Shu Yan thought that after saying all that, no one with even a little shame would show up again, but she saw Zhou Xiaomei again the next night.
"I'm here to apologize. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
"You didn't cause me any trouble before, but your repeated appearances in front of me are really starting to bother me," Shu Yan said bluntly.
Zhou Xiaomei was about to say something more when she saw Fang Zeyu get out of a car.
“I think I’ve made myself clear. I already have a girlfriend. She’s the one I want to spend my life with. If you bother her again, don’t blame me for being impolite.” Fang Zeyu stared at Zhou Xiaomei. “Don’t make me regret saving you.”
Zhou Xiaomei's eyes reddened instantly. She looked at Fang Zeyu, her lips trembling, and finally said, "I'm sorry!" After saying that, she turned and ran away.
Shu Yan and Fang Zeyu exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.
"Yan Yan, there's really nothing between us. She encountered robbers before, and I helped her out when I was passing by. It's been several years since then, and I haven't seen her since."
"Alright, how could I not trust you?" Shu Yan looked him up and down. He'd gotten a bit tanned and thinner after his trip to Seoul. "Knowing you were coming back today, I asked my aunt to cook extra dishes. How about we eat here tonight?"
"Okay." Fang Zeyu nodded happily.
Along the way, they encountered many people from the same neighborhood, who were already used to seeing Shu Yan and Fang Zeyu coming and going together.
While waiting for the elevator, Lin Hui returned. She smiled awkwardly when she saw Fang Zeyu. Seeing Fang Zeyu reminded her of the gossip she had with Shu Yan before, and she forgot that she hadn't said anything bad about Fang Zeyu.
"Did you guys go out and have fun today?"
"No, Ayu just got back from his business trip. I told him to have dinner here, and you can go buy groceries?" Shu Yan said frankly.
"No, we're out of soy sauce at home, I'm going out to buy some."
Then, suddenly, there was nothing left to say.
Dinner was a feast, with chicken, duck, fish, meat, shrimp, and crab all included. Auntie's cooking was excellent, and Fang Zeyu was very supportive, eating two large bowls of rice and a third of the dishes.
"Don't overeat." Shu Yan held a small bowl with only a few mouthfuls of rice in it.
"No, is this all you've got? Eat some more."
"I'm not eating anymore." Shu Yan no longer eats pork or too much rice at night. She eats some vegetables and a little seafood, until she's about 80% full. This is both healthy and helps her maintain her figure, and it's also good for her skin.
Fang Zeyu frowned. This little bit of food wasn't even enough for the two of them to eat.
"You're already thin enough, you don't need to lose weight." Actually, he thought Shu Yan was too thin now and it would be better if she were a bit more plump.
It can only be said that the two have different aesthetic views. People in this era tend to prefer a fuller figure, as it is considered auspicious. In Shu Yan's time, the emphasis was on a slender figure. Of course, being too thin is not attractive either, so Shu Yan is no longer dieting and is mainly focused on body shaping.
"No, I'm really full. Maintaining my figure is one thing, but the main thing is health. As our ancestors said, eating until you're 80% full is the key to living a long and healthy life," Shu Yan said with a smile.
Fang Zeyu had also heard of this, but very few people could actually do it. Shu Yan's ability to persevere shows that she has great willpower.
After the meal, Fang Zeyu took out the gifts he had brought back from Seoul. In addition to some food, he also brought many silk flowers for Shu Yan and Jing Jing. Each silk flower was lifelike and very beautiful. Tianbao was a stone-carved horse, which was also very lifelike.
"Thank you, Uncle Fang." Jingjing was especially happy looking at the silk flowers in the box.
Tianbao loved it just as much, holding the stone horse with great affection.
"I'm glad you like it." Fang Zeyu was happy that the children liked the gifts he gave.
"I like it too." Shu Yan, with her hair in a ponytail, picked up a silk flower and tucked it behind her ear. "Does it look good?"
"It looks good," Fang Zeyu said blankly.
Shu Yan glared at him and said, "Idiot."
The last trip to the grasslands was really worthwhile. Now the children are very close to Fang Zeyu, especially Tianbao. If he doesn't see Fang Zeyu for a day, he will ask why Uncle Fang didn't come. Jingjing is no longer resistant, but she is probably a little shy and doesn't interact with Fang Zeyu as much.
Shu Yan escorted Fang Zeyu to the elevator. As she was about to open the door at home, Lin Hui called out to her.
"Shuyan, come to my house for a while!"
I've been so busy lately, it's been a long time since I chatted with Lin Hui. I told her to wait a moment, and then I went home and cut up a bowl of fruit to bring over.
"What have you been busy with lately? You've been leaving early and coming home late, I've never seen you." Lin Hui also brought out a lot of snacks.
"Don't even mention it. There's too much going on at the company, and I'm going on a business trip in a few days, so you won't see me at all." Hu Ruixue took Xia Rou abroad to participate in a competition, so she didn't have to deal with any of the company's affairs.
"Your company is so busy, business must be really good, right?" Lin Hui already knew that Yan Xue was owned by Shu Yan. She was extremely surprised at the time, thinking that Shu Yan was talking about owning a small company. She never expected that she would become the CEO of a well-known domestic brand without making a sound.
Her husband did the math and found that Yan Xue's total assets were around 300 million. Even if Shu Yan only had half that, she would still be a billionaire. A billionaire! In this era where even having 10,000 yuan is impressive, what does it mean to be a billionaire?
In short, Lin Hui particularly admired Shu Yan. She could get a divorce whenever she wanted, start a business whenever she wanted, and fall in love whenever she wanted. She really lived a very exciting life.
"It's alright, but all the money is in the company. If we're talking about cash, I might not even have as much as you do," Shu Yan said half-jokingly.
"Just kidding." Lin Hui felt she had laid the groundwork enough and asked softly, "Are you really with Fang Zeyu?"
"Didn't you see it all?"
"When did you two get together? You kept it a secret so well." Lin Hui was jealous; Shu Yan hadn't even told her.
"Although we've known each other for quite a while, we haven't spent much time together. And speaking of me, how's Xiuyue doing lately? I haven't seen her in ages." Shu Yan didn't want to bring up her and Fang Zeyu anymore, so she quickly changed the subject.
Hearing Shu Yan mention Wu Xiuyue, Lin Hui curled her lip, "Don't even mention her, she's something else now, a boss's wife, making a fortune, she looks down on us working class!"
Judging from their tone, have the two had a fight?
Before Shu Yan could ask any questions, Lin Hui launched into a tirade: "Ever since she opened that clothing store, she hasn't picked up or dropped off her child. Her mother-in-law has been doing it all along, and we've lost touch. A while ago, I don't know why, she started picking up and dropping off the child herself every few days. But it seems she had ulterior motives. She'd tell every parent she met that she was too busy with her business, only earning a few hundred yuan a day. When she met me, she'd tell me to quit my job and help her out, offering to pay me 500 yuan a month. Do you think I need 500 yuan? She's only making a few bucks and she already looks down on me?"
Shu Yan had no idea that Wu Xiuyue had become like this; she used to be such a simple and virtuous person.
"How's her clothing store doing?" Since handing the store over to Zhang Huaxiu to manage, she hasn't been there. She no longer has to pick up and drop off her children herself, so she hasn't had any contact with Wu Xiuyue and has no way of knowing her current situation.
“I saw it when I went shopping there, and the business was indeed good. I don’t know exactly how much she earns, but she probably makes a few hundred yuan. I ran into her the day before yesterday and she said she was looking at houses, so she might have made quite a bit. We get along well and are considered friends. As a friend, the more she earns, the happier I am, but she’s not a good person. I don’t talk to her anymore, and you should also avoid contact with her.”
Shu Yan didn't really believe Wu Xiuyue's claim that she was happier the more she earned. Wu Xiuyue might be a bit smug, but Lin Hui had often shown her superiority in front of Wu Xiuyue before.
Lin Hui hesitated and asked, "What do you think about me opening a clothing store? I won't do what she does. I'll do what you suggested to her back then: open a high-end boutique women's clothing store and cater to high-quality customers. Lin Hui's store is busy, but it's like a chaotic vegetable market. I don't like that."
"Then what about your job?" Shu Yan asked in turn.
"I'll keep working. It's not like I have to stay in the store all the time. I'll find someone to watch over it." Clearly, this had been planned for a long time.
"Think it over carefully yourself. I haven't run a shop in a long time, so I'm not very familiar with the current market." After what happened with Wu Xiuyue, Shu Yan didn't want to do this kind of thankless task anymore. Lin Hui was right to say it now, but who knows what she might do in the future.
"I'll do market research; I won't act recklessly. By the way, didn't you just say your company has started selling women's clothing? How about I become a franchisee?"
"We don't plan to recruit franchisees for our women's clothing brand at the moment," Shu Yan declined.
The definition of women's clothing is different from that of lingerie stores. They want to be a high-end luxury women's clothing brand, so they can't just open stores everywhere. The reason why luxury brands are luxurious is not only because of their high prices, but also because they have to reflect their high-end status over ordinary brands in every aspect. For example, they must be located in the largest shopping malls, and only in first-tier cities. Second-tier cities are not qualified to have them. For example, the number of clothes is limited to a certain number nationwide, and some styles are limited editions, with only ten pieces available in China. In addition, the company has already sent people to Hong Kong and Taiwan to investigate the market, and they will open counters there. If the results of the international competitions are good, Shuyan also plans to set up counters in some major cities abroad.
Lin Hui felt a little regretful. She knew how successful the lingerie brand that Shu Yan founded was. There was a store near the university town, and the business was booming. It was a pity that she hadn't thought about starting a business back then, otherwise she would have made money by now, and Wu Xiuyue wouldn't have had a chance.
After finishing the fruit, Shuyan took the plate home.
The next day, Fang Zeyu took Shu Yan to work. The two of them were always together at the company, and everyone in the building knew they were dating.
Many men envied Fang Zeyu and regretted not pursuing Shu Yan. So what if she was a single mother? She was capable and beautiful.
"Has Mr. Hu returned?" Shu Yan asked the receptionist.
"I'm back, I'm in the office."
“Okay.” Shu Yan went directly to Hu Ruixue’s office, where she was talking to people from the design and marketing departments.
"You're here." Hu Ruixue smiled when she saw Shu Yan, but her eyes were dark and she looked very tired. "Let's leave it at that for now. Go back and organize what I said. We'll need it for the meeting later."
After dismissing the people from the design and marketing departments, Hu Ruixue got up and lay down on the sofa, saying weakly, "This time I went to four countries and participated in more than a dozen competitions, big and small. I only got consolation prizes in the major competitions, but I did quite well in the smaller ones."
Shu Yan looked through all the awards, breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled, "That's already great. I'll have someone write a press release right away, and it should be in the newspaper by tomorrow. The advertising is almost done, and we're just waiting for you to come back so we can look at it together."
People outside the industry don't pay attention to fashion design competitions; they only know that Yan Xue founded a new women's clothing brand and won many awards abroad, and that's enough for them.
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