Chapter 30: Long Time No See

“Where are we going?” Xiao Xiao was driving her little Pineapple, Mo Ran sitting in the passenger seat, gazing at the scenery rushing past the window, unable to help but ask.

“To University Town, of course—it’s cheap over there,” Xiao Xiao replied without turning her head.

“What? University Town?” Mo Ran was a bit speechless; she’d have to go there again tonight.

“Yeah, you didn’t think I meant a shopping mall, did you?” Xiao Xiao, catching the tone, smiled and asked.

“Exactly. You’re the princess of Shanghai University. Clothes from University Town are all budget-friendly; they don’t match your style,” Mo Ran nodded, responding.

Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but laugh aloud. “Princess of Shanghai University? Oh, Mo Ran, you’re a real riot. My father is my father, and I am myself. We all come from the people and return to the people. Don’t make me out to be someone special.”

Mo Ran listened, her expression unchanged, but looked at Xiao Xiao with a hint of surprise and a sudden uncertainty in her heart.

“Hm? What’s wrong, Mo Ran?” In just a moment, Xiao Xiao noticed the shift in Mo Ran’s mood and asked curiously.

“It’s nothing, just got up too early this morning, feeling a little out of sorts.” Mo Ran shivered, pursed her lips, and avoided Xiao Xiao’s gaze, turning instead to the window.

“Then rest for a bit; we’ll be there soon.” Since Mo Ran said so, Xiao Xiao didn’t dwell on it and spoke gently.

Soon, the car arrived near University Town. The roadside parking spaces were quite empty, and Xiao Xiao parked easily.

“By the way, Xiao Xiao,” Mo Ran said as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Hmm?” Xiao Xiao paused and looked at Mo Ran.

“Don’t you need to work?” Mo Ran knew it wasn’t polite to pry, but she couldn’t resist asking the question that had lingered in her mind.

“Work? With my current background, do you think I’m suited for a job?” Xiao Xiao smiled. “I’m preparing to open a clothing store. I plan to sell clothes.”

“What?” Mo Ran was surprised. The only daughter of the top official in Shanghai opening a clothing business?

“What’s so strange? With my status, nowhere’s quite right for me to work. Civil service would be even worse. I don’t want to make things hard for my father, so I chose to start my own business.” Xiao Xiao laughed.

“True.” Mo Ran nodded thoughtfully. And so, the two chatted as they strolled into the commercial street of University Town. They found a random restaurant to fill their stomachs, then began to wander the shops.

But as they walked, Mo Ran noticed something was off. Why were they only going into menswear stores? Wasn’t this supposed to be Xiao Xiao’s shopping trip?

“Mo Ran, try on these clothes.” While Mo Ran stood dazed, Xiao Xiao already had her eye on a long down coat, a wool sweater, and a pair of black trousers, all of which she shoved into Mo Ran’s arms.

“Don’t even start with ‘I’ll get them dirty as soon as I work.’ I make the decisions here.” Xiao Xiao saw Mo Ran’s hesitant look and shot down her objections, her gaze compelling Mo Ran to head to the fitting room.

After some rustling, Mo Ran emerged, transformed and wearing the new clothes.

“My taste is as good as ever.” Xiao Xiao’s eyes lit up as she took in Mo Ran’s new look, praising herself. Then, spotting a row of sneakers by the wall, she picked a pair and handed them to Mo Ran.

“Xiao Xiao, I—” Mo Ran began, but Xiao Xiao’s look brooked no refusal, and so he silently accepted the shoes and put them on.

“Miss, you have excellent taste. These clothes are like they were made for your boyfriend.” The shop owner’s wife, seeing Mo Ran’s transformation from an invisible figure to a handsome young man, immediately smiled and started flattering.

“Boyfriend?” Hearing this, Mo Ran was about to explain, but Xiao Xiao stopped him with a glance.

“Madam, how much for all this?” Xiao Xiao, well aware of the flattery, waved her hand, satisfied with her choices.

“These are all new brands: coat 650, sweater 300, trousers 300, shoes 550—total 1800. I’ll give you a student discount, 1500.” The owner’s wife replied deftly, obviously well-practiced and waiting for Xiao Xiao to ask.

“So expensive?” Mo Ran looked up at her, mumbled, and began taking off the clothes. No way he’d pay 1500 for them, not when he’d just bought a tricycle, a fridge, and paid six months’ rent yesterday, plus Xiao Xiao helped with today’s expenses—he had only 4000 left.

“Madam, my boyfriend and I are both students at Shanghai University. We often shop here and know the prices well. Yours are too high,” Xiao Xiao said, her face showing a subtle smile. As the daughter of a bigwig, her expression was not one most could withstand.

“Uh, uh, I can go lower—1600, no, 1300.” The pressure unsettled the owner, making her stumble over her words.

“All in for 900; how does that sound?” Xiao Xiao’s face shifted to a gentle smile.

“That’s too low, we’re just running a small business.” The owner, now clear-headed, protested, hoping Xiao Xiao would budge.

“Forget it, Xiao Xiao. I can’t afford it, I’ll just take them off.” Mo Ran spoke up, first removing the shoes and heading to the fitting room in store-provided slippers.

“See? We’re just poor students; my boyfriend can’t bear to buy them.” Xiao Xiao seized the opportunity. “If it’s 900, I’ll decide.”

Xiao Xiao’s grasp of psychological subtleties was precise. The owner hesitated, but finally agreed. After all, in University Town, few orders exceeded 500; students usually spent a couple hundred at most.

“Here, I’ll pay. Pack them up when my boyfriend comes out.” Xiao Xiao didn’t drag things out, paid quickly, and by the time Mo Ran tried to protest, she’d already settled the bill.

“Xiao Xiao, I’ve transferred the money to you. Please accept it.” After leaving the menswear store and browsing a bit more, Mo Ran couldn’t hold back and sent the money.

“Mo Ran, must you be so precise with me?” They happened to walk into a quiet corner. Xiao Xiao stopped, turned to Mo Ran, her tone agitated, her long lashes unable to hide a trace of disappointment in her eyes.

“I just…” Mo Ran braced himself to explain but was cut off by the angry Xiao Xiao.

“Just what? I see now—you never saw me as a friend.” Xiao Xiao turned away, giving Mo Ran a beautiful view of her back.

“No, no, I always thought of you as a friend.” Mo Ran panicked. When girls get mad, how do you console them? Is there an online guide? He hurried to her side to plead.

Unexpectedly, he met Xiao Xiao’s eyes—angry, weary, and slightly irked. Their gazes broke, and Mo Ran finally saw the seriousness in her expression, brows furrowed, sharper than he’d ever seen.

“Sorry.” The tension between them lasted only a few seconds before Mo Ran admitted defeat and apologized.

Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but laugh at his contrite manner—her beauty flashing in that instant.

“You’ve had a wife before, haven’t you? How do you not know how to comfort a girl?” she said, trying to keep a straight face, though her smile gave away her good mood.

“You just had to bring that up,” Mo Ran rolled his eyes.

“Alright, alright, my mistake,” Xiao Xiao realized her slip and apologized quickly.

“Where to next? If we’re done, take me home. I need to prep skewers.” Mo Ran smiled, glanced at the sun, and calculated the time.

“Sure, let’s go.” Since Mo Ran said so, Xiao Xiao didn’t argue. She’d come mainly to buy Mo Ran some clothes; now her task was done, it was time to leave. They returned to the car, got in, and drove off.

After all that, they arrived back at the rented apartment around three in the afternoon.

“Mo Ran, I’m off. When you set up tonight, send me your location—I’ll come support your business,” Xiao Xiao said with a smile as Mo Ran got out.

“Of course, you can eat as much as you like,” Mo Ran replied, patting his chest.

“That’s more like it. Remember, we’re good friends—we’ve been through thick and thin together,” Xiao Xiao reminded him before departing.

“Got it, got it.” Mo Ran nodded, then stood by the roadside, watching Xiao Xiao’s little Pineapple disappear into the distance.

“Friend. You can consider me a friend, but I don’t dare do the same.” Mo Ran murmured bitterly, watching the direction in which the car vanished. “You live in the light, I in the shadows. When the light shines by, it only leaves me feeling powerless, for it’s something I can never attain.”

He turned, heading back to his rented room. After playing the role for so long, he was exhausted. How could someone from the bottom ever be friends with someone at the top?

He steadied himself, took out a bundle of bamboo skewers, and began threading the lamb, five per skewer. The sheer volume of work kept him busy all afternoon; when he finished, it was already past five.

Ignoring fatigue, Mo Ran straightened, twisted his neck, and relaxed his stiff muscles before packing the frozen water bottles into four large foam boxes, each holding about fifty skewers. To prevent the bamboo from piercing the foam, he wrapped the boxes with tape inside and out.

He loaded everything onto the tricycle, rode back to University Town, grabbed a quick bite, then returned to his usual spot among familiar patrons. With everyone’s help, he quickly set up the stall. Soon, the aroma of grilled lamb spread from his stand.

“Boss, why is your lamb so fragrant? Is there a secret?” A regular who’d been coming for three nights asked, paying as he received his skewers.

“Trade secret, trade secret,” Mo Ran replied with a smile, meeting the probing gaze.

“Understood.” The male student nodded and left, but no one noticed the sharp glint in his eyes as he turned away, as if plotting something.

Business boomed until after eight; more than two hundred skewers vanished before the hungry crowd of students. Mo Ran sat heavily on the ground, too exhausted to tidy up the messy site—two hours of nonstop work had drained him.

At that moment, a figure appeared before him, the familiar scent of gardenia drifting into Mo Ran’s mind. He didn’t need to look; he knew it was Mo Ya.

“Brother Ran, you work so hard. Should I come help you after work?” Seeing her beloved so tired, Mo Ya felt her heart ache and asked gently.

“No need, no need. You’re a teacher now, and barbecue work isn’t dignified. You’re a young lady—if you pick up the greasy smell of lamb, you won’t be pretty anymore.” Mo Ran replied without hesitation.

“Brother Ran, why worry about dignity? You took care of me all my life—can’t I repay you a little?” Mo Ya protested, unhappy at his quick refusal.

“Be good. When you finish work, just go straight back to your dorm. Why linger here?” Mo Ran changed the subject; he saw Mo Ya as a sister, and couldn’t bear to have her toil alongside him.

“Then…will you take me back to my dorm?” She tried another tactic.

“Alright, alright. Let me clean up and I’ll give you a ride.” Mo Ran sighed, feeling helpless—this girl was always up to something. Luckily, there wasn’t much left; Mo Ran swept the ground, spread a clean nylon bag on the seat, and was about to let Mo Ya climb aboard.

Suddenly, shadows flickered before his eyes. He looked up to see a familiar face.

“Brother Ran, who is this gentleman?” sensing the strange atmosphere between them, Mo Ya couldn’t help but ask.

“Mo Ya, go ahead. Message me when you arrive—something’s come up here.” Mo Ran tried to stay calm.

“Alright then, take care, Brother Ran.” Mo Ya nodded and left.

“Mr. Mo, long time no see,” the man said.

“Yes, three years. It has been a long time,” Mo Ran stopped what he was doing, his expression cold, but his gaze complicated as he looked at the man not far away.