林小鱼捏着那张皱巴巴的九十五块，在原地跺了跺脚， curses under her breath . "This damn coffee shop is slowly killing me with their prices." She sighed dramatically, kicking at a loose stone on the pavement. Just when she thought her day couldn't get any worse, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

"Sorry, I couldn't reach you earlier. Are you still coming to the gallery opening tonight?" It was a message from Alex, her roommate and best friend.

• Gallery opening?* Lin Xiao fish's eyebrows shot up. That meant she had to spend more money on a dress and maybe even buy a little something to impress the artist. Great. Just great.

She scrolled through her contacts, her eyes landing on a contact labeled "Mr. Mysterious." It was the artist, Chen Yi, whose work she had been admiring for weeks. She decided to text him, hoping to negotiate a discount.

"Hi Chen Yi, I'm really interested in your art. Would it be possible to get a discount on one of your pieces tonight? I'm a big fan!" She typed with a shaky finger, crossing her fingers like she was making a wish.