Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

"Well, put this lady's bill on my account."

Under the astonished gazes of Chi Xianqiu and Yu Fangfei, Lin Xi slowly walked to the counter, stretched out her slender fingers, and tapped twice on the packed cheongsam box. Then, she picked up a small and exquisite brooch inlaid with fine rice beads from the brocade box next to it and handed it to the clerk.

"And this, put them all on my account." After saying this, she turned around and prepared to leave.

Her tone was calm, as if she was just explaining a very ordinary matter, but Chi Xianqiu, who had recovered from his shock, immediately blushed.

"No, no need..."

Although she didn't know why this lady, whom she had never met before, suddenly offered to pay the bill for her, she always knew that one should not accept favors without doing anything. Therefore, although she was very grateful to Lin Xixue for her help, she still stammered and declined.

"I...I have money."

Lin Xi, who was about to leave, seemed to have not expected that someone would refuse the pie that fell from the sky, so she stopped.

She turned her head, with a hint of amusement in her eyes, and lightly swept across the pile of scattered banknotes and silver dollars on the counter, and finally landed on the whitened coarse cloth purse that Chi Xianqiu was tightly holding. A subtle curve almost appeared at the corner of her lips.

"rich?"

This frivolous look made Chi Xianqiu feel awkward. She subconsciously clenched the small cloth bag in her hand a little tighter, took a deep breath, and tried to maintain her composure. She insisted, "No reward without merit. Thank you for your kindness. But...but I don't know you at all, I really can't..."

"Tsk—what a hassle!" Lin Xi seemed to have not expected the other party to be so stubborn. She smacked her tongue impatiently and interrupted her. "Then just think of it as me lending it to you. Is that okay?"

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly reached out without warning and snatched the cloth bag from Chi Xianqiu's hand. Then, with a "clatter", she swept all the banknotes and silver dollars scattered on the counter into the bag.

Then, without even looking at Chi Xianqiu, she casually threw the cloth bag, which had become heavy again, back into his arms, her tone filled with obvious impatience, "Here, your capital. Keep it well, and when you have collected it all, return it to me."

"But..." Chi Xianqiu hurriedly caught the purse that was lost and found. Feeling the heavy weight in her arms, her face turned even redder. She spoke eagerly, wanting to refuse this "forced sale".

However, just as she uttered two words, she was blocked by Lin Xi's light words.

"What?" Lin Xi raised her eyebrows, crossed her arms over her chest, and glanced at her with a half-smile, "You don't want to date your Mr. Xu anymore?"

Just this one sentence made Chi Xianqiu quiet down instantly. She suddenly widened her eyes, as if some secret secret of hers had been exposed, and all the words that were about to come out of her mouth were choked.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds, her face flushed red as if blood was about to drip out. After a while, she finally found her voice and stammered in a low voice, "No...it's not a date..."

"Okay." Lin Xi seemed to have completely exhausted the last bit of patience. She waved her hand impatiently, not giving her any chance to speak, and turned to walk towards the door of the store.

She walked very quickly, and in the blink of an eye she was already a few steps away. Only then did Chi Xianqiu suddenly react from his embarrassment.

Watching the figure disappearing through the doorway, she raised her voice in a panic, "Ms. Lin! Then... then where is your house? How am I supposed to return the money?"

"Ask her." Lin Xi didn't even turn her head, and her steps didn't pause at all. She just said these two words lightly and walked straight to the door.

But after a moment, her hand was on the doorknob. Just as she was about to turn the handle and walk out, she seemed to suddenly remember something, turned her face slightly, and spoke casually to the back.

"Oh, right. I've been away lately. If you want to come and pay me back..." She paused briefly, as if to confirm a date, and then spoke again after a long pause, "Then come over on the 10th of next month."

After saying this, she didn't hesitate any longer, pushed open the door, and disappeared in the last rays of afterglow.

The store suddenly became quiet, with only the faint hustle and bustle of the city coming from outside the door.

After a while, Yu Fangfei was the first to break the silence. She leaned closer to Chi Xianqiu and lowered her voice, her tone filled with disbelief and a hint of indescribable sourness. "W-How could this person be like this? He insists on paying for a stranger. I never hear of that!"

"I... have never seen it before." Chi Xianqiu bit his lip and clenched the purse in his hand, also confused.

"You guys, just be happy in secret." Seeing the two of them whispering, the clerk withdrew his gaze and couldn't help but sneered. With an expression of indifference and envy on his face, he spoke with a sour tone.

"That girl is Commander Lin's daughter. Commander Lin, you know that, right? She's a big shot who controls the entire Shanghai military."

As the clerk spoke, she carefully packed up the brooch that Lin Xi had just handed her. "Ms. Lin is famous for her generosity. As long as she likes someone, she never blinks an eye when giving gifts or spending money."

"Don't even mention these clothes that cost just a few dozen dollars. Two winters ago, she came to our store and was in such a good mood that she paid the bills of several ladies who were picking out clothes in the store! Hundreds of dollars, without even blinking an eye."

"You just don't know what's good for you," the clerk said, curling his lips. "Miss Lin never takes back anything she gives away. She said she's lending it to you, so just listen to her."

"Hiss--" Yu Fangfei couldn't help but take a breath. She wanted to say that Miss Lin was really a spendthrift, but when she thought of her family background, she forced herself to hold it back.

Chi Xianqiu recalled the aura of Miss Lin and couldn't help but say "as expected" in his heart. Only a lady raised in a pile of wealth and treasures could have such a good temperament.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but lower her eyes and look at the purse in her hand. In her heart, she felt a complex emotion of gratitude and a little awkwardness towards Lin Xi's behavior.

"I'll pay you back." After a moment, Chi Xianqiu raised his head again, met the clerk's gaze, and said firmly, "Could you please tell me Miss Lin's address, and this..."

As she spoke, she took the box containing the brooch from the clerk's hand and said solemnly, "How much is the total? Please calculate it together."

As if he hadn't expected her to be so insistent, the clerk was stunned for a moment before forcing a smile and said awkwardly, "The clothes are just the same price. This brooch isn't worth much, so I'll just give it to you as a gift."

"Thank you, but no thanks, just use the original price..."

Inside the store, several people were arguing over a brooch. Outside the store, Lin Xi got into the car. The moment the door closed, the faint smile on the corner of her mouth instantly faded.

"Miss, are we going home now?" The driver, Uncle Zhao, couldn't help but ask when he saw that Lin Xi didn't say anything for a long time after getting in the car.

"Well, go back."

Uncle Zhao said "OK" and prepared to start the car, but at this moment, Lin Xi's somewhat low voice suddenly came from the back seat.

"Uncle Zhao, I remember you have a nephew who seems to work at a newspaper, right?"