Chapter 53

◎Isn't this a little kid?◎

Zhan Xinyue didn't sleep well that night, having many hazy dreams, but she still perked up and got out of bed when the alarm rang. When she opened the door, Zhan Wei was tying his tie in front of the full-length mirror. He was surprised to see her: "Why are you up so early?"

Zhan Xinyue looked Zhan Wei up and down for a long time and said, "Dad, aren't you dressed a bit too formally?"

Zhan Wei laughed sheepishly, "Isn't that a bit too much? Maybe I shouldn't wear a tie." As he spoke, he reached out to take it off, but Zhan Xinyue stopped him, "It's not an exaggeration, it actually looks quite handsome."

Zhan Wei then gave up: "This store has been in preparation for too long, making me feel as nervous as if it were my first time doing business."

He straightened his clothes in front of the mirror and looked at Zhan Xinyue: "Dad has to go to the shop now. Why don't you go back to sleep for a while? It's a rare day off. You can come over with Mom later."

Zhan Xinyue shook her head: "I already have a biological clock, so I can't sleep. I'll come with you."

Zhan Wei thought for a moment and said, "That's fine."

In her previous life, Zhan Xinyue rarely went to her father's store, but she had visited this one a few times. This furniture mall followed a luxurious route; as soon as you entered, you could feel the overwhelming wealth. Huge crystal chandeliers were everywhere, casting dappled light on the marble floor.

Zhan Xinyue followed Zhan Wei up the elevator. The new store was located on the third floor in a very central location. At that moment, the large screen at the entrance was playing a short film about the design concept of this Nordic brand. The store, which spanned more than 2,000 square meters, was divided into several home furnishing showrooms, each with a different style and a high-quality feel.

Although it was still early, the shop was already bustling with activity. Zhan Wei stood at the door for a while, quite satisfied, then turned to Zhan Xinyue and joked, "Look, this is the empire your dad built for you; it'll all be yours from now on."

The mall officially opened at 10:00 AM. Although the preliminary preparations were almost complete, the opening setup and confirming the gifts for customers still required considerable effort. Once inside, Zhan Wei told Zhan Xinyue to sit and play for a while before busying himself with confirming today's promotional offers with the staff.

Zhan Xinyue browsed the store alone, finding it quite interesting. She stood for a moment examining a stylish walnut dining table, when a quick-thinking young salesperson approached her to explain its craftsmanship and design concept. After finishing there, the salesperson led her to a modular sofa set to introduce it, saying it was the brand's most enduring classic.

Zhan Xinyue waved her hand: "Go ahead and do your work, don't worry about me." Her intention was to help, but everyone was busy right now, and she didn't want to take up too much of the shop assistant's time.

After the salesperson left, she took a closer look at the sofa. The genuine leather fabric shimmered like silk under the light, and the design was simple and elegant, truly deserving of the title of a classic.

She glanced at the price with interest.

Hmm, 120,000, and it's not even sold in single sets...

Even though it's her family's shop, she still felt it was really expensive...

Zhan Xinyue recalled that this shop had always been quite successful since it opened in her previous life. She couldn't help but sigh to herself for a while: There are just too many rich people in this world, and it's too easy to make money off them.

Just as she was marveling at the moment, her phone rang. The ordered mini cake had arrived, along with fresh-cut flowers to decorate the shop. She and the staff were busy setting up the tea break table and creating illustrations. Once they got busy, there was no end in sight. Just when they finished one thing, another thing would come up. She barely had time to drink a sip of water.

Fortunately, after two or three hours, order finally returned from the chaos, and everything became well-organized.

This was her first time truly involved in the store's work. Although she was doing mostly trivial tasks, she still felt a great sense of accomplishment looking at the well-arranged store.

"Alright, everyone, you've all worked hard. The preparations are almost complete. Please sit down and rest for a while." Zhan Wei carefully checked all the preparations before letting out a slight sigh of relief.

The shop assistants all shook their heads, saying they weren't tired. Apart from a couple of long-time employees who were transferred from the original store, the rest of the staff were newly recruited and seemed a bit reserved.

Zhan Wei said with a smile, "Don't be so polite with me. If we don't rest now, we won't have another chance. We'll be busy when we officially open for business later."

Seeing that no one was willing to move, Zhan Xinyue took the lead and sat down on the sofa: "Then I won't stand on ceremony. I'm going to rest for a while and see if this sofa is worth the price."

Zhan Wei also advised everyone, "Don't be so reserved, sit down and rest for a while."

Most of the shop assistants were quite young, and they gradually relaxed and became more talkative. Just as things were getting lively, someone suddenly looked towards the door and exclaimed, "Hey!"

Zhan Xinyue followed her gaze and looked towards the door. A group of more than ten people were walking towards them. Some of the shop assistants beside her hurriedly stood up and began to nervously tidy up the clothes.

"It's not even opening time yet, how come customers are already coming in?" a shop assistant muttered in confusion.

Zhan Xinyue was also puzzled. She looked closely and saw that the group of people were all dressed in suits and ties, walking slowly past each shop in turn. They glanced at the shops and chatted occasionally, but did not stop. The man in the lead was about forty years old, walking with a leisurely pace. Someone was following closely beside him, introducing something to him.

These people don't look like they're here to shop or visit; they look more like they're here to inspect.

Just then, an older shop assistant suddenly said, "The one at the very front looks like President Shi."

"who?"

"Shi Yuesheng, this furniture mall belongs to their group."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhan Xinyue spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

Beside Shi Yuesheng, Shi Ziqian, wearing a white shirt with the sleeves half-rolled up, walked casually. He was tall with long legs and outstanding looks, still retaining a slender, youthful appearance, making him particularly eye-catching among the group of middle-aged men.

He was already quite conspicuous at school, but standing among this group of businessmen now, he was even more striking. He was already exuding an air of nobility, but now, in a well-tailored white shirt and black trousers, his hair slicked back, revealing a pair of extremely dark eyes, he effortlessly projected an aura of refined arrogance and aloofness. His expression was even colder than at school, and from a distance, he seemed even more distant.

The man beside her, Shi Yuesheng, was quite different from the businessman she had imagined. He was slender, tall, and possessed a refined and scholarly air. If it weren't for the confident composure that came with someone who had long held a high position, he would have looked more like a scholar.

As the group approached, she overheard a young man who appeared to be a secretary introducing the store to Shi Yuesheng: "Mr. Shi, this is a Nordic brand, specializing in solid wood whole-house furniture. This is also the brand's first franchise store in our city..."

As he introduced the product in a low voice, Shi Yuesheng looked over and met the curious gazes of everyone in the store. Without pausing, he simply nodded calmly as a greeting.

Beside him, Shi Ziqian's gaze followed him, his eyes indifferent.

His sleeves were half-rolled up, and a silver watch on his wrist made his pale skin appear even more striking. Zhan Xinyue noticed that the watch he was wearing today wasn't the digital watch he usually wore at school, but a mechanical watch with a cool, sharp sheen; even someone who didn't know much about watches could tell it was expensive.

Zhan Xinyue's gaze met his, and she silently gave a polite smile without making any further movements.

I was sitting in the same classroom as Shi Ziqian last night, and we even sang together in a private room, but seeing him now feels so distant.

She initially thought she should greet him, but then felt it wasn't quite appropriate in this situation, especially after suddenly remembering what Shi Ziqian had said to her yesterday. She realized it was best to maintain a proper distance.

Shi Ziqian was clearly taken aback when he saw her, and his gaze flickered.

Shi Yuesheng had already looked at the next store, but he keenly sensed a slight pause and hesitation from his son beside him, so he looked at him again and asked, "Interested?"

The group of people behind him all turned to look at him.

Shi Ziqian remained silent, staring at her with a hesitant expression.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as Zhan Xinyue silently looked away. On the other end, Shi Ziqian also lowered his eyelids and gently shook his head.

"Let's go."

Shi Yuesheng glanced at the shop a few more times with some doubt, but didn't notice anything unusual, so he didn't say anything more.

Just as they were about to continue walking forward, Zhan Xinyue suddenly heard Zhan Wei's enlightened laughter behind her.

"I knew you looked familiar, Crescent Moon, isn't that you when you were little?"

Everyone looked over again.