Chapter 206 - 203: Running into a Junior
Chapter 206: Chapter 203: Running into a Junior
Dior Cafe, located near Ice Sea Square, wasn’t far from Ye Xing’s home. It was only about a ten-minute walk. Ye Xing couldn’t be bothered to get his car from the garage, so he just walked over, treating it as a stroll.
Ice Sea Square was bustling with heavy foot traffic, a prime piece of real estate.
It was now around four o’clock in the afternoon. Golden sunlight spilled down, carrying a hint of warmth.
The surrounding streets were teeming with pedestrians coming and going.
Ye Xing soon arrived at the Dior Cafe on the edge of the square.
The cafe’s interior was elegant, decorated in a European style. Young men and women were scattered at the tables. Some were eating pizza and sipping drinks, others were reading books, and still others were on their tablets or phones. A quiet atmosphere pervaded the space. In an environment like this, no one would dare to shout. Even conversations were kept at a low volume so as not to disturb others.
Ye Xing’s gaze shifted, and he looked toward table number eight.
There, at table number eight, sat a quiet-looking girl in her early twenties. She had a small backpack on and was wearing light-blue jeans and a plain white shirt. Her long, silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders. She was holding a book, reading intently. With his sharp eyesight, Ye Xing could easily make out the words on the cover: it was a textbook on financial management.
’Table number eight, the reserved spot... That must be her!’ Ye Xing immediately walked over to the table.
"Hello, you must be Zhao Liqing?" Ye Xing asked politely.
But the girl remained completely engrossed in her book, seemingly so absorbed that she hadn’t heard him at all.
Ye Xing felt a little awkward, but also found it amusing. ’Since she’s so engrossed in her book, I guess I won’t disturb her for now,’ he decided.
’Alright then. You read your book, and I’ll read mine.’ Ye Xing sat down across from her, pulled out his phone, and opened up a web novel app.
’Too slow! I’ve been letting this book stack up for over ten days, and there are only twenty new Chapters? Ugh, whatever. It’s barely a snack, but I’ll devour it now.’ He tapped his screen and began to read with gusto.
Ten minutes or so later, he’d finished all twenty Chapters.
’Damn it, it left me hanging right when it was getting good! ARGH! Dammit! If only there were a couple more Chapters! Now I have to wait until tomorrow. Does the author have no shame?’ Ye Xing was incredibly frustrated. He put his phone away and noticed the girl across from him was still reading, completely absorbed.
The girl had delicate brows, cherry-red lips, and a refined face. She wore thin, white-framed glasses and looked very demure, with a scholarly air about her.
’Jeez, getting so engrossed in a book as dry as finance... I, Ye Liangchen, have to hand it to her. This girl must be an academic ace!’ Ye Xing felt a little sheepish. He’d been here for over ten minutes, debating whether or not to snap her out of her trance. After all, he was here to get things straight, not to just sit around and wait—though watching a pretty girl read was certainly easy on the eyes.
"Waiter, we’re ready to order!" Ye Xing waved toward the counter, his voice firm.
His voice wasn’t loud, but it wasn’t quiet either. It was just enough to pull the girl from the ocean of words she was immersed in.
"Huh? And you are...?" The girl looked up at Ye Xing, startled to suddenly find a man sitting across from her. She adjusted her glasses and asked with some hesitation.
"Hi, I’m Ye Xing," he said with a small smile. "I believe you were expecting me?"
"Oh, so you’re Ye Xing, the one Aunt Zheng told me about. My name is Zhao Liqing! I’m so sorry, I was reading and didn’t even notice you," Zhao Liqing said. "By the way, how long have you been here?"
"About twenty minutes," Ye Xing said with a smile.
"Twenty minutes?" Zhao Liqing’s eyes widened in surprise. She quickly glanced at the watch on her wrist, and her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. "I’m so sorry I made you wait that long," she said apologetically. "Why didn’t you say something?"
"Haha, it’s no big deal. I was reading a novel myself for a while," Ye Xing said with a laugh.
Just then, a waiter came over and handed Ye Xing a menu. "Sir, are you ready to order?"
"Mhm." Ye Xing took the menu and passed it to Zhao Liqing. "Why don’t you decide what you’d like to eat?"
"Alright, if you insist!" Zhao Liqing put down her book, glanced at the menu, and said, "I’ll have a strawberry milkshake, please! And a dessert!"
"Okay!" Ye Xing turned to the waiter. "One strawberry milkshake, one watermelon milkshake, a pizza, two desserts, and two steaks!"
"Certainly. It’ll be just a moment." The waiter walked back toward the counter.
"Ye Xing, why did you order so much!" Zhao Liqing said.
"Is it? It’s not that much, is it? Just enough to fill us up," Ye Xing said.
"The food here is very expensive," said Zhao Liqing. "We could have just gotten a couple of drinks. If we wanted to eat a meal, it’s much cheaper somewhere else!"
"It’s fine. It’s already past four, so it’s almost dinnertime anyway. Might as well eat a full meal now. It would be a hassle to go eat again later," Ye Xing said.
The meal Ye Xing ordered would cost several hundred yuan. For an average person, spending that much on a single meal was quite an extravagance. But to Ye Xing, who was worth hundreds of millions, a few hundred yuan was just a drop in the bucket—the kind of money he wouldn’t even bother to pick up if he dropped it. And that net worth was with him being too lazy to actually make money. If he truly put his mind to it, he could multiply his fortune dozens of times over with ease.
They sat facing each other, and the atmosphere grew a little quiet. It was their first meeting, and neither knew how to start the conversation. Zhao Liqing was a naturally quiet girl, and Ye Xing wasn’t much of a talker himself. He was busy trying to find the right words to explain the situation clearly without making things awkward.
"Actually, the reason I came here today—"
"Ye Xing, are you currently—"
After a moment of silence, they both spoke at the same time.
"You go ahead," Zhao Liqing said.
"Er, no, you go first," Ye Xing said.
"You’re so formal," Zhao Liqing said, chuckling behind her hand. "Aunt Zheng introduced us, but I don’t know much about you. Ye Xing, you’re a university student, right?"
"Yeah, I go to Fushan University," Ye Xing said.
"You go to Fushan University?" Zhao Liqing asked, surprised. "Hehe, me too! So that makes you my upperclassman. I’m in the finance department. What about you?"
"I’m in the Chinese Literature department," Ye Xing said with a smile. "Haha, what a coincidence. Fancy meeting an underclassman from my own university here."
"Chinese majors are usually very talented. So, Ye Xing, where are you working now?" Zhao Liqing asked curiously.
"I’m not working at the moment. I quit my job a few months ago," Ye Xing said. "Before that, I just ran a street stall, did a bit of small business. Nothing major."