Zeng Yu finally finished his tasks, sweat soaking his chest and back, with a towel around his neck now drenched from wiping his sweat. He opened the door and called out, “Bring the dishes!”
Yuan Lei and Jiang Nan quickly got up and headed to the kitchen. Zeng Yu brought out the rice cooker and placed it on the table, saying, “You two start eating; I need to wash up.”
Jiang Nan quickly grabbed a plastic bag and handed it to him with a friendly smile, “Here’s a change of clothes, but no underwear.”
Zeng Yu was stunned for a moment. What was this about? She even prepared clothes for him? He looked at Jiang Nan, who chuckled, “These are clothes Yuan Lei bought for her dad. You’re lucky today.”
Only then did Zeng Yu accept the bag, glancing calmly at Yuan Lei, “How much? I’ll pay you later.”
Yuan Lei waved it off casually, “Eighty yuan will do! It’s nothing fancy, just from the supermarket.”
In reality, the clothes were worth much more than eighty yuan, even with an extra zero added. This was Jiang Nan’s idea, worried that Zeng Yu might refuse. Yuan Lei had no choice but to lie, though her acting was good enough that Zeng Yu didn’t notice.
On the table were three dishes and a soup: stir-fried eggplant with sauce, fish-flavored shredded pork, stir-fried snow peas, and seaweed egg drop soup. Jiang Nan picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of the eggplant, and nodded, “It’s delicious. Who would’ve thought he had this skill? Even if the business fails, he could become a chef.”
Yuan Lei, a bit skeptical, took a bite and had to agree; it was indeed quite good.
Just then, Jiang Nan’s phone rang. She answered and made a gesture for silence, “Mom, I’m at Grandma’s place, having dinner. I cooked it myself. No, I’m with Yuan Lei and my business partner. It’s too much to explain right now. I’ll update you later.”
After hanging up, Jiang Nan suddenly blushed and said, “Oh no!”
Yuan Lei asked, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Nan leaned in and whispered something to her.
When Zeng Yu entered the bathroom, he was immediately embarrassed. Jiang Nan’s freshly washed clothes were left on the sink, including a pair of white underwear with a bear print. His face turned red as he quickly looked around and spotted a large bath towel, which he used to cover the clothes with a sigh of relief.
At that moment, Jiang Nan knocked on the door. Zeng Yu, having just taken off his T-shirt and unbuckled his belt, asked, “What’s up?”
Jiang Nan replied from outside, “I brought you a towel.”
Zeng Yu casually opened the door. Jiang Nan, like a thief, quickly glanced inside, relieved to see the bath towel covering her clothes.
She handed him the towel, “Take your time washing up. We’ll wait for you to eat together.” As she spoke, she glanced at Zeng Yu’s bare upper body, and seeing his well-defined six-pack abs and strong physique, she felt her heart skip a beat.
Jiang Nan returned to the living room in a daze, prompting Yuan Lei to ask curiously, “What happened?”
Jiang Nan instinctively replied, “Six-pack abs!”
“Really? He didn’t look that muscular!” Yuan Lei’s gossiping spirit was ignited.
Jiang Nan confirmed, “It’s true!”
When Zeng Yu reappeared, the two women couldn’t help but be impressed. Clothes do make the man—his own clothes weren’t bad, but in this Dior casual outfit, Zeng Yu looked even more striking.
“Let’s eat.” Zeng Yu remained calm, though he found the attention from the two women somewhat uncomfortable. He never considered himself someone who could rely on his looks.
The meal went smoothly, with the two women whispering to each other, and Zeng Yu calmly ate two bowls of rice. After the meal, Zeng Yu got up to clean up, but Yuan Lei stopped him, “You two chat; I’ll handle this.”
Zeng Yu didn’t argue and nodded, “Thanks.”
Yuan Lei smiled, “No problem. I got a free meal, so it’s the least I can do.”
Sitting on the couch, Jiang Nan turned to Zeng Yu, “Tomorrow, let’s register the company first. I’ll draft the partnership agreement tonight. How about you take forty percent of the shares?”
Zeng Yu frowned slightly, “That’s too much. Are you pitying me?”
Jiang Nan laughed, “You’re overthinking it. How could I pity you? We managed to secure this deal mainly because of your excellent proposal. Besides, once the company is up and running, I’ll be managing it while you’ll be handling all the external relations. So don’t think I’m just being kind—I’m actually planning to exploit you to work hard for me.”
Despite growing up in comfort, Jiang Nan had been influenced by her environment and developed impressive persuasive skills and charisma. If Zeng Yu were easily swayed, he might have been convinced by her.
“No, that’s still too much. I’ll only accept twenty percent. Otherwise, let’s forget it.” Zeng Yu didn’t want to take advantage of the situation. He felt that his contribution was worth about that much. He knew that even if Hongda didn’t choose him, they could find another distributor. Likewise, Jiang Nan could find other partners. He wasn’t indispensable, and he needed to keep that in mind.
“Twenty percent is too little. Let’s settle on thirty percent, and no more haggling. That’s my final decision.” Jiang Nan’s tone carried a decisive authority. Zeng Yu was clearly taken aback and gave her a surprised look.
“What’s the matter?” Jiang Nan asked.
“Alright.” Zeng Yu didn’t argue further, and the matter was settled. They discussed the details of their partnership for a while. As it grew late, Zeng Yu got up to leave, packing his bag and heading to the subway station.
“Alright, your show is over. Time to head home, right? You’re not really planning to stay here, are you?” Yuan Lei teased as she emerged from the kitchen.
Jiang Nan nodded, “I have to go back. I need to explain everything to my mom.”
It took Zeng Yu an hour to get back to his place. As he was climbing the stairs, Wang Zheng, looking pale, came down and smiled at him, “Sorry for the trouble yesterday.”
Zeng Yu smiled and waved it off, “You should apologize to Ye Xiyan instead.”
“What’s there to apologize for? We’ve been together for a long time.” Wang Zheng laughed casually, glancing at Zeng Yu’s outfit with a hint of surprise.
At that moment, Ye Xiyan came down with a bag of trash. Seeing Zeng Yu, she smiled and said, “Dressed like a groom—did you go on a date?”
Zeng Yu shook his head with a wry smile, “Someone like me? Who would want me?”
Wang Zheng waved to Ye Xiyan, “He has a girlfriend, why would he need to date?”
Ye Xiyan, petite and with delicate features, looked like a little bird beside the tall Wang Zheng.
“I’ll head back now.” Zeng Yu didn’t say much. He wasn’t the type to share his breakup with Xiao Xiao. Hearing Wang Zheng mention a girlfriend brought a wave of sadness over him.
As Zeng Yu walked upstairs with his head down, Ye Xiyan asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong with him?”
“Who knows? But he really dressed up today. It’s just those shoes that ruin the look.”
“What’s wrong with the shoes?” Ye Xiyan didn’t get it.
Wang Zheng smirked, “Would you eat abalone with fermented tofu?”
Ye Xiyan still didn’t get it.
Wang Zheng laughed, “His casual clothes are from Dior, but his shoes aren’t luxury at all.”
Ye Xiyan finally understood, “No way, would he really splurge on clothes like that?”
Wang Zheng shrugged, “Who knows? I’ll take you to work. I have a business meeting tonight.”
Wang Zheng and Ye Xiyan had met on a bus when she was harassed, and Wang Zheng stepped in. His tall frame was intimidating, and he scared off the guy. The next day, they bumped into each other again, and Ye Xiyan invited Wang Zheng for dinner. Afterward, she went to work, and when she came back, they met again by chance.
Ye Xiyan had a simple approach to relationships—she believed it was fate. Two lonely hearts trying to survive in the city naturally gravitated toward each other. As for the future, she hadn’t thought much about it. She only hoped that the day they parted ways would come later rather than sooner.
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