“You still have classmates in Shanghai?”
In her previous life, Wen Ying hadn’t heard about this.
Wen Ying asked casually, and Chen Ru replied nonchalantly, “What, only you’re allowed to have classmates, but your mum isn’t?”
Chen Ru hadn’t had the chance to meet this classmate before, as she wouldn’t have known what to say if they did meet.
After graduating from junior college, Chen Ru returned to her small hometown to work. Back then, a junior college diploma was quite sufficient, so she never considered further studies.
This old classmate, assigned to work in Shanghai, was different. They pursued postgraduate studies and a doctorate, standing out among their old classmates. They had long surpassed Chen Ru and others. Though Chen Ru was usually sharp-tongued, meeting this classmate made her feel inferior. Now, with her job transferred to the provincial capital and an interest in further education, Chen Ru felt she could finally face this old classmate.
Wen Ying went downstairs, and so did Chen Ru.
Wen Ying headed to the restaurant, while Chen Ru hailed a taxi and left the hotel.
Qin Jiao and Wang Shuang were already waiting downstairs.
“Wen Ying, you’re amazing!” Qin Jiao exclaimed.
Qin Jiao wasn’t thinking about any score reductions for university admission. She didn’t believe Wen Ying needed such shortcuts to get into her desired university. Though Wen Ying’s grades weren’t stellar, she improved with every exam. Raising grades took time, and Wen Ying still had plenty of it.
Qin Jiao was simply in awe of how Wen Ying excelled at everything.
She started selling crayfish and turned a street stall into a chain of stores.
She decided to write and made it to the semifinals of the New Concept Essay Competition.
Was there anything Wen Ying couldn’t do?
“My brother heard you were in Shanghai and insisted on coming over, but I told him to wait until after your semifinals tomorrow, so business talks won’t distract you,” Qin Jiao said.
“How’s Brother Qin Yi’s business doing?” Wen Ying asked.
Unlike Big Liu, who benefited from the main store’s publicity, Qin Yi’s franchise didn’t have the same advantage. While Li Mengjiao’s fans were nationwide, her influence was strongest in Chengdu. In other cities, her appeal wasn’t enough to drive crowds to ‘Shrimp King’.
Qin Yi had opened his franchise near a university.
Wang Shuang and Qin Jiao had visited the store, and Wang Shuang, more involved in the business than Qin Jiao, had more to say, “Shanghai’s consumers have strong purchasing power. Brother Qin Yi’s business is doing great. Don’t worry about him—focus on tomorrow’s semifinals.”
Indeed, building a career was more rewarding than chasing romance.
After Qin Yi’s breakup with Xu Mei, he poured all his energy into his studies and business.
His store was thriving. The restaurant industry had quick returns, and Qin Yi was already planning to open another branch in Shanghai. He’d even asked Wang Shuang if he wanted to join, with Wang Shuang only needing to invest and take dividends.
Wang Shuang hesitated.
If he invested alone, wouldn’t that exclude his friends?
Tang Yifeng and Geng Xiao could likely invest without issue, but Wen Ying probably didn’t have much capital.
With the store in Shanghai, Wang Shuang couldn’t manage it himself. Taking a large share would be taking advantage of Qin Yi, but a small share’s dividends wouldn’t mean much to him. In the end, Wang Shuang decided not to get involved in Qin Yi’s business.
He’d been wavering, but seeing Wen Ying made up his mind.
Wang Shuang felt something was wrong with him.
Joining the prestigious university exchange group in Shanghai with Qin Jiao was such a great opportunity. In the past, he’d have been thrilled.
During this time in Shanghai, Wang Shuang had come to know Qin Jiao even better.
She was even more outstanding than he’d thought!
This excellence didn’t intimidate him, but his mindset had subtly shifted. At this moment, he felt he shouldn’t get too close to the Qin family.
Young Master Shuang was caught in a strange confusion.
Wen Ying and Qin Jiao were oblivious to his teenage turmoil. The three grabbed a quick bite at the hotel restaurant. As Qin Jiao and Wang Shuang prepared to take a taxi back, Wen Ying saw them to the entrance and noticed an ICBC bank across the street.
The bank was closed, but the ATMs were available 24/7. After sending Qin Jiao and Wang Shuang off, Wen Ying crossed the road to check the bank card Xie Qian had given her.
Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands… She counted five digits, with two more before them. Xie Qian had given her a card with a million in balance.
Wen Ying wasn’t naive, but they were only in their first year of high school. Wasn’t Xie Qian’s pocket money a bit excessive?
As she ejected the card, her palms felt hot.
Xie Qian hadn’t yet started evening self-study.
Wen Ying tried calling him, and the call connected quickly.
Walking back to the hotel with the card in hand, she asked, “The money in the bank card you gave me—it’s all usable?”
Of course it was usable. Why else would he slip it into her workbook?
But Xie Qian hadn’t expected Wen Ying to check the balance so soon. He thought she’d be glued to her mum 24/7 in Shanghai, with no time to check a card.
“What do you want to buy? Just get something small for my mum and cousin. Nothing too expensive.”
Zou Weijun and Lin Lin didn’t lack for anything.
Wen Ying, however, had used her ‘Shrimp King’ dividends for tuition and tutoring fees. The next payout wasn’t until after the Spring Festival, and her manuscript fees likely left her short on cash.
As good friends, since Wen Ying was strapped and he had money, Xie Qian, considering himself generous, had tucked the card into her workbook. This indirect gesture was meant to spare her any emotional burden.
When Wen Ying asked about the balance, Xie Qian casually checked his wallet.
The card he meant to give her was still there.
He’d slipped a different card into the workbook.
Both cards had the same PIN, but different balances.
Xie Qian calmly closed his wallet, “You decide. Buy whatever you want.”
Anything was fine?
Wen Ying swallowed hard, “What if I use it to buy a house? You trust me that much? Aren’t you afraid I’ll run off with the card?”
“Sure, buy one if you want. Consider it a loan,” Xie Qian said.
He couldn’t figure out girls’ thinking.
Why did Wen Ying suddenly want to buy a house in Shanghai?
The card had enough for it, but to ease her mind, he framed it as a loan.
On second thought, Wen Ying was probably joking. With Chen Ru in Shanghai, if Wen Ying dared use his card to buy a house, Chen Ru would probably ground her for life.
“Got it, I’ll figure it out!” Wen Ying said, hanging up and humming as she returned to the hotel.
Wen Ying had learned a lot about gifting from her rich ex-boyfriend He Zhen in her past life.
A gift too extravagant for Xie Qian’s uncle would likely raise more suspicion than gratitude. Given his uncle’s job, he couldn’t accept lavish items. What he valued wasn’t material wealth.
To win his uncle’s favour, gifting his close relatives was just as important.
Xie Qian had mentioned his uncle had a daughter in university, still undecided about her future. Regardless of her plans, young people eventually leave the nest to build their own lives.
Wen Ying genuinely planned to use Xie Qian’s card to buy a house.
Not for herself or Xie Qian—he didn’t need the investment. The house would be a gift for Xie Qian’s cousin, who was nearing university graduation.
