“What are you doing?” Jiang Yichi’s expression soured when he saw Xu Qiushi’s movement. This was the exact opposite of the reaction he had anticipated.
“I don’t want it,” Xu Qiushi said bluntly.
“Why?” Jiang Yichi looked bewildered. “Your phone is practically falling apart. Why are you so obsessed with keeping it?”
“It’s not that. I’ll replace it myself.” The implication was clear: he would buy his own.
Jiang Yichi caught the subtext and grew even more frustrated. “It’s just a phone! It’s not some priceless artifact. Just take it!”
“It is very expensive to me, so I cannot accept it.” Xu Qiushi still didn’t reach for it. This job, with its high salary and great benefits, already felt like a windfall from heaven; he couldn’t bring himself to be thick-skinned enough to accept such a costly gift.
Jiang Yichi instinctively wanted to threaten him, but seeing the stubborn resolve in Xu Qiushi’s eyes—a look that said he wouldn’t compromise even if his pay were docked—the young master’s temper flared. He was just trying to give him a phone; why did it feel like he was coercing him into a crime? No good deed goes unpunished!
He tossed the bag onto the sofa and snapped, “Fine! Suit yourself. It was bought for you anyway, and this Young Master never takes back a gift. If you don’t want it, just throw it away!”
Watching Jiang Yichi storm off, Xu Qiushi didn’t take the threat literally. He picked up the bag and placed it neatly on the coffee table, hoping the Little Master would remember to take it back once he calmed down.
That afternoon, as Jiang Yichi left for class, the sight of the bag on the table reignited his anger. He snatched it up and shoved it into the trash can—specifically, the one Xu Qiushi had just lined with a fresh bag.
Xu Qiushi sighed and fished the phone out. However, when the Little Master returned home that evening, he threw it away again. He seemed determined that the phone’s destiny was either in Xu Qiushi’s hand or the bin.
Xu Qiushi had no choice but to put the phone away for the time being. After some thought, he contacted Xu Qiuze.
The next day at noon, Xu Qiuze used his lunch break to come to JInlin Bay. Following his brother’s instructions, he waited outside the security booth.
The security guard questioned him as per protocol. Upon learning he was Xu Qiushi’s brother, the guard immediately invited him inside to cool off.
“No thanks, brothers. I’m fine waiting out here,” Xu Qiuze declined politely.
Wu Ming laughed. “Look at that. He really is Little Xu’s brother. They sound exactly the same.”
Seeing that they seemed close with his brother, Xu Qiuze scratched his head awkwardly. Fortunately, Xu Qiushi arrived quickly. Seeing his brother, Xu Qiuze hurried over. “Ge, what did you need me for?”
Xu Qiushi handed him the bag and said, “See if you can find which shop this was bought from and help me return it.”
Xu Qiuze recognized the logo on the bag as a trendy high-end brand. A glance at the unopened box revealed it was the latest flagship model. The price was nearly equivalent to a month of Xu Qiushi’s salary. He asked curiously, “Ge, where did this come from?”
“The boss bought it,” Xu Qiushi didn’t hide the truth.
“Jiang Yichi bought this for you?” Xu Qiuze was even more shocked.
“Yes. It’s too expensive. I said I didn’t want it, but he refused to take it back. If it can be returned, please do it for me. I’ll return the money to him afterward,” Xu Qiushi explained his plan.
Xu Qiuze didn’t have much contact with Jiang Yichi and wasn’t as familiar with him as Gu Chengfei was. His impression of him was limited to a “willful rich young master.” Giving a phone was indeed something Jiang Yichi would do, and refusing it was exactly how his brother would respond.
He checked inside the bag. The receipt and invoice were both there, so a return should be possible. However, to be safe, he told Xu Qiushi he would check at the store first.
“Alright. Sorry to make you run this errand.”
“Ge, what are you saying? ‘Sorry’ to your own brother?” Since one lived at school and the other lived in, opportunities to meet were scarce. Xu Qiuze wished his brother needed him for things every day.
“Alright, I won’t be polite then.” Xu Qiushi smiled and rubbed his brother’s head.
“I’m off. Ge, contact me if anything comes up.” Xu Qiuze paused, then added, “Contact me even if nothing comes up.”
“Okay. Be safe on the road.” After seeing his brother off, Xu Qiushi chatted with Wu Ming for a bit before heading back to clean.
Xu Qiuze was efficient. Before his afternoon classes, he messaged Xu Qiushi to say the return was successful. The clerk said the money would be refunded to the original payment method, so there was no need to worry.
When Jiang Yichi woke up from his nap and saw the white bag gone from the coffee table, he assumed Xu Qiushi had finally accepted it. However, the moment he sat down in his classroom, he received a call from the driver, Xiao Zhang, saying he had received a refund from the mobile store. He asked if Jiang Yichi had returned it.
“Do you think I would personally go to a store to return something?” Jiang Yichi demanded.
“No…” Xiao Zhang spoke cautiously. “Then… did Brother Xu return it himself?”
Jiang Yichi laughed out of sheer anger. He hadn’t expected Xu Qiushi to pull a move like that.
“Little Master, didn’t you take the invoice and receipt out?” Xiao Zhang asked, puzzled. Who gives a gift with the price tags still inside?
“What invoice and receipt?” Jiang Yichi hadn’t even looked in the bag. Now that he realized what happened, he was fuming. “Are you a pig? Why did you leave the receipt in the bag?”
“It was for you to see! I needed you to reimburse me!” Xiao Zhang whined. He had just wanted to “casually” let the Little Master see the price so he’d pay him back—and hopefully throw in a bonus.
“Do you think I’m going to cheat you out of a few bucks?!” Forget a bonus; Jiang Yichi wanted to dock his pay.
“I was wrong, Little Master! Please don’t cut my salary! Good luck in class, bye!” Xiao Zhang hung up at lightning speed.
“What’s up, A-Chi? Angry again?” Gu Chengfei turned around to ask.
“Nothing.” Jiang Yichi took a deep breath to calm down. He knew Xu Qiushi hadn’t gone himself; he could guess who had helped with one hand tied behind his back.
A moment later, Xu Qiuze entered the room and sat in the row in front of Jiang Yichi, in a seat Gu Chengfei had saved for him.
Jiang Yichi reached out and poked Xu Qiuze’s shoulder. “Xu Qiuze, did you return your brother’s phone for him?”
“Yeah. Why did you buy my brother a phone anyway?” Xu Qiuze turned back and asked.
Hearing this, Gu Chengfei chimed in: “You bought Brother Xu a phone? Which model?”
Jiang Yichi ignored him and only answered Xu Qiuze: “His junk phone is always failing. As his boss, should I have to wait for his phone’s permission to contact him?”
“That’s true, but you bought such an expensive brand. My brother definitely wouldn’t accept it.” Xu Qiuze had a “he’s my brother, I know him best” look that Jiang Yichi found incredibly annoying.
Jiang Yichi raised an eyebrow. “Would he accept a cheap one?”
Xu Qiuze shook his head. “Probably not.”
“Exactly! It’s so hard to give Brother Xu anything,” Gu Chengfei agreed.
Jiang Yichi shot Xu Qiuze a look that said, Then why are you talking?
“He won’t accept anything you specifically buy for him. My brother hates being indebted to people. But it’s fine, I’m planning to buy him one when I get my paycheck this month. Sorry, you’ll just have to tolerate his old phone for a little longer.”
Xu Qiuze was simply stating facts, but to Jiang Yichi, it sounded like bragging. He huffed coldly. He’s just a brother.
That night, Jiang Yichi went straight to his bedroom and rummaged through his desk drawers.
Xu Qiushi was prepared for the Little Master to be grumpy for a while longer, but to his surprise, the boy came downstairs and handed him another phone. This time, there was no box or bag. It looked very similar to the one the Little Master was currently using.
“You don’t want a new one? Fine, take my old one,” Jiang Yichi said. He upgraded his electronics faster than people finished books, leaving him with a pile of “old” phones he’d lost interest in after a few days.
Before Xu Qiushi could answer, Jiang Yichi spoke again: “I don’t use it anymore. Giving it to you just lets it keep its value. Otherwise, it’s just a waste. And you hate waste, don’t you?”
Xu Qiushi couldn’t argue with that.
“Just use it. Consider it a loan. You can give it back when you get a new one. Is that okay?” Jiang Yichi acted as if he were making a massive concession.
This time, Xu Qiushi really couldn’t refuse.
The old phone hadn’t been used in a while and needed charging. Xu Qiushi plugged it in. By the time he finished his chores, it was at 100%.
He fumbled with the full-screen device which had only one button for a long time. Eventually, he approached Jiang Yichi helplessly. “Boss, I don’t know how to use this.”
“You don’t even know how to use a phone? So stupid. Come here, I’ll teach you,” Jiang Yichi grumbled, though the corners of his mouth twitched upward involuntarily.
The phone was fully loaded with apps. Xu Qiushi, overwhelmed by the visual clutter, began to adapt slowly.
Jiang Yichi helped him set up a WeChat account, adding himself as the first friend. However, Xu Qiushi’s SIM card didn’t have a data plan, and he couldn’t change it remotely. Many features only worked when he was connected to the home Wi-Fi. The moment he stepped outside, he had to turn off data. It felt like the phone hadn’t changed at all.
Jiang Yichi, unable to stand it, told him to get a new SIM card, explaining that they were free these days and even came with monthly credits.
With Xu Qiuze and Gu Chengfei also urging him, Xu Qiushi finally got a new card. Under his brother’s guidance, he sent a mass text to his contacts informing them of his new number.
Not long after the text went out, he received a call from Qiang-zi. Upon hearing about Xu Qiushi’s recent situation, Qiang-zi excitedly announced he would find time to visit Luo Hai City to see them—and to see his older cousin whom he hadn’t seen in years.
Seeing Xu Qiushi chatting happily with Qiang-zi, Jiang Yichi turned to Xu Qiuze. “Who’s Qiang-zi?”
“My brother’s ‘little brother’ from back home. He has a lot of them; they all love following him.” Being in Jiang Yichi’s home for the first time, Xu Qiuze was a bit stiff on the sofa.
“Is Qiang-zi Brother Wanyao’s cousin?” Gu Chengfei asked.
“Yeah. Qiang-zi was the one who helped us get in touch with Brother Wanyao. He’s helped us so much.” In Xu Qiuze’s heart, Xun Wenyao’s status was second only to his brother’s.
“Brother Wanyao is a good guy. Handsome, too. He has a very unique vibe,” Gu Chengfei nodded.
“Heh.” Jiang Yichi curled his lip, wanting to drop the subject.
He glanced toward the balcony. Xu Qiushi was on the phone, his face full of smiles. Sensing the Little Master’s gaze, Xu Qiushi nodded at him with a grin. Jiang Yichi immediately looked away, his heart thumping against his ribs like a drum.
Since learning how to use Taobao, Xu Qiushi loved browsing in his spare time. Lately, every time he opened the app, he saw promotions for “Double 11” (Singles’ Day). He asked Jiang Yichi what it was, and was told it was a shopping festival with huge discounts.
“If there’s something you want, add it to your cart. You can place the order when the event starts,” Jiang Yichi demonstrated.
“What does ‘Pre-sale’ mean?” Xu Qiushi pointed at an icon.
Jiang Yichi: “Pre-sales usually aren’t in stock. Don’t buy those if you need the item urgently.”
Xu Qiushi only half-understood, but since he didn’t need anything for himself, he thought about the upcoming winter and asked Jiang Yichi to help look for winter clothes for Xu Qiuze.
Jiang Yichi looked at the clothes Xu Qiushi rotated through every day. “Aren’t you buying anything for yourself?”
“I have clothes to wear.” He rarely went out; two sets were plenty.
Jiang Yichi decided to ignore him.
…
The impact of Double 11 grew every year, posing a major challenge for property management. They would have an astronomical number of packages to deliver to residents.
In just the first few days of the month, Xu Qiushi had encountered the security guards many times, pushing carts piled high with boxes to every door.
“This is just the beginning. After the 11th, the following two weeks are the real test,” Wu Ming groaned to Xu Qiushi. Standard packages were fine; they feared the massive appliances and furniture. Although the delivery companies gave them a small subsidy, the effort far outweighed the pay. It was a thankless job.
“Can you hire help?” Xu Qiushi asked.
“We could, but nobody wants to do it for such pennies.” Professional couriers had enough work of their own. Wu Ming looked at Xu Qiushi, and a lightbulb went off. “Little Xu, would you be willing? if you are, I’ll talk to the manager. You could help us out. The pay isn’t huge, but you can treat it as extra pocket money.”
Xu Qiushi didn’t agree immediately. He had to go back and ask Jiang Yichi if he could take a part-time job.
“Alright, go ask. I’ll wait for your answer!” Wu Ming watched him leave with hopeful eyes.
“Deliver packages?” Jiang Yichi repeated, not quite processing it at first.
“Yes. I’ll go during my break time. It won’t interfere with the housework.” Xu Qiushi’s current job was too easy. He had too much free time and too much energy with nowhere to spend it. He was feeling restless.
“Since it’s your break time, you can do whatever you want. You don’t need to ask me.” Jiang Yichi knew Xu Qiushi was hardworking, and since he’d be staying within the complex, there was no reason to object.
“Thank you, Boss.”
The November weather finally brought a chill. In contrast, the temporary package depot near the gate was heating up.
The security booth needed at least one person on duty, so they rotated three people to sort the packages. Xu Qiushi finished his chores, rushed downstairs, learned the process, and quickly integrated into his new job.
As he and Chen Shun were stacking boxes from largest to smallest onto a trolley, another courier on a tricycle drifted gracefully to a halt at the gate, shouting “Delivery’s here!” before unloading a mountain of boxes.
Wu Ming’s vision went dark. He leaned on Xu Qiushi’s arm. “Thank God you’re here. Otherwise, the three of us would be here until next year.”
“Tell me about it! There are twice as many packages this year as last!” Xiao Huang complained, massaging his legs. “My calves are trembling.”
“I’ll go deliver these. You guys rest,” Xu Qiushi took the initiative. It was paid per piece anyway the more he did, the more he earned. The others didn’t stand on ceremony, simply reminding him not to deliver to the wrong address.
With a trolley and an elevator, and with the packages sorted by building, he could deliver dozens in one trip. To Xu Qiushi, this was easy money. Unfortunately, his time was limited; he had to get back to cooking before Jiang Yichi finished class. Even so, he made about 200 yuan in a day, a decent income.
Even after Double 11 ended, Xu Qiushi kept the gig, helping out whenever he was free. Occasionally he delivered food, too. The income wasn’t as high as during the festival, but his days became much more fulfilling.
Watching the balance in his Alipay account slowly grow, Xu Qiushi felt a sudden impulse and opened a food delivery app.
He originally just wanted to try ordering two milk teas, but he was drawn in by a dessert shop. He was amazed at how many styles of cake existed now, exquisite and beautiful, just like… just like Jiang Yichi.
With that thought, Xu Qiushi selected a four-inch cream cake and clicked “Order.”
The page loaded for a moment, then prompted him for an address. Then it asked for his location, his building number, and his contact info. Xu Qiushi spent a long time fumbling with the phone. When it came time to enter his payment password, sweat beaded on his forehead. Only when he saw the words “Order Successful” did he let out a long breath.
With this, Xu Qiushi had finally completed the grand feat of his first-ever delivery order.