The evening rush hour subway toward Tianbei District was as crowded as ever; after all, this was the city's largest residential community.
The smell of sour sweat permeated the carriage, and the distance between people had to be measured by shoe size. In the past, this thirty-minute commute after work would have felt as long as half a century, but today, it felt like he had stepped onto a time machine—he reached his station in what seemed like no time at all.
Resigning today hadn't left Yang Yi feeling depressed in the slightest; going to Beitong Advertising was his dream.
He had also inquired about his pay; it would be issued according to the company's normal operating procedures, and he'd receive it by the end of the month.
The thought of seeing Quan Quan soon filled Yang Yi with excitement. Having attended an arts academy, he had seen his fair share of beautiful girls, but Quan Quan was so exceptionally good-looking that she seemed to have walked straight out of an anime.
He had absolutely zero resistance against girls of this cute type.
Little Lin's evaluation was that her nose looked like it had been done, which made it appear exceptionally high and straight. But in Yang Yi's eyes, it didn't matter whether she had surgery or not—at least those large eyes, long eyelashes, and that simply tied-up ponytail were genuinely beautiful.
More importantly, she was young; Quan Quan looked to be only eighteen or nineteen. Yang Yi was at least five years older than her.
Exiting the subway, Yang Yi checked his watch: 6:40 PM.
"I'm off the subway. I'll be at Wufang in ten minutes."
Quan Quan didn't reply to the message.
Yang Yi hopped onto a motorized rickshaw. Wufang was in the East District, and taking the rickshaw would get him there in five minutes. Yang Yi didn't want to be late for today's date and keep the girl waiting.
The driver flew along the road, and though the bumps made Yang Yi's backside ache, he still felt they were going too slow.
Downstairs at Wufang, the girl at the first-floor reception had been replaced by someone else. There weren't many customers in the foot massage parlor today; after all, it was dinner time for most people.
Heading up to the second floor, no customers had arrived at the board game cafe yet. Ah Shui sat at the bar cracking sunflower seeds. Seeing a regular arrive, he simply gave a nod as a greeting.
In the lounge area of Wufang, the lighting was dim, and the partitioned booths were draped with sheer gauze curtains. The space felt open yet private—truly a prime spot for dates and heart-to-heart talks. Yang Yi wondered why he hadn't noticed this before.
Ah Shui walked over with a glass of lemon tea. "Yo, why so early today?"
"I've got other things going on today. Bring another glass; two people."
"A girl? Got it. Just wait." Ah Shui headed back to the bar with his tray.
*Ding.* The sound of a text message.
"I'm downstairs."
"Second floor, lounge area." Yang Yi quickly straightened his clothes, tucked away his phone, and sat up straight.
The sound of the hall door being pushed open, the sound of it closing, followed by a soft pitter-patter of footsteps.
As the footsteps drew closer, Quan Quan walked toward Yang Yi step by step from the lounge entrance.
Today, Quan Quan wore a green low-cut dress and a black mask. Her twin tails fell over her chest, and her straight bangs curved over her forehead, making her look both demure and ethereal.
The dim lights and the green dress made Quan Quan's fair skin look exceptionally radiant. From a distance, Yang Yi's gaze was immediately drawn to the flash of white on her chest.
As Quan Quan approached, Yang Yi swallowed his saliva, stood up, and instinctively reached out. He cupped Quan Quan's small chin with his palm, then applied pressure with his index finger and thumb to pinch her cheek.
"So, tell me, what's up today?"
Quan Quan frowned slightly, and with a slight twist of her neck, she broke free from Yang Yi's grip. "Let's sit and talk."
This move made Yang Yi feel a bit awkward. He had intended to use this gesture to close the distance between them, but clearly, she wasn't into it.
The two sat down, and Ah Shui arrived just in time to serve the second lemon tea. On his way back, he turned around and gave Yang Yi and a mischievous wink.
"Are you busy lately? I wanted to get your advice on something."
"Not busy. Just the usual company stuff; nothing much after work."
"I want to buy a new phone, but I don't know which brand is good." Quan Quan took a sip of lemon water and placed her phone in front of Yang Yi. "This phone can't make calls anymore; it can only send texts."
Yang Yi glanced at the phone—a Nokia music phone. It had been popular for several years, but with the rise of smartphones, few people bought them anymore. Yang Yi remembered them being popular during his college years when his female classmates used them because of their stylish appearance.
Yang Yi had wanted an iPhone back in school, but as a student, it was hard to afford something costing several thousand yuan. He was still using a low-end Sony slider phone.
"Definitely get an iPhone," Yang Yi blurted out.
By suggesting an iPhone, Yang Yi was not only fulfilling his own dream of owning one but also making himself sound particularly high-class.
"I asked. They have iPhones, but I don't have enough money. I can only buy a new Android." Quan Quan brushed her twin tails behind her, revealing two delicate collarbones.
Staring at her collarbones, Yang Yi asked softly, "What's your budget?"
"About two thousand or so."
"Two thousand really won't buy an iPhone." A sliver of clarity remained in Yang Yi's mind—could Quan Quan be hinting for him to buy her a phone?
That would be a total sucker move, and besides, Yang Yi was out of money too.
"It's not like I absolutely have to have an iPhone. Androids are fine too; buying a brand-new Android for the same money is okay. There's a BlackBerry that looks pretty good, and Motorola has a nice one too."
"If you can get an iPhone, you should. They look so good, and apparently, they have so many features. I'm planning on switching to an iPhone for my next one anyway."
Heaven only knew when Yang Yi would actually be able to switch to an iPhone.
"There are iPhones available for that price, but they're second-hand. The shopkeeper suggested I just buy an Android."
"Second-hand depends on the condition. If it looks new and works well, it's fine."
"The exterior looks quite new." A small smile tugged at the corners of Quan Quan's mouth.
Yang Yi could tell she still wanted the iPhone. "Have you already been to the mall to look?"
"I've been there. I'm torn on which to buy, so I came to ask you."
Yang Yi knew which mall she was talking about. Though Tianbei District was large, digital electronics were only sold at Baitong Plaza in the East District—the largest and only major commercial hub in Tianbei.
"Let's go. I'll take you there to check it out. We'll settle this today." Yang Yi stood up, slung on his backpack, and reached out to help her pick up her bag from the table.
"No, no, I'll do it myself." Quan Quan picked up her bag, hung it over her shoulder, and followed Yang Yi out of the board game cafe.
"A second-hand one is usable, and it's still a good phone. If you can get a high-quality phone, you definitely should," Yang Yi said as they headed downstairs.
"So, the iPhone then?" Quan Quan responded from behind.
"Yeah, the iPhone."