Yucheng was not large; a quick spin around on an electric scooter could be completed in less than half a day.
However, as one of the medium-sized cities in the urban agglomeration being rapidly developed with Jiangcheng City as its center, Yucheng had seen considerable growth in recent years.
The busiest commercial street in the city center was not too far from Yucheng Fourth High School, about a thirty-minute walk.
After some discussion, the two decided to walk there.
After all, the weather was perfect that day, clear skies with a temperature in the mid-teens, neither too cold nor too warm.
Passing by a popular roasted snack shop near the school, Qin Tian went in and bought some candied chestnuts. Xia Nuannuan, on the other hand, bought two cups of lemon tea from a shop next door.
Then, each carrying a cup of lemon tea and happily munching on candied chestnuts, they slowly strolled towards the commercial street.
“Here.”
Qin Tian peeled another chestnut and offered it to Xia Nuannuan beside him.
“You eat it, I won’t. I ate a lot for breakfast, and I’ll exceed my calorie intake if I eat more today,” Xia Nuannuan said, smiling like a blooming flower.
“It’s fine, you look great like this. You don’t need to be so strict anymore. Besides, cheat days are also necessary,” Qin Tian said with a smile.
Xia Nuannuan’s pretty face flushed slightly, but she still took it and put it in her mouth.
The soft, delicate chestnut meat was bitten by her teeth, and a sweet flavor spread across her tongue, filling her with sweetness.
Xia Nuannuan tilted her head to look at his handsome profile and said with a sweet smile, “It’s really delicious.”
Qin Tian peeled another one and popped it into his own mouth, smiling. “Haven’t you eaten chestnuts from this shop before? Really? Everyone in our school has probably tried them!”
“Of course, I have!” Xia Nuannuan nodded and smiled, “It tastes even better today.”
“Really? I feel the same way,” Qin Tian took a sip of lemon tea and added, “In winter, when they’re fresh out of the oven, they’re even better. Their roasted sweet potatoes are also amazing. It’s a shame they don’t sell them now. I used to often buy one on my way home from school and share it with my mom.”
“Mm-hmm!”
“It’s a shame we’re graduating soon…”
“It’s okay. When we come back during the winter break, we can come here together again and eat roasted sweet potatoes,” Xia Nuannuan blurted out.
Then she saw Qin Tian’s face, which, at some unknown point, had a rather subtle smile on it.
Xia Nuannuan’s delicate little face flushed again. She rolled her eyes at him and shyly lowered her head, not speaking.
“Does this count as our second promise?”
“Hmph, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No way? Forgot so soon?”
“Ahhh… I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you.”
“Haha…”
…
…
Time always seems to fly by when you’re with someone you like.
The half-hour journey felt like mere moments as they talked and laughed, and they found themselves at the commercial street in the blink of an eye.
“Do you want to buy a phone first?” Xia Nuannuan asked Qin Tian beside her.
“Yeah!” Qin Tian nodded.
“Then let’s go behind the mall. That’s where they sell phones and electronics,” Xia Nuannuan said, pointing towards the area behind the mall.
“Okay!” Qin Tian replied, and together they walked to the crosswalk at the intersection to wait for the green light.
This was the busiest part of the city center, and it was a weekend. Many people were out shopping, just like them.
Soon, many passersby heading towards the mall had gathered around them. Among them were several young couples holding hands and chatting happily. There was even a pair who looked younger than them.
Xia Nuannuan caught sight of the couple holding hands out of the corner of her eye, then subconsciously glanced at Qin Tian’s hand beside her.
Her lemon tea was finished, and he was holding the bag of unfinished candied chestnuts. Xia Nuannuan’s gaze flickered, and she couldn’t help but sneak another glance at the young couple.
The next moment, her bright, clear eyes widened in surprise. The young couple, who were clearly younger students, were kissing each other in broad daylight, and then the girl happily hugged the boy’s arm.
“The light is about to turn green!” Qin Tian’s voice suddenly sounded beside her.
“Ah? Oh, okay!” Xia Nuannuan quickly averted her gaze and took a step forward to cross the street.
“Wait a moment!” Qin Tian suddenly reached out and held her small hand. The shopping bag he had been holding in his right hand had been moved to his left at some point.
Feeling the warmth of his palm, Xia Nuannuan’s cheeks instantly flushed. She looked at him with a mixture of shyness and confusion.
“What are you thinking? I said it was about to turn green, not that it had already turned!” Qin Tian explained with a smile.
“Oh!” Xia Nuannuan nodded in realization and looked up at the traffic light across the road, seeing that it had indeed just turned green.
“Alright, let’s go!” Qin Tian said with a smile, and just like the couples around them, he led her cool, soft little hand across the road.
On the other side, where Xia Nuannuan couldn’t see, the corner of his lips curved upward slightly. In fact, he had noticed Xia Nuannuan’s subtle movements, including the shameless couple who had shown off their affection. If he knew their parents or teachers, the first thing he would do after buying his phone would be to call them and report it. They were too young and were showing off their affection in public, it was too much! There was no need to doubt it; he had deliberately said it a moment early. He had to thank his roommate, who was a ‘normie’ and whom he had envied in college, for teaching them poor single dogs many tips for attracting girls. Of course, every time that guy said these things in a smug tone, he would inevitably be met with their righteous fists.
After crossing the road, Xia Nuannuan was still staring blankly at their intertwined hands.
“There are too many people here. I’ll hold your hand,” Qin Tian said, feigning a calm tone.
Xia Nuannuan snapped back to reality, her face flushing a visible shade of red.
“Mm…” she responded in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum.
And so, they continued to hold hands until they reached the back of the mall and entered a phone store. This was probably the largest phone store in Yucheng. As far as the eye could see, there were sales areas for all sorts of popular mobile phone brands. In 2012, it was a time of great change in the mobile phone industry, with major domestic mobile phone manufacturers rapidly increasing their market share in the smartphone market. However, there was no doubt that at this time, domestic mobile phones still had a long way to go compared to Apple in all aspects. The best-selling phone was undoubtedly the iPhone 4s, released in October of the previous year. At this moment, there were quite a few customers inquiring at the Apple phone sales counter.
Qin Tian directly led Xia Nuannuan over. Without waiting for the salesperson’s introduction, he asked for a black iPhone 4s, the same model as Xia Nuannuan’s. The saleswoman looked at him with clear surprise. Buying a five-thousand-yuan phone without hesitation – was he some rich second-generation heir? Despite her surprise, the saleswoman, not being foolish enough to look down on customers, greeted him with a professional, enthusiastic smile, quickly processed his invoice, and then led him to the cashier to pay.