Chapter 5: A Ten-Thousand-Yuan Reward
Gu Bin’s heartstrings were once again gently plucked by a feather; he hadn’t expected this girl to trust him so deeply.
“Are you going to let them film you or not?”
Lin Xiyu saw him staring at her without saying a word, her ears tinged with red, her expression growing uneasy.
“There’s no rush. We need to get our parents’ approval first,” Gu Bin said, considering the matter more thoroughly. “Go home and change your clothes. I’ll talk with them and keep in touch by phone.”
“Alright,” Lin Xiyu agreed, feeling her outfit was too conspicuous and eager to change.
She took out paper and pen from her schoolbag, writing down a string of phone numbers. “These are the numbers for the public phone booths near my house. If you get through, ask my aunt to call me over…”
“Your house doesn’t have a phone?” Gu Bin was a little surprised to hear about the public phone booths.
“No, we don’t,” Lin Xiyu replied, unfazed.
None of her neighbors had a phone installed either; whenever relatives or friends called, her aunt would help relay the message.
“Where do you live?” Li Yan chimed in with a smile. “Is it also a courtyard house?”
“Number 9, Donghua Street,” Lin Xiyu nodded. “Yes, our street is all courtyard houses.”
“That’s such a coincidence.”
Li Yan’s eyes lit up with delight. “Can we interview you at your house, maybe film on location?”
“At my house?” Lin Xiyu hadn’t expected such a request, and was clearly taken aback.
“Let her go home and ask her family first,” Gu Bin answered for her. “This is too big a decision for her to make alone.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Lin Xiyu looked at him gratefully, smiling as she agreed, “I’ll need to check with Grandpa Huang, our landlord, and Grandma, to see if they’re willing.”
“Alright.” Li Yan readily agreed, and borrowed her paper and pen to write down her own number. “Let me know once you’ve got their permission. Here’s my pager number—call me when you have confirmation.”
“Okay, Sister Yan, I’ll head off now.” Lin Xiyu tucked the note into her book, waved with a smile, and said goodbye.
“Take care,” Li Yan reminded her with a smile. “There are lots of cars on the road—ride slowly.”
“Got it!” Lin Xiyu replied obediently, but as soon as she mounted her bike, she sped off like the wind, leaving those words far behind.
“Hey, hey…” Li Yan laughed helplessly, watching her disappear into the crowd, then finally withdrew her gaze with lingering amusement.
“Sister Yan.”
Gu Bin didn’t leave. Facing the camera, he flashed a dazzlingly sunny, handsome smile—flawless and captivating. “May I see the footage of the rescue from this morning?”
“Of course.” Who could refuse such an attractive young man? Li Yan’s heart fluttered a little as she agreed cheerfully.
—
“This is the footage from this morning by the moat, when she rescued that person. The director said it’s excellent—no editing needed, it can go straight into the documentary…”
“There’s also the little incident at the school gate with the proctor, which is really interesting.”
“We plan to track her exam results in real time, her university choices, all the way until she’s admitted. Using the college entrance exam as a hook to attract young viewers…”
Li Yan gestured excitedly at the footage as she spoke.
A faint, enigmatic light flashed in Gu Bin’s clear eyes, and he suddenly asked, “You used the footage for the documentary without getting her permission—doesn’t that count as infringement?”
Li Yan: “……”
Why did the handsome guy’s smile suddenly feel so unsettling?
While Gu Bin managed to secure a ten-thousand-yuan reward for Lin Xiyu’s courageous act, something unfortunate was happening at Number 9, Donghua Street.
Lin Xiyu’s aunt had gotten into a fight with Zhang Dafeng from next door.