0001 First Encounter
The rain outside was pouring down; you could hear the ear-piercing sound of the downpour hitting the windshield even through the car window.
Suddenly overcome by a craving for a cigarette, Tantai Qing held the steering wheel with one hand, pressed the glove compartment switch with the other, kept his eyes on the road ahead, and reached inside to feel around.
I reached into the cigarette case to take out a cigarette, only to find it was empty.
He frowned unexpectedly.
It seems they forgot to put it back in after they finished smoking.
Looking up, he saw a convenience store on the side of the road. He thought for about ten seconds, then resolutely turned the steering wheel and drove over.
"Hello, welcome!" Li Ying, who was tidying up the cash register, heard footsteps and greeted them as usual.
Looking up, I saw a man in a black suit, with a straight posture, walking over with an umbrella. He went into the convenience store, closed the umbrella, and placed it to the side of the door.
An elegant and noble aura emanated from him, and upon seeing that handsome face that seemed unreal, Li Ying froze on the spot.
As the person approached, she snapped out of her daze, but her voice trembled with nervousness: "Sir... hello, is there anything I can help you with?"
She tried to calm her pounding heart, but her trembling hands betrayed her thoughts.
Tantai Qing seemed used to it. He glanced around and his gaze settled on the cigarette cabinet not far away. He said softly, "Could you please get me a pack of Fuchun Mountain Ju cigarettes?"
"Huh?" Li Ying was stunned when she heard the name of the cigarette.
She wasn't unaware of this, but the cigarettes were too expensive. Not only were the selling price high, but the purchase price was also high. For ordinary convenience stores like theirs, whose customers are mostly ordinary people, they generally wouldn't buy such expensive cigarettes. If they couldn't sell them, it would be a loss.
Sure enough, the rich are the rich.
Retracting her inner grumbling, she gave an embarrassed laugh and apologized to the man in front of her, "Excuse me, sir, we don't have the cigarettes you mentioned. Would you like to look at something else?"
Tantai Qing realized he had miscalculated. How could he have forgotten that the cigarettes he usually smoked wouldn't be available in an ordinary convenience store? So he just casually told her to get the most expensive one.
Li Ying respectfully took out their shop's "signature item" from the cigarette cabinet.
Tantai Qing noticed the cigarettes on the table and subtly raised an eyebrow.
Okay, same brand, but the prices are worlds apart.
"Sir, would you like to pay in cash or via WeChat or Alipay?" Li Ying asked, scanning the QR code on the cigarette pack.
Just as she was about to take out her phone, Tantai Qing felt in her pocket and found that the square object was nowhere to be found.
A sudden realization dawned on me, and I remembered that I had left it in the driver's car.
With the rise of mobile payments, he no longer has the habit of carrying cash with him. Now, without his mobile phone, he is essentially penniless.
When Li Ying saw him stop moving, she repeated what she had just said, and began to suspect that this person might not have any money.
"Excuse me, I don't have my phone on me..."
Tonight is definitely not a good time to go out.
After a brief moment of embarrassment, just as Tantai Qing was hesitating whether to borrow a phone to call someone to bring the money over, a woman's voice came from the doorway: "I paid for him."
Turning his head, he saw a tall woman putting away her dark green umbrella and placing it in the corner of the door, just like his tall black umbrella. The two umbrellas, one high and one low, were strangely matched in color.
"Sister Jiang!" Li Ying called out to her with a smile.
This is a convenience store near the neighborhood. She is a regular customer here, and because she is beautiful, Li Ying has a deep impression of her. Over time, the two became acquainted.
Jiang Jifan walked in, his gaze lingering for a moment on the man who seemed out of place in the convenience store, then he smiled amicably at Li Ying and said as he walked toward the shelves, "Make a note of this for now, I'm going to buy something else, I'll pay for it all together later."
"Okay!" Li Ying replied with a smile, letting out a sigh of relief.
She was initially considering whether to help this handsome guy out of kindness, but a beautiful woman had already taken his place.
"Sir, you're so lucky! A beautiful woman is already paying for your meal as soon as you arrive..."
Faced with Li Ying's teasing, Tantai Qing smiled in response and glanced at the shelf over there. The woman was carrying a basket and looking down to take something out, as if she had never noticed his presence.
Beauty?
The helpful lady was indeed naturally beautiful. She wore a loose black dress that reached her calves, which looked like pajamas, but even so, it couldn't hide her graceful figure. Her bare face revealed a touch of charm under her long, black, wavy hair.
After a moment's thought, Tantai Qing could imagine what she would look like with makeup on; she must be stunning and charming.
Jiang Jifan didn't have time to pay attention to others. He wandered around the convenience store a few times, selected the things he wanted to buy, and filled a basket with them in a scattered manner.
She carried the money out to pay, only to find the man who hadn't paid earlier standing by the cashier, seemingly waiting for her.
Why hasn't he left yet?
Jiang Jifan didn't bother to ask any questions. He walked over and placed the basket directly on the cashier's counter to pay for Li Ying's bill.
"Miss Jiang?"
The man called her name.
"Hmm?" she looked up and responded.
I only glanced at him briefly before, but now that I'm observing him up close, I realize that the man in front of me is extremely refined and elegant, exuding a classy air in every gesture.
Looking at his attire, Jiang Jifan had a general idea of what was going on.
"Thank you for your help, Miss Jiang. I just don't want you to spend money. Could you please leave your contact information? I will have someone return the money to you later." Tantai Qing smiled gently at her, his words sincere.
Jiang Jifan never wanted to have too much interaction with strangers; after all, what happened just now was merely a result of his good traditional virtues.
She smiled casually and said, "It was nothing, sir, you're too kind."
“But…” Unexpectedly, she refused so decisively. Tantai Qing never liked owing others, let alone strangers, so she was about to speak again.
Jiang Jifan preemptively cut him off, raising his hand to stop him, saying, "Hey, we've only just met. If you really feel bad about it, just consider it as me paying to attend a celebrity meet-and-greet."
His face is comparable to that of today's popular male celebrities.
Tantai Qing frowned slightly, clearly puzzled.
Jiang Jifan was too lazy to explain to him anymore. He quickly scanned the code to pay and then walked past him carrying a large bag of things.
"Sir, here's your cigarette." Li Ying handed him the cigarette.
Tantai Qing glanced down at the pack of cigarettes, took it, and thanked him.
Reaching the doorway, Jiang Jifan scratched her head in frustration at the increasingly heavy rain outside. She glanced down at her sandals, pursed her lips, and decided to wait there until the rain subsided before going back.
Author: It's been a long time since I wrote contemporary romance novels, so I'm a bit rusty. Please forgive any shortcomings. New readers who recognize me can give me a vote if they like it. Love you all (ω)
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