Chapter 97 — An Unconscious Habit

Shen Yushu fetched three bowls from the sterilizer cabinet, and Wei Zhao briskly ladled out three bowls of porridge. After a glance at the dining table, he ended up sitting on Shen Yushu's side. Though Shen Yushu was the more mischievous of the two, Wei Zhao found her far easier to get along with than Miss Chu, and besides, they shared a secret. It was a trumped-up hold over her born of pure misunderstanding, yet because of it the two of them had grown much closer.

Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu drank their porridge with quiet delicacy, but Wei Zhao could not be bothered with such niceties. He had been systematically trained in table manners, yet at home he was too lazy to observe them. Back when he had fought on the battlefields of Africa, time had been precious beyond measure, with no leisure for dainty eating. Even the women had bolted their food down in three or four mouthfuls, for who knew from which direction an enemy rocket might come flying.

"You eat that fast, aren't you afraid you'll choke to death?" Gu Mengyao watched Wei Zhao polish off two bowls and head for his own room, and pouted in annoyance.

She and Shen Yushu had not yet finished a single bowl, having drunk only a little more than half of it.

"Boys always eat fast." Shen Yushu did not mind at all. "My brother eats just as fast when he comes home."

Gu Mengyao nodded. She knew the army had its rules, and no one would let you dawdle over a meal. On a battlefield, what would you do if the enemy came? But Wei Zhao had never been a soldier, so what was he in such a hurry for?

Wei Zhao had no time to listen to the two girls passing judgment on his eating speed. What he was thinking about was when he should deliver the Chinese medicine he had brewed for Yang Huaijun.

He had meant to take it over today, but since Shen Yushu had asked him to go shopping with them, that was clearly impossible now. Forget it, he would talk about it when he had time. Anyway Yang Huaijun would not die any time soon, and with the painkilling prescription he had given him last time to hold him over, he would not suffer too badly.

Back in his room, Wei Zhao took out the bank card Uncle Qing had given him. He meant to buy a laptop, which would make looking up information far more convenient. A great many books on medicine could be downloaded from the internet, and then he would not have to wear himself out running to bookstores to consult them.

Before setting out, Wei Zhao changed the dressing on the wound on his leg himself and spread on a layer of the healing powder he had ground yesterday, so he would not have to go to the hospital for a change today. That fierce middle-aged nurse yesterday had been more than he could handle. Besides, his own healing medicine worked far better than the ordinary plasters at the hospital.

Seeing there was nothing else to bring, Wei Zhao left his room, only to find Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu already dressed and ready. The two were wearing exactly the same dress, their hairstyles were very similar too, and they carried identical handbags. Walking together, they looked like a pair of sisters.

Their outfits were noticeably brighter and lovelier than what they wore to school on ordinary days. Presumably there were too many pests buzzing around at school, so they deliberately kept a low profile, but now that it was the weekend and they were out shopping on their own, there was no need for so many scruples.

"Huh? You're going out in that?" Shen Yushu pointed at the school uniform on Wei Zhao, her mouth falling open in astonishment. She had seen him go back to his room after eating and had assumed he was going to change, never imagining he would come out still wearing his school uniform.

"What's wrong with it?" Wei Zhao thought the uniform was quite good, its quality beyond reproach. Worthy of the best high school in the city, it could put many high-end brands to shame.

"Do you think what you're wearing matches the two of us?" Shen Yushu looked at his matter-of-fact expression and laughed behind her hand.

Gu Mengyao, however, thought of something else. "Wei Zhao, besides your uniform, didn't Uncle Qing give you any other clothes?"

"No." Wei Zhao shook his head. "Except for what I was wearing when I came."

"When you came?" Gu Mengyao at once recalled what he had looked like then, a white vest gone yellow and dusty torn trousers. The mere thought of it made her dizzy. "Forget it, wear this for now. We'll buy you two decent outfits in a while. Even as my follower, you have to look the part, don't you?"

Gu Mengyao had resigned herself to it. She would pay for two outfits for him later. This one was a little odd, but it was far better than that outfit of his own.

"Mm, I'll follow you from a distance, so no one can tell we're together." Wei Zhao nodded with tactful consideration.

"..." Gu Mengyao's face stiffened slightly. Who asked you to follow from a distance? Going out together means going out together. If you trail far behind, what's the point of going at all? But her natural reserve kept her from saying the words aloud. For some reason, ever since this Wei Zhao had barged into her life, everything connected with him turned into a mess, and it vexed her beyond measure.

Once out of the villa, Wei Zhao did not see Uncle Qing's Bentley, and just as he was wondering about it, he saw Gu Mengyao pick up a remote control and open the garage door beside the villa. Inside was parked an Audi S5 coupe, the domestic model being the A5, a little more low-key than the R8.

Wei Zhao had never imagined Gu Mengyao owned a car herself. Seeing Uncle Qing drive her to and fro every day, he had never guessed she could drive.

"You drive." Gu Mengyao tossed a string of keys into Wei Zhao's hand.

"Me? I don't have a license yet..." Wei Zhao had always driven without a license before, but that had been while carrying out missions or killing people, when driving without a license was the least of his concerns...

Hearing this, Gu Mengyao frowned at once. "Have Uncle Qing get you one, or it will be so inconvenient when you go shopping with us in the future?"

"Heh, Uncle Qing is already having one made, it just hasn't come back yet." Wei Zhao smiled faintly. Without realizing it, Gu Mengyao had already accepted the fact that he would stay by her side. She was no longer as fiercely determined to drive him away as she had been a few days ago, and her mention of the future proved that the resistance in her heart was not nearly so strong.

"Then sit in the back. I'll drive myself." Gu Mengyao pointed at the rear seat and said to Wei Zhao.

The S5 was a two-door coupe, and the rear seats could only be reached from the front, which was somewhat inconvenient. To someone with Wei Zhao's agility, however, it was nothing at all. With a light push of the front seat, he hopped inside.

Gu Mengyao said nothing more and took the driver's seat, while Shen Yushu sat beside her. It was clear the two were not the sort of rich second generation who loved street racing. On the contrary, they obeyed the traffic rules very strictly. Only after buckling their seat belts did Gu Mengyao start the car and drive slowly out of the villa compound...

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