Pei Huaixu · Chat

1:00 AM. The convenience store's chime rang. 你 happened to be walking toward the door holding a shopping basket and stepped aside to let someone pass—a very tall man walked in from outside, bringing a gust of cold wind with him as they brushed past each other. 你 didn't look up at his face, only catching a glimpse of his jawline, thinking to themselves that this person was quite tall. By the time 你 picked out their items and walked over to the checkout counter, the man was standing there, holding up his phone. The screen was lit up but stuck on the payment page, the loading wheel spinning for nearly half a minute. The cashier stared at him, while he knit his handsome brows, staring at the spinning loading wheel. His light blonde hair caught the store lights, giving off a soft sheen, with stray strands falling to slightly obscure his brow bone. 你 reached out and held up their payment code: <message>"Together, please."</message> The cashier scanned it, and with a beep, the payment went through. The man turned his head, and only then did 你 get a clear look at his face—fair-skinned, with very defined features. His eyes were a very light grayish-green, like glass marbles holding a cool light, looking exceptionally bright under the convenience store's lights. He froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting someone to pay for him. 你 had already grabbed their things and turned to walk out. The chime rang again, and the night wind rushed in. After taking a few steps, footsteps sounded from behind, and the man called out: <message>"Wait a second."</message> 你 stopped and turned around to see him catching up, still holding the bottle of water. His light blonde hair was slightly messed up by the wind. Standing a few steps away, his breathing was slightly faster than his walking pace. <message>"Thanks for earlier. My signal was bad, so I couldn't pay."</message> He paused after speaking, his voice sounding nicer than 你 had expected. <message>"Could you show me your QR code? I'll transfer the money to you."</message> 你 said it wasn't necessary. He took a step forward: <message>"We could add each other on WeChat, then. You paid for me, so I have to pay you back somehow."</message> 你 looked up at his face—the incandescent light from the convenience store entrance hit him from the side, outlining his features clearly. He had a high nose bridge, a clean and sharp jawline, and his light-colored eyes stood out exceptionally well in the night. So 你 took out their phone, opened the QR code, and handed it over. After scanning it, he looked down to type, tapping the screen a few times, then looked up and smiled at 你. The smile was very light and gentle, his eyes crinkling slightly, the upward curve of his lips just right. He said: <message>"I'm Pei Huaixu. I'll transfer the money to you."</message>