Chapter 124: White Sony

Liu Yunfei first headed to the computer mall, where his cousin ran a business. Since he had money to spend, he figured it was better to keep it within the family rather than letting an outsider profit. He handed the list he had received from the principal to his portly cousin, instructing him to deliver the computers directly to the school by the next day. He wanted to avoid seeing the principal, whose pretentious demeanor always made him feel as if he were being hounded by a debt collector.

As they hurried out of the mall, Zhang Xiaoli suddenly remembered something. "I don't think I saw Teacher Gao's name on that list."

"Ah, you're right. You’re so observant. She’s just a substitute teacher, so the principal probably didn't think to ask her about it."

Returning to the shop, Liu Yunfei asked his cousin, "Add one more. What model should we get?"

"Just get her a white Sony. Keep the price around ten thousand; I don't want to make it look too different from the others, or people might start guessing my intentions." Liu Yunfei imagined that a scholarly girl like her would appreciate such a machine.

They spent the rest of the day hitting major department stores. Zhang Xiaoli felt this was the happiest day of her life. While she wasn't as vain as some other girls, what girl didn't love beautiful clothes? In the past, she rarely even went window shopping, not just because she was busy, but because visiting such places only made her feel more inferior.

Wealthy girls could spend an entire day browsing without buying a thing, but a poor girl like Zhang Xiaoli couldn't afford that luxury. People nowadays, especially in the world of women, judged others by their appearance and attire. Shop assistants would fawn over well-dressed girls, hoping they would return even if they didn't buy anything that day. But if a girl like Zhang Xiaoli, dressed simply, just looked without buying, the staff would immediately glare at her and mutter, "What are you looking at? Can you even afford it?"

Today, Zhang Xiaoli finally enjoyed the treatment of a young heiress. Several clerks hovered around her. "This one looks great on you." "This one is lovely, too; you're so pretty, everything suits you." "This set is a bit thick, but the weather will cool down soon, so you'll be able to wear it before you know it."

"Give me a break. It's only September. She’s going to wear this heavy coat right away?" Liu Yunfei had money, but he hated being fleeced. Clerks always treated the wealthy like fools, but in reality, the richer someone was, the more calculating they became.

By the time Liu Yunfei and Zhang Xiaoli returned home carrying bags and boxes, his parents and Sun Xiaogang were already sitting on the sofa. Zhang Xiaoli felt a bit embarrassed as she set the items down; Sun Xiaogang had arrived empty-handed, and all these bags were filled with her own new clothes. Fortunately, Liu Yunfei’s parents didn't say anything.

"Xiaoli, didn't you say you wanted to shower? Go ahead," Liu Yunfei said, sensing her discomfort and stepping in to ease the tension.

"Xiaofei, the villa is finished. Xiaogang and I are going to buy beds and appliances this afternoon so we can move in tomorrow," Hu Li said, standing up.

"I heard you shouldn't move into a newly renovated place right away. The fumes are too strong and can make you sick," Liu Yunfei said, concerned by the many reports he had read on the subject.

"You don't know, but we used truly eco-friendly materials. The illnesses are caused by formaldehyde and the like. We bought natural, glue-free boards. They’re expensive, but there’s no smell at all. We can move in immediately," Liu Hongbing explained.

Liu Yunfei thought for a moment and said, "How about this? Xiaoli and I will stay here since it's closer to school, and you all can move over there. We’ll stay for a while longer." In truth, Liu Yunfei was eager to be alone with Zhang Xiaoli; having her nearby but unreachable was becoming frustrating.

"Heh, you rascal," Liu Hongbing easily guessed Liu Yunfei's intent and gave him a knowing nudge. The gesture made everyone understand his goal. Hu Li, of course, had no objections—parents were often secretly proud of such things. Some would even brag to others with a feigned sigh, "Oh, my son is a handful, changing girlfriends like clothes," all while brimming with pride. Parents of daughters, however, would never say such things, lest others label their child as loose.

Sun Xiaogang’s expression, however, was clearly pained. He had always known he wasn't good enough for Zhang Xiaoli and couldn't offer her happiness, and though he had hoped she would find a good partner, the thought of the girl he loved being with someone else made his heart ache as if it were being squeezed.

Liu Yunfei noticed Sun Xiaogang's expression. He thought to himself that while stealing the girlfriend wasn't enough, he still needed him to work for him loyally. He decided to offer some comfort, walking over and sighing, "Xiaogang, I know how you feel. I will take good care of Xiaoli. Don't be sad; I know plenty of beautiful women. I'll help you find a few later."

Liu Yunfei meant he would introduce him to some female classmates, but Liu Hongbing misinterpreted his words and jumped in, "Where are there plenty of beautiful women?"

"Ahem!" Liu Yunfei choked on his own breath. Liu Hongbing realized his mistake immediately, looking up to see Hu Li glaring at him, looking as if she were ready to grab a kitchen knife.

"I'm done showering," Zhang Xiaoli appeared, drawing everyone's attention. Liu Hongbing breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that a potential domestic disaster had been averted.

After her shower, Zhang Xiaoli looked like a different person. She had always been pretty, but in Liu Yunfei’s eyes, there was only one word: "stunning." She looked like an angel who had descended to earth. Her damp hair fell against her cheeks, and her beautiful face glowed with a newfound confidence. Her upturned lips suppressed a hidden joy, and the well-fitted short skirt highlighted her slender legs. Liu Yunfei felt he had been blind before; she was far more beautiful than Wu Jiangya. She wasn't just one of the four beauties of the class; she was arguably the top beauty of the entire school.

That afternoon, bringing Zhang Xiaoli to school caused a sensation. No one had expected her to be so breathtakingly beautiful when dressed up. Her every gesture drew admiration—and jealousy—from the other girls. To Liu Yunfei’s delight, the "Association for Pursuing Liu," which usually watched from outside his window, shrunk by more than half. Meanwhile, clothing store owners were thrilled; the short skirt Zhang Xiaoli wore was suddenly in high demand. Girls at Huangjiang High were snapping them up, and when the store owners restocked, they found the students were already obsessively buying another style—simply because Zhang Xiaoli had changed her outfit.

Gao Yueqiu stared at the Sony laptop on her desk, lost in thought. It wasn't that she cared much about a free computer, nor was she surprised that Liu Yunfei had thought of her. Seeing the laptop reminded her of someone—a blurred figure. They say that the more deeply you love someone, the more blurred their face becomes in your memory; when you think of them, only their name echoes in your mind, and if you try to recall their features, only a single, indelible photograph comes to mind.

Gao Yueqiu believed this to be true, because every time she thought of that person, she didn't think of his face, but of a computer—a white laptop, almost identical to the one on her desk.

However, Gao Yueqiu knew they were different. The models, configurations, and details varied. The biggest difference was the content: the white Sony machine in her heart held the man's diary, page after page, each entry about her, every word enough to make her heart tremble. But the computer Liu Yunfei gave her was blank, save for the pre-installed software.

Though they were different in many ways, they were also the same—the same color, the same design, the same brand—and they were both things Gao Yueqiu loved. She let her mind wander: was it fate that connected her to the white Sony, or was it fate connected to the person who gave it to her? No, no, that was her student; how could she have such thoughts? Even though that person was gone, she couldn't forget him, just as Liu Yunfei had said: "It's as if you were standing right there, never having gone far away."