Nian Suian could see that Gu Junxing was taking this gala event quite seriously. When she woke up on the weekend, there were already stylists waiting.
Gu Zhijing had originally planned to get up early to play ball with his classmates, but he was also caught to pick out clothes.
This was quite novel for Nian Suian, so she was quite enthusiastic at first. But after half an hour, after looking at countless pictures of clothes, she was completely numb. She sighed inwardly: It seems being a young lady isn't so easy after all, at least those with decision paralysis couldn't do it.
She put down the magazine and gave up: "You guys pick one for me, my aesthetic sense isn't good."
Gu Zhijing, who was already restless beside her, quickly followed suit: "Me too, me too. You guys pick for us, just choose matching outfits for us."
This made everyone laugh. They didn't expect this stepson and stepmother to have such a good relationship.
"Are there matching outfits for formal wear? I thought matching outfits were only for casual wear, like what you'd wear to an amusement park," Nian Suian asked the stylist.
"It's not quite the same as that. Men's formal wear is usually just a suit, at most we can put some effort into the color. But we can choose the same color for the young master's bow tie and your dress, that way it will match better."
"Alright, you decide then."
The measurements were also taken, and the staff could see that the two of them were impatient to choose anymore. "We'll deliver the clothes next Wednesday. If there's anything that doesn't fit, we can still make alterations. Next Friday, we'll come early to do makeup and styling for both of you. Is that time okay?"
Nian Suian nodded. She was unemployed, any time was fine for her. "Come in the afternoon. Do me first. Our kid still has classes. Wait until he comes back from school in the afternoon to do his."
"Alright, then we'll take our leave now."
Nian Suian politely saw them out, and as soon as they left, she immediately flopped onto the sofa. Just now in front of outsiders, she had to maintain some composure and couldn't let herself go. Now she was sprawled out like a soft-bodied animal, limbs flying everywhere.
In contrast, Gu Zhijing, who had been drooping earlier, immediately became full of life and energy.
"I'm going out to play ball. I won't be back for lunch," he said, about to rush out. His buddies had been waiting for him for half a day.
"Bring me back a milk tea in the afternoon!" Nian Suian called out to him. Takeout couldn't come into this residential complex, and ordering takeout meant having to go to the main gate to pick it up, which was a hassle.
"Buy me one too," Gu Zhijing waved his phone, indicating a WeChat transfer.
"Alright, I'll send you a red envelope later." Nian Suian waved at him. She had never seen such a stingy Rich Second Generation. His wretched father must have cut the child's allowance by quite a bit to make him like this.
Nian Suian was now barely considered a wealthy person. The trust's stock dividends had also been credited for a month a couple of days ago. That long string of numbers had kept Nian Suian, who had been poor for half her life, awake most of the night. Even in her dreams, she was praying that Gu Junxing's company wouldn't go bankrupt.
So Nian Suian made a grand gesture and sent Gu Zhijing a 200 yuan red envelope, along with her milk tea order.
Gu Zhijing collected the red envelope instantly and sent back a long string of "Thank you, boss" emojis, which made Nian Suian both amused and exasperated.
After deducting the cost of the milk tea, Gu Zhijing had netted over a hundred yuan today. He was so excited that he even shot a few more three-pointers while playing ball.
"Zhijing, want to go to the internet cafe later?" Chu Mingyan, who was playing ball with him, asked.
"I'm not going, I need to head home," Gu Zhijing remembered his stepmom's milk tea. He needed to get home early. If he went to the internet cafe, he probably wouldn't be back until night. "We can play games at home too, don't your parents let you play?"
"When did you become such a homebody, always going home, going home," Qu Zizhou teased, putting Gu Zhijing in a headlock.
"The air in internet cafes isn't good. Isn't it more comfortable to play at home?" Gu Zhijing casually made up an excuse.
However, both Qu Zizhou and the silent Qi Anlu were convinced by his reason.
"That's true. Mingyan, let's just play at home."
"It's so inconvenient to team up when we're at home. We can communicate better when we're together."
"We can use voice chat. We can communicate just the same," Gu Zhijing patted Chu Mingyan's shoulder.
Qi Anlu sighed, "If only we could set up a gaming room with four computers at home, then we could play together. Can any of you do that at your place? I can bring my own computer."
"Forget it. If I did that, my dad would throw me off the building and turn me into a pancake."
"+1"
"+2"
"Sigh..."
The four buddies finally decided to go to their respective homes. Before leaving, they lamented, "I wish we could be like those unrestrained second-generation rich kids in TV dramas!"
...
On Wednesday, someone specially delivered Nian Suian and Gu Zhijing's clothes to their home. Nian Suian's was a blue off-shoulder satin long dress, without too much design, but it made her look even more fair-skinned and tall, very suitable for her figure and complexion.
Nian Suian tried it on, and the size fit perfectly, so no alterations were needed. Gu Zhijing was at school, so Nian Suian asked the maid to hang his clothes in his room for him to try when he got home from school. She didn't see Gu Junxing's clothes, probably they were sent directly to his company.
He must be particularly busy recently, as Gu Junxing hadn't been home for the past few days. Nian Suian was enjoying her freedom, very happy being alone at home. Having money and a husband who doesn't come home, she'd be smiling even in her dreams.
In the evening when Gu Zhijing came home, Nian Suian was waiting for him in the living room, along with Nanny Zhang and Butler Su, all waiting for Gu Zhijing to change clothes. "Your formal wear is in your room. Go try it on and let us see if it fits. After trying on the clothes, we'll have a late-night snack," Nian Suian said.
Nanny Zhang and Butler Su beside her also had loving expressions.
Gu Zhijing was stunned for a moment before heading upstairs. It had been a few days, and he had almost forgotten about this.
Gu Zhijing's suit was black, looking ordinary on the surface, but when worn it accentuated his tall and straight figure, giving him an imposing presence. The bow tie was the same blue as Nian Suian's dress, matching perfectly.
"Oh my! No wonder he's my son, he's so handsome." To be honest, Nian Suian felt a genuine sense of 'my child is growing up' in her heart at this moment.
While praising him, she took out her phone and snapped a few photos, making Gu Zhijing feel a bit embarrassed.
"Our young master has really grown up, looking like an adult now."
"Indeed, indeed. I think he's even taller than the boss was back in the day," Butler Su remarked. Having worked for the Gu family since his youth, he still remembered what Gu Junxing looked like before.
Gu Zhijing, who had been feeling shy, straightened his back even more upon hearing this: "What do you think? Am I more handsome than my dad was when he was young?"
Butler Su, who doted on Gu Zhijing like a child, immediately gave an affirmative answer.
"Of course! The boss was handsome in his youth too, but he can't compare to you, young master!"
"Ahem!"
...
"Boss! When did you come back?"