He rode his bike from one street to the next, weaving from the east side of town to the west, then to the south, but still came up empty-handed.
He stopped in front of a bookstore. The door was open, so he went in and looked around, but he came out empty-handed once again.
He then wandered over to a stationery store, glanced at the items inside, and shook his head.
He stood on the curb, watching the pedestrians pass by, a growing sense of urgency in his heart.
He thought of the wallet Jiang Silu had given as a gift—the one engraved with an "L." It was thoughtful and warm.
He remembered the secretive look on her face as she led him into her room to see the painting, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled.
Yesterday afternoon, Jiang Silu had pulled him to her bedroom door and said secretively, "Brother, come in. I want to show you something."
He followed her inside. Jiang Silu took a cloth-wrapped frame from a cabinet and carefully unwrapped it.
