I Woke Up And My Girlfriend Was Gone - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The bright midday sun spilled across the earth, turning the fallen autumn leaves into a carpet of gold.

The car traveled along a bustling main street, flanked by soaring skyscrapers on both sides of the flowing traffic.

Looking at the familiar streetscape retreating outside the window, Zuo Yin instantly understood the “secret” place Shen Qingzi was taking her to.

Just past the next traffic light was the largest shopping mall in S City.

Zuo Yin used to come here often, but not to shop like others; she worked part-time at the coffee shop on the first floor. Not only was the hourly wage high, but if she worked the night shift, she could take some coffee home. That was how Zuo Yin had supplied her coffee for an entire winter during her senior year of high school.

“Why are we here?” Zuo Yin asked as she watched Shen Qingzi, as expected, hit the right turn signal and head toward the mall’s underground garage.

“To take you shopping, of course. You can’t just stay at home all the time,” Shen Qingzi replied nonchalantly.

Zuo Yin wasn’t interested in shopping. “You said you’d take me to an art exhibition.”

“It’s a seven-day holiday. Do you really want to spend every single day submerged in art galleries?” Shen Qingzi countered.

“If it’s an exhibition I’m interested in, yes,” Zuo Yin replied.

“Then, what kind of exhibition would interest you?”

As Shen Qingzi asked, the car entered the underground garage. The daylight was stripped away bit by bit. After a somewhat steep descent, Zuo Yin’s vision fell into a darkness she hadn’t yet reacted to.

Staring at a green point of light in her line of sight, she spoke earnestly: “The kind featuring painters I like.”

“Which painters do you like? I’ll see if I can find an opportunity to take you,” Shen Qingzi said.

“Mucha,” Zuo Yin paused for a moment. “And… yours, Teacher.”

Shen Qingzi hadn’t expected such a direct answer. Thinking of the painting by Zuo Yin that she had kept in her private collection, she asked, “Love me, love my dog [Art]?”

Zuo Yin nodded and repeated, “Love the house, love the crow.”

Except, her “house” was Shen Qingzi.

“Then does Xiao Yin like any other artists who paint in the Mucha style?” Shen Qingzi asked with a hint of testing in her voice.

The darkness made it difficult to discern expressions, allowing many ambiguous emotions to emerge under a hazy veil.

Zuo Yin shook her head. “No. No one’s paintings can compare to yours.”

The dim garage lights barely illuminated Shen Qingzi’s face; Zuo Yin likely didn’t notice the slight curve forming at the corners of her mouth.

Tapping the steering wheel, Shen Qingzi announced in a cheerful voice, “Pass.”

“What?” Zuo Yin looked at her in confusion just as the car pulled into a parking spot.

Shen Qingzi smiled. “Nothing. This is a good parking spot.”

Zuo Yin felt Shen Qingzi was acting a bit strange, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

The lights in the garage weren’t bright; they only traced a faint silhouette on a person, making it impossible to read their expression. What exactly did “Pass” mean?

“Xiao Yin, what are you thinking about? Let’s go.”

Hearing Shen Qingzi’s voice, Zuo Yin looked up to find she was no longer in front of her. The dim parking lot was deserted. This sudden emptiness made Zuo Yin’s heart tighten, and she hurriedly looked toward the source of the voice.

She found that Shen Qingzi had already reached the elevators not far away. Her deep brown trench coat made her look elegant and capable, and the light hitting her face carried an endless tenderness. She was slightly turned, waving Zuo Yin over.

The anxiety of not being able to find her instantly transformed into a vast sense of peace.

Zuo Yin let out a soft breath, a smile playing on her lips in the darkness.

“Coming,” she said, stepping toward Shen Qingzi.

…

Because it was the holidays, the mall was bustling with people.

Zuo Yin followed Shen Qingzi up the escalators. The accessible luxury brands gradually gave way to the high-end luxury stores Zuo Yin had seen countless times in magazines. Minimalist signs with black text on white backgrounds hung quietly over storefronts; there were no sales clerks standing at the doors to solicit customers, yet many people still flowed in and out.

Shen Qingzi stopped in front of a store with very few customers and stepped inside.

Zuo Yin looked up at the store’s name and felt a lump in her throat. Even a small square scarf here cost four figures—no wonder there were so few people.

“Which one do you think looks good?” Shen Qingzi asked.

Zuo Yin was a bit flattered. Thinking Shen Qingzi was asking for her opinion, she seriously examined the artfully arranged clothes, referencing Shen Qingzi’s usual style. She pointed to a white silk dress in the distance. “That one?”

“You have excellent taste, Miss. This is the main piece for this season,” the clerk introduced with a beaming smile.

Shen Qingzi stepped forward to feel the fabric, then turned to Zuo Yin. “Do you want to try this style?”

“Me?” Zuo Yin looked at her in surprise. So that question wasn’t about seeking her opinion—it was about picking something she liked?

Shen Qingzi nodded. “Of course, you. I have to get you some suitable clothes.”

Zuo Yin’s eyes filled with disbelief. Every piece in this store was something she couldn’t afford—and couldn’t pay back.

“No need,” Zuo Yin declined.

Shen Qingzi gently patted the “startled sparrow” and said softly, “Don’t feel burdened. You’ll need them when I take you to various events in the future. I can’t very well be dressed elegantly while my own student can’t even get through the door, can I?”

Shen Qingzi’s logic made sense, but Zuo Yin felt she couldn’t just accept such generous treatment when she hadn’t done anything for her yet.

“But…”

“No ‘buts’.” Shen Qingzi cut off her hesitation and pointed out a few items suitable for Zuo Yin to the clerk. “Please take this young lady to try these on.”

The clerk bowed slightly and said politely, “This way, Miss.”

Zuo Yin followed the clerk to the fitting room, feeling a bit awkward. She looked back at Shen Qingzi, who had already taken a seat in the lounge area. A clerk was gracefully pouring her champagne and serving tea. She nodded to them with poise, every gesture full of composure.

It was the version of herself that Zuo Yin aspired to be.

The clerk pulled back the black curtain of the fitting room, where the clothes Shen Qingzi had selected were already neatly hanging. Perhaps inspired by Shen Qingzi’s demeanor, Zuo Yin felt a bit more composed.

She took the curtain from the clerk and said, “I can do it myself.”

“Certainly, Miss,” the clerk said and withdrew.

Shen Qingzi watched the clerk leave the fitting room area, a smile in her eyes. The lips touching the glass curved slightly.

Before the second hand had made three full rotations, Shen Qingzi saw the curtain of the opposite fitting room move. With the smooth sound of the sliding rail, Zuo Yin stepped out in the first outfit.

Shen Qingzi noticed that Zuo Yin had re-combined the clothes she had chosen based on her own aesthetic. A shimmering purple shirt was paired with a black slip dress. The ruffled hem rested on the girl’s knees, and her slender calves didn’t look out of place at all.

Zuo Yin walked up to Shen Qingzi and asked, “How is it?”

“It looks beautiful.” Shen Qingzi didn’t hold back her praise. “Our Xiao Yin has great taste.”

Hearing the compliment, the clouds that usually hung over Zuo Yin’s world parted slightly, letting in a light that made her heart feel warm.

“Change into the next set, I want to see,” Shen Qingzi said expectantly.

Zuo Yin nodded and turned back to the fitting room.

The saying “clothes make the man” was truly no lie. Zuo Yin’s naturally upright posture was the perfect foundation; as soon as she put on well-tailored clothes, her entire aura elevated several degrees. She was still that “wild grass,” but she was also the proud, solitary wolf in Shen Qingzi’s mind.

While Zuo Yin was changing into the final outfit, Shen Qingzi handed her card to the clerk. “Wrap them all up and send them to this address. Also, include the shoes we just matched in a size 37.”

“Certainly, Miss,” the clerk replied, beaming as she respectfully took the card.

Zuo Yin came out just in time to see Shen Qingzi taking her card back. “You already paid?”

Shen Qingzi nodded, changing the subject by looking at Zuo Yin’s current outfit. “This one looks best. Do the shoes fit?”

“Yes,” Zuo Yin nodded, somewhat self-consciously smoothing down the small black leather skirt. She rarely wore skirts and had never worn over-the-knee boots. The style was still hers, but she felt a bit unaccustomed to it.

Shen Qingzi felt that the money spent today was more worth it than ever before. Taking the bag containing Zuo Yin’s original clothes, she stood up. “Let’s go then.”

Zuo Yin hurriedly followed up, “You haven’t told me how much it all cost.”

Shen Qingzi didn’t want to tell her the real price. She just smiled vaguely. “Not much.”

Zuo Yin didn’t believe her. “How much is ‘not much’?”

“‘Not much’ means…” Shen Qingzi looked at the exceptionally beautiful girl beside her and joked half-earnestly, “You’ll have to paint for a very long time in my studio to pay it back.”

“Is it that much?” Although Zuo Yin was prepared, she was still startled. She quickly composed herself; since she planned to work in a studio after graduating anyway, being in Shen Qingzi’s studio would be even better. She promised, “I will work hard for you, Teacher.”

Seeing Zuo Yin take it seriously, Shen Qingzi’s smile deepened. “I’m teasing you.”

The usually quiet and gentle Shen Qingzi had never laughed so openly. Her clean, delicate face looked like a peony in full bloom—layers of petals, intense and unrestrained.

Zuo Yin stared, dazed.

Shen Qingzi eased her laughter slightly and rested a hand on Zuo Yin’s shoulder. “How could I let you paint for me for nothing? This is small change; there’s no need to pay it back. In the future, you will become an artist even greater than me.”

“What if I can’t do it?” Zuo Yin asked.

If it were about surpassing anyone else, Zuo Yin would have nodded. But surpassing Shen Qingzi? She had no confidence in herself.

The bright glass ceiling above allowed the outdoor sunlight to pour in, illuminating the section of the escalator where the two of them stood.

Standing one step higher than Zuo Yin, Shen Qingzi blinked thoughtfully, her eyelashes seemingly shaking down countless stars. They fell right into the field of Zuo Yin’s expectant heart.

Shen Qingzi parted her lips slightly, her hand landing on Zuo Yin’s head once more.

“If you can’t do it, then just stay by my side.”