“No, seriously—can you teach me your secret?”
The woman scrambled up from the ground and grabbed Zhang Fan’s arm. “I’m not being sarcastic. I’m serious. I can pay tuition, really!”
“I think you’re the one who’s sick!”
Ye Xueyan brushed her hand away, took Zhang Fan by the arm, and walked past the woman straight toward the Mercedes parked outside.
Watching the car drive away, she was filled with envy.
A plain, unremarkable girl—what did she do to deserve such good fortune?
Not only did Zhou Wenzong claim to be her boyfriend, but she also had a super-rich second-generation heir fawning over her!
She couldn’t figure it out. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t understand it.
…
Inside the car, Zhang Fan sat in the passenger seat, feeling as if she were in a dream.
“So you’re actually the son of the Ye Group’s chairman? I always thought someone like you—a rich second-generation heir—would be studying at an internationally renowned aristocratic school, and would never have crossed paths with someone ordinary like me.”
She looked out at the rain, a hint of self-mockery in her voice.
“Jiang University is already one of the top institutions in the country!”
Ye Xueyan glanced at her with a smile. “Don’t look at us through tinted glasses. Not every rich second-generation heir is a spoiled brat, and not all of us go abroad to study. I have an older brother, so my family doesn’t have high expectations for me. I don’t need to build some fancy resume.”
“So your allowance really has no limit?”
“How could that be? I was just bragging—don’t take it seriously!”
Even if it wasn’t truly unlimited, it was definitely far, far higher than an average person’s salary.
Zhang Fan felt a twinge of envy. Being born into the right family was truly a skill.
The car drove through the rain and soon reached their destination.
It was an antique market. On a rainy day, there were almost no people around.
At the edge of the market stood a standalone three-story building, not large in size—around five or six hundred square meters.
“The previous tenant here sold jade and jadeite. They got rich and moved to a bigger city to buy a storefront.”
Ye Xueyan turned on the lights inside, revealing the antique-style interior decoration. Some jadeite rough stones still remained on the shelves.
“The second floor is a reception area, and the third floor is a warehouse. If you think this is suitable, I’ll contact a designer right away to renovate it.”
Zhang Fan looked around the space. She hadn’t expected Ye Xueyan to find her such a large place.
Looking out the window, she could see various antique shops—it had a strong cultural atmosphere.
This was indeed perfect for her general store. It had foot traffic and was quiet.
“A place this big—how much is the rent?”
“Not much. About two to three hundred thousand a year. Very cheap!”
Ye Xueyan smiled, picked up a rough stone from the shelf, and weighed it in his hand. “If you rent it, I can waive the first six months of rent!”
“I’ll go check out the third floor!”
Zhang Fan climbed the stairs to the third floor, walked down the hallway, and spotted a door leading to a terrace.
She pushed the door open, and the first sight took her breath away.
It was a rooftop garden!
A glass conservatory stood on the terrace, furnished with tables and chairs, surrounded by flower pots. Perhaps because no one had tended to them for so long, some of the flowers had wilted.
Outside the conservatory was a large vat—an eco-friendly fish tank using traditional methods.
Unfortunately, the fish seemed to have been taken away.
Zhang Fan scooped out some water from the vat, used a spray bottle to water the flowers in the conservatory, and refilled the automatic drip irrigator.
“I really like this place!”
She looked up at Ye Xueyan, her eyes shining with light:
“Such a wonderful place is worth my effort to earn money and rent it out. You don’t need to waive the rent, but if you could let me move in first and pay the rent after I’ve earned the money, I’d be extremely grateful. Of course, this period won’t exceed six months!”
“Fine, whatever you want, I’m okay with it!”
Ye Xueyan leaned closer to her: “But you have to agree to one small request of mine…”
He smiled mysteriously, staring into Zhang Fan’s eyes: “Pretend to be my girlfriend and come home with me for a meal!”
Seeing Zhang Fan’s shocked expression, he seemed quite satisfied with his smile: “My mom has nothing to do at home all day and is anxious to hold a grandchild. But my brother is completely focused on his work and has declared he won’t marry until he’s forty.
So my mom has turned her matchmaking pressure on me. I haven’t even graduated yet, and I haven’t had enough fun! Help me out and come back to deal with it.
If she takes a liking to you, great. If she doesn’t, and she personally breaks us up, then she’ll have no grounds to pressure me anymore.”
Zhang Fan stared at Ye Xueyan’s eyes again and again—he didn’t seem to be joking.
“Then… if your mom writes me a check for five million to leave you, how would we split that money?”
Ye Xueyan was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: “Don’t even think about it. My mom is sharp as a tack; she’d never do something that stupid!”
He laughed for quite a while, finally managing to stop, and said seriously: “But if my mom really gives you anything, just accept it. No need to share it with me!”
“Wow… hearing you say that, I’m starting to look forward to it!”
Zhang Fan extended her right hand: “Pleasure doing business!”
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze clear.
For some reason, Ye Xueyan felt that Zhang Fan looked quite beautiful at this moment.
“Pleasure doing business!”
The two stayed in the greenhouse for a while longer, admiring the flowers and listening to the rain, both hearts utterly at peace.
When it was completely dark, they returned to the hotel and feasted at the buffet.
The way they ate stunned everyone in the restaurant.
Growing boys eat their parents out of house and home.
Given Ye Xueyan’s size, it was normal for him to eat a lot, but unexpectedly, Zhang Fan could eat just as much.
When they finished, the piles of food scraps in front of them were about equal.
“You’re really a great dining companion!”
Ye Xueyan nodded in slight disbelief: “I’m actually afraid of eating with girls. They always say they’re on a diet, and when they eat, they count every grain of rice, which kills my appetite.”
“Women dress up for those who appreciate them!”
Zhang Fan took a sip of cola, looking quite satisfied: “In front of someone you like, it’s normal to maintain a perfect image.”
“So by that logic, in front of someone you like, you’d also eat grain by grain?”
Ye Xueyan raised an eyebrow, pondering the meaning behind Zhang Fan’s words.
Was she telling him that a man as perfect as him didn’t stir her heart at all?
“I don’t know!”
Zhang Fan thought for a moment: “Maybe I would! But it probably wouldn’t take long before my true nature came out, because I’m really afraid of being hungry!”
The feeling of not eating enough or eating poorly is truly awful.
It makes you depressed and makes life seem utterly joyless.
“You really won’t even bother to put on an act?”
“When I go to your house, I’ll try to be more ladylike!” Zhang Fan nodded seriously: “I guarantee I’ll be very professional!”
As if something occurred to her, she asked another question:
“You haven’t said yet—should I make your parents hate me, or like me?”
Hate would probably be easier to pull off, since there’s a natural class barrier anyway.