Chapter 162: Kamu's Philosophy

Chang Yu had never heard Katerina mention that she was a student, nor had he ever associated her with that identity.

Mainly, it was because Katerina possessed a temperament that was far too sharp and capable. She was always dressed in a business suit that gave off a distinct office-lady vibe, making her look less like a student and more like an office worker at a major corporation.

"That’s only natural. I’m only twenty-two; girls my age are usually university students, aren't they?" Katerina said as if it were a matter of course. "It's just that because I started working quite early, I’ve inevitably experienced more than other girls my age."

"How pitiful," Chang Yu said. "You’re at the most youthful and brilliant stage of a girl’s life, a time when you should be enjoying your youth without a care in the world, yet you’ve had to face the ugliest side of society and learn to be strong and independent so early. Don't you think that’s pitiful?"

"What about you?" Katerina suddenly pursed her lips. "Aren't we suffering from the same affliction? You grew up in an orphanage, without parents, and came to this vast city all alone to make a living. Aren't you pitiful, too?"

Chang Yu was suddenly stunned. His thoughts swirled, and in the end, he could only stammer, "Is this why we’re attracted to each other? We’re both pitiful people, so we have a lot in common to talk about?"

Katerina was taken aback; a thousand words condensed into one simple sentence: "Who knows..."

The two wandered aimlessly through the shopping mall, just as many couples coming and going liked to do. Katerina walked into one women's clothing boutique after another, carefully flipping through the latest styles of the season. Every now and then, she would pick up a piece or two and hold them up against the mirror to compare.

Chang Yu sat on a sofa with great interest, savoring the beautiful sight before him, as if he wanted to firmly imprint every look of Katerina’s transformations into his mind. This cozy scene was exactly like the countless men who, after dragging their feet behind their girlfriends all day, finally had to sit on a bench to rest.

"As expected, Katerina is the most beautiful. No matter what she wears, she is the most beautiful!" Chang Yu thought blissfully, becoming lost in his own reverie. He could not distinguish the difference between one piece of clothing and another, nor could he understand why Katerina felt dissatisfied after trying on several outfits, shaking her head at herself in the mirror. To Chang Yu, Katerina looked stunning in everything. This was the privilege of a top-tier beauty; at her level, the person enhanced the clothes, not the other way around.

"Miss, I think this dress is lovely, it suits you very well. Look, your boyfriend has been watching you without blinking; I think he really likes it. Why don't you take this one?"

Seeing that Katerina was about to return the dress, the salesclerk grew anxious and scrambled to retain the customer. This impossibly beautiful young woman had been trying on clothes in her shop for a while, yet she hadn't taken a liking to anything. She knew that if this continued, this woman who looked like she had stepped out of a painting would likely walk out of her store.

"Boyfriend?" Katerina froze subconsciously. "When did I acquire a boyfriend?"

It took her a moment to realize that the clerk was referring to Chang Yu. Looking at him, Chang Yu was already beaming with joy; he didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed by the clerk's misunderstanding—in fact, he felt quite happy. Well, even if their relationship was misunderstood, Chang Yu felt delighted. Was this a man’s unique vanity?

"Let’s take this one then." Chang Yu didn't intend to explain, and he even pushed his luck by making the decision for her. "I think this one is great, let’s buy it." As he spoke, he stepped forward and pulled out his bank card, intending to pay for the dress for Katerina. Since they were in a "boyfriend-girlfriend" relationship, how could he let his girlfriend pay for her own clothes?

Besides, he had checked the price tag on the clothes in this shop; it wasn't expensive and was quite affordable—a standard mass-market brand. Since it wasn't expensive... he might as well take advantage of the situation to earn some favor.

"The price of this dress is three hundred and ninety-eight." The clerk was sharp; she took the card without another word, fearing the sale she had just secured might fall through.

"Wait!"

Just then, Katerina’s voice rang out, stopping them both in their tracks. The clerk’s heart skipped a beat, thinking, *Does she not want to buy it after all?*

Chang Yu, the "great superhero," thought, *Could it be that Katerina doesn't want to be mistaken for my girlfriend?*

But Katerina’s actual thought was: *I should pay for this myself; I shouldn't trouble you to spend your money.*

The clerk: ???
Chang Yu: !!!

*So she didn't want to return it,* the clerk breathed a sigh of relief. But immediately after, she felt a sense of frustration. *Girl, your boyfriend is fighting to pay for you! You could have gotten this beautiful dress for free, why wouldn't you let him pay? Instead, you want to spend your own money—isn't that silly?*

She stood there holding Chang Yu’s card, looking awkwardly between the two, waiting for a final word. *Are you going to pay or not? Give me a straight answer.*

"Let me handle it. It doesn't cost much, don't feel bad for me—just treat it as a gift from me to you." Chang Yu certainly wouldn't let Katerina pay. Are you kidding? It was their first date, and he was going to let her pay? If word got out, where would he put his face?

He immediately pressed down on Katerina’s hand as she reached for her wallet, feeling the warmth of her skin, which felt like fine mutton-fat jade. Katerina’s skin... it really was wonderful. Chang Yu felt his heart flutter for a moment. Being grabbed by a man, Katerina felt shy as well. Throughout her life, she had never had such intimate contact with any man other than her brother, Zhen Youcai. It would be impossible not to feel shy.

However, she tried her best to control her expression, pretending to be nonchalant, which fooled both Chang Yu and the clerk. After this distraction, the clerk seized the opportunity to swipe Chang Yu’s card. Now, no matter how much Katerina wanted to object, it was too late.

Carrying the packaged dress, Katerina walked silently ahead of Chang Yu, appearing to have something on her mind.

"What's wrong?" Chang Yu asked. "Do you not like me spending money on you?"

"It’s not that I don't like it," Katerina hesitated. "I just feel that men shouldn't have to pay for everything. I have a job, I can support myself; I can earn my own money and spend it myself."

Katerina spoke with sincerity and firmness, and Chang Yu held her in higher regard after hearing this. She was a girl who valued independence, didn't rely excessively on men, and always thought of others.

"You are a girl quite different from the mainstream," Chang Yu praised genuinely. "Nowadays, girls usually don't spend a dime when they go out; they prefer letting the guy pay. Why don't you like that? Wouldn't it save you a lot of money?"

"I think it’s basic etiquette," Katerina replied. "If a girl lets a guy pay for everything, wouldn't the guy’s finances become strained? No one’s money comes from the wind; why should the guy be the one to pay for everything? Besides, if you always let the guy pay, over time, he will feel uncomfortable. Once that resentment builds, the relationship easily becomes unbalanced."

"Therefore, a truly smart girl won't just let the guy pay blindly, but will try to keep the spending between them balanced. Only then can the relationship be truly equal, and only then will the man truly respect and cherish the woman."

"All relationships in this world eventually boil down to 'human sentiment and social nuance,' and the most important secret to that is 'reciprocity.' Only knowing how to take without giving back—such a relationship won't last, whether it's friendship or love."

"That’s a novel perspective." Chang Yu pondered it and found that Katerina made a lot of sense. "Did you come up with that yourself?"

"No," Katerina shook her head. "My mother told me that. She warned me about this when I was very young."

"Then your mother must be a remarkable woman."

"Of course. She also said there are exceptions to everything..."

"What exceptions?" Chang Yu asked, curious.

"If two people are already married, then there's no need to worry about whose money is whose," Katerina said, carefully choosing her words. "Because... after marriage, both of our money will be mine!"

Chang Yu felt that Katerina was hinting at something; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought up the word "marriage." *Could it be... that Katerina wants me to propose?* Chang Yu thought. A boy in the throes of first love always over-interprets a girl’s thoughts, and Chang Yu was no exception. Of course, Chang Yu, already ecstatic, would never admit that his interpretation might be wrong. People like to believe what they want to believe, even if it is fundamentally incorrect.

Lost in these daydreams, Chang Yu wandered with Katerina from one side of the mall to the other, from the first floor to the last. By the end, Chang Yu was drenched in sweat and exhausted, both physically and mentally, but Katerina remained full of energy.

"Good heavens, this is torture. How can she have so much energy?" Chang Yu held bag after bag, all filled with the clothes Katerina had bought along the way. Well... she had paid for them all with her own money. Chang Yu had only paid once, and Katerina wouldn't let him pay again. This made Chang Yu feel more and more that a girl as endearingly silly as Katerina was as rare as a giant panda in today’s society.

Without realizing it, the two reached the dining area. Smelling the scents wafting from all around, Chang Yu’s stomach began to growl unceremoniously. He had been accompanying Katerina all morning and was starving; it was lunchtime, and he was ready to eat. Just as he was looking around for a suitable restaurant, Katerina took the initiative to link her arm through his.

"I know a restaurant here that is very delicious. Let me take you to try it."

In an instant, Chang Yu stood frozen as if electrocuted, his whole body tingling. This was the first time in his life a girl had taken the initiative to link arms with him. Chang Yu felt his heart beating so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of his throat. For the first time ever, Chang Yu blushed deeply, looking less like a bold man and more like a shy teenager.

Katerina, who was walking ahead, didn't seem to realize anything was amiss. Unbeknownst to her, she had long since let down the defenses she held against Chang Yu in her heart. Even being this intimate with a man didn't feel unnatural to her anymore.