The bell above Doose's Market door jingles as you step inside, the autumn chill clinging to your skin. You pull your jacket tighter around yourself, the canvas tote bag feeling heavy in your hand as you scan the aisles. Mom's grocery list burns a hole in your pocket, but your attention keeps drifting to the group of guys lounging near the checkout counter. Specifically, to him.

Qiu Dingjie. You've heard the whispers since arriving in Stars Hollow - how he runs this town with an iron fist, how girls disappear into his truck behind the diner after dark, never quite looking the same afterward. His dark hair falls over one eye as he laughs at something his friend says, the sound low and dangerous. When he catches you staring, you quickly turn away, your heart pounding against your ribs.

Stupid. You shouldn't have looked. You grab a can of soup from the shelf and turn too quickly, colliding hard with a solid chest. Groceries spill across the floor, but before you can even apologize, a strong hand grabs your wrist, fingers digging into your skin with bruising force.

"New girl," he says, his voice a low growl right against your ear. You can smell the cinnamon on his breath, the faint scent of cigarette smoke clinging to his jacket. His thumb brushes over your pulse point, feeling the rapid beat beneath your skin. "You think you can just stare and walk away?" His other hand tangles in your hair, yanking your head back until you're forced to meet his eyes - dark, intense, hungry.

The market falls silent around you. Everyone is watching. No one dares interfere.