CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 44: AS A MEMENTO

After chatting for a bit in the coffee shop, Gu Ningyue and Shen Hanyin started their shopping trip.

They went through the major malls nearby, and soon their hands were full of items.

"Are you sure you don’t want to buy him a gift?" Shen Hanyin looked at a men’s bag specialty store not far away. "Why not just pick something?"

Gu Ningyue shook her head. "No need, I don’t know what he likes."

It felt a bit strange to use his money to buy things for him.

"Alright, then let’s sit over there for a while!" Shen Hanyin said, "My feet almost feel like they aren’t mine anymore!"

Gu Ningyue agreed, randomly found a hot pot restaurant, and sat by the window.

The food hadn’t all come up yet when suddenly a group of people bustled in from outside.

Some of them even had cameras on their shoulders, looking like a crew from some production, instantly catching everyone’s attention.

"Sorry to bother everyone for a moment. We are from the Jianghu Variety Show group and would like to film some live scenes. We hope for your cooperation, and later on, everyone will receive a small gift."

The man who spoke was very handsome, and his voice sounded so gentle it was hard for anyone to refuse.

After everyone agreed, the host, holding a microphone, selected a few good-looking people to ask a few questions.

Just as he was about to reach Gu Ningyue’s table, the man’s sidekick suddenly whispered something in his ear, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

Five minutes later, a trendily dressed young man walked in.

Shen Hanyin recognized him at once, "Oh my god! It’s Su Heng!"

Gu Ningyue was stunned for a moment, "Who?"

Shen Hanyin suddenly got a little excited, "He’s the singer who’s been really popular lately, the champion of this season’s Heavenly Sound!"

Gu Ningyue suddenly understood why he looked a bit familiar.

She looked at Su Heng, although he wasn’t as fair as on TV, he had a mature charm instead.

His features were sharp, with almond-shaped eyes and thin lips, and when he smiled, it exuded a warmth and gentleness that made you want to fall into his arms.

Such a person seemed to always carry an irresistible allure, making it easy to fall for them.

His gaze landed on Gu Ningyue, and somehow, she suddenly wanted to avoid it.

Su Heng raised an eyebrow, a look of amazement flashing in his eyes.

He didn’t expect there to be such a beautiful person in this store.

Because of Su Heng’s arrival, the originally calm crowd erupted instantly.

Some people were even eager to go up and ask for an autograph.

Su Heng took the microphone from the host, picked two people nearby for interaction, and the questions he asked were very interesting.

Shen Hanyin looked infatuated, and after a while, Su Heng came to their table, extending the microphone to Shen Hanyin.

For the first time engaging with her idol up close, Shen Hanyin started to speak incoherently.

However, Su Heng showed no impatience; his smile remained as radiant and gentle as it did on television.

Gu Ningyue quietly watched, not knowing why, but she felt the smile looked somewhat familiar.

It seemed, as if she had seen it on someone before.

"Alright, that’s enough." The man who spoke earlier patted Su Heng’s shoulder after he asked the last question and took back the microphone.

Su Heng discreetly glanced at Gu Ningyue and nodded slightly.

The crew handed out small gifts to everyone, such as candies or dried flowers.

Though not worth much, they looked quite nice.

When they reached Gu Ningyue’s table, she looked at Shen Hanyin’s expression and said, "I don’t chase celebrities, you can have this!"

Shen Hanyin waved her hand, "No, no, you keep it! As a memento."

Gu Ningyue looked at the light box without any desire to open it.

After the crew left, the restaurant returned to its previous state.

"Su Heng is so handsome! I heard that besides Jianghu Variety Show, he also took a role in a movie that’s about to start filming!" Shen Hanyin took a big sip of her drink, clearly still excited from Su Heng’s earlier appearance. "If only I could’ve gotten an autograph, I really want one!"

Unfortunately, the crew prohibited asking for autographs or taking photos, otherwise, there might have been a rush for them.

Gu Ningyue didn’t chase after stars, so she couldn’t fully understand Shen Hanyin’s passion. "Do you like his looks or his good voice?"

Shen Hanyin looked at her, "Have you ever heard the phrase, ’attracted by appearance, entranced by talent, and committed by character’? Plus, they say, Su Heng comes from a well-known family. He could have relied on them to get started, but he chose to rely on himself! It’s amazing how he reached where he is today step by step!"

"I won’t argue with the first two points, but character remains to be seen." Gu Ningyue slowly ate the beef in her bowl. "What he shows is what he wants the audience to see. No one knows what he’s really like in his life. It’s fine to like him, just don’t invest too much time and money, otherwise you might be disappointed, and those won’t come back."

Shen Hanyin was taken aback, looking at Gu Ningyue as if she were seeing someone else. "Are you really the same Gu Ningyue I knew before?"

Such rationality was a little frightening.

Gu Ningyue smiled, "I already told you! The old Gu Ningyue is dead."

"I always thought it was just your love for Ye Mingchen that changed, but it turns out..." Shen Hanyin now fully understood Gu Ningyue, "I overthought it, it’s not just about him."

Gu Ningyue didn’t respond to her words, "Let’s eat!"

The two of them ate until it got dark, then paid the bill and left.

Before leaving, Gu Ningyue glanced at the pink cartoon box, "Han Yin, are you sure you don’t want it?"

Shen Hanyin shook her head, "You keep it! Who knows, maybe one day you’ll like Su Heng too?"

Gu Ningyue thought about throwing it in the trash, but then she remembered Shen Hanyin’s fangirl expression and didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so she casually put it in her bag.

After all, it’s a gesture for her dear friend’s idol!

She drove Shen Hanyin home, and Mrs. Shen invited her in, saying it had been a long time since they’d seen her, and offered her two cups of tea.

Mr. and Mrs. Shen were surprised by Gu Ningyue’s change and then expressed their condolences about her mother’s passing.

By the time she left, it was already 11:30 at night.

As she was leaving, Mrs. Shen told her to come over more often, giving her a look as if she were her own child.

When she returned to the villa, it was already midnight.

Ling Tianyou was sitting on the sofa, and upon seeing Gu Ningyue bringing in so many bags, his previously weary expression turned frosty.

Seeing him like that, the displeasure Gu Ningyue had just managed to shake off came rushing back, and she didn’t even feel like greeting him as she headed upstairs.

"Stop right there!"