Of Pillows and Pampering

In the bustling atmosphere of Sky Bridge in Capital City, under the scorching summer sun and the gentle evening breeze, vendors had set up a myriad of stalls, their calls rising and falling in a symphony of commerce and excitement.

Ran Yun sat cross-legged on a cushion, her chin resting on her hand, as she watched a young girl who had just made eye contact with her pull a friend towards a nearby stall to admire hairpins. A sense of disappointment washed over her.

Counting on her fingers, she 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 masters had warned her that life off the mountain would be tough.

It was really difficult.

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

“Ah—” A soft chuckle sounded from beside her, and Ran Yun looked over in surprise to see the vendor next to her, who was applying phone screens, sneaking glances at her.

The one laughing was naturally her.

Mark Wang hadnt expected to be caught, and his face flushed red when he met the clear eyes of the young girl, feeling a bit embarrassed for being caught staring.

Ran Yun didnt get angry; instead, she suddenly remembered something, her eyes brightening as she picked up an item from her stall and offered it to him with a smile, "Hey there, would you like to buy some plasters? Authentic dog-skin plasters, guaranteed to cure all sorts of bruises, aches, and pains. Where it hurts, just apply it, and its sure to work wonders."

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

Theres a chance!

Ran Yuns eyes brightened even more, her beautiful eyes curving into a lovely arc that made the red mole on her forehead seem even more vibrant. She said with a beaming smile, "Only one dollar, please."

Thats not expensive at all.

Coughing lightly, Mark Wang had been quietly observing her for a while. He noticed that every time someone walked away, her eyes would dim, looking so pitiful and interesting that he couldnt help but feel a pang of sympathy. His earlier laugh was because of this.

He said, "Then give me one."

Its just a dollar, after all.

"Alright!"

Ran Yun handed him the plaster, palm open towards him, eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

Mark Wang glanced at her stall, noticing it lacked a QR code for payment. "Do you have a phone? I can transfer the money to you via my phone."

"Phone?" Ran Yun blinked, turned her head, and rummaged through her bag for a while before pulling out a dusty object. "Is this it?"

She had seen everyone just tap on their phones a few times, and then the money arrived, which she found quite magical.

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 when she was searching—several porcelain bottles with red paper labels reading "Revival Pills," "Poison Pills," "Soul-Breaking Water," and if he wasnt mistaken, that black, round object looked like a Feng Shui compass. His mouth twitched even more.

Where did this girl, who seemed to be swindling people, come from some remote mountain village?

Forget it, she must be desperate.

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

"Here you go."

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

Mark Wang just laughed, taking her words as auspicious blessings and didnt pay much attention. He casually pocketed the plaster.

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

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

Ran Yun looked up, her eyes flashing with surprise and admiration. The man had exquisite features, captivating peach blossom eyes, an air of nobility, and it was somewhat incongruous for him to squat in front of her small stall.

Only for a moment was she captivated, and then Ran Yun quickly returned to her normal demeanor, saying, "One dollar per piece, buy five get one free."

Ethan Xu almost laughed out loud. He had never seen anything so cheap in his life.

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

Ran Yun blinked, "All of them?"

"Yes, all of them."

He pulled out a stack of red banknotes from his pocket, "Money is no object."

A big spender.

Ran Yun marveled, not dawdling as she found a bag to pack all the plasters, instructing on their use: "Just apply it where it hurts."

Finally, she handed him the bag, "A total of ninety-nine patches, buy five get one free, eighty dollars in total, and the remaining three are a gift."

"No need for gifts." Ethan Xu took out a red note 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 who didnt want a discount; he was indeed a big client with a generous hand.

Ran Yun didnt pretend to be modest and readily gave him the one-dollar coin. Just before handing it over, she suddenly took it back and instead took out a copper coin from her bag. 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."

"Sure." Ethan Xu glanced at it and nodded.

Efficient.

Ran Yun handed him the copper coin with a bright smile, "Take your time, and come again when you have the chance."

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

"Rich people," Mark Wang commented.

Ran Yun looked at the hundred dollars in her hand and nodded seriously, "Indeed, very rich."

Well, they werent talking about the same thing.

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

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

A hundred dollars was enough?

Mark Wangs face was strange, but considering she was so young and on this path, a hundred dollars was indeed good for her.

Ah, she wasnt easy either.

On the other side, Ethan Xu 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 pieces, ninety-nine dollars spent, long-lasting, a lifetime, Charles, this is a good omen."

In the back seat, there was a man, the light from the computer screen reflecting on his face, making it unclear, but his aura was still hard to ignore.

Hearing his voice, Charles Lu looked up, his handsome face immediately apparent, even the delicately featured Ethan Xu paled in comparison. There was a faint aura of danger between his eyebrows, a glance that made ones heart tremble, not daring to look directly, but he was holding a string of Buddhist beads, silently moving them, his deep eyes