"Hehe."

Zhan Mengxi flashed a mischievous grin, but her doll-like face only made her look cuter.

With a light leap, she nimbly hopped onto Yun Mingxin’s back.

The sudden impact nearly knocked him off balance.

*Coach, she’s charging with the ball!*

Yun Mingxin grumbled inwardly. *This girl’s put on a few more pounds since last year.*

Still, he steadied himself quickly, hands gripping her thighs as he began walking.

"Mengxi, where to now?"

"There! Over there!"

Zhan Mengxi pointed eagerly toward a stall pre-selling figurines, new games, and manga volumes.

Yun Mingxin trudged over.

Perched on his back, she squirmed restlessly, making the walk exhausting.

Sure, there were perks—but carrying her a few kilometers felt harder than running 3,000 meters.

"Huff—"

Yun Mingxin set her down, sweat beading on his forehead.

A trace of concern flickered in Zhan Mengxi’s eyes, but her words stayed sharp.

"Xiao Xin, you’re really weak. Can’t even last this long? How will you make your future girlfriend happy?"

She added a disdainful sniff for good measure.

Yun Mingxin fell silent, then ruffled her hair with a firm hand.

"Brat, do you know how heavy a hundred-pound sack of rice is? Or that I barely run a 4:30 kilometer? And how’d you jump from me carrying you to future girlfriends?"

His childhood friend was great—except for this girlfriend obsession.

He’d barely managed a girlfriend who wasn’t even *like* a girlfriend... and she was never around.

*Seriously. Why bother with girlfriends? My bunny-eared senior is way better.*

Zhan Mengxi squirmed under his grip, muffled protests escaping:

"Xiao Xin... you don’t love me anymore... anymore... anymore. You’re not the sweet boy who let me bully him..."

"And why *can’t* it be about future girlfriends? She’s right—"

Her voice dwindled to a whisper, like a mosquito’s hum.

"Huh? What was that?" Yun Mingxin frowned. He’d caught the complaints but missed the end.

"Hmph! Nothing! I said nothing!" She pouted, punching his arm hard enough to make him cough.

Before he could retort, she darted to the stalls, browsing furiously.

Yun Mingxin sighed, helpless.

"Ooh... these pre-orders are so cute!"

Zhan Mengxi pressed her face against the glass display. These were non-sale previews—customers paid deposits now, then waited a month for shipment.

The masked stall owner, young but sharp-eyed, watched closely.

Most visitors balked at the ¥1,000+ figurines. Profit came from games and manga.

She’d honed a keen eye for buyers.

This girl clearly adored the figurines—not hesitating over price, just impatient to hold them.

And the way she’d clung to that handsome guy earlier?

*Eighty percent sure she’s here for the date, not the merch.*

Time to seal the deal.

The stall owner glided to the Yukino figurine Zhan Mengxi admired.

"Such a lovely couple," she murmured sweetly.

"Eh?" Startled, Zhan Mengxi blinked—then beamed.

*She gets it! Ten years of childhood friendship screams soulmates!*

Yun Mingxin, standing farther off, missed the words but saw Zhan Mengxi’s starry eyes.

*Uh oh. She’s drooling.*

"Hey! Wipe your chin," he called.

"???" She shot him a death glare.

*Women.*

"I’ll pre-order these three Yukino figurines," Zhan Mengxi declared, pointing firmly, "and the life-size body pillow."

After scanning the shelves, she added: "Do you have Kazusa-chan from *Childhood Friends’ Love Triangle*?"

"*Kazusa-chan*?" The stall owner blinked. Most asked for the white-haired heroine.

*She’s my favorite too... shame she’s not popular. White-haired privilege strikes again.*

Then it clicked—the twin tails, the earnest personality.

Beneath her mask, the stall owner smiled like a proud mom. "We’re a top supplier. Of course we have her. Just pre-order."

Zhan Mengxi paid a deposit that made Yun Mingxin’s eyes water.

*How’s she so rich?*

Their families were comfortably middle-class. Figurines meant part-time jobs.

But lately? She’d turned into a little tycoon, outspending even his "famous" writer salary.

The stall owner’s eyes crinkled with joy—she loved shipping childhood friends *and* fat wallets.

"Darling, you’d adore these manga too. All drawn by the legendary Qingzhu Bicheng."

She guided Zhan Mengxi to a new shelf.

At "Qingzhu Bicheng," Zhan Mengxi froze.

Seeing the manga stack, she trembled with excitement. "I’ll take them all! I’ve read them, but masterpieces deserve multiple copies!"

She yanked Yun Mingxin over. "Xiao Xin, they’re all yours! My recommendations never fail!"

Yun Mingxin stared at the titles in his arms. His eye twitched.

*One Hundred Ways a Childhood Friend Must Never Lose*

*Reincarnated in Another World to the Sight of My Adorable Childhood Friend*

*Yakuza Beauty and Her Clueless Sweetheart: A Romantic Comedy*

...

*Oh great. She’s trying to brainwash me.*