Feng Miwan grew even more puzzled:
“It’s just an ordinary one-yuan coin!”
“Even if I considered it my lucky charm, it’s still just a token of goodwill. How could it symbolize some earth-shattering event?”
“Shu Tong, have you been watching too many idol dramas?”
Zhao Shutong rubbed her forehead:
“Forget it. It’s like talking to a brick wall.”
“Let me rephrase the question. When Dr. Xiong took that coin from you, did she have any… unusual actions or reactions?”
“Unusual actions?”
Feng Miwan racked her brain to recall,
“What unusual actions could she have? In that situation, she must have been stunned!”
“She was probably thinking, ‘Did this patient crash her car and damage her brain too?'”
“After all, I forced it on her. Any normal person would find it baffling, right?”
Zhao Shutong grew a bit anxious,
“That’s not what I mean!”
“I mean her expression! Her demeanor!”
“Did she show any… um… thoughtful, contemplative expression, maybe even one with a hint of deep meaning?”
Prompted by her question, Feng Miwan carefully recalled Xiong Yibai holding the coin, head lowered in silence. It did seem… a bit different.
“Maybe… she did?”
“She didn’t say anything, just stared at the coin, like she was indeed pondering something.”
“But what does that prove? It just means she was wondering what I was up to! What else could I be up to?”
“I was just standing at her doorstep too scared to go in, got caught, and in my panic, made up an excuse to cover the awkwardness!”
Seeing Feng Miwan still stubbornly oblivious, Zhao Shutong decided to pull out the big guns:
“Feng Miwan, you’ll get it if I put it this way.”
“Do you know that in our Hua Country, when couples formally meet each other’s parents, the red envelope gift from the parents usually has a specific amount with meaning?”
Feng Miwan had never looked into such things,
“Huh? There’s a specific meaning?”
“How much? Isn’t it just for good luck?”
“It’s not just any good luck!”
Zhao Shutong counted on her fingers,
“For example, common ones like 666 yuan, meaning smooth sailing; 999 yuan, meaning forever; 1314 yuan, meaning a lifetime together.”
“These are all standard amounts expressing blessings.”
She paused, looking at Feng Miwan:
“But there’s one very special amount with a very clear meaning—10,001 yuan.”
Feng Miwan blinked,
“Ten thousand and one?”
“What’s so special about that number?”
“It means—”
Zhao Shutong explained word by word,
“One… chosen… from… ten thousand miles.”
“Huh?” Feng Miwan still didn’t get it.
“It means, in the parents’ eyes, you’re the one-in-a-million best, most satisfactory choice for their daughter or son! It’s the highest level of approval and affection!”
Zhao Shutong stared at her and added,
“And your brother transferred that exact amount to Dr. Xiong without a second thought… isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”
Feng Miwan: “!!!”
Her mouth hung open, unable to speak for a long time.
Seeing Feng Miwan’s shocked, dazed expression, Zhao Shutong continued her analysis:
“Just your brother sending that ten thousand might be a coincidence—most people wouldn’t think of the ‘one in ten thousand miles’ meaning; they might just assume it’s a round number for luck.”
She changed tack with a mischievous grin:
“But then! You personally delivered that crucial ‘one yuan coin’ to complete the ‘ten thousand miles’…”
“Your matching service was way too perfect, wasn’t it?”
Feng Miwan finally understood completely. Her face burned as if it might smoke, and she hurriedly explained:
“I really didn’t know! Shu Tong!”
“I swear! If I’d known the money had that meaning, I would’ve died before shoving that coin at her!”
“This is totally a huge misunderstanding!”
“Yibai… she’s so smart and calm, and she might not even like girls, so she probably didn’t think of it that way, right?”
Zhao Shutong spread her hands helplessly and took a sip of the milk tea she’d just bought:
“Who knows~ Maybe she didn’t think that way at all and just saw it as some sibling performance art. But—”
She deliberately drew out her words slyly:
“If—and I’m just saying if—Dr. Xiong happens to be okay with girls and knows this custom?”
“She didn’t get mad, didn’t ask for the money back from your dad, didn’t return your coin, and instead last night… specially found an identical one-yuan coin to give back to you.”
“What does that mean… figure it out yourself?”
Feng Miwan’s face turned completely red. She instinctively pulled the coin from her pocket, pinching it between her fingers.
This tiny metal disc suddenly felt heavy and scorching hot in her fingers.
Could it really… carry all that meaning she’d never imagined?
Seeing Feng Miwan staring blankly at the coin, Zhao Shutong’s eyes lit up with an idea.
She grabbed Feng Miwan’s arm and dragged her into a nearby convenience store, straight to the counter. She said to the owner:
“Boss, give me a one-yuan lollipop.”
Then she turned to Feng Miwan with a fox-like grin,
“My friend will pay.”
Feng Miwan froze for a moment and looked at Zhao Shutong, who signaled with her eyes—use the coin in your hand.
Feng Miwan instantly understood her best friend’s intent.
But like she was afraid it’d be snatched away, she quickly shoved the coin deep into her pocket!
Then she pulled out her phone and scanned the payment code.
“Beep! Payment successful!”
Zhao Shutong took the lollipop from the owner, tore open the wrapper, licked it triumphantly, and pulled the still-dazed Feng Miwan out of the store.
“See? Your body is more honest than your mouth. Haven’t you already made your choice? Why stare at the coin?”
Feng Miwan opened her mouth, her mind a tangled mess,
“But I…”
“I still feel… this is too sudden… and maybe we’re just overthinking it…”
“Oh come on, enough!”
Seeing her start to fret again, Zhao Shutong waved her hand dismissively, deciding to end the brain-burning topic.
“Maybe Dr. Xiong doesn’t mean that at all! We’re just speculating wildly here!”
“Come on, let’s eat! I’m starving! Food is the greatest thing on earth!”
The two found a restaurant in the mall and settled down for lunch.
Throughout the meal, Zhao Shutong chattered animatedly about how weird and fun her new girlfriend was.
Feng Miwan mostly listened, chiming in occasionally, but her mind was clearly elsewhere. She kept touching her pocket now and then.
