Although there was no more physical contact between them, the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward. They just sat there—watching but not watching, eating but not eating. The tension was so thick it nearly solidified in the air.
Had it not been for the darkness of the theater, where they couldn't really see each other, the awkwardness might have been unbearable.
For five, maybe ten minutes, they sat like that. Then, as Jiang Hai reached for more popcorn, his hand brushed against Bernice's once again. Just as he was about to pull away, startled as if shocked, Bernice suddenly grabbed his hand, leaving him stunned. What was she doing?
"Don't move. I'm taking your pulse," she said. Whether it was to cover her embarrassment or because she didn't really know why she grabbed his hand, her excuse came out more like a joke.
Jiang Hai chuckled, pulled out his other hand, and grabbed her wrist.
"Well then, I'm taking yours too."
Hearing him whisper those words close to her ear, Bernice was momentarily speechless.
And so, the two of them sat there, hand in hand—each pretending to take the other's pulse, pretending to watch the movie. In truth, their attention was on the rising tension between them and the subtle sound of each other's breathing. Before they knew it, the movie had ended.
When the lights came on, they both reacted at once, quickly letting go of each other's hands.
Without looking back, Jiang Hai was the first to walk out of the theater. Bernice remained by the door, not daring to meet his gaze. Jiang Hai ran his hand through his hair, uncertain and a little lost.
"Well... let's head back," he finally said, mustering the courage to break the silence.
"Okay," Bernice replied, nodding. She didn't argue.
"You can go back, take a shower, and get some rest," Jiang Hai said offhandedly, glancing at the time. It was already past eight, nearly nine.
But the mention of a shower seemed to jolt Bernice out of her daze. Suddenly, she stepped forward and took Jiang Hai's arm.
"Huh?" Jiang Hai looked at her curiously. What was she up to now?
"It's too early to head back. Let's go shopping. I don't come to Winthrop often," she said, tugging on his arm before he could object.
Jiang Hai had no idea why she was so eager to shop, but he wasn't about to ruin the moment. Smiling, he followed her toward the nearby commercial street.
At some point—perhaps forgotten or perhaps deliberate—Bernice never let go of his hand.
They strolled through the bustling street like a real couple. Ironically, although Jiang Hai was the largest shareholder in the development of this area, he'd never actually visited it before.
Wherever people gather, business thrives. Since Winthrop began promoting tourism, many of the businesses along this street had been opened by local townspeople—mostly restaurants and small shops.
Jiang Hai usually wasn't interested in these things, but in the past month, as foot traffic increased, major brands began to take notice. His larger properties had already been rented out. One of them had gone to Apple. Jiang Hai had initially expected Apple products to be a hit with Chinese tourists—after all, they cost nearly half the price compared to China.
But there was a catch: even at half price, the American iPhones couldn't connect to the Chinese mobile network for data. And in this era, being unable to access 4G made the phones essentially useless back home. It's not like the era of public Wi-Fi was still around.
China's 4G network, second only to South Korea, was incredibly fast and reasonably priced. Phones without Chinese 4G compatibility were meaningless—more like expensive iPads. And iPads back home only cost a few thousand yuan.
So while the iPhones didn't sell well here, Apple computers and iPads did. Apple computers aren't considered high-end in the U.S.—same in China—but due to import pricing, they're far more expensive back home.
With Apple doing well, another tech giant had reached out. Just this month, Google had also rented a storefront through Jiang Hai's agent, Moses Adams. It was right ahead of them.
As they walked past the store, Jiang Hai stopped, intrigued by a sleek advertisement.
"Smart glasses... those look high-tech," he murmured.
Inside, he saw both American and Chinese tourists enthusiastically trying them out. The glasses looked simple—just a typical frame with a few added components on the temples.
These "smart glasses" could do nearly everything a smartphone could—except for making calls. They could take photos, record video, browse the internet, read books, and more. But they were much pricier than phones.
Bernice noticed his interest.
"If you're curious, let's go in and check them out," she said with a smile, pulling him into the store.
They were greeted right away—no rude or dramatic behavior here. These sales associates were well-trained and genuinely welcoming.
"Good evening! How can I assist you both?" a friendly clerk asked.
"I want to see the smart glasses," Jiang Hai replied.
"Of course. Right this way."
The clerk guided them over and handed Jiang Hai a demo unit while explaining the features. Just as Jiang Hai had guessed, the glasses were essentially a smartphone accessory. The frame was made of titanium alloy and looked sleek. Lenses could be added as needed. While driving, they could serve as sunglasses and even a dashcam. They allowed hands-free browsing, calling, messaging, and even media playback.
However, once brought to China, most of the features would be unusable. The glasses relied on American networks and used Google's services instead of Baidu's.
Still, since Jiang Hai mostly lived in the U.S., he was intrigued. He checked the prices: the third-generation glasses were $900, the second-generation $750. Titanium frames added another $100.
That was pocket change to Jiang Hai. He chose the newer third-gen model for its lightweight design and better cooling, even if it wasn't as durable. He picked a silver frame with interchangeable lenses: clear for daily use and dark blue reflective for outdoors. Total cost: $1,250—well within budget.
Excited, he even offered to buy glasses for Bernice, Darlene, and Marianne. The latter two eagerly accepted, each choosing a different color—pink and orange, respectively. Bernice and Xiaoya, though interested, declined his offer. Bernice instead insisted on paying with her own credit card.
Altogether, they ordered five pairs. Though the glasses were in stock, the lenses needed customization, so they would return to pick them up in a few days.
With new gadgets secured, Jiang Hai and his group continued walking for a while longer. It was past 9:30 now, and most stores were closing. Only the bars remained open, but that wasn't their scene tonight.
Bernice finally suggested they head back. Once home, Jiang Hai parked outside the villa, and the two of them silently walked inside and up the stairs.
"Thank you... for watching the movie with me today. And shopping," Bernice said awkwardly as they reached the second floor.
Jiang Hai smiled.
"No need to thank me. I watched the movie and bought stuff for myself, too."
Bernice glanced at the clock—10 PM. She looked at Jiang Hai once more, her eyes unreadable, then quickly turned and dashed into her room.
Jiang Hai smiled to himself as he watched her retreating figure.
This girl… really was something else.
When he walked into his room, someone was already lying on his bed.
Sometimes, fate has its own plans—and they're not so easy to change.
To be continued...