Chapter 58: Qin Ruhua Buys Me Clothes

Seeing Qin Ruhua suddenly freeze with a strange expression, I couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. Having almost no experience with online shopping, I didn't understand at first what it meant for her to be holding a parcel.

"What is it, Huahua?"

Startled back to reality, Qin Ruhua lowered her head slightly, bit her lower lip, and walked over slowly, placing the package on the table in front of me.

I looked curiously at the package, then back at her. "Huahua, what's wrong with you?"

Qin Ruhua shook her head and said nothing, looking somewhat insecure and sorrowful.

I quickly stood up, walked over to her, placed a hand gently on her shoulder, and asked softly, "Did something happen?"

To my surprise, however, Qin Ruhua suddenly burst into tears and threw herself into my arms.

Full of suspicion, I held her tightly, gently patting her back and comforting her in a soothing voice.

"Huahua, what on earth is the matter? Tell me about it."

Qin Ruhua seemed to be experiencing nothing more than a sudden wave of emotion; she quickly stopped crying and remained buried in my arms, softly sobbing. After a pause, she said pitifully, "Brother Fan, sometimes I really feel so inferior. The Chairwoman is superior to me in every single way. I—I don't know what I should do."

Still slightly confused, I spoke in a gentle voice, "Why would you suddenly think of that out of the blue? You can't just judge someone's worth by appearances. Your personality is wonderful—you're kind, generous, and gentle."

I certainly wouldn't dare say this if Ling Xuan were present, though it was indeed my honest view. Judging purely by certain external traits, very few people could compare to Ling Xuan. Yet so what? Even my sister couldn't compare to Ling Xuan in those aspects, but her place in my heart was no less important than Ling Xuan's.

Qin Ruhua didn't speak anymore. After sobbing for a little while, she gradually calmed down, though her expression still carried a pitiful air. She raised her head, gazed at me for a long moment, opened her mouth as if to speak, but stopped. Then, taking a deep breath, a faint smile bloomed on her face as she gently pulled away from my embrace.

I kept my eyes fixed on her, watching the shifts in her expression, yet I simply couldn't guess what was on her mind.

I saw her turn around, pick up the package, and hand it to me. Her face had completely returned to normal, carrying a trace of her old, playful smile. "This is a shirt I bought for you online. It only cost a little over a hundred yuan, so don't look down on it. Otherwise, I won't buy you anything ever again."

I was stunned for a moment, and realization dawned instantly.

Seeing that I understood, Qin Ruhua's face flushed red once more.

Deeply moved, I reached out my hands and pulled her tightly back into my arms. Qin Ruhua raised her head in a mix of surprise and delight, and I already leaned down to kiss her.

After a moment, Qin Ruhua pushed the package from between our bodies, allowing our chests to press closely together without the slightest gap. Wrapping her arms around my waist, she responded with passionate enthusiasm.

Neither of us was particularly experienced at kissing, but driven by high spirits, we lingered for a long time without stopping. Slowly, Qin Ruhua slid her hands upward to clasp the back of my neck, making it easier to both give and receive.

After a long while, our lips finally parted, and both of us were slightly out of breath as we stared into each other's eyes.

Qin Ruhua's cheeks were as red as ripe apples, brilliantly charming, and her eyes shimmered with a moist, boundless tenderness.

I reached out to gently stroke her silky-smooth cheek, saying softly, "Huahua, don't think too much. I'm not that superficial. As long as it's something you bought, even if it's a five-yuan street stall item, I'll love it just as much."

Qin Ruhua smiled faintly, nudging her head forward to rub her face gently against my hand. She smiled playfully, "Actually, it's just my own psychological hurdle. Besides, I was afraid people might laugh at you when you wear it out—you're a major shareholder in our company now, after all."

I couldn't help laughing. "Aside from the new clothes I bought that night, all my previous clothes were bought from small roadside shops, and I wore them just the same."

Qin Ruhua giggled. "As long as Brother Fan likes it, I'll keep buying clothes for you in the future."

"Alright! Next time we go shopping, I'll buy you things too."

"Then"—Qin Ruhua tilted her head, smiling playfully—"I want to buy the kind of high-end brands the Chairwoman wears."

I laughed. "No problem! Even if you want a set made of pure gold, I'll get it for you right away!"

Giggling, Qin Ruhua leaned forward, pressed against my body once more, and tilted her head up with a smile. "Actually, you don't need to buy things like that. For an ordinary office worker like me, whatever suits me best is fine."

Glancing down, I noticed the cleavage pressed against my chest, which sent a thrill through my heart. I pulled her close and kissed her again.

This time, however, things didn't get carried away like before. Once we separated, Qin Ruhua suddenly blushed and said, "We should get ready to go soon. Wait for me a moment, I'm going to change my clothes."

With that, she scurried right into the bedroom.

I picked up the package, tore it open, and saw a light blue plaid shirt paired with a pair of tan casual trousers. Although the quality wasn't as good as the outfit I currently wore, the style was much younger and more fashionable.

After a moment of thought, I immediately grabbed the clothes and walked into another room, stripped off my current outfit, and put on the one Qin Ruhua bought, not even caring that it hadn't been washed yet.

Once changed, I checked myself out in the mirror. Well, for someone who didn't understand brands, this outfit actually looked rather nice, though pairing it with leather shoes felt a bit strange.

When I stepped back into the living room, Qin Ruhua's eyes lit up the moment she saw me in the clothes she had bought, and a beaming, joyful smile spread across her face.

Yet I was left slightly confused. Didn't she say she was going to change her clothes? Why was she still wearing the exact same outfit?!

A wicked thought flashed through my mind, and I recalled the small patch of moisture left on the bamboo mat that day. Could she have gone to change her underwear instead?!

I quickly shook my head to banish the wicked thought, then left the apartment hand in hand with Qin Ruhua.

Gaojing Village was located on the western side of Tianhe City, falling under the jurisdiction of the Western District.

Driving Qin Ruhua through the Western District, I stopped to buy some fruit and nutritional supplements before following her directions onto the country roads.

Along the way, Qin Ruhua chatted endlessly about things in her village, though she knew very little about the eccentric old man, knowing only that his surname was Wu, while his exact given name remained unknown.

Gaojing Village was quite remote; I drove for nearly an hour before Qin Ruhua told me we were almost there.

At that moment, Qin Ruhua suddenly said, "Brother Fan, when we get back and meet my grandma, she's definitely going to ask if you're my boyfriend. You—you know how to answer, right?"

I smiled. "Give me a kiss and I'll know how to answer."

With a soft chuckle, Qin Ruhua immediately leaned over and kissed me on the cheek several times in rapid succession, feigning annoyance as she muttered, "Now you know!"

"Got it, I'll just tell her I'm your husband!"

Qin Ruhua was startled, rolling her eyes at me, but her brows were filled with profound delight.

By this time, endless, rolling mountain ranges flanked both sides of the road; we had clearly penetrated deep into the mountainous region. The road was narrowest, barely allowing a small truck to pass, meaning if we encountered another vehicle ahead of time, one of us had to pull over at a wider spot.

After a little while, houses began to appear in the distant mountain forests ahead—some made of rammed earth, others of brick.

Pointing far ahead, Qin Ruhua said, "That Grandpa Wu lives on the mountainside behind our village. There's only a small mountain trail leading up to it."

Hearing this, a thought crossed my mind: I had just run into the old man surnamed Wu last night, and I wondered if he had returned today.

However, that question no longer mattered.

The car had to be parked several hundred meters away from the settlement as the road ended, leaving us no choice but to get out and stroll along the country path.

Qin Ruhua affectionately linked her arm through mine, a happy smile gracing her face the entire way.

Upon entering the village, I noticed it was much like Cangqing Village, inhabited mostly by the elderly and children, as the young people had mostly gone off to work in the cities.

Feeling a bit shy, Qin Ruhua let go of my arm, walking side by side with me instead as she greeted everyone we met.

The elderly villagers looked at me with warm smiles, scanning me up and down, while the children scuttled shyly indoors the moment they laid eyes on us.

Qin Ruhua's uncle's house was a two-story red-brick building. When we reached the open ground in front of the house, Qin Ruhua's grandmother was sitting by the doorway, idly gazing outside.

According to Qin Ruhua, her grandmother was eighty years old, her face mapped with deep wrinkles and her silver hair sparse. The moment she spotted Qin Ruhua, her cloudy eyes instantly lit up. She hurried forward unsteadily to take her hand, calling out "Xiaohuar," making the wrinkles on her face deepen into an even wider smile.

I played the role of Qin Ruhua's dutiful boyfriend, greeting the grandmother and handing over the fruit and nutritional supplements. Her grandmother affectionately took my hand, inspecting and patting it while showering me with endless praise, which left me feeling rather embarrassed. Qin Ruhua just made faces at me behind her hand, stifling her giggles.

Qin Ruhua's uncle and aunt were currently out. We spent a short while chatting warmly with the elderly woman before setting off toward the back mountain to visit the old man surnamed Wu.