Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 1074 Inspiration

Lin Xiaocha stared at the vending machine in front of her, feeling her social savvy reach its peak. She'd never put so much effort into interacting with people in her life, but in front of this cold machine, she'd exhausted all her words and energy. "Move! I put in three dollars and fifty cents!" She stood on tiptoe and kicked the side of the machine with all her might. The furry duck-butt charm on her canvas bag swayed with her movements, as if cheering her on, yet also silently mocking her futility. An iced Coke sat securely on the top shelf, the water droplets on the bottle reflecting the light, as if smugly mocking her 158-foot-high altitude. Lin Xiaocha swallowed and looked around. This corner of the supermarket wasn't crowded, and the occasional customer passed by, looking at her with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. Her face flushed, but she held her neck erect, thinking defiantly: It's just a can of Coke, and I have to get it today! She took two steps back and looked at the shopping cart next to her. The shopping cart looked quite sturdy and should be able to bear her weight. A bold idea popped up in her mind - climb onto the shopping cart and reach the can of Coke! She rubbed her hands, stretched her ankles, and was about to take a step and use this ultimate killer move when a chuckle suddenly floated over her head. The laughter was very light, with a bit of lazy magnetism, like a feather gently scratching the tip of her heart, making Lin Xiaocha's movements freeze instantly. "Do you need help?" Lin Xiaocha turned around suddenly, and perhaps because she moved too quickly, her chin hit the handle of the shopping cart behind her accurately. "Ouch!" She grimaced in pain and subconsciously covered her chin, tears welling up in her eyes. After a long while, she raised her head and looked in the direction of the sound. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw it. The boy in front of her was wearing a simple white T-shirt with the cuffs casually rolled up to his forearms, revealing his smooth arms. He was holding a bag of frozen dumplings with the words "Cabbage and Pork Stuffing" printed on the packaging. The sunlight filtered through the huge glass curtain wall of the supermarket, gently shining on him, casting a light golden edge on his shoulders, and even the ordinary bag of frozen dumplings in his hand looked inexplicably handsome. What made her unable to look away the most were his eyes, which were curved like crescent moons and filled with a smile that made her feel warm. His Adam's apple rolled slightly with his smile, and the ups and downs were like a small stone dropped into the lake of Lin Xiaocha's heart, causing ripples. "No need!" Lin Xiaocha refused almost reflexively. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of strangers, especially in front of such a handsome-looking boy. She turned around quickly, pretending that nothing had happened, her mind racing, thinking about how else she could get the Coke besides climbing into the shopping cart. She caught a glimpse of a long strip of merchandise on the shelf next to her, and an idea struck her: isn't this a ready-made "clothesline"? She reached out and took the thing down; it was a roll of plastic wrap. Never mind, she'd just make do with it for now. She imitated the way a clothesline works, standing on tiptoe, holding up the roll of plastic wrap, and trying to hook the Coke down. However, ideals are full of hope, but reality is very skinny. Her arms weren't long enough, and she couldn't find the right angle. After struggling for a long time, the Coke didn't move at all. Just as she adjusted her posture and prepared to try again, her feet slipped and her body instantly lost balance. "Ah!" Lin Xiaocha screamed, feeling the world spinning before her eyes. She subconsciously closed her eyes, waiting for close contact with the cold ground. But the expected pain did not come, instead, she felt a warm and solid embrace. A faint scent of soapberry lingered at the tip of her nose, clean and refreshing, making her feel at ease. Lin Xiaocha slowly opened her eyes and found herself in the boy's arms, with him holding her waist firmly. Her face flushed red like a ripe apple. To make her even more embarrassed, the shopping basket in her hand had fallen to the ground at some point, and the things inside rolled all over the floor. There were a few orange carrots, and... a pack of sanitary napkins. Those things scattered on the ground formed a strange and embarrassing scene. Lin Xiaocha felt that her ears were so hot that she could fry an egg, and she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. "That..." She stammered, her voice as soft as a mosquito's, "They just happened to be in the same basket." She really didn't put the two things together on purpose. She was just in a hurry to buy things and threw them in. The boy didn't say anything, but just bent down to help her pick up the things on the ground. His movements were very gentle, and his fingers were slender and clean. When picking up a carrot that rolled to her feet, his fingertips accidentally touched the back of her hand. The touch, like a faint electric current, instantly spread throughout Lin Xiaocha's body. She jumped up as if struck by lightning, but in her panic, she lost her balance and tripped over her own canvas shoes. They fell to the side, revealing her red socks, with three bold yellow characters printed on the soles: "Good Luck Comes." Lin Xiaocha: "..." What kind of unlucky day is today? The boy looked at her red socks, his smile growing deeper, but he was too polite to laugh out loud. He put the items he had picked up into the shopping basket and handed it to Lin Xiaocha. "My name is Xu Yang," he said. His voice was pleasant, like the sound of a mountain stream. "Do you need me to get your Coke?" Lin Xiaocha took the basket, her head lowered, not daring to meet his gaze. "...Okay, thank you." She didn't have the energy to argue with the vending machine anymore, nor did she have the nerve to refuse. Xu Yang walked over to the vending machine and effortlessly removed the can of iced Coke. When he handed it to Lin Xiaocha, he took out another can of Coke from his shopping cart, "Here's this for you too. You've worked so hard just now, so you should replenish some water." Lin Xiaocha was stunned for a moment, and quickly waved her hands, "No, no, one can is enough for me." "Take it." Xu Yang stuffed the Coke into her hand, his tone was gentle and unrejectable, "Just think of it as... an apology for not helping you in time just now." Lin Xiaocha wanted to say something else, but Xu Yang handed over the bag of frozen dumplings in his hand, "This is for you too." "Ah? How can this be!" Lin Xiaocha stepped back in fear, "It's too expensive, I can't take it." Xu Yang smiled and explained, "You seem to need to replenish energy, and this is easy to cook. Besides, I can't eat so much by myself." He put the dumplings into Lin Xiaocha's shopping cart, "