"Uncle, where are you heading? Let me give you a lift," Liu Yuwei said, glancing at Ling Feng with blushing cheeks.
"To Yanjing University," Ling Feng replied, his voice carrying a hint of loneliness as he gazed out the window.
"Ok! Uncle, my name is Liu Yuwei. What's yours? Can I have your contact information?" Liu Yuwei asked, pretending to be indifferent.
Ling Feng smiled faintly, "Why should those who meet necessarily know each other? Isn't it better to treasure today as a memory?"
"You're such a stingy uncle!" Liu Yuwei pouted. "Not gentlemanly at all!"
Ling Feng gave a slight smile. "Well, how about this—if by chance we meet again, I'll tell you my name, alright?"
"It's a deal!" Liu Yuwei laughed, her smile as cunning as a fox's.
By the time they reached the entrance of Yanjing University, it was already past nine.
"Goodbye, uncle! I believe we will meet again very soon!" Liu Yuwei said confidently.
After bidding farewell to Liu Yuwei, Ling Feng strolled around Yan University. His father used to be a professor in the biology department at Yanjing University. He had a deep affection for Yan University!
Watching the youthful and passionate faces of the students around him and feeling the changes at Yan University, Ling Feng's heart was filled with emotion and nostalgia.
Jinghua Community, located near Yanjing University and where university staff resides, was also where Ling Feng grew up. Entering Jinghua Community and seeing every plant and tree, he was filled with a sense of familiarity.
Touching the key hidden in his chest, a determined look flashed across Ling Feng's face.
Gurgle, gurgle, a sound came from Ling Feng's stomach, and a flash of embarrassment crossed his face. He hadn't eaten anything since boarding the plane, and he was truly getting hungry now!
Ling Feng looked around and saw a shop nearby, so he walked in.
"What can I get for you, young man?" asked the saleslady as soon as he entered, her eyes lighting up.
Ling Feng's unique aura and his handsome face quickly won the middle-aged lady's favor.
Ling Feng picked up a loaf of bread and a bottle of mineral water, "How much?"
The lady quickly scanned the items. "That'll be ten yuan and fifty cents. Just give ten yuan!"
Ling Feng fished in his pocket and handed over the money he had.
"What's this?" The saleslady was taken aback. The colorful notes looked like foreign currency. Could they be counterfeit?
She only recognized US Dollars when it came to foreign currency, but she couldn't determine if they were real or not.
"Uh...young man, we don't accept foreign currency here, do you have any yuan?" the lady said calmly as she pushed the foreign notes back to Ling Feng.
Ling Feng, looking at the lady's wary eyes, had a moment of realization. He hadn't thought about this since he returned to the country. He was always indifferent to money, and the Euros he had were prepared by Catherine.
"Yuan?" Ling Feng frowned, he genuinely didn't have any yuan on him as he had just returned to the country.
"It's fine if you don't have yuan, we accept card payments here!" the lady said, taking out a POS machine.
Ling Feng pulled out a black card from his pocket, "As long as you can take a card, that's fine. This is my Swiss Bank Black Diamond Card."
The corner of the lady's mouth twitched. "Young man, do you have a card from ICBC, CBC, or Huaxia Bank?"
Ling Feng looked bewildered: "I only have this card."
At that moment, the auntie's look towards Ling Feng changed, wondering if this seemingly pleasant-looking young man might be a delusional patient.
"We also support WeChat payments here!"
"I don't have WeChat."
"What about Alipay?"
"..."
Finally, Ling Feng realized a very serious problem—it seemed that in Huaxia, euros and Swiss bank cards were not universally accepted!
Meanwhile, the vendor's gaze towards Ling Feng changed completely, feeling sorry for the good-looking young man, who just seemed to have a bit of a problem in his head!
Just then, footsteps sounded from behind him, and a breeze of fragrance wafted over, "Auntie, I'll take a bottle of Mizone!"
"Ting Yu, you're out exercising again!" The vendor smiled warmly when she saw the girl who came in.
Ling Feng turned his head and saw a campus girl walking in, dressed in a white tracksuit with a ponytail, white earphone cords hanging from her ears, her face flushed, with fine bangs drenched in sweat sticking to her face.
But the whole person exuded a vibrant youthfulness, like a streak of afternoon sunlight, full of vitality and hope!
"Auntie, here's the money!" The girl picked up a bottle of Mizone, handed the vendor a twenty-yuan note, and then curiously looked at Ling Feng and asked, "Auntie, what happened just now?"
As the vendor made change, she briefly relayed the whole incident to the girl. Ling Feng, standing by, listened with a mix of embarrassment and shame.
He was one of the Eight War Gods from the Underworld—when had he ever done anything like evading payment?
"Forget it!" Ling Feng put down the bread and mineral water he was holding, "I won't buy it."
Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from Ling Feng's stomach again, instantly silencing the little shop.
Ling Feng felt an overwhelming urge to disappear; why now of all times did his stomach have to growl, utterly mortifying!
With a chuckle, the girl covered her mouth, laughing, but there was no hint of contempt in her bright laughter. She said to the vendor, "Auntie, deduct it from my money. This gentleman must have just returned from abroad; please be understanding!"
With that, the girl winked at Ling Feng, saying, "We can't let a son return home on an empty stomach, can we?"
Hearing the girl's explanation, the vendor also felt it made sense, "Alright, if that's really the case, I'm not a stingy person; I won't take any money this time!"
"Auntie, you also run a small business!" The girl only took back five yuan, then turned and left, "Auntie, I'm off now, mister, remember to exchange your money for yuan at the bank!"
"Young man, take it!" the vendor said, "Ting Yu really is a good kid!"
Ling Feng's heart warmed, ten yuan might be negligible in his eyes, but the girl's gesture truly made Ling Feng, a wanderer abroad, feel the kinship of his fellow countrymen.
"Auntie, what's the name of the girl just now?" Ling Feng couldn't help asking.
The vendor's eyes hardened, "What do you mean? I must warn you, Ting Yu is very kind-hearted. Don't you dare have any crooked ideas about her!"
Seeing the vendor's anti-pervert expression, Ling Feng didn't know whether to cry or laugh, "I should know who helped me, after all, shouldn't I?"
"No need, if you really want to thank her, just give me the money, and I'll pass it on to Ting Yu," the vendor waved her hands and said.
Ling Feng shook his head and left.
After Ling Feng had left, the vendor pulled out a mirror from beneath the counter, looked at her own reflection, feeling unsatisfied, "Call me auntie? Do I really look that old?"