Chapter 3 How about... we go on a date?
A few nights later, Xu Jialan and several rich second-generation heirs booked a private room at Yinye Bar to have fun and relax together. Several girls were also with them, one or two of whom were college students.
These are all local second-generation rich kids, whom Xu Jialan met after coming to Dai County.
At that time, he had just arrived in Dai County and was unfamiliar with the place.
In addition, life in Dai County was too monotonous and boring compared to Beijing. He was bored after only a few days and had to find his own entertainment by frequenting various entertainment venues.
They were the group of people Xu Jialan met at the Silver Field Bar.
Among them, the one named Ma Qi was the highest-ranking. He asked Xu Jialan in bewilderment, "You were doing just fine in Beijing, why did you come to this wretched place?"
Clearly, he also looked down on Dai County, but unfortunately, he was born there and had no real skills, so he could only stay in this small place and rely on his family's support.
Xu Jialan was clearly different from them; he was the son of Qingbang Real Estate, so why should he come here to suffer?
When this matter was brought up, Xu Jialan became somewhat annoyed, and her expression also turned sour.
"It's because my family is pressuring me to get married, so I can only come to this place to find some peace and quiet."
Xu Jialan was concise and didn't want to reveal too much to them.
Besides, this is a long story. He had no choice but to resort to this drastic measure because he had gotten involved with that woman, Shen Moke, and couldn't get rid of her.
Shen Moke was originally just the daughter of Xu Qingbang's business partner. The two had only met a few times. Who knew what had gotten into this woman? She insisted on marrying him and even used the business partnership between the two families as a threat.
Ironically, Xu Qingbang actually agreed!
They arranged his marriage without his consent.
Xu Jialan absolutely refused!
He wanted to go abroad for a couple of days to avoid trouble, but Xu Qingbang confiscated his passport.
After much negotiation with Xu Qingbang, he finally relented.
He said there was a project to be done in Nanlin City, and he was asked to come here to oversee it. He also said he could help him avoid the marriage proposal.
Xu Jialan was skeptical, but he still came. He figured he was going to hide anywhere anyway, so he agreed to come to Nanlin City.
Unexpectedly, they ended up in Dai County, which is under the jurisdiction of Nanlin City.
Looking back now, he realized he had been tricked by Xu Qingbang.
After arriving here, Xu Qingbang canceled all his credit cards, gave him a nominal position in the company, and put him in charge of the Xu Feng Mansion project in Dai County, where he received a meager salary.
At first, he argued with Xu Qingbang, but it was no use at all; Xu Qingbang was determined to punish him.
Thinking about these troublesome things, Xu Jialan became increasingly irritable.
Upon hearing this, several rich kids immediately started jeering: "Oh~ so he's running away from his wedding!"
The expressions on their faces were incredibly ambiguous.
"Marriage really isn't good; it's so much more fun playing around with these young girls!"
After spending some time together, they got to know each other's personalities a little better. Xu Jialan was also a playboy; she got together with Chu Yu not long after arriving here, but dumped her just a few days later.
At this point, a girl in a white dress who had been sitting in the corner quietly moved to sit next to Xu Jialan.
Xu Jialan noticed the movement beside her, and casually glanced to the side while holding her wine glass. In the chaotic lights, all she could see was white.
He didn't take it to heart and turned back to continue drinking with others.
After an unknown amount of time, Xi Xi, who had been sitting quietly to the side, finally mustered up the courage to pick up her wine glass. Somewhat nervously, she handed the glass to Xu Jialan and cautiously asked, "May I toast you?"
Xu Jialan turned to look at her, a slight smile on his face, and then gently touched her cup with the cup in his hand.
"bite."
A crisp sound rang out in the noisy private room.
Xi Xi couldn't help but smile, feeling more confident.
She is a student at Nanlin University. She rarely comes to places like this; she was only dragged here by her roommate today.
At first, she felt a little uncomfortable, but when she saw Xu Jialan for the first time, her discomfort vanished instantly.
Xu Jialan undoubtedly has a handsome face, but what really caught Xi Xi's eye was his nonchalant yet noble demeanor.
He seemed to have a fatal attraction for her.
Xi Xi brought the wine glass to her lips and took a sip. The strong taste of alcohol made her frown.
Seeing her amused expression, Xu Jialan's lips curled into a seductive smile. "What, you've never had it before?"
Xi Xi shook her head.
"You don't usually come to places like this?"
"I rarely come."
Xi Xi seemed a little flustered, yet she couldn't help but steal glances at him, every expression on her face betraying her innermost thoughts.
Compared to the other girls in the private room, Xi Xi looked very innocent, with a clear and pure look in her eyes. Xu Jialan rarely encountered girls like this in this kind of place; good girls should stay in school.
"Don't come to this kind of place again."
Xi Xi was stunned for a moment, then her heart started racing.
Xu Jialan, however, had already turned to talk to someone else.
For the rest of the time, Xi Xi sat quietly next to Xu Jialan, rarely speaking, watching him chat with the group of rich kids with ease.
Until it got a little late, and everyone looked tired.
Knowing that the event was about to end, Xi Xi became somewhat anxious. After today, she didn't know if she would ever see Xu Jialan again.
Although Xu Jialan next to him had been drinking, her eyes were still relatively clear.
Xi Xi mustered her courage and reached out to tug at his sleeve.
Xu Jialan turned to look at her, her eyes asking a question.
Xi Xi's eyelashes trembled, and she looked a little embarrassed. She opened her mouth several times before finally asking, "Can I ask you out?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Jialan paused for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Her words were tinged with naivety, which Xu Jialan found interesting.
Never been in a relationship?
Xi Xi's cheeks flushed instantly, and she gently shook her head.
Xu Jialan's smile deepened, knowing that she wasn't lying.
He leaned back on the sofa, his head resting on the back, and spoke in a low, deep, and seductive voice, "Are you still a student?"
Xi Xi nodded.
Xu Jialan raised an eyebrow.
"I'm leaving now."
Xu Jialan suddenly stood up from the sofa, knocking over the wine glass in Xi Xi's hand, spilling the wine all over her.
Xi Xi exclaimed in surprise.
"I'm sorry." Xu Jialan took off her coat and covered her with it.
Xi Xi moved slowly; she could smell the lingering warmth and scent of him on his clothes.
"Your clothes are dirty. I'll buy you a few new ones another day, or you can choose them yourself."
Taking the opportunity, Xi Xi asked, "Can you come with me?"
"sure."
Xi Xi laughed.
-
Chen Yaoan saw Xu Jialan again a few days later on a weekend.
At that time, Xu Jialan brought a little girl into her shop.
Chen Yaoan had a deep impression of him; he recognized him as soon as he entered. As for the woman next to him, she must be his new girlfriend.
Upon entering, Xu Jialan was very generous and said to Xi Xi, "Pick whatever you like."
Xi Xi was in high spirits. "Then please give me your opinion."
Xu Jialan remained noncommittal, strolled to the sofa in her shop, sat down, crossed her legs, and casually played with a silver lighter in her hand. She leaned back on the sofa, her gaze not falling on Xi Xi.
Chen Yao'an came out from behind the front desk to greet Xi Xi.
Xu Jialan glanced at her, then quickly looked away.
Chen Yaoan said to Xi Xi, "You can try on any of the clothes you like. Some of them are my own designs, so you won't see anyone else wearing the same thing."
To ensure customer traffic, two-thirds of the items displayed in the store are those she stocked, while the rest are designs she created herself.
Xi Xi was pleasantly surprised, "You designed this yourself? That's amazing! Can I take a look?"
"good."
Chen Yaoan introduced her to the store and showed her around for a few minutes. Xi Xi quickly picked out several pieces of clothing.
She turned to Xu Jialan and asked, "Can I pick out a few more?"
Xu Jialan fiddled with the lighter in her hand, her tone casual, "Whatever."
Chen Yao'an is a designer herself, so she has a good eye for choosing clothes, and the clothes in her store are very popular with young girls.
She led Xi Xi to the fitting room, handed her the clothes in her hand, and said, "Take your time trying them on, and call me if you need anything."
"good."
After Xi Xi entered the fitting room, Chen Yao'an returned to the front desk to attend to her own business, without giving Xu Jialan a single glance.
The store was quiet for almost a minute.
Finally, Xu Jialan broke the silence. He slowly stood up from the sofa, walked to the counter, casually draped his arms over it, and just looked at her.
Chen Yao'an didn't look at him at first, but she couldn't stand his piercing gaze.
Finally, she looked up at him and asked, "Is there something you need, Mr. Xu?"
Xu Jialan smiled and said, "It seems you've read the business card I left you."
Chen Yao'an realized that she had just addressed him by his surname.
Chen Yaoan remained expressionless, speaking in a reassuring tone to the customer: "Please wait a moment, your girlfriend will be out shortly."
She acted as if it were business.
It's clear that she has a cold and indifferent personality, reacts indifferently to everything, and keeps people at arm's length.
Xu Jialan found such people very boring.
He suddenly felt an urge to tear away the overly calm expression on her face.
Then, he gave a slightly ambiguous smile, "I still don't know your name."
“…Chen Yaoan.” She didn’t want to tell him her name, but since she was in business, it was better to be polite.
After all, judging from his generous manner, this must be a big order.
Xu Jialan nodded, then suddenly moved closer to her.
Chen Yao'an was startled by his movement and instinctively leaned back.
He didn't seem to mind her reaction. Instead, he deliberately lowered his voice, his eyes filled with a suggestive glint. The atmosphere around him suddenly changed. He said, "How about... we go on a date?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yao'an's heart skipped a beat, and the calm expression on her face instantly crumbled.
This person is incredibly bold!
She subconsciously glanced back at the fitting room, where she could hear rustling sounds of people changing clothes; they probably hadn't heard their conversation.
Turning around, she reminded Xu Jialan with some displeasure, "Mr. Xu, your girlfriend is still here!"
When she said this, she had a serious, stern face, like a rigid old professor.
Xu Jialan offered no explanation.
Seeing her expressions change several times, he immediately felt pleased, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.
Chen Yaoan realized that he had done it on purpose!
This person is truly despicable!
Just then, Xi Xi came out of the fitting room and saw the two standing face to face. The shop owner, in particular, had a strange expression on her face. She asked curiously, "What are you two talking about?"
Chen Yao'an quickly composed herself, reverting to her usual serious expression, and began working.
"It's nothing. There's a mirror here. You can take a look. This dress looks beautiful on you."
"Yeah?"
Chen Yaoan led her to the mirror.
Xi Xi looked at herself in the mirror from left to right and was fairly satisfied with the dress.
But she still cared more about Xu Jialan's opinion. She stood in front of Xu Jialan and turned around, asking, "What do you think? Does it look good?"
Xu Jialan glanced at her casually and said, "Beautiful."
Xi Xi immediately beamed with joy, lost in her own world, completely oblivious to everything else.
Chen Yao'an, however, saw through his perfunctory attitude.
That's incredibly careless; it's clear this kind of playboy has no heart.
Xi Xi picked out a lot of clothes from Chen Yao'an's shop and took them away.
Xu Jialan readily handed Chen Yaoan a card.
Chen Yaoan swiped the card and handed it back to him, saying, "Done."
He took it, held it between his thumb and forefinger, and shook it. "Thank you for saving me last time."
It seems he brought people here specifically to patronize her business today.
Chen Yao'an wasn't particularly pleased. He had come today to appease his girlfriend and repay her favor at the same time, killing two birds with one stone.
"Thank you, Mr. Xu."
Xu Jialan nodded, looking like she understood.
Xi Xi was unusually satisfied, and when she left, she obediently walked beside Xu Jialan.
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