“Let me see your documents!”
Inside the village committee office, the young man Damao saw that Tian Tian seemed lost in thought and rapped on the desk.
Tian Tian snapped back to attention. “Sorry, here are my documents.”
At that time, as a Special Economic Zone, Shenzhen required outsiders to obtain a border defense certificate. You could skip it and sneak in through remote spots, but if you got caught, you’d be in trouble. Since Tian Tian wanted to stay in Shenzhen legally, she had naturally obtained the certificate.
However, the border defense certificate was only valid for fifteen days. To settle inside the checkpoint, she needed to get a temporary residence permit as soon as possible.
With that permit, she wouldn’t have to worry about getting checked. She could also focus fully on building her career.
“Take these to the police station, submit the documents and the fee, and you’ll get your permit.”
Tian Tian took the papers but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she smiled at him. “Handsome, could I ask you something?”
Damao had been eager to head back outside and rejoin the conversation. He didn’t really want to answer. But she was pretty and smiling, so he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He nodded.
“Thanks, handsome. I wanted to ask—can outsiders like us buy land in the village and build a house? I’ve heard that some villages sell land to outsiders. I’m just curious about the rules here.”
Damao wasn’t surprised by the question. Ever since Shenzhen became a Special Economic Zone, factories had been popping up one after another. Small villages like theirs had become hot property. Quite a few people had come asking about buying land and building houses. But this was the first time a young girl had inquired.
He was a bit surprised but didn’t say much. He simply recited the policy as he knew it.
After hearing him out, Tian Tian sighed imperceptibly. Just as she’d expected, they strictly followed the policy here. Even if the village were willing to sell her land before she transferred her household registration, she wouldn’t dare buy it.
She then asked a bit more about the village’s basic situation before thanking him and stepping outside.
Outside, Zhou Haoting was still chatting with the middle-aged men.
His tall, handsome figure stood out strikingly against the pot-bellied men around him.
When he saw Tian Tian come out, Zhou Haoting subtly shifted to the side. The men chatting with him didn’t notice—they just followed his movement.
The doorway, which had been half-blocked, was now completely clear.
The men didn’t pay attention, but Tian Tian understood Zhou Haoting’s intention. She thought to herself, No wonder this guy became such a big shot in his past life. Not everyone has this kind of thoughtfulness.
She nodded to Zhou Haoting in thanks and walked out with her documents.
Watching her graceful figure, Zhou Haoting said, “Uncle, I’m taking a day off today. I’ll make a few more runs and try to get all the connections sorted out as soon as possible.”
The village chief—his uncle—nodded repeatedly. “Alright, go ahead. If you run into trouble, speak up. Not just me—your other uncles can help too…”
Before he could finish, the village chief watched his nephew stride off quickly.
“Ah, this kid is too impatient.”
Damao, who had come out a moment later, saw Zhou Haoting’s hurried back and felt like something wasn’t quite right.
—
“Miss Tian…”
Walking along the village path, Tian Tian was observing her surroundings when she heard a pleasant voice calling her from behind. She stopped, puzzled. Turning around, she was stunned.
Was Zhou Haoting calling her? How did he know she was surnamed Tian?
As if reading her confusion, Zhou Haoting quickly closed the distance and said with a smile, “Sorry, Miss Tian. That was abrupt. I heard Damao say your name inside the village committee, so I just went with it. Sorry if I overstepped.”
This guy was surprisingly polite—two “sorry”s in one sentence. Tian Tian thought this to herself, her expression completely relaxed.
“No problem, it’s nothing. My name is Tian Tian. I’m currently renting a room at Granny Cui’s place. And you’re Zhou Haoting, right?”
Zhou Haoting had been inwardly rehearsing how to introduce himself. Seeing how composed and natural Tian Tian was, he suddenly laughed. “Yes, I’m Zhou Haoting. To be honest, I was a bit nervous just now, trying to figure out how to introduce myself. Turns out you already know who I am. I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised.”
Tian Tian, who had thought this was just an ordinary conversation, was taken aback by his directness. She quickly told herself she was overthinking.
With a dry laugh, she said, “Well, if there’s nothing else, I need to go apply for my temporary residence permit. I’ll be off.”
Zhou Haoting said, “This might still be a bit forward, but I happen to be heading to the police station anyway. Shall I give you a ride?”
As he said this, his face remained calm, but his palms were sweating, and his heart was pounding like a drum.
God knows—he felt like his behavior was as clumsy as any street punk hitting on a girl. But he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to talk to her. He’d never believed in love at first sight before, but reality was teaching him a lesson.
Tian Tian was stunned. Her already large eyes widened even further.
Wait a minute.
She wanted to stick a finger in her ear, but since a handsome guy was standing right there, she restrained herself. In front of an attractive stranger, she still had some dignity to maintain.
But good heavens!
In her previous life, Tian Tian had lived to thirty and remained single. It wasn’t that no one had pursued her—she just hadn’t found anyone suitable. And since there was no right fit, she refused to settle. So she had zero experience in this area!
Maybe she was overthinking it?
Tian Tian licked her lips and took a deep breath. She told herself: Tian Tian, don’t overthink it. Don’t read into things. He’s just being kind, giving an outsider a ride. That’s all. This is the future small-appliance magnate. A man of his vision and character is probably just happy to help. Yes, exactly.
So, not wanting to dampen his spirits, Tian Tian nodded and replied, “Really? That would be great. But it won’t delay your own business, will it?”
Zhou Haoting saw her hesitation and clenched his fists in excitement. He had watched her internal struggle just now. It would have been perfectly normal for her to refuse.
He never expected her to say yes.
This was wonderful.
So wonderful that he almost felt the urge to confess his feelings right then. But thankfully, he still had his wits about him. Confessing to someone he’d just met felt far too unreliable.
Tian Tian had no idea what Zhou Haoting was imagining. Hearing him say it was no trouble at all, she became more convinced that he was a genuinely good person.
On the way to the police station, she could also ask him some questions about the village. That, after all, was her main goal.
—
“Weren’t we walking?” Tian Tian asked, looking at the Jialing motorcycle in front of her. She had assumed they’d walk, which would give them time to chat about village matters.
Zhou Haoting replied, “The motorcycle is faster. Plus, aren’t you heading to the market after getting your permit? It’s on my way—I can take you.”
During their earlier conversation, Tian Tian had mentioned that after getting her permit, she needed to go back to the market to buy another batch of flip-flops from the vendor.
Hearing Zhou Haoting’s words now, she wondered if she was reading too much into things.
“Yes, but if you have things to do, go ahead. The market isn’t far—I can take the bus.”
Zhou Haoting quickly said, “I really do need to go that way.”
Hearing this, Tian Tian immediately recalled the “big deal” he had mentioned at the village committee.
But since they had just met, she didn’t feel comfortable asking about his business.
Zhou Haoting, however, volunteered the information. “I’m looking at a shop over there. Since I have the day off today, I figured I’d go talk to the shop owner again.”
Alright then. Tian Tian shook her head slightly, telling herself not to overthink it. He really was just a good person.
—
“Brother Ting, why didn’t you wait for me? I went to the village committee looking for you.”
Just as Tian Tian was about to get on the back of the motorcycle, she heard someone call Zhou Haoting from behind. Turning around, she saw it was the grinning young man from last night.
He wasn’t calling her, so Tian Tian just nodded at him.
But Huizi didn’t acknowledge her greeting. His brain felt like mush. How had his Brother Ting ended up with this flip-flop-selling pretty girl? Since when did they know each other? How come he didn’t know about this?
Zhou Haoting saw Huizi approaching. He handed a helmet to Tian Tian without looking at the young man and said flatly, “Didn’t I tell you last night to go to my place first and look at the documents I left?”
Then he told Tian Tian to get on, started the engine, twisted the throttle, and drove off.
Left behind, Huizi scratched his head, feeling something was off. Last night, Brother Ting hadn’t said anything about looking at documents today. Weren’t they supposed to go check out the shop together?
And that look on Brother Ting’s face just now, riding off with a beautiful girl on the back—why did he seem so pleased with himself?
—
Out on the road, “pleased with himself” wasn’t quite the right description for Zhou Haoting. “Elated” was closer. Of course, he was trying very hard to maintain his composure. A real man shouldn’t be seen flustered.
So he rode very steadily the whole way. Whenever there were stones or bumps in the road, he handled them skillfully, so Tian Tian never felt jostled.
True, riding a motorcycle didn’t leave much time for chatting and asking questions. But not having to squeeze onto a crowded bus was a nice bonus.
For Tian Tian, it was her first time riding a motorcycle since being reborn. Feeling the wind in her face, she found it quite pleasant.
They arrived at the police station quickly.
There was quite a crowd at the station—mostly people applying for temporary residence permits. Seeing this, Tian Tian told Zhou Haoting to go take care of his own business.
But Zhou Haoting shook his head. “Come on. I have a classmate who works here.”
He was pulling strings for her. Tian Tian once again wondered if she was overthinking things.
He didn’t actually bring her directly to his classmate, though. He just ducked into an office to say hello. After that, she was able to go straight to the counter and complete her temporary residence permit application.
Yep, definitely overthinking it.
In her mind, a song started playing on repeat: “Don’t flatter yourself by dreaming…”
After a few rounds of that, Tian Tian felt she was fully awake.
“Didn’t you come to the police station to handle something? You don’t need to walk me over—there’s a bus stop right there.”
Zhou Haoting smiled. “It’s nothing, just a short walk. I came here to set up a meeting. Now that the time is set, I’m heading to see the shop.”
Alright then.
Tian Tian dropped the subject, once again concluding that he was a genuinely good person.
They got back on the motorcycle and headed straight for the market.
The market was bustling. By the time they arrived, the motorcycle couldn’t go any further, so they parked by the roadside. Tian Tian headed straight for the flip-flop vendor, while Zhou Haoting didn’t go to check on his shop right away. Instead, he followed behind her, carefully shielding her from the crowd so no one bumped into her.
When they reached the vendor, the man was chatting with a close-cropped man.
Tian Tian stepped over and greeted the flip-flop vendor.
At that moment, the close-cropped man turned to look at her.
Tian Tian was momentarily taken aback. Then she said, “You’re Brother Meng, aren’t you?”
Leave a Reply