016 Meet Tang Shu

Zhang Ziwen rubbed his painfully twisted ear, mumbling, "Big Sis, can't you let me sleep a bit longer?" He turned over, hoping to continue his slumber.

A sharp, crisp "smack" landed squarely on Zhang Ziwen's buttocks, jolting him fully awake. Realizing he was only wearing underwear, he hurriedly covered himself with a thin towel, half-sitting up to see He Li standing with her hands on her hips.

"Hmph, you little brat, still embarrassed? Do you know what time it is?" He Li's beautiful eyes glared at him, her look both fierce and captivating.

"What time is it?" Zhang Ziwen picked up the watch on the bedside table—11 o'clock? How could he sleep so deeply? He deserved the scolding. It must have been the exhausting activities of the previous night. Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on Zhang Ziwen's forehead as he glanced furtively at the floor, spotting several conspicuous wads of tissue paper.

"Get up now! Why are you dawdling in bed?" He Li's commanding voice sent a shiver down Zhang Ziwen's spine. He silently pleaded, "Big Sis, please don't look at the floor."

"Big Sis, could you step out for a moment? I need to get dressed," Zhang Ziwen asked cautiously, hoping she would leave quickly so he could clean up.

He Li gave him a sidelong glance, her lips curling slightly. "What haven't I seen on you? Still shy?" Despite her words, she walked out of the room.

The white tissues on the floor were glaringly obvious. The scene Zhang Ziwen dreaded unfolded as He Li bent down to pick them up, glaring at him. "Sloppy! Look how dirty you've made the room. You'll be cleaning this up later."

Zhang Ziwen dared not respond, his face flushing as he averted his gaze.

Just as He Li was about to toss the tissues into the trash, she noticed they were sticky. Thinking it was mucus, she was about to reprimand Zhang Ziwen again but hesitated upon seeing his embarrassed face. Realization dawned on her as she glanced at the tissues, her face reddening slightly. She quickly threw the suspicious trash away and hurried out, the sound of water from the bathroom indicating she was washing her hands.

Seeing her leave, Zhang Ziwen glanced at the trash bin, praying she hadn't noticed the unsightly residue. Unfortunately, his hope was in vain—He Li had already discovered it, though he was unaware.

"What are you dawdling for? Get out here," He Li's sharp voice called from outside.

Relieved, Zhang Ziwen sighed inwardly. Judging by her tone, she seemed normal, possibly unaware. Relaxed, he quickly dressed and exited the bedroom.

They sat on the shop's sofa, He Li sipping coffee while listening to Zhang Ziwen recount the past two days' sales. He Li was very pleased with his performance. Not only had he met the sales target, but he had exceeded it by a significant margin. Initially intent on scolding him, she now wore a sweet smile, her demeanor transformed from a tigress to a lady.

"Good job, kid. You're quite capable," He Li praised him for selling three high-end items, earning a handsome profit.

"Maybe it was just luck. I didn't expect those three items to be so expensive."

"Don't be modest. I couldn't sell a high-end item in a month," He Li handed him ten hundred-yuan bills. "Here, as promised. Buy yourself some clothes."

"So much?" Zhang Ziwen hesitated but took the money, embarrassed. "Did you give me all the profit?"

"Dream on," He Li rolled her eyes. "If I gave you all the profit, I'd be left with nothing."

"Does that mean there's more profit than this?" Zhang Ziwen couldn't believe it. If true, the business was incredibly lucrative.

"Of course," He Li said smugly. "From the three items you sold, we made over two thousand. The other dozen items had more than fifty percent profit. Look at your dumbfounded face," she teased.

"That's outrageous," Zhang Ziwen shook his head. "Do those rich women have any sense? Spending thousands on a few pieces of fabric without hesitation. I don't get it."

"You understand nothing," He Li retorted. "You'll never grasp the psyche of women, you little brat."

Zhang Ziwen gave a wry smile, feeling at a loss for words. He truly didn't understand; otherwise, he wouldn't have suffered such a loss with the beauty he met the night before, nor would Officer Wu Min have looked at him as if she wanted to tear him apart.

He Li was evidently in high spirits today. She linked arms with Zhang Ziwen and insisted on treating him to a nice meal as a reward for his hard work. They went to an elegantly situated Western restaurant nearby, a place He Li often took him to. By the end of the meal, they had spent over 300 yuan.

After dining, Zhang Ziwen and He Li parted ways, each going their separate directions. With over a thousand yuan in his pocket, he felt a spring in his step. Money indeed had the power to uplift one's spirits.

As he stepped out of the taxi and walked to the entrance of Xianghe Lane, he noticed a girl with a backpack, facing away from him and looking around. Her silhouette seemed familiar. As he approached, he realized it was Tang Shu. What was she doing here?

Zhang Ziwen walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. Tang Shu shuddered and turned her head. Upon seeing him, her pretty, pink face flushed deeply, making her look exceptionally charming, causing Zhang Ziwen's heart to skip a beat.

"What are you doing here? Waiting for someone?" Zhang Ziwen asked, suppressing the stirrings in his heart.

"Yes," Tang Shu nodded, her face still red. "I have a classmate nearby. We arranged to meet here, but I've been waiting for ages, and they haven't shown up."

"So, if your classmate doesn't come, will you just keep waiting?"

"If they don't come, I won't wait any longer," Tang Shu replied, looking slightly embarrassed. She then asked, blushing, "Do you live around here, Brother Wen?"

"Yes," Zhang Ziwen pointed to his apartment building with a smile. "I live right there. Come over sometime."

"Invite me," Tang Shu said coyly. "If you invite me, I'll visit often." Her face regained its liveliness, and she joked with him.

"Consider yourself invited," Zhang Ziwen drawled. "You're welcome anytime. But not today—my place is a mess. Another day."

"Hmph, Brother Wen, you're not sincere," Tang Shu pouted, wrinkling her cute nose. "Who knows when 'another day' will be? You don't even have my contact information."

"That's easy to fix. I'll give you my phone number," Zhang Ziwen said, then asked, "So, are you going to keep waiting? Is your classmate really coming?"

"I don't know," Tang Shu's face turned red again, and she whispered, "I've waited so long; I don't think they're coming."

"Then let's not wait anymore," Zhang Ziwen suggested. "How about this: I'll treat you to a cold drink. It's so hot today; let's find somewhere cool."

"Great!" Tang Shu exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy. "I know a place. This time you treat, next time it's my turn." Her eyes twinkled with a hint of playful mischief.

Her gaze was enigmatic, but Zhang Ziwen couldn't decipher it. When it came to women, especially beautiful ones, he was always a bit slow.

Tang Shu led him to a nice place, a leisure club. They took the elevator straight to the 9th floor. Guided by a hostess, they entered a large hall. The entire hall was elegantly decorated, with bright, polished hardwood floors, exquisite crystal chandeliers, groups of subtly colored sofas, smooth, clean glass round tables, and soft music gently playing, soothing and pleasant.

Scattered throughout the hall were a few patrons, some engaging in quiet conversations, others laughing softly. Judging by their attire, many were white-collar professionals and social elites.

Tang Shu seemed quite familiar with the place, heading directly to a booth by the floor-to-ceiling window. Zhang Ziwen, however, felt a bit uneasy. He had intended to find a simple café for a cold drink, but Tang Shu had brought him here. The ambiance suggested this was not a place for casual spending. His thousand yuan might not last long here.

The booth was semi-private, and the floor-to-ceiling window offered a view of the outside scenery. As soon as they sat down, a server presented them with an exquisite menu. Zhang Ziwen flipped through a few pages, seeing coffee names printed in both Chinese and English, followed by a list of imported wines.