Several motorized rickshaws were idling downstairs at Wufang, waiting for fares.
Yang Yi gestured for Quan Quan to wait a moment; he wanted to call a proper taxi before heading to Baitong Plaza in the East District.
"Isn't there one right here?" Quan Quan pointed to the rickshaw in front of them. Seeing that she intended to take it, Yang Yi followed her on.
The two of them sat in the back of the rickshaw, pressed against each other in the cramped space. As the airflow from the window caught Quan Quan's long hair, a waft of fragrance filled the air, leaving Yang Yi utterly intoxicated.
It wasn't the scent of perfume, but rather a blend of shower gel and a natural feminine aroma. To Yang Yi, this smelled far better than any perfume.
Quan Quan leaned her head against the opposite window, resting her chin on her left hand as she gazed thoughtfully at the scenery outside. Her other small hand lay half-clenched on her lap.
Looking at her petite frame, Yang Yi several times felt the urge to reach out and take her hand, but he hesitated and pulled back each time.
Just as he was caught in this internal struggle, the driver slammed on the brakes, jerking him out of his daydream.
"We're here. Eight yuan."
As Quan Quan stepped out and smoothed her wind-disheveled hair, Yang Yi paid the fare.
Night had fallen, and the surrounding neon lights were flickering to life. The nightlife of Tianbei District had officially begun, and Baitong Plaza acted as the hub for all the traffic within a several-kilometer radius.
Dining, strolling, shopping, entertainment... you could find a spot for any kind of consumption here, along with the loud square dancing that required no spending at all.
The two walked through a crowd of square dancers accompanied by noisy music. Yang Yi confirmed the destination with Quan Quan:
"It's that mobile phone supermarket on the B1 level, right?"
"Yes. I've already asked about the price. We can just go and buy it now."
The B1 level was a grid of stalls selling various digital gadgets. Dozens of load-bearing pillars stood across the vast floor, and these small shops staked out their territories around them. Looking down from the escalator, the shops were neatly arranged like a grid, with narrow aisles left for people to pass through.
They arrived at a slightly larger shop—"slightly larger" because it occupied four grid stalls and had its own signboard hanging in the air.
"Here to look at phones," Yang Yi said to the owner, who was still eating dinner inside the stall.
"Hello, I'm here for the phone I saw yesterday," Quan Quan added.
The owner put down his chopsticks and, from an invisible corner, dragged out a cardboard box filled with phones wrapped in plastic bags, placing them in front of the two.
The transaction felt almost illicit. Yang Yi took an iPhone 3 from the owner and examined it closely.
It looked quite new, with a gleaming casing.
So this was the iPhone 3. It felt so good in his hand; Yang Yi was still immersed in the tactile pleasure of touching an iPhone for the first time.
Quan Quan glanced at Yang Yi, then at the phone. She took it from him and pressed the power button. The phone flickered to life.
"It looks good, but the owner said the response time is a bit slow," Quan Quan demonstrated in front of Yang Yi. "Look, it's a bit laggy when you swipe."
"It is a bit laggy."
"That's normal for a second-hand one. You can try changing the battery later; maybe it's reached the end of its life," the owner spoke, the smell of garlic already permeating the air between them.
"Can you change the battery here?" Yang Yi asked.
"I can't do it here; it has to be sent to the factory. I only handle sales, but I'll give you a three-month warranty. If any problems come up, just come find me."
"How much is this phone?"
"3,500. Add 50 for the screen protector."
"I originally wanted to buy this one for two thousand-something," Quan Quan grabbed Yang Yi's arm, directing his gaze toward a Motorola phone on the counter. This was the first time she had initiated physical contact, and Yang Yi felt a surge of secret joy.
"And this one, this BlackBerry is also nice, but it's a few hundred more." Yang Yi obediently followed her lead. The BlackBerry was indeed striking—a sleek black-and-gold design that looked almost like a toy but felt very sophisticated. In a girl's hand, it looked like a makeup compact; no wonder girls liked it.
"Buying a new one is fine too. Second-hand ones are a hassle to repair anyway. I'd suggest she gets a new one as well," the owner added, seeing Quan Quan shift her focus.
"I only have 3,000," Quan Quan whispered in Yang Yi's ear. This sentence completely dispelled his previous worries; he had more or less assumed she wanted him to buy the whole thing for her.
"Do you like the iPhone?" Yang Yi asked.
Quan Quan turned her gaze back to the iPhone 3 in her hand and fell silent.
"I'll cover the rest for you," Yang Yi whispered back, mimicking her.
This statement left the girl visibly tense yet slightly thrilled. She took a deep breath and replied, "Then I'll consider it a loan. I'll pay you back next month."
"Don't worry about it. Consider it my treat for dinner," Yang Yi felt a swell of satisfaction. He felt he finally had a handle on her.
"Boss, we'll take this one. We need it urgently. If it really doesn't work out, I'll come back another day to have the battery changed."
"I can't issue an invoice, only a receipt. Three-month warranty. Come back anytime if there's an issue." The owner stood up quickly, moved to the counter, and pulled out two bags.
"I'll throw in a screen protector and a case for free. Come back and give me more business in the future."
Yang Yi looked at the case—a basic transparent one worth maybe ten yuan—but it made Quan Quan beam with gratitude.
Yang Yi took out the thousand-plus yuan in cash from yesterday and counted out five 100-yuan bills onto the counter. Quan Quan reached into her shoulder bag for her 3,000. The bag was so small that the 3,000 yuan was crammed inside; it took several tries to pull it all out.
Leaving the mall, it was only 9:00 PM. Yang Yi suggested they grab something to eat before heading back, but Quan Quan said she had to return to the foot massage parlor for work.
"So you're not off today? I thought you had time for dinner."
"I'm off tomorrow, but I plan to go to the service provider to get a new SIM card."
"Alright, I'll take you back."
The motorized rickshaw stopped once more downstairs at Wufang. Yang Yi calculated that out of yesterday's thousand-plus yuan, only six hundred remained.
Familiar voices drifted down from upstairs—Little Lin, Mazi, and the others were already playing. Usually, when he was up there, he didn't realize how loud their gambling was.
Watching Quan Quan enter the parlor, Yang Yi felt a sense of internal conflict.
The situation was: either go home now, clean up and sleep, or head upstairs to join Little Lin and the others for a few hands. Maybe he could even win back that five hundred.
Play or go home?
"Sigh... a femme fatale brings nothing but trouble," Yang Yi muttered as he walked toward Wufang.