Chapter Fifty-Two: Buying a Phone

Early morning, and the rain had yet to cease. It continued its relentless patter against the leaves, as if even the heavens had begun to mourn for this world.

Usually, Mo Lan drove herself wherever she needed to go, but for the past two days, An Feng had frequently accompanied her, becoming her chauffeur. Every morning, he arrived punctually, carrying two boxes of breakfast prepared by his uncle, who had specifically instructed him not to forget it and promised to make it every day.

Mo Lan had intended to drive herself, but seeing An Feng already waiting, she smiled and greeted him, taking the breakfast from his hands. “You really are working hard. Now you’re my driver and my breakfast buyer,” she teased, settling herself into the passenger seat.

“It’s no trouble at all! As long as you don’t mind seeing me,” An Feng replied, remembering his uncle’s advice from the night before—to be proactive with girls. His uncle had lectured him, insisting he should treat Mo Lan with care, and had endlessly praised her virtues.

An Feng understood that his uncle meant well, filling the role of half a father, worrying about everything for him.

Mo Lan wondered if An Feng had taken some strange medicine today; he wasn’t usually so agreeable. But she didn’t dwell on it and began eating her breakfast right there in the car.

Since An Feng had already eaten at home, the two breakfasts were both meant for Mo Lan. His uncle clearly considered her as a potential niece-in-law already.

An Feng drove with particular steadiness, allowing Mo Lan to eat without concern for making a mess.

After finishing, Mo Lan left the trash in the car and glanced ahead. “I need to buy a new phone today. Could you take me to a phone shop first?”

In this age of advanced technology, being without a phone was truly inconvenient. To reach someone, one had to go in person, and often didn’t even know where to find them.

An Feng nodded and drove directly to a reputable phone store. The model he currently used had just released a couple’s edition, so he planned to upgrade as well.

Mo Lan had never been to such a high-end store before; her first phone wasn’t bought from a place like this, as she’d stopped asking her family for money long ago.

After disposing of the trash, Mo Lan entered the shop and found the décor simple, but the selection impressive.

Inside, two attendants were working. One greeted them enthusiastically, “Captain An, you’re here! Are you buying a phone today, or is it for the lady?”

An Feng nodded, uninterested in other women, and walked straight to the couple’s edition phones, examining them before pointing one out.

The attendant, used to An Feng’s reserved manner, smiled and quickly brought out the two devices. Mo Lan approached and saw they were indeed a couple’s set, causing her cheeks to flush.

Setting aside the couple’s theme, the phones were the latest models—sleek and appealing. Mo Lan picked up the smaller one, admiring it from every angle, and was thoroughly satisfied. Then she glanced at the price: 99,999 yuan.

New models certainly came at a steep cost, but in reality, each phone was about 40,000 yuan—still acceptable for two. An Feng’s current phone was decent; did he really need to upgrade? If not, she’d look at other options.

“Do you need a SIM card as well? If not, let’s settle the bill,” An Feng said, his tone gentle as he glanced at the SIM cards.

The usually proud Captain An suddenly showed such tenderness that the staff were stunned.

“Are you buying for yourself or…?” Mo Lan hesitated. She didn’t dare assume An Feng would gift her such an expensive phone, especially since she wasn’t even officially his girlfriend yet. He hadn’t said anything.

“Do you need a SIM card? If not, I’ll pay. We’ll buy both together,” An Feng said, finding Mo Lan’s emotional intelligence to be not much better than Qian Yin’s. Clearly, his uncle was right—he needed to be proactive. Otherwise, this woman could be stolen away and he wouldn’t even notice. But with her emotional intelligence, would anyone even succeed?

The attendant smiled, eager to make the sale of their first new model. She fetched gift bags and complimentary items, then began processing the payment.

The other attendant didn’t approach but watched Mo Lan with envy in her eyes. With such a handsome and devoted boyfriend, happiness seemed inevitable.

Mo Lan, lost in thought, caught the attendant’s gaze and glanced back, confused by the look. Could she really claim that she and An Feng had no relationship?

The attendant was perceptive, handing the card to An Feng after settling the bill, and presenting the gift bag with the phone to Mo Lan.

An Feng paid no mind to these details, took his card and the other phone, and strode toward the door. Mo Lan carefully followed, carrying her own phone.

“Thank you both for your purchase! Please visit again,” the attendant called after them, exchanging a glance with her colleague, both eyes sparkling with admiration.

“Don’t you think they’re a perfect match?”

“Although I’m jealous, I have to admit, they are.”

“Yes, why isn’t the Captain this nice to us?”

“Enough, stop being jealous. They’re gone.”

The two attendants resumed serving other customers.

Back in the car, Mo Lan felt awkward, unsure how to begin. She already had a secondary SIM, so she didn’t need a new one.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” An Feng asked, watching Mo Lan’s reflection in the rearview mirror.

“No, I love it. Thank you. But…it’s such a valuable gift. I don’t feel comfortable simply accepting it. Why don’t I pay you back?” Mo Lan felt guilty; forty thousand yuan was a considerable amount, even for her.

“That four-leaf clover you gave me—that was your gift, wasn’t it? I accepted it, so you should accept mine too,” An Feng replied naturally, unconcerned about the difference in value.

As his uncle had said, pursuing a girl required generosity. It wasn’t about materialism, but about willingness. If you can’t spend money on her while courting, would you be willing once you marry her?

An Feng had felt awkward hearing this; he’d never pursued anyone, never spent money for someone, how could he know?

Mo Lan was momentarily speechless. She felt her own gift had been too modest; she resolved to commission Boss Jin to craft another, proper one to give him again.