Chapter 13
What are you doing here?
Jiang Lan was puzzled when she saw Xiaoming ride his bike back to the commercial center he had visited during the day.
"Didn't you want to buy clothes? There wasn't enough time at noon, but now is the perfect time."
"I see other people on dates going to the movies, eating good food, and shopping. Let's go to the movies too, and then go out for a good meal after the movie."
"Buying you clothes is just going shopping, right? Let's go shopping for clothes."
Xiaoming led the reluctant Jiang Lan into the mall and into the brand menswear store where they had bought clothes that morning.
The sales assistant's eyes lit up when she saw Jiang Lan: "Sir, what style of clothes would you like to buy? We have many new styles in our autumn and winter collection."
"Let's take a look ourselves first," Jiang Lan said politely to the shop assistant.
"It's alright, I can recommend suitable styles for you based on your preferences. I see that you have a standard figure with almost no flaws, so it should be easy for you to match clothes."
This sales assistant was overly enthusiastic, focusing solely on serving Jiang Lan. She kept introducing which clothes were well-tailored and which had a good texture. As they walked, she squeezed in front of Xiao Ming and stood right next to Jiang Lan.
Seeing her with a sweet smile, staring only at Jiang Lan as if ignoring everyone around her, Xiao Ming shrugged and turned to walk towards the sofa in the rest area.
Jiang Lan frowned and stopped, waving to the store manager who wore a name tag on his chest. The store manager smiled and walked over: "Hello, how can I help you?"
"Are all the staff here so rude? She pushed past my girlfriend and was practically sticking to me!"
Hearing the customer's complaints, the store manager's expression turned serious, and he said to the employee next to Jiang Lan, "Go to the lounge first."
The shop assistant bit her lip, turned around and left with an embarrassed look on her face.
After the customer left, the store manager turned to Jiang Lan with a smile and said, "I'm sorry, sir, our employee affected your and your girlfriend's shopping experience. We will take appropriate disciplinary action against her. I see you're wearing our brand's clothes, so I assume you appreciate our brand. To express our apology and gratitude for your support, all your purchases tonight will be 50% off. Is that alright?"
Jiang Lan shook her head: "No need."
She walked to the sofa, pulled Xiaoming along, and went outside.
Without saying a word, they pulled the person out of the mall and stopped only when they reached a secluded corner.
Jiang Lan said angrily, "Why didn't you react when she squeezed between us?"
Xiao Ming felt Jiang Lan's anger was a bit inexplicable and replied, "I was waiting for your reaction." Turning her head to think for a moment, she countered, "Or is it that you can't feel her charm radiating towards you?"
This deadly question instantly chilled Jiang Lan's angry chest, and her voice weakened immediately: "I already chased her away, didn't I? Besides, shouldn't you be angry that someone is blatantly clinging to your boyfriend?"
"I get angry, and then what? Shout at her, tear her apart? And then you and the bystanders stand by and watch? Or I pull you aside and throw a tantrum, telling you that a girl is trying to get close to you? And then you, out of pride, join me in scolding this girl, trying to appease me, while the people around us watch?"
Or, I could call the store manager over, and the manager could say to me, "Your boyfriend doesn't seem offended. Perhaps you're being overly sensitive?"
Xiao Ming calmly explained why he wasn't angry: the occasion was wrong, and the target of his anger was also wrong.
"I think we handled things perfectly just now, so why are you angry?"
Jiang Lan, who was being stared at intently by Xiao Ming, pulled him into her arms and said with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance, "Don't girlfriends usually get upset and jealous in this situation? Why didn't you react?"
Xiao Ming hugged Jiang Lan's waist and said, "Because I believed you could handle it, and you did handle it well afterward."
Her unhappiness was quickly soothed by Xiaoming's affirmation. Jiang Lan pouted and kissed Xiaoming several times.
"Should we change our plans?" Jiang Lan asked Xiao Ming.
"Let's go buy clothes instead, let's go to another shopping mall." Xiaoming felt uneasy about having to postpone the things he had planned to do today.
"But the other shopping centers are a bit far. Shall we take the subway?"
"good."
The subway station wasn't far away, and the two waited for a while before boarding a bus to the shopping center.
The subway car was packed with people during the weekend evening rush hour. Both of them were people who rarely used public transportation, and they were squeezed quite a bit on the train.
Jiang Lan held onto the handrail on the roof with one hand and hugged Xiao Ming with the other. The two were squeezed tightly together and swayed back and forth with the train.
Xiao Ming felt the bulge pressed against him, radiating heat even through his clothes, and glared fiercely at Jiang Lan.
Although Jiang Lan was embarrassed, she still looked down at her without missing a beat, her ears under her baseball cap turning red.
The two embracing were unaware that people around them were shipping them as a couple. A girl posted a candid photo on a social media platform with the caption, "The whole train carriage feels like it's filled with pink bubbles." Although the faces of the stylish and tall couple in the photo weren't clearly visible, the stunning and beautiful atmosphere they exuded drew a flood of comments like "I'm shipping them!" and "I'm shipping them!"
Some people regretted not being able to see the faces clearly.
The girl replied, "Wearing a hat and mask when going out probably shows she's concerned about her privacy and doesn't want to be stared at. And this is clearly not a staged photo for attention, which means it's not artificial sweetener, it's natural sweetness! We should be content with what we see; everyone can just enjoy it."
One person commented, "I've already imagined a ten-thousand-word novel about it."
The girl, who should have gotten off the train long ago, actually rode several stops past the point. She only hurriedly followed the couple after they got off, secretly filming them with her phone. However, with so many people exiting the station, and the couple being tall and long-legged, walking incredibly fast, the girl quickly lost sight of them.
Upon reaching the exit, Jiang Lan subtly glanced back, checked the directional signs, and the two headed straight for the shopping center.
That night, Xiaoming thoroughly enjoyed the fun of a real-life dress-up game, watching Jiang Lan change into countless outfits. Finally, carrying bags of clothes, she took a taxi back to where Xiaoming had parked his car, parted ways with Jiang Lan, and went home separately.
On the way back, Xiaoming's motion sickness flared up again. He leaned on Jiang Lan's lap and let her pat his back the whole way, wishing he could have a teleportation button so he could get off the bus immediately.
Riding his bike home, Xiaoming remarked, "Nothing beats my antique car; my BMW is just so comfortable."
The company's new project has gotten on track, and Xiaoming is no longer so busy. He has returned to his normal part-time job life, where he can take a break from work.
It was almost time to leave work that day. Xiao Ming was scrolling through his phone at his desk when he saw a news report on his homepage: "**A mass self-immolation incident occurred at a school, resulting in multiple deaths and several injuries. School officials have been detained, and the cause of the incident is under investigation."
This matter has a great social impact, and Xiaoming was also curious, so he searched for information about this academy on a search engine.
The school has a rather classical name, but its job is to help parents discipline their children. The parents of these students highly approve of and even praise this school because once they enter it, even the most disobedient child can become a well-behaved child who obeys their parents' every word.
Reading the comments under the news article revealed just how ignorant and irresponsible the school and the parents who sent their children there were. It also revealed how depraved the teachers and instructors were, subjecting students to long-term abuse, electric shocks, confinement, and even sexual assault.
In the comments section, some people shared their experiences as students at the school.
Unable to bear it any longer, the student cried to their parents for help, but they underestimated their parents' determination to make them "behave." The child poured out their heart to their parents again and again, telling them about their ordeal, but the parents thought the child was making a mountain out of a molehill, believing that the child was just making things up because they couldn't handle hardship.
They also didn't believe that there were no textbooks or teaching methods here, only corporal punishment and abuse. And when the instructors met with the parents, they would put away their usual arrogance and become kind and patient teachers.
Parents trust the teachers and instructors at school more than they trust themselves.
The children resented their parents for ruining their future and prospects by standing by and watching them die. They were heartbroken and tried to rebel every day until they finally sought death, hoping to find relief in it.
Thus, a sizable suicide squad was born.
With sharp objects and even cleaning supplies taken away, they set their sights on the school's vehicles, organizing people to steal fuel from the tanks every day. To avoid being discovered, they would do it in batches, multiple times, and then hide the stolen fuel.
He found another opportunity to get his hands on a lighter, and on a cold winter night when the school's defenses were relatively weak, he finally ignited the fire of revenge that cost him his life.
Xiaoming felt a tightness in her chest after reading it. She realized that there are always many strange creatures in the world who wear human skin. These people's thoughts and perceptions are completely unlike those of humans, and they are even inferior to animals.
"There's no other way but to help them. After all, their parents didn't harm them; they were just unaware of the harm and their guardianship of the children was insufficient. And the parents are the guardians. Without a legitimate reason, it's impossible to deprive the parents of their guardianship rights."
After hanging up Li Zhiqiang's call, Jiang Lan sighed helplessly.
When Jiang Lan first encountered the Dream Cube, she thought it was an evil thing, and that anyone who was devoured by it would die in reality.
Once you get to know Him, you realize He is neither good nor evil, but merely a reflection of the real world.
He now believes that the Dream Cube is actually the final salvation for innocent people who have lost their lives in the real world.
Those children, as beautiful as flowers, should have thrived under their parents' care, but instead, under the guise of pruning, they were cut short, leaving them physically and mentally incomplete. All the helping hands extended to the children were also severed, leaving everyone feeling regretful and helpless.
These past few days, Jiang Lan has been leaving get off work on time every day. As soon as he gets off work, he drives to Xiao Ming's house to cook.
Xiaoming firmly declined his offer to pick her up from get off work: "I rode my bike out this morning. If I ride home with you, who's going to bring my motorcycle back? I can't expect it to walk back by itself."
Jiang Lan had no choice but to give up her little scheme. Besides, she felt a bit sorry for Xiao Ming, who was suffering terribly from motion sickness. Even with all the advanced medical technology these days, motion sickness was still a problem. Sigh. She thought to herself, "If you won't come to my rescue, I'll go to the mountains myself. I should get together with my old dating strategists for a meal, and I'll bring Xiao Ming along."
Taking the things from Jiang Lan, and pointing to the prepared ingredients on the counter, Xiao Ming said while tidying up the things, "I've prepared all the dishes you wanted, go and cook them."
The two dishes and soup were very satisfying for both of them.
Jiang Lan suggested playing PUBG tonight, and Xiao Ming readily agreed. Jiang Lan had brought over a high-spec computer several days ago, but the two of them hadn't played together yet.
Jiang Lan was setting up the computer, while Xiao Ming went to wash the dishes and tidy up the house.
"Mingmei, where did you get your computer assembled, online or in person?"
Jiang Lan noticed that Xiao Ming's computer desktop was simple, without any overly complex or complicated software, which was very similar to the computer usage habits of science and engineering guys like her. Curious, she asked Xiao Ming a question.
"I assembled it myself using a tutorial. Is there something wrong with my computer?"
"No, your computer is very well-equipped. I was just curious and asked, and I discovered that our Xiaoming is very knowledgeable."
"That's not exactly being erudite, don't flatter me. It's just that I'm willing to put in the effort to learn, and they taught me step by step."
Jiang Lan walked over and hugged Xiao Ming from behind: "If you're willing to put in the effort to learn, you'll be better than most people. Look how amazing my girlfriend is."
Xiao Ming turned his head and kissed the man behind him on the cheek: "Thank you for the compliment! I appreciate it very much."
The two hugged and complimented each other for a while. Xiaoming was amused by Jiang Lan hugging, kissing and nuzzling him like a puppy.
The atmosphere gradually quieted down. Jiang Lan stared intently at Xiao Ming, her eyes filled with intense desire, as if she wanted to devour him.
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