The Eccentric Phone Store Owner

Subconsciously clutching the money and the girl in his arms, Ye Shuang’s mind was still in a daze. The sight of stacks of cash and the innocent-faced girl was visually overwhelming, so much so that the glare made him squint slightly.

He estimated that each stack was around ten thousand yuan, and just the amount before him had to be at least two or three hundred thousand in cash. Since mobile payments became popular, Ye Shuang had forgotten how heavy such a sum could feel in his arms.

"Wrap yourself up first." After placing the money on a nearby table, Ye Shuang picked up the fallen towel and wrapped Bai Yuyou back up, making her look somewhat like a rice dumpling.

Bai Yuyou had a great figure, though it was hidden under her school uniform. His fingers accidentally brushed against her skin—soft and delicate as tofu—prompting him to wonder how a girl living alone could have so much money and even propose to "sponsor" him.

Just moments ago, she hadn’t even known what "sponsorship" meant.

A beautiful girl living alone with piles of cash at home—Ye Shuang couldn’t imagine the danger she’d be in if certain people found out.

Especially since the security in this neighborhood was practically nonexistent. The elderly guard in his seventies probably struggled just to walk, let alone catch criminals.

As he met the girl’s calm, unwavering gaze, Ye Shuang suddenly found himself unable to leave her to live alone.

"Where did all this money come from?" he asked cautiously.

Bai Yuyou simply replied, "Mom gave it to me."

Mom?

Did she not have parents? Or was his understanding off? Maybe her mother had left her a fortune before passing away.

At that moment, Bai Yuyou asked, "Is this not enough to sponsor you? I have more..."

Ye Shuang: "..."

Rubbing his temples, Ye Shuang sat silently in a chair for a moment. Then, looking at the girl’s flawless face, his previously lost heart seemed to find a glimmer of direction—like a stray ship spotting the light of a lighthouse.

Perhaps this was fate. On a misty, rain-soaked night in the city, he had been picked up by a girl who knew nothing of the world.

Outside, the heavy rain continued, but the storm in Ye Shuang’s heart gradually subsided, the dark clouds parting to reveal a sliver of light.

Slowly walking to the table, he picked up a stack of bills and said,

"Alright, I’ll stay here for now... until our arrangement ends."

A promise made on a rainy night—the beginning of a bond.

"Mhm."

...

Dawn.

Ye Shuang woke as the sky began to brighten. The rain had stopped, replaced by the cheerful chirping of birds. The city, washed clean by the downpour, felt fresh.

After tidying up the entire apartment—and, after a brief hesitation, even washing the undergarments left on the floor—Ye Shuang finally felt somewhat settled.

This was surreal. He’d been "sponsored" by a beautiful girl. Staring at the apartment, he couldn’t shake the sense of unreality.

Well... no point overthinking it now.

His clothes were still damp. Naturally, a girl’s home wouldn’t have spare outfits for a six-foot-tall man. But that wasn’t a big deal—he’d fallen asleep quickly on the floor the night before.

The room was still quiet; the girl hadn’t woken yet.

"Right, I never asked for her name." Just as the thought crossed his mind, he noticed a student ID card on the table.

[Haizhu City Yinshan Academy

Name: Bai Yuyou

Class: Grade 3-A]

"Grade 3... so around eighteen?" Memorizing her name, Ye Shuang grabbed the keys from the table and headed out.

Though he’d lost his phone, his wallet was still safe in his jacket pocket—empty of cash but holding his bank card.

First, he needed to buy a new phone and deposit the money. In this digital age, functioning without a phone was nearly impossible. While he wasn’t the type to stare at a screen all day, having one was essential.

With no option for online shopping, he stepped into a roadside phone store.

"Need something?" The shop owner was a girl with neatly trimmed bangs and shoulder-length hair, dressed in a loose sweatshirt and pants. Wearing headphones, she exuded a lazy vibe.

She looked about Bai Yuyou’s age—and just as cute.

"Here for a phone or to stare at girls?" she asked, her tone laced with disdain.

Ye Shuang coughed awkwardly and shifted his gaze to the glass display case, which held rows of phones—mostly second-hand iPhones and budget flip phones for seniors.

"I need a cheap smartphone," he said.

"This Nokia, 150 yuan." She plopped a keypad phone in front of him and pressed a large button, making the flashlight on top glow. "Oh, and it doubles as a flashlight. Impressive, huh?"

Her tone, as if showcasing groundbreaking tech, made Ye Shuang’s eye twitch. He pointed at himself. "How old do I look?"

The girl studied him seriously. "Sixty?"

"Twenty-six!" Ye Shuang snapped. "Have you ever seen a twenty-six-year-old with a senior phone?!"

She glanced away with a click of her tongue.

"Did you just tsk at me?"

"No, sir, you misheard." She gestured to the iPhones in the case. "If you want a smartphone, take your pick from these."

"All second-hand with various issues. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find one that works."

Ye Shuang: "..."

Why were all the girls he met lately so bizarre?

How was this shop still in business?

"No iPhones. Any decent Android options?" His last phone had been an iPhone, and he was done carrying a power bank everywhere.

"Oh, Android." She bent down and rummaged through a cabinet before pulling out a box.

"Here. Been gathering dust forever. I’ll give it to you cheap."

Ye Shuang inspected it. "Fast charging?"

"Probably? Charges fully in one go."

"Are there phones that take multiple charges to fill up?!"

"Maybe. So, old man, buying it or not?"

The "old man" jab struck deep. After checking the battery capacity, he decided to take it. "How much?"

"600."

"That cheap?"

"Oh, then 6000."

"Hey, that’s a huge difference?!"

The girl in front of him gave him a deadpan look. "Such a difficult customer. Nothing works for you. Not very manly, are you?"

Ye Shuang sighed and pulled out cash, counting six bills. Seeing this, the girl raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Cash?"

"What’s wrong with cash?"

"Nothing. Just that a friend of mine also prefers using cash." With that, she slumped back into her usual lazy demeanor.