Chapter 41
Chapter 41
"Then let's try it once. If we fail, we won't buy it."
Jiang Li hesitated for a moment, then his resolve softened.
"Yay!"
Kakayan rose on the balls of her feet, the corners of her mouth lifting into a perfect curve.
Moments later the saleswoman ushered them to a corner of the shop. It was only a cramped souvenir store, yet this nook had been specially decorated. The walls were painted a playful pink, and the surface was plastered with slips of paper—each one signed by two names, paired like lovebirds.
Jiang Li leaned closer to read a few. Instantly he regretted coming here with Kakayan. Every outing with this woman somehow turned into this exact scenario. Either they looked too much like a couple, or it was simply the season when Qixi promotions were in full swing.
Fortunately, Kakayan didn't understand these marketing ploys. Explaining them would have been a headache.
"Jiang Li, don't mess this up."
Kakayan folded her arms and fixed him with a serious look—she clearly wanted that red cord.
Jiang Li turned his face away, struck by a sudden thought: if he deliberately failed, he'd have the perfect excuse not to buy anything. What a scam—winning didn't even get you the prize free of charge; you still had to fork over cash. A blatant trap.
Still, Jiang Li wasn't stingy—he simply wanted to save a bit. Funds were tight. If he were truly cheap, he'd never have brought Kakayan to the museum in the first place, let alone paid twenty yuan extra for physical tickets.
"Who are you looking down on?"
Jiang Li tugged one corner of his mouth. If they succeeded, he wouldn't mind paying for the discounted cord. He'd only balked earlier because of the inflated price—a fifty-percent markdown was much more palatable.
The saleswoman returned carrying a professional-looking timer.
"Face each other, please."
She smiled gently, voice soft; clearly she'd run this event many times.
Jiang Li flashed an OK sign and straightened up, eyes forward.
"Stand farther back."
Thinking they were too close, Kakayan took a small step away.
"That distance won't work," the saleswoman explained patiently. "Both of you must stay within the red lines."
They glanced down and saw two strips of red tape stuck to the floor.
"..."
Kakayan frowned faintly and shuffled forward until her heels touched the line. The gap was even tighter than she'd expected—almost body-to-body, with only a sliver of space between their chests.
"I'll count down from three."
Seeing them ready, the saleswoman began.
The moment the words left her mouth, Jiang Li heard the girl opposite suck in a breath. It was only two minutes of eye contact—no need to hold her lungs hostage.
Trapped between the red lines, Kakayan suddenly felt nervous. Right in front of her was Jiang Li's solid chest. Today he wore a light-grey shirt with the second button undone; the warm air must be getting to him. Kakayan felt her own heart begin to drum.
She wanted a deep breath to steady herself, but before she could, the saleswoman called, "Start."
Kakayan's head snapped up; she met Jiang Li's gaze. He was half a head taller, and at this distance the face she saw every day seemed magnified. One small tip-toe and their lips would meet.
Warm overhead lights carved sharp lines across Jiang Li's features; she could even see the fine fuzz on his skin. He was as calm as ever, breathing softly, but she caught the faint slide of his Adam's apple.
Her gaze snagged on that small movement. Long lashes fluttered; her eyes started to drift lower.
"A-hem."
Jiang Li cleared his throat—twice—reminding her of the rules.
Kakayan collected herself, and their eyes locked again. In those deep black pupils she saw the reflection of her own amethyst irises.
Strange... how many seconds had passed?
Suddenly she lost count. For an instant it felt as if wind had slipped inside her chest and scattered the sand in her hourglass. Jiang Li's breath carried a faint bitterness of toothpaste and brushed her nose in a ticklish wave.
"Ah-choo..."
Kakayan ducked her head and pinched her nose.
Her gaze broke away.
"Need a tissue?"
Jiang Li dug in his pocket—he remembered stuffing a travel pack in there before leaving.
"N-no thanks."
Kakayan shook her head. "This one doesn't count. Let's try again."
"Can we?" Jiang Li asked the saleswoman.
The woman nodded, her smile as fond as an auntie's. "Try as many times as you like."
Jiang Li nodded, facing Kakayan again. She didn't look her best.
"It's so hot..." Kakayan fanned her flushed cheek with one hand.
"If you're not feeling well, let's forget it," Jiang Li suggested. "We don't have to buy anything."
Five percent off if they succeeded—what a joke. Not buying saved you a full hundred percent.
"No..." Kakayan still wanted that red cord. "One last try."
Since she insisted, Jiang Li signaled the saleswoman to restart the timer.
"Three, two, one—begin."
This time no stray breaths interfered. Kakayan bit her lower lip. The store's background music shifted into a slower tempo.
Ten seconds, twenty, forty—she counted silently in her head. Her thumb rubbed the hem of her blouse. She tried to swallow and found her throat so dry there wasn't any saliva left.
Damn...
It was the first time she'd stood this close to Jiang Li—in every sense, inexplicably tense. She had no mirror, but she could see her own face reflected in his eyes. A little flushed.
The cream cardigan clung to her racing heart. How much longer did she have to stare at this face?
The guy was apparently quite popular among humans—and, well, he was easy on the eyes...
Wait—what number had she reached?
"Hang in there, almost done."
Jiang Li seemed to read her thoughts and whispered.
"Don't talk."
His breath carried a faint scent of jianbing. Kakayan clenched her fists. If the countdown weren't still running, she'd have punched him in the stomach to shove him away.
Human merchants were so weird. If you wanted to sell something, just sell it—why invent all these bizarre rules?
No wonder Kakayan looked so disheveled now.
"Time's up!" The saleswoman clapped cheerfully as the two-minute timer buzzed. "Ah-ha-ha..."
Kakayan sprang out of the stifling corner at once, fanning her neck with one hand. "It's roasting in here. Let's pay and get out, Jiang Li."
"Follow me, please."
The saleswoman led them back to the original counter and produced two red cords threaded with cinnabar.
"Two red cords—ninety-nine yuan."
Jiang Li lifted one finger. "We only need one."
"Single purchases aren't covered by the half-price deal, hon."
"...Huh?"