Chapter 27 Familiar Faces? Familiar Faces...!

After school in the afternoon, Sui Yi didn’t wait for the others to finish packing up—the moment the bell rang, she slipped straight out the back door, once again drawing sneers and sarcastic remarks from Qian Fengling and the others.

A dozen minutes later, Sui Yi went to an ATM in the commercial district two streets away and checked her bank card. The number—three hundred thousand yuan—sat neatly on the screen.

In that instant, Sui Yi realized for the first time that her future had truly changed.

“Three hundred thousand, huh…” She smiled faintly, withdrew five thousand in cash, and tucked the thick wad of bills into her school uniform pocket.

She stepped into the bustling commercial street.

Standing before the counter at a mobile phone shop, Sui Yi cast her gaze over the display. “Something slim, easy to carry, durable, around three thousand yuan.”

Too cheap and it wouldn’t last; she didn’t want to have to buy another anytime soon.

Perhaps it was rare to encounter a customer who rattled off her requirements without even glancing at the phones, but after a moment’s confusion the clerk picked out a model that fit her criteria.

Sui Yi took a single look and nodded. “This one.”

She glanced at the price tag, quickly counted out the bills, and set them neatly on the counter.

The clerk was left speechless.

If only every customer in the world were like this—how harmonious life would be!

Phone in hand, Sui Yi installed a few essential apps, then paused to ask the clerk where the nearest bicycle shop was.

She needed to buy a bicycle.

“There aren’t many bike shops around here, but if you go straight down this way, there’s a brand store—sells name-brand bikes, but they’re kind of pricey…” The clerk, having seen her spend so freely, figured Sui Yi wasn’t too concerned about money and offered the suggestion.

Expensive? Sui Yi frowned slightly. She didn’t need anything so extravagant, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a look.

On the way, she bought a new backpack and several sets of clothes, spending just a few hundred yuan in total. She stuffed everything into the backpack, and soon spotted the bike shop—a large establishment, taking up the space of four or five ordinary stores.

The shop’s name was a Western-sounding, utopian affair—Sui Yi had already forgotten it after one glance. Inside, a variety of stylish bikes were on display.

Three hundred thousand yuan—most people would probably buy a car. Instead, Sui Yi felt she had to be prudent, not too lavish.

The staff in such exclusive stores usually carried an air of indifference, and Sui Yi, looking every bit the impoverished student, stirred little interest among them. She wandered in on her own.

She glanced at the brands—Folusi? Floss? That logo seemed familiar.

But the prices all soared into five digits…

Sui Yi’s lips twitched at the sight—what a money pit. Still, the bikes did look well-built.

“Miss, is there anything I can help you with?” A young man approached, perhaps drawn by Sui Yi’s striking looks and bearing. His tone wasn’t off-putting.

“Do you have anything that doesn’t cost five figures?” She wanted a quality bike she could use for long rides.

“Uh… well…” The young man knew that in this small town, students who could afford five-figure bikes were rare, and female students rarer still.

Under five figures? So she still had decent purchasing power.

“We do, but they’re a bit lower-end compared to these. Are you sure?”

Would I be asking if I weren’t sure? Sui Yi smiled, her gaze drifting to the spot the young man had glanced at a moment ago.

“That one?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

She examined the sleek black-and-white bicycle—clean lines, practical yet refined.

Compared to the others, it didn’t seem lacking.

“8,888?”

“Uh, yes… it’s a lucky number,” the young man replied, a bit embarrassed. He thought this high school girl, young as she looked, had a remarkably poised and mature air about her.

Especially with that question just now—there was a hint of teasing in it.

Sui Yi asked about the bike’s quality and speed. The young man answered each question, neither of them noticing someone else entering the shop.

A teenage boy parked his bike at the entrance, strode in, and grabbed a bottle of water from the table.

“Lin, I’m back. Where’s Dad? Oh, customers?”

“The boss isn’t in today…” The young man turned to face him, and Sui Yi finally saw the boy standing behind him.

The boy paused mid-sip when he saw Sui Yi—

He spat out his water, coughing violently, clutching the table for support before he managed to speak.

“Sui… Sui Yi? What are you doing here?”

“You two know each other?” the young man asked, surprised. Then he noticed her school uniform and understood.

So this was Yu Hang’s family’s store? No wonder the brand seemed familiar—it was the same bike she’d seen this morning on Yu Hang’s ride.

Floss, was it?

This guy’s family was really well-off.

Sui Yi tapped the handlebars. “Buying a bike.” She turned to the young man, “I’ll take this one. Two-year warranty, right?”

“Yes,” the young man replied, surprised by how reserved Sui Yi was toward Yu Hang, and by how easily she made up her mind.

Even at 8,888 yuan, that was no small sum. A high school student with that kind of disposable income must come from a privileged family in town.

“Alright, great…” The young man reached for the paperwork, while Yu Hang, now understanding, was stunned—something wasn’t right. How could Sui Yi afford this bike? Could it really be…

“Sui Yi, where did you get the money?” Yu Hang was blunt, the question slipping out before he could stop himself—and instantly regretting it.

Sui Yi paused mid-signature at the contract, then continued writing as she replied, “From the national mint. Don’t worry, it’s real. Do you take cards?”

The young man chuckled. “Of course, right this way…”

Yu Hang was left awkward and at a loss for words… Damn, why had he never realized girls could be so troublesome?

All those girls at school were easy to deal with—so why, now, was he the one trying to get close to Sui Yi?

While the sale was being processed, another man entered the store. The young man greeted him.

A while later, Sui Yi, contract in hand, walked over to her new bike. Glancing up by chance, she saw the man watching her, a faint smile on his thin, angular face. He looked rather gaunt, tall, and in the sweltering heat, wore a light leather jacket.

Just an ordinary man.

Sui Yi raised an eyebrow, looked away, and gripped the handlebars. Yu Hang hurried over. “Hey, Sui Yi, are you going to ride it now? I can show you how…”

“Did I say I didn’t know how?” Sui Yi shot him a gentle smile, catching the gaze of the man inside, who still watched her, smiling, his eyes bright.

Her fingers tightened slightly. Sui Yi paused, then returned his smile. Did they know each other?

Yu Hang sensed something was off, and he and the young man both looked at the stranger.

In a flash, the gears whirred, the wheels blurred—a shadow darted past, and Sui Yi shot out of the shop on her bicycle, landing with a thud on the street. The sudden move startled the crowd, who cried out. With a push of her foot, she turned the bike’s front wheel, glanced back at the store, and saw the man still smiling—stepping out the door.

It really was him!

No wonder she’d felt such a strong magnetic pull moments ago.

With a swish, and Yu Hang’s startled shouts behind her, Sui Yi plunged into the crowd on her bicycle.

“Hey, Sui Yi! Sui Yi! Damn it! She’s always like this! I’m done with her, I swear!!!” Yu Hang fumed, slapping the door, only to see the man stride quickly out of the shop and get into a car.

The engine roared, and the car sped off…

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