Around six in the evening, as the sky darkened, the bustling streets of Aoyuan Square were already lit up with colorful lights.
Shen Lang held Li Liusi's warm, soft hand and, like many other couples, they wandered through Aoyuan Square, chatting and laughing.
Of course, Shen Lang did all the talking while Li Liusi just smiled goofily.
With her lack of social skills, she could never start a conversation on her own.
Li Liusi's world was very small; just being quietly by Shen Lang's side and listening to him talk made her very content.
Shen Lang turned to Li Liusi and asked, "Is there anything you want to eat?"
Li Liusi shook her head indifferently, "I'm fine with anything. It's up to you."
"Alright, let me see."
Shen Lang glanced at the list of restaurants on the Aoyuan Square map and tentatively asked, "How about some Western food? We could be a little romantic."
"Hmm, okay."
Hearing the word "romantic," Li Liusi eagerly nodded, not noticing how extravagant the restaurant Shen Lang chose was.
"Great, let's go."
Shen Lang led Li Liusi to a beautifully decorated Western restaurant, following the map's directions.
The restaurant was quite upscale, visible from the outside with many elegant diners and a few foreigners in suits.
Since it was Monday and not very busy, they were shown to a table by the window.
It was Li Liusi's first time at such a high-end place, and she whispered "thank you" to the waiter as he pulled out her chair.
"You're welcome."
The female waiter smiled warmly at Li Liusi and handed them the menu.
"May I help you with the menu, or would you like me to introduce some specialties?"
Li Liusi opened the thick menu and was stunned by the prices. She looked up at Shen Lang, unsure of what to say.
She was worried that her money wouldn't be enough to cover their romantic meal.
Shen Lang ordered a fancy fish dish and several side dishes, then handed the menu back to the waiter.
"I'll just have this borscht. Thank you."
Li Liusi roughly calculated that Shen Lang's order would cost at least two thousand yuan. If she ordered more, her money definitely wouldn't be enough.
"Sweetie, the portions at Western restaurants are small. You won't be full with just that."
Shen Lang took the menu back and generously ordered a few more main dishes, then looked at the dazed Li Liusi and asked, "Do you want anything else?"
"No, no, let's just pay. Thank you."
Li Liusi quickly shook her head and pulled out her phone to prepare for payment.
The waiter soon brought the bill and asked, "Will you be paying by card or cash?"
"I'll take care of it."
Shen Lang was about to pay with his phone, but Li Liusi insisted on paying. She had intended to treat Shen Lang to a meal.
"Alright then."
Seeing how insistent Li Liusi was, Shen Lang didn't argue and pushed the bill toward her.
"Okay."
The waiter was a bit surprised. It's rare for a woman to pay the bill at a Western restaurant.
However, she handed the bill to Li Liusi.
"Miss, your total is four thousand three hundred yuan. Will that be card or cash?"
"Four, four thousand three..."
Li Liusi was stunned. She only had a little over three thousand yuan in her WeChat wallet, not nearly enough to cover the bill.
She asked weakly, "Can I, um, wash dishes instead?"
The waiter smiled faintly, "Miss, you're joking, right?"
"Ah, well..."
At that moment, Shen Lang quickly felt Li Liusi's pleading gaze.
Interestingly, out of the waiter's sight, Li Liusi cleverly nudged Shen Lang's pants with her foot, silently pleading for help.
"Come on, help me out."
Shen Lang was momentarily stunned but quickly understood. He took the bill, scanned it to pay, and grinned as he joked, "So, if I didn't have any money, were you really planning to wash dishes?"
Li Liusi blushed and didn't speak. If Shen Lang had no money, she probably would have ended up washing dishes.
"You're so silly."
Shen Lang sighed helplessly and then said with a grin, "Remember, you owe me a meal."
"Okay..."
Li Liusi nodded eagerly, finally showing a smile.
...
Maybe neither of them is used to fine dining.
After leaving the restaurant, Shen Lang complained about the not-so-tasty food.
The four thousand yuan they spent didn't even fill them up, and the amount of food was less than what they'd get at a two-hundred-yuan street stall.
However, the romantic atmosphere of the restaurant was nice for a date.
The female waiter had been very friendly to Li Liusi.
Although the food wasn't to Li Liusi's taste, she didn't join Shen Lang's complaints but instead defended the restaurant a little in her mind.
After dinner, they strolled around Aoyuan Square.
Li Liusi cozied up to Shen Lang's arm, listening to his endless chatter as they moved through the crowd.
By the time it was after nine in the evening, Shen Lang drove Li Liusi back to the apartment complex.
After parking in the lot, Li Liusi unbuckled her seatbelt and tentatively asked, "Can we not take the elevator up?"
Shen Lang, distractedly tidying up around the driver's seat, asked, "Why? Do you need to pick up a package from the mail station?"
Li Liusi shook her head, hesitated for a moment, and then softly said, "Can we walk in through the complex gate? I'd like to spend a few more minutes with you."
If they took the elevator directly, they'd only spend less than a minute inside.
Walking through the complex gate would give Li Liusi a few more minutes with Shen Lang.
Shen Lang looked up, noticing the hopeful and modest expression on Li Liusi's face, which made his heart ache.
He quickly realized what she meant and smiled, "Alright, walking a bit is fine. It'll help with digestion."
"Thank you... Sorry."
Li Liusi, overjoyed, began to thank him but was quickly silenced by Shen Lang's look. She apologized, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Oh man!! How did I end up with such a clueless girlfriend?"
Shen Lang was exasperated.
After getting out of the car, Shen Lang hugged Li Liusi around the waist and planted a big kiss on her cheek, leaving a noticeable mark and some saliva.
Then, acting like a carefree hooligan, he wrapped his arms around the naive girl and walked toward the complex gate.
Li Liusi pouted, wiped the saliva from her face with her sleeve, and shyly retorted, "I'm not clueless."