Tòumíng threw Xuān Láng's phone back at him, the device landing on the bed with a soft thud.
Xuān Láng caught it and immediately launched into another request. "Could you at least lock up the shop for me? Make sure everything's secure? I can't go back there myself right now, Black Hawk might be watching the place, and I don't want someone breaking in and stealing my inventory!"
Tòumíng groaned, a long, drawn-out sound of pure exasperation. "Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."
But he didn't say no. Which Xuān Láng correctly interpreted as reluctant agreement.
Tòumíng walked off, leaving Xuān Láng's room, making his way back through the hallway, down the stairs, and out of Ghost Claw's building.
The walk to Xuān Láng's pawn shop would take maybe twenty minutes on foot. Tòumíng started down the street, hands in his pockets, mind wandering through the absolute chaos his life had become in just the past week.
He passed by a figure crouched beside a motorcycle on the sidewalk, a short, slender person with white hair wearing casual clothes, clearly struggling with something mechanical.
Tòumíng didn't recognize him from their brief collision yesterday. The hoodie and styling were different. The context was different. His brain simply didn't make the connection.
"Hey, you need help?" Tòumíng called out, stopping beside the bike.
Yu Lin internally smiled. Got him.
He looked up with an expression of pure helplessness, his voice pitching higher—not quite catboy-level but definitely softer, more vulnerable.
"Oh my gosh, yes! Thank you so much! I got this bike from a friend but now it's broken and I'm such a little clumsy boy who doesn't know how to fix anything! I really need a big strong man to help me!"
The damsel-in-distress routine was laid on thick, maybe too thick, but Tòumíng's obliviousness made it work.
"I don't really know shit about motorcycles," Tòumíng admitted, squatting down to examine the bike. "But I can take a look."
He checked the obvious things first, kickstand, ignition, brake fluid. Then he opened the gas tank cap and peered inside.
Empty. Completely dry.
"Uh, it's just out of gas."
Yu Lin's expression shifted to amazed revelation, like Tòumíng had just solved quantum physics. "Oh WOW! You're so smart! I'm so clumsy! I didn't even think to check that! I don't even know what type of gas to put in! This is so embarrassing!"
Tòumíng examined the bike more closely—the make, model, engine size. "It's a regular Kawasaki from the looks of it. Probably takes regular unleaded or premium. Either works, but premium's better for the engine."
Yu Lin clasped his hands together, his eyes wide with exaggerated admiration. "You must be SUPER duper smart and capable to know that! Like, how do you even know about motorcycles?! That's so cool!"
Tòumíng felt his ego getting stroked, the compliments hitting that sweet spot of validation he rarely received. He straightened up, trying to look casual but clearly pleased.
"Hehe, it's no big deal. Just basic stuff, really."
Yu Lin stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his clothes, then looked at Tòumíng with those big, hopeful eyes. "Could you pretty please show me where the gas station is around here? I'm not from this area and I'm so lost!"
Inside Tòumíng's chest, Cupid's voice cut through with immediate suspicion. "Either this guy REALLY likes you, or you're about to get robbed."
Tòumíng thought back to Cupid: Jokes on him, I'm already broke. What's he gonna rob? My debt?
"Sure, I can show you. There's a station like three blocks from here."
Yu Lin's face lit up with genuine-looking gratitude. "Thank you SO much! You're literally the nicest person I've met today!"
Fifteen Minutes Later - Gas Station
They walked the motorcycle to the nearby gas station, Yu Lin pushing it while Tòumíng walked alongside, pointing out the route and making small talk about the neighborhood.
At the pump, Yu Lin made a show of fumbling with the nozzle, looking confused about how to operate it, until Tòumíng took over and filled the tank himself.
When it was done, the total came to 80 yuan.
Yu Lin reached for his wallet, moving slowly, clearly about to "discover" he'd forgotten it or didn't have enough cash.
But Tòumíng, being the chud he was, just pulled out his own money and paid without being asked.
His remaining funds: 12,000 yuan minus 80 yuan equals 11,920 yuan. Getting dangerously low for someone with monthly debt payments due soon.
Yu Lin's internal surprise was genuine, he hadn't expected Tòumíng to just pay without hesitation. That level of generosity (or financial stupidity) was useful information.
"Oh my gosh, thank you SOOOOO much!" Yu Lin gushed, his hands clasped together again.
"How can I ever repay you?! This is so kind!"
Tòumíng waved it off. "It's alright. I've got somewhere to be anyway, so—"
"NO! I insist! Let me take you out to dinner! Tonight! Please! It's the least I can do!"
"Really, you don't have to—"
"It's my treat! Completely free! My thank-you gift!"
Tòumíng's brain immediately latched onto one specific word. His greedy side—the side that had survived on minimal resources for years—perked up instantly.
"Did you just say... free?"
His expression shifted to that particular grin—the greedy one, the one that appeared whenever money (or lack of spending it) was involved.
Yu Lin nodded enthusiastically, internally celebrating the hook landing. "Yes! Totally free! My treat! I owe you for helping me!"
He pulled out his phone and handed it to Tòumíng. "Here! Put your number in! I'll call you at 8 PM and we can figure out where to meet!"
Tòumíng took the phone and entered his contact information, his real number, because why would he think to give a fake one?
Yu Lin took the phone back, glanced at the contact entry, and gave Tòumíng another dazzling smile. "Perfect! I'll call you at 8! Thank you again for being so amazing and helpful!"
He climbed onto his now-fueled motorcycle, started the engine, and drove off with a cheerful wave.
Tòumíng stood there in the gas station, watching the motorcycle disappear around a corner, his brain trying to process what had just happened.
Inside his chest, Cupid's voice was equally confused. "What... what was that?"
"I have no idea," Tòumíng said aloud. "Free dinner though. Can't complain about free food."
"That felt weird. That whole interaction felt weird."
"Weird how?"
"I don't know. Just... off. Like there was a script happening and we weren't reading from it properly."
Tòumíng shrugged. "You're overthinking it. Guy needed help, I helped, he's grateful, free dinner. Simple."
"Nothing in your life has been simple for the past week."
"Fair point."
Tòumíng resumed walking toward Xuān Láng's pawn shop, hands back in his pockets, completely unaware that he'd just been successfully targeted by Black Hawk's best tracker and was now scheduled for the first phase of a seduction-and-capture operation.
Cupid remained suspicious but couldn't articulate exactly why. The interaction had seemed normal on the surface, just a helpful gesture and a grateful response. But something about the timing, the location, the perfectly-played damsel routine...
"We should be careful," Cupid said.
"Always am," Tòumíng replied, which was absolutely not true but he believed it anyway.
"I'm serious. Something feels wrong."
"You said that about Hǔtān and you were right. You said that about the factory and you were right. But sometimes a free dinner is just a free dinner."
"And sometimes it's bait."
"Then I'll enjoy the bait. I'm hungry anyway."
Cupid sighed—a sound that somehow communicated deep concern despite having no physical lungs. But there was nothing concrete to warn against. No immediate danger. Just a feeling.
And feelings, unfortunately, weren't enough to override Tòumíng's enthusiasm for free food.