Dongcai Xiao Chen Barbecue Main Store.
Chen Pingjiang in the billiard room pointed to the 8-ball on the billiard table: "Corner pocket."
Then he pulled back the cue and struck, and the 8-ball went into the pocket.
"Seven balls, pay up!"
Throwing the cue, Chen Pingjiang hugged Zhou Guanghan, demanding money.
Zhou Guanghan was unconvinced; his billiard skills were much worse than his athletic skills, and Chen Pingjiang cleared the table every time.
After picking up the Sprite from the coffee table and taking a sip, Chen Pingjiang asked,
"How's the promotional work for the second store going?"
"Great-uncle, you can rest assured. I called people from our dorm plus a few classmates, and we've already distributed the tote bags and fans this afternoon."
Chen Pingjiang nodded.
Zhou Guanghan might have average abilities and not be good at socializing, but he could do a good job with anything entrusted to him.
After thinking, he advised,
"You are a shareholder of the second store, but not the store manager. You can help when staff is tight, but definitely do not interfere with Wei Xiaoqing's management. Otherwise, Wei Xiaoqing will be difficult to manage, and the chefs and waiters below won't know who to listen to."
Chen Pingjiang let Zhou Guanghan invest ten thousand yuan into the second store as a small shareholder, which was a way of helping him.
Zhou Guanghan clearly knew in his heart that his great-uncle was giving him money.
The main store's business was so good that the second store wouldn't be bad either.
This was no different from giving him money, and he could only work hard to repay him.
Tomorrow is the eighth, the first day of classes after the holiday, and Xiao Chen Barbecue Physical Education College Store will officially open.
After working overtime for several days during the National Day holiday, staff recruitment and training were finally in place, renovations were complete, and all preparatory work was finished.
Returning to the dorm, everyone from 603 had already come back.
Chen Pingjiang's desk was piled high with various local specialties; some were brought by dorm residents, others were sent by other dorms.
"Drunken peanuts, brined duck, Dezhou braised chicken, holy crap, why is there even goji?"
Chen Pingjiang stared, wide-eyed.
"I'm not even twenty yet, do I need this stuff?"
Dong Tinghui, cracking sunflower seeds, asked,
"Old Chen, how have you been these past few days?"
Chen Pingjiang blurted out,
"Me? I went around to play for a few days with a girl."
Zhao Shaoyang perked up at this:
"Did you sleep with her?"
Chen Pingjiang blinked:
"Guess?"
"Chen Ge, you're so flirtatious, you definitely did."
"So-so. That girl's name is Shen Menghan."
"Holy crap! I'm going to fight you."
Zhao Shaoyang was furious, forgetting about his game.
"Who is Shen Menghan?"
Several pairs of gossip ears immediately perked up in the dorm.
"Nobody. Why are you asking so many questions?"
Zhao Shaoyang glared at everyone.
"We didn't ask you, why are you so anxious?"
After teasing Zhao Shaoyang, Chen Pingjiang heard his phone ring:
"Hello, who is this?"
A female voice came from the other side:
"It's me."
Chen Pingjiang didn't expect Zhang Xinyue to call him, and asked suspiciously,
"Do you need me for something?"
"I just got back to school and brought some local specialties from home. I'm downstairs at your dorm building. You... come down quickly."
What on earth?
Chen Pingjiang found it hard to imagine this proud girl doing something like this.
Rushing downstairs, he saw Zhang Xinyue wearing a floral dress.
Under the dim light of the streetlamp, she possessed a captivating beauty.
She stood there gracefully, hands behind her back, head bowed under the gazes of countless rough men passing by.
"Didn't you say you brought me specialties?"
Chen Pingjiang walked over and asked.
Hearing Chen Pingjiang's voice, Zhang Xinyue smiled radiantly, surprised, and looked up, playfully saying,
"Yes, I did bring specialties, but then I remembered that since you and I are both from Tongcheng, there's nothing we haven't already eaten, so I put them back."
Chen Pingjiang gave her a speechless look:
"You really know how to give gifts."
Ignoring Chen Pingjiang's eye-roll, Zhang Xinyue pulled out a meal card from her small shoulder bag and proudly dangled it in front of Chen Pingjiang:
"Come on, to thank you for helping me with the taxi last time, I'll treat you to milk tea."
Chen Pingjiang cautiously stepped back,
"No, this isn't the Zhang Xinyue I know. Have you been possessed? Is your soul currently suppressed in some corner of your body? Tell me, who are you?"
Zhang Xinyue's small face flushed, appearing enchanting:
"Possessed your head! I'm just genuinely thanking you."
Was this still the proud girl Chen Pingjiang remembered?
What on earth happened during this National Day holiday?!
Little did he know that Zhang Xinyue was extremely nervous, her heart pounding wildly, yet she had to pretend to be calm, feeling happy, shy, and worried inside.
In Chen Pingjiang's blind spot, Ma Lingli watched the two, one tall and one short, walking together under the moonlight with an auntie smile.
This was also one of Ma Lingli's achievements during the National Day holiday.
She frantically brainwashed Zhang Xinyue to be brave, to strive, to be proactive, and finally persuaded Zhang Xinyue to be brave just once.
...
The water bar at the school's second cafeteria.
Qin Bei and her best friend chatted while drinking milk tea.
Both had just returned to school and wanted to drink the school's milk tea, so they came together.
"Beibei, have you heard? A rich sophomore is pursuing Cong Nini, and he even sent a bouquet of roses last time."
"Didn't she go around claiming the class monitor liked her, even acting as if she was taken?"
"Nonsense! I don't believe the class monitor would be interested in her anyway."
The girl who spoke was also from Class 4, Business Administration, named You Shishi.
Qin Bei, wearing light makeup today, smiled and asked,
"I also think the class monitor isn't interested in her, but do you think he'd be interested in me?"
You Shishi laughed,
"What? You want to pursue the class monitor too? I think he's quite handsome. But I heard that Zhang Xinyue from Cong Nini's dorm seems to have an unusual relationship with the class monitor."
The implication was clear.
Qin Bei was stunned:
"That really beautiful girl?"
The girls' dorms for Class 4, Business Administration, were next to each other, and Qin Bei and her friends often encountered Zhang Xinyue when washing up in the morning, often marveling at Zhang Xinyue's beauty.
"Exactly! If I were the class monitor and had Zhang Xinyue, why would I even look at Cong Nini? Especially since Cong Nini is so..."
The rest of the sentence was left unsaid, and the two exchanged a knowing smile; everyone knew what was implied.
Qin Bei was confident in her appearance, but that depended on who she was compared to.
Against Zhang Xinyue, even she felt a bit inferior, especially Zhang Xinyue's skin, which was as white and smooth as milk, made people envious.
"Hey, hey, hey, look, look!"
Suddenly, You Shishi's eyes widened, she blinked several times, and repeatedly nudged Qin Bei with her right arm.
Qin Bei looked up and saw Chen Pingjiang and the unbelievably beautiful girl, Zhang Xinyue, walking together to the water bar's cashier to order.
"Wow, they really are together! I wonder who pursued whom."
"Class monitor, over here."
Chen Pingjiang subconsciously looked up and saw You Shishi happily waving at him, and Qin Bei was there too.
Zhang Xinyue also saw the two.
She had an impression of the pretty Qin Bei and suddenly felt like she had been caught red-handed, feeling very guilty.
"You guys are here too."
After ordering two pearl milk teas, Chen Pingjiang walked over.
Zhang Xinyue followed closely behind Chen Pingjiang like a timid young wife.
You Shishi gave Zhang Xinyue an ambiguous look, then turned and gossiped,
"Class monitor, you just abducted our 'floor beauty' like that?"
"'Floor beauty'?"
"Yes, the floor beauty of the fourth floor of the girls' dorm."
Zhang Xinyue's ears immediately turned crimson, and she just stared blankly at Chen Pingjiang, feeling happy yet anticipating Chen Pingjiang's answer.
This was the first time Qin Bei and You Shishi had a close, direct look at Zhang Xinyue, and both were full of admiration.
"Zhang Xinyue, you're so beautiful! I thought you were beautiful when I saw you in the washroom this morning, and now you look even more beautiful."
Sometimes, girls enjoy looking at beautiful women more than boys do.
Zhang Xinyue smiled faintly, engaging in polite flattery:
"You're both very beautiful too."
Chen Pingjiang watched the three women complimenting each other speechlessly, and asked curiously,
"Don't you find it awkward complimenting each other like this?"
You Shishi, with a spirited feistiness, immediately retorted,
"What I said is true, okay? You still haven't answered me, how did you abduct our 'floor beauty'?"
Chen Pingjiang looked perfectly justified as he glanced at Zhang Xinyue:
"Is she very beautiful? I'm blind, I couldn't tell. But a handsome and dashing guy like me, known as Yanzu and resembling Pan An, usually gets pursued. Hey, how many months along are you? Such strong morning sickness?"
After Ma Lingli said such a long speech to Chen Pingjiang that night while Zhang Xinyue was in the restroom, Chen Pingjiang's current attitude was: no initiative, no rejection, no commitment.
Damn it, I was enough of a scumbag in my last life.
This life, I originally wanted to get along well with you all as a devoted man, but you just had to challenge my weakness, Chen Yanzu, again and again.
So, I've laid my cards on the table, I'm not pretending anymore, I've gone dark.
Qin Bei and You Shishi, seeing their class monitor's shameless bragging, all made gagging motions.
Only Zhang Xinyue stared blankly at the milk tea in front of her, lost in thought.
"But he always avoids me."
Zhang Xinyue muttered inwardly, but didn't have the courage to say it out loud.
All of today's courage had already been used to ask Chen Pingjiang out.
She was still that proud white swan, clearly in love but refusing to admit it.
Even if the whole world saw it, her pale neck remained submerged in the water.
Ma Lingli had done so much work, but it was impossible to change that little bit of pride in the white swan.
Qin Bei and You Shishi exchanged glances, as if they had discovered something incredible: the class monitor didn't seem to be bragging???
(End of chapter)
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