Seeing that Chen Lin was firm about not accepting the money, Wu Jun didn't press the issue. Two hundred yuan was barely enough for a decent restaurant meal nowadays, and passing it back and forth would just be embarrassing if someone saw.
"I promised I'd treat you to a meal once this was settled. There's no time like the present, so how about tonight? Are you free this evening?" Wu Jun asked tentatively.
Chen Lin wasn't the kind of stunning beauty who caught your eye immediately, but her features were well-proportioned and she had a fair, clear complexion that was very pleasant to look at.
Wu Jun didn't mind spending a little money to treat her to a meal. Of course, this was just as friends—a guy and a girl getting dinner together.
He had no plans to get married before he turned thirty, and he wasn't in any hurry to find a girlfriend.
There was an older, unmarried woman in his family who hadn't found a husband yet. As a bachelor himself, his very existence helped draw some of the family's fire away from her, so she wouldn't have to face their nagging all alone.
Chen Lin said, "Wu Jun, you don't have to be so formal with me. I was just doing my job; it's not like I was doing free labor for you. Besides, you've already treated me to a meal twice. If we're going out, it should be my turn to treat you."
"Alright, then you can treat me. We'll celebrate getting the trademark," Wu Jun said with a smile, raising the folder that held the newly acquired documents.
Chen Lin wasn't just making polite conversation.
The first time they had dinner, Wu Jun paid.
The second time, she'd wanted to pay, but Wu Jun had already settled the bill.
She wasn't the kind of girl who liked to take advantage of people. She felt that since Wu Jun had treated her twice, it was her turn to treat him back.
Chen Lin smiled and said, "Alright, then. Eight o'clock tonight, grilled fish on the fourth floor of Haiyue Tiandi. See you there."
"See you there." Wu Jun said his goodbyes to Chen Lin and turned to leave.
This time, the little yellow bike was still there. Wang Hongliang must have learned his lesson and didn't ride it off when he left. Wu Jun scanned the code to unlock it and headed toward his small supermarket.
Even though he could make almost 3,000 yuan in the hour between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.
But Wu Jun wasn't the kind of person who only thought about money.
He'd come to realize lately that one could never earn all the money in the world.
A normal social life was still necessary. He couldn't just shut himself off from the world and focus solely on making money.
No matter how much money you made, if you never had a chance to spend it, it was no different from paper. Money was only worth something when you spent it.
By the time he got back to the supermarket, it was already past four in the afternoon, just before the evening customer rush.
Wu Jun carefully put away the trademark documents he had just received and opened the store for business.
From five to seven, he was busy for two solid hours. After getting through the busiest period of the day, he closed up shop and ended his business for the day.
He peeled off his sweat-stained clothes and went into the back bathroom to wash up.
After changing into a clean set of clothes, he hung up a small sign that read, "Stepped out, temporarily closed," and left for his dinner engagement.
Haiyue Tiandi was in the Qiaoxi District of Shimen City, which wasn't close to his Tianyuan Community.
Since it was evening rush hour, leaving an hour early was a necessity.
After stepping out, Wu Jun hailed a taxi and headed straight for Haiyue Tiandi.
At 7:40 p.m., the taxi stopped in front of Haiyue Tiandi. Wu Jun paid the fare, got out, and walked toward the mall's main entrance.
Haiyue Tiandi was a massive shopping mall, a hub for both leisure and entertainment, with two basement levels and five floors above ground.
Though it was only five stories tall, its opulent exterior gave it a grand, impressive air. The mall was famous throughout Shimen City and particularly popular with young couples, who considered it a prime dating spot.
Upon entering the mall and taking the escalator to the fourth floor, the first thing he saw was a five-meter-wide artificial river that snaked through the entire level.
Seeing an artificial river inside a shopping mall, where every square foot was prime real estate, was visually stunning. It was an absolutely extravagant feature.
The shops lining both banks of the artificial river were all built in the Venetian style.
Overhead, a massive LED screen depicting a blue sky and white clouds covered the entire ceiling.
Arriving on the fourth floor of Haiyue Tiandi felt like being transported to a small town in Venice.
Wu Jun had been here once before, but the novelty of the place still impressed him.
'No wonder this place is so popular with young couples,' he thought. 'It really is beautiful.'
"Wu Jun, over here!"
Hearing his name called, Wu Jun looked toward the voice and saw Chen Lin.
Tonight, Chen Lin was wearing a black-and-white dress. Her hair, which she usually wore in a bun for work, was let down and cascaded over her shoulders.
She had one hand resting on the railing while waving to him with the other.
Wu Jun walked over to her. "When did you get here? I'm so sorry for making you wait."
"I just got here myself, less than five minutes ago." Chen Lin raised her hand, glancing at the small, pink mechanical watch on her wrist. "Anyway, never mind that. I've already booked a table, so it's too late for you to try and pay this time," she said. "Come on, let's go. If we're late, we'll have to wait in line for a spot."
Chen Lin beckoned for Wu Jun to follow, then turned and led the way. Wu Jun fell into step behind her.
'On my way here in the taxi, I bought a group-deal voucher for a four-person grilled fish combo...'
'Looks like I'll have to wait for next time. Chen Lin didn't give me an opening.'
After they entered the restaurant, the food was served quickly.
Since this wasn't their first meal together and they were about the same age, they chatted and laughed easily, so there were no awkward silences.
As they ate, Wu Jun kept getting the uncomfortable feeling that a pair of eyes was fixed on him. But when he looked around, he didn't see anyone he knew.
He could only tell himself that he was being paranoid.
After they finished eating, just as Wu Jun and Chen Lin were about to get up, a chubby-faced little boy who looked to be about ten years old approached their table.
The little boy pulled out two movie tickets, his face red, and stammered, "Big brother, big sister, could you... could you do me a favor? I bought tickets for the cinema on the fifth floor and waited for my girlfriend for over three hours. Her parents watch her really closely, so she couldn't make it. I have these two tickets I can sell to you cheap. I'm not a scalper or a scammer, really! The tickets cost 50 each, but you can have both for 80."
Wu Jun and Chen Lin couldn't help but crack a smile after hearing the little boy's story.
'This little brat is practically a walking taunt,' Wu Jun thought. 'He's this young and already has a girlfriend? And he even knows to take her to the movies?'
'All these years, I've just been a loyal streaming service subscriber. I don't even know which way the doors to the movie theater open.'
'Compared to this kid, I'm a total loser.'
Chen Lin took the tickets and glanced at them. The price printed on them was indeed 50 yuan each. She smiled and asked, "I don't have any cash on me, kiddo. Can I...?"
"I can! WeChat or Alipay, either is fine." Before Chen Lin could finish, the chubby kid nodded eagerly. He pulled out his own phone and asked her, "Miss, which one do you use?"
"I'll get it, I'll get it." Seeing his chance, Wu Jun quickly pulled out a hundred-yuan bill and handed it to the boy. "Keep the change," he said. "And next time you ask your girlfriend to the movies, wait for her to show up before you buy the tickets."
His small supermarket brought in several thousand yuan in cash a day, so Wu Jun was never short on it.
He already felt bad that Chen Lin had paid for dinner. Letting her pay for the movie tickets too was out of the question.
"Thank you, big brother! I hope you and your wife have a baby soon and live happily ever after!" The chubby kid gave them a polite bow and then scurried out of the restaurant.
The little boy's final blessing left Chen Lin completely flustered and red-faced.
'A hundred yuan was all it took to upgrade her from "Miss" to "my wife"?'
Wu Jun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Chen Lin," he said, "I promise I didn't put him up to that."
Blushing, Chen Lin nodded. "I know."