Chapter 307 Strolling Around

It's not that he's not used to such occasions.

In that home, he accompanied his first wife to many grander occasions—shopping mall openings, charity galas, and private parties. On those occasions, he dressed impeccably, spoke politely, and played the role of a respectable illegitimate son. His first wife's expression was always indifferent; she would not mistreat him, but she would also not give him a second glance.

People in those situations don't move their mouths when they speak; their smiles, worn for so long, resemble exquisite human skin masks.

Thinking of this, Zhou Heng paused slightly.

Xiao Jue keenly sensed the change in the speed of the person next to him and glanced at him.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Zhou Heng said, quickening his pace to keep up with his rhythm.

They entered the mall. The cosmetic counters on the first floor exuded a blend of various fragrances, and bright spotlights illuminated every bottle of perfume and every tube of lipstick, making them sparkle.

Xiao Jue was clearly familiar with the place. He led Zhou Heng through the cosmetics section on the first floor and stopped at the escalator entrance.

"The basement level, the bubble tea shop is over there," he pointed in the direction.

The escalator slowly descended. Zhou Heng stood to Xiao Jue's left, his head slightly lowered, watching the GG light boxes on both sides of the escalator move upward frame by frame.

The basement level was much more lively than the upper floors. The food court occupied most of the area, and the air was filled with the combined aromas of various foods—the smoky aroma of toasted bread, the spiciness of mala tang, the sweetness of milk tea, and some other fragrances he couldn't name, all mixed together and wafting over in a lively and bustling atmosphere.

The milk tea shop is located at the very back, with a small storefront, but there are quite a few people queuing up. Several employees wearing matching aprons stand in front of the cashier, busily taking orders, labeling cups, and sealing them, their movements as fast as if they were on an assembly line.

"What would you like to drink?" Xiao Jue asked, tilting his head. His voice came from the crowd in line.

Zhou Heng looked up at the menu board above him, and the fancy names made him frown slightly.

"Whatever," he said.

Xiao Jue glanced at him, but didn't ask any further questions. He turned to the clerk and said, "One taro boba drink, 30% sugar, no ice; one brown sugar pearl milk tea, regular sugar, less ice."

The wait wasn't long. Xiao Jue checked his phone, took the two cups of milk tea, and handed the taro and boba cup to Zhou Heng.

"Three parts sugar, no ice, you should be able to drink it."

Zhou Heng took it, his fingertips touching the cup; it wasn't cold, just lukewarm. He used the straw to poke open the seal and took a sip.

The taro paste is smooth and creamy, the boba is chewy and bouncy, and the milk flavor is very rich. The sweetness is just the upper limit that he can accept—any more and it will be too cloying, any less and it will be bland.

Xiao Jue looked at his expression and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"good?"

Zhou Heng nodded.

They walked slowly down the corridor on the basement level.

On both sides are small shops, one after another, selling clothes, accessories, figurines, and imported snacks. Each shop displays its most attractive products in the most conspicuous position, filling the store with spotlights, posters, discount tags, and all kinds of colorful decorations.

Xiao Jue walked at a moderate pace, occasionally stopping in front of a shop to take a look, and sometimes picking up something that interested him to examine it before putting it down.

Zhou Heng followed beside him, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far. He didn't look into any of the shops, but he would stop when Xiao Jue stopped and stand quietly to the side to wait.

As they passed a trendy toy store, Xiao Jue suddenly stopped and pointed at a half-person-tall figurine through the glass window.

"Look at this." His tone was slightly amused, as if he had discovered an interesting secret that he wanted to share.

Zhou Heng followed his finger and looked over. It was a figurine of an anime character, exquisitely crafted, with an exaggerated pose and colors that were almost too bright. Among a pile of equally gaudy collectibles, it wasn't particularly eye-catching.

"What?" Zhou Heng asked.

"It's exactly the same as the one in my brother's study," Xiao Jue said, his smile widening. "My little nephew broke its arm last time, and my brother was heartbroken for days. Later, he found a professional restorer and spent several hundred yuan to fix it. It's just a little plastic figure. My sister-in-law said he's crazy."

He said this in a joking tone, but the affectionate smile in his words was like a thread pulled from a ball of yarn; no matter how you twist it, it's always connected to that warm, complete home on the other side.

Zhou Heng tightened his grip on the milk tea cup. A thin layer of condensation formed on the cup, sticking damply to his palm.

He didn't reply, his gaze shifting from the figurine to his reflection in the shop window. It was a blurry mess, his expression completely indistinct.

Xiao Jue seemed to sense something and turned his head to look at him.

Zhou Heng's expression remained unchanged, still indifferent. He stood there quietly, like an exhibit placed in the corner of a shop window—exquisite, intact, but devoid of warmth.

"Let's go," Xiao Jue gently twirled the milk tea cup in his hand, "There's another floor upstairs, let's go take a look."

They took the escalator to the second floor. The second floor was the brand clothing area, which was much less crowded than the basement level. The lighting was also softer, with warm-toned light streaming down from the ceiling, making each piece of clothing look very soft.

Zhou Heng walked to Xiao Jue's right, and the distance between the two was closer than when they were on the basement level. He didn't know when it had gotten closer, nor did he pay any special attention to it.

As Xiao Jue passed a sports brand store, he suddenly turned a corner and went straight inside.

Zhou Heng followed behind him.

The store was having a promotion, with several rows of discounted hoodies and sweatpants piled on the shelves by the entrance. The colors were mainly black, gray, and navy blue, which were the colors Zhou Heng usually wore.

Xiao Jue stopped in front of the shelf, picked up a gray hoodie, unfolded it and looked at it, then flipped it over to look at the label.

Then he did something Zhou Heng hadn't expected—he turned around and held up the hoodie in front of Zhou Heng.

He held his collar with one hand and tugged at the hem with the other, tilting his head slightly as if he were doing a task that required careful evaluation.

Zhou Heng froze for a moment, his body's instinctive reaction being to step back.

"This should look good on you." Xiao Jue's gaze shifted from the hoodie to Zhou Heng's face, and their eyes met through the gray hoodie.

"I don't want to," Zhou Heng said.

"I didn't ask you to buy it, I just wanted to compare." Xiao Jue smiled and hung the hoodie back up. There was no embarrassment in his tone, as if he had never intended to buy it in the first place, but simply wanted to know how the hoodie would look on Zhou Heng.

They walked around the store, didn't buy anything, and then left.

After browsing a few more stores, Xiao Jue bought a dark gray cashmere scarf that felt very soft to the touch. He carried the bag in his hand, the scarf's packaging box swaying back and forth inside, occasionally bumping against his milk tea cup with a dull thud.

Zhou Heng didn't buy anything. He drank more than half of his milk tea, and the taro paste and boba had sunk to the bottom. He poked around with the straw, making a soft sound.

By noon, the mall was even more crowded, with every aisle packed with people.

Xiao Jue stopped in a rest area in the courtyard and found two empty seats to sit down.

"Are you tired?" Xiao Jue turned his head to look at him.

"Not tired," Zhou Heng said. This was the truth. He had been walking for almost two hours, and he really didn't feel tired.

The feeling of being enveloped in human voices made him feel a little weightless, as if he were walking underwater, with all the sounds around him coming through a layer of water film, blurry and indistinct.

Xiao Jue leaned back in his chair, looking up at the massive glass dome above the atrium.

Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a large, bright patch of light on the ground in front of them. Dust motes floated slowly within the patch of light, like a group of tireless, tiny dancers.

Zhou Heng also raised his head and followed Xiao Jue's gaze to the dome.

"Have you been here before?" Xiao Jue's voice suddenly rang out, not loud, but clear in the echo in the courtyard.

Zhou Heng thought for a moment, then said, "No."

This was an answer he didn't need to hesitate about.

"So today is the first time." Xiao Jue turned his head to look at him, a slight smile on his lips.

Zhou Heng did not answer, but he remembered that this was indeed the first time he had gone out for no necessary reason since he came to this city.

His fingers unconsciously rubbed against the milk tea cup, and the residual condensation on the cup wall was evaporated by his body heat, leaving a blurry fingerprint.

As it approached midnight, Xiao Jue stood up, stretched, and put his phone in his pocket.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

Zhou Heng thought for a moment, "It's alright."

"Shall we stroll around a bit longer, or grab a bite to eat before heading back?"

Zhou Heng looked at him.

Sunlight streamed down from the dome, casting a soft halo around Xiao Jue's shoulders.

He stood there with a smile on his face, waiting for an answer, as if Zhou Heng saying "go back now" or "stay a little longer" would be equally good to him.

"Let's have a meal," Zhou Heng said.

Xiao Jue's smile deepened, and he nodded.

"Come on, I know a tea restaurant up here, the food is pretty good."

He naturally walked to Zhou Heng's left, and the two walked side by side toward the escalator.