion flickered in Ning Xi’s eyes. Did those two know each other?

Luo Ze still wanted to tease Ning Xi a little. After all, he and Xie Lanchen had known each other for years, and in the past, whenever Ning Xi went abroad on vacation during summer break, he would see her too. In his own mind, that made him very familiar with Ning Xi.

But in the next second, Xie Lanchen’s gaze locked onto him.

Meeting the warning in Xie Lanchen’s eyes, Luo Ze raised both hands, shrugged, and left.

Ning Xi didn’t notice the silent exchange between Xie Lanchen and Luo Ze. Right now, she only found the whole thing baffling.

“That guy who was in line before me to say hi to you just now was so weird.”

“Oh?” Xie Lanchen said calmly. “I thought so too. Maybe he forgot to take his meds today.”

Ning Xi: “Hahahahahaha!”

Xie Lanchen paused, not knowing why Ning Xi had suddenly burst out laughing.

But his mood instantly plunged, and a trace of panic rose in him.

Had Ning Xi remembered meeting Luo Ze before?

In truth, Ning Xi had simply been hit in the funny bone by the way Xie Lanchen said the most vicious thing in the calmest tone.

After she finished laughing, she handed the shopping bag to Xie Lanchen.

“Go try on this T-shirt!”

Seeing nothing unusual in Ning Xi’s expression, Xie Lanchen nodded, took the bag, and went to the nearest public fitting room.

A few minutes later, Xie Lanchen walked out wearing a plain white T-shirt.

Except there was a mosquito printed on the upper chest of the shirt.

Ning Xi immediately raised her hand and smacked it with a loud slap. “Careful! There’s a mosquito!”

Xie Lanchen: “…”

He lowered his head and looked at the mosquito design printed on the shirt, his expression complicated.

[The moment I saw Ning Xi’s gift, my vision went black. Then black again.]

[Even a passing dog would want to slap it.]

[When is my baby going to wear one? I want an excuse to touch him too.]

[If I buy this T-shirt too, does that mean I can get openly smacked from now on? [shy]]

[No, seriously, are you into S&M?]

Seeing Xie Lanchen fall silent, Ning Xi immediately began selling him on it. “This shirt was super expensive. It cost twenty yuan!”

It was the most expensive gift she had bought!

Hearing that, Xie Lanchen’s expression softened considerably.

Even the mosquito T-shirt started to look much more pleasing to the eye.

[Wait, Xie Lanchen just accepted this shirt like that?]

[He’s way too easy to coax!!!]

By now, it was nearly noon.

The guests were all getting a little hungry.

After a brief discussion, everyone finally agreed to meet at the food court on the first basement level.

“This is the money I earned from completing tasks.” Qin Se handed over three hundred yuan.

“I just finished a third task too. One hundred and fifty,” Fu Zhi said as well.

All the guests had completed their tasks.

That added an extra 1,800 yuan to their shopping funds.

After Ning Xi finished calculating, she said excitedly, “Everyone worked hard. Let’s have something good for lunch today!”

Fu Zhi was very shrewd. “Tell us the lunch budget first.”

Ning Xi pondered for a moment. “Five to six hundred, I guess.”

Jiang Sheshe was shocked. “Five people, six hundred? Is that enough?”

Ning Xi nodded. “Definitely.”

Jiang Sheshe looked suspicious. “What are you planning to take us to eat?”

“Guess.”

“Steak?”

“Guess again.”

“Japanese food? Salmon sashimi?”

Ning Xi said, “Too expensive. If you don’t guess jianbing today, you can just keep guessing forever.”

Jiang Sheshe: …

“Didn’t you say five to six hundred?! Even if each of us ate two jianbing, it wouldn’t cost more than one hundred!”

Ning Xi nodded. “Exactly. I said five to six hundred, not five hundred to six hundred.”