Is someone giving you a hard time?
Since they broke up, he hadn’t been back to Jiang’an Cloud Residences.
Letting Lu An make himself at home, he took his suitcase to the bedroom. The makeup Wei Lai had brought here was still scattered on the bedroom vanity.
There was also her makeup at his house in Beijing, which he had already had the maid gather from his room and neatly organize in another room, restoring the bathroom to how it looked before he brought her home.
There was no maid over here, so the property management arranged for someone to clean regularly, but they only cleaned and didn’t touch his belongings.
In the walk-in closet, there was her makeup case. Zhou Sujin found it but didn’t know how to organize the makeup. He sorted the bottles and jars by size and neatly placed them in the makeup case.
There were dozens of brushes.
“The chef’s here. Let him know what you want to eat.”
Lu An walked to the bedroom entrance but didn’t go in, waiting for his instructions.
“Get me a courier,” Zhou Sujin said without looking up as he bent over the vanity, writing a note.
Not sure if you still need these, but I’ve packed them all here for you.
—Zhou Sujin
Lu An asked, “Send to where?”
“Send it to Wei Lai.”
“Just call for a delivery service then.”
Lu An didn’t know they were just pretending; he thought it was because Uncle Zhou and Auntie Zhou disapproved of their relationship. The starlight headliner had just been installed, and they broke up the next day.
“I’m not saying you were wrong, but you shouldn’t have broken up with her on her birthday.”
Zhou Sujin didn’t respond to him, pressing the sticky note firmly onto the makeup case.
Lu An asked, “Which address?”
“Send it to her office.”
He hadn’t been to her office, but he had heard her mention it was on the 2nd floor.
Lately, Wei Lai had been swamped with work. According to the original plan, the store at the Yunhui Mall was supposed to be ready by the end of the month and have a soft opening during the New Year period. However, due to various reasons, the construction was delayed by more than a quarter.
Just a moment ago, the secretary of Lu Song, the director of the mall, called her and bluntly informed her that the bakery section of the supermarket had to be removed and replaced with another business project.
The reason for the removal was that the mall’s first floor had a chain dessert and bakery shop, which demanded exclusivity rights when they moved in, so the supermarket’s bakery section had to go.
The bakery was a major feature of Wei Lai Supermarket. Their affordable, freshly baked bread and cakes were always in high demand. Removing it would strip away their uniqueness and significantly impact profits.
When they initially signed the contract, there was no exclusivity agreement at all.
Among the social circles in Jiang City, everyone knew that Zhou Sujin and her had broken up. Lu Song couldn’t openly breach the contract, so he made things difficult for her in various ways, hoping she would back out of the mall on her own and make room for Blissful Garden Supermarket.
She had been enduring this bullying for almost three weeks. Despite complying with their demands, they were never satisfied, and the construction progress was continuously delayed.
Now, they were even targeting the supermarket’s operations.
Since there was no room for negotiation, there was no need to endure the mistreatment any longer. Wei Lai smiled and retorted, “Exclusivity agreement? There are two bakeries and a dessert shop on the first floor. Why isn’t there an exclusivity agreement for them then?”
The secretary ignored her and informed her, “Besides removing the bakery section, the free book bar also needs to be changed.”
As for why the book bar needed to be changed, they didn’t even provide a specific reason.
In short, Wei Lai Supermarket had to align with the mall’s operational philosophy and overall interests.
Anything that needed to be changed was naturally not in line with the mall’s requirements.
Wei Lai was so angry she laughed and immediately hung up the phone.
If she withdrew, the 4,000 square feet of construction and design fees would be completely wasted. This was a visible loss, along with many other sunk costs.
She opened the window and stood by it, letting the cold wind calm the anger in her heart.
Her phone rang—it was an unfamiliar number.
They said they had a package for her and asked for her specific office address.
She had been so busy recently that she hadn’t had time to shop. Wei Lai informed them it was the second room on the south side of the second floor before asking another question, “Where is the package from?”
“Jiang’an Cloud Residences.”
Wei Lai was momentarily taken aback. “Okay, got it.”
Soon, she heard the delivery guy’s voice outside the door.
After signing for the package and opening it, she found her makeup case and a note from him.
So he was here right now.
Just a few miles away from her.
He hadn’t messaged her before sending the package, and she didn’t message him to confirm she had received it.
She didn’t know when he had arrived here, how long he would stay, or when he would leave.
Wei Lai leaned against her desk, holding his note and reading it over and over again.
She stayed in the office until 10:30 p.m. The supermarket downstairs had already closed, and hers was the only office on the second floor with the lights still on.
Wei Lai finished her iced coffee and rinsed her cup before turning off the lights and leaving.
Downstairs, a Maybach was parked right before her car. It was Yuan Hengrui’s car. Despite there being an empty parking space nearby, he always either parked in her spot or blocked her car.
She tapped on his car window twice, signaling him to move.
Yuan Hengrui was half-lying in his seat, staring at the sky through the sunroof. The weather had turned cold, making even the clouds thinner and fewer.
He was so engrossed that the sound of tapping on the window startled him. Squinting, he saw that it was Wei Lai outside and quickly scrambled out of the car.
Looking at her, he said, “You’re the only one working late. Isn’t it scary to be alone in such a big office?”
Wei Lai glanced at him, surprised by his question.
She said, “It’s fine.”
Yuan Hengrui had been there for a while, waiting since the sun had set.
Today, while passing by the Yunhui Group Mall, he specifically went to the basement floor to check the supermarket out, only to find that construction still wasn’t finished.
“Didn’t you say you would have a grand opening on New Year’s? It’s already the 20th. Even if each day were 48 hours long, you wouldn’t finish in time.”
He had a guess, “Is Lu Song giving you guys a hard time?”
Wei Lai didn’t answer directly, “Move your car.”
“I’ll move it right away, but let me say one more thing.”
Yuan Hengrui had come to reassure her, “Don’t worry, even if you and Zhou Sujin broke up, you can still lease the space at Jiang’an Cloud Residences. The promise to sell the storefront to you still stands. If you can’t buy it in three years, then five years. You’ll be able to afford it someday.”
“Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
Yuan Hengrui didn’t take credit for himself. “It was my dad who said that. He’s the kind of person who never goes back on his word. If he promises something, he’ll make sure it happens.”
He walked from the driver’s side to her side and leaned against the car door.
His influence was limited and couldn’t affect the decisions of the Yunhui Mall. After all, Blissful Garden Supermarkets’ backing was Mu Di’s family.
At this moment, he hated his own powerlessness. “One day, when I become one of the top tycoons in Jiang City, you can open a supermarket wherever you want, and no one will dare to make things difficult for you.”
Wei Lai thanked him again. Yuan Hengrui was no longer as frivolous as before, so she was willing to say a few more words. “Don’t waste all your time on me. You’ve already wasted three years. It’s not worth it.”
“This isn’t a waste. Having someone you like gives you motivation every day when you wake up.” Yuan Hengrui walked back to the driver’s side. “Wei Lai, you don’t understand.”
He opened the car door. “Go home and get some rest. I’ll think of a way to help you.”
“No need,” Wei Lai refused without hesitation.
“I’ll find someone myself,” she said.
“Who are you going to ask? Can they help you resolve this?”
“Yes.”
Yuan Hengrui hesitated; her expression didn’t seem to have found someone who could help.
Wei Lai was exhausted and didn’t want to chat further. She drove straight back to her apartment.
The next day was the weekend. Before bed, she turned off her alarm and muted her phone, planning to sleep in until she naturally woke up.
She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in over 20 days.
For the past month, she had been revising the renovation plans daily. After each revision, she had to submit the materials and plans to Yunhui Group for approval.
The person in charge of approvals was Lu Song, who always found some aspect that didn’t meet the standards.
While other businesses only needed to submit their plans before starting renovations and wait for final inspections afterward, Lu Song had special requirements for their supermarket, claiming it was for their own good.
The next day, she slept in until a quarter past nine.
Last night, she thought about things until midnight. Aside from a partnership, there was no other way forward.
Calling someone at 9 a.m. on the weekend seemed a bit early, so she set her phone down and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
She brewed a cup of Gesha coffee, fried two eggs, and toasted a few slices of bread.
The Gesha coffee beans were sent to her a few days ago by Yang Ze, who mentioned they were air freighted directly from a plantation in Panama.
Yang Ze: “President Zhou doesn’t drink light-roasted coffee beans, so leaving it on the plane would be a waste.”
After thanking him, she accepted it.
She took her breakfast to the small folding table on the balcony. The balcony was not large, and the table was just big enough for two people to dine. When her dad remodeled this condo for her, he specifically designed the balcony in a style she liked for dining.
Today, the sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow on the table.
The coffee was steaming hot in the sunlight.
It was the most leisurely breakfast she had eaten in months.
She slowly sipped the coffee, which tasted slightly different from the beans she had previously purchased.
“Lai Lai, take a good rest at home today.”
“I’ll find a way to handle the situation at Yunhui Mall.”
Her mom sent her two voice messages in quick succession.
Wei Lai brought the phone closer and replied to her mom with a voice message, “You don’t need to find anyone. I have a way to handle it.”
“Lai Lai, don’t go looking for Zhou Sujin.”
“Mom, don’t worry. I won’t go and trouble him.”
Outsiders didn’t know they were a fake couple. In the future, he would date and get married, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to ask for his help or maintain contact with him.
She understood this boundary well.
“Mom, just go ahead and take care of your things first.”
“Can I ask one more question? Who are you going to ask?” Cheng Minzhi couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter lowering her dignity to ask for help. At worst, the renovation and design fees could be foregone.
“He Wancheng.”
“You’re asking him?”
“En, I’m going to find him for a partnership, not asking for a favor. I’ll tell you more once it’s settled.”
After breakfast, Wei Lai cleaned the table and the kitchen. It was still early, so she opened the makeup case Zhou Sujin had sent her and meticulously arranged everything on the vanity. She placed the sticky note in a drawer.
At 10:05 a.m., she sent a message to He Wancheng: “President He, sorry to disturb you on the weekend. When would be a convenient time for me to call you?“
He Wancheng: “Not calling me Uncle He, I see this is a business matter.“
“Yes, I want to discuss a partnership with you. I hope you might be interested.“
He Wancheng called her directly and asked with a chuckle, “You want to open a supermarket with me?”
Wei Lai also laughed. “Nothing gets past you.”
She dared to approach the richest man in Su City for a supermarket partnership because he had invested in retail before. His old classmate in Su City owned a supermarket chain in which he held shares. Back then, his friend lacked startup capital and approached him. Out of friendship, he invested purely in helping his old friend through tough times without getting involved in the operations. He probably didn’t even know how many stores the chain had.
Unexpectedly, this investment turned out to be quite profitable.
Given the current scale of Wei Lai’s supermarket, He Wancheng naturally wasn’t interested. “President He, as I mentioned before, my goal is to be in the top 30 of the top 100 list.”
“30%”
“You don’t need to invest any money, just contribute your resources in exchange for a 30% stake. I will handle the operations, and you can manage the risks.”
Before approaching He Wancheng, she had given it a lot of thought.
As their supermarket chain expanded and grew in scale, the need to navigate various relationships would increase.
Having a shareholder with He Wancheng’s background would ensure that no one in Jiang City would dare to give her a hard time anymore. It was a one-time solution to many potential problems.
Moreover, with He Wancheng’s endorsement, future financing would be much easier.
Although she was giving up 30% shares, she wouldn’t lose out in the long run.
“President He, if you’re interested, we can meet in person to discuss the specifics of how the resources will be contributed and how the profits will be shared.”
He Wancheng had many connections and resources in Jiang City, and it would be a waste not to utilize them.
Becoming a shareholder in Wei Lai Supermarket would be pure profit with no losses. From a business perspective, there was no reason for him not to collaborate.
Moreover, Zhou Sujin had specifically asked him to look after Wei Lai Supermarket.
He asked, “Is this your mother’s idea?”
“No, it’s my decision alone. My mom has given me full responsibility for the supermarket. If I don’t do well, she’ll step in.”
He Wancheng laughed. “That’s great.”
He immediately agreed to the partnership, “You don’t need to come to Su City. I’ll be in Jiang City next week for a wedding. We can meet then to discuss the details.”
He was attending Zhang Yanxin’s wedding. Given Wei Lai’s special relationship with Zhang Yanxin, he didn’t mention it specifically.
Even if He Wancheng hadn’t said it, Wei Lai knew whose wedding he was attending. He was close friends with Zhang Yanxin’s parents, and Zhang Yanxin was marrying Mu Di the next week.
“President He, I have another favor to ask.”
“No need to be formal, go ahead.”
“Our supermarket’s sixteenth store is moving into Yunhui Mall. The person in charge, Lu Song, is close to Blissful Garden Supermarkets’ owner. He’s been blocking us at every turn. Our planned New Year’s opening is now indefinitely delayed.”
“Got it, leave it to me.”
He Wancheng didn’t even have to step in personally. He had his secretary make a call to Yunhui Group Chairman’s secretary, and all of Wei Lai Supermarket’s issues were resolved.
Given the significance of partnering with Wei Lai, He Wancheng felt it was necessary to inform Zhou Sujin. He dialed Zhou Sujin’s number, but it went unanswered.
At that moment, Zhou Sujin was at the ancestral residence. His mom was sitting across from him, and he had just muted his phone.
Her son entered the door 10 minutes ago, and aside from greeting her, he hadn’t said a word.
Ning Ruzhen found nagging to be quite annoying, but she had to say it. “Sujin, I can accept you finding a partner from an ordinary family, but I absolutely won’t allow you to treat marriage like a game.”
Zhou Sujin silently sipped his tea.
“Your nainai mentioned that someone recently visited her, trying to set you up with a match.”
People around had gradually learned about his breakup. In their world, family background and mutual interests often outweighed the personal feelings of those involved, so no one cared much that he had just broken up.
She couldn’t even enjoy three months of peace before the calls inviting her out for tea began again. Claiming to be in London visiting her parents, she declined all the invitations. Unexpectedly, they went straight to his nainai.
Currently, it was she who wanted to dodge the matchmakers more than her son.
Zhou Sujin suddenly reached out his hand. “Give me those people’s phone numbers. I’ll ask them if they have too much time on their hands. If they do, I’ll find something for them to do.
Ning Ruzhen: “…. You!”
“I have something to do, so I’ll head back now.” Zhou Sujin grabbed his coat and walked straight to the courtyard to call He Wancheng back.
With the issues at Yunhui Mall completely resolved, Wei Lai picked up her car keys and went downstairs to report to her mom at the office and to discuss partnership matters with He Wancheng.
Just as she got into the car and before she could even fasten her seatbelt, a call came in.
Seeing the number on the screen, she hesitated for a few seconds before pressing the answer button. “Hi, President Zhou.”
Zhou Sujin: “Is someone giving you a hard time?”
After not hearing his voice for a month, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
Wei Lai’s throat burned, and a sudden wave of grievance welled up.
During that month of being tormented, she had only felt anger. After all, in the business world, it’s always survival of the fittest, and there was nothing to be upset about. Sometimes, when Lu Song’s bullying went too far, she really wanted to roll up her sleeves and fight back.
Regardless of the timing, she had never had the sense of feeling wronged or treated unfairly.
But with his simple question today, she suddenly felt a wave of unfairness.
“It’s nothing. President He had already helped me sort it out.”
“Oh right,” she told him, “I’ve decided to invite President He to be a shareholder.”
Zhou Sujin continued, “En, he mentioned it.”
“Not bad. You’re willing to spend money to resolve issues and smart enough to find a strong ally.”
“Thank you for the compliment, President Zhou.”
There was a brief moment of silence before Zhou Sujin said, “I got to go now.”
Wei Lai glanced at the call duration on the screen – it was just a few seconds. “Okay, bye, President Zhou.” After a pause, she added, “Thank you for thinking of me.”
After ending the call, she remembered there was something else she had forgotten to mention.
Her makeup and some personal belongings were still at his Beijing home. Most of the makeup had already been opened. It would be too much of a hassle to pack and ship them back.
“President Zhou, please have the housekeeper take care of all my things at your place in Beijing.“
“Okay.“
