CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 153: IF YOU DON’T WANT TO WEAR A MASK, THEN DON’T WEAR IT ANYMORE

The dinner with Feng Yu lasted two hours.

When they parted, Feng Yu insisted on walking Fu Bing to her car.

A flicker of amusement danced in his eyes when he saw that her car was a Wuling Hongguang Mini.

She was more interesting than he had imagined.

"You paid for dinner tonight, and I will treat you to tea when I have time."

"I’ll take you up on that," Feng Yu said warmly.

"I mean it," Fu Bing said before getting into the car. "I’m leaving now. You should be careful on your way home too."

Feng Yu finally understood why so many people liked Fu Bing.

Who could resist falling for her after hearing her gentle reminders?

Fu Bing raised the car window, staring vacantly at the passing streetscape.

Wu Shi glanced at her from the corner of his eye and knew she was tired.

He couldn’t help but slow down the car to reduce the bumps.

The car was fine for everyday use. However, when it came to needing a smooth, quiet ride, he realized it couldn’t compare to a luxury car.

Fu Bing looked at the crowd not far away and said, "Let’s go shopping. I haven’t gone shopping in a long time, and I also want to drink milk tea."

"Alright."

Wu Shi parked the car in the underground parking lot of a shopping plaza, and they went upstairs side by side.

The first floor of the shopping plaza housed skincare counters and various gold and jade jewelry counters.

Fu Bing walked over to the jade jewelry counter.

The saleswoman kept staring at Fu Bing. It wasn’t until Fu Bing stood before her counter that she dared to confirm it.

"Sister Bing, is it really you? You go out shopping without wearing a mask and sunglasses?"

"Wearing them actually draws more attention," Fu Bing laughed. "I want to buy some jade jewelry for friends. Can you show me some good pieces?"

"Of course. Are your friends male or female, and what is their approximate age?"

"Both men and women, ages range from 25 to 50."

The saleswoman brought over the store’s brochure. "Sister Bing, take a seat and look at this. I’ll pour tea for you and your friend, then I’ll explain each piece."

"Water is fine for us."

"Understood."

Wu Shi’s appearance easily attracted attention.

Soon enough, a circle of people had formed around the counter.

However, no one approached to disturb Fu Bing.

Fu Bing listened attentively to the saleswoman and generously bought several pieces she recommended.

In fact, she knew professional jewelry designers who would design jewelry to suit her free of charge. It had been a long time since she experienced the feeling of shopping for herself—it was good to experience life occasionally.

After packing everything, the saleswoman said, "Sister Bing, I really enjoy your acting. Your recent movie was so good! I and other fans sincerely hope that you will continue acting and not completely retreat behind the scenes, okay?"

The saleswoman’s words were earnest. With years of experience, she knew that life was not easy for adults and that she shouldn’t pressure others for her own desires.

Sister Bing must have her reasons for not taking on roles as frequently.

A pure joy tinged Fu Bing’s smile. "Thank you for sharing this with me, your words are very important to me."

The saleswoman was pleasantly surprised. "I was afraid that my words would pressure you."

"I’ve seen a lot of comments online, but it feels completely different when someone says it to my face. Thank you for your encouragement and your service."

Fu Bing nodded to the crowd in the distance as a greeting.

They squealed softly and excitedly waved at her.

Everyone tacitly refrained from approaching her.

Sister Bing was rarely out shopping; they couldn’t disturb her. After all, Sister Bing now lived in Jiangnan, and there would be plenty of chances to run into her.

Fu Bing and Wu Shi went upstairs to try on clothes in the clothing area on the second floor.

Wu Shi quietly held the jade purchases, watching her try on one outfit after another.

He knew she wasn’t happy. This unhappiness was not directed at anyone; she was at odds with herself. She was brooding to herself.

Fu Bing had tried on a dozen or so dresses, and when it came time to try on high-heeled shoes, she was stopped by Wu Shi.

"Your health isn’t fully recovered yet, you can’t wear high heels."

The shop assistant immediately switched to a pair of flat shoes. "Sister Bing, there’s no rush to try on the shoes. We can see you often only if you’re healthy. You also look beautiful in flat shoes."

Fu Bing nodded. "Just have the clothes delivered to where I’m staying tomorrow."

"Okay."

Wu Shi left a business card for her.

Fu Bing browsed a few more stores and made several more purchases.

In the end, she said, "Let’s go see the night view. What’s the tallest building in Jiangnan? Can we get to the top floor?"

"It’s Diwang Building, and we can go up."

"Let’s go then."

"Mhm."

Wu Shi had no objections, and the two got back into the car, as it was already past ten in the evening.

There was less traffic on the road, and it took only half an hour from the shopping plaza to Diwang Building.

After registering and paying at Diwang Building’s property office, they could go up.

The building, over a hundred stories tall, was nearly four hundred meters above the ground.

Fu Bing pressed her lips tightly together and slowly approached the edge, her face pale.

As she drew near the edge, Wu Shi took her hand and found it very cold.

"Why didn’t you say you were afraid?"

"I didn’t know I was this frightened," Fu Bing said with a trembling voice.

Her legs were a bit shaky.

Wu Shi clearly felt her tremor, and said softly, "From here, the view is excellent, you can see all of Jiangnan’s city lights."

Fu Bing nodded gently, without stepping any further forward.

She sat down cautiously and gazed at the lights below.

The lights seemed to spread out from directly beneath her, like a carpet that glowed and extended into the distance. The specks of light were eventually swallowed by the distant darkness. It was stunning and beautiful.

Wu Shi wasn’t looking into the distance; his gaze was fixed on Fu Bing’s profile as she gazed into the distance.

"What are you thinking about now?"

Upon hearing him, Fu Bing withdrew her gaze. "I don’t want to sort through my thoughts right now, I just want to zone out without engaging my brain."

"Do you want a drink?"

"Sure, if you join me. It’s no fun drinking alone."

Wu Shi had booked a presidential suite at Diwang Building’s hotel.

After getting the room ready, he took Fu Bing down.

The room had an even better view of the night scene, chosen after professional consideration for the location of the presidential suite.

Fu Bing looked around and said, "You live very simply in everyday life and seem to especially like that pink car. It often gives me the wrong impression that you’re poor."

"Not poor, but not considered rich either," Wu Shi said while opening a bottle of wine to breathe.

He often wore all-black clothes, his hair tied back by the strings of his mask. He gave the impression of someone who had traveled from ancient times. Yet, his demeanor suggested otherwise. He was perfectly at ease in the modernly decorated house.

Fu Bing watched Wu Shi’s movements and his wine knowledge, knowing his background couldn’t be poor.

If not for a turn of fate, he too would have been among the lucky few of society’s elite.

"Wu Shi, you can take off your mask now."

Without hesitation, Wu Shi neatly removed his mask.

His scarred face was exposed under the bright light, every detail visible.

Fu Bing only glanced at it once before calmly looking away.

"If you don’t like wearing a mask, then don’t wear it anymore. You’re fine just the way you are, and outsiders will get used to it after seeing it enough."