On a weekend afternoon, Xiao Yan came to the commercial center at Times Square as promised.
Lin ChuSui, Lu Chi and several others had arrived early and were already waiting on the first floor, sending Xiao Yan a shared location.
When Xiao Yan arrived, he saw several brats gathered around a claw machine, sighing loudly—
"Xu Jia Ning, didn't you say you were really good at this?"
"I am good at claw machines!"
Xu Jia Ning was holding three cute foreign dolls: "Let's see you try to win a pack of Marlboros with a one dollar coin. No one could do that."
Sure enough, Lin ChuSui, Lu Chi and the others were not gathered around a regular claw machine, but another water gun machine. Inside were various brands of cigarettes, Chanel lipsticks, high-end perfumes, and even iPhones.
The shelves holding them moved quickly, and you just had to shoot them to make them fall.
After failing again, Xu Jia Ning said unsatisfied, "What's wrong with clawing dolls?"
"Childish," Lin ChuSui pushed him away, "I'll have to do it myself to show you how it's done. Watch me win that pack of cigarettes."
Behind them, Xiao Yan's low and magnetic voice rang out—
"Lin, what are you trying to win?"
Lin ChuSui's body shook, and she turned her stiff neck to see Xiao Yan's indifferent face.
It seemed like he had gotten a haircut, his bangs were shorter, making his brow look even sharper. He wore a very clean gray round neck sweater, looking fresh and sunny.
His gaze moved up and landed on the pack of Marlboros that Lin ChuSui's water gun was aimed at. His tone was cold and rising, "What are you trying to win?"
Lin ChuSui quickly threw down the controls and turned to yell at Lu Chi, "Yeah, I said I wanted to grab dolls. It was you who insisted on shooting for cigarettes. Young people should lead healthy, positive lives. Lu, I'm very disappointed in you."
Lu Chi: ???
Lin ChuSui awkwardly said to Xiao Yan, "Classmate Xiao, let's not play with these bad boys. Let's go!"
After speaking, she turned to leave, but Xiao Yan grabbed her by the collar with one hand and pulled her to the doll machine, "Lin ChuSui, don't lie to me, don't trick me."
Seeing his cold expression, Lin ChuSui was a little scared too. She honestly confessed, "I was trying to shoot for the cigarettes, just playing around. I don't actually smoke."
Since she had promised to quit smoking, she would never go near those things again.
"It's true," Lu TianBai quickly helped explain, "ChuChu really doesn't smoke anymore. The cigarettes were for my brother."
Xiao Yan glanced at Lu Chi. Lu Chi spread his hands, "I'm already an adult, are you going to manage me too?"
"Even if you weren't an adult, I wouldn't bother with you. I only manage her." Xiao Yan released Lin ChuSui and tapped her head in punishment, "Lin ChuSui, don't lie to me, don't trick me."
Seeing his harsh tone ease a little, Lin ChuSui also relaxed and revealed a crayfish-like smile, "Let's go, let's go!"
"After spending so much money, we're just leaving like this?" Xu Jia Ning said, "We have to grab something at least."
"You still want to grab dolls?"
Xu Jia Ning glanced back at the water gun machine, reluctantly put in a few more game tokens, "At least let me win an iPhone."
"You have a typical gambler's mentality," Lin ChuSui criticized him. "The more you lose, the more obsessed you become. Watch out or you'll lose the pants off your ass."
Xu Jia Ning didn't believe her. He kept playing, but compared to cigarettes, the brand name perfumes were harder to maneuver. The shelves kept moving, requiring precision timing down to tenths of a second to succeed.
He tried several times, easily wasting a couple hundred dollars, but kept failing.
Xu Jia Ning's face was flushed red with excitement.
Seeing him like this, Lin ChuSui thought he really was a "gambler."
"Do you lack phones? Trying to take advantage of bargains? Be careful you don't lose everything!"
"Shut up."
"Alright alright, your cheap little sister will help you out."
Lin ChuSui was confident that while her skills were crap, they were still better than Xu Jia Ning's.
She tried operating it several times, but also failed.
Playing this water gun machine was really addictive. Every time it felt like you were just a tiny bit away from winning, just a tiny bit more, giving people a sense of hope and unwillingness to give up, making them more and more excited with each try, always feeling that they would surely succeed on the next attempt.
Xiao Yan stood with his arms crossed, watching from the sidelines.
After failing several times, Lin ChuSui turned and asked him, "Are you good at this, classmate Xiao?"
"Of course classmate Xiao is good."
"Then give it a try."
Xiao Yan leaned casually against the machine, his face expressionless. "But classmate Xiao isn't interested."
Lin ChuSui pouted, took out her phone to scan more tokens, when Xiao Yan's slender fingertips reached out and picked up a game token, weighing it in his hand, "Unless you beg me."
Fearing that he was angry about the cigarette incident earlier, hearing his relaxed tone, Lin ChuSui also relaxed. She very cooperatively pulled his sweater and pleaded, "Please please, classmate Xiao, help me grab one."
Xiao Yan had just said it casually, he didn't expect this little girl to give in so easily. Now he had no reason to refuse, so he simply put in the coin and started operating, "Perfume, lipstick, or iPhone?"
"Lipstick, it looks easier."
Before she even finished speaking, there was a "clang" and a boxed iPhone fell out.
Lin ChuSui was stunned speechless.
"Sorry, slipped." Xiao Yan picked up the iPhone and handed it to Lin ChuSui, "Let me grab you a lipstick too."
Lin ChuSui shook the iPhone packaging box in disbelief, listening if it was a real phone. Next second, "clang"! A Chanel lipstick also fell out.
He picked up the lipstick, opened the box to check, and handed it to Lin ChuSui, "It should be real, you can use it."
This wave of godly operation left Lu Chi and Zhang Cheng Yu dumbfounded.
Xu Jia Ning immediately applauded, never before had he been so convinced by Xiao Yan!
"Fuck, classmate Xiao is awesome!"
"Is this a real phone or toy?"
"This can't be! No way!"
......
Lin ChuSui squatted down, opened the iPhone box, and took out a brand new phone. She turned it on, the screen lit up.
"A real phone!"
"Damn."
Lu Chi pulled Xiao Yan, "Bro, help me grab one too! We'll split it fifty-fifty."
Xiao Yan refused, "No more playing."
"Why not?"
"I turned down the chance our teacher arranged. I didn't come here to grab dolls with you."
"Don't you need another iPhone at home?" Zhang Cheng Yu pushed Lu Chi aside and said in a low voice, "Classmate Xiao sacrificed his precious weekend time to come on a date with ChuBro. Can you please read the mood?"
"Oh right, our reserved game is about to start, let's head upstairs."
Then the group entered the elevator.
Lin ChuSui held the phone in one hand and the lipstick in the other, smiling from ear to ear.
Xu Jia Ning said contemptuously, "Just this... can make you smile like an idiot for so long? Some rich lady you are."
Originally with Lin ChuSui's family background, her mom gave her plenty of allowance to buy whatever she wanted.
But it was precisely because she got this without spending money, and it was won for her by her awesome classmate Xiao Yan, that put her in such a good mood.
"Some people are so jealous their eyes are turning green," she retorted Xu Jia Ning. "Weren't you just about to lose the pants off your ass?"
Xu Jia Ning: "A little gambling is exhilarating."
"Just stubborn."
Stepping out of the elevator, Zhang Cheng Yu led everyone to the shop entrance of the [Paranormal Research Center] on the 4th floor.
There was a poster on the door that read—
"Hypnotism, Tarot, Horoscopes, Name Fortunes..."
Lin ChuSui looked at Zhang Cheng Yu, "Octopus Bro, isn't this a fortune telling stall?"
"This isn't superstitious fortune telling, it's scientific fortune telling," Zhang Cheng Yu pointed to the poster, "They analyze names by gathering all kinds of accident data online, using big data to make predictions. It's very accurate!"
Lin ChuSui: "Big data fortune telling, it's still fortune telling. No matter how you look at it, it retains the feudal and superstitious essence."
Lu Chi said, "Wasn't it you who first suggested playing the spirit pen game, ChuBro?"
Lin ChuSui looked back at Xu Jia Ning, "Cheap brother, what do you think?"
"As a Cancer, I think horoscopes make sense."
Lu TianBai: "Jia Ning bro, you're a Cancer! Best housekeeper-like boyfriend!"
Xu Jia Ning smiled, "That's right."
"I'm a Pisces, so we're quite compa..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Chi lazily draped his arm over her shoulder and interrupted, "Completely incompatible, thanks."
Lin ChuSui asked Xiao Yan, "Academic God, what's your zodiac sign?"
"Don't know."
"When's your birthday then?"
Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment without responding right away. Zhang Cheng Yu secretly stomped on Lin ChuSui's foot and she then realized Xiao Yan was an orphan.
He probably doesn't know what year he was born.
"Zodiac signs are just superstitious anyway," she laughed it off. "I never believed in that stuff."
Xiao Yan lowered his head in thought for a bit before answering, "When I was little, I heard the director say I was left at the orphanage door in the cold winter of the lunar new year. I must have been two to three months old then, so I was probably born in November."
"November, Scorpio," Lu TianBai whispered in Lin ChuSui's ear. "The most cunning and manipulative boyfriend among the twelve zodiac signs. Definitely one to avoid."
"Superstitious nonsense," Lin ChuSui waved her hand dismissively. "I never believed in that stuff."
They chatted as they shoved and pushed their way into the Paranormal Phenomena Research Center.
The lighting inside was very dim. The corridors were lined with eerie, creepy paintings and cabinets filled with astrology cards, crystal balls and other fortune-telling props that created a spooky atmosphere.
The receptionist at the front desk scanned their ticket barcode and said, "Please have a seat on the sofa for a bit. The previous customer hasn't finished yet. Feel free to play some board games while you wait."
They sat down on the sofa. Lin ChuSui noticed Xiao Yan followed closely behind her and sat down next to her.
The soft, sunk-in sofa nearly had their legs touching.
She felt a strange sensation arise and secretly eyed Xiao Yan, but he seemed completely oblivious, eyeing the crystal ball on the table with interest.
In the dim lighting, his pitch-black eyes shone instead, making his features appear even more refined and gentle.
All of Lin ChuSui's senses focused on their touching thighs. His warmth, his scent, were so distinct in such close proximity...
Her heart quickened and she took out her phone, mindlessly scrolling through Weibo and webpages.
Distracted.
Task Progress: 35%, 36%, 37%...
Xiao Yan saw the progress bar rising rapidly again in the bottom right corner. He lowered his eyes and glanced at Lin ChuSui.
The little girl was randomly scrolling through Weibo, the screen lighting up her fair cheeks. Her long eyelashes fluttered like sieves, obscuring her expression.
Zhang Cheng Yu and Lu Chi had picked up the fortune-telling props and started playing with them.
Zhang Cheng Yu: "How do you play this?"
Lu Chi: "Moron, you need to flip a coin."
Zhang Cheng Yu: "Why does everything cost money? Boring."
Lu Chi pushed him away, taking out a coin. "Why are you so stingy over a dollar?"
Zhang Cheng Yu: "I just think it's not worth it. None of your business."
...
The receptionist called out, "The previous fortune-telling session has ended. Please come with me."
Lin ChuSui got up first, avoiding Xiao Yan seeing her flushed face.
Xiao Yan was the last to get up. As he left, he noticed Lin ChuSui's phone left behind on the sofa.
He picked it up.
The search engine on the phone screen was still open, with a search for:
"Compatibility rating between Capricorn woman and Scorpio man"
Xiao Yan's gaze lingered hesitantly for a moment. He then closed the search engine page, locked the screen, and walked over to Lin ChuSui, surreptitiously slipping the phone into her pocket.
In the hallway, he casually asked her, "What month were you born?"
"December."
"Capricorn?"
"Yeah."
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