Walking on the road home, Lin Luan wanted to kick a stone by the roadside to pass the time.
But he hesitated, because the shoes on his feet looked rather expensive.
He was still wearing those high-end clothes—Manager Wang had waved his hand and told him to use them as his work uniform.
Lin Luan tugged at the suit on his body, always feeling that nothing about it fit quite right. This expensive suit simply didn’t belong on these old streets he was walking down now.
He’d just checked on Baidu—apparently, the brand of this suit was Italian, called Kiton. English name—Lin Luan couldn’t pronounce it, but just from the name, it sounded very high-class.
He wondered what his little sister would say when he came home dressed like this…
His sister…?
Lin Luan suddenly thought of something and hurriedly pulled out his phone to check the time.
7:30 p.m.
Crap! He hadn’t cooked dinner!
Lin Luan slapped his thigh.
His sister Lin Wan was a second-year day student in high school and usually came home by 5:30. On regular days, Lin Luan would cook for her early, so she could eat a hot meal as soon as she got back.
But today, with so many things going on, he’d gotten caught up and forgotten.
Now he was in trouble. Xiaowan must be starving.
Lin Luan instinctively quickened his pace as he rushed home.
Suddenly, a 24-hour convenience store at the street corner caught his eye.
The store was lit with a warm yellow glow, and a poster for “Discounted Rice Balls & Bento” stuck on the glass door made him pause.
This was the same store he’d worked at before. For various reasons… he’d been fired by the manager, so today he’d gone out looking for a new job.
Now, if he went home to cook, it’d be too late—maybe… he should just buy some ready-made food for Xiaowan from the store.
A pang of guilt washed over Lin Luan. Lin Wan was still growing, and all he could give her tonight was instant bento—he really wasn’t much of a big brother.
He pushed open the convenience store door; the familiar chime of “Welcome” sounded.
Lin Luan headed straight for the refrigerated section. His eyes scanned the discounted rice balls and bento.
After a moment’s thought, he picked up a bento marked at 20% off, its surface beaded with cold droplets.
Just as he instinctively pulled out his phone to work out how to stretch his balance further, his fingers paused.
On the phone screen, a line of text appeared:
[Balance: 80,128.50]
That’s right, I made eighty thousand today.
Lin Luan stared for a moment, then slowly put the discounted bento back, instead reaching for a deluxe bento that looked more substantial, with the fried shrimp his sister liked.
Thinking again, he turned and grabbed a box of pure milk and a small bag of Little Bear Gummies—the kind he usually couldn’t bear to buy.
Xiaowan was growing; she needed to drink more milk.
When he walked to the checkout, it was a girl on duty today.
“Lu’an?” She called his name, sounding a little uncertain, “You… you’re dressed so formally today, did you find a new job?”
The girl in front of him was Shen Yu, Lin Luan’s childhood friend and former coworker at this convenience store.
She was the classic black-haired, straight, artsy girl—the kind where, just one look, you could imagine her sitting by a window playing the piano.
A breeze would lift her waist-length hair, a few strands brushing across her lips, and as she tucked them behind her ear, she’d play Chopin’s “Nocturne” on the keys. Her white dress would unfurl in the wind, giving her a jellyfish-like lightness.
As the piece ended, she’d notice you watching her, and give you a gentle smile…
Shen Yu was just that kind of girl.
The two of them lived nearby, and with their long friendship, they’d always gotten along well.
When Lin Luan had been fired by Zhao Store Manager, she’d even tried to argue for him in secret—but it hadn’t worked.
“Yeah, sort of.” Lin Luan replied vaguely, not daring to meet her concerned gaze, quickly placing the bento and milk in front of the scanner.
“Really? That’s great!” Shen Yu said sincerely, scanning swiftly. “Zhao Store Manager, honestly… It was just a few Guan Dong Zhu, did he have to make such a fuss… Ah, maybe it’s for the best you left.”
Lin Luan felt a little awkward. He’d been fired for taking home some unsold Guan Dong Zhu—technically meant to be thrown away—for Lin Wan to eat, and Zhao Store Manager had caught him.
“It was my fault too, trying to take a little advantage…” Lin Luan smiled sheepishly. “Let’s not talk about the past.”
“Yeah…” Shen Yu hesitated, as if she remembered something, her delicate brows knitting in worry as she asked:
“But… Lu’an, what kind of job did you find? The clothes look really expensive… You didn’t get involved in anything dangerous, did you?”
She understood Lin Luan’s family situation, and seeing him suddenly in such expensive clothes, anyone would have doubts.
Lin Luan’s heart thudded, but he tried to look calm as he pulled out his phone to pay: “Don’t worry, it’s a proper sales job. The company just requires formal attire. I’d better head home—Xiaowan’s waiting for me to eat.”
“Oh, okay…” Shen Yu could tell he didn’t want to talk more, so she obediently didn’t press further. She carefully packed the bento and milk into a bag for him.
As she handed it over, Shen Yu couldn’t help but quietly remind him: “Well… just be careful out there, okay? If anything happens, you can talk to me.”
“I know, thank you, Shen Yu.” Lin Luan took the bag, answered in a bit of a rush, and turned to leave the convenience store.
Shen Yu watched his hurried back, thinking for a moment. On the computer screen, she could see that today’s purchase wasn’t cheap—enough to last the old Lin Luan three days.
Shen Yu bit her lower lip gently, the worry in her eyes lingering.
Lu’an, is he really okay?
***
A few minutes later, Lin Luan arrived downstairs at home.
He climbed the stairs, plastered with little ads, quickly up to the fourth floor. He stopped in front of the peeling iron door, deftly taking out his key to unlock it.
The outer iron door opened. There was another wooden door inside. Lin Luan searched for the other key and opened the wooden door.
The moment the door opened, a clear female voice called out.
“Brother?”
Lin Luan pushed the door open; his sister Xiaowan was poking her head out from her room.
The apartment was a little dim. Xiaowan hadn’t turned on the lights. Lin Luan glanced into her room—she was hunched over her homework by the light of that old desk lamp.
He set the convenience store bag down and walked to the wall.
Not listening.
“Why didn’t you turn on the light?” Lin Luan said, flipping the main switch.
Warm light instantly filled the room.
Xiaowan rubbed her eyes and said softly, “Brother, actually, the desk lamp is enough…”
Lin Luan knew Xiaowan only kept the light off to save money. He’d already told her: it was only a few yuan, no need to save on that.
But Xiaowan was just too sensible for her own good, so sensible it made his heart ache.
Holding the bag in one hand, Lin Luan pinched Xiaowan’s cheek with the other, then put the bento on the dining table.
“If you get glasses, your little face won’t look good anymore.”
“Mm…” Xiaowan rubbed her pinched cheek.
Lin Luan took the bento and milk out of the bag, his voice gentle but firm: “Come eat. It’s my fault today—I forgot to start cooking for you in advance.”
“It’s no big deal… Brother, you went job hunting today, right? Not cooking is normal.”
As she spoke, Xiaowan’s attention was immediately drawn by the plentiful bento on the table. “Extra dinner tonight? You bought so much!”
“Mm, celebrating your brother finding a good job.” Lin Luan smiled, ruffling her hair. “Eat up, then finish your homework.”
Xiaowan happily opened the bento, then looked at the suit Lin Luan was wearing with curiosity. “Brother, your clothes…”
“Found a sales job.” Lin Luan replied without changing expression, sitting down across from her. “So, what do you think? Your brother looks pretty decent in a suit, right?”
“Handsome! Lin Luan, so handsome!” Xiaowan gave him a big thumbs-up as she ate.
“You brat, always with the glib tongue.” Lin Luan laughed, watching as Xiaowan tucked into her bento with gusto.
How much did this bento cost tonight? Thirty yuan… Thirty yuan was enough to make his sister so happy, yet Su Jin could spend eight hundred thousand in a night and still be upset.
What a difference between people.
But… from now on, he’d never let his sister live a hard life again.
He’d already chosen to be a host for his work. Since it was a job, he would give it his all.
Lin Luan took out his phone, glancing at the new contact on WeChat.
[Su Jin]
His very first client.