Chapter 37
In the slightly gloomy sky, the supermarket with lights on appears brightly lit.
Lin Wan started shopping among the shelves according to the shopping list she had made in China, and Zhou Wangjing pushed a shopping cart and walked beside her.
The two of them weren't close, and the atmosphere felt a bit cold for a moment. Lin Wan had been carefully selecting shower gel, but when she realized this, she began to look for a topic of conversation.
"How long will it take to learn martial arts to reach your level?" Lin Wan put down the floral shower gel in his hand and replaced it with the cheaper and larger one next to it.
"Seven or eight years?" Zhou Wangjing looked at her movements, tilted his head slightly in thought, and chose a bottle of shower gel exactly the same as hers.
This is a long time, Lin Wan thought. By the time she finishes her studies, she'll be thirty. Such learning might not be very meaningful, as it won't solve her immediate problems.
But when it came to the choice of shower gel, Lin Wan lowered her eyes and watched Zhou Wangjing's extremely natural movements.
His current situation is obviously better than mine. I have completely lost my family's financial support, so I chose the product with the best value for money. Zhou Wangjing doesn't look like he's short of money now, so he would definitely choose the cheapest one.
Lin Wan was confused, but remained silent.
After placing the exact same shower gel into the cart, Zhou Wangjing clearly noticed Lin Wan's expression. He added, "If you just want to protect yourself in a crisis, you can learn quickly in three months. Awei is a good teacher, so don't worry."
Avi is the female coach he just recommended to him. It is said that she opened a martial arts gym in Chinatown and is doing quite well.
Lin Wan nodded and put the shampoo and conditioner she had selected into the cart, then watched Zhou Wangjing choose the cheap items he had picked up.
She had some thoughts in her mind.
Could this person still have feelings for her? This was a bit troublesome. She needed friends when she was away from home, so she couldn't just express her doubts aloud.
So Lin Wan looked at Zhou Wangjing with a somewhat speechless look.
"You've spent so much time choosing, you must have carefully considered the options. Wouldn't it be easier if I just followed your lead and bought the product?"
Zhou Wangjing's tone was particularly righteous, with the indifferent tone that was unique to a rich young man.
This is fine, that is fine, as long as I have money.
Lin Wan took a deep breath and continued shopping according to the shopping list.
People are just lazy and think so much.
In recent years, Zhou Wangjing has changed girlfriends faster than she can take exams. Even I, who was concentrating on studying at the time, had heard about this, not to mention the rumors and gossip flying around in the city.
Adolescent emotions come and go quickly. Now that we're all adults, why should we dwell on those childhood jokes?
Garbage bags, toilet paper, dirty clothes baskets... After loading all the items on the list into the cart, Lin Wan couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the items that looked like twins.
When paying the bill, Zhou Wangjing swiped the card directly, bypassing Lin Wan. Lin Wan didn't even have time to take out her wallet from her schoolbag.
Putting the two items into separate plastic bags, Lin Wan handed Zhou Wangjing's bag and carried her own.
She looked at the number on the bill and was about to count out the corresponding cash from her bag when she was immediately stopped by Zhou Wangjing.
She thought Zhou Wangjing was going to say, "It's a small matter, no need to pay." She was about to say, "No, you must pay."
——What relatives often say when they are arguing.
What he said in the end was: "Let's transfer it online. Cash is not very convenient." Then he gave a bank card number.
Lin Wan paused as he was about to take out the money, and then took out his cell phone.
Putting her new phone strap on her wrist, Lin Wan began to research the bank transfer process. She had never done anything like this before, so she was stunned by the changes in the interface. It was like a system that was constantly stuck and bugged.
It was getting dark and street lights were gradually lighting up along the long stone road.
After standing at the supermarket entrance for a long time, Lin Wan still didn't understand what this transfer was. But if he said directly that he didn't know, it would seem to damage his image as a smart person.
A thin layer of sweat broke out on the tip of her nose, and her fingers were still working on her cell phone.
Someone was coming out of the supermarket, blocking their way. Zhou Wangjing pulled Lin Wan aside and said, "Let's go first. It's getting dark."
Lin Wan reluctantly raised his head, said "okay" to him, and quickly lowered his head again.
Zhou Wangjing asked her where she lived. Fortunately, Lin Wan still had some last bit of vigilance and just told him to drop her off at the nearest intersection to the rental house.
Why still can’t I do it?
Lin Wan was getting a little fed up. Like a broken jar, she thrust her phone's webpage towards Zhou Wangjing and said, "Transfer it via WeChat. I don't understand that."
Lin Wan was so embarrassed that he wanted to find a hole to hide in, but he remained calm on the surface.
What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen young people who don’t know how to use mobile phones?
Zhou Wangjing's eyes became a little surprised, and he looked Lin Wan up and down.
Lin Wan thought he was going to say, "Is this some special way of getting my contact information?"
But he didn't, he just took out his phone and scanned the code.
Lin Wan doesn’t have many contacts on her phone, and now there’s one more, Zhou Wangjing.
There was no ridicule or mockery as imagined. Zhou Wangjing's performance throughout the whole process seemed extremely normal, or even serious.
This was completely different from Lin Wan's initial impression of him as a playboy.
Lin Wan observed his expression, which was very natural, very - calm.
This kind of calmness was extremely familiar. Lin Wan had seen it repeatedly on Chen Yu's face.
The fingers holding the plastic bag curled up slightly. On such a night, Lin Wan couldn't help but think of Chen Yu.
He should be doing very well in a university in China now.
The streets are bustling with people and brightly lit.
Walking along the Thames, Lin Wan successfully added Zhou Wangjing's contact information and transferred the money to him extremely quickly.
Zhou Wangjing didn't refuse in a chauvinistic way, saying "pay for it yourself", and naturally accepted Lin Wan's money.
This naturalness made Lin Wan feel comfortable and friendly.
If he's unwilling to accept her money, she'll be worried about how to repay the favor. This sense of distance is just right.
Lin Wan was more willing to talk to him more. She felt that Zhou Wangjing should be completely different from the image of a "second-generation rich kid" that was passed down by the people of Jiangcheng.
"Where do you live?" Lin Wan asked him, worried that Zhou Wangjing had walked a lot more because it was not on his way.
Zhou Wangjing's address was incredibly detailed, even including the street number. He also casually added, "You can come hang out with me if you're free. By the way, we're planning a trip to Baiya next weekend."
"Hiss," Lin Wan took a breath of cold air.
His posture was too natural, and Lin Wan even felt that her vague attitude just now was too perfunctory to show his sincerity.
"By the way, it's not just Liu Sinian, there are also some girls who are studying here. If you are interested, you can come with us."
Zhou Wangjing casually pulled Lin Wan to the inner sidewalk and added another sentence.
Lin Wan thought for a moment and tucked the hair that fell on her cheek behind her ear. She was happy to accept new friends. It was impossible for a person to survive in a foreign country for that long.
but.
"Will I disturb you if I go?"
I am a complete stranger to them, and it would be very embarrassing to go there like this.
Lin Wan quickly thought about the cause and effect.
"Except for Liu Sinian, everyone else is new here and they are very welcoming to new friends."
Zhou Wangjing raised his eyelids and said with a smile.
That expression made Lin Wan feel a little unfamiliar. She glanced at Zhou Wangjing while holding the shopping bag and said nothing.
Fortunately, Zhou Wangjing quickly returned to his previous state.
The supermarket is not far from Lin Wan’s residence, less than two kilometers away, and it takes less than twenty minutes to walk there.
They arrived at the dimly lit intersection. Lin Wan waved to Zhou Wangjing and said, "Goodbye."
She walked uphill for a while, which was a bit strenuous. When she turned around, Zhou Wangjing was still standing there looking at her.
Lin Wan found it a little funny.
Zhou Wangjing told Lin Wan that he would confirm the travel plans with her when the time came, and since they had already added each other’s contact information, Lin Wan readily agreed.
The language classes are not continuous, but only from Monday to Friday, and the weekends are completely free.
Lin Wan planned to find a part-time job first to make up for his somewhat deflated wallet and have a stable and regular income.
It turned out that she was overthinking it.
As she did not have a college degree, the jobs she could find were extremely limited. She even faced a lot of discrimination because of her Chinese appearance.
When Lin Wan arrived at those physical stores, many store owners even pointed to the recruitment notices at the door of the store and told Lin Wan word by word in a very standard British accent: they only want local Londoners here and do not accept foreign students.
The feeling of being discriminated against is extremely uncomfortable, even extremely embarrassing.
For example, at this moment, Lin Wan was standing in front of a restaurant and had just finished introducing himself to the owner, a fusty old British man.
The shop owner stretched his aging eyelids wide, his black pupils gleaming brightly in the dark sky. Surrounded by the large whites of his eyes, he stared at Lin Wan intently.
He wore a strange dignity, yet his expression was cold to the extreme, filled with deep impatience. His brows were roughly furrowed, with a secret expectation that could almost pinch a fly to death.
The diners' eyes were also attracted by the scene here. They continued their actions while looking at the two of them with curiosity.
Who can resist enjoying a farce while having a meal?
Lin Wan averted her gaze from the shop owner's eyes, which were fixed on her. She could feel herself trembling.
Her eyelids trembled violently twice, and her hands could hardly bear the weight of the thin resume in her hands.
The thin paper trembled in the wind, rustling and wrinkling, like a cattail that kept bending its stalks in the wind.
Hot blood rushed to his brain, it was an embarrassing emotion, and his temples were beating uncontrollably.
"Can I know the reason for the rejection?" Lin Wan asked him, trying to keep her voice steady.
The shop owner's wrinkled eyelids suddenly lifted up, squeezing out a gap a little bit, and he asked back in a matter-of-fact tone with a bit of amusement.
"What do you think?" His tone rose, with a hint of teasing.
Lin Wan didn't answer him, but he continued to ask, his black pupils fixed on Lin Wan's expression.
Lin Wan bit the soft flesh in his mouth and turned away without saying a word.
The shop owner's laughter suddenly rang out behind him, and Lin Wan didn't understand many of the words.
She only understood a few words, "yellow girl" and "overestimate your abilities".
Lin Wan bit her lower lip tightly as she continued walking, never once looking back. She placed her resume safely back into her file bag and continued looking for her next job as planned.
After losing her family's support, she didn't even have the money to pay for next year's tuition. But Lin Wan had no time to lament, she needed to survive.
At this moment, she even hated her decision to go to Baiya with Zhou Wangjing and the others.
I used to think I could find a good part-time job to support myself.
But during this week's job search, Lin Wan gradually realized that even if he found a job like this as he had hoped, he would not be able to afford even one-tenth of his previous lifestyle and consumption.
She even began to understand why Lin Zhen put all his energy into work.
If she could get such a high-paying job that could reflect her own value, Lin Wan would definitely devote all her enthusiasm and time to it.
A week ago, I was inexplicably full of hope. I was truly a young lady who was ignorant of the sufferings of the world.
Lin Wan bit her lower lip and turned a corner. Her eyes could no longer bear the weight of the tears, which slid down her cheeks and landed drop by drop on the ground.
She didn't know why she was so weak and fragile. This was completely different from how Lin Wan knew herself.
It turns out that I'm not a strong enough adult to stand on my own, Lin Wan thought expressionlessly.
She lowered her head and continued walking forward, just like countless other people on the street.
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