Chapter 14: Dai Hengxian Tries to Get Close

Grandpa Zhao held a palm-leaf fan in his hand, clearly intending to see Dai Hengxin off.

It was an unspoken custom in the village: once you passed Yingchun General Store, you were considered to have left the village. People picking up or dropping off visitors usually used the store as the boundary.

Resisting the urge to scratch his head, Xiao Yingchun grinned. "Grandpa Zhao, I have some business to attend to, I just got back."

Dai Hengxin gave Xiao Yingchun a smiling glance before turning back to Zhao Jiping. "Grandpa, I'm going to buy a few things. I'll head out right after. Why don't you head back first?"

Zhao Jiping glanced at Xiao Yingchun and nodded with a smile. "Alright then, be careful on the road. I'll head back first..."

Dai Hengxin's intention was clearly not to buy water.

While casually picking up a bottle of water and placing it on the counter, he asked, "...I didn't eat enough just now. Do you have any recommendations?"

Xiao Yingchun pointed to the instant noodles. "How about buying a pack of noodles to soak at home?"

Dai Hengxin laughed. "That's not nutritious. Have you eaten yet? How about I treat you to a meal?"

Xiao Yingchun understood: he wasn't looking to buy anything; he was interested in her, or rather, curious about her.

It made sense; anyone in her position would feel curious.

Forget it, avoidance wouldn't solve the problem; she had to face it head-on.

Xiao Yingchun nodded. "I haven't eaten yet, so let's go."

Dai Hengxin hadn't expected her to agree. While overjoyed, he didn't forget to pay for the water.

The two walked side by side on the road out of the village. Along the way, they encountered neighbors returning home from work. Seeing Xiao Yingchun walking with a handsome man, they all greeted them, their eyes filled with unmistakable gossip and enthusiasm.

Xiao Yingchun felt very awkward, but since she couldn't explain, she could only brace herself and return the greetings.

Once they finally left the village and reached the main road, Xiao Yingchun asked, "What are we eating?"

Dai Hengxin looked around. "I'll go get the car. Wanna go to Wanda?"

Xiao Yingchun: "Sure."

As Dai Hengxin's Mercedes-Benz GLS pulled up and he thoughtfully opened the door for her, Xiao Yingchun remarked casually, "What a nice car!"

Dai Hengxin gave a refined smile. "As long as you want it, you can afford it anytime."

With just those two gold ingots, Xiao Yingchun had earned 1.6 million, which was more than enough to buy this car.

Xiao Yingchun fell silent.

Realizing her defensiveness, Dai Hengxin smiled and changed the subject. "What do you feel like eating?"

Xiao Yingchun thought for a moment. "Hotpot, let's go."

And so, Dai Hengxin took Xiao Yingchun to Haidilao.

It had to be said that there was a reason Dai Hengxin could run a pawnshop; he quickly dismantled Xiao Yingchun's previous awkwardness and defensiveness, and they began to chat animatedly.

Dai Hengxin first clarified that he had indeed asked his grandfather about her, but he hadn't told him she was his client; he had simply said they had met a couple of times before.

Grandpa Zhao had clearly misunderstood his grandson's intentions, thinking he was interested in Xiao Yingchun, which was why he had insisted on seeing him off to the front of the store.

This honesty allowed Xiao Yingchun to lower her guard somewhat.

Then, Dai Hengxin took the initiative to talk about his university days, his classmates' employment situations, and the reason he opened the pawnshop.

"It's too hard to find a job these days. My uncle talked me into it, saying this field was good, so I studied it. It wasn't until I started looking for work that I realized how difficult it is."

"The salaries for specialized roles aren't high, and I don't know how to do the non-specialized work. Employers are very picky..."

"So, I decided to just do it myself."

Xiao Yingchun became interested in the scope of the pawnshop's business. "Even though you studied cultural relic appraisal, many relics cannot be legally accepted. What do you do if you encounter those?"

Dai Hengxin clearly misunderstood her meaning and explained with a smile, "If that happens, I'll tell them directly and ask them to take it back. I'll act as if they never came."

The key point: he wouldn't call the police.

Xiao Yingchun then asked, "I've seen those treasure appraisal shows on TV, and it seems every category has its own specialists. Since you run a pawnshop, you can't exactly demand that people only bring you things within your expertise."

"What do you do when you encounter a type of appraisal you aren't skilled in?"

Dai Hengxin grinned. "I call in reinforcements. Like my uncle, for example."

Xiao Yingchun realized his point and couldn't help but laugh.

It turned out that it wasn't just medical students who called for help; archaeologists and appraisers also called for help when they encountered professional problems they couldn't solve.

She imagined that experts would also be very curious and interested when faced with things they couldn't immediately identify as real or fake.

Throughout the entire meal, Dai Hengxin did not pry into the origins of her items; he only brought up the things his grandfather had mentioned to him.

"I heard that after your parents passed away last year, your aunt caused you some trouble. Do you need any help?"

Xiao Yingchun was surprised. "You're a pawnshop owner specializing in cultural relics; can you even handle something like that?"

Dai Hengxin laughed. "Doesn't everyone have a few friends? As it happens, I have a senior from university who is a well-known lawyer in the city and runs his own firm."

"If you need it, I can set up an appointment for you."

Xiao Yingchun thanked him sincerely but politely declined. "I don't need it for now. If the need arises, I'll find you."

Dai Hengxin took the opportunity to ask for her WeChat.

Xiao Yingchun did not refuse.

As Grandpa Zhao's grandson, it wouldn't be hard for him to find out about her situation; it was better to be straightforward.

After finishing a meal that was somewhere between lunch and dinner, Dai Hengxin drove Xiao Yingchun home again.

As they were saying goodbye, Xiao Yingchun thought it over and finally made up her mind. "I have some items at my place. I'll bring them over to you tomorrow. Could you take a look for me?"

Dai Hengxin couldn't have asked for more. "Of course! What time tomorrow? I'll be waiting for you."

Xiao Yingchun thought for a moment. "How about noon?"

Dai Hengxin: "No problem! I'll wait for you at the shop at noon, and I'll treat you to lunch then."

Xiao Yingchun studied Dai Hengxin's expression, a suspicion rising in her heart: *Is this guy actually interested in me?*

After Dai Hengxin left, just as Xiao Yingchun opened the shop door, she heard a familiar voice.

"Little Yingchun, I think I just saw someone dropping you off?"

It was Grandpa Zhao, Zhao Jiping.

Seeing the old man smiling with a meaningful look, Xiao Yingchun admitted it frankly. "It was Dai Hengxin. He treated me to a meal."

"Oh..." Grandpa Zhao drew out the word. "My grandson graduated from a prestigious school, he's handsome, and he's good at business. He's quite wonderful!"

"Mhm, mhm, mhm! Very wonderful..." Xiao Yingchun replied perfunctorily while turning on the lights and the fan, finally managing to brush him off.

Looking at the empty snack shelves, Xiao Yingchun hurriedly called Uncle Liang to ask him to bring some small snack packs tomorrow.

This wouldn't do; the weather was too hot, and even the air from the fan was hot. She needed an air conditioner!

Xiao Yingchun placed an order for an air conditioner directly on JD.com. Before long, someone called back to confirm the installation time.

Just as she hung up and prepared to settle the accounts, someone entered the door. "Yingchun, the people you owe money to have come to my house. Why haven't you paid your debts?"

Xiao Yingchun looked up and met a familiar face: it was her aunt, Ge Chunyu.