Reborn not to be a beast of burden, I set the rules.

At 10:00 AM sharp, at the exit of Zhujiang Road subway station.

Xu Wei stood by the roadside, squinting at the sky.

The sunlight fell on her face, a little glaring, but she didn't hide; it was quite warm in the sun.

The leaves of the sycamore tree were already turning yellow. When the wind blew, a few leaves swirled down and landed on her shoulder. She gently brushed them off, a smile on her lips.

Two people walked towards us from a distance.

My cousin Zhou Min wore a light pink chiffon blouse with white capri pants and strappy sandals today, walking with a graceful sway.

The man she was arm in arm with wasn't tall, just over 1.7 meters. He was wearing a faded plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and black-rimmed glasses. He looked dull and honest; he was Ah Fei.

"Weiwei!" Zhou Min let go of Afei's arm and jogged over. "Have you been waiting long?"

Xu Wei shook her head: "Just arrived."

Zhou Min looked her up and down, her gaze sweeping over her: "Oh, you've changed your outfit today? Off-white makes you look fairer, it looks good."

She leaned closer and lowered her voice, "Who are you dressing up for?"

Xu Wei paused for a moment, then looked down at herself: "I dress like this every day."

Zhou Min smiled meaningfully, not exposing her, but simply took her arm: "Let's go, let Afei lead the way."

Ah Fei walked over, nodded to Xu Wei, and said nothing more: "Come with me."

The three of them walked through the crowd.

Zhujiang Road is very noisy.

The cries of street vendors, the screech of buses pulling into the station, and the footsteps of pedestrians blended into a cacophony of sounds.

The signs for the electronics malls lined up one after another: Lion, Buynow, Huahai 3C, and promotional banners were hung all over the entrances.

But Xu Wei walked among the crowd as if she were in another world.

She watched the busy people on the roadside, but what she was thinking was: What will his expression be when he receives the phone? Will his ears turn red again, like yesterday?

As I thought about it, the corners of my mouth curved into a smile again.

Afei led them through a maze of turns until they reached the entrance of a shop. He looked up at the signboard and paused for a moment.

The shop door was closed, and a white sign was pasted on the roller shutter: Shop for Sale, Phone Number...

"They moved?" Zhou Min frowned. "Didn't you say it was a familiar store?"

Ah Fei scratched his head: "It was here last month, but business must have been bad, so we moved."

Xu Wei stood there, looking at the closed door, feeling a little disappointed.

She was holding a bag in her arms, which contained 5800 yuan, the New Year's money she had counted several times last night.

"How about we go somewhere else?" Zhou Min said. "There are so many shops on Zhujiang Road, let's find another one."

Ah Fei shook his head: "I'm not familiar with this area, and I'm afraid other companies might rip you off."

The three of them stood by the roadside, looking somewhat bewildered.

Just then, a voice came from behind.

"Xu Wei?"

Xu Wei turned her head and saw a young man standing a few steps away, looking surprised.

He was about 1.78 meters tall, wearing a dark blue polo shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing a section of his well-proportioned forearm.

He wore a Longines watch on his wrist, the dial gleaming subtly in the light.

His hair was cut very short, neat and tidy, and his facial features were regular, with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

Gu Zhengrong.

Her senior from high school, two years ahead of her, was from Nanjing Foreign Language School, but later went to Nanjing Audit University.

He took two steps closer, his gaze landing on Xu Wei's face, pausing for a second.

Sunlight filtered through the sycamore leaves, falling on her, making her skin appear even whiter against her off-white cardigan.

Her calves, visible beneath her skirt, were smooth and shapely, and her canvas shoes were spotless. She was so vibrant that it was impossible to look away.

"It really is you," he said, smiling. "I came with a relative to buy a computer, and I didn't expect to run into you. You've looked even better than before, it's been years."

Xu Wei nodded politely: "Long time no see."

Gu Zhengrong glanced at the closed shop door, then looked at Afei and Zhou Min: "What? The shop's gone?"

Afei nodded: "They moved away."

Gu Zhengrong's gaze swept over the small bag in Xu Wei's hand, then looked at her outfit today. Something flashed in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

He asked, "What do you want to buy?"

Xu Wei paused for a moment: "Apple iPhone, 3GS."

Gu Zhengrong's eyes lit up: "I know this well. My roommate just bought it last month, and I went with him to several stores."

He checked the time, then looked at Xu Wei. "How about I take you there? There's a shop up ahead. The owner is honest, the goods are good, and the price is negotiable."

Zhou Min glanced at Xu Wei, her eyes holding a meaningful look.

Xu Wei hesitated for a moment.

Gu Zhengrong smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll just lead the way. It won't cause any trouble."

As he spoke, he turned and took a few steps forward, then looked back at her. "Let's go, it's not far ahead."

Xu Wei glanced at A Fei, who nodded, and then she followed him.

Gu Zhengrong led them into a small shop. The shop wasn't big, but it was very clean.

The boss was a young man in his thirties, wearing glasses and looking very refined.

Gu Zhengrong walked in, greeted the boss familiarly, and then turned to Xu Wei and said, "Tell him what you want."

Xu Wei told the shopkeeper the model number, and he took out several white Apple 3GS phones from under the counter and placed them on the glass.

Xu Wei leaned over to look, picking up each device one by one to examine them, holding the screen up to the light, pressing buttons, and looking at them over and over again.

When she lowered her head, the neckline of her off-white cardigan was slightly open, revealing a small section of her collarbone, which was dazzlingly white in the sunlight.

Gu Zhengrong stood to the side, his gaze shifting from her face before quickly returning to it.

He didn't rush to show off, only occasionally reminding people: "Check if there are any dead pixels on the screen, and whether the buttons feel crisp when pressed."

After saying that, he took half a step back, leaving her some space.

Xu Wei picked out a phone with a perfect screen and seamless bezels, and asked the shop owner, "How much is this one?"

The boss quoted a price.

Gu Zhengrong spoke up from the side: "Boss, we were introduced by an acquaintance, so give us a fair price."

The boss glanced at him, then at Xu Wei, and finally gave a number.

It's a hundred yuan cheaper than the previous one.

Xu Wei did a quick mental calculation, counted out the money from her bag, and placed it on the counter.

"Do you want to activate it?" the boss asked.

Xu Wei was stunned for a moment.

Ah Fei said from the side, "Activate it, so she won't be confused when she gets back."

The shopkeeper nodded, took out a laptop from under the counter, connected a data cable, and plugged in the Apple 3GS.

The iTunes interface popped up on the screen, and the progress bar moved slowly.

Two minutes later, the phone screen lit up, indicating that activation was complete.

The boss unplugged the data cable and handed the phone to Xu Wei: "Okay, now you can use it by inserting the SIM card."

Xu Wei took the phone; the screen was lit up, and the default wallpaper was a water droplet.

She pressed the Home button, slid to unlock, and everything went smoothly.

As she held the new phone, a thought suddenly popped into her head.

"Sis," she turned to Zhou Min, "can you take a picture for me?"

Zhou Min was taken aback: "Now?"

"Okay, right now." Xu Wei handed her the phone. "Use this to take the picture."

Zhou Min took the phone, looked at the camera interface on the screen, and smiled: "Okay, first shot with the new phone, let me keep it as a souvenir for you."

Xu Wei stepped back a few steps and stood in the sunlight at the shop entrance.

She wore a beige cardigan, a pleated skirt, canvas shoes, and her long hair was draped over her shoulders.

She turned slightly to the side, one hand hanging naturally at her sides, unsure of where to put the other, and finally gently grasped the hem of her skirt.

"Smile!" Zhou Min shouted, holding up her phone.

Xu Wei smiled and her eyes crinkled into a smile.

With a "click," the image froze.

Zhou Min handed her the phone: "Look, isn't it nice?"

Xu Wei looked down at the screen—sunlight shone from the side, bathing her in a light golden glow.

Her eyes crinkled with laughter, her skirt swayed gently in the wind, and she looked both gentle and vibrant.

She stared at the photo for a few seconds, and suddenly felt a little smug.

She clicked "Set Wallpaper" and set the photo as her desktop background.

Zhou Min leaned closer to look, paused for a moment, then smiled meaningfully: "Oh, who's this for?"

Xu Wei's ears turned red, but she ignored her and put her phone in her pocket.

Gu Zhengrong stood beside her and saw her smiling with her head down.

That smile—gentle, shy, like ripples on a lake in spring.

It wasn't for him.

He paused for a second, then asked, "Did you buy this for yourself?"

Xu Wei shook her head: "It's a gift for a friend."

Gu Zhengrong nodded, paused for a second, and then asked, "A man?"

Xu Wei didn't say anything.

But the moment she lowered her head, the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

That curve was gentle and shy.

Gu Zhengrong's smile froze for a moment.

He glanced at Xu Wei, then at the phone in her pocket, his throat bobbed as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just smiled and said, "That's good."

Then he looked up at the time and said casually, "My relatives are waiting for me, so I'll head over first. Be careful on the road."

He nodded to Zhou Min and A Fei, then turned and left.

He walked at a steady pace, but after taking a dozen or so steps, he stopped.

I glanced back.

Xu Wei was looking down at her phone screen and didn't notice him at all.

Sunlight fell on her, highlighting her off-white cardigan, smooth calves, and canvas shoes; she looked like a painting.

That smile wasn't for him.

He clenched his fist.

Then he turned around and continued walking forward.

Xu Wei stood there, staring at the photo on the screen for a long time.

Zhou Min leaned closer and took her arm: "Let's go, what are you waiting for?"

Xu Wei snapped out of her daze and put her phone back in her pocket.

The three of them walked toward the bus stop.

As Zhou Min walked, she asked, "Was that your senior just now?"

"Yes, high school."

"The conditions look good. Is that watch real? A Longines?"

Xu Wei shook her head: "I don't know."

Zhou Min wanted to say something, but A Fei gently tugged at her from the side.

Zhou Min shut up.

When they reached the bus stop, Afei said, "This bus goes directly to your school."

Xu Wei nodded: "Thank you, Brother Fei."

Ah Fei waved his hand without saying anything more.

The bus arrived, and Xu Wei boarded, sitting in a window seat.

The car started moving, and the street scene outside the window began to recede. Sunlight streamed through the window and fell warmly on her face.

She took her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the photo again.

In the photo, she is smiling with her eyes crinkling.

What expression will he have when he sees this photo?

Will my ears turn red again like yesterday?

She smiled and hugged her phone to her chest.

The warm sunlight shone on her as the car swayed and rocked along.

She leaned against the car window, her eyelids gradually becoming heavy.

She fell asleep.

The bus drove through a grove of plane trees, and the sunlight flickered on her face.

She tilted her head slightly, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, a soft off-white cardigan wrapped around her, and her canvas shoes were neatly arranged, making her look quiet and beautiful.

He was holding the phone in his arms.

On the screen, she was still smiling in that photo.