area51novel Chapter 212 I didn't bring enough money
Chapter 212 I didn't bring enough money
Ye Fan wrote down the two numbers on his phone.
"Here you go." He handed the old-fashioned mobile phone back to Xianzuling.
Xian Zuling, who was immersed in the anxiety that "one hundred yuan is definitely not enough to buy groceries at the mall and supermarket," did not notice Ye Fan's actions at all. She took the phone blankly and unconsciously rubbed the thin banknote in her pocket.
The underground supermarket in the shopping mall was brightly lit.
Upon entering the fresh produce section, the dazzling array of goods and bright lights left Xian Zuling somewhat bewildered.
Ye Fan, however, had a clear goal and pushed the shopping cart straight to the high-end ingredients section.
"Whoosh—" Boxes of beautifully packaged, translucent prawns were swept into the shopping cart.
"Plop!" Several packets of processed, snow-white, and plump squid rolls fell in as well.
"Thump!" A large piece of imported steak with beautiful marbling and bright red color was placed steadily.
Ye Fan seemed to have transformed into a purchasing machine, putting any high-quality meat and seafood he saw into the car with swift and decisive movements, without even glancing at the price tags.
Xian Zuling followed closely behind, watching the high-end ingredients that were rapidly piling up in the shopping cart. The packaging, which she had only ever seen on TV, made her heart pound.
She opened her mouth several times, as if to say something, but then timidly swallowed it back.
His fingers gripped the banknotes in his pocket tightly, and his palms were sweating.
Finally, when Ye Fan reached for a piece of beef in the refrigerated display case that was exquisitely packaged and labeled "New Zealand Grain-Fed Ribeye Steak 288 Yuan/Serving," Xian Zuling could no longer resist.
She couldn't help but carefully and gently poke Ye Fan's strong arm with her finger.
"Hmm?" Ye Fan stopped what he was doing, turned his head in confusion, and looked at her.
Xian Zuling's cheeks flushed instantly. She lowered her head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "If I buy so much, I don't have enough money with me..."
"Um?"
Ye Fan was taken aback at first, then reacted. Looking at the girl in front of him, who was embarrassed and uneasy because she was worried about not being able to pay, he was first surprised, then an indescribable smile and a deeper pity welled up in his heart, and finally turned into a low and magnetic chuckle.
So that's what the ancestral spirit meant when it said it was going to the supermarket to buy some vegetables!
Seeing her like this, Ye Fan couldn't hold back any longer. He reached out and gently stroked Xian Zuling's head with an unprecedented tenderness. Her hair was a little dry, but surprisingly soft to the touch: "Who said you had to pay?"
She said somewhat embarrassedly, "I've been cooking for you these past few days, and you haven't come home to eat, but I've eaten a lot of your food..."
She paused, seemingly recalling something Ye Fan had once said, her tone becoming even more stubborn, as if defending some principle: "Didn't you say you didn't like taking advantage of others?"
This time, her gaze did not waver.
She bravely raised her head and resolutely met Ye Fan's deep eyes.
Although her bangs still covered her forehead, and her figure was still slender, the timidity and evasion in her eyes seemed to have been washed away by something.
The words about "courage" that echoed across the playground that night were like a seed, slowly but incredibly real, sprouting a tender green shoot in her closed-off heart.
Looking into those eyes that dared to meet his gaze openly for the first time, Ye Fan clearly sensed that subtle yet undeniable growth.
Ye Fan grinned and then stretched out his hand.
"Hmm?" Xian Zuling looked at him in confusion, not understanding the meaning of this action.
"Didn't you say you'd bring money to buy groceries to make it up to me?" Ye Fan asked matter-of-factly. "Where's the money? Give it to me."
"Oh! Okay!" Xian Zuling seemed to wake up from a dream, and hurriedly took out the 100-yuan bill that she had been holding until it was warm and the edges were slightly curled from her pocket. She solemnly and carefully placed it in Ye Fan's large palm.
She kept her head down, her voice tinged with lingering embarrassment: "But this definitely won't be enough to buy what we just had..."
"That's enough." Ye Fan interrupted her crisply, casually stuffing the banknote into his pocket with a flick of his finger. "What you ate was worth the price. Let's go, pay the bill."
He pushed the fully loaded shopping cart, giving her no more time to hesitate.
Back in the car, I put the groceries I had bought into the trunk.
Ye Fan didn't start the car immediately. Instead, he exclaimed "Oops!" and frowned as he took out his phone from his pocket. He pressed the power button a few times with great seriousness, but the screen didn't respond.
"Damn it! My phone seems to be dead."
Ye Fan looked at Xian Zuling in the passenger seat: "Can I borrow your phone for a moment? I need to make a call to confirm something."
"Okay." Xian Zuling, without any suspicion, immediately took out an old-fashioned mobile phone from his pocket and handed it over.
Ye Fan took the phone, said "I'm going to the restroom," and quickly walked into the mall's restroom.
A few minutes later.
Ye Fan returned empty-handed.
He opened the car door and said in a low voice, "Sorry, Mr. Xian Zuling, I didn't hold on tight and it fell into the toilet."
He gestured as if he could still see the moment the phone sank to the bottom of the water.
"..."
The spirit offering the sacrifice froze instantly, its mind going completely blank.
She stared blankly at Ye Fan's empty hands, then subconsciously touched her own equally empty pockets.
That old, cheap, basic mobile phone that couldn't even receive spam text messages was the only decent electronic device she owned.
Although it was worthless, it was the faintest thread connecting her to her mother and grandmother far away.
A huge sense of loss and helplessness instantly overwhelmed her.
A few seconds later, she seemed to regain her breath and shook her head frantically, "It's okay, it's really okay! That phone was already very old."
Ye Fan's tone was resolute, carrying a determination to take full responsibility, as he said, "No! It's related! It's absolutely related!"
Just kidding, this "accident" he meticulously planned was all for this moment!
Otherwise, how could I get her a new phone? The last time he couldn't get through on a call, he noticed the battery was bulging and that's when he started thinking about getting her a new phone.
Ye Fan opened the car door, pulled her out of the car, and went up the escalator in the mall.
Head straight to the brightly lit, high-tech electronics section on the first floor.
When Xian Zuling saw the rows of smartphones in the glass display case, gleaming with metallic luster, boasting huge, clear screens and stylish designs, she instantly understood Ye Fan's intention!
"No! Ye Fan! Really, you don't need to!" She jerked her hand back as if burned, her voice filled with unprecedented urgency and fear, "That phone really isn't worth much! It's gone, it's gone, I don't need you to pay for it! Really!"
Her face flushed red with anxiety and embarrassment.