Chapter 100: His Inexplicable Possessiveness
The dress was a slim, flowing style that fell to her mid-calves.
Over it, she wore a cardigan in a similar color. The entire outfit was lovely, looking both elegant and proper.
She had her hair half-up, secured with an exquisite crystal butterfly claw clip.
Today’s outfit was chosen both for selling her wares and for meeting Xie Huaizheng’s two elders later.
Although attitudes were becoming more liberal, West State was nowhere near as progressive as the coastal cities.
That’s why she had chosen a slightly more conservative style of dress.
This was especially true since she was meeting elders.
But she still had to dress respectably to show she was taking it seriously.
Su Zhaozhao didn’t want to be rude.
She had just arrived at the entrance of West State University when she saw several girls already waiting there.
When they saw Su Zhaozhao, their eyes lit up. "Miss, do you have any new hair accessories today?"
"Yeah, we want to take a look too."
"Yes, yes, don’t worry. But a student paid me a deposit earlier, so I have to let her choose first before it’s your turn. I’m so sorry. Could you wait here for a moment?"
Su Zhaozhao also gave each of them two pieces of candy.
They were sweet-and-tangy strawberry milk candies, a snack from her ’space’.
The girls were first drawn in by the exquisite wrappers. After trying one, the sweet strawberry flavor made their eyes brighten.
"This candy is delicious."
"Where did you buy this? I’ve never seen this kind of packaging before."
"It looks expensive..."
...
They gathered around Su Zhaozhao asking questions, not showing the slightest impatience about having to wait.
"Mm, I brought these from my hometown, Jiang City. They probably don’t sell them here."
Su Zhaozhao casually made up an excuse. After all, Jiang City was a world away from West State, and with information not traveling as freely back then, she could say whatever she wanted.
Just as she was speaking, Xu Jiaxin arrived.
To Su Zhaozhao’s surprise, Xu Jiaming was with Xu Jiaxin.
Xu Jiaxin was wearing a sapphire blue dress today, her hair tied in a high ponytail with one of the blue hair ties she’d bought from Su Zhaozhao last time.
The hair tie was rather ornate, adorned with a few pearls.
She was still wearing her oversized metal earrings.
Her makeup and style still channeled that glamorous, retro Hong Kong starlet look.
The moment she saw Su Zhaozhao, Xu Jiaxin strode over enthusiastically. "Zhaozhao, you’re here! This is great! I’ve been so excited for you to come."
She even gave Su Zhaozhao a hug.
She couldn’t help but say, "You smell so good. Are you wearing perfume? It’s a jasmine scent. I love it."
"No..." Su Zhaozhao said quickly.
Xu Jiaxin’s gaze fell on her again. "So pretty, so pretty. Your outfit today is much nicer than last time. With your fair skin, you should wear these soft, delicate colors more often. You look like a fairy."
"Thank you for the compliment." Su Zhaozhao didn’t consider herself particularly introverted, but when faced with an extreme extrovert like Xu Jiaxin, she still felt a little intimidated.
’Oh god, how can someone be this extroverted?’
"Zhaozhao, you really do look lovely today," Xu Jiaming said, stepping forward.
He still looked as pale and handsome as ever, carrying a sort of inexplicably docile air, the very picture of a refined, cultured young master.
But the words that came out of his mouth were a bit strange.
"Can I hug you too, like my sister did?"
Su Zhaozhao: "???"
Xu Jiaxin, at her side, was also shocked. "Bro? Are you okay?"
"No. It’s improper for men and women to have physical contact," Su Zhaozhao refused him.
Xu Jiaming’s eyes showed a hint of disappointment. "Alright then. What a shame."
’Why would he want to hug me?’ Su Zhaozhao looked at Xu Jiaming. He looked so incredibly docile; even though he was in his twenties, he seemed like a naive, sheltered teenager.
Frail. Easy to bully.
But because Su Zhaozhao had read the book, she observed him from a more informed perspective.
And so, in that moment, she saw something in his eyes.
The desire, ambition, and bloodlust piercing through his docile surface...
It made Su Zhaozhao shiver uncontrollably.
’No way.’
’I must have seen it wrong. How could Xu Jiaming have those kinds of... messy feelings toward me?’
’He’s supposed to be gentle and polite to everyone. It’s only toward the female lead that he should have those kinds of twisted, obsessive feelings, right?’
’We barely even know each other.’
"Oh, right, Zhaozhao, let me see the things you brought! I can’t wait any longer."
Xu Jiaxin’s voice interrupted Su Zhaozhao’s thoughts.
So, Su Zhaozhao spread a mat on the ground and dumped everything out of her bag.
She had brought too much this time, and with so many people waiting, she didn’t have the energy to arrange the hair accessories one by one as she had last time.
Instead, she simply sorted them into piles by type.
"You paid a ten-yuan deposit, so you have plenty to choose from. However, I also found a few pieces that I thought would perfectly match your style. These are a little more expensive."
Su Zhaozhao took out a box and handed it to Xu Jiaxin. "See if you like this. It’s a set, and this set costs five yuan."
Su Zhaozhao had estimated the price at five yuan. After all, the set was incredibly intricate, with a princess-like style, and she had a feeling Xu Jiaxin would love it.
Xu Jiaxin opened the box.
Inside lay a red bow hair accessory. The bow was especially large, made of satin, and covered with a layer of mesh. The top was studded with sparkling, diamond-like ornaments.
In short, it was clearly a cut above the ordinary items sold in stores.
Xu Jiaxin’s eyes lit up. "This is gorgeous!"
In addition to the bow, there were several red hair clips, also studded with rhinestones that glittered dazzlingly in the sun.
There was even a matching necklace and a pair of earrings.
The other girls looking on were astonished when they saw the hair accessory in Xu Jiaxin’s hands.
’It’s that beautiful?’
Even though they couldn’t afford it, the moment they saw the accessories, they couldn’t help but think how much like a princess they would feel if they owned a set like that.
"Five yuan? This is only five yuan?" Xu Jiaxin snapped the box shut, shielding it from everyone else’s view.
At that moment, she was so excited she almost screamed.
"Zhaozhao, I love you so much!" She hugged Su Zhaozhao tightly and even looked like she was about to plant a few kisses on her face.
Su Zhaozhao dodged away, stunned by Xu Jiaxin’s enthusiasm.
She was also stunned by the Xu Family’s wealth.
’I never would have guessed. For a five-yuan item, Xu Jiaxin doesn’t even care about the price, only the style.’
"The rhinestones are fake," Su Zhaozhao felt compelled to remind her.
Back then, the technology for imitation diamonds wasn’t as advanced, and she was afraid Xu Jiaxin might get the wrong idea.
"That’s fine, as long as it’s pretty! I’m going to wear it to my birthday party next month."