Chapter 9 – Getting further and further down the strange path

At ten o’clock, Shen Deyou called Shen Yu again and told him to drop what he was doing and take Asaba Rika to get all the things he needed to do and buy the daily necessities.

“Good, got it, she’s used to living there, hmmmm, that’s it, the phone’s out of gas.”

Shen Yu hangs up the phone and continues tapping away at his computer, checking the program’s operation.

“Shen Yu! I’m ready to go! We’re ready to go!”

Asaba Rika came down from upstairs with a small notebook in her hand, in which Shen Yu had asked her to note down what she wanted to buy and do when she went out.

Shen Yu is not hopeful about the intelligence of this foolish young woman, and if she doesn’t take notes beforehand, she will probably forget everything later on and run two or three times without stopping.

“Let’s see.”

Shen Yu held out his hand and Asaba Rika coyly handed him the small book.

Apply for a bank card

Get a mobile phone card

Buy sanitary napkins

Buy lip balm

Buy a mug

There are 40 or 50 items listed, and at the end of the list there are even a number of things that Shen Yu has no idea what they are for.

“What is this eyebrow mackintosh of yours? Is it a mackintosh to protect against rain, or is it for painting your eyebrows?”

Shen Yu felt he had hit a knowledge blind spot and it had been a while since he had come across something in life that he didn’t understand.

“This, ah, is something you put on top of your eyebrows after you’ve drawn them on, to prevent them from rubbing off or melting when you sweat.”

Asaba Rika enthusiastically introduced her, and Shen Yu stared at her eyebrows with curiosity.

“Are your eyebrows fake?”

“No, girls have lighter eyebrows, so they definitely need to draw them.”

Asaba Rika came forward to show Shen Yu, then before Shen Yu could look at it seriously, he felt that it seemed too intimate and turned his head away with a red face.

“Is it necessary, don’t you have nice eyebrows, how much time must be wasted when you’re busy with this every day.”

Shen Yu found it hard to understand, even if you don’t look good with make-up, you have to wear make-up even though your features and skin are very delicate.

“It’s rude to go out without makeup!”

Asaba Rika explains, “In our country, there are no women on the street who don’t wear make-up, girls learn to use make-up from secondary school onwards, and even married housewives go to the make-up table first thing when they wake up!”

“Do you have to wear makeup even if you don’t go out?”

“Yes, it would be a disgrace to my husband to be very sloppy, so I need to look my best to make my husband very respectable in the future.”

Asaba Rika said, as if it were a normal thing, “And men work hard, so if they come home and see their wives are ugly, they must be very unhappy too.”

Shen Yu wondered, “Do you girls in Japan stop working after you get married?”

Asaba Rika shook her head and said, “Not really, if there is a lot of pressure, it’s harder for a wife not to work, but of course if my husband is great and he lets me not work, then I can focus on taking care of the house.”

“You don’t seem to have any other ideas.”

“Eh? What’s the idea?”

“Like a strong woman, the kind where the girls are also strong and work to earn their own money and are exceptionally good at their jobs.”

“Oooooh, that kind I’m envious of too, but I can’t.”

Asaba Rika is quite self-aware, although her brain is not filled with sachima, it is not far from tofu brain.

I don’t think I’ll be able to get a job as a translator, perhaps? Or should I make more use of this study abroad to learn more life skills and be a good and considerate wife, like learning to cook Chinese food, which she finds particularly good.

Shen Yu took the keys and was ready to drive, so Asaba Rika rushed to the driver’s seat and was ready to get in, but remembering the embarrassment he had caused yesterday, he went around the front and sat in the passenger seat again without moving.

The gates opened and the car slowly drove out. Shen Yu also told her about the neighbourhood, after all, if she didn’t tell her, she would have come to ask sooner or later, and then she would have had to bother taking her out again.

“This breakfast place is where we eat in the morning.”

At this hour, Aunt Wang was still busy and when she saw Shen Yu’s car, she greeted him and her eyes were sharp enough to see the girl on the passenger side.

No wonder we bought two breakfasts this morning, so we’re taking the girls home.

The girl was at his house so early in the morning, so obviously she had spent the night here last night.

Shen Family’s son is a great man. Who said he was a nerd? He’s only 20 and he’s already bringing his girlfriend home for the night!

And this girl is really pretty, she looks especially gentle and lovely, yo, she’s even waving to her auntie here, how polite!

So he exclaimed, “Your girlfriend is so handsome!”

Shen Yu had two black lines sliding down his face and didn’t bother to explain, he would naturally know after a while.

It was Asaba Rika who wondered, “Is she talking about me?”

“Hmm.”

“So.”

Asaba Rika understands.

Shen Yu didn’t rush to take her shopping, but first took her for a drive around the neighbourhood to familiarise herself with the roads.

This was the most Shen Yu had said to her in the past two days, and even he felt he was being so long-winded.

Asaba Rika, however, was a bit overwhelmed and took out a pen and paper to listen and jot down a road map by hand.

For example, this one with a picture of a small bowl of ramen means noodle shop, and this one with a picture of a puppy means pet shop. She looks like she is listening, but in reality her mind goes blank and she listens without knowing where the car is going.

“It’s just too complicated!” Asaba Rika is somewhat desperate; the neighbourhood is all old streets and the planning is naturally rather confusing.

Shen Yu was even more desperate than she was, as he patiently explained the route to her at first, thinking she would remember it, but when she came back and asked where she was, she panicked and opened her little book to compare, and then exclaimed: “Eh! It’s obviously not here!

Shen Yu pulls up and in the quiet carriage, his breathing can be heard noticeably heavier.

“I’m sorry.”

Asaba Rika has her head down, her hands clutching the book to her chest, her little feet tense with nowhere to put them.

” Shen Yu, you scold me! You’ve taught me so well, but I still can’t remember!”

Asaba Rika looked up at him with the gallantry of a moth to a flame.

Shen Yu actually saw a hint of anticipation in her eyes?

“Why are you so silly!”

Hearing Shen Yu’s muffled scolding, Asaba Rika felt her breathing stop, like she had been holding her breath underwater for a long time, and suddenly her adrenaline shot up, her face burning, her heart pounding, and finally she exhaled long and hard, a new feeling she had never experienced before!

It’s not that Asaba Rika had never been treated badly before, but when Shen Yu treated her badly, it was a completely different experience for her.

Because Shen Yu is really handsome and tall, and it’s amazing how oppressive he can be when he’s mean.

The little face of the co-pilot Asaba Rika was red, even her earlobes were pink, and her little hands were gripping the seat belt uncomfortably, looking like she was about to cry.

Shen Yu is a bit upset, am I really harsh?

But it’s true, she can’t even remember such a simple route, if she goes out on her own, she will lose her way in a minute, and in the end she will have to bother him to find it, how can he not be angry?

“I’m sorry I spoke a bit heavily, you.”

Hearing Shen Yu’s tone seem to soften, Asaba Rika looked up with a brave and fearless look.

“It’s okay! Shen Yu please don’t stop scolding!”

“???”

You really are not right!