In Chengdu, at Wangjiang Park, there is an outdoor tea shop, a popular spot for locals to relax, chat, and sip tea.
A bowl of "San Hua" tea, and a young lady in Hanfu sitting by the river, surrounded by people playing Mahjong and "Landlord" card game.
Chù Qīng Níng (楚青柠) was shaking the ornamental incense pouch tied around her waist, saying, "It's just... it's been so long since I came back, and Lin Zhan said he would come to find me, but he's only said it, never actually did. Could it be that after being apart for so long, the feelings have faded? He doesn't like me anymore?"
Although she was an older sister figure, she was still only 19 years old, in her first relationship, and it was a sister-brother relationship. She was uncertain about how things were going.
In a sister-brother relationship, the older sister is always anxious.
These were the heart-to-heart talks shared privately between best friends.
"Qīng Níng, you… don't need to worry…"
Another soft sigh came from the phone.
Chù Qīng Níng raised an eyebrow, sitting up straight, and threw away the green leaf that had fallen on her head.
"Jo Mei Na, what are you groaning for in the middle of the day? Tell me! Is there a man on you?"
"I don't have any man... I... I'm eating spicy strips, they're so spicy!"
Jo Mei Na tried to pull her leg back, but Lin Zhan was still holding her ankle tightly. She bit her lip and glared at him. This pesky little brother's sense of revenge was too strong. I just threatened him to record a wake-up alarm for me, and now he's getting back at me.
Such a petty man.
Now, the initiative was in Lin Zhan's hands.
Jo Mei Na didn't dare to tell Chù Qīng Níng "Lin Zhan is in Shanghai" because if she said that, it would make Chù Qīng Níng overthink their relationship, and it would be hard to explain.
This little brother was truly frustrating.
Does he always mess with his older sisters?
She was almost at her breaking point.
"Qīng Níng... you..." Jo Mei Na looked at Lin Zhan, struggling to hold back her voice, "Don't overthink. Lin Zhan is not that kind of fickle person. He..." She covered her mouth for a moment but quickly let go and continued, "He is not an ordinary person. He has so much going on, he's busy. Once he's done, he'll come find you."
As a girl herself, experiencing her first love in a sister-brother relationship, with long-distance and him being a rich second generation, Jo Mei Na understood Chù Qīng Níng's insecurities.
Today, Lin Zhan had come to Shanghai, and Jo Mei Na realized he was purposely not showing up to surprise her. Although she hated how mischievous Lin Zhan was, she knew girls loved surprises, so she kept comforting Chù Qīng Níng, telling her to wait for the surprise.
Chù Qīng Níng took a sip of tea, put it down, thought for a while, and nodded, "Hmm, I trust him."
"That's good. Trust him, just wait. He won't disappoint you."
In fact, Jo Mei Na felt a little envious of Chù Qīng Níng. She envied having a boyfriend who would make time to surprise her.
"Talking to you really made me feel better. By the way, what brand of spicy strips are you eating? Tell me, I want to try."
"Ah..."
"Jo Mei Na, I suspect you're not really eating spicy strips. Who groans like that after eating them? Are you with a man or something?"
"That's nonsense! I'm a virgin, am I that wild?"
"You said it yourself!"
"Believe it or not, I'm not talking anymore, I'm hanging up, I'm going to kill someone!"
Jo Mei Na angrily hung up the phone.
Chù Qīng Níng stretched lazily, feeling much better. She stood up and walked over to the middle-aged people playing cards and spoke in a perfect Sichuan dialect, "Mom, you all play slowly, if you win, we'll have hotpot tonight. I'm going to Chunxi Road for a walk. You want to come?"
After speaking, she hummed a tune, swayed her waist as she shook her incense pouch, and walked out of Wangjiang Park.
"Little sister, where are you going?"
"Li Auntie is here drinking tea again, so boring. I'm going to Chunxi Road to have a stroll, you want to come?"
"I'm not coming, you go."
"Okay, oh, by the way, Li Auntie, which high school did your son get into?"
"Seven High."
"Wow, that's impressive, Seven High! Well, I'm off then!"
Chù Ma (her mother) glanced at her daughter bouncing away, smiling as she continued to play cards, while compliments from the uncles and aunts about her daughter's beauty filled the air.
Chù Qīng Níng, dressed in Hanfu, was quite popular in the Wangjiang Park area.
At the same time.
Jo Mei Na exhaled, her heart pounding in her chest as she looked at Lin Zhan across from her. She was utterly speechless.
"Little brother, I told you, don't make those dangerous moves again, got it?"
"Okay."
"Next time you act recklessly, I'll smack you," Jo Mei Na threatened, raising her phone, then added, "By the way, you also heard it, your Qing Ning is so fond of you, but now she's starting to feel insecure."
"I won't say any big words. It's meaningless. In any case, we'll see. I won't disappoint the girls who like me."
"Although you like to tease girls, you're a bit mischievous, but I believe you'll be good to Qing Ning. By the way, when do you plan to go?"
"I came to Shanghai today, staying one night. I'll take you out for a meal, then go see her tomorrow. Okay, all done."
Lin Zhan's finger gently grazed the smooth, flawless skin of Jo Mei Na's calf. She felt a chill run down her spine and her legs softened.
"The car's here, Mei Na, let's go. Time to buy the camera."
"..."
Jo Mei Na bit her lip, glaring at Lin Zhan. Sister, I almost got ruined by you.
They took a taxi to the Qiantan area, where several camera shops were located.
Jo Mei Na, being well-versed in the city's lifestyle, didn't play with cameras but knew a little. She couldn't help but say, "Tsk tsk tsk, that saying is true, once you get into Canon, you can't stop. Once you get into Nikon, you'll end up bankrupt. Once you get into Leica, all you'll have left are your underwear. So, which one are you getting, Ah Zhan?"
"Leica."
"..."
Leica cameras were expensive, but they were famous for their exquisite design, exceptional build quality, superb image quality, and unique shooting experience.
"Let's go, let's check out Leica."
Lin Zhan took Jo Mei Na to the Leica flagship store at Taikoo Li in Qiantan.
Once inside, there were cameras and camcorders everywhere, ranging from several thousand to hundreds of thousands, even millions.
After buying the Bentley, Lin Zhan's bank card didn't have much left—only about 800,000. Suddenly, he felt poor. With just this little money, if he kept spending at this level, it'd be hard to go back down.
So, Lin Zhan needed to complete a photo shoot to earn the private reward soon.
Lin Zhan chose the Leica M11, a camera he had always dreamed of.
Jo Mei Na looked at the price: "71,000?"
"That's acceptable."
"..."
"From now on, I'll avoid these kinds of places. After seeing how the rich second generations spend money every day, buying things that cost tens of thousands, even millions, it makes you feel a little restless and out of touch."
Next came the lenses, the real money burners.
Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, and even billions.
Photography could ruin a life, and DSLR cameras could bankrupt three generations.
Fortunately, he was a tycoon, or else he wouldn't be able to afford it.