Chapter 121: Your Gift, The Perfume Named “Encounter”
On the way to the hot spring resort town, the heavy bus rocked gently as it gradually sped up.
Inside the bus, the classmates chatted excitedly.
They all had high hopes for the trip, imagining outdoor barbecues, bonfires, and so on.
But not everyone’s attention was on the travel plans.
Like Qu Xiaoya, whose gaze kept drifting to Jiang Zhou and Feng Siruo’s clothes.
They were wearing matching couple’s outfits — one black, one white.
Leaning close, the letters on their sleeves looked like they could form a sentence: “If deep feelings can’t be mutual…”
The rest was obscured, so she couldn’t see it clearly.
But Qu Xiaoya was certain: these were definitely couple’s outfits.
Yet when she asked Feng Siruo yesterday, the latter clearly said she wasn’t together with Jiang Zhou.
Could this seemingly pure and innocent girl actually be as scheming as those “green tea” types?
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.”
Huang Qi smiled, “Aren’t you curious about Jiang Zhou’s gifts?”
Qu Xiaoya withdrew her gaze from Feng Siruo.
“Don’t you have a gift either?”
“I’m going to scold him right now. Do you dare?”
“What does that have to do with me? I never said I wanted one.”
Suddenly, Huang Qi whipped her head around.
“Jiang Zhou, did you give Feng Siruo a gift last night?”
Jiang Zhou ruffled Feng Siruo’s hair, “It’s a classmate uniform. Didn’t you see? We’re wearing it.”
“Yeah… classmate uniform.” Feng Siruo nodded confidently.
Definitely not couple’s outfits.
Just a classmate uniform for the two of them.
No misunderstandings, please!
“But I also heard Su Nan and Senior Han got gifts, right?”
“Yes, last night. You know about that too?”
“Then why didn’t I get one? That’s so unfair!”
Jiang Zhou smiled slightly, “Who said you didn’t get one?”
Huang Qi was stunned, “You… you bought me a gift too?”
“Of course. How could I forget you?”
Hearing this, Qu Xiaoya quickly turned her head.
If Jiang Zhou only bought a gift for Feng Siruo, she might be a little jealous because Feng Siruo was just too beautiful.
If she was a boy, she’d definitely like her too.
Besides, everyone knew Jiang Zhou called Feng Siruo “wifey” every day.
But why did Huang Qi also get a gift?
She had no special relationship with Jiang Zhou.
Qu Xiaoya’s eyes darkened with a strong sense of unfairness.
“Where’s my gift? Let me see it!”
“Your gift’s in my bag. I’ll get it for you.”
At that moment, all three girls gathered close.
Since Feng Siruo sat right next to Jiang Zhou, the curious girl peeked at his backpack, even leaning fully onto Jiang Zhou’s lap to get a better look.
This was probably the only physical contact between Jiang Zhou and Feng Siruo besides holding hands.
Looks like she was slowly entering the world that belonged to her.
Huang Qi glanced at him, “Jiang Zhou, why do you look so stunned?”
Jiang Zhou snapped out of it, “Oh, sorry. Just got a little happy for a moment.”
“Hmmm…”
Hearing this, Feng Siruo suddenly blushed.
She realized she was leaning on Jiang Zhou’s lap, so she quickly got up, retreating back to her corner.
Covering her flushed cheeks with her sleeve, only her bright eyes remained visible.
“This is the gift I’m giving you.” Jiang Zhou reached out his hand.
Inside the plastic bag was a basket of small steamed buns.
He hadn’t seen Huang Qi in the cafeteria earlier, so he guessed she had overslept and missed breakfast.
To show his big-brotherly kindness, he bought a basket of steamed buns to take out for her.
“That’s it? I thought it’d be something else.”
Qu Xiaoya looked disdainful.
She didn’t even know if those buns were leftovers.
If this was Jiang Zhou’s gift to Huang Qi, she wouldn’t be jealous at all because it clearly felt like a half-hearted afterthought.
Huang Qi glared at her but then turned away, “Steamed buns are fine. I didn’t eat breakfast anyway.”
“I knew you wouldn’t get up. I’m just worried you’ll get hungry, so I brought it for you.”
“Hmph, I guess you’re kind of thoughtful.”
Qu Xiaoya turned around with a smirk, “Congratulations on a five-yuan gift.”
Huang Qi didn’t mind, “Isn’t having something better than nothing?”
“Yeah, having something is better than nothing, but I don’t want a half-hearted gift.”
“I don’t think it’s half-hearted. Jiang Zhou knew I overslept and didn’t eat breakfast, so he brought this especially for me.”
“Heh, you really believe that? You’re so naïve and cute!”
Just as the tension between the two girls rose, a hand suddenly reached around Huang Qi’s shoulder.
The fingers relaxed and pulled back.
Then Huang Qi found a bottle of perfume in her arms.
The bottle was pale yellow, like flowing amber.
“Chanel’s Encounter. I bought it together with Feng Siruo’s gift.
“But I didn’t give it to you last night. I thought it would be better to give it today.
“Didn’t expect someone to spoil the surprise early.”
As Jiang Zhou finished, Huang Qi and Qu Xiaoya both froze.
A bottle of Chanel perfume?!
That was her gift?
Qu Xiaoya’s face changed drastically.
Because she knew this kind of gift was definitely not half-hearted.
That perfume called Encounter cost over a thousand yuan, and was only sold at counters in the city.
Even if Feng Siruo told Jiang Zhou what happened downstairs last night, he wouldn’t have been able to buy the perfume on such short notice.
The mall would’ve been closed.
That meant the gift was prepared in advance.
He was thinking of Feng Siruo, but he also remembered Huang Qi.
“I… really got a gift?” Huang Qi’s eyes reddened as she stood up, ready to rush forward.
But Feng Siruo’s sharp gaze stopped her instantly.
Still, she couldn’t hold back her feelings.
Han Rou was his sister.
Su Nan was his first employee.
Feng Siruo was the girl he liked.
Huang Qi thought it was only natural he gave gifts to them all.
Though she was honestly a little envious, she felt no jealousy.
But she didn’t expect she would actually receive a gift. And it was perfume.
A little gentle, yet somewhat elegant.
Huang Qi felt she had never received such a perfect gift before.
It must have been carefully chosen by Jiang Zhou just for her.
“Now that I think about it, maybe the steamed buns weren’t such a half-hearted gift after all, right?” Huang Qi glanced at Qu Xiaoya.
Qu Xiaoya, at this moment, was speechless and very disappointed.
She realized that Huang Qi was someone special in Jiang Zhou’s heart too.
Last night, she had mocked Huang Qi for having no gift, but in the end, the real clown was herself.