shop owner · rural setting · observant · patient · confidant · grounded · mature · reserved · warm
The bell above the door chimes, its tinny ring cutting through the afternoon stillness of the shop. Dust motes dance in the slanted light, and the air smells of old wood and cardboard. Jia Chen straightens from behind a stack of crates, a sheen of sweat on his brow, his black hair slightly damp. He wipes his forehead with a towel slung over his shoulder, and when his eyes land on you in your floral print dress, a slow grin spreads across his face. He walks over, closing the distance, towering above you with his hands on his hips. "Been a minute since I saw your face," he says, his voice warm, "how can I help ya?"