Returning to '97, creating a new life

After Yunshang's fingertip skills reached the Grandmaster level and Xu Kai personally experienced her prowess, she gradually became less embarrassed by physical contact between them. If they were in public and Xu Kai had any intimate contact, she would even help cover up to prevent others from seeing.

Men are 100,000 times more likely to embarrass themselves in this regard than women.

"Go check your phone. My brother's such a show-off. He's got money from the arcade bonuses. He just bought the new Motorola Pocket Edition, which costs almost 20,000 yuan. But that phone is really nice. You can just slip it into your pocket and it doesn't take up any space at all. Plus, it's foldable..."

Xu Kai accompanied her to see it. If Yunshang really liked it, he wouldn't stop her and would even pay for it.

Yunshang looked at it, but didn't buy it.

"It's too expensive, not necessary."

Xu Kai didn't say anything, but he felt even more motivated to make money. In his mind, he would never be stingy when it came to spending money on his women. As long as he had the money, all the charm they added to themselves through their spending would ultimately be enjoyed by him.

However, buying a phone at such a high price now feels a bit like being ripped off. If Yunshang shows reluctance and fondness for it, he wouldn't mind spending that much money. As for whether he needs to pay, he hasn't considered having her pay. In his mind, it's his own money, but if a woman also spends money on him, he won't refuse.

"That's still a bit lacking. I heard Motorola is developing a smaller phone, specifically designed for women, which should be released in the next year or two..."

The Motorola 998's appeal to women after its release was no less than that of Hermès bags in later years. Holding that small phone in your hand made you the center of attention wherever you went. Many girls would also wear a long rope around their necks and put a pretty woven case on their phones. In those one or two years, it served more than just a mobile phone; it was also an important accessory for girls.

Yunshang gave a very thoughtful question about emotional value, and Xu Kai also described her as smaller than a palm-sized treasure, easily fitting into a jeans pocket.

"I'm going to save up some of the recent profits from the arcade."

The partnership agreement for the arcade was in Yunshang's name. Every time profits were distributed, Yunsheng and his sister would split the profits equally. Now, Yunshang was quite wealthy herself. Before the Lunar New Year, when Xu Kai opened "Ke Zai Lai," she immediately brought him her savings book and asked if he needed it.

The two went shopping in the morning and each put together two sets of winter clothes for the other. When it comes to dressing up, Xu Kai was initially forced to become interested in it after he started working in a media company in his thirties, and later he came to like it.

He doesn't care about price, but about taste and style. Xu Kai has seen many photos of Jing Boran and has a good understanding of his fashion sense.

Later, I continued to play basketball and work out, so that as I gradually entered middle age, I could still maintain a youthful mindset and be fashionable.

Yunshang has good taste. After Xu Kai got involved, he brought some perspectives on the progress of the times. She also has a very straightforward personality. When buying clothes, she prioritizes first impressions and doesn't get bogged down in endless shopping or comparing prices. So the two gradually found a tacit understanding while shopping together. Shopping together was no longer a compromise between one party and the other, but a mutual enjoyment.

They never just browse without buying anything; they always have a purpose. I'm going to buy clothes today.

Once there, they're not limited to shopping malls; they also browse stalls and even small shops. They test their eye for style, try on clothes they like, coordinate outfits, and then enjoy the mutual admiration, basking in the attention drawn by the combination of physical and aesthetic appeal as they walk down the street.

Having a car has given me more options for winter outfits.

If it weren't for the fact that vehicle traffic wasn't as convenient as it is in later times, Xu Kai would have refused to even wear long johns.

There was no other way. Eventually, I could go directly from my home to the underground parking garage, or to restaurants, hotels, or large office buildings in shopping malls, without my feet touching the ground outside.

Even when going to restaurants or other places, as long as you are willing to pay a NT$200 fine for illegal parking, you can get into the building by going as close as possible to the entrance or exit. The value of your long underwear is negligible.

In this day and age, parking is more convenient in commercial streets, but you also have to walk more.

The two were going for a mature look today, wearing wool coats that are very demanding in terms of height and body type, but they looked great on them.

Xu Kai wore thin cotton leather shoes, slim-fit trousers, and a plain white turtleneck sweater, showcasing his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and inverted triangle upper body proportions.

Yunshang wore high-top leather boots, tight jeans, and a plain white turtleneck sweater; her shapely figure could not be concealed by her clothes.

Their slightly more mature attire makes them walking clothes racks on the street and in shopping malls. Their long legs paired with wool coats are eye-catching enough to make many men and women who are shopping pay more attention to the wool coats in some stores.

They each picked out some New Year's gifts at the mall. Without asking, they understood that they were all for each other's families.

With a car, Xu Kai no longer has to walk through the streets and alleys to find delicious food. He will only choose places that his car can easily reach. As for those hidden gem shops that his car cannot get close to, he will only try them when it is not winter.

Who would want to experience the "charm" of severe cold when they can comfortably stay in a warm environment?

"It's so cold."

After getting in the car, before the car's heater could even fill the room, Yunshang reached out, leaned over, and lifted Xu Kai's sweater, slipping her hand inside to warm herself up like a human heater.

Women like abs too. Yunshang smiled as she looked at Xu Kai's unfazed expression and suddenly said, "It's so nice to have a tough guy boyfriend."

Xu Kai ignored her, letting her warm herself with his body, and drove away. Since his family owned a roast lamb restaurant, he basically wouldn't go there for meals. Before, in the provincial capital, it was just that the pancakes at that restaurant were so delicious. The rich and flavorful lamb soup alone couldn't attract Xu Kai.

The Little New Year is a day that can't separate young couples. Family gatherings are your business, not some special holiday. I don't even need to show up for dinner.

Yunshang carried her phone and never lost contact with Xu Kai, becoming inseparable from him. She finally had a holiday, so why not spend it with her boyfriend? Even just strolling around with him was more fun than the so-called "friendship entertainment" her family talked about.

In the afternoon, the two went bowling. In the evening, many regular customers at the restaurant made reservations, and a few of them called Sun Mingcheng, the uncle, to ask about Xu Kai.

Regular customers are greeted by the owner, which gives them a sense of prestige and allows them to truly feel their status at the restaurant, making it easier for them to show off to their friends and family who come to dine with them.

Xu Kai brought Yunshang to the restaurant. Her conditions were clear. Sun Mingcheng and Yang Ying had met her before, but they had never seen the two of them so obviously dating.

Wang Lei's eyes widened when he saw Yunshang. "Brother, back in school you said you liked older women, I thought you were joking, who knew you'd find such a gem."

Niu Dongyang's driver, He Dong, brought his family to dinner and "bumped into" Xu Kai. Seeing Xu Kai with Yun Shang, He Dong realized it wasn't appropriate to talk about what happened in the provincial capital that day; it would seem too deliberate to bring it up. That kind of talk is best done in a private setting, between men, where the conversation starts to veer off-topic and risqué topics begin to emerge.

While welcoming and seeing off guests at the restaurant, and having a beer or two or two with some regular customers, Xu Kai didn't let himself drink too much. He was busy until after eight o'clock, his face flushed, and he looked at Yunshang embarrassedly. Their nice date hadn't continued.

"Let's find a place to have a coffee to sober up, and then you can take me home?" Yunshang poured Xu Kai a glass of warm water, and he nodded: "You drive, there are fewer cars at night, so you can practice your driving."

"OK."

When two people are alone together, during the honeymoon phase, aside from those awkward moments, they can be very happy whenever they are alone.

Wang Lei sighed, his triangular eyes filled with desolation. He lit a cigarette and watched Xu Kai and Yun Shang leave the restaurant. Sun Mingcheng, who was standing at the door, said with emotion, "Uncle (following Xu Kai's address), tell me, how should I deal with such injustice when God is so unfair?"

Sun Mingcheng glanced at him: "Lei, there's a mirror over there."

Wang Lei seemed not to hear at all, straightened his posture, and made up his mind: "Tomorrow morning, I'll go shopping for clothes, and in the afternoon I'll go to the roller skating rink at the commercial building. Sister Yun said she'd introduce me to her girlfriends then..."

With a proud and confident air, Wang Lei felt like he had grown into a man at that moment. This had a greater impact on him than entering the workforce to earn money. It turned out that his buddy was living this kind of life now. He heard that his aunt ran a mahjong parlor and was rarely home.

A lone man and a lone woman, and a place where they can be alone together.

what! ! !

God!

No wonder that bastard Xu Kai no longer watches foreign romance war movies with me, no longer studies or discusses them together; he's already moved on to the practical application stage.

Tomorrow, I must meet a girl.

Before long, I too will be living a happy life with a partner.

If you're thirsty, your partner will pour you water.

When you're tired, your partner gives you a shoulder massage.

When you're not working, having your partner by your side, with their cozy scent and soft body, even the most tiring work can be dispelled by a few minutes of leaning on them and cuddling them.

Wang Lei no longer found the two new discs he got from Ma Xin at the arcade that morning appealing, nor did the secondhand VCD player he bought after working for a month at home seem appealing anymore.

………………

In the car, Xu Kai perfectly understood Wang Lei's state of mind at that moment and told Yun Shang about it, which made her laugh non-stop. She said she would definitely introduce him to a girl tomorrow.

Xu Kai was also smiling. After graduating from junior high school, they occasionally kept in touch. Gradually, they went about their lives and contacted each other less and less, until they stopped contacting each other altogether, and then disappeared from each other's lives without a trace. It's not a pity or a regret. If you could live it again, you would cherish it more. After all, if this kind of childhood friendship can continue, no matter how many years later, when you get together and have a drink, it will be even more genuine.

"Find someone with more experience to properly teach Wang Lei what the sweetness of dating really means."

"You're so mean. Why didn't you say the rest of the sentence...?"

For every bit of sweetness, there will be a 50/50 opposite answer waiting for you.

"It's alright, he's easygoing. The wounds from love will heal on their own in a few days. He's so young and already busy working. I'm afraid he'll miss out on the joys of youth and regret not having indulged in his youth when he looks back."

Yunshang nodded: "Yes, I understand."