Chapter 217: Chapter 116: 40+ Monthly Tickets
Zhao Meimei puffed up her already full chest, annoyed: "How am I small? It’s quite big, isn’t it? You just said it felt good! Goods once sold are non-returnable!"
"Tch! You silly goose!" Shi Yang scolded playfully, feeling relieved...
Zhao Meimei looked at him and laughed, feeling happy.
Shi Yang reached out to hug Zhao Meimei tightly, his smile was a mix of complexity and a bit of emotion.
After that time, Shi Yang seemed to have let go of all burdens, officially starting a cohabiting life with Zhao Meimei.
Shi Yang became increasingly familiar with Zhao Meimei’s body. He knew how to bring her joy, how to tease her to the point of losing control in the shortest time.
Zhao Meimei indulged too, like any young girl would struggle to resist physical pleasure.
As their time together became more frequent, Shi Yang’s hesitation and conflicts dwindled, he became increasingly proactive, and their tacit understanding of this matter started to increase gradually.
With the sweet days soaking in honey, Shi Yang’s entire demeanor changed, afraid that others wouldn’t notice he was deeply in love, with happiness visible at every corner of his eyes, his whole face seemed to become more handsome and dashing.
Zhao Meimei attended the final exam, Shi Yang sent her to school in the morning and headed straight to Qu Chaozong’s place.
The storefront in the provincial city had already been rented, the renovation and related procedures were managed by Qu Chaozong, Wang Tianyu sometimes went to help out, with him overseeing, Qu Chaozong finally found time to return home.
When Shi Yang entered, Qu Chaozong had just climbed out of bed, wolfed down breakfast and followed Shi Yang to the company.
Shi Yang drove, Qu Chaozong sat in the passenger seat, turned his head and glanced at him twice, teasing: "No, with that lovestruck look on your face, something’s up, huh?"
Shi Yang showed a smug look but suppressed it verbally: "What could be up with me?"
Qu Chaozong was clearly not convinced: "Who are you fooling? With that smug look all over your face! Come on, who’s it? Do I know them? Wouldn’t be Qian Jinqiu would it? Then you’d really have hit the jackpot, beautiful looks and a strong background, I might even benefit from your prestige later on."
Shi Yang laughed and scolded: "Get lost! Do I look like someone who’d cozy up to a rich sister?"
Qu Chaozong couldn’t help but laugh at that, his eyes full of expression: "Speaking seriously, who is it then?"
Shi Yang: "Didn’t I tell you? It’s Meimei, who else would I be into besides her!"
Qu Chaozong turned his face, looked at him steadily: "Oh my god! Meimei! You! Damn! Even rabbits don’t eat the grass near their burrow, how young is Meimei~!"
Without thinking, Shi Yang replied: "I like her."
Qu Chaozong was momentarily speechless: "What are you thinking?"
Shi Yang calmly said: "I want to marry her."
"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Qu Chaozong was practically knocked out by this news.
Qu Chaozong couldn’t resist kicking Shi Yang as the light turned red: "You’re something else! All this time, I actually prophesied rightly! You’re truly raising your girlfriend from childhood, not letting any benefits go to outsiders!"
Shi Yang chuckled, his mouth curling into fine smile lines, full of delight: "No wonder you’re the matchmaker!"
"Oh wow! Seriously! I don’t even know what to say!" Qu Chaozong grinned wildly, showing a set of clean white teeth: "If it’s our Meimei, I really have to save up. When you two get married, I must give a top-tier red envelope."
Shi Yang laughed aloud: "You think you could get away with that? If the money is too little, don’t think about setting foot in my place in the future!"
Qu Chaozong laughed for a while, then suddenly realized, and regardless of Shi Yang driving, he lifted his hand and punched him: "Wait, now that you’re living together with Meimei, doesn’t that make you cohabiting?"
Shi Yang’s eyes were dark, and his gaze was gentle: "She’s not an adult yet, I wouldn’t really touch her." Some matters, even with the closest buddies, shouldn’t be discussed.
Qu Chaozong gave him a thumbs up: "Just for your self-control, I salute you!"
Qu Chaozong pursed his lips, his eyes deliberately glancing below Shi Yang: "Didn’t you wear out by holding back?"
Shi Yang retorted: "Get lost! I’m still doing fine, but what’s up with you and Zhang Xin? When I called the other day, why did she pick up? Did she come to the provincial city looking for you again?"
Qu Chaozong self-mocked: "I’m just too attractive, aren’t I?"
Shi Yang asked: "Seriously, what’s on your mind?"
Qu Chaozong sighed: "I used to have it clear, seeing Zhang Xin made me think of four words: Get lost!"
Shi Yang turned his head and looked at him: "Did something happen?"
Qu Chaozong said softly: "She’s ill, ever heard of depression? She disappeared for half a year before because she was hospitalized due to her illness. I saw wrist scars from self-harm on her, new ones, the color hasn’t even faded yet."
Shi Yang: "So what do you plan to do?"
Qu Chaozong: "Haven’t decided, before she’d always come to me, I found her annoying, would curse at her and drive her away without hesitation. Now thinking about her condition, I can’t bear it, and I’m afraid to really push her away for fear if I say something too harsh, she’d perform some live bleeding incident in front of me. I’m genuinely scared!"
Shi Yang reminded: "If you can’t bear it, you’re not far from getting emotionally attached, though it’s not nice to hear, it’s for your own good. You and her, really aren’t suited."
"You two aren’t on the same path, she can play around, can you?"
"With your soft heart, as tender as it is, being persuaded and coaxed, when you truly fall for her, it’ll be too late."
"Besides, with her condition, not to sound harsh, but should it act up again, what would you do?"
"I say, while you’re not yet emotionally attached... just get out! The further the better!"
Shi Yang and Qu Chaozong reconciled all the accounts in the company, using income to offset expenses, it was still somewhat challenging. He invested all the money into the maternal and infant project, even the installation money for Naughty Castle was borrowed from Li Shuren. A few times were okay but if it happened often, Li Shuren would definitely notice.
In order to get things done, Shi Yang decided to live high and act low-key.
He discussed with Qu Chaozong, planning to mortgage the property for a loan.
Shi Yang did not inform his family about this, handling the procedures himself with the documents, when the funds were in place, he cleared the debt with Li Shuren first, and with the rest along with some savings, he paid Mu Guangping for the franchise fee in full.
Mu Guangping was a visionary person, understanding that managing franchisees requires a balanced approach. Without waiting for Shi Yang to propose installment payments for the remaining franchise fee, Mu Guangping proactively mentioned the idea. He even decided that Shi Yang could delay paying all the money for a quarter, even the purchase money could be paid half first, and once the sales stabilized, pay the remaining balance.