C3 I will Buy This for You

Su Kexin was aware that the restaurant wasn't cheap, but the prices were beyond her wildest expectations.

"If you have any doubts, feel free to review the bill."

The last thing Su Kexin wanted was to scrutinize the bill. She trusted that the restaurant wasn't overcharging her, but the real issue was that she had just paid her mother's medical bills the day before, leaving her account nearly empty. To make matters worse, her credit card had been frozen a while back.

"Um..." Su Kexin mustered up the courage to speak, her cheeks warming with embarrassment, "Could I possibly... pay later?"

The waiter paused, his face quickly turning stern. "I'm sorry, Miss, we don't offer credit. If you're unable to pay, we'll unfortunately have to explore alternative solutions."

Feeling the pressure, Su Kexin's mind raced for a solution. Where could she possibly borrow the money on such short notice? Then, a deep, pleasant voice from behind her broke through her thoughts.

"I'll take care of the lady's bill."

Startled, Su Kexin turned to see the man in the wheelchair who had entered earlier, now behind her.

His expression remained cool and detached as he elegantly lifted a hand, a gold credit card held between his well-defined fingers.

The waiter, momentarily taken aback, quickly composed himself and accepted the card with a respectful bow.

"No, Mr... there's no need..." Su Kexin blurted out, trying to intervene, but the waiter had already left with the card.

Caught off guard and without the means to settle her bill, Su Kexin faced the man in the wheelchair, her voice tinged with awkwardness, "Um... Sir, I'll make sure to repay you. Could you please provide me with your contact information or bank account number? I'll transfer the funds to you as soon as possible."

With Su Kexin's request, the man finally lifted his gaze to meet hers.

Despite being seated, his look gave Su Kexin the unsettling illusion of being seen from above.

A chill ran through her. As a journalist, she was no stranger to influential figures, yet the presence of this man exuded an inexplicable aura of dominance.

Moreover, the man's gaze was icy, seemingly detached from everything transpiring around him.

Su Kexin found herself increasingly puzzled. Why would such a man go out of his way to assist her?

Lost in her thoughts, she was brought back to reality by the man's unhurried voice.

"Do you have a pen and paper?"

His voice was deep, with a touch of huskiness, reminiscent of the finest velvet.

Snapping out of her reverie, Su Kexin assumed he wanted to jot down his bank details for her. She quickly rummaged through her bag, retrieved a pen and notebook, and extended them to him.

He accepted them, swiftly scribbled a series of digits in her notebook, and handed it back.

Su Kexin paused, taken aback.

"What's this?" Clearly, the sequence scrawled on the page wasn't a bank account number.

"It's my phone number." He passed the pen back to her, his demeanor as cool as before. "Call me when you have the money."

A flush crept onto Su Kexin's cheeks.

The man was undeniably astute; he had instantly discerned that she was not in a position to come up with over five thousand yuan.

Yet, she couldn't fathom why he had given her his phone number instead of his bank details.

Inherently sensitive, Su Kexin tended to overthink, but she felt too shy to probe further. Accepting the notebook, she murmured a quiet "Thank you."

Then, eager to establish trust, she produced her own business card and offered it to him. "This is my business card."

"Su Kexin?" He took the card, glanced at it briefly, and softly pronounced her name. His raspy voice brushed against her heart like a feather, tickling her emotions.

"Alright, I'll be in touch." With a slight flutter in her chest, Su Kexin quickly added, then stood up and left the restaurant.