Chapter 8 The Domineering CEO

Wow, he believes these two are online friends now. One is alluring, the other is chilling.

Qingran introduced the two, starting with Wang Lei: "Achen, this is my old classmate and good friend, Wang Lei."

Wang Lei, the shortest of the three, secretly puffed out his chest, nodded as a greeting, and then muttered to Qing Ran, "Let's just call him Lei Zi. Calling him by his full name is kind of creepy."

Yan Chen stared at him calmly and nodded slightly in response.

Qingran then introduced the man to Wang Lei: "His name is Yan Chen, I met him online..."

He paused for a few seconds: "Friend."

The word "friend" made Yan Chen look at Qing Ran.

The other person, with a normal expression, changed the subject and asked him, "Want to have lunch together?"

After staring at him for a while, the man, who appeared calm and composed, lowered his eyes and said, "Okay."

"What would you like to eat?" Qingran asked the two of them.

Yan Chen remained silent.

Wang Lei said excitedly, "A new seafood buffet opened on Qinglong Street. I heard they have a lot of seafood and the entrance fee isn't expensive, so it's a good deal. How about we go there?"

Qingran asked the other person for their opinion: "What do you think?"

“Okay.” Yan Chen replied calmly.

Wang Lei immediately perked up, hooking his arm around Qing Ran's shoulder and walking forward: "Come on, come on, it's on me! How's your appetite?"

Two contrasting outfits, one flashy and the other simple and plain, now walk arm in arm, intimately connected.

The man remained silent, following quietly behind the two as if he didn't exist.

Qingran replied, "It depends." If it tastes good, then the person has a good appetite; if it tastes bad, then it's just so-so.

"Don't worry, it definitely won't taste bad."

Wang Lei, sensing the deeper meaning in Wang Lei's words, patted his chest and assured him, "Several friends who play games with me went there and told me that they didn't encounter any problems."

Then he casually complained that Qingran hadn't teamed up with him to play games in a long time.

After saying that, he remembered why the other person had been absent recently, cursed himself for being an idiot, and changed the subject, saying:

"Your online friend doesn't seem to like talking?"

This is actually a way to pass on a message.

If Yan Chen wanted to chat, he could simply answer "yes" or "no," and Wang Lei could then ask for the reason, and the conversation would naturally unfold.

But the person behind him seemed not to hear him and remained silent.

You pretentious jerk, you're just relying on your looks. My brother is way more handsome than you.

Wang Lei rolled his eyes inwardly.

"Yes, he's never been a talkative person," Qingran said, suppressing a laugh as she explained for Yan Chen.

It felt about right. I shouldn't tease them too much, so I shook the hand off my shoulder and slowed down to wait for the person behind me to catch up.

"Is everything going smoothly?"

Her face, bathed in sunlight, was as radiant as the morning glow and as dazzling as a lotus flower.

The man shook his head before asking him in return, "You know? You know what I'm doing?"

Qingran: "I guessed it."

What's going on?

Wang Lei's face was contorted throughout the entire encrypted call; his questions were unclear, and his answers were vague.

Thankfully, the conversation wasn't long, otherwise he was afraid it would affect his appetite!

However, having two handsome men with such different styles walking beside me is still quite stylish, and I feel like I've become a bit more handsome too.

Of course, it would be even better if those admiring glances fell on me.

Wang Lei vainly touched his faded hair and thought.

Soon they arrived at the newly opened all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant he had mentioned.

Because of the opening discounts, and because it was lunchtime, there were many people queuing outside the restaurant.

The three of them took a number and joined the queue. During this time, Yan Chen excused himself and left for a moment. In total, it took them about half an hour to get their turn.

Wang Lei was starving, and as soon as he heard his number called, he rushed through the gate and headed straight for the ingredients area.

The seafood section has a wide variety of seafood, including oysters, shrimp, crab, shellfish, and fish, with each category further divided into detailed subcategories. In addition, there are also sea urchins, sea cucumbers, razor clams, and more.

Wang Lei ate to his heart's content, but when he went out to pay the bill, he learned that Qing Ran had already paid for it sometime earlier.

As we left the restaurant, I said, "Didn't we agree that I would treat you? Why did you secretly pay for it?"

Seafood is a rare commodity in their small inland county, and while it's considered a good deal, it's not cheap.

Old Zhou had already spent all the savings he had accumulated from working as a bricklayer on his adoptive father, so how could he let Old Zhou pay for it?

Qingran didn't seem to care: "I'll give it to you if I want to."

Wang Lei guessed that he probably didn't need the money for the time being, so he stopped worrying about it and brought up another important matter.

"Will you go out to work again after this?"

Zhou Qingran's academic performance was average. After graduating from high school, she did not continue her studies and went to work in the coastal areas with someone she knew from her hometown.

Because he had no skills, he could only do the most strenuous physical labor on construction sites.

Physical labor was easy for Qingran, but he had other ideas and naturally wouldn't ask for trouble.

Not for now.

Wang Lei didn't ask why: "Just let me know when the time comes, and I'll go with you."

Qingran: "Aren't you going to study?" It seems like you're going to a vocational school?

Wang Lei kicked a soda can away: "Hey, I only studied at that crappy school for two years. I just graduated a few days ago. I was just about to tell you."

He sighed repeatedly.

"Back then, I originally wanted to study auto repair, but my parents insisted that I study computer science. Didn't they realize that even if computer science had a bright future, with my intelligence, could I possibly understand it beyond playing video games?"

He only plays violent games that don't require any brainpower.

Wang Lei earnestly stated, "I'm not getting any younger, and I have a girlfriend, so I'm thinking I should still make some money properly."

After thinking for a moment, Qingran made a plan: "Okay, I'll let you know when the time comes."

Wang Lei: "Okay, what are you guys planning to do next?"

Qingran: "Let's wander around."

Yan Chen hasn't bought any clothes yet.

Wang Lei: "Going shopping? You two?" His eyes darted back and forth between Qing Ran and Yan Chen, feeling that something was off.

Qingran nodded.

Unable to come up with a solution, Wang Lei said, "Then you two go ahead and wander around. I'll go to the internet cafe and play games." He wanted to cherish the last carefree days before starting work.

"I'm off!" He turned his back, waved, and walked away with an air of nonchalance.

[The host doesn't need to work; you'll be flush with cash once the story ends.]

[Um? ]

[That's the male lead, Yan Chen. In the story, although he can't give Zhou Qingran the kind of love she wants, he will give her a house and a lot of money.]

Now that the host has transmigrated into Zhou Qingran's body, she has saved Yan Chen according to the same plot, and in the end, she will naturally have money and a house.

[However, Zhou Qingran later became self-destructive and quickly squandered her house and money. She then went back to the male lead for help, but didn't even get to see him.]

[As long as the host spends money prudently, that money will be enough to last a lifetime.]

The system went on and on about how to exercise restraint and how to invest, while Yan Chen was also lost in thought overhearing the conversation.

Qingran: "What is this?"

The man was holding two folders in his hand.

Qingran noticed during lunch that Yan Chen brought back two folders while he was queuing, but he didn't ask about them at the time.

Yan Chen snapped out of his reverie and handed him the folder: "After searching for information, I also took on two translation jobs."

Qingran was genuinely surprised.

He took the folder and opened it. One of the folders contained Y language, while the other he didn't recognize.

Yan Chen: "D language."

Qingran: "You left the queue just to print this?"

Yan Chen: "Mm."

He explained simply: "Document Y is an analysis of some material, which needs to be submitted within three days, with a payment of five hundred. Document D is a project plan, with a payment of one thousand in seven days."

Qingran flipped through the Y-book, which was filled with a lot of technical terms. Even though he had read the original owner's textbooks from elementary to high school and had a photographic memory, he still couldn't understand it at all.

I couldn't help but sincerely exclaim, "Ah Chen is amazing!"

He closed the file and handed it back to Yan Chen, then said nothing more, only asking, "Shall I go buy you some clothes now?"

Yan Chen lowered his eyes, took the folder, and gave a soft "hmm".

He picks out clothes quickly, focusing on the fabric quality rather than the brand, and within half an hour he has chosen two outfits and two pairs of shoes.

Afterwards, with nothing much to do in the county town, the two went to a braised food and cold dish shop to buy some cooked food. They headed back home around 3 p.m. and arrived home around 5 p.m.

It was half the speed of Qingran walking by herself, but much faster than the trip in the morning.

Or perhaps Yan Chen had already gone through it once in the morning and had some experience, since he didn't need anyone's help.

As summer progresses and darkness falls late, Qingran lazily lies in a rocking chair, gazing at the sky outlined by the treetops above.

The depths of Butterfly Mountain offer a vastness and tranquility unlike the hustle and bustle of the city.

The green locust trees and tall willows are filled with the chirping of cicadas, and the gentle breeze first touches

There are no willow trees on Butterfly Mountain, but there are quite a few locust trees.

Sparsely distributed among various unnamed trees, the tall and vigorous branches and leaves are lush, with clusters of snow-grape-like flower buds hanging from the branches, emitting a faint and pleasant fragrance.

The man, who had taken a shower and changed his clothes, came out from behind the house, his tall figure catching Qingran's eye.

The man in the rocking chair lazily tilted his head, and after seeing the man's attire, commented, "Formal wear suits you better."

T-shirts and cargo pants are nice, but how should I put it, Yan Chen looks more... ascetic when he's in a suit?

Her gentle voice seemed to be imbued with a touch of grace and tenderness by the early summer breeze.

Yan Chen stopped and looked at him.

Qingran wore the same clothes he had on when he left, and after walking for more than an hour on the mountain road, he felt refreshed and not sweaty at all.

The face resting on the rocking chair had clear features, handsome eyebrows and well-shaped eyes with an inward and outward curve, coupled with a cool and clear feeling between the eyebrows and eyes, giving off a contradictory temperament that was alluring but not glamorous.

Like a brightly colored oil painting.

"Are you disappointed in me?" the man asked in a low voice.

"What?" Qingran asked, her eyes filled with confusion.

Yan Chen remained silent, recalling the other person's behavior throughout the day, which seemed to have started in the kitchen that morning...

The man strode over to the rocking chair, looked up at the birds and clouds in the sky: "Qingran, what is our relationship?"

From Qingran's perspective, Yan Chen's jawline was exceptionally smooth and sharp, just like how he always gave people a sense of unapproachability.

Upon hearing the question, Qingran's tone softened, and a clear change in her emotions was evident: "What do you think the relationship is?"

"Are we dating?" Yan Chen finally said the answer he had been guessing for a long time.

After a long while, Qingran hummed in agreement.

With the dust settled, Yan Chen was not surprised.

This answer explains everything.

Why did Qingran react that way when they first met? Why does Qingran always unintentionally show intimacy with him?

So that's how it is; it can only be this way.

He knew Qingran had misunderstood his silence that morning, but...

How did we meet?

He continued asking questions without revealing any emotion or attitude towards this fact.

Qingran seemed unconcerned, even joking, "The way we met is quite unique, Ah Chen, do you want to guess?"

Yan Chen subconsciously asked, "A fleeting glimpse on the road?"

Who caught whose eye for a fleeting glance?

"My feelings for you."

"Given your personality, if you decide to get to know someone after just a fleeting glance, can I interpret that as love at first sight?"

The man was suddenly taken aback.

"no."

Qingran immediately rejected this answer.

A note from the author:

Thank you to the adorable "Look~Silly" for the 5 bottles of nutrient solution! Hugs and kisses!