Li Hu ran off dejectedly and went home to change his clothes.
Su Wanying was at Xu Honglei’s home and slept until noon before waking up.
After waking up, Su Wanying gave Xu Honglei another thorough pounding with her powder fist, grumbling that she had suffered terribly. Then she hugged Xu Honglei tightly and kissed him passionately for a while before finally staggering home, sore all over.
A few more days passed, and Xu Honglei’s bank loan finally arrived. It had been deposited into his account—the full two hundred thousand.
Now that he had money, his entrepreneurship plan for opening an internet café officially began.
During this period, Xu Honglei had already looked around the area and found several suitable locations for opening an internet café. He selected the one with the largest area and arranged to meet the landlord to discuss it.
“Oh my, you’re a young handsome man! You’re so young, yet you’re already becoming a boss. What kind of business are you planning to run in older sister’s commercial premises?”
The landlord was a young married woman around thirty years old.
Her hair was black and long wavy hair, and she wore a black spaghetti-strap bodycon dress trimmed with lace. It accentuated her alluring and voluptuous figure, making her look exceptionally sexy.
Xu Honglei answered honestly, “I plan to open an internet café!”
“Oh, that’s quite good. Opening an internet café is good; it won’t turn older sister’s commercial premises into a complete mess. The monthly rent is thirteen thousand. As usual, one month’s deposit and one year’s rent upfront.”
Xu Honglei asked tentatively, somewhat pleasantly surprised, “One month’s deposit and one month’s rent?”
“Younger brother, you really know how to joke. It’s one month’s deposit and one year’s rent!” The young married woman pretended to get angry, yet continued staring intently at Xu Honglei, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth.
Xu Honglei put on a bitter expression and said pleadingly, “older sister, could you let me pay a little less? Your younger brother has only just started his entrepreneurship, so my available funds aren’t very ample.”
“Then how do you want to pay?”
“Could I pay for three months first?”
The young married landlady hurriedly shook her head. “That won’t do. It’s too little, and there’s no such precedent. You have to pay at least six months’ rent!”
“Older sister, my good older sister, your younger brother has only just begun his entrepreneurship, and it isn’t easy. Please make an exception for me. Once my internet café opens, I’ll definitely pay all of older sister’s rent. I won’t short you on it.
Once my funds are more comfortable next year, I’ll definitely pay the rent annually. All right? My good older sister!” Xu Honglei’s face was full of pleading, and there was a hint of act coy in his voice. He even shifted half a step closer to the young married woman.
Having lived two lifetimes, Xu Honglei had long since figured out human nature. When a man act coy toward a woman, the effect was far greater than when a woman act coy toward a man.
To get his internet café up and running, Xu Honglei decided to cast aside so-called masculine dignity and pride, throw himself into it, and fight for it.
When a man succeeds, everything he does is considered right. Whatever he did before was merely the road that brought him there.
When he fails, everything about him is a flaw—even stepping through the door with his left foot first is wrong.
The young married landlady seemed not to notice Xu Honglei’s little movement. She continued standing steadily where she was and did not instinctively retreat.
She merely smiled and said in a very serious tone, “younger brother, it’s not that older sister doesn’t want to make an exception. But if I collected rent in little bits and pieces from everyone like you, wouldn’t I be worked to death every day?”
Eighteen-year-old Xu Honglei was a genuine young handsome man. It was no exaggeration to call him a young puppy capable of making women drool.
Even the still-somewhat-naive Su Wanying had become captivated by him, let alone this young young married woman before him.
He didn’t believe this woman would reject his approach.
Thus, Xu Honglei continued to act coy with her. “Older sister, couldn’t you just keep it from everyone else? Make an exception for your younger brother, all right?
Although this is the first time your younger brother has met older sister, I already feel very close to you. I feel as though you’re my biological older sister!”
The young married landlady bit her lip and pretended to be angry. Her smile was ambiguous, and her eyes were somewhat hazy as she scolded him with a smile. “Stop trying to feed older sister a bewitching potion. What kind of person hasn’t older sister seen? I won’t fall for your tricks!
Paying every six months is already older sister’s bottom line. Besides, the rent I’m charging you is already the lowest price. I never intended to haggle with you or play these pointless games.”
Xu Honglei shifted a little closer to the young married woman. The skin on his arm had already made slight contact with the skin on her arm.
“Older sister, a bottom line is just like a bust line. If you squeeze hard enough, there will definitely be some room. Besides, I’m only asking older sister to ease my financial pressure for a while. It’s not as if I’m asking to pay you less.
In any case, older sister’s shop is temporarily vacant. Renting it out one day earlier means older sister can earn a little more money, doesn’t it?”
When Xu Honglei moved closer to the young married woman again, her body stiffened almost imperceptibly. It seemed she was suppressing her natural impulse to step backward, yet she still did not move.
However, the smile at the corners of the young married woman’s mouth could no longer be suppressed. Unable to resist, she smiled and teased Xu Honglei, “younger brother, you’re quite good with words!
Honestly, tell older sister—just how many girls have you deceived?”
“Older sister, how could that be? Your younger brother hasn’t even held a girl’s hand before. I’m only telling the truth!”
The young married landlady wore an expression that said she had seen right through him and said with a beaming smile, “Tsk, spare me. You’re such a sly little rascal. I don’t believe a word of your nonsense!
Tell older sister the truth honestly. Maybe older sister will consider it and agree to your terms!”
Xu Honglei believed her even less. With an aggrieved expression, he said seriously, “older sister is so beautiful. I would never deceive older sister. Everything I said is true.
I only graduated from high school this year. High school isn’t like those technical secondary schools or vocational schools; studying was so demanding. How could I have had time to chase girls?
Besides, none of the female classmates in my high school class were particularly pretty. If there had been one even half as beautiful as older sister, I definitely would have pursued her!”
The young married landlady was smiling so broadly that she could barely close her mouth. She lightly punched Xu Honglei with her powder fist, then slightly raised her arm and deliberately brushed his arm with the soft flesh concealed beneath it.
“You little rascal, am I really as wonderful as you say? You aren’t just flattering older sister, are you?”
“Of course not. Your younger brother is only telling the truth!”
Xu Honglei seemed to catch the signal she was sending. He moved closer of his own accord and once again brushed her soft flesh with his arm.
A blush instantly spread across the young married landlady’s face. She slightly pouted and deliberately said in a mildly displeased tone, “All right, all right. I really can’t do anything with you. Pay three months first, then!
However, let me make this clear first: within three months, you must pay older sister at least six months’ rent. Within half a year, you must pay the full year’s rent. Otherwise, older sister will throw you out.”
Xu Honglei was overjoyed. “No problem! Thank you for making an exception, older sister. From now on, you’re my biological older sister. By the way, what should I call you?”
The young married landlady stared straight into Xu Honglei’s eyes, swallowed hard, and introduced herself with a smile. “Older sister’s name is Chen Huiru. From now on, call me Sister Ru!”
“All right, Sister Ru. My name is Xu Honglei. My classmates and friends all call me Lei!”
“Then I’ll call you Xiao Lei!” The young married woman seemed unwilling to address Xu Honglei the same way as everyone else.
Xu Honglei hurriedly nodded. “All right. Older sister can call me whatever she likes!”