Chapter 63: Not Initiating, Not Refusing, and Absolutely No Responsibility

Jimenli Community

“Bro, you’re amazing! You held firm at 65,000—I thought the deal was dead, but that guy actually agreed in the end.”

Lin Jiachuan recounted his earlier negotiations with Yan Li over acquiring internet cafe licenses, praising Yan Li endlessly.

“His psychological resilience was weak—I spotted his weakness.”

Yan Li brushed it off casually, as in his mind, there was truly nothing to be proud of.

Before the negotiation, he had already learned the bottom price from the system.

As long as he maintained the rhythm of conversation, applied basic negotiation tactics, avoided provoking the other side or revealing his own cards, he could almost always secure the deal at or slightly above the bottom price.

At first, Yan Li had been excited that he could use the system to cheat in price negotiations, but after many such deals, it had become routine.

Of course, this also had to do with the fact that these were just small transactions worth a few ten thousand yuan.

Yan Li now had a net worth of several hundred thousand yuan; saving twenty or thirty thousand on a negotiation truly brought him no sense of accomplishment.

If one day he closed a deal and saved hundreds of thousands—or even millions—he’d be even more ecstatic than Lin Jiachuan.

As they neared the apartment building, Yan Li suddenly saw someone waving at him from a distance.

He glanced over, hesitated a moment, then stopped: “Jiachuan, I’m out of cigarettes. Go up first—I’ll buy two packs.”

Hearing this, Lin Jiachuan, as Yan Li’s assistant, naturally volunteered: “I’ll get them for you.”

“No need, it’s just a few steps. You’ve had a long day—go rest upstairs.”

“Alright, I’m going up then.”

Lin Jiachuan didn’t press it, waved goodbye, and left. Only after watching him enter the building did Yan Li turn and walk toward the person who had waved, his tone blunt.

“What are you doing here?”

“Senior brother.”

Huang Shengyi’s cheeks flushed slightly as she softly called out: “One of my classmates lives here—I came to visit her, and I didn’t expect to run into you.”

Jimenli Community lies directly across from Beijing Film Academy, very close by, and many current students from the academy rent apartments here.

But whether Huang Shengyi actually had a classmate living here was debatable—Yan Li had seen from the system that she’d inquired about his residence.

“You called me earlier for something?”

Yan Li didn’t call her out, but asked directly about her purpose. Huang Shengyi looked at him with a hint of hurt, her eyes glistening.

“Senior brother, you used to be so gentle with me—why have you changed?”

Huang Shengyi had a beautiful face and pure demeanor; when she gazed at you with tear-filled eyes, she radiated a stubborn innocence and faint sorrow—heartbreaking, delicate, and utterly pitiable.

Wow!

Her acting had improved vastly compared to six months ago—Yan Li internally applauded her performance, even as a faint thrill stirred within him.

Soft, fragile little white flowers—there was nothing more fun to tease!

Still, Yan Li held back, merely appearing slightly moved, his attitude softening just enough to let Huang Shengyi continue her gentle, apologetic explanation.

“...You didn’t contact me back then, and I was angry with you... I didn’t like him—it was just peer pressure, you know how shy I am... Now I’ve broken up with him...”

Finally, Huang Shengyi looked at Yan Li with a pitiful expression, her voice soft and sweet: “Senior brother, can you forgive me?”

Yan Li gave no answer, but stomped his foot: “It’s too cold outside—I’ll take you to eat something.”

“Okay.”

Huang Shengyi’s eyes flickered with delight—she didn’t accept, but didn’t refuse either. There was hope.

It was cold, so Yan Li found a hotpot restaurant and booked a private room.

The room was warm, the hotpot bubbling, making it stuffy; Huang Shengyi took off her coat, wearing a white fitted sweater that accentuated her curves, her aura elegant and refined.

She really put in the effort!

Yan Li thought it was a pity she’d directed all this thoughtfulness at him—she’d be better off clinging to some rich heir, maybe even becoming a young madam outright.

“Senior brother, try this beef.”

Huang Shengyi rose to serve him food, further showcasing her alluring figure. Yan Li silently sipped a Beijing Ice Beer, suppressing his rising desire.

Since breaking up with Dong Xuan, he’d only been intimate with Qin Lan once—nothing more.

Lately, though he’d attended many social events, Yan Li never touched any of those party girls.

One reason was moral unease, but more importantly, it was unsafe—it could leave hidden risks to his career or health.

Still, he was a young man with strong vitality, and after so long without release, he naturally felt restless.

He’d been thinking that if things got unbearable, he’d visit Dong Xuan for a while, or deepen his bond with Zhao Ke, the junior he’d been chatting with lately—yet today, Huang Shengyi had come to him on her own.

To Yan Li, being kissed by a backslide didn’t matter—he feared only that she’d settle in and refuse to leave, clinging to him.

So though his thoughts were stirring, his outward attitude remained neutral.

The principle: never initiate, never refuse, and absolutely never take responsibility!

“Senior brother, it’s cold—let’s have some wine.”

Seeing that plain conversation wasn’t working, Huang Shengyi proactively suggested wine to loosen the mood.

Yan Li hesitated, then agreed: “...Alright.”

The effect was immediate—he became noticeably more cheerful, his speech and mannerisms warmer.

Huang Shengyi seized the moment, pressing close beside him, the atmosphere slowly turning tender and intimate.

After three rounds of drinks and nearly finished eating, slightly drunk, Huang Shengyi was half-collapsed against Yan Li’s chest—he pushed hard, but couldn’t move her.

Yan Li’s voice lowered: “It’s late—I’ll take you back to campus.”

Huang Shengyi hugged his waist, nuzzling her cheek against him: “I... don’t want to go back.”

“Then let me take you to a hotel to rest?”

Yan Li asked. Huang Shengyi hesitated, silent—clearly she hadn’t fully decided yet.

“Wait here a moment—I’ll settle the bill.”

Yan Li didn’t press her, letting her think for herself. He stepped out to pay. Huang Shengyi patted her slightly dizzy head, her face flickering with inner struggle.

She wasn’t stupid—she’d sensed Yan Li’s intentions, afraid he’d take what he wanted and then deny everything.

But if she didn’t let him have his way, she feared their fragile reconciliation would collapse, and worse—that Yao Xiqian and the others would beat her to it.

Thinking of this, Huang Shengyi suddenly noticed Yan Li’s phone left on the table.

She bit her lip, snatched the phone, and quickly scrolled through his call log and text messages.

The call log revealed nothing, but in the inbox, she spotted a familiar name—and her heart sank.

She was about to read the content more closely when she sensed someone approaching; she hastily placed the phone back exactly where it had been. Ten seconds later, Yan Li pushed open the door.

“Let’s go—I’ll take you back to campus.”

Huang Shengyi shook her head vigorously: “I don’t want to go back—everyone there is so nosy. If they see me drunk, they’ll start gossiping.”

“Then where do you want to go?”

Huang Shengyi's eyes flickered, then she asked tentatively: "Can I go to your place?"

She knew Yan Li shared an apartment—there’d be others around. If so, even if he wanted to leave without commitment, he wouldn’t dare. Maybe she could even turn the tables.

Yan Li looked at her deeply: “Alright. Let’s go to my place.”

The two left the hotpot restaurant. Yan Li first stopped at a convenience store to buy something, then flagged down a taxi, spoke briefly with the driver, and gestured for Huang Shengyi to get in.

Huang Shengyi initially thought Yan Li was worried she’d catch a chill from the cold air—she silently praised his thoughtfulness—until she realized the car was driving farther and farther away.

“This isn’t the way to Jimenli...”

Yan Li looked at her strangely: “Who said we’re going to Jimenli? I have more than one place.”

Huang Shengyi: “...”

(End of Chapter)