Chapter 17: Chapter 16: Interact More with Women!
Shen Mochen glanced at her small belly, his tone slightly annoyed, "Wearing such revealing clothes, aren't you afraid of catching cold?"
Yin Caiyu confidently patted her chest, "I'm a Buque, not so fragile!"
"Buque or not, you still have a mortal body, your body is similar to anyone else's!"
"But I'm really not cold, don't believe me? Touch and see."
Yin Caiyu took Shen Mochen's hand and placed it on her stomach. Her belly was warm and a bit soft when relaxed, but firm abdominal muscles could be felt underneath.
"See? Warm, right?" Yin Caiyu said proudly, a hint of pride on her face.
Shen Mochen let go, the silky smooth touch made his heart skip a beat. He didn't speak verbally but implicitly agreed.
"Let's go!"
Yin Caiyu naturally linked arms with Shen Mochen, the morning light brilliant, her smile even brighter than the sunshine.
"Where are we going now?"
"I remember photo studios can do makeup; let's go there first!"
"Why do you want makeup today? Besides, beauty salons on the street can do your makeup too."
"Going to a beauty salon works too, I remember there's one nearby!"
Yin Caiyu went along with Shen Mochen's suggestion but didn't answer his question directly. Shen Mochen didn't mind, accustomed to her spontaneous ideas.
When the two reached the beauty salon just as it opened, Yin Caiyu briefly explained her purpose and was warmly welcomed by the staff.
"Handsome, would you like some water?"
Shen Mochen had barely sat down on the sofa near the entrance for a minute when a young attendant eagerly offered him a cup of warm water.
"Oh sure, thank you," Shen Mochen gave her a small smile.
"No need to thank me!" The young girl blushed, almost spilling the water.
"Is that lady inside... your girlfriend?" she asked timidly and shyly sitting next to Shen Mochen.
"Oh, she's my sister," Shen Mochen replied.
The girl's face brightened immediately, glowing with a rosy flush. Shen Mochen noticed her smile and also smiled to himself, well used to it.
"So she's your sister! She's really pretty, and you siblings look so alike!"
"Uh, thanks."
Shen Mochen thought, where do we look alike? Do we have a couple's resemblance? We don't share any blood relation.
He had heard this many times. When he and Yin Caiyu were out, many girls had asked about their relationship. Sometimes it was various clerks, sometimes total strangers, and sometimes fleeting acquaintances.
Upon receiving his answer, nearly without fail, they would comment "You siblings really look alike." It seemed like just small talk, but how could such regularity in small talk come about by chance? It was merely their inner wishful thinking, unintentionally voiced as a form of self-consolation.
People are happy to accept the truth they wish to believe, even if it's self-deceiving.
Of course, not only women approached them; there were some men too, but usually, a stern look from Shen Mochen was enough to make them tactfully leave.
"Are you a student?"
"Yep, in my senior year."
"Wow, so you're taking the national exam soon."
"Yes, I'm taking the TAST."
"Looks like you come from a wealthy family. You're so handsome too; there must be lots of girls at your school who like you. Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No, I haven't thought about it yet."
"..."
Shen Mochen casually responded to the store clerk, who was all smiles because of his comments.
Actually, he wasn't good at chatting with girls or knowing how to make them happy, but he knew that just by standing close to them and saying anything, they would be pleased.
He didn't mind taking advantage of this benefit and didn't mind gaining some advantages and care.
"... Can I add you as a friend?"
At some point, the girl had moved close to Shen Mochen, her eyes filled with affection, exuding a cheap perfume scent.
Shen Mochen just smiled and accepted the friend request, then mentioned that he usually was busy with studies and didn't check his phone often. This unspoken understanding left the girl a bit disappointed, but being able to add him as a friend was still a win.
Not long after, Yin Caiyu came out, her lips curved into a satisfied smile.
Her face was done up in a delicate makeup look, less harsh but softer and cuter.
"There's not much difference, huh."
Shen Mochen stepped forward to inspect her and casually commented.
"Shen, you really don't know how to speak; at this time, no matter what, you should compliment the girl, got it? Remember what I said for the future!"
Yin Caiyu, looking at the mirror by the shop door, rearranged her hair, quite pleased with herself. Meanwhile, the makeup artist stealthily slipped Shen Mochen a small note.
"Alright, alright, sister, you look like a celestial beauty, even more so after putting on makeup," Shen Mochen blithely responded, "Can we go now?"
"Such a typical straight guy!"
Yin Caiyu paid the bill and pulled Shen Mochen along as they briskly left.
The sun rose high, and the entire street was fully awake, the majority of shops starting to open, early morning food stalls enveloped in white smoke, filled with customers, pedestrians bustling side by side, with electric bikes and cars mingling in the traffic flow, horns buzzing occasionally.
"Hey, hey, hey, those two people look so attractive!"
"That guy is way too handsome, oh my God, look, look."
"Wuuwuuwuu, why do I feel heartbroken just by seeing him? Wuuwuu, he must be seducing me!"
"Those eyes, that face, so tragically beautiful, so pitiable!"
"Is that girl his girlfriend? Damn, they really match, that's annoying!"
"Hmm, a girl kissing a guy shouldn't be illegal..."
"It's not illegal, but his girlfriend would tear you apart on the street."
Many passersby were whispering about Shen Mochen and Yin Caiyu, some of their words reaching their ears, but they were used to it and ignored it.
Yin Caiyu stretched lazily, tilting her head and looking at Shen Mochen with a teasing tone, "What did that girl in the store slip to you just now?"
"What else could it be?"
Shen Mochen casually pulled out the note from his pocket, unfolded it to reveal, as expected, the girl's social media account, shrugged his shoulders, crumpled it up, and threw it into the nearby trash can.
"Aren't you going to add her as a friend?"
"Why bother?"
This wasn't the first time Shen Mochen had encountered this situation. Once, when he was dining with Yin Caiyu in a restaurant, a bold woman secretly gave him a note that mentioned a suite number in a fancy hotel, thoughtfully noting that she would be available for three days.
At that time, Shen Mochen jokingly said he wanted to see what the suite in the fancy hotel looked like, and Yin Caiyu, unamused, called the police to report that the room was suspected of soliciting prostitution.
"You should interact with more women." Yin Caiyu said with a laugh, biting her lip slightly, and took Shen Mochen's hand, "What high school boy doesn't want to find a girlfriend? It's not like you can't find one."