Seeing this message, which was clearly from someone who was very impatient, I had no intention of giving up. I immediately seized on the issue of interests and replied, "I think we really should meet and talk about this... The rent isn't a huge amount, but it's at least seventy or eighty thousand... I think since your dad asked me to contact you, he probably intends to give you the rent as pocket money. Wouldn't it be a shame if you just refused so readily?"

This time, he replied quickly: "Do you think I'm the kind of person who's short of 70,000 or 80,000?"

“You’re definitely not bad! ... But with this money, wouldn’t it be more meaningful to buy some bags for your girlfriends and make them happy?”

"If you keep talking like that, I might become your friend... I'm currently pursuing a woman, and you're suggesting using a bag to woo her? Does that really work?"

"Women love bags just like men love cars...it's a foolproof formula!"

"Come over here, let's meet and talk... You seem to understand women quite well."

"No problem, just give me an address and I'll head over right away."

"The blacksmith motorcycle club in Haidong is on the navigation app. Just follow the navigation."

...

After getting the address, I immediately left "Jiulongju", then hailed a taxi outside the ancient city and asked the driver to take me towards Haidong without wasting a second...

Because it was the lunch rush hour, the roads were very congested. Even though I knew in my heart that it wouldn't make a difference if I waited a little longer, I still felt inexplicably anxious. This matter felt like a heavy stone hanging over my heart, and I couldn't feel at ease until it was resolved.

After passing one intersection, the car got stuck at the next one with traffic lights. I tried to calm myself down while checking the remaining distance on the navigation... and just then, I received another message from Dai Qiang...

"Brother, did your uncle call you these past couple of days?"

"Um."

Has he told you about coming home for the Chinese New Year?

"I said so."

"Are you able to go home for Chinese New Year this year?"

While keeping my eyes on the traffic lights, I replied absentmindedly, "I won't be able to go back for the Chinese New Year, but I'll try to go back after the New Year."

"Will you take our CEO Ye back with you?" (The text was followed by a mischievous grinning emoji.)

Seeing the question related to Ye Zhi immediately drew my attention back, but I still played with my phone for a while before replying, "Is there nothing else we brothers can talk about besides this topic?"

"Look at what you're saying... My parents really want to thank Mr. Ye in person for his help... You have to understand their feelings. It's not that I'm forcing you to talk about this."

"I'll be blunt with you... Do you think that you can only benefit from the relationship between Ye Zhi and me, so you've been focusing all your attention on us and can't let go of the fact that?"

"Brother...aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning for asking that?"

"I'm warning you not to get any crooked ideas... and don't expect any shortcuts in your life and work."

"Does framing me give you pleasure?"

"Don't send me random messages unless it's important. I'm busy."

"The kind of people I despise the most are those who dare not face their own feelings. When did you become such a coward?"

I felt this was a message that didn't need a reply, so I turned my attention back to the road conditions outside the car window. However, during the time the car remained stationary, a subtle change occurred in my heart.

Originally, I had no intention of having any improper thoughts about Ye Zhi, but after Dai Qiang brought it up again and again, I seemed to have a kind of self-suggestion in my heart, to the point that at certain moments, I even really thought that I had a girlfriend named Ye Zhi. And to be honest, she did care about me quite a bit at times.

...

It took a lot of effort to drive the car out of the city, and the road conditions improved after we arrived in Haidong. Even so, it still took us almost 15 minutes to reach the destination indicated on the navigation.

Previously, I had always looked at Haidong from across Erhai Lake. But when I actually stood on this land, I realized that it was much more prosperous than it looked from across the lake. Haidong not only has a mature business district, but also many high-end villa complexes. Cao Jinbo's son's motorcycle club is located in one of these villa areas.

Speaking of which, this is really extravagant. A motorcycle club that smells of engine oil everywhere has been turned into a sea view. How are we drifters in Dali who can't afford to buy a house supposed to live?

...

After entering the villa area called "Hai Dongfang," I fumbled around for a while before finally finding the "Blacksmith Motorcycle Club." Unlike the other villas, this one had replaced the original European-style white door with a sheet metal one. The door was covered with discarded motorcycle license plates and engine shells; it wasn't exactly aesthetically pleasing, but it certainly had personality. It was clear the owner was a motorcycle enthusiast.

I knocked on the iron gate, but no one answered. I knocked a few more times before a lazy voice came from inside and opened the door for me.

When our eyes met, I froze, and so did he...

"Holy crap, you're not the one who came to me asking to rent a place, are you?"

I stared at Cao Xiaobei with wide eyes, then exclaimed, "So you're Cao Jinbo's son. No wonder you're so arrogant... Now I really believe you'd dare to smash up my inn!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!