Chapter 398 Bringing Flowers  

In no time, they reached a different floor. Amy saw the biggest assemblage of beautiful and expensive dresses she had ever laid her eyes on. They seemed to call to her and she felt an excitement previously unknown to her rush through her body so fast it made her tingle all over. She moved as if enchanted.

The first dress she admired was a teardrop neck with spaghetti straps and intricately sequined bottom. She ran her hands over it lightly, as if afraid it would dematerialize before her very eyes if she felt it too hard.

Chynna watched her with a smile on her face. Then she quietly slunk out of sight. She asked for and was shown to a restroom. She made her way there and carefully shut the door behind her. Then she took a few deep breaths and dialed Jun Mo.

"There has been a little change in plans," she volunteered as soon as he picked up the phone. And then she spent the next few minutes explaining the things she had already told Amy to a slightly befuddled Jun Mo about how the bright idea had come to her on her drive home.

"So, we are presently shopping dinner dresses and she will be expecting you to come ask her to be your plus one like a proper gentleman," she finished.

She could hear the silence on the other end of the line and she feared she might have ruined everything by taking things into her own hands.

"But what about you? I had been hoping you would do me the honor of spending the evening in my company," was the response that came out of Jun Mo's mouth. It sent shivers down Chynna's spine. The sweetness of it all had been unexpected and she blushed hard.

She felt tongue tied for a brief moment and when Jun Mo asked again, she snapped out of it and responded frankly. "I would have been glad to spend the evening with you," she paused as if to let the truth of it sink in.

Then she went on, "It's just, I think this would be a more perfect fit than the earlier idea we had. I realized we want the two of them to see each other as individuals outside of work. It would have been counterproductive to have them there at the party in their official roles yet again.

They seem so used to a certain script and since we have taken on the noble task of helping them snap out of it, it is also our duty to help them along and so we have to pay the price for it."

Jun Mo listened to what she was saying and it made sense to him. "You're a smart one, Chy," he said fondly. She blushed and he blushed too but neither one of them could tell apart from the heavy breathing on both ends.

It felt like a chore to put the phone down but eventually, they had to. But not before they worked out the basics of how to proceed. She returned to find Amy with a bunch of clothes in her arms and indecision securely etched onto her face.

She burst out laughing. It was a hearty laugh and it got louder with every twitch in her friend's face until they were both laughing and crying at the same time.

"I am so glad to see you've caught the bug. Now, you won't expend so much energy berating me for having too many clothes and still buying more. There is an addiction to pretty things and the only cure is to buy more.

And as a welcome gift into this Pretty Things Anonymous, I say you can get all of it," Chynna said, gesturing to the clothes her friend was holding.

Amy felt so moved she tossed the clothes away and pulled her friend into a bear hug. "Thank you, stupid," she said with emotion.

Minutes later, the dresses were all packed up for Amy. She bit her fingers watching Chynna pay for all of it. It was a debt she knew she would have to pay forward eventually. But for the moment, she just let herself be pampered. When Chynna dropped her off at home, she hugged her again and said a hearty thank you.

"The only thanks I want is for you to be all dressed up bright and early tomorrow," Chynna said with a wink.

"Wait, why?" Amy started to ask but Chynna had already revved her engine and was backing out of her driveway.

Amy took her purchases inside quietly trying to avoid waking up Gu Zhou. She was so happy. And she had Chynna to thank for it.

******************

She did not wake up bright and early at all. In fact, Amy awoke to Gu Zhou pulling her hair roughly.

"Oh, will you stop that, you little demon!" she scolded as her eyes fluttered open.

"Well, there is someone at the door. I looked outside but it wasn't your boyfriend from the other day, I think maybe you should go and see who it is. I don't want to get kidnapped anyway," Gu Zhou retorted.

Amy slapped his hand away. "It's Saturday for god's sake! Why can't I get a decent night of rest?" she complained.

"Maybe because you have too many boyfriends?" Gu Zhou said shrugging as if he had just stated a simple fact.

"You better stop talking shit or I'll personally send the kidnappers to you myself," Amy snapped at him.

"Oh, please, we don't even have any money. Nobody would want to kidnap a poor person like me," Gu Zhou rolled his eyes.

Amy laughed and ruffled his hair.

"You're just a riot," she said smiling. "Now get out and let me put on something appropriate before I answer the door." She shoved him towards the door of her room. He went gladly.

When Amy opened the door, she found a surprise in front of her.

"Jun Mo?" she managed to say.

"I was just about to leave. I thought maybe you were not home but then I saw a little boy peeping through the window. Is that your little brother?" Jun Mo asked. Before Amy could say anything, Gu Zhou had materialized between her and Jun Mo.

"I'm not little. I'm a grown man," he protested.