A fourteen-going-on-fifteen-year-old girl, mature in both looks and style, actively flirting with a stranger in a luxury store like Tiffany's on Fifth Avenue. To Shane, yes, age was very important!
Flowers that bloom early wither early!
Perhaps locals were accustomed to such a flowering season, but Shane came from another country, a completely different nation where he received years of completely different education. He truly couldn't adapt to some of the local "common sense."
Putting aside the flirting, Shane roughly guessed which American TV show she was from based on some information Serena dropped.
Gossip Girl. A teen idol drama with dazzling and messy relationships between the protagonists.
The show depicts the lives of wealthy children in Manhattan's upper-class society. Just that one sentence is enough to imagine the content: flaunting wealth? Complicated relationships? Melodrama? Materialism? Heh. Anyway, Shane dropped the show after glancing at the plot summary once he learned about it.
Serena van der Woodsen is the heroine of this show, the "It Girl" mentioned by Gossip Girl. She is the most mysterious figure on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the sole source for those around her to learn every detail of the upper-class noble life. She has a crowd of rich boys and girls providing her with gossip anytime, anywhere. She is the "Queen" of the Upper East Side.
To become a "Queen," Serena's family background is naturally not bad. Her father is a billionaire, her mother a socialite and former ballerina. She has a younger brother. However, her parents divorced when she was very young, and she lives with her mother and brother. Her mother obtained a large amount of alimony through the divorce, which is one of the reasons she can live a wealthy life and become a "Queen."
Due to a lack of family care, Serena's rebellious phase came particularly early. She naturally did many things local teenagers found cool and flashy. This was the main reason she became a "Queen." If you want to be a Queen, a prominent figure, someone chased after and envied, you must be the coolest one in the "mainstream." Just having a good family and being pretty isn't enough. And this "mainstream" naturally refers to what is popular among teenagers, not actual mainstream values.
It wasn't until later that Serena turned over a new leaf due to a certain incident, becoming the "although I smoke, drink, do drugs, and mess around, I'm a good girl" type.
Serena signaled with her eyes towards Olivia, who was at a counter nearby, and asked curiously, "She doesn't seem to mind someone hitting on you. Am I not pretty enough to be a threat to her?"
Shane shrugged. "She knows my hobbies."
"What are your hobbies?" Serena picked up the topic.
"Supernatural creatures."
"Supernatural creatures? You mean vampires, werewolves, ghosts, things like that?" Serena's eyes widened slightly. This hobby was a bit unique. How was she supposed to respond? Should she say she liked supernatural creatures too? Too childish. Only the losers at school liked that stuff.
Seeing the look of "hard to describe" and "disappointment" inadvertently revealed in Serena's eyes, Shane really wanted to apologize: Sorry for making things difficult for you.
"You don't believe there are supernatural creatures in this world?"
"Does she believe it?"
Serena found it hard to answer, so she shifted the topic to Olivia.
Shane had an idea. The corners of his mouth curled up as he smiled. "You're here to pick a birthday present, right? How about we make a bet? We bet on whether there are vampires in this world. Come with me later. If I show you a vampire, you donate a little blood. How about it? Of course, I guarantee your safety. I absolutely won't let anything happen to you. If you don't see a vampire, I'll buy everything in this store and give it to you."
"Whether it's a vampire or a whole store of jewelry, either should count as a unique birthday gift, right?"
Serena looked at Shane in astonishment. "Although this isn't Tiffany's biggest store, buying everything would cost at least several million. I was planning to donate blood anyway... Are you sure you want to play this big?"
Shane shrugged. "In life, being happy is the most important thing."
Serena burst out laughing. "I thought you were one of those childish guys. I didn't expect you to be so fun. Alright, I'll bet with you. When are you taking me to see a vampire? I'm looking forward to it."
"What's going on?" Olivia, having finished picking things, came back, glanced at Serena, and looked at Shane inquisitively.
"A gift."
Shane smiled, stood up, and handed his card to the sales associate to pay the bill. Then he handed his phone to Olivia. "Call Luke. Ask him to contact an art teacher for me. Also, ask if he's found a suitable werewolf."
Olivia took the phone without thinking much, found Luke's number, walked aside, and dialed.
Vampires and werewolves. No wonder you ordered pure silver weapons. Heh, you really know how to play!
"You're looking for an art teacher? I know one. She should be pretty good. My mom introduced her to me, but unfortunately, I really have no interest in learning. If you need one, I can introduce her to you." Serena took out her phone, found the art teacher's contact info, and handed the phone to Shane while speaking. "Found it. Her name is Jocelyn. Take down the number, and save yours in my phone while you're at it."
"Jocelyn..." Shane took the phone, paused for a moment, and smacked his lips, not knowing what to say.
Surprises, coming one after another.
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