Urban System: Beautiful lady, I really didn't steal your black stockings!

Cheng Zhe's doubts deepened.

He quickly reflected in his mind that his performance today was mediocre, and he really didn't think he had any charm that would make Shen Yating take the initiative to stop his car or even want to get in and talk to him alone. It was definitely not the confession scene he had once fantasized about.

After thinking it over, it's highly likely that she has something else to ask me.

He hesitated for two seconds, then said to Shen Yating, "Okay, get in the car."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yating immediately released her grip on the car window, opened the car door, and sat in the passenger seat, casually placing her handbag on her lap.

A moment of silence fell over the carriage. Cheng Zhe turned his head and found Shen Yating looking at him intently.

Being stared at so openly by his former love interest made Cheng Zhe feel a little uncomfortable. His cheeks flushed slightly, and he subconsciously avoided her gaze. He cleared his throat and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you staring at me?"

Shen Yating withdrew her gaze, gripping her handbag tightly with both hands. Instead of answering his question directly, she said softly, "You've changed so much. I never imagined you were such a successful person, with your own business and such excellent investment skills."

His tone carried a hint of emotion, and also a touch of deliberate flattery.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhe couldn't help but smile, his tone modest: "Don't say that, I'm far from it. I'm just making a living, I can't be considered a successful person." Although he said this, he couldn't help but feel a little pleased. Being recognized by someone he once had a crush on was ultimately a happy thing.

"Why not?" Shen Yating immediately retorted, then turned to look at him, her gaze even more serious than before. "To be able to achieve what you've done is already quite impressive. By the way, do you... have a boyfriend?"

The question came so suddenly that Cheng Zhe's smile froze instantly, and a wave of embarrassment washed over him.

He subconsciously thought of many people, and of that unspeakable, secret relationship, and wanted to say "yes".

But as he reached for the words, looking at Shen Yating's still gentle face, which vaguely resembled her appearance from back then—a face he had seen in countless youthful dreams—his tone involuntarily shifted.

He paused for two seconds, then slowly shook his head, his voice lowering slightly: "No."

Upon hearing this answer, Shen Yating visibly relaxed, the tension in her eyes lessened considerably, and she even relaxed her posture.

Cheng Zhe saw her reaction and his doubts deepened.

Since he got on the bus, Shen Yating has been rambling on and on, sometimes saying how much he's changed, sometimes asking if he has a girlfriend, but she's never gotten to the point.

Cheng Zhe knew perfectly well that her unusual behavior meant she wanted something from him.

Instead of dragging this out, it's better to just get straight to the point.

He composed himself, turned to look at Shen Yating, and said sincerely, "Yating, if there's anything you need, just say it. We're old classmates after all, and I'll definitely help you if I can."

Hearing Cheng Zhe's words, Shen Yating seemed to finally receive encouragement. She subconsciously squeezed her legs together and gripped the straps of her handbag tightly with both hands, as if she had used all her strength to muster up the courage.

She took a deep breath and slowly began to speak: "After I graduated, I didn't go to work. Instead, I used my family's money to open a beauty salon. I really put a lot of effort into it, from choosing the location and decorating to hiring staff. I did everything myself."

She paused here, as if to calm herself down.

Cheng Zhe didn't interrupt, but just looked at her quietly, his eyes calm, patiently waiting for her to continue.

He could sense that what was about to be said would be difficult for Shen Yating to say.

After a few seconds of silence, Shen Yating finally raised her head, her eyes already slightly red, and her voice trembling more noticeably. She finally got to the point: "But I was too young back then and didn't know anything about business. My partner cheated me and ran off with all the store's working capital."

"I was unwilling to give up like this. In order to keep the beauty salon running, I borrowed money from people everywhere and ended up with a mountain of debt."

"Now those debt collectors come to my door every day, urging me to pay, and I'm almost suffocating. To make matters worse, my father passed away in an accident this year, and the pillar of our family is gone."

"My mother's health wasn't good to begin with, and because of this, she was worried all the time, and as a result, she fell ill and is still in the hospital." As she said this, her voice became choked with sobs, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"But I... I can't even afford my mother's medical expenses. Don't be fooled by how neatly I'm dressed and well-groomed today; I only have 500 yuan left in my account and on me."

"Cheng Zhe, I really can't take it anymore." As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Yating couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and they rolled down her cheeks. She raised her hand to cover her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly as she suppressed her sobs. "I really had nowhere else to turn, that's why I thought of asking you for help."

Cheng Zhe listened quietly, his expression gradually becoming serious.

Upon hearing this, he immediately understood what Shen Yating meant.

From deliberately probing his financial situation at the dinner party, to making small talk about whether he had a girlfriend after getting in the car, and now tearfully recounting her predicament, all of this was for the final plea for help.

He felt a mix of emotions, both saddened by the current situation of his former love and somewhat caught off guard by this sudden request for help.

The carriage fell silent again, with only Shen Yating's suppressed sobs coming from time to time.

Cheng Zhe did not speak immediately; his brows furrowed slightly, and he fell silent.

He needs time to process this sudden change and is also weighing the pros and cons.

Shen Yating wiped her eyes, her smooth legs unconsciously clenching together again and again to hide the unease and panic surging in her heart.

She knew that her sudden request for help, coupled with such deliberate foreshadowing, would make anyone suspect her ulterior motives.

But she really had no other choice. Her father had passed away, her mother was seriously ill, and she was burdened with debt. These mountains were weighing her down, and Cheng Zhe was the only lifeline she could grasp at the moment.

Just when Shen Yating was about to give up, Cheng Zhe finally spoke, his voice low and calm, revealing little emotion: "How much money are you short?"

These four simple words, like a glimmer of light, instantly illuminated Shen Yating's despair.

She suddenly raised her head, hope rekindling in her eyes, and hurriedly said, "The debt... the debt is still 80 yuan short, and my mother's subsequent treatment will cost about 20 yuan, so it will add up to about one million yuan in total."

Cheng Zhe nodded, indicating that he understood.

He paused for a moment, then slowly said, "I can lend you one million. But I, Cheng Zhe, don't do business at a loss."

What can you give me?