Feng Feng was not buying it. “Difficult? There shouldn’t be many people in the world who can’t even remember their ex’s name, unless they never truly cared about them and were just playing around.”
Shen Su subconsciously followed her lead, “Back when I was studying, I was just playing around, I didn’t take it seriously.”
Feng Feng retorted, “Oh, so you mean you dated girlfriends just for fun.”
Shen Su immediately realized he had said the wrong thing again. “Not with you, of course.”
Feng Feng calmly replied, “Because I’m not your girlfriend.”
Shen Su: “……”
Honestly, this was the first time he felt so helpless in front of a woman. Gu Song was right, Feng Feng was sent by heaven to be his nemesis. He had been briefly arrogant in front of her, and now it was time to ‘repay the debt.’
In reality, Feng Feng wasn’t being unreasonable at all. In fact, he was the one who had brought up this topic first. Now, Shen Su felt immense regret. He quickly changed the subject, “I’ll accompany you on your Spring Festival trip. Let me check the flights.”
The transition was a bit abrupt, but Feng Feng knew Shen Su was showing weakness, so she didn’t dwell on the topic any further.
Upon arriving in New York, the pace of life seemed to have been fast-forwarded. Although still on vacation, it was hard to relax as much as during their previous travels. With New Year’s Eve approaching, Manhattan became particularly lively, with crowds everywhere. Before noon, Times Square was already packed, filled with people waiting for the New Year’s Eve countdown.
Feng Feng didn’t have such a strong sense of ritual. She had originally planned to have a simple New Year’s Eve at the hotel’s restaurant. However, Shen Su had booked a hotel in Times Square in advance. Feng Feng only found out about it on the afternoon of the 31st, after she had just come out of a shopping mall.
After seeing the hotel address Shen Su sent, Feng Feng glanced at the shopping bags in her hand. These were gifts she had bought for Shen Su. Since they were spending New Year’s Eve together, it was a perfect opportunity to give them to him.
This was Feng Feng’s first time giving Shen Su a gift. She wasn’t entirely sure about his preferences, but for men, gifts were generally limited. This time, Feng Feng chose a wallet and a tie. She recalled that Shen Su liked buying ties.
Feng Feng hadn’t mentioned the gifts to Shen Su beforehand. Because it was too crowded outside, they didn’t leave until evening.
Feng Feng and Shen Su emerged from their rooms almost simultaneously. When they met face-to-face, they realized they were both wearing black trench coats. Shen Su, with his tall stature and long legs, had a perfect physique for trench coats. With one hand in his pocket, he was captivating even without saying a word.
When Shen Su was silent, his charm doubled. Feng Feng stared at him for nearly half a minute, admiring him, when Shen Su smiled and asked, “Is Ms. Feng having a crush on me?”
The moment the question was asked, his charm significantly diminished. Feng Feng immediately averted her gaze, no longer looking at him. “Let’s go.”
Their hotel was three to four kilometers from Times Square. On New Year’s Eve, the streets were impassable. Feng Feng and Shen Su chose to walk to the restaurant. The bustling crowds were dizzying, but thankfully, their hotel room remained quiet.
The hotel Shen Su booked offered a panoramic view of the Times Square New Year’s Eve countdown. The cost for one night was astonishingly high. Shortly after they arrived, staff delivered dinner to their room. The suite had been meticulously decorated, and the dining table was placed by the floor-to-ceiling window, offering a view of the scene outside while they ate.
Feng Feng took off her coat and sat down at the dining table, her bag placed on a chair nearby. Shen Su poured her a glass of wine. By then, the sky outside had darkened, and the lights on the square were gradually lighting up, illuminating the crowded and lively scene.
Feng Feng and Shen Su clinked their glasses and took a sip of wine. “It’s so lively outside. It reminds me of Chinese New Year when I was a child.”
Shen Su also glanced outside and asked, “Was Spring Festival that lively in Huaixi?”
Feng Feng said, “It was quite lively when I was little. There were many small vendors in the city center square. During the New Year, the square was full of people, and some people set off firecrackers nearby. Later, when I was in middle school, regulations started, and it wasn’t as lively anymore.”
Listening to Feng Feng talk about her childhood, Shen Su couldn’t help but smile. “I’m quite curious about what you were like as a child.”
Feng Feng asked, “Curious about what?”
Shen Su said, “I want to know if you were always this reserved when you were little.”
Reserved? Feng Feng thought for a moment and said, “I’ve been like this since I was young.”
Shen Su asked, “Were your parents’ personalities like that too?”
Feng Feng said, “Not really. My parents are nicer than me. I might have a genetic mutation.”
This was the first time Feng Feng had talked about her parents with Shen Su. Shen Su couldn’t help but recall the day he coincidentally met her parents in Huaixi. They were discussing Li Yue at the time, and her parents seemed to like Li Yue quite a bit.
“Are your parents busy with work?” Shen Su asked.
Feng Feng said, “They retired early, last year. They should be on a road trip now.” As she said this, Feng Feng smiled. “They’re much more carefree than I am.”
Shen Su could relate. “Yeah, my parents are similar. They handed the company over to me and spend their days playing games at home.”
Feng Feng sounded a bit surprised. “Playing games?”
Shen Su took a sip of wine and laughed. “A couple of years ago, some relative gave them a game console, and they actually got addicted to it.”
This didn’t quite fit Feng Feng’s stereotypical image. “Your parents are quite interesting.”
People with such childlike innocence were bound to like Ji Tong. She imagined Ji Tong’s demeanor must be very appealing to them.
The New Year’s Eve performance downstairs began.
Feng Feng and Shen Su drank wine while enjoying the performance. Viewed from the floor-to-ceiling window, the perspective was excellent, and the sense of participation was also strong.
At 9:30 PM, a band performed. The hotel’s soundproofing was good, so they couldn’t hear it clearly, but they could still feel the singer’s passion.
The time was almost right.
Feng Feng took out two gift boxes from her bag and placed them on the table, pushing them towards Shen Su.
Shen Su had been holding his wine glass, drinking, when he suddenly noticed Feng Feng’s actions and stopped. His gaze fell on the two boxes, and he raised an eyebrow. “What is this?”
Feng Feng said, “Open them and see.”
As Shen Su asked, he already had an idea. He put down his wine glass and opened the two boxes one after another, revealing the tie and the wallet. At this point, Feng Feng added, “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just bought these for now.”
Shen Su, however, was already beaming. The joy in his eyes was unmistakable. He picked up the tie. “Thank you, I like them very much.”
Feng Feng nodded. “I’m glad you like them.”
Shen Su’s fingertips brushed against the tie, and he mused, “This is Ms. Feng’s first gift to me, of course I’d like it.”
He paused and then asked, “Isn’t this to repay the favor for my Christmas gift?”
Feng Feng shook her head. “It should be a Christmas gift.”