CH 79

"Dai dai, what are you doing?"

The completion ceremony of "Pick Eleven" came to a successful end. The eleven girls who formed the group would be staying together in a unified villa for their one-year activity period, so after the celebration, Song Yiqi suggested that they all go to the department store to buy some small furniture to decorate their rooms.

It was the first time for Qiao Dai to go shopping with so many friends, so everything seemed novel to her. She walked along the way, stopping from time to time, like a child out playing with her parents.

While walking, Song Yiqi turned back and noticed that Qiao Dai had fallen behind, engrossed in her phone. She slowed down and curiously asked her when she reached Qiao Dai's side.

Startled by the question, Qiao Dai put down her phone as if she had just come back to her senses and looked up at Song Yiqi. She seemed a little embarrassed as she replied, "It's nothing, just replying to a friend's message."

Seeing Qiao Dai's slight disappointment for some reason, sighing softly. She put away her phone and reached out to hold Song Yiqi's arm. A faint smile appeared on her delicate face as she said softly, "Let's go."

Song Yiqi quickly noticed Qiao Dai's subtle change and couldn't help squinting her eyes. A meaningful smile flashed through her beautiful eyes, and she winked at Qiao Dai, saying, "Who bullied our Dai dai? Why does she look so unhappy, like a subdued little wife?"

After speaking, Song Yiqi kept her eyes on Qiao Dai, seemingly intending to help her confront the culprit.

"No... It's not like that!"

Qiao Dai was taken aback, and her voice unintentionally rose a few pitches. She looked at Song Yiqi in a fluster, instantly realizing that the other party was teasing her again. Feeling both angry and embarrassed, she lowered her head and said softly, "Yiqi!"

Her voice unconsciously dragged out the ending, with a subtle trembling tone that gave people the illusion of being coquettish, making others can't help but want to tease her.

"Alright, alright, I won't say it anymore. I'll go see what Luan Zhen and the others are up to,"

Seeing that Qiao Dai was genuinely shy, Song Yiqi didn't continue teasing and changed the topic. She waved to Qiao Dai and then turned to find the others in a different area.

"Okay, see you later."

Qiao Dai nodded. Among the entire "Pick Eleven" group, she was the only one without much luggage. That was why everyone came along to accompany her and buy some small decorations for her room. Now, it seemed that Song Yiqi noticed Qiao Dai's distraction and found an excuse to leave, giving Qiao Dai some time alone.

Was her distraction so obvious?

Qiao Dai frowned with some frustration as she walked through the sports equipment area, still thinking about what happened earlier.

She couldn't help but sigh inwardly and thought that Yiqi was indeed perceptive. Next time, she should be more careful in front of Yiqi.

With that in mind, Qiao Dai glanced at the chat on her phone, feeling a bit annoyed. Did she really look like a little wife?

Originally, Qiao Dai had planned to invite Cheng Su out. However, after the completion ceremony, there was a celebration arranged by the program team and the company. By the time she messaged Cheng Su, she found out from the news that he had a busy schedule during the day and probably had no chance to respond to her.

The more Qiao Dai thought about it, the more agitated she became. She shook her head to clear her mind and stopped thinking about all those messy things. She lifted her leg and walked to the area where they sold children's pools, carefully looking at them.

The children's pool she brought to the contestant's dormitory before was relatively small. Even when she transformed into a sea otter, she would bump into the edges while sleeping, making her sleep uneasy. So, this time, when they moved to the new villa, Qiao Dai wanted to buy a slightly larger pool.

As Qiao Dai was now a celebrity, she dressed casually with a sporty style to avoid being recognized by strangers. She had her hair in a simple high ponytail, making her look youthful and lively.

From afar, Cheng Su saw a petite figure squatting next to a pool filled with water, seeming hesitant. He raised an eyebrow and walked over.

A shadow fell over her head, and feeling someone approaching, Qiao Dai instinctively looked up. Her eyes widened with surprise, "Cheng Su?"

Qiao Dai stood up, glancing behind Cheng Su to see if there was anyone else, but finding no one, she looked back at Cheng Su with some confusion and asked, "Aren't you supposed to have a busy schedule?"

Cheng Su seemed a bit surprised, but his expression quickly returned to normal. With a hint of pleasure in his voice, he said gently, "I happened to have something here, so I came to take a look when I saw you here."

Was it really just a coincidence?

Qiao Dai looked at Cheng Su suspiciously, but he maintained an expression as if there was nothing unusual about it and kept looking back at her. Their eyes met for a moment in the air, and eventually, Qiao Dai was the first to back down, feeling embarrassed. She shifted her gaze to the side and took a deep breath.

Actually, it wasn't that much of a coincidence.

Cheng Su pretended to casually glance at the lowered head of Qiao Dai. In his mind, he recalled the WeChat Moments post that Qiao Dai had just shared, stating that she was going shopping with friends. He took this opportunity to visit the mall and inspect it.

The reason Cheng Su could "coincidentally" meet Qiao Dai was that this department store was also one of Cheng's industries. He had asked the staff in the sports area to pay attention and notify him if a young girl came to buy a children's pool. Normally, there weren't many customers buying children's pools, and even if there were, they would usually be parents with their kids. It was rare for a young girl to come alone, so when they received the notification from the upper management, the staff was puzzled. But just as they were informed, Qiao Dai showed up, and they quickly informed their supervisor, enabling Cheng Su to "coincidentally" meet her.

Originally, Cheng Su just wanted to try his luck and see if Qiao Dai would be attracted by the large swimming pool. Unexpectedly, the children's pool had such a big appeal to her. Cheng Su wasn't sure if he was happier because he guessed right about Qiao Dai or if he was worried because she was so easy to understand.

With these thoughts in mind, Cheng Su squinted his eyes and suddenly asked, "Have you made a choice?"

Hearing Cheng Su's question, Qiao Dai shook her head. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the various styles of children's pools and said with some hesitation, "I haven't decided which one to choose yet."

As she was pondering, she heard Cheng Su's voice again, "Why don't I see the Glory brand?"

Qiao Dai turned her head and realized that Cheng Su was not talking to her but to the staff responsible for this area. The staff seemed taken aback for a moment but quickly reacted and smiled, explaining, "I'm sorry, sir, we haven't introduced Glory's related products here temporarily. However, there is a dedicated area for Glory on this floor. If the customer needs it, they can go there for consultation."

Glory was a company that specialized in producing professional sports equipment. Its products ranged from regular sports gear for everyday activities to specialized equipment for extreme sports, catering to a wide range of sports enthusiasts and gaining their trust and admiration.

However, the staff looked at the children's pool in front of them and couldn't understand why a special order from Glory was necessary for a children's pool.

Although the staff didn't quite grasp the customer's intention, they still dutifully directed Qiao Dai and Cheng Su to the Glory section before returning, puzzled.

"Hello, may I assist you with anything?"

Cheng Su smoothly requested a form from the Glory staff and said, "We would like to customize a portable swimming pool."

The staff member responsible for reception was also taken aback. While they had dealt with various customizations for sports equipment, it was the first time they encountered someone requesting a customized portable swimming pool.

But, did a portable swimming pool really require special customization?

"Sure, please fill in your customization requirements, and we will complete the order within fourteen to thirty working days."

The staff member was about to ask if Cheng Su was joking, but then saw Cheng Su passing the customization form to Qiao Dai, saying, "Write down whatever you want."

Qiao Dai also looked surprised as she received the form. She looked up at the staff member and asked uncertainly, "Can swimming pools really be customized?"

While it was possible, the staff member thought that nobody would specifically customize a swimming pool. After all, it wasn't a special type of sports equipment.

The staff member instantly realized what was going on when they observed Qiao Dai enthusiastically filling out the form and then looked at Cheng Su, who stood silently beside her.

Ah, no wonder. It turned out to be a gift for his girlfriend.

Once they understood this, the staff member didn't find it strange at all.

As Qiao Dai was filling out the form, the receptionist also served them beverages. Curiously, Qiao Dai poked the colorful juice in the glass with a straw and carefully took a sip. The sweet and sour flavor immediately spread on her tongue, prompting her to ask, "What fruit is this?"

The employee smiled politely and quickly replied, "It's raspberry."

After answering, the employee left the reception area, leaving Cheng Su and Qiao Dai alone.

Cheng Su, who had been idly looking around while sitting on the couch, raised an eyebrow at her question. Subconsciously, he glanced at Qiao Dai, who was sitting across from him. He noticed a subtle blush on her face, and she seemed a bit flustered as she answered. Meanwhile, she kept poking the ice cubes in the glass with the straw, producing tinkling sounds.

Finally, Qiao Dai took a deep breath, slightly calming herself. She looked up at Cheng Su and asked, "Raspberry... Do you like it?"

Cheng Su didn't rush to answer and instead asked, "Do you like it?"

He looked at Qiao Dai and asked softly.

Qiao Dai's breath tightened.

She looked at the man in front of her, and her thick, curly eyelashes trembled slightly. Her black, bright eyes sparkled with a radiant light under the illumination of the lights.

After a moment, she nodded.

"I like it."

Qiao Dai's soft voice gently spread in the air, and a glint flashed in Cheng Su's pitch-black eyes. He replied in a deep voice, "I like it too."