Math professor returns to routine

Chapter 529 Possessed by the Drama Spirit

After leaving school, guided by Tang Wan, Lu You drove for half an hour to a shopping mall.

It's not that the distance is far, it's just that there's traffic congestion, a common problem in big cities, with people constantly stopping and starting.

After finding a parking space nearby and parking the car, the two went into the mall.

It was still afternoon, not yet peak time for people, and the space felt rather empty with only a few people around.

Lu You glanced around at the shops, which were either Huawei, Xiaomi, or gold and silver jewelry stores.

Lu You rarely visited these stores.

I usually buy my phones online and replace them with a new flagship model every year. I've never needed after-sales service.

The demand for gold and silver jewelry only arose after she met Tang Wan, but Shen Yuyin had connections, so there was no need to go to a store.

"So, should we start by browsing the first floor, or go up to the second floor?"

"Just follow me."

The two walked along the corridor.

The shops on both sides of the aisle are constantly changing, and the shops are getting smaller.

LEGO, bakeries, baby products, clothing, shoes...

Near the end of the aisle, the two stopped in front of a shop.

"We're here, right here."

Lu You glanced at the shop sign.

The store's name is in white on a pink background, with a butterfly logo at the beginning, the store name in the middle, and the words "delicate hands" in the middle. The bottom right corner lists the services offered: nail art, contact lenses, and skin care.

A distant memory flashed through Lu You's mind.

He asked Tang Wan if she wanted to get her nails done.

Tang Wan's answer was that it was not allowed by high school rules.

Now that I'm in university, if there are no rules against doing something, then it's allowed.

Are you planning to get your nails done?

"Yes! I've had this idea for a long time."

Why was it delayed until today?

"Because I only remembered it today."

The two pushed open the door and entered the store.

Everywhere you look, everything is pink and sparkly.

Lu You frowned slightly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

This decorating style is so girly!

The two waited quietly for a moment, and then a young and beautiful female technician with makeup came forward.

"Welcome! What kind of service would you like to receive?"

"Nail art".

The one who replied was naturally Tang Wan.

"Okay, this way."

The three pedestrians arrived at a row of tables and chairs.

The female technician sat against the wall, Tang Wan sat opposite her, and Lu You stood by herself, looking around.

It wasn't that there weren't enough chairs; rather, he was looking for another place to rest.

Getting a manicure is like getting your hair done; it takes an hour and is extremely time-consuming, so it's impossible to watch the whole process from start to finish.

Soon, Lu You spotted the sofa against the wall on the other side, and was overjoyed. He immediately set off.

Just as he took his right foot out, Tang Wan grabbed his hand.

"Where are you going?"

Lu You pointed towards the sofa and said, "I'll sit there and wait for you."

Tang Wan was somewhat reluctant.

What is a nail salon?

A place where women gather is a place where wolves congregate.

Here, Lu You's appeal is like a freshly roasted whole lamb, fragrant and crispy on the outside, which is devoured without leaving a trace.

But Tang Wan also understood that Lu You was an independent person, not a pet she could manipulate at will. She had her own interests, hobbies, joys, sorrows, and emotions.

"If you're feeling bored, why don't you go for a walk outside?"

“Okay,” Lu You replied casually.

It's all about killing time, it doesn't matter where you go.

Tang Wan took out her phone and transferred 100 yuan to Lu You via WeChat.

"Same as always, find a milk tea shop and order me a mango pomelo sago. You can use the extra to buy cigarettes."

Huh? Do I smoke?

Lu You was puzzled for a moment, then she understood.

Alright, the drama queen personality has kicked in!

Anyway, everyone around her was a stranger she would only meet once and never see again, so they wouldn't affect her. Lu You let her act it out.

However, when he got home that night, he still had to be punished.

"Any other requests?"

"Not for now, I'll let you know when I think of something."

"I'm leaving now. Contact me if you need anything."

Lu You pinched Tang Wan's cheek, then turned and left.

Tang Wan watched Lu You walk out of the nail salon until she disappeared from sight before turning her gaze away.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's alright." The female technician smiled warmly.

In the service industry, the customer is king. Waiting for ten minutes or more is no big deal, let alone a minute or two.

Of course, this is on the premise that enough rice is provided.

The female technician placed a thick booklet on the table and then opened it.

A dazzling array of nail art designs was displayed before Tang Wan's eyes.

Is this your first time getting your nails done?

"Yes." Tang Wan nodded.

"Shall I introduce it to you?"

"It's troublesome."

In terms of service, the female technicians are undoubtedly professional.

She not only provides detailed explanations of the various types of nail art, their advantages and disadvantages, and the differences between them, but also accurately identifies the corresponding nail art templates, making it easy for people to understand at a glance.

Tang Wan felt like she was watching an interactive beginner's video, where any questions could be answered immediately.

After about ten minutes, the basic introductions ended, and the selection process began.

As a newbie, Tang Wan didn't go for anything fancy; instead, she chose painted nails and used paint to create designs on her natural nails.

The female technician discussed the painting pattern with Tang Wan, went over the precautions again, and after confirming them repeatedly, she took the tools and officially began the work.

The first step is to buff the nails and remove dead skin.

The female technician held a nail polisher that looked like an electric toothbrush and began working on Tang Wan's nails.

While her hands were busy, her mouth was also busy.

"Little beauty, how old are you this year?"

Tang Wan was about to say nineteen, but then she thought, since they've already started acting, why not go all the way?

"Just turned twenty."

"So young! No wonder your fingers are so beautiful. Did you go to university?"

"I'll stop studying after graduating from vocational school!"

"Judging from your accent, you don't sound like a local. Are you from out of town?"

"Yes! A relative told us that there are many opportunities and it's easy to find a job in the capital, so we came here to try our luck and make a name for ourselves. We guess we're part of the 'Beijing drifters'!"

The female technician smiled broadly, but in her heart she was plotting something.

A migrant worker in Beijing? You'd be a fool to believe that!

She couldn't tell if Tang Wan's bracelets and necklaces were real or fake, but she recognized the clothes she was wearing at a glance.

Especially that coat, a new seasonal product from a well-known brand, definitely worth five figures.

Tell me, which migrant worker in Beijing would be willing to buy clothes at this price?

Despite her thoughts, the female technician dared not express them.

As the saying goes, in the service industry, the customer is king.

Whatever the customer says, goes.

"Life as a migrant worker in Beijing must be tough, right?"

Tang Wan naturally had no idea that her act had been seen through. She sighed and continued to act on her own.

"It's not just not good, it's extremely difficult! The combined salaries of the two of us are only around ten thousand yuan a month. After deducting rent, utilities, food, and other miscellaneous expenses, there's barely any money left. We can't even send money home. It's better to find a couple of simple jobs back in our hometown. The pay may be less, but at least our family is nearby, and life can be more peaceful..."

the other side.

After leaving the nail salon, Lu You first strolled around the first floor of the mall.

Without Tang Wan by his side, Lu You's movement speed increased significantly, and correspondingly, the enjoyment of shopping also decreased considerably.

When men go shopping, there are basically two possibilities.

First, he had a clear purpose; second, he accompanied women.

Now that there's no purpose and the woman isn't around, it's no surprise that there's no fun to be had.

Walking to a spot near an exit, Lu You found a milk tea shop.

The restaurant attracts a large number of customers, and its signature dish is avocado mango pomelo sago.

Lu You was too lazy to look for another store, so she simply scanned the QR code on her phone to place an order for half an hour later and took the elevator to the second floor.

Unlike the mixed collection of shops on the first floor, the second floor is mostly filled with women's clothing specialty stores, with the rest being clothing brand stores.

Lu You walked around, stopping occasionally to take a look, mainly focusing on sportswear and ignoring all casual clothes.

His everyday clothes, from head to toe, were entirely taken care of by two women, so he didn't have to worry about them.

In their opinion, it would be a complete waste not to use a top-notch men's clothes hanger that's readily available.

After you've finished exploring the second floor, go up to the first floor.

Directly opposite the elevator is a bookstore.

The warm yellow lighting, the bookshelves arranged in rows and columns, and the simple decor style give it a unique tranquility compared to the shops next door, lacking their ostentatious glamour.

Lu You had originally planned to explore the entire mall, but now she has changed her mind.

Shopping in malls is so tiring!

Why not go to the bookstore and read some books?

Thinking it and doing it, Lu You walked straight into the bookstore.

The outermost shelves are stocked with stationery, magazines, and popular comic book volumes.

Lu You didn't even glance at it, and walked inside with her head down.

Passing by the section for junior high and high school reference books, Lu You stopped, pulled out a collection of past college entrance examination math questions, flipped through a couple of pages, and put it back.

Lu You had heard that the college entrance exam in the capital was very easy, but he couldn't figure out exactly why, since he had never taken the college entrance exam in his two lifetimes.

Moving on to the next area, youth literature.

Looking at the shameful title on the spine, Lu You, despite her curiosity, simply didn't have the courage to buy it.

Following youth literature are popular foreign books, including works by Keigo Higashino, Haruki Murakami, and others.

"White Night", "The Devotion of Suspect X", "Miracles of the Namiya General Store", "Norwegian Wood"...

This wasn't the first time Lu You had seen these books.

Back in my first year of high school, many of my classmates were reading it; it circulated throughout most of the class.

Lu You herself hadn't seen it, for a simple reason: she didn't have time.

At the time, my mindset was that instead of spending time reading novels, I should read more academic papers to quickly understand the forefront of mathematics so that I could conduct my own research later.

Now that I have some free time, I can read a bit.

Lu You picked out a copy of "White Night Walk" without a cover, walked to the reading area set up in the bookstore, ordered a cup of coffee, and slowly flipped through the pages.

Before we knew it, half an hour had passed.

The vibration of her phone in her pocket jolted Lu You out of her immersive reading.

Looks like it's time to go get the milk tea.

Lu You finished the half-cold cup of coffee, noted down the page number at the bottom of the book, put it back in its original place, took a brand new book with a cover from the side, went to the front desk, paid, and left.

The book is good and worth reading.

After taking the elevator downstairs and picking up her pre-ordered milk tea, Lu You returned to the nail salon.

The female technician was holding a paintbrush, using Tang Wan's fingernails as a canvas, and carefully painting.

When did you meet your boyfriend?

"To correct you, he is my husband, not my boyfriend."

"You two are married?"

"We got married four years ago."

"Four years ago, I was sixteen. Could I have gotten a marriage certificate then?"

“In my hometown, having a wedding banquet is considered a marriage; whether or not you have a marriage certificate is not important.”

Good heavens, I went out for a walk and came back to find they were still putting on an act!

Lu You didn't intend to join the two women's conversation, so she inserted a straw into the milk tea and placed it on the table.

This action caught the attention of the two women.

"You're back!" Tang Wan smiled broadly, her joy undisguised. "Where did you go for so long?"

Lu You helped Tang Wan tuck her hair behind her ear and showed her the brand-new, unopened copy of "White Night Walk" in his hand.

"I stayed in the bookstore reading and didn't go anywhere else."

"White Night Walking? I watched it in junior high school. It was good, but it's been a long time, and I've forgotten most of the plot."

The female technician silently scrutinized Lu You's attire, further solidifying her suspicions.

A Beijing drifter? I bet he's some rich young master or lady who ran away to have fun!

How much longer do you need to get your nails done?

"I don't know, but an hour should be enough?"

Hearing their conversation, the female technician immediately suppressed any irrelevant thoughts.

"Four fingers are already done, and the remaining six will take about forty minutes. Are you in a hurry? If so, I can speed things up."

"No rush, take your time, and make sure it's done well."

"Don't worry." The female technician nodded slightly.

"I'll sit in the back and wait for you. You can find me when you're done."

Lu You pinched Tang Wan's cheek again and walked towards the sofa behind her.

Looking at Lu You's back, the female technician's eyes filled with envy.

Handsome, rich, and gentle—any man would be smitten, let alone a single woman like her.

"Sir, did you have many girls pursuing you back then?"

"Hey, not many! At least in the years I've been around him, I haven't seen many women pursue him."

The female technician glanced at Tang Wan's face and silently buried herself in her work.

With delicacies on a jade plate before us, who would still care about coarse tea and simple meals?

Lu You sat on the sofa, tore open the book cover, and picked up where she left off, quickly becoming engrossed in the story.

When they returned to reality, it had already been the length of a class period.

"How about it? Aren't my nails pretty?" Tang Wan excitedly showed Lu You her handy, displaying her handiwork.

Each fingernail is decorated with a flower and a butterfly, and the flowers and butterflies on different fingers are of different species.

The flowers grow from the outer edge inwards, so lifelike, and butterflies flutter in, their wings fluttering.

Although Lu You is a nature enthusiast and admires natural and pristine environments, she has to admit that her method of attracting butterflies with fragrant flowers is indeed quite effective.

"Did you choose the design?"

"Yes! I said I wanted elements of flowers and butterflies, and she took out templates for me to choose from."

"Yes, it suits you well."

Lu You couldn't bring himself to offer more praise; his vocabulary was limited. He could talk about grand principles, but praising people was beyond his capabilities.

Tang Wan understood this, so she didn't insist.

How much is it in total?

"Uh... I seem to have forgotten to ask."

Lu You closed the book, stood up and said, "Let's go, I'll pay."

"your treat?"

"Women dress up for those who appreciate them, and men reward those who appreciate them. I like your manicure, so consider it a tip."

"Thank you, boss! You've really helped!"

The two went to the front desk and inquired about the price.

Including all kinds of fees, it came to a total of one thousand two hundred yuan.

Without blinking, Lu You scanned the code to pay and then left with Tang Wan.

We left the shop and returned to the mall.

Through the glass, it was obvious that the sunlight outside was much weaker than when I arrived.

Clearly, night was approaching.

Lu You changed the way she held hands, interlocking her fingers, and asked, "It's getting late, shall we find a place to eat?"

"Well, I happen to be hungry too."

The two left the mall through the nearest exit.

Coincidentally, the exit faces a food street.

The two walked along, examining the shops on both sides.

Lu You has never been picky about food, nor does she have any particular craving for any particular dish, so she quietly waits for Tang Wan to offer her suggestions.

After walking about fifty meters, Tang Wan stopped first and pointed to the sign of a shop.

"Honey, do you want some yakitori?"

Following the direction Tang Wan pointed, the shop's name came into view.

【Bird House】

Neon signage, neon-themed interior design.

The shop is quite large, occupying three shop units, and looks to be about 100 square meters.

"I'll do whatever you say."

"Then eat."

The two entered the store hand in hand.

A male waiter dressed in a Japanese-style uniform came forward to serve you.

After confirming the number of people, he led the two to their seats.

A solid wood wooden table, a matching sofa, a lattice screen for privacy, and a single small square lamp.

Whether the food is good or not is another matter, but at least the privacy and atmosphere are sufficient.

The male waiter asked the two to look at the menu first while he went to prepare tea and tableware.

Tang Wan pressed against Lu You's arm and pushed the menu between the two of them.

"Come on, let's see what delicious food we have."

Open the cover, and the signature dish takes up an entire page.

On a rectangular plate were five skewers of slightly charred chicken.

"Hey, it looks pretty good!"

When Tang Wan glanced at the price figures below, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"I'll pay you eighty-eight? Five skewers of meat combined aren't even as big as a chicken leg, and you're selling them to me for eighty-eight? You might as well rob me!"

Lu You rested her chin on her hand, looking at Tang Wan's dumbfounded expression, and found it amusing.

"So are you still going to eat?"

Tang Wan gritted her teeth, as if she had made a huge decision.

"Eat! The waiter has already brought tea, we can't just leave without saying a word, can we?"

"Sure! As long as you're thick-skinned."

"It's just an 88-yuan chicken skewer, I can afford it!" Tang Wan angrily flipped over a page of the menu. "I want to see if they can make something out of this expensive, tender chicken!" (End of Chapter)