NO ONE ELSE COMES CLOSE

In the sweltering heat of summer, a gentle evening breeze swept through New York City. Under the Brooklyn Bridge, vendors had set up a variety of stalls, their calls rising and falling in a cacophony of noise, creating a lively atmosphere.

Jane sat cross-legged on a cushion, her chin resting on her hand, feeling a bit disheartened as she watched a young girl who had just made eye contact with her pull a friend to look at hair clips at the neighboring stall.

Counting on her fingers, she couldnt help but let out a long sigh; this was the one hundred and fifty-second person today! They only looked, never asked, and certainly didnt buy. No wonder her mentors had warned her that life in the city was tough.

It was really difficult.

Her delicate, fair face wrinkled as she propped her chin on her hand, feeling the emptiness in her pockets and pouting in distress.

“Pffft—” A small, suppressed laugh came from beside her, and Jane looked over in surprise to see the vendor next to her, who was applying phones, watching her.

The one laughing was naturally her.

Mark didnt expect to be caught red-handed and, meeting the girls bright eyes, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Jane didnt get angry; instead, she suddenly remembered something, her eyes brightening as she picked up an item from her stall and handed it over with a smile, "Hey there, would you like to buy some plasters? Authentic dog-skin plasters, guaranteed to cure all kinds of bruises, rheumatism, and aches. Just apply where it hurts, and its sure to work."

Mark was awkward, but seeing the black, unattractive dog-skin plaster in her delicate hand, he momentarily forgot his embarrassment and asked, "How much does it cost?"

Hope!

Janes eyes brightened even more, her beautiful eyes curving into a pretty arc that made the red mole on her forehead seem even more vibrant. She smiled and said, "Only one dollar, please."

Thats not expensive.

Coughing lightly, Mark had been observing her for a while, noticing how her eyes would dim every time someone walked away, looking so pitiful and interesting. He had laughed at that.

He said, "Alright, give me one then."

Its just a dollar after all.

"Coming right up!"

Jane handed him the plaster, her palm open towards him, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

Mark glanced at her stall, which didnt have a QR code for payment, and asked, "Wheres your phone? Ill transfer the money to you through my phone."

"Phone?" Jane blinked, rummaged through her bag for a while, and finally pulled out a dusty object. "Is this it?"

She had seen everyone just tap on their phones, and the money would come through, which she thought was amazing.

Looking at the Nokia in her hand, where the numbers had been worn off, he couldnt help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something that had fallen out of her bag while she was searching—a few porcelain bottles with red paper labels reading "Revival Pills," "Poison Pills," "Soul-Breaking Water," and whatnot. If he wasnt mistaken, that black, round object looked like a Feng Shui compass. His mouth twitched even more.

Where did this swindling girl come from some remote mountain village?

Forget it, she must be desperate.

Sighing, he took out a one-dollar coin from his wallet.

"Here you go."

Holding the coin in her hand, Jane was in great spirits, her tone full of joy as she said, "Thank you, sir. Youre so kind. You will make a fortune today."

Mark just laughed, taking it as a lucky charm and not paying much attention. He casually put the plaster in his pocket.

With her first income in the bag, it was a good omen for the day.

Sure enough, not long after, someone else stopped in front of her stall, "How much is this?"

Jane looked up, her eyes flashing with surprise. The man had delicate features, a pair of peach blossom eyes that were captivating, and an air of nobility. He squatted in front of her small stall, looking somewhat out of place.

Only surprised for a moment, Jane quickly returned to normal and said, "One dollar each, buy five get one free."

Jason almost laughed. He had never seen anything so cheap in his life.

Glancing around, he casually said, "Wrap them all up for me."

Jane blinked, "All of them?"

"Yes, all of them," he said, pulling out a stack of red bills from his pocket. "Im not short on money."

A big spender.

Jane sighed, not dawdling as she found a bag to pack all the plasters in, instructing on the usage: "Just apply it where it hurts."

Finally, she handed him the bag, "Ninety-nine patches in total, buy five get one free, eighty dollars in total, and Im giving you the remaining three for free."

"No need for free," Jason took out a red bill and handed it to her, pointing at the coin in her hand, "Ninety-nine dollars, give me this as change."

This was the first time she had seen someone not want a discount; he was indeed a big client, with a generous hand.

Jane didnt hesitate and gave him the one-dollar coin. Before handing it over, she suddenly pulled her hand back and took out a copper coin from her bag instead. She had heard that people in the city liked to collect these, and she had nurtured it with spiritual energy for a while. Wearing it for a long time was beneficial to health, so it wasnt like she was taking advantage.

"Here, take this instead."

"Alright." Jason glanced at it and nodded.

Straightforward.

Jane handed him the copper coin with a bright smile, "Take your time, come back often."

"Will do." Jason got up, gave her a meaningful look, and walked towards a Rolls-Royce.

"Rich people," Mark commented.

Jane looked at the hundred dollars in her hand and nodded seriously, "Very rich."

Well, they werent talking about the same thing.

Mark found it amusing and saw her packing up her stall, "Heading back already?"

Jane was tidying up her things and casually replied, "Yeah, Ive earned enough for today."

A hundred dollars was enough?

Marks face was strange, but he thought about how she was so young and on this path; a hundred dollars was indeed good for her.

Ah, she wasnt easy.

---

On the other side, Jason sat in the drivers seat, casually threw the items in his hand to the back, and turned his head with a grin, "Here, the plasters you wanted, and a copper coin as change, exactly ninety-nine patches, cost ninety-nine dollars, long-lasting, a lifetime, Mr. Lu, this is a good omen."

In the back seat, there was a man, his face illuminated by the light of the computer screen, indistinct, but his aura was still hard to ignore.

Hearing his voice, Ethan looked up, his handsome face immediately revealed, even the delicate Jason lost color in front of him. His eyebrows were tinged with an indescribable aura of slaughter, a glance made people feel their hearts tremble, not daring to look directly, but in his hand, he held a string of Buddhist beads, silently moving them, his deep eyes like an ink pool, no joy or sorrow, no ripples.

Meeting his gaze, Jasons face stiffened, he coughed lightly, and his expression became more serious, asking, "What are you going to do with this girl? Ive heard that several in the Lu family are waiting to see your joke."

The president of the Lu Corporation, who is supposed to marry a girl who ran out from some mountain village, who could have thought that the Su family couldnt even keep their own daughter