These past few days, Xiao Bai had been accompanying Zhou You, visiting many places and covering almost all the famous spots in Shanghai. Xiao Bai's dressing style changed every day. Seeing that Zhou You was an easygoing client, she occasionally dressed casually in a student style, and one hot day, she even wore a short skirt. Spring had arrived, and it was the season for animals to mate. As their feelings heated up rapidly over these two days, Xiao Bai no longer called him "Mr. Zhou." At Zhou You's request, she started calling him "Brother You." Zhou You also learned Xiao Bai's full name: Bai Pingping. Her hometown was in neighboring Zhejiang, and she currently rented a place with colleagues.
Today was Zhou You's last day in Shanghai. They decided to stroll along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street and take in the bustling metropolis. This time, they didn't drive—parking there was a hassle—so they took the subway, arms linked as they went. As soon as they exited the subway, a surging crowd hit them. People were everywhere, mostly young, roaming the area in groups. Zhou You and Xiao Bai held hands tightly, afraid of being swept apart by the flow and never finding each other again. Around them were all kinds of shops: luxury brand stores, fast-food joints, restaurants, beverage stands, and various jewelry shops.
After walking for a while, Zhou You couldn't take it anymore. Pedestrian streets across the country were almost the same—a one-stop shop for eating, drinking, and having fun. They found an amusement arcade. It was crowded inside, but still less so than outside, so Zhou You decided to hang out there for a bit, buying a few hundred tokens. A quick glance showed that the arcade games weren't much different from what they'd be years later: fishing games, gambling machines, motorcycles, racing, shooting, basketball—the same old stuff. But to Xiao Bai, it was all new; she'd hardly ever been to places like this before.
Zhou You went to the motorcycle game, bent down, and inserted a token. Xiao Bai sat beside him, also bending to insert a token, but the motorcycle seemed a bit high, and her feet couldn't reach the pedals. Frustrated, she stomped her feet. "Brother You, come help me up—I can't get on," she said in a sweet, whiny voice. "Haha, stand still and don't move," Zhou You replied, gripping her waist with both hands and lifting her easily onto the motorcycle. Xiao Bai was indeed very light, under a hundred pounds. The old saying didn't lie: under a hundred pounds, either flat-chested or short.
With a few hundred tokens, they played every game in the place. By the end, both were exhausted. Zhou You decided to buy Xiao Bai a bag as a thank-you for accompanying him during this time. "Come on, let's go check out some bags and see if there are any new arrivals," he said, taking her hand and heading toward the nearby luxury bag stores. He thought for a moment and led her into the Louis Vuitton store next door. Too cheap wouldn't do, and too expensive wasn't suitable either. LV was just right—a bag worth tens of thousands was presentable. "Xiao Bai, help me pick out a few bags you think are pretty." "Sure, who are you giving them to?" "A young, pretty girl just like you," Zhou You said with a smile. Xiao Bai shot him a glance, a line from a song popping into her head: "How many good sisters do you have?"
Women loved shopping for a reason—even just looking without buying was fun. Normally, Xiao Bai wouldn't dare enter a store like this; it was too expensive, and she feared feeling out of place and getting upset. But now, she took the chance to thoroughly check out the bags. To Zhou You, a bag was just an accessory, something to show off. In another ten-plus years, LV bags would be everywhere. "Brother You, these few are all nice, different styles. What do you think?" Xiao Bai said. Zhou You saw they were indeed varied: small bags, crossbody bags, backpacks, and even a handbag. He stepped forward, picked up the two handbags, and said to the salesperson, "Wrap these two bags separately. How much?" "Sir, that'll be 50,000 total," the salesperson replied, guiding Zhou You to the counter to pay. Zhou You was still a bit unused to carrying a bank card and wallet when going out—soon, a phone would handle everything—but he was getting used to it.
After leaving the store, Zhou You handed one of the patterned bags to Xiao Bai. "Xiao Bai, this is for you. Thanks for keeping me company these past few days. You've worked hard, and I appreciate it." "Ah, no, I can't accept gifts from clients," Xiao Bai said, startled, waving her hands repeatedly. Zhou You took her hand and pressed the bag into it. "This isn't from a client; it's from Brother You." Reluctantly, Xiao Bai accepted the bag, though she was happy inside. She would never have bought it for herself—it was too much. Wages were still low back then; a tour guide in Shanghai made only five or six thousand a month. After rent and meals, there was nothing left to save. Xiao Bai, still childlike at heart, clung tighter to Zhou You's arm after getting the bag, swaying and whining, "Brother You, thank you." Zhou You felt a surge of heat from her rubbing against him, thinking, *Stop swaying, or I won't be able to take it.*
Shanghai's efficiency was impressive. All the paperwork had been processed in the past couple of days, and the house was now officially under Zhou You's name. That afternoon, Zhou You decided to give the place a simple setup so he wouldn't have to bother next time. He called a cleaner and, together with Bai Pingping, watched as the room was tidied up. They replaced all the linens, had the cleaner handle it, and had everything old taken away by the cleaner. Zhou You called the hotel to cancel his reservation, planning to stay at the house for the night. "Xiao Bai, I'm leaving tomorrow. Thanks for being with me these days. Let me treat you to dinner tonight," he said. Hearing that Zhou You was leaving, Xiao Bai felt a bit sad. These past few days with him had been the most fun she'd had since graduating. The tour guide job was nothing like she'd imagined, and she'd almost wanted to quit. Then she met Zhou You, and now she was hesitating about whether to continue. "Sure, Brother You. I've had a great time with you these days," Xiao Bai said, her big eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
That evening, they went to a restaurant near Zhou You's place and booked a small private room. They shared a bottle of red wine as Xiao Bai talked about the joys of being a tour guide and the hardships she'd faced over the past year. As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. Zhou You couldn't think of a better way to comfort her, so he stood up, walked over, and hugged her tightly. Xiao Bai stood up too, her head only reaching Zhou You's chest. She hugged him back just as tightly, feeling like she'd found a pillar of support. For over a year, she'd been struggling alone in Shanghai, and it had been exhausting. As they held each other, the atmosphere grew intimate and ambiguous. Xiao Bai felt something was off—her chest felt increasingly tight. Her face, already flushed from the wine, turned even redder. She whispered softly to Zhou You, "Brother You, not here. Can we go home now?" Zhou You had been feeling restless these past few days too, so he scooped Xiao Bai up and quickly returned home.