"Hey! You..."
Qin Miao hadn't finished his complaint when Qimeng interrupted, "What? Do you have a problem with a good morning kiss from a pretty girl?"
"Isn't it a bit too fast?" Qin Miao tried to resist.
But Qimeng was indifferent, resting her head on Qin Miao's shoulder as she said, "Even as a girl, I'm not bothered. Why are you so shy as a man?"
Qin Miao raised his hand in surrender, subtly adjusting his posture.
After playfully teasing Qin Miao for a while, Qimeng let him off the hook, sitting opposite him and also ordering a bowl of noodles from the owner.
During breakfast, Qin Miao still couldn't help but ask, "We're just going to pick up the prize, why bring three sets of clothes?"
Qimeng blinked playfully, "It's rare to get a chance to go to Changsha, we shouldn't rush back right after taking care of business, right?"
"We should wander around, learn about the local customs, and try the local snacks. It's the capital, after all! Don't you want to try the nationally famous Changsha stinky tofu?"
To be honest, Qin Miao really isn't interested in traveling or eating.
Perhaps a side effect of his natural gifts, Qin Miao never gains weight no matter how much he eats, and his desire for food is low—he only needs his meals not to taste bad.
Qin Miao was about to be honest, but seeing Qimeng's eyes shining when she talked about delicious food, he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth. Instead, he said, "I told my mom I'm just going to pick up the prize. Since you're planning to stay longer, I'll call her to let her know."
Qimeng nodded and casually asked, "How's our mom's health lately?"
Qin Miao: ...
"Still... alright..."
Qimeng briefly showed a moment of awkwardness but quickly returned to normal, "Oh, that's good."
Qin Miao was already somewhat used to Qimeng's... straightforward actions, shaking his head helplessly before calling his mom to tell her about his plan to stay in Changsha for a few more days.
His mom didn't show any intention to oppose, not worried about Qin Miao running out of money after winning a big prize yesterday. She simply reminded him to be safe before hanging up the phone.
After finishing breakfast, the two waited for a taxi by the roadside.
It was only now that Qin Miao had the chance to carefully observe the girl beside him.
Big eyes, high nose bridge, a soft face contour, always showing a joyful smile when looking at Qin Miao.
The short, stylish hair added a touch of bravery to her face that was originally cute and gentle, making people instinctively exclaim, "Wow, she's cool!"
Because of the trip today, the girl didn't wear a skirt as she did yesterday, opting for a convenient black sportswear.
This added more bravery to the girl, making Qimeng look more like the domineering one when standing beside Qin Miao.
"What are you looking at?" Qimeng noticed Qin Miao staring at her and asked with a smile.
Qin Miao didn't shy away, directly answering, "Looking at you."
"Do I look good?"
Qin Miao said truthfully, "A bit different from how I hope to see you most."
Qimeng pouted and complained, "You lolicon!"
Qin Miao felt a bit relieved as Qimeng wasn't assertively using her girlfriend status to take advantage of him anymore, bringing back the cordial state they had when they were desk mates.
"Don't say nonsense, I only like girls who look cute, not all cute girls are lolis."
"Humph," Qimeng snorted dismissively.
"By the way, Qimeng, why do you like this tomboy style? Your face is clearly suited for cute outfits."
"Do you want me to become that type of girl?"
Qin Miao thought for a moment, realizing that while Qimeng's face was perfect for Lolita and JK Hanfu, that image was quite different from the Qimeng he had in mind.
So after shaking his head, Qin Miao said, "Forget it, just be yourself."
However, Qimeng leaned closer and with a tempting voice said, "If you behave well, I don't mind wearing a Lolita sailor suit for you~"
In Qin Miao's mind, he slightly imagined... A thrilling scenario!
...
Before long, they caught a taxi to the high-speed rail station.
Throughout the journey, Qimeng frequently made casual physical contact with Qin Miao, but not excessively.
Her soft hand unintentionally brushed against Qin Miao's palm several times, and although Qin Miao didn't know how Qimeng felt, he was clearly feeling ticklish inside.
He was just itching to grab Qimeng's soft hand and playfully squeeze it.
But Qin Miao still didn't cross his personal boundary, holding back his desire throughout the trip.
The high-speed rail within the province doesn't take long. They took the 11 AM train and arrived in Changsha at 11:49.
After getting off the train, they ate something casual at the station's exit before heading directly to the subway to the lottery center.
Qin Miao wasn't worried about the money not reaching his hands, but Qimeng felt uneasy about the money not being secured.
Once at the lottery center, the two explained their situation to the staff.
Then they followed the staff through a not-too-complicated process.
First, confirm Qin Miao's identity and verify the lottery ticket's authenticity.
Afterward, they had their picture taken and asked Qin Miao how he wanted to receive the money.
It could be transferred to a bank account, given in cash, or by check, and if needed, directly to Alipay or WeChat.
At Qimeng's suggestion, Qin Miao put all the money into his Alipay.
But before leaving with the money, the lottery staff informed Qin Miao that they still needed to go to the tax office to pay taxes.
Qin Miao was already aware of this.
As they sat in the subway heading to the tax office, Qin Miao curiously asked, "Why put all the money in Alipay?"
Qimeng's reason caught Qin Miao off guard.
Out of Qin Miao's 750,000-win, 20% was for taxes, equating to 150,000.
If Qin Miao transferred it to his bank card, as a student without a stable income, his card's daily transaction limit is 5,000 max.
If he wanted to pay all 150,000 of taxes at once, he'd need to visit the bank to adjust the card's transaction limit.
With Alipay, there are no such restrictions, and installing a digital certificate allows for unlimited transaction limits for tax payments.
On the road, Qin Miao listened almost dumbfoundedly as Qimeng explained all this.
Finally, Qin Miao couldn't help but sigh, "Having her at home is truly a blessing."
"Qin Miao! Who are you calling old?"
"Wait, something doesn't feel right..."