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

When we arrived at Xingchen Interactive, it was already 2:40 pm.

The National Day holiday wasn't completely over yet, and the entire office building was unusually quiet.

Along both sides of the corridor, many company doors were locked, and there wasn't a soul in sight.

Only the office area of ​​Starry Sky Interactive was still lit.

There are three employees on duty today.

Hearing a noise at the door, Xiao Wang, who was looking at the duty log, looked up.

Upon recognizing Ye Chen, he immediately stood up.

"Mr. Ye."

The other two operators quickly put down their snacks and greeted them as well.

"Hello, Mr. Ye."

"Please sit down."

Ye Chen raised his hand and casually glanced at the work area.

"Have the servers been running smoothly these past few days?"

"Very stable."

Xiao Wang quickly retrieved the duty log.

"The day before yesterday, the number of visits suddenly surged, triggering an alert. We switched to the backup line in time, and the players were not affected."

"Well handled."

Ye Chen nodded.

Triple pay, post-holiday time off, and full reimbursement of meal and taxi expenses.

If the boss provides good benefits to the employees, the employees will naturally work hard to complete their tasks.

You can't expect people to generate electricity out of love while simultaneously demanding that employees work themselves to the bone.

That's not management, that's freeloading.

After briefly asking about the situation, Ye Chen went straight into the office.

He pulled out a chair, sat down, and pressed the power button on the computer.

The screen lights up.

Ye Chen skillfully accessed the operations backend and retrieved the data reports from the National Day holiday period.

The two curves, one in front of the other, rise upwards in unison.

"Angry Sparrow" remains firmly at the top of the download charts, with no significant decline in popularity.

Temple Run, which was launched not long ago, has also ushered in a second round of growth after the initial positive word-of-mouth.

New users, online users, and revenue are all on the rise.

The National Day holiday did not cause the data to drop; instead, it pushed it up even further.

The two games are like two tireless money-printing machines.

For every minute a user plays, the number in their overseas account jumps up.

Every time the backend is refreshed, the increased revenue is more than many ordinary people could earn in several years or even more than a decade.

After Ye Chen checked the retention and revenue situation,

After confirming that everything was normal, he closed the page.

The game was just the beginning for him.

Since God has given him a second chance at life, he will never simply rely on the two games as his legacy.

Ye Chen raised his wrist to check the time.

3:15 PM.

He had made an appointment with Xia Shiqing before National Day.

Once they return to Shanghai, the two of them will have a meal together.

To make time for today, Xia Shiqing swapped shifts with her colleagues in advance and took a day off specifically to wait for him.

Ye Chen picked up his phone and opened QQ.

Did you go to work today?

The message was sent out and received a reply almost instantly.

I didn't go to work today.

Have you returned to Shanghai?

This rapid response clearly indicates that the person was constantly monitoring their phone.

Ye Chen picked up the car keys from the table.

【Yeah, just got back.】

I'll be at your neighborhood in half an hour.

After sending the message, he pushed open the door and walked out of the office.

Ye Chen stopped as he passed through the work area.

"After you finish your shifts today, take two days off according to the schedule."

Contact me if anything happens.

"Okay, Mr. Ye."

The three of them agreed in unison.

Ye Chen waved his hand and left the company alone.

Forty minutes later.

The black Mercedes slowly pulled up in front of the apartment complex where Xia Shiqing lived.

Just as Ye Chen uttered the words "We've arrived," the stairwell door was pushed open.

Xia Shiqing came out from inside.

She was clearly dressed up carefully today.

She wore a short black knit cardigan over a white tank top, and slim-fit trousers.

Her outfit wasn't extravagant, yet it accentuated her slender waistline and long, straight legs, making them exceptionally eye-catching.

She walked quickly to the car, opened the passenger door, and got in.

A faint woody scent then wafted out.

"Have you been waiting long?"

Xia Shiqing pulled on her seatbelt and turned her head to look at Ye Chen.

"no."

Her eyes were sparkling.

"I just came downstairs too."

Ye Chen glanced at her outfit, which was clearly carefully chosen, but did not expose her.

She said she just came downstairs, but she probably changed her clothes several times.

"Where do you want to go?"

Xia Shiqing tilted her head and smiled.

"Let's go for a stroll in Tianzifang."

"OK."

Ye Chen shifted gears, and the black Mercedes slowly drove away from the residential area.

Not long after, the Mercedes drove into the underground parking garage of the Sun Moon Light Center.

On the last day of the National Day holiday, the shopping mall was still packed with people.

Ye Chen circled around for most of the way before finally finding an empty spot.

After parking the car, the two walked side by side towards the elevator.

After exiting the mall and crossing Taikang Road, you will find yourself at the entrance to Tianzifang.

Blue bricks, red tiles, and several clotheslines hanging horizontally above the narrow alley.

The old houses on both sides of the street have been converted into handicraft shops, cafes and galleries, and the coming and going tourists fill the already narrow alleyway to the brim.

The air was filled with the aroma of coffee, the cumin scent of grilled meat skewers, and the perfume smell of passersby.

Xia Shiqing's outfit today was already eye-catching.

Several young men walked past and couldn't help but turn back for a second look.

Ye Chen didn't react much.

He walked beside her at a leisurely pace, one hand in his pocket.

Suddenly, several children carrying candied hawthorns ran up ahead, chasing and playing around.

The alley was already narrow, and their sudden rush threw the crowd into chaos.

The people behind followed and pushed forward.

A fat man carrying a large backpack lost his footing and was about to bump into Xia Shiqing's shoulder.

Ye Chen raised his right hand and shielded her from behind.

He then turned halfway to the side, used his arm slightly to pull her towards him.

Caught off guard, Xia Shiqing's shoulder bumped directly into Ye Chen's arms.

The distance between the two instantly shortened.

Even through the thin fabric, she could feel the firm outline of Ye Chen's chest and the warmth of his body as he drew closer.

I could hear his steady breathing.

Xia Shiqing's body stiffened slightly.

Immediately afterwards, my ears started to feel hot.

Instead of immediately backing away, she followed Ye Chen's lead and took half a step closer to him.

Their arms were almost touching.

Once the children had run far away, Ye Chen naturally let go of their hands.

He spoke casually.

"There are just too many people during the National Day holiday."

"Um……"

Xia Shiqing lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the bag strap.

Even though Ye Chen had already let go, the warmth he felt when he was close to her still lingered on her shoulder.

She secretly turned her head and glanced at Ye Chen.

That guy is something else.

After protecting the person, he acted as if nothing had happened and continued walking forward.

The only one who lost her rhythm was herself.

Looking at the dazzling array of shops on both sides, Ye Chen felt a rare moment of relaxation.

In his past life, he spent more than ten years in Shanghai.

Every day I wake up to writing code, modifying programs, and paying off my mortgage.

He has never been to Tianzifang, a place that is known as a must-visit spot for artsy young people.

At that time, he was preoccupied with work and life, and had no interest in wandering around in such places.

Now that I've been given a second chance at life, I have less pressure on my shoulders and a beautiful woman by my side.

Just wandering aimlessly through the old alleyways isn't so bad.

Xia Shiqing stopped in her tracks as she passed a small shop selling handmade silver jewelry and leather goods.

She glanced inside twice, then turned to look at Ye Chen.

"Shall we go in and take a look?"

"Since we're already here..."

Ye Chen smiled.

"Let's take a look."

Xia Shiqing smiled and reached out to grab his wrist.

"Let's go then."

As soon as she finished speaking, she led Ye Chen into the store.