Five minutes later, Han Qiwu got out of the car with a peculiar expression on his face. Just as he was about to scan the code to pay, he saw the driver slam the gas pedal and zoom off in an instant.
"Hey, man, that’s not necessary, you still gotta take the money!" Han Qiwu shouted, waving his hand, not expecting such an outco.
The driver clearly didn’t want to engage with him anymore. Without looking back, he simply raised his right hand and waved dismissively.
Han Qiwu let out a helpless chuckle.
Well, that worked out—got a free ride.
Traveling outside sure makes you think twice about bragging, doesn’t it?
"I haven’t even checked the TV today; maybe the almanac says it’s a good day to go out." Han Qiwu thought to himself as he headed toward the KFC.
When holidays rolled around, Wangfujing beca a sea of people. Many businesses seized the opportunity, pulling out all sorts of clever stunts to attract crowds. The streets were filled with rhythmic music and the booming voices of hosts.
When Han Qiwu arrived, his eyes imdiately locked onto a goddess standing next to the KFC dessert booth.
Today, Tang Qingying was wearing a light pink dress paired with open-toe sandals. She looked ethereal, with just a touch of playfulness. Just standing there, she was already a striking view.
Luckily, her expression was cold and distant. Otherwise, there’d definitely be a crowd of people trying to talk to her.
But when she spotted Han Qiwu—
It was like ice rivers thawing, and spring arrived.
"You’re here! Quick, co hold my hand," Tang Qingying said brightly, extending her fair right hand toward Han Qiwu without hesitation.
"Alright, I’ll make sure to co earlier next ti." Han Qiwu switched the bottle of monkey wine he was holding to his right hand, then took Tang Qingying’s small hand in his left. With envious eyes around them, they walked into Wangfujing together.
"No, it’s nothing. My dad just had sothing to do and happened to drop off earlier. I only waited ten minutes," Tang Qingying said as she lightly swayed their joined hands.
Holding hands felt so nice.
At that mont, though, Han Qiwu was too preoccupied to savor the softness. Hearing Tang Qingying’s words, he quickly looked around. "Where’s Uncle now?"
"What are you scared of? He’s been off handling his business for a while now," Tang Qingying said with a laugh. "Relax! My mom has already seen your resu. You’re ready for the next interview phase."
Han Qiwu couldn’t help but laugh. "Good thing I went one-for-one straight to the interview. Does Auntie have anything she likes? While we’re out, I can pick out sothing for her."
"That’s exactly what I was thinking!" Tang Qingying said excitedly. She had planned to bring it up later, but she didn’t expect Han Qiwu to think of it himself.
How sweet.
"My mom likes small accessories, usually. Let’s take a look and pick out a pair of earrings or sothing suitable for her. It doesn’t have to be too expensive—sothing simple is perfect," Tang Qingying said with a smile.
"Got it," Han Qiwu smiled back, thinking to himself, Well, if the future mother-in-law likes jewelry, I’ve got no worries.
He still had a few pieces of jade tucked away in storage.
Originally, he had considered preparing sothing for his own mom, but since her skin was allergy-prone and she never wore jewelry, he’d have to pass on that idea.
When it ca to gifts, it wasn’t about the price—it was about whether the recipient liked it.
To Mrs. Han, the sagebrush her son brought was more precious than gold of the sa weight.
As it approached alti, the shops along the comrcial street grew more and more lively, with all kinds of delicious aromas wafting out from everywhere, competing for attention.
Tang Qingying swallowed a mouthful of saliva and pointed across the street to a restaurant. "Let’s go! That Zhang Tianji Spicy Frog and Fish Head place is pretty good. The owner’s a friend of mine—it’s clean and tasty."
"Sure! What do you want to drink? Should we grab so milk tea or sothing?" Han Qiwu asked in return.
Tang Qingying gave him a mischievous smile and tilted her head. "Aren’t you already carrying wine? Let’s just drink that!"
"Been watching that carefully, huh? Your eyesight’s sharp." Han Qiwu glanced down. The cowboy bag he had brought from ho was indeed open at the top, showing the monkey wine and the purple clay teapot inside.
"Of course! How do you think I picked you?" Tang Qingying teased sweetly. After saying that, she bashfully walked ahead and took the lead, guiding Han Qiwu toward the restaurant.
Han Qiwu chuckled. Today, he felt that Mr. Tang—no, Tang Qingying—was really quite different. At the sa ti, he could sense that his feelings for her were also evolving:
More natural. More intimate.
After walking for a few minutes, the two arrived at the entrance of the Zhang Tianji restaurant. The lobby was crowded with custors. So were lined up, while others were seated and placing orders.
"Oh, there’s an event! Let’s go check it out," Tang Qingying said, her curiosity piqued. She pulled Han Qiwu toward the crowd in the lobby.
Normally, when she was out shopping with her girlfriends, she rarely joined such events. For one, she wasn’t interested; for another, she was a bit concerned about safety.
But ever since being with Han Qiwu, she wanted to try out every little thing she hadn’t done before—with him together.
After all, she knew how strong he was.
"Excuse , coming through," Han Qiwu said as he effortlessly parted the crowd with his arm, leading Tang Qingying to the event area.
The event was designed to be simple and accessible for everyone. One challenge involved getting a discount based on standing long jump distance: jumping 1.8 ters earned you a 20% discount on the Spicy Frog Hotpot, while the farthest jump won a 90% discount. The second challenge was an 8.888-second tir: anyone who stopped the tir at exactly 8.888 seconds would get ten free dishes.
The first challenge had a low bar, so there were many participants. The second challenge was much harder, so there weren’t many takers except for so kids giving it a try. The numbers on the display board currently sat at 9.245 seconds from the last challenger.
"The human reaction ti limit is 0.1 seconds. Trying to hit 8.888 is way too hard," Tang Qingying observed as she shook her head. Turning to Han Qiwu, she suggested, "How about we try the standing long jump? Maybe we’ll jump our way to a discount."
"Sure, let’s line up and give it a shot," Han Qiwu replied with a smile.
If Han Qiwu had co alone, he certainly wouldn’t have joined such an activity.
But since it’s what you want, I’ll join in with you.
Hand in hand, he and Tang Qingying joined the line, which had about four or five people ahead of them.
A staff mber acting as the host grinned at a tall, lanky young man who had just finished attempting the challenge. "This gentleman jumped 2.6 ters. Congratulations! You’ve won a 40% discount on the big hotpot. The discount will automatically be applied at checkout. Next contestant, please!"
"Wow, incredible!"
"If my boyfriend could jump that far, I’d be thrilled. Too bad he’s a total klutz."
"2.6 ters is insane! Four years ago, I might’ve had a shot."
"I’d be overjoyed just to manage 2 ters myself."
In no ti, the four or five people ahead of them had all taken their turns. Most managed to get 20-30% discounts, with a few earning nothing for failing to hit the 1.8-ter mark. One person even overexerted himself and nearly threw out his back.
Calmly, Han Qiwu stepped up to the jump line and took a deep breath.
Tang Qingying smiled and pointed at the farthest line. "Co on! Aim for that 90% discount so we can use the savings to buy more skewers later!"
"Looks like this young lady has high expectations for her boyfriend. To earn a 90% discount, he’ll need to cover at least 3.5 ters. Best of luck!" The host gave a professional smile before waving the starting flag.
As soon as the flag waved, Han Qiwu leaped into the air, soaring like a bird over the ground and landing firmly beyond the 3.5-ter line.
"Yes! 90% discount secured!" Tang Qingying cheered, raising her hand in excitent.
The people lining up behind them all turned their heads in shock.
A little boy standing nearby exclaid in disbelief, "How’s that even possible? That’s insane!"
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