Chapter 81: Premium Ice Cream?

"Yeah, I remember she used to blush just from saying a few words to Gu Feng. What's going on today?"

Another classmate chimed in, their face filled with confusion.

"Could it be... that Ye Lingling is going to confess to Gu Feng?"

A girl's eyes sparkled as she excitedly speculated.

"Why don't we ask Shana?"

"Shana, has anything happened between your young master and Ye Lingling recently?"

For these freshmen who hadn't yet obtained their Soul Rings, aside from gossiping about their seniors, there seemed to be nothing else that could pique their interest.

Shana also looked surprised and shook her head in bewilderment: "Shana doesn't know either."

Hearing this, everyone sighed and retreated to their seats, but the gossipy expressions on their faces remained unchanged. They were all very curious about what the two were discussing.

...

Ye Lingling hurriedly pulled Gu Feng all the way to the academy's equipment room.

The room was filled with various old training tools, and the light streaming through the dusty windows formed golden beams, casting a faint, musty scent throughout the space.

At this moment, the equipment room was empty, and the only sounds were the breaths of the two.

Gu Feng looked at Ye Lingling, whose face was flushed like the evening sky, a mix of shyness and an elusive hesitation.

He broke the slightly awkward silence with a helpless tone: "Ling Ling, you dragged me here in such a hurry. What's the matter?"

"If it's to thank me for the Immortal Herb I gave you yesterday, you really don't need to be so polite. We're good friends, after all."

Gu Feng shrugged, his tone casual, trying to make Ye Lingling relax a bit.

Ye Lingling shook her head vigorously, her hair swaying gently with the motion: "No, no, it's not that."

Her voice was soft, carrying a noticeable tremble of nervousness.

"Then what is it?" Gu Feng raised an eyebrow.

Ye Lingling took a deep breath, as if summoning all her courage, and her voice, though as faint as a mosquito's, was exceptionally clear in the quiet room: "I... I wanted to ask if you have time this afternoon? I'd like you to accompany me for some shopping."

After saying this, as if afraid of being rejected, she quickly added: "Don't worry, I'll cover all the expenses."

She secretly glanced up at Gu Feng, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"That's it? Nothing else?"

Gu Feng frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment on his face.

He thought she was going to say something earth-shattering or tear-jerking.

But it was just this?

"Yeah, I don't know if you'll agree..."

Ye Lingling's head hung even lower, her small hands fidgeting nervously, her fingers lightly tapping each other as if to bolster her courage.

Her shy and adorable demeanor amused Gu Feng.

"Alright, I agree. I happen to be free this afternoon."

"Great! See you this afternoon!"

Ye Lingling suppressed her inner excitement, trying to appear calm as she turned to leave.

But once she stepped out of the equipment room and reached a secluded corner, she instantly let her true feelings show, stomping her feet in excitement as if even the dust around her was dancing.

Yes!

Gu Feng actually agreed!

The girl's eyes sparkled with joy, and the upward curve of her lips was impossible to suppress.

...

From the moment Gu Feng agreed to her invitation, time seemed to stretch endlessly.

Ye Lingling sat in the classroom, her mind completely absent from the lecture.

The teacher's voice seemed to blur into background noise as scenes from her afternoon stroll with Gu Feng kept replaying in her head.

She glanced out the window from time to time, wishing the sun would move faster. Each passing minute felt like an eternity, and though it was only four or five hours away, it seemed longer than a year.

Finally, the afternoon sunlight bathed the academy.

Ye Lingling, still dressed in the cute outfit she had worn that morning, arrived early at the academy gate, anxiously scanning the crowd.

Her toes tapped lightly on the ground, and she occasionally stood on tiptoe, trying to spot Gu Feng among the people.

When Gu Feng's familiar figure came into view, Ye Lingling's eyes lit up. Unable to contain her excitement, she eagerly hurried over, her steps as light as a fawn's.

"You're here so early? Isn't it before the agreed time?" Gu Feng looked at Ye Lingling with a hint of amusement in his eyes, teasing her.

Ye Lingling puffed out her cheeks and, unusually, retorted, "Aren't you the same?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, both of them paused, then, as if sharing a telepathic moment, suddenly smiled at each other.

Gu Feng looked at her and asked, "Any plans?"

"Huh?" Ye Lingling blinked, her eyes filled with confusion.

"I mean, where are we planning to go?" Gu Feng patiently explained.

"Does it matter where we go for shopping?" Ye Lingling looked puzzled. Since childhood, she had always accompanied her mother or maids on shopping trips, with all the arrangements made by others. Going shopping alone was a first for her.

"Never mind, follow me." Without further ado, Gu Feng, with a faint smile on his lips, naturally took Ye Lingling's hand and led her toward the most bustling commercial street in Tiandou City—Qibao Street.

The moment Gu Feng's hand touched hers, Ye Lingling felt an electric current surge through her arm and spread throughout her body.

Her fair face visibly reddened, and her temperature rose sharply, like a ripe red apple.

Her brain seemed to short-circuit, going completely blank, as if it had suddenly shut down.

Gu Feng, he... he was holding her hand!

Ye Lingling was both shocked and shy, her heart pounding like a herd of deer running wild.

She instinctively wanted to pull her hand back, but she also felt a lingering attachment to the sudden warmth, leaving her momentarily at a loss.

If Gu Feng hadn't been holding her tightly, she felt she might faint from the overwhelming impact.

At that moment, her mind felt as if it were surrounded by a blazing fire, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. The surroundings blurred, and all she could focus on was the hand holding hers.

Dazed and confused, Ye Lingling felt her head buzzing, and everything around her seemed unreal.

Only when Gu Feng stopped in front of a clothing store and let go of her hand did Ye Lingling slowly come back to her senses.

She blinked hard, as if trying to dispel the earlier haze, and looked at the exquisitely decorated clothing store in front of her. After a brief moment of surprise, she turned to Gu Feng and asked softly, "Gu Feng, are you buying clothes?"

Gu Feng's lips curled into a slight smile. "No, not for me. It's for you."

"Eh, for me?" Ye Lingling was both surprised and delighted, pointing at herself as if she couldn't believe it.

"Of course. Wait here for a moment."

With that, Gu Feng went to speak with the shop owner, discussing the color, style, and other details for the custom order.

The shop owner was a grandmother around seventy years old. Despite her age, she moved swiftly, taking Ye Lingling's measurements in just a few minutes.

After a short wait, the shoes were ready.

They were a pair of pale green Cloud Brocade Embroidered Shoes, crafted entirely in the style of noble ladies from the Tang dynasty of a past life.

"Ling Ling, why don't you try the shoes on first?"

"Eh!"

Ye Lingling hesitated. Was she really going to take off her shoes in front of Gu Feng?

After all, a young girl's feet were not something to be casually shown to others.

Meeting Gu Feng's expectant gaze, Ye Lingling steeled herself and removed her small leather shoes, revealing her feet clad in white stockings.

Her delicate feet had a high arch, and the soft curves looked even more adorable under the white stockings. Each plump and rounded toe was as exquisite as a cluster of crystal grapes, making one almost want to take a bite.

"Her feet really do look like ice cream—so white, so soft, and so tiny."

(End of Chapter)