There was no way Wen Xi could tell Lin Manman the whole truth.
She could not say that it was a transaction—a marriage bought with one million yuan, bound by a cold, black-and-white contract between herself and an indifferent man.
So she merely smiled and said lightly, “He treats me pretty well. The place I live is nice, I don’t have to worry about food or clothes, and he gives me living expenses every month.”
“That’s good, then.”
Lin Manman’s expression softened. She reached out and held Wen Xi’s hand.
“You know, when you called me saying your dad ran away again and the Loan Sharks came knocking on your door… I was terrified. But I couldn’t gather that much money either…”
Her eyes reddened.
“Wen Xi, I’m sorry. When you needed help the most, I couldn’t do anything for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
Wen Xi squeezed her hand back, her own nose turning sour as well.
“Do you even realize how much you’ve helped me? When my mom was hospitalized before, you transferred twenty thousand without hesitation. When I couldn’t pay rent, you covered three months for me. You even remembered my birthday and bought me cake… Manman, without you, I would’ve collapsed a long time ago.”
The two girls looked at each other, both with red-rimmed eyes, before bursting into laughter at the same time.
“Alright, alright, enough of this emotional stuff.”
Lin Manman sniffed and blinked hard several times to force her tears back before changing the topic.
“Have you eaten yet? I made porridge this morning. Want me to get you a bowl?”
“I already ate before coming out,” Wen Xi replied. Then after a pause, she added softly, “The Auntie at home made it.”
Lin Manman immediately gave her a look that screamed you’ve changed, clicking her tongue twice.
“You even have an Auntie now. Truly the life of a wealthy wife.”
Wen Xi’s ears reddened from the teasing. Just as she was about to retort, she suddenly noticed Lin Manman’s expression collapse.
Leaning against the rattan chair, Lin Manman sighed heavily, her whole body slumping as though all the bones had been pulled out of her.
“What’s wrong?” Wen Xi asked.
Lin Manman did not answer immediately. She merely raised a hand and pointed upward—more specifically, toward the A4-sized paper taped to the glass door.
Following her finger, Wen Xi looked over.
Several printed lines were written on it:
“This storefront will no longer renew the lease upon expiration. If renewal is requested, the monthly rent will increase to 12,000 yuan. Interested parties please contact…”
Wen Xi frowned.
“How much was it before?”
“Eight thousand.”
Lin Manman made a miserable face.
“You know this location isn’t exactly great to begin with. I mostly survive on old customers and online orders. Monthly revenue is only around thirty thousand. After deducting flower costs, utilities, and labor, I only earn a little over ten thousand. At eight thousand rent, I could barely survive. But if it goes up to twelve thousand—”
She began counting on her fingers for Wen Xi.
“Twelve thousand for rent, around two thousand for utilities and property fees, over ten thousand for flower materials, and I don’t count my own labor, but the part-timer costs me four thousand every month. After all that, I’m left with maybe three or four thousand. I can’t exactly survive on air, can I?”
Wen Xi fell silent for a moment.
“Then what are you planning to do?”
“I don’t know.”
Lin Manman buried her face in her hands and spoke in a muffled voice.
“I’ve already checked around. Shops in better locations all cost over twenty thousand a month. I can’t afford that. Places farther away are cheaper, but who’s going to buy flowers in those areas? Flower shops rely on location and foot traffic…”
She raised her head again. Her eyes were red, but she still did not cry.
That was the kind of person she was.
No matter how hard things got, she would never cry openly in front of others.
“If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll just close the shop and get a regular job.”
Lin Manman tugged at the corner of her lips, but the smile looked worse than crying.
“Anyway, I’ve already run this shop for three years. No regrets.”
Wen Xi looked at her, feeling as though something was clogging her chest.
Lin Manman was her only friend in this city.
They had met at the factory. Back when Wen Xi had just dropped out of school and started working there, she knew nothing and was constantly bullied by senior workers. It was Lin Manman who had stood up for her.
Later, Lin Manman saved enough money to open this flower shop. Wen Xi endured another year at the factory before finally breaking down, changing jobs over and over again, drifting from place to place.
But through it all, their friendship had never broken.
Every time Wen Xi hit rock bottom, Lin Manman was always the first person to reach out a hand.
Sometimes it was one or two thousand yuan. Sometimes it was just a meal.
Sometimes it was simply a shoulder she could cry on.
What Wen Xi owed her had never been money.
It was a debt of kindness she could never fully repay.
“Manman.”
Wen Xi suddenly spoke.
“Hm?”
“If you moved this shop to a better location, renovated it a bit, and bought a good batch of flowers… how much would it cost?”
Lin Manman froze for a moment, tilting her head while calculating.
“A decent location would cost at least twenty thousand a month. Three months’ deposit plus one month’s rent would already be eighty thousand. Simple renovations would cost another thirty to fifty thousand. Then the first batch of flowers, equipment, and miscellaneous expenses… altogether, startup funds would probably need at least one hundred fifty to two hundred thousand.”
After saying that, she laughed first.
“Forget it, don’t even think about it. I only have fifty thousand saved right now. It’s nowhere near enough. You should just focus on living your wealthy bride life and stop worrying about me.”
Wen Xi did not laugh.
She lowered her head and stared at her fingers in silence for about ten seconds.
Then she looked up at Lin Manman with an expression so serious it did not seem like a joke at all.
“Manman… let me invest.”
Lin Manman froze.
“You… what?”
“I said I’ll invest.”
“You said I have nothing to do anyway, right? You provide the skills, experience, and supplier channels. I’ll provide the money. We’ll split it fifty-fifty and build the shop together.”
Lin Manman’s mouth hung open for a long while before finally closing.
She looked Wen Xi up and down several times, as though trying to confirm whether the person standing in front of her was really the same Wen Xi she had known for three years.
“Does… your husband agree to this?” she asked.
“I have my own money too,” Wen Xi said.
“He gives me monthly living expenses. I can just save them. Besides…” She hesitated slightly. “I want to do something myself. Staying at… staying at home all day makes me restless.”
That was the truth.
Ever since leaving the factory, she had worked as a restaurant waitress, supermarket cashier, and clothing store sales assistant. She had never once been idle.
But these past two days in the villa, aside from eating, sleeping, and waiting for him to come home, she had nothing to do.
That feeling of idleness made her uneasy.
“You’re serious?” Lin Manman’s expression turned solemn.
“I’m serious.”
“Then… how much are you investing?”
“Fifteen thousand.”
Wen Xi said, “You put in the remaining fifty thousand. Consider it your technical investment, and we split the shares equally.”
Lin Manman’s eyes lit up for a second before dimming again.
“No, no, I can’t take your money. You just got married. You haven’t even secured your footing yet, and you’re already taking money out. How are you going to explain that to your husband? And what if we lose money? Your money didn’t fall from the sky either—”
“Manman.”
Wen Xi interrupted her and held her hand tightly.
“When you lent me money, did you ever worry that I wouldn’t pay you back? When you covered my rent, did you think I’d run away from the debt? You didn’t. You just wanted to help me.”
Lin Manman’s lips moved, but no words came out.
“Now I finally have the ability to help you.”
Wen Xi’s voice was soft.
“And I’m not giving it to you for free. This is an investment. If we make money, we split it together. If we lose money, then we both bear it together. You’ve carried this alone for three years already. Can’t you let me carry it with you?”
Lin Manman stared into Wen Xi’s eyes for a very long time.
Those eyes were still as clean and clear as before, but now they held something new she had never seen in them before.
Not pride.
Not showing off.
But certainty.
A certainty that said: I can do this.
Finally, Lin Manman’s tears fell.
She quickly turned her head away, wiping at her face with her sleeve before turning back and nodding hard.
“Fine.”
Her voice was hoarse with tears, but the corners of her lips were lifted.
“Then let’s do it together. I’ll provide the skills, you provide the money. If we lose money, it’s on me. If we make money, we split it fifty-fifty.”
“What are you saying?” Wen Xi laughed. “If we lose money, of course we lose it together.”
Inside the little flower shop overflowing with fresh flowers, the two girls sat facing each other—one with red-rimmed eyes, the other smiling with curved brows.
Lin Manman soon returned to her usual self. Picking up the scissors again, she continued trimming the chamomile flowers.
“Oh right, what’s your husband’s name anyway? A Fu Group Corporation executive… maybe I’ve heard of him before.”