After dinner, lying on the bed in the old house at night, Liu Chen tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
It wasn't that she was thinking about how to help Mei Li Pai go public, but rather how to return the one hundred million yuan to Ren Yu.
She reached out and checked the time on her phone, which was placed by the bedside. Twenty minutes had already passed.
“No more thinking!”
Liu Chen abruptly sat up in bed and called Ren Yu.
In 2010, cross-province calls were still quite expensive. In more professional terms, this was called long-distance roaming.
No matter when, the phone calls Liu Chen made to Ren Yu never rang for more than ten seconds.
Liu Chen had even wickedly wondered, what if Ren Yu was taking a shower when she called?
The call connected, and Ren Yu’s slightly breathless voice came through.
“Hello?”
Liu Chen heard that slightly hoarse voice and then held her phone up to her face, looking at the time. It was almost eleven o’clock at night.
As if possessed, Liu Chen’s mouth moved faster than her brain:
“Are you taking a shower?”
Ren Yu on the other end was silent for a moment, probably not understanding the logic of calling late at night to ask if she was showering.
But eventually, with a slight smile, she softly replied, “Mm.”
Ren Yu’s admission made Liu Chen a bit embarrassed, and her mind involuntarily began to imagine.
Liu Chen quickly shook her head, banishing the lewd thoughts from her mind, and instead told Ren Yu about Mr. Chen’s intentions and the fact that she had accepted his money.
“You want to go along with Grandpa Chen’s wishes and give me the money?”
Ren Yu’s voice lost its playful tone as she spoke, sounding a little subdued.
Liu Chen pursed her lips. She wanted to say that this money wasn't entirely legitimate. After all, while it was said to be a loan, others didn't know, but she did – she hadn't signed any promissory note for it.
“I won’t take back the money I gave you. You keep it for now, and I’ll handle Mr. Chen.”
Hearing Ren Yu’s words on the phone, Liu Chen couldn’t help but grin.
It wasn't because Ren Yu didn't want her to return the money, but because Ren Yu was taking on the task of dealing with Mr. Chen herself.
However, despite her happiness, Liu Chen thought that if she really transferred the money back, Ren Yu certainly wouldn't accept it.
“Alright, then one hundred million is indeed too much, and I don’t need that much. The remaining money…”
Honestly, Liu Chen hadn’t figured it out herself.
After thinking for a moment, Liu Chen smiled, “I’ll use the remaining money to buy a house! But you’ll have to come over to sign the contract too.”
Upon hearing this, Ren Yu on the other end fell silent.
A sly smile spread across Liu Chen’s face, knowing that Ren Yu would definitely hesitate. After all, buying a house together, and with so much remaining money, it would certainly be more than just one property.
This meant that if Ren Yu agreed to her proposal, they would have a lot of opportunities for one-on-one time in the coming months.
As expected, after a long pause, Ren Yu replied, “You look first. Buy a house wherever you like, and I’ll come over to sign the contract then.”
Liu Chen’s face felt warm upon hearing this.
It sounded just like a young couple discussing buying a marital home. Ren Yu was definitely doing it on purpose!
“Ahem, I won’t talk anymore. I have things to do. Goodnight, and you can continue your shower~~”
Liu Chen quickly finished speaking, hung up the phone, and then rolled over, burying her face in the pillow. She let out strange laughter, and as she laughed, she clenched her right fist and punched the pillow a few times.
Ren Yu, who had hung up the phone and continued her shower, initially intended to finish her bath. But suddenly, Liu Chen’s teasing tone of “continue your shower” came to mind.
Shaking her head, Ren Yu smiled with obvious indulgence. “The little girl has grown up; she even knows how to tease now.”
-
Having successfully teased Ren Yu, Liu Chen collected Mr. Chen’s check before flying to Beijing the next day.
At this moment, Liu Chen sat at an altitude of ten thousand meters above the ground. She thought about how, when she first arrived, she only intended to sort out the pork floss issue. But in just a few days, not only was the pork floss dealt with, but she had also arranged for land acquisition, factory construction, and assembly lines all at once.
As she returned to Beijing, she felt a sense of profound relaxation.
From now on, her life would just be about following a routine.
After New Year’s Day, when Liu Chen returned to school, the academic atmosphere had clearly intensified. However…
As Liu Chen walked out of the classroom with her backpack, she saw three boys standing outside and immediately frowned.
Seeing Liu Chen emerge, one of them lightly flicked his bangs and, facing Liu Chen’s direction, flashed a cool, arrogant smile that had charmed countless female students.
“Chen Chen!”
Hearing this intimate address, Liu Chen’s annoyance deepened. She stopped about two meters away from him and said, “Senior Xu, I don’t think we’re that familiar. If our classmates hear you calling me that, they might misunderstand.”
The person called Senior Xu, Xu Ke, chuckled, a greasy smile on his face as he looked at Liu Chen. “Chen Chen, aren’t we familiar? After all, I am your suitor, your future partner~”
Upon hearing this, Liu Chen had to patiently refuse again: “Senior Xu, you might be mistaken. I don’t like you, and it’s impossible for us.”
Xu Ke sneered, “Women, I know you’re trying to play hard to get, but I have to tell you, my patience is limited. If you push it too far, be careful that you won’t regret it.”
Hearing these words, Liu Chen slowly looked up to meet the gaze of this persistent “moron Xu,” who seemed unable to understand rejection, ever since returning from the New Year holiday. “I know, you might think saying this makes you look cool, but, classmate, this is Tsinghua University, not some weird theater. Furthermore, if I remember correctly, aren’t you from Peking University? Aren’t you worried about your credits skipping classes so brazenly every day?”
Xu Ke laughed upon hearing this, propping his head with one hand, his elbow resting on the wall. “Don’t worry about me. As long as you’re with me, I’ll find a way for your credits.”
Liu Chen raised her eyebrows at this. She realized this “Xu Something” was mentally ill, and seriously so. But she wasn’t a psychiatrist, nor was she obligated to treat a patient.
With a cold expression, Liu Chen walked past Xu’s side and went straight to the office of her doctoral supervisor, He Long.
Behind her, Xu Ke was still pursuing, only about a meter away from Liu Chen.
Liu Chen knocked on the door and entered He Long’s office.
She directly played the recording of Xu Ke’s recent remark about finding a way for credits to doctoral supervisor He Long. After it finished, seeing He Long’s furrowed brow, mirroring her own, Liu Chen felt a sense of satisfaction.
Seeing Xu Ke, who had followed her into the office, Liu Chen then said to her doctoral supervisor, He Long, “Please handle it, Instructor.”