Chapter 1204: Millennium Year Love Story 09

"Xiao Chen, there's a market in the east of town this evening; want to go have some fun?"

Jin Chen put away his phone, pulled Chen Zhu's hand and shook it, "Brother, aren't we continuing business today?"

"There aren't any customers today, so let's close early."

Chen Zhu stood by the sofa, raised his hand and pressed the hair that had sprung up from Jin Chen lying down playing with his phone, "I also worry that Xiao Chen will get bored staying in the shop all day."

"It doesn't matter; avoiding contact with outsiders is best, but Jin Chen is only twenty, in the prime of his vigor, and he'll surely feel bored."

"Alright then, but Li Shao will come to buy a cake later; after he's done, we'll go to the market."

"Helping wife earn money, the protagonist (as a shou) wouldn't be slaughtered for nothing!"

"Li Shao..."

Chen Zhu withdrew his hand, letting it hang loosely at his side, twisting it slightly, as if just remembering who this person was.

"You two have been chatting all along."

"His voice had lowered considerably."

Jin Chen warily lifted his gaze, staring into Chen Zhu's eyes, "No."

He shoved the phone screen right under Chen Zhu's eyelids.

"Really none."

"A Blackening Value of 90 is nothing to joke about!"

Chen Zhu leaned back, craning his neck to see the chat on the screen; his long eyes narrowed slightly, and the tear mole under his left eye became even more striking.

Yet he deliberately lowered his gaze slowly, his faint smile somehow betraying caution, "I saw it."

He pressed Jin Chen's hand, "Will Xiao Chen think I'm meddling too much?"

"No," Jin Chen casually tossed his phone onto the coffee table and pulled Chen Zhu over, "Brother always tends to overthink."

"I'm not a bomb that explodes at the slightest touch."

"Sorry, I'll change." Chen Zhu responded to Jin Chen's suggestions each time with near-obedient compliance, and the older brother's sense of superiority had blurred considerably in their growing familiarity.

Jin Chen estimated the time, then he and Chen Zhu tidied up, waiting for Li Shao to come buy a cake before heading to the market.

When Li Shao arrived, Jin Chen glanced at his outfit, slowly scanned the surroundings, making sure Zhao Weifang's damn thing wasn't coming over.

Then Li Shao opened his screen to show whom?

"Ah..."

"As expected of the protagonist (as a shou), even when out shopping he brings a guitar and poetry collection—the artsy youth persona stands firm!"

Jin Chen silently applauded in his heart, watching Chen Zhu bring Li Shao inside.

Li Shao's attention was clearly not on the cake; he casually picked a few good-looking pastries, had Chen Zhu wrap them up, paid, and immediately turned to walk to Jin Chen's side.

"It's been a few days, you haven't replied to my messages—I thought you'd deleted me."

Jin Chen was still thinking about what novelty items to buy later, not paying attention to Li Shao's words, and casually replied, "Hmm."

"Hmm... what does that mean?"

Li Shao, finding it hard to read, took it as Jin Chen's agreement, his smile growing more enthusiastic, "Yeah, later there's a market, perfect for boredom—wanna go together?"

The sunset had slowly spilled down, golden light bathing Jin Chen's shoulder and cheek where he leaned against the utility pole; his already handsome face looked even more radiant, and Li Shao glanced at him several more times.

"You go yourself."

Jin Chen narrowed his eyes, shielding his gaze with his palm as he looked into the distance, enjoying the sunset for a while; not seeing Chen Zhu come out, he grew puzzled, withdrew his gaze, and looked toward the shop.

Behind the glass door, Chen Zhu was still tallying the quantities of pastry ingredients.

And Li Shao, who had received a cold response, obviously had no intention of giving up just like that, "Don't be so aloof, friend—although we haven't interacted much before, if we hang out more we'll surely get acquainted."

Having said all that, a normal person out of politeness wouldn't refuse.

Just then Chen Zhu finally finished tallying and came out, the curve of his lips turned up just right, appearing softer in the sunset; but Li Shao, seeing it, felt that this person's smile toward him held some deeper meaning.

"We also want to go to the market, so let's go together."

Chen Zhu made that suggestion, then added, "For people you don't know well, Xiao Chen speaks little; don't take it to heart, get in the car."

Li Shao readily agreed, "Then I'll obey rather than show formal respect—thanks, Chen Zhu Dage."

Seeing him swiftly hop into the back of the minivan, Jin Chen bared his teeth at Chen Zhu in displeasure, "We agreed it would just be the two of us going."

"Had I known, I wouldn't have let the protagonist (as a shou) come buy cake!"

"Since they've said all that, I can't really refuse."

Chen Zhu pushed Jin Chen's shoulder into the car, his tone much more cheerful, "Just give him a lift; who knows, once at the market he might have something he wants to buy."

"Fine."

Jin Chen took the passenger seat, glanced at Li Shao in the back, thinking that at worst he'd just ditch him later.

On the way to the market, Li Shao seized the opportunity to ask Jin Chen whether he had a favorite writer.

He had read many books and was quite familiar with most wealthy recent graduates, who like to pass time reading poetry; even if it's not poetry, they can talk about Kafka, Dostoevsky, or Murakami.

However, Li Shao never expected that.

Jin Chen grabbed his earphones and shoved them into his ears, replying, "I don't like reading."

Li Shao: "……"

"These days, slash-and-burn youths all have a touch of literary pretentiousness; Jin Chen understands, but he has no intention of opening that topic, otherwise Li Shao's mouth would surely keep going on and on!"

Chen Zhu drove, hearing Jin Chen's answer, he thought of the few books by the bedside that Jin Chen would flip through before sleep, curled his lips and said nothing.

Li Shao, on the other hand, wasn't discouraged; he took off the guitar bag slung on his back and changed the subject.

"Then you must have some other hobby, like guitar? No problem if not—I can teach you to play! Then you can teach me something you're good at."

"Musical instruments—I can play."

Jin Chen sat up a bit, and under Li Shao's expectant gaze said, "I'm good at the withdrawal drum."

"... cough."

Chen Zhu couldn't hold back a laugh, covering it with a light cough.

Li Shao stopped speaking.

All the topics he had prepared were blocked off, what else could he say?

However, Jin Chen's excessive aloofness instead gave Li Shao, besides his frustration, something else—a desire to conquer.

Jin Chen closed his eyes and refused to continue chatting, so Li Shao occasionally spoke with Chen Zhu, and their conversation flowed back and forth.

But upon listening closely, Chen Zhu revealed nothing, whereas Li Shao's various circumstances were all mentioned by him with a hint of superiority, in a rough-and-ready way, including that he currently tutors the Zhao family's children.