Chapter 164: Lin Xia

Hanging up the phone, he glanced at the time; it was already noon.

Wang Yan picked up his phone again and called his subordinates, telling them to go and communicate clearly with the landlord first. He was a bachelor, sure, but he wasn't a sucker. A commercial space inside the Second Ring Road could easily cost ten or twenty million; saving even a small percentage meant hundreds of thousands. Since he had subordinates, he naturally had to let them take the lead. If he didn't have them, he would have to go and haggle himself; there was no reason to spend money foolishly.

Leaving the matter to his subordinates, he knew he just had to wait for the result and pay. It was noon anyway, so he might as well go out for a bite to eat and take a look at the shop while he was at it; he needed to know where his money was going.

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Putting on his coat and grabbing his car keys, Wang Yan went downstairs and drove to the place Yang Zixi had mentioned.

Seeing Yang Zixi hang up the phone happily, Lin Xia asked, "Hey, what did your man say?"

"He's coming right over, told me to wait for him, and we'll have lunch together in a bit." As she spoke, Yang Zixi took a blissful sip of her coffee. "You'll know in a little while. That way, you won't keep thinking I'm bragging to you. I'll make you die of envy."

Regarding pleasing men, Yang Zixi's ideas were quite mature. But whenever it came to showing off, she couldn't help but have a childish mentality—if she had a piece of candy, she had to tell others, "Mine is bigger than yours, sweeter than yours," and if the other person didn't have one, that was even better.

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm just envious, jealous, and hateful." Lin Xia understood this point well, so she didn't even take the bait. She brushed it off as if humoring a child and said, "You didn't tell him I'm here?"

"It's fine, what's the big deal? Besides, even if I told him, so what? He doesn't know you." Yang Zixi waved her hand dismissively. "Didn't you ask this and that yesterday? What, are you scared?"

Lin Xia rolled her eyes at her. "We've both got heads on our shoulders, what's there to be scared of? I was just asking casually."

But honestly, she was a bit nervous. She was just an ordinary person. Sure, she worked in the fashion circle, but most of the people she could reach were just a group of truly vain, fake-rich people who looked glamorous on the surface. It wasn't that she hadn't seen real rich people, but who was she? The ones she had the most contact with were just that rich second-generation kid Cheng Feng, and Shao Huayang, whom she had recently met and who looked like he had money.

To be clearly aware that someone was a tycoon who had kept her friend, someone who threw away millions on houses and luxury cars, and who had other secrets others didn't know—this was truly her first time meeting one. And this time, he was even coming over to buy a commercial space worth tens of millions.

Of course, she wasn't nervous about the money. After all, no matter how much money Wang Yan had, he wouldn't give it to her, and she couldn't ask him for it anyway. She was mainly confident in herself, but she was afraid Wang Yan might be a pervert and have some designs on her. After all, the news about him keeping someone had already come out, and thinking about the sordid things she had heard through the grapevine, she really couldn't be sure. If that were really the case, would she resist or not resist...

She had a mind to leave, but she had already talked herself into a corner, and it was awkward to retreat now.

How could Yang Zixi know she was thinking so much? Otherwise, she would have definitely blasted her. "He has designs on you, my ass. Don't you know how to look in a mirror? You're dressed like a bear, who would take a fancy to you?"

"Oh my, Lin Xia, hurry and help me think, how should the flower shop be decorated? I don't have any experience with this."

Showing off to her again, Lin Xia felt helpless, but she still dutifully helped recall the details of the commercial space from earlier, talking about some plans and such.

The two hadn't talked for long when the phone Yang Zixi had placed on the table rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she hurriedly picked it up. "Hello? Darling?"

"Mm, mm, okay, I'll be there right away."

"Oh, right, I have a friend with me."

"Okay, coming over now."

After she hung up, Lin Xia said, "Your man is here?"

"He's at a restaurant nearby, just in time to have lunch with me. Let's take our things and go." Yang Zixi nodded and waved over a waiter. "Hello, check please."

As she spoke, she took her wallet out of her small bag. Upon opening it, there was a thick stack of red, eye-catching cash, along with a row of various cards. It truly blinded Lin Xia's dog eyes across from her.

Since she was the one who asked Lin Xia to come out, there was naturally no reason to let her pay. Besides, this shop wasn't cheap, and with the little money Lin Xia earned, she might as well forget it.

After settling the bill, Yang Zixi took Lin Xia into her small sports car, revved the engine, and zoomed off to the restaurant Wang Yan had mentioned. It wasn't far, just a step on the gas, and they arrived in no time.

Parking the car, Yang Zixi led Lin Xia into the restaurant. As soon as they entered, she saw Wang Yan waving at her from a table in the very back.

Yang Zixi wore a smiling face, ignoring the gazes of others, and threw herself directly into Wang Mou's embrace: "Darling, I've missed you so much."

Patting her little bottom, Wang Yan said, "Didn't we just see each other yesterday? Sit down."

"Darling, let me introduce you." Yang Zixi stood up and pulled over Lin Xia, who was looking horrified behind her. "This is my good sister, Lin Xia. We've been good friends since college. You're busy with work and don't have time to accompany me, and it's boring to shop alone, so I called her over to help me brainstorm."

"Miss Lin, hello, Wang Yan." He wasn't the type to show off or act big for no reason. He stood up, shook hands with Lin Xia, and said, "Sit."

"Just call me Lin Xia, Lin Xia is fine."

Lin Xia shook hands with Wang Yan with a smile and sat down next to Yang Zixi.

She had always imagined Wang Yan as something else, but now that she saw him in person, she knew she had overthought it; it was entirely her own wishful thinking. The person in front of her looked ordinary and amiable, with bright, piercing eyes. He also had an air of scholarly refinement about him; one look and he seemed like an intellectual, giving people a sense of peace.

If she hadn't known this person kept her friend, she really wouldn't have been able to tell he was that kind of person. This also gave her a further understanding of the saying, "You can know a person's face, but not their heart."

After the two were seated, Wang Yan beckoned the waiter. "You two take a look, don't be shy if there's anything you love to eat, Lin Xia."

Amidst Yang Zixi's giggles, Lin Xia nodded hurriedly. "Okay, okay, thank you."

Wang Yan smiled and didn't speak again, drinking tea while watching the two flip through the menu.

That dog-basket Cheng Feng indeed hadn't touched Lin Xia, but he felt the main reason was that Lin Xia couldn't afford to play. Once Cheng Feng really got with Lin Xia, the entanglement he would have to face would definitely not be just like this.

Another reason was that Lin Xia was a friend around him, and her ties to Cheng Feng's main social circle were too deep. Once he finished ruining her and refused to acknowledge it, Cheng Feng would basically be finished and wouldn't be able to hang around anymore.

As for other excuses like not liking her or not loving her, listening to them was enough. If Lin Xia's daily life wasn't so deeply intertwined with Cheng Feng's, she definitely wouldn't have been able to escape.

Then again, now that Cheng Feng was pining for Shen Bing, besides incurring some condemnation, he basically suffered no losses. It was mainly because he hadn't succeeded; the result was the most important thing. In the original drama, there was no problem, but that was only because they didn't know the detailed ins and outs of the matter.

Otherwise, there shouldn't be an urban romance story about a dog-basket second-generation, a woman who changed like two different people, bringing along a stupid friend, blessed by destiny, helped by everyone, bravely fighting against a dark-turned, rising commoner demon king. Of course, there wouldn't be one now either.

As for the messy business of Shi Xiaomeng getting Lin Xia drunk... it was a bit too melodramatic, so let's just forget it; after all, it wouldn't happen again.

The two pored over the menu and ordered a few more dishes. Yang Zixi snuggled up to Wang Yan. "Darling, when are we going?"

"I've already had my staff go talk to the landlord you mentioned. I reckon it'll be about done after we finish eating."

Yang Zixi glanced triumphantly at Lin Xia beside her and took a bite of Wang Yan's face. "Darling, you're so good."

Although she had known before that this Yang Zixi was very loose, she hadn't expected her to be this loose. It wasn't like she hadn't seen it when she was dating Wu Di before. That Yang Zixi was truly a living ancestor; day in and day out, this wouldn't do, that wouldn't do, and the group of them had seen with their own eyes what she had put Wu Di through. As a result, now that she had changed men, Yang Zixi also seemed to have changed into a different person? She had to sigh—the charm of money was truly great.

Wang Yan didn't care at all how others saw it. After Yang Zixi finished being clingy, he pushed her away and looked at Lin Xia. "Lin Xia? What do you do?"

"Ah? Ah..." Not wanting to watch the two be clingy, Lin Xia, who had been distracted, came back to her senses. Hearing Wang Yan ask her, she replied, "Just the company Zixi was at before, we were colleagues. When I get off work, I also do some part-time singing at bars and such."

"Oh? Is that so? Which bar? If I have time, I'll go support you."

"It's just... at..." Lin Xia mentioned the name and address of the bar and waved her hand, saying, "That's my turf anyway, if you go, I'll treat you to a drink."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile, not mentioning any common acquaintances or anything, and shifted the topic directly to other places.

Under Wang Yan's guidance, the meal was eaten very harmoniously, and Lin Xia had unknowingly eaten two extra bowls of rice. How should she describe her feeling? Hmm... very comfortable, very relaxed.

As for Yang Zixi on the side, it went without saying. The opportunities she had to see Wang Yan during the day were too few. One could even say they were basically non-existent, let alone having lunch with Wang Yan, chatting and laughing. Plus, with the commercial space about to be bought, in her happy mood and with a good appetite, she also ate quite a bit.

Wang Yan saw all of this; these were all minor matters. He, Wang Mouren, knew astronomy above and geography below, understood every trade and industry; if he couldn't chat clearly with two little girls, that would be a total failure.

"Ding... ding... ding."

The three of them had finished their meal and were drinking tea to help digest when the phone Wang Yan had placed on the table rang right on cue.

Picking up the phone and glancing at it, Wang Yan answered the call. "Hello?"

"Mm, okay."

After saying only a few words, Wang Yan hung up and said to Yang Zixi, who was looking forward to it on the side, "Let's go, it's all negotiated."

Wang Yan settled the bill and drove behind Yang Zixi to the commercial space nearby.

Arriving at the place, while listening to his subordinate's report, Wang Yan strolled around, wandering up and down.

The place couldn't be considered the Second Ring Road, but rather a location inside the Third Ring Road close to the Second Ring. The shop had two floors, totaling over two hundred square meters. The surrounding area was considered a commercial center, and overall, it was quite good.

After looking it over once, Wang Yan didn't say much more. Fully trusting his subordinates, he signed the contract directly. Afterward, he picked up his phone and called the bank; after all, it was a transfer of tens of millions.

Knowing how much money others spent and watching others spend it were two completely different feelings. Lin Xia watched, dumbfounded; she couldn't believe it was so straightforward. This big brother didn't even consider it properly? Tens of millions were decided so easily?

Yang Zixi, on the other hand, was suppressing her little excitement, looking at the stunned Lin Xia beside her with unconcealable triumph. She knew her own worth; no matter what, she wasn't worth tens of millions. Although the property wasn't in her name, she was still very happy. No matter what, Wang Yan bought this shop because she wanted to open a flower shop, right? In any case, that was tens of millions, a heavy sense of importance.

Actually, saying it that way wasn't wrong. Compared to buying real estate for appreciation, Wang Yan had too many ways to make money, and the return rate was also greater than real estate appreciation. But Wang Mouren didn't care about that, because money was truly a floating cloud to him. What he wanted was comfort, was happiness...

After a while, the transfer went through. Wang Yan exchanged a few words with the landlord who was interested in chatting, encouraged his subordinates a few words, and then let them follow the landlord to handle the subsequent matters.

After they all left, Yang Zixi let out a scream and threw herself directly onto Wang Yan. "You're so good~~"

"Alright, save whatever you have to say for when we get home tonight." Wang Yan patted Yang Zixi's little bottom, took her off his body, took a business card from his pocket, handed it to Lin Xia, and said, "This is my business card. You and she are friends; if there's anything you can't solve, you can call me."

Lin Xia didn't even know how many times she had gotten goosebumps in just this short time at noon, and she was still feeling numb. Seeing the business card Wang Yan handed over, she subconsciously took it. "Ah, okay, thank you, haha..."

Nodding, Wang Yan said, "Then that's it, you two go play, I'm leaving first. Call me if anything comes up." After finishing, he turned and left.

After Wang Yan left, Yang Zixi raised her eyebrows at Lin Xia beside her. "How about it? Is my man handsome or not?"

Lin Xia opened her mouth wanting to deny it; after all, his looks were very ordinary, and there was nothing outstanding. But then she thought of Wang Mouren throwing money around without blinking earlier, and thought of the relaxed and pleasant meal they had just had, so she finally nodded and said, "If you're talking about looks, he's just average. But if you're talking about when he was making that transfer call just now, he was indeed handsome, very handsome."

Yang Zixi rolled her eyes. "He's handsome in looks too, what kind of aesthetic do you have? You call that scum Cheng Feng handsome? Seriously..."

Lin Xia didn't argue with her, because that would never end, and she didn't care that she called Cheng Feng scum. She hurriedly changed the subject. "Your man is indeed capable; he didn't even blink just now. He's much better than that sub-healthy guy you were with before. This time, you really picked up a bargain."

"Can you not mention that scum Andy?" Yang Zixi said irritably. "And also, what do you mean by 'picked up a bargain'? He's with me based on ability, okay? If it were you, could you do it?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I can't, you have high ability." Lin Xia cleverly changed the subject again. "Hey, we were talking about decoration earlier, such a big place must cost a lot to decorate, what did your man say?"

Yang Zixi pursed her lips, losing her good mood from earlier. "He said he doesn't care."

Lin Xia didn't say anything either; after all, she knew about the two million or so, and today she had seen his consumption with her own eyes, so he had indeed done quite a lot. If she asked for more, that would really be making trouble.

"How about we find a design company to take a look first?"

"Mm... that's all we can do. Let's see what the price is first."

That was what she said, but the way Yang Zixi's eyes were darting around showed she was plotting something.

Originally, Wang Yan had told her to handle it herself, but later, taking advantage of his good mood, she had performed well, and that was how the storefront was settled. So... hmm?

Yang Zixi continued to ask, "Do you know anyone?"

Lin Xia shook her head. "No, I'll ask around, see if Fatty Four and the others know anyone." She didn't mention Wang Yan; keeping someone, she knew about that. It was looking for comfort, not looking for trouble...

"Don't look for that Cheng Feng... ah, I don't care for him."

She wanted to say scum again, but under Lin Xia's gaze, she finally shut her mouth.

"Alright, alright, I know."

Glaring at her irritably, Lin Xia walked to the side and started making a call.

Yang Zixi grumbled angrily for a while, then happily wandered around the commercial space. This was hers now... ===== CHAPTER 165 =====