Love Me in Another Universe

Chapter 22. The Centaur Figurine

December 12, 1994, Monday. After school, Gao Xinglang headed off to basketball practice, so Guan Xuchen went ahead by himself. Instead of going straight home, he went to a boutique store near the school. He quickly found the item he wanted to buy in the well-stocked window.

That was a bronze centaur figurine. The upper part was a muscular man, poised to throw a javelin. And the lower part was a powerful horse, balanced on its hind legs, with its front feet off the ground. The whole piece was full of energy and dynamism.

Guan Xuchen was captivated. He looked at the price tag: 25 yuan. He rushed inside and said anxiously to the female store owner, "Ma'am, didn't you say the centaur figurine was going to be cheaper? How come it has become even more expensive?"

The store owner looked him up and down and replied slowly, "Oh, it's you again, kiddo. I said it 'might become cheaper'. But with Christmas and New Year coming up, prices are only going to go up. If you want it, you should buy it now. It might be 30 yuan tomorrow."

Guan Xuchen took out four 5-yuan notes from his pocket, which his mother had been given as pocket money the day before. He clutched them tightly in his hand and turned to look at the centaur figurine in the window again, silent.

The store owner looked at the banknotes in Guan Xuchen's hand and said with a smile, "Kiddo, I see you've been here a couple of times and you're so sincere about buying it. I'll tell you what, I'll sell it to you at the previous price of 20 yuan. That's exactly the four 5-yuan notes in your hand. Give them to me and I'll wrap the figurine up for you."

Guan Xuchen stretched out his hand and was going to hand the 20 yuan to the store owner. But then he quickly took his hand back and whispered with his head down, "But this is my pocket money for a month..."

"Oh, I see," the store owner said thoughtfully. She then pointed to a bracelet inside the counter and said to Guan Xuchen with a broad smile, "Kiddo, are you buying a gift for a girl? Actually, girls don't like this kind of figurine. Why don't you buy this bracelet? It's only 5 yuan."

She then pointed to the window and said, "That little bear doll, girls like it even more. That one costs only 12 yuan."

Guan Xuchen looked at the bracelet, then at the teddy bear, and finally back at the store owner. "But I'm buying this gift for a boy," he said seriously.

"For a boy?" The store owner's eyebrows were raised in surprise.

"Yeah, it's for my best friend," Guan Xuchen nodded. "He has just become the basketball team captain, and his birthday's coming up soon. So I want to buy a birthday present for him."

"Oh, I see," the store owner thought for a moment and looked hesitant. "But I got that centaur for 15 yuan. If I sell it for 20 yuan, I wouldn't make much."

She pulled out a mini basketball keychain and a glass sports car model from the counter and suggested with a smile, "How about these two items? The keychain is 5 yuan, and the car is 12. Boys should like them."

Guan Xuchen also found it difficult to decide. He had already given Gao Xinglang a mini basketball keychain last year, and the glass car model seemed fragile. More importantly, he always felt the centaur figurine was very suitable for Gao Xinglang and felt that Gao Xinglang would like it very much. Although his mother had given him separate money for lunches at school, he would never dare to mess with his meal money. Although the pocket money was at his disposal, if he spent it all at once, his mother would definitely be nagging.

After thinking for a while, Guan Xuchen grinned and asked, "Ma'am, could you sell me the centaur figurine at the cost price?"

"You mean 15 yuan? No way," the store owner said, her smile fading. "I have rent and bills to pay."