Chapter 8: Guidance

Jiang Pan Yu quickly walked behind Tan Yanlu and joined the queue, her eyes darting around in search of Gao Shaolin.

After looking for a while without spotting Gao Shaolin, she had the Gossip System scan the area, only to find out that Gao Shaolin hadn’t arrived yet.

As the clock struck five in the morning, the doors of the department store finally opened, with the staff already prepared inside.

The people queuing at the entrance quickly entered the store to purchase the items they needed, but most headed straight to the second floor, having heard the news about the Wool Yarn available there.

Jiang Pan Yu closely followed Tan Yanlu, but as they reached the staircase railing, they could go no further—the second floor was already packed with people.

They had no choice but to continue queuing. Jiang Pan Yu glanced around and noticed that the stairs had been fitted with anti-slip strips.

There were no other miscellaneous items placed near the staircase entrance, nor were there any materials for making cabinets at the first-floor staircase.

Jiang Pan Yu thought to herself that her intentional fall from the stairs the other day must have had some effect—safety measures had clearly improved by more than just a little.

Time passed slowly, and those who had bought the yarn on the second floor began to descend one after another, while those who hadn’t yet made their purchase continued to move up the stairs.

The crowd was tightly packed, and Jiang Pan Yu accidentally bumped into Tan Yanlu in front of her. Tan Yanlu turned around and saw a girl shorter than herself, even reaching out to steady Jiang Pan Yu.

“Thank you,” Jiang Pan Yu said to Tan Yanlu.

“You’re welcome,” Tan Yanlu replied with a smile. As the people in front began to move, Tan Yanlu continued to follow closely, step by step, up the stairs.

Just as Tan Yanlu reached the second-floor staircase entrance, Jiang Pan Yu finally saw a man carrying a luggage bag enter the department store.

His features were regular—not ugly, but not particularly handsome either. What stood out was the distinct Fish scale pattern on his neck, making him quite memorable.

Gao Shaolin entered the department store and headed straight to a counter near the staircase to buy candy.

At that moment, a slight commotion broke out among the crowd queuing on the second floor. People began to push and shove, and Tan Yanlu, who was standing at the edge, was jostled by someone in front, causing her to lose her balance and start toppling backward.

Seeing this, Jiang Pan Yu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It was as if an invisible thread was guiding Tan Yanlu’s fate, pulling her toward Gao Shaolin.

Jiang Pan Yu quickly reached out from behind to support Tan Yanlu’s waist. With something to lean on and the anti-slip strips under her feet, Tan Yanlu swayed a few times but eventually steadied herself, avoiding a fall down the stairs.

Tan Yanlu turned around, still shaken, and looked at Jiang Pan Yu with gratitude. “Thank you, comrade.”

“Don’t mention it. You helped me earlier too. It’s only right to help each other.”

With this interaction, Tan Yanlu and Jiang Pan Yu naturally struck up a conversation. “Comrade, are you here to buy Wool Yarn or Dacron fabric?”

Jiang Pan Yu didn’t want to buy anything—neither Wool Yarn nor Dacron fabric. She couldn’t afford either at the moment. While she had some money from subsidies, she didn’t have any Cloth Ration Coupons, so even if she wanted to buy, she couldn’t.

Jiang Pan Yu put on a shy expression and said sheepishly, “I don’t really want to buy anything. I’m here to broaden my horizons. I heard the wool here is excellent, so I wanted to take a look. I’m just here to see the excitement.”

“So that’s the case. I’m about to go and buy some. Why don’t you come with me? Just say you’re with me, and you can watch up close.

By the way, I haven’t asked for your name yet. I’m Tan Yanlu, and you?” Tan Yanlu extended an invitation to Jiang Pan Yu.

“My name is Jiang Pan Yu. Then I won’t stand on ceremony. I heard there’s red wool this time, with a particularly vibrant and beautiful color. I really wanted to see it!” Jiang Pan Yu naturally agreed.

Wasn’t her purpose in coming here precisely for Tan Yanlu? Now that she had naturally established a connection with her, of course, she had to hold onto it tightly.

Jiang Pan Yu followed Tan Yanlu in line, slowly moving towards the counter, their figures soon obscured by the bustling crowd.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Gao Shaolin had already bought his candies but still stood at the stairway entrance by the counter, looking somewhat dazed. He felt as though something should happen.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was still something important he hadn’t done yet. But what major task could there be for him here?

Gao Shaolin was somewhat confused. He had only come to the city to study. Today, he came to the department store to buy candies, thinking to use them to build good relations with the chief doctors at the hospital.

After all, the opportunity to study in the city was precious, and he had used some small tricks to secure this chance. Gao Shaolin didn’t want to waste this hard-earned opportunity, so he had to be adept in social niceties.

Originally, after buying the candies, he should have left. But for some reason, his feet seemed glued to the spot, unable to move.

Jiang Pan Yu, through the Gossip System, saw Gao Shaolin still lingering at the stairway entrance. Delaying time to make Gao Shaolin leave on his own was impossible.

Fortunately, she had prepared a backup plan. Even if she couldn’t completely separate Gao Shaolin and Tan Yanlu, she had to minimize their contact and conversation.

As long as there was no emotional foundation from the start, then in the future, when Tan Yanlu went to the countryside and learned about Gao Shaolin’s family situation, would she still have any favorable feelings for him?

While Tan Yanlu was paying for her purchases, Jiang Pan Yu quietly walked to the stairway entrance and reached into her pocket. Then, using the color of her pocket as cover, she pulled out a whole enamel cup of Snap Pops from her space.

Snap Pops, also known as Gravel Crackers, are small firecrackers that explode when thrown or stepped on, leaving no trace and are safe enough.

For the past two days, Jiang Pan Yu had been preparing these. She took the full cup of Snap Pops and, while no one was paying attention to her, scattered the entire cup downstairs.

With so many people coming and going downstairs, the Snap Pops were immediately stepped on as soon as they hit the ground, producing crisp “crack” sounds, not just one or two, but continuously as people kept stepping on them.

Many people were startled, and the crowd downstairs immediately became chaotic. Those who didn’t understand what was happening panicked and rushed towards the exit in a swarm.

Standing by the stairs, Gao Shaolin also stepped on something and was swept along by the crowd towards the exit. His steps were slow and hesitant, as if he felt that by leaving, he might miss something very important.

However, people kept pouring out from behind him, making it impossible for him to turn back.

The commotion on the first floor naturally caught the attention of those on the second floor. They gathered at the top of the stairs to see what was happening. Below, the sales staff began cursing—it turned out someone had scattered a bunch of Snap Pops.

The loud, popping noises not only scared the customers away but also caused chaos as people pushed and shoved, leaving the store in disarray.

After this farce, to prevent any further incidents, the crowded crowd on the second floor was also evacuated.

Jiang Pan Yu and Tan Yanlu had already finished their shopping and were among the first to leave.

As they reached the entrance, they encountered Gao Shaolin, who was carrying a luggage bag and staring intently at Tan Yanlu.

The moment Tan Yanlu saw Gao Shaolin—or rather, first noticed the distinctive pattern on his neck—she paused. One hand instinctively clutched her chest, her heart pounding wildly, as if she had encountered something of great significance.