We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

For a franchisee in a county town to come up with one million yuan in cash and secure a prime shop in the town center is more than just a matter of funding.

This at least shows that the other party has the ability to truly make the store successful.

Zhou Bin's tone became warmer.

"I know about Contemporary Mall; it's definitely the best commercial project in Huaicheng right now."

"Boss Ye, you really have the ability."

"I'm in the provincial capital these days, but I can personally bring my team to Huaicheng the day after tomorrow. We can take a look at the shops in person and clarify the contract details, decoration standards, and initial payment. What do you think?"

"Can."

Ye Chen glanced at the computer on the table.

Contact me when you arrive.

"Okay, see you the day after tomorrow."

The phone hangs up.

Ye Chen put his phone aside.

When it comes to business, money is just the ticket to entry; position is the real source of confidence.

With both items on the table, the brand naturally wouldn't treat him like an ordinary customer from a small county town anymore.

Just then, the phone on the table vibrated again.

The screen lights up.

Shen Anran sent a text message:

"Are you free this afternoon? I'm going to try the ice cream place on Third Street."

Ye Chen glanced at the investment promotion materials on the computer.

The business has been settled; all that's left is for the other party to come to us.

He picked up his phone and replied:

"Okay, I'm free this afternoon. See you at four."

3:50 p.m.

Although it was October, the afternoon autumn sun was still quite hot.

Ye Chen changed into a clean white short-sleeved T-shirt and black jeans before going out.

At the intersection of the pedestrian street, the sign of the "Bingke" cold drink shop is very eye-catching.

At exactly four o'clock, a white figure appeared on the street corner.

Shen Anran wore a simple off-white short-sleeved shirt and dark blue straight-leg jeans.

The clothes weren't form-fitting, but they accentuated her tall and delicate features, making her look very clean and elegant.

After not seeing each other for more than a month, when Ye Chen's figure clearly came into view, Shen Anran felt her heart skip a beat.

The Ye Chen before me seemed more confident and cheerful than he was in high school. His every move exuded a reassuring composure, and he seemed to be radiating light.

This was the first time in her life that she had ever asked a guy out alone.

God knows how much courage she mustered to send that text message today; her fingers were trembling slightly.

At this moment, looking at Ye Chen's white T-shirt and jeans, and then at his own beige short-sleeved shirt and jeans, he thought to himself...

Shen Anran's cheeks instantly flushed—this outfit, no matter how you looked at it, had the feel of a couple's outfit.

Thinking of this, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart, and even her breathing became a little tight.

"Have you been waiting long?"

She quickened her pace, her fair cheeks flushed with nervous excitement, adding to her delicate charm.

"Just arrived."

Ye Chen pushed open the glass door and stepped aside.

"Let's go inside."

It was during the National Day holiday, and the store was quite crowded and noisy, but the strong air conditioning quickly dispelled the heat outside.

The two looked around and finally found an empty seat in a corner.

Shen Anran ordered a taro pearl milk tea, and Ye Chen ordered a strawberry smoothie.

"How have you been feeling this past month studying in Tianjin? Are you getting used to it?"

Ye Chen leaned back in his chair and asked casually.

"It's fine, it's just..."

Holding the cup, Shen Anran's wildly beating heart gradually calmed down under the cool air, but the blush on her face never faded.

"They're just so funny, it's like everyone's a comedian."

She began to recount the interesting things that happened in Tianjin.

"When we went to the school gate to buy jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes), the old man selling jianbing guozi called all of us 'sister'. Not only that, when I went to the market to buy fruit, the white-haired uncle selling fruit also called me 'sister'. I even heard an old man call another old woman 'sister'."

"It's Tianjin's 'Sister Jie'."

Ye Chen twirled the glass in his hand, chuckling jokingly.

"In Tianjin, no matter if you're eight or eighty, as long as you're a woman, you're all called 'sister.' If you go shopping one day and someone doesn't call you 'sister,' you'll suspect that the shopkeeper is in a bad mood."

Shen Anran was taken aback, then giggled.

"Yes, yes, that's exactly it! And they have a natural knack for being the straight man. Last week in our advanced calculus class, the teacher wrote a whole blackboard full of formulas, sighed, and said, 'This problem is a bit difficult.' Then a boy in the class, speaking with a perfect Tianjin accent, said, 'What do you mean by a bit difficult? This is practically a death sentence!' His voice wasn't too loud or too soft, but the whole class burst out laughing instantly, even the teacher couldn't hold it in."

"So you're not going to college?"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.

"You're basically paying tuition to buy a ticket to a stand-up comedy show."

Shen Anran couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Her initial unease completely dissipated under Ye Chen's lighthearted teasing.

The Ye Chen standing before me was still the same familiar person, yet completely different from the one I knew in high school.

He speaks calmly and acts without haste, and occasionally he'll spout nonsense with a straight face.

The more it is like this, the more it makes it hard to look away.

At five o'clock, the two left the ice cream shop and slowly walked along the pedestrian street.

During the National Day holiday, the streets of the county town were packed with people.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, music, and children's laughter mingled together, making it unbearably noisy.

The two walked side by side.

Suddenly, a piercing horn blared from behind.

To avoid the crowd, an electric tricycle loaded with goods suddenly swerved and headed straight for Shen Anran's side.

"Watch out!"

Ye Chen reacted quickly, took a step forward, put his arm around Shen Anran's shoulder, and led her back to the side of the road.

The tricycle kicked up a gust of hot air as it sped past, brushing against Ye Chen's clothes.

Before Shen Anran could react, she was already pressed against Ye Chen's side.

Ye Chen's arm was still draped over her shoulder.

People came and went around, and the sound of the tricycle horn gradually faded into the distance.

Shen Anran wanted to remind him to let go, but the words stuck in her throat.

She stumbled for a moment, then could only follow Ye Chen forward.

The refreshing scent of laundry detergent was right next to my nose, and the hand on my shoulder, through my thin short-sleeved shirt, felt intensely warm.

She lowered her head, her ears turning bright red, but she couldn't hide the sweetness in her heart.

But she couldn't break free.

It wasn't until they had walked more than ten meters that Ye Chen realized he was still holding her.

"Feel sorry."

He naturally withdrew his hand.

"There were too many people just now, I didn't notice for a moment."

"fine."

Shen Anran's voice was barely audible.

She raised her hand to tidy her wind-blown hair, but couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

After that, the two were much closer than before.

Their arms occasionally brushed together, and neither of them made a point of avoiding it.