'Not bad luck!'
Lin Shen was pleased with himself. After all, over eight thousand yuan had just shown up in his account for doing nothing. It was like money falling from the sky.
That meant he was only fifty thousand away from the two-hundred-thousand-yuan ReceivePal mission.
Lin Shen thought to himself.
'I need to save money, but I can't just stop spending altogether.'
'Otherwise, what's the point of saving?'
With that, Lin Shen headed straight for Wanda to begin his shopping spree.
First up was the basic gear.
Lightweight, breathable, non-slip hiking shoes; quick-drying "ice silk" clothes and pants; a travel backpack;
and, most importantly, a sun shirt.
After doing some research online, Lin Shen settled on the brand KALLAS.
For one, it was a domestic Huaxia brand that was pretty beginner-friendly, and the prices weren't too steep.
He budgeted three thousand yuan for the full set of gear.
He went over by two hundred, but the final price was still within his acceptable range.
'It doesn't matter how long the hike is; I'm not skimping on gear.'
With his clothes sorted, Lin Shen began to agonize over sunscreen spray.
After all, it was easy to get sunburned on exposed areas like his face and neck.
So for summer hiking, proper sun protection was a must.
But sunscreen spray fell into the cosmetics category, which was a total blind spot for Lin Shen.
Plus, as a grown man shopping alone in a cosmetics store, he felt a bit awkward.
He hesitated in front of the L'Oréal counter for a long time, until a surprised voice suddenly called out from behind him.
"Shen!?"
?
Lin Shen turned to see two young women running toward him. He froze for a second.
"Xu Lei?"
Xu Lei's outfit today was a far cry from her usual work attire.
She wore an off-the-shoulder little black dress with black stockings and high heels.
The overall look was quite sexy, and her black-framed glasses only added to the effect, drawing curious glances from many passersby.
Of course, Lin Shen was curious too.
"What are you doing here? Isn't it Friday?"
"I finished all my work!"
Xu Lei smoothed down her hair, looking a little sheepish.
"We had a meeting today, and the team lead said to divide up your workload. So I just threw most of my tasks in there too, hehe."
"…"
'Gotta admit, that's pretty smart!'
Lin Shen was speechless for a moment. Xu Lei, on the other hand, eagerly introduced the friend beside her.
"Then I took a half-day off to go shopping with my bestie, Zheng Min. She just went through a breakup."
"Min, this is Shen, the guy I'm always telling you about. He's been a huge help to me at work!"
"Nice to meet you, Shen,"
Zheng Min greeted Lin Shen quietly. Her eyes were red, as if she'd been crying for a while.
Seeing this, Lin Shen tried his best to soften his tone.
"Nice to meet you."
"Shen, what are you doing shopping all by yourself?"
Noticing that Lin Shen's hands were full of KALLAS shopping bags, Xu Lei couldn't help but ask,
"Are you planning to go climbing?"
"I'm going hiking this weekend."
Lin Shen smiled faintly.
"I was trying to pick out a sunscreen spray, but I couldn't decide on one."
"Let me help you pick one!"
Ever the enthusiast, Xu Lei led Lin Shen straight to the L'Oréal counter and started explaining things like a sales associate.
"Honestly, for guys, I'd most recommend this one from La Roche-Posay. It's the Anthelios Clear Skin, SPF 50+."
"It's stable, offers long-lasting protection, and is gentle on the skin."
"Wow, you really know your stuff when it comes to sunscreen."
Lin Shen said with a compliment. Having no real preference, he readily took Xu Lei's advice.
"Thanks. I'll go pay for this."
"Hey!"
Xu Lei hadn't expected him to be so decisive and quickly called out to stop him.
"Since you're going hiking this weekend, can I tag along?"
"You like hiking too?"
"Of course!"
Xu Lei immediately ran with it.
"It's just walking, right? Great exercise, tons of benefits."
"Maybe next time."
Lin Shen looked apologetic.
"I already have plans this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion, though. I'll treat you to a meal sometime to make it up to you."
With that, Lin Shen took the sunscreen spray to the counter to pay, leaving a stunned Xu Lei standing in place.
'He has plans?'
'Did Shen get back together with his ex-girlfriend?'
'No way it happened that fast!'
'If not her, then who could it be?'
"Leilei."
Once Lin Shen was gone, Zheng Min grabbed Xu Lei's arm and asked curiously,
"Didn't you say Lin Shen was pretty chubby? You call that chubby?"
"He lost weight."
Xu Lei teased.
"Just like you, he was heartbroken."
"Oh, so he broke up with someone too..."
Zheng Min mumbled to herself as she stared at the elevator doors that Lin Shen had disappeared behind.
"He's pretty handsome. Why don't you set me up with him?"
"Get outta here! Go play somewhere else!"
Xu Lei shot her best friend a look.
"I haven't even gotten a bite of the meat, and you're already thinking about the soup? If anyone's going to date him, it should be me first! My boobs are bigger than yours!"
"My butt is perkier than yours!"
"Your butt's only perky because your ex-boyfriend used to spank it, isn't it? You're single now, so let's see you try to compete with me!"
"Xu Lei!! You just had to pour salt on the wound, didn't you!"
…
After taking the subway back to his neighborhood, Lin Shen made another stop at the supermarket for a big shopping trip.
He grabbed two cans of Red Bull and some Alien-brand electrolyte water for the next day, along with a large bag of fruits and vegetables to make a healthy, portable meal. The rest of the groceries were to restock his gradually emptying refrigerator.
Everything was ready. Now, all he had to do was wait for tomorrow's hike!
After packing his bag, Lin Shen carefully scrolled through online guides to see if he had missed anything.
Suddenly, a comment on Xiaohongshu caught his eye.
"Are there any local clinics near Sheshan? I walked for so long my feet got blistered."
'Right!'
Lin Shen had a sudden realization: he should probably pack some medical supplies.
After all, the outdoors could be a little dangerous.
So, Lin Shen opened a delivery app and ordered some first-aid supplies just in case: iodine swabs, bandages, and medical tape.
Just then, a message arrived from the cool, aloof beauty.
[Qin Yuenan: Meet at eight.]
[Lin Shen: OK_sticker.jpg]
After confirming the time, Lin Shen took out his contacts, put on an eye mask, and got ready for bed.
*
*
August 2, 2025. Saturday.
24°C–30°C, partly cloudy.
「Construction Bank: Your account ending in 7946 received 4,000.00 yuan at 00:01 on August 02. Current balance: 154,000.00 yuan.」
Lin Shen was up and washing his face long before his 7:30 alarm went off.
The frustrating part, however, was that his eyesight had worsened by another hundred degrees!
This meant he would have to buy a new pair of -4.00 prescription contacts to wear.
'I feel like I'm running out of time,'
Lin Shen muttered to himself, glancing at the clock on the wall.
Just as he finished styling his hair in the mirror and changing into the hiking outfit he'd bought yesterday, his phone suddenly rang.
"I am waiting downstairs."
Those four cold words from the other end of the line made Lin Shen's heart skip a beat.
He hated it when people weren't punctual, so he was always strict with himself about it.
"Be right there!"
After hanging up, Lin Shen immediately grabbed his backpack and rushed downstairs.
Sure enough, the incredibly conspicuous Volvo S90 was already parked downstairs.
Qin Yuenan was leaning against the driver's side door, her arms crossed over her chest.
She had clearly dressed for the hike today.
A white camisole, loose, light-gray parachute pants, and sneakers.
A baseball cap, over-ear headphones resting around her neck, and sunglasses hanging from her collar served as accessories.
The overall style was retro-American, giving off an air of effortless cool.
A white sun shirt tied around her slender waist added an especially playful touch.
Lin Shen's eyes lit up at the sight of Qin Yuenan's carefully curated outfit.