The night wind at the end of winter was much colder than during the day.
Most of my geography knowledge was just enough to get through exams, so I wasn’t sure why this coastal town could still feel this cold when spring was just around the corner.
Maybe it had something to do with the high humidity?
The sea breeze drifted in from afar, carrying with it countless invisible, intangible shards of ice.
They squeezed through every gap in my down jacket, pushing in one after another, making me stomp my feet involuntarily to keep warm.
I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head, letting my curled-up, shivering cat ears warm up a little.
My usually uncontrollable cat tail, surprisingly obedient this time, was neatly coiled into a cat bun and tucked under my pleated skirt to shield it from the cold wind.
I stood under the New Year tree at the entrance of the shopping center, here once again.
Looking at the tree adorned with red lanterns and wish papers, I no longer felt the disgust I’d had at noon.
Hmm… if I were to describe it with an idiom, this would be called “circumstances change with one’s mindset,” right?
Anyway, staring at this festive tree, my mind inevitably drifted to the scene of Gu Fan parking his motorcycle in the lot, then joining me beneath this tree to buy a couple of wish papers, write down our hopes, and hang them up together.
I crossed my arms over my chest and exhaled a long breath of misty, cold air, then turned to look toward the shopping center entrance.
Today was the last workday of the week, and Valentine’s Day happened to fall on Monday three days from now.
So many young couples and busy middle-aged pairs were already celebrating the holiday early.
Before going out with Gu Fan, I had already considered this.
More precisely, while giving Gu Fan a lap pillow, I had mentally planned our evening itinerary in advance, and the shopping center was the first location I had eliminated.
After all, this coastal town was far too backward. The few entertainment options and routes were basically all concentrated inside the shopping center.
Most of the old town areas at night were desolate, almost like a no-man’s land—not worth wasting time wandering through, not only dangerous but also eerie and unsettling.
The commercial street mostly consisted of milk tea shops and various restaurants, with maybe a few clothing stores and beauty salons at best.
For us, who had just eaten and recently bought down jackets, going there would only mean squeezing through crowds of strangers.
After much consideration, I suggested to Gu Fan that we take a drive out to the suburbs, stroll around, and enjoy the fresh air instead.
The whole shopping and wandering routine was too cumbersome, and I didn’t like staying in overly crowded places anyway.
Unexpectedly, Gu Fan, who usually smiled gently and went along with my plans, shook his head with a serious expression this time.
Before I could even ask why he refused, he lifted up the garbage bag he was holding.
Then… he pulled out the two pieces of clothing I had changed out of and thrown away in the bathroom… I had thought hiding them in the trash bag would be enough to keep them hidden…
Luckily, Gu Fan wasn’t careless enough to outright mention the old, too-small bra and the black tights I’d worn for several days.
He just stared at me with a helpless look and quietly went to the bedroom to find a pair of thermal leggings he had stored there, ordering me to wear them properly.
My original plan to head straight to the suburbs for some fresh air and chatting was changed by Gu Fan to first visit the shopping center to buy properly fitting bras and tights, since those two garments had already touched the trash and couldn’t be worn anymore.
Thinking back on this, I lowered my head to hold down the flapping hem of my skirt and reluctantly glanced over the thermal leggings Gu Fan had me put on through the cotton balls.
“Hmph… so ugly.”
They were warm and thick, but the plain dark blue color really didn’t match my pleated skirt at all.
I twisted my waist left and right, but the bulky leggings nearly concealed my slender figure and legs, making it hard to see any beauty at all.
“You should be grateful I wore these first, or else I’d definitely dislike them on you.”
Pinching the edge of the leggings with my fingers, I pouted in dissatisfaction and muttered softly to myself.
If I were alone at home, I wouldn’t care about such details.
But now I was on a date with Gu Fan.
If I didn’t care, then what was the point?
Gu Fan was an energetic young man with all his faculties intact. Naturally, he’d want his date to be a breathtaking beauty.
At most, the only advantage I had over girls my age was my figure, and then my cat ears and tail unique to a catgirl.
So I had to work extra hard in other areas—dress nicely, wear my best skirt, and put on Gu Fan’s favorite black stockings, and so on.
As for my facial appearance, I found it hard to judge for myself in the mirror.
Maybe it was hereditary from my mother’s side, but both of us were somewhat face-blind, unable to recognize people clearly, and even unsure whether we were attractive or not.
From the conversations between the store manager and other maids, my looks were probably okay in the eyes of the public?
But as time went by, even the youngest faces would develop wrinkles eventually—not even catgirls were exempt.
Everyone’s aesthetic preferences differed.
For me, as long as Gu Fan didn’t dislike my face, I would be perfectly content.
“Clack… clack…”
Steady, strong footsteps grew closer, accompanied by the crisp sound of keys clinking against each other in a pocket.
I inexplicably felt that this was the person I was waiting for drawing near.
My excited thoughts were suddenly sealed away, as if stuffed into a block of thousand-year-old ice, quickly calming me down.
Snapping out of my immersive feelings, I blinked my dry eyes and looked toward the approaching figure.
The young man methodically combed his hair, fingers nimbly tying it into a wolf’s tail.
Then he shook his head, letting the short bangs on his forehead fall naturally into place.
“Zhinian, sorry to keep you waiting. There are a lot of couples at the shopping center today—I almost couldn’t find a parking spot.”
“Mm, it’s fine, as long as you’ve parked.”
I muttered softly, quickly stepping beside Gu Fan and lowering my eyes, hiding my legs clad in thick thermal leggings behind him where he couldn’t see.
“Uh, well… Valentine’s Day is coming soon, you know!”
I felt like I was babbling nonsense, but I didn’t bother searching for more suitable words.
My mind could only hold the single goal of “doing something meaningful with Gu Fan quickly,” leaving the rest to my body’s instinct.
“I… I’m not saying I want a Valentine’s gift or anything. Chocolates and stuff feel too formal. I just thought since we’re out anyway, maybe we could buy a few little commemorative things? You know… um… make it worth the trip?”
I struggled to organize my words into a coherent sentence and blurted it all out.
Then, I nervously glanced sideways at Gu Fan’s profile, hoping he would quickly agree and take me to those souvenir shops to buy some matching couple accessories.
Even though buying couple memorabilia wouldn’t make us an official couple, at least it would give me the chance to stare at them late at night and lose myself in fantasies, imagining all kinds of wonderful scenarios, heh…
I let out an uncontrollable, silly chuckle, then hurriedly suppressed my expression.
It was at this moment that Gu Fan gave his answer.