We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

The shop is filled with handcrafted trinkets.

Silver jewelry, leather goods, and wood carvings filled the counters on both sides, while a young couple next to them were haggling over a five-yuan bill with the proprietress.

Xia Shiqing, however, was very careful in her selection.

She looked along the counter and finally stopped in front of a pair of couple bracelets.

One is thick, one is thin; one is black, one is red.

Both bracelets are made of leather and have an antique silver snap fastener in the middle.

On its own, they don't seem special, but when put together, the patterns on the snap fasteners form a retro geometric design.

"Ye Chen, what do you think of this pair?"

Xia Shiqing pointed through the glass.

Ye Chen glanced at her from behind and said, "It's alright, but I've never worn one of these before."

"You should try it if you've never worn it before."

Xia Shiqing turned around, as if afraid he would refuse, and directly took his right hand.

She took out the black men's bracelet, her fair fingers looping around Ye Chen's wrist, and bent down to fasten the silver clasp for him.

The two were very close.

Ye Chen could see her trembling eyelashes and smell the faint fragrance in her hair.

The silver clasp clicked shut.

"It suits me quite well."

Xia Shiqing looked up, her eyes sparkling.

Then, she picked up the thin red bracelet and handed it to Ye Chen.

She was quite proactive just now, but her voice has become lower now.

"Then... could you help me put it on?"

Ye Chen glanced at the bracelet, then at her ears, which were slowly turning red.

"Alright, we should reciprocate."

He smiled as he took the red rope and grasped Xia Shiqing's wrist.

Her wrists were very thin, and her skin was dazzlingly white.

Ye Chen finished wrapping the bracelet around her wrist, and as he fastened the silver clasp, his fingertips inadvertently brushed against the inside of her wrist.

Xia Shiqing's shoulders trembled slightly.

It was as if there had been a sudden electrical surge.

"alright."

Ye Chen released his grip.

Two bracelets, one black and one red, were worn on their wrists, standing out brightly under the soft lighting in the store.

The proprietress had been watching from the sidelines for a while, and she couldn't stop smiling.

"Young man, your girlfriend has great taste."

"These bracelets on your wrists, you two really do look like a match made in heaven."

Xia Shiqing's cheeks flushed.

She opened her mouth, and although she could explain, she couldn't bring herself to say "no."

So, she subconsciously looked at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen remained calm.

He neither refuted the term "girlfriend" nor took off the bracelet; he simply raised his wrist and glanced at it.

Xia Shiqing felt a surge of sweetness in her heart.

Whether she was afraid Ye Chen would explain in the next second, or wanted to confirm half of the misunderstanding, she quickly opened her small bag and took out money.

"Boss lady, we'll take them."

After saying that, she lowered her head and handed over the money.

This set of actions was clean and efficient, somewhat like acting first and informing later.

The proprietress took the money, her smile becoming even more suggestive.

"Okay, I wish you a long and happy life together."

Xia Shiqing's ears turned even redder, but she still didn't explain.

The two walked out of the small shop.

Sunlight fell on their wrists, making the two bracelets, one black and one red, stand out even more.

No one mentioned taking it down.

It's as if wearing them is the most natural thing in the world.

The two then strolled around the alley for another half hour.

I ate quite a bit of stinky tofu, grilled meat skewers, and cream squares.

It wasn't until Xia Shiqing got a little tired and slowed down that Ye Chen gestured with his chin toward the street corner.

"Want to come up and sit for a while?"

It was a coffee shop located in the attic of an old house.

"OK."

The two went up the narrow wooden stairs to the second floor.

The stairs are only wide enough for one person to pass at a time, and the wooden planks underfoot creak slightly with each step.

The café is small, but its decor is exquisite.

Several old posters hung on the wall, green plants were placed by the window, and a faint aroma of coffee wafted in the air.

Ye Chen chose a semi-enclosed booth by the window and ordered two iced lattes and a tiramisu.

Outside the window are mottled blue brick walls.

The noisy voices in the alley were blocked by the glass, leaving only a muffled background sound.

Soothing jazz music flowed gently through the store, and the afternoon sun shone through the carved wooden windows, landing perfectly on the tabletops.

Xia Shiqing held the iced latte in both hands.

Fine droplets of water condensed on the cup's surface, and her fingertips slowly circled along the rim.

With each movement, the red bracelet was faintly visible on her fair wrist.

She quietly glanced at the opposite side.

As it happened, he met Ye Chen's gaze.

Xia Shiqing looked like she'd been caught doing something wrong; her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she immediately lowered her head, carefully cutting the tiramisu with a small spoon.

I've been cutting it for ages, but she hasn't taken a single bite.

"What, you don't like the coffee here?"

Ye Chen leaned back in his sofa chair, a smile playing on his lips.

"No, it's fine."

Xia Shiqing answered softly.

She took a deep breath, finally raised her head again, and pointed to the black bracelet on Ye Chen's wrist.

"that……"

"Don't you think wearing this is a bit childish?"

She pursed her lips as she said this.

"Actually, just now...did I ask too many questions?"

Ye Chen raised his right hand and waved it casually.

A black leather cord was wrapped around his wrist, next to which sat an expensive Vacheron Constantin watch.

Two completely different styles put together, and surprisingly, they don't look out of place at all.

"No, it looks great."

Ye Chen laughed and said, "Besides, you've already paid for it. If I take it off now, wouldn't it be a waste of your effort?"

"Besides, this is called acting first and informing later, so I don't seem to have much of a chance to back out."

Xia Shiqing was amused by him.

Her previously tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"As long as you like it."

She bent down, scooped out a small piece of tiramisu, and put it in her mouth.

The sweetness melts on the tip of the tongue, and even the mood becomes lighter.

Have you been here before?

Xia Shiqing rested her chin on her hands.

She didn't dare look into Ye Chen's eyes for long; her gaze circled around before finally settling back on the black bracelet on his wrist.

"No, this is my first time here too."

Ye Chen picked up his coffee, took a sip, and casually asked, "By the way, why didn't you go back to your hometown for National Day?"

Xia Shiqing smiled helplessly.

"For us in sales, the National Day holiday is the busiest time."

"At this time of year, there are many customers and good sales. Firstly, I don't want to take a break, and secondly, the store can't approve long holidays at this time."

As she said this, she secretly glanced at Ye Chen.

"I'm off today, but I arranged to take time off in advance with my colleagues."

"But I'm very happy today, thank you."

"There's no need to thank me."

Ye Chen smiled and said, "I've been rushing around since I got home these past two days, so I haven't had much time to go out. This is a good opportunity to relax a bit."

The afternoon sun gradually slanted westward.

The shadows cast by the wooden window grew longer and longer, while the jazz music continued to flow quietly.

The two chatted about interesting things at school and the recent weather in Shanghai.

They even had a serious discussion about the tofu pudding stall at the entrance of the alley. Ye Chen said that the tofu pudding in my area is all salty.

When the conversation turned to something interesting, Xia Shiqing would take the initiative to join in the joke, occasionally asking Ye Chen a question with a smile.

Only when their eyes meet again will she look away first.

But after a few seconds, she couldn't help but sneak a glance back.

The glitz and bustle of Shanghai seemed to be shut out by that wooden window.

At this moment, the only sounds in the old attic were the aroma of coffee, soothing music, and the black and red bracelets on the wrists of the two people.

Neither of them made their relationship clear.

But some distances have already been shortened without us even realizing it.