The Xinhua Bookstore with five storefronts sits next to a bank, its warm yellow lights visible through the clean floor-to-ceiling windows.

On the rows of wooden bookshelves, an assortment of works by famous authors is neatly displayed.

The bookstore is incredibly large, elegantly and stylishly decorated, and fully stocked with various books and reference materials.

It’s especially quiet because today is a weekday; adults are at work, and kids are at school, so there are hardly any customers.

The store clerks have chosen a corner to read books themselves.

Janelle Mills, upon entering, began her search: where might the idiom card set be located? She scanned the shelves with her eyes.

When she finally found the red box of cards on a few rows of bookshelves, she was delighted, unable to suppress a smile.

She reached for the top box, opened it to take a look; the idiom cards were new, and the print was very clear.

Moreover, they were already sequenced for the word chain game.

"Alright, this is the box~!" She turned around happily with the box in hand, only to bump directly into a firm, warm chest.

Her forehead collided, her body bounced back, and Trevor wrapped an arm around her waist!

But the box in her hand flew out, dropping to the ground with a clatter, over a hundred cards scattering like a fairy’s petals.

Janelle Mills, stunned, looked into his deep, cool gaze, and as their eyes met, she felt dizzy!

Trevor, with an arm around her soft figure, unwittingly blended his firmness with her softness.

A sales clerk, having heard the commotion, hastened over, just in time to see this scene behind the shelves.

Janelle Mills, coming to her senses, quickly stood straight and pushed him away.

Trevor released his hold as well.

"I’m sorry, I’ll pick them up, and I’ll buy them!" Janelle Mills apologized to the saleswoman, masking her inner turmoil with a smile, then crouched down to pick up the scattered cards.

Perhaps it was due to Trevor’s aura, but the saleswomen were all dumbfounded, too afraid to approach, let alone scold; each turned and left.

In such situations, it’s probably best not to disturb.

As Janelle Mills picked up the cards, a slender hand came into view; she looked up and saw Trevor crouched down, though he wasn’t looking at her.

She quickly turned her gaze back and hurriedly cleaned up the mess, puzzled as to why he hadn’t left if he was supposedly busy.

But she realized... her heart was in disarray.

Her heart pounded like a deer, yet she struggled to maintain steady breathing, striving to quell the turmoil inside.

Janelle Mills didn’t need to find the answer anymore, because he was here, and that was answer enough, involving her.

As they both reached for the last card, their fingers met simultaneously, pausing their actions, their gazes meeting, and for that moment, everything seemed to freeze.

Ultimately, Janelle Mills withdrew her hand as if it had been burned.

Trevor picked up the last card; they stood up, and he handed her the gathered stack, which she carefully put back into the box before heading to the cashier.

Trevor followed behind her.

When it came time to pay, Trevor offered his phone with the payment code, but Janelle Mills gently pushed his hand away, "I’ll do it. I promised Ethan I’d buy it." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

She presented her phone, a beep sounded, and the scan was successful.

For an item worth a few dollars, Trevor didn’t argue; her thoughtfulness inexplicably moved him, though he said nothing.

As they walked out of the bookstore, Janelle Mills avoided looking at him directly, yet she could sense his gaze.

Uncertain of his thoughts, she hesitated before asking, "Aren’t you in a hurry to get to the office?" attempting to change the topic.

"Aren’t the company and hotel on the same route?" he asked matter-of-factly, before taking a step forward.