Chapter 140: Methodical and Composed

The next morning, Fang Yu took advantage of the fact that Xia Churan was still asleep to quickly wash up. He quietly grabbed the bags he had brought back from Shawan, crept downstairs, and slipped out the door.

By 9:00 AM, he had arrived at the University Town in the city center. At "Qinglu," the staff in the office building were already busy, methodically organizing documents and order information.

"Have the new products been shipped out yet?" he asked, scanning the sales records on his computer.

"Yes, we sent out the notification yesterday. They will definitely reach every branch within three days," the sales manager replied, looking cautiously at the teenager who was not yet even twenty.

The staff at Qinglu were naturally curious about their boss. He was so young that they assumed he must be some wealthy heir trying to prove himself, likely squandering his parents' money in the process.

Fang Yu nodded. Only if the chicken cutlet business stabilized again would he have the capital to compete with Xianlin Milk Tea.

After leaving the office building, he drove to the entrance of Qin Lu's university. As always, he handed the two security guards a few packs of high-end cigarettes, which earned him easy access to drive onto campus.

"Lulu, I'm downstairs."

His "white moonlight"—the girl he cherished above all else—sounded a bit flustered.

"Oh? You're here so early? Wait for me, I'll be down in a second after I wash my face."

Despite saying she just needed to wash her face, Fang Yu waited a full half-hour before seeing Qin Lu trot down the stairs. It was clear she had put effort into her appearance; though not heavily made up, she wore a light touch of makeup that made her look even more charming than her usual bare-faced self.

The young girl happily threw herself into his arms, playfully punching his chest. "You jerk, Fang Yu! You disappear all the time so I can't find you. Don't you like me anymore? Did you forget you promised me you wouldn't go missing?"

He quickly wrapped his arms around her slender waist and gave her forehead a gentle peck. "It's all my fault. Don't be mad, Lulu. Let me see... you look so beautiful today!"

A girl dresses for the one she loves. Blushing at his compliment, Qin Lu tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, looking embarrassed. "Is it not good? I don't really know how to put on makeup; I just learned from my roommates. Maybe I should go back up and wash it off."

He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her pretty cheek. "My Lulu looks beautiful no matter what. Come on, look what I brought back for you." He quickly opened the car door and took out several packages.

"Oh? Did you buy these in Shawan? This is a bag, right? And this... wait, how did you know my clothing size?" No girl is immune to the allure of new clothes, not even his "white moonlight."

He gave a dry laugh, unable to admit that Xia Churan had made the decisions for him—he wouldn't have had a clue about the sizing himself. "Well, you're my girlfriend. I just have to hug you to know what size you wear."

Qin Lu gave him a shy, sidelong glance, examining the bags with delight, though she hesitated. "These brands are very expensive, aren't they? Business is hard enough as it is; why spend money so recklessly? Even if it's a gift for me, one item would have been enough."

The "white moonlight" was truly considerate. Fang Yu thought to himself that Xia Churan had received even more than she had without offering half as many thanks, so he quickly pulled her close. "Money is just paper; I'll just earn more after I spend it. Besides, isn't everything I earn yours? I'm going to marry you and bring you home one day, aren't I?"

The simple-hearted girl couldn't withstand such sweet talk. She lowered her head, blushing deeply and remaining silent. After a long moment, she gathered her courage, stood on tiptoe, and brushed her lips against his cheek. "Thank you, darling. Let me take these back to my dorm first, okay? Wait for me."

With that, she happily bounded off toward her dormitory, clutching the bags. A few minutes later, the two of them got into the car. Remembering Jin Hai, Fang Yu turned his head and asked, "Lulu, Jin Hai hasn't been to the snack street in a while. Have you seen him?"

Qin Lu shook her head. "I was going to ask you the same thing. The tutor said Jin Hai has been skipping class for a long time. If he doesn't show up, he'll fail his final exams, and if he fails too many, he won't be able to graduate."

Fang Yu felt relieved. It seemed the "four-eyed geek" had likely gone to Yanlin for a pyramid scheme. His phone was probably confiscated, and he likely wouldn't be back for a year or more.

"Oh, I guess he went home to inherit the family pickle business. That's fine; saves him from coming over to annoy me every day."

Xianjiang really didn't have anywhere worth going for a date, so he drove to the vicinity of the Cultural Park again, spending the day walking around with his "white moonlight." Fortunately, Qin Lu didn't care where they went; as long as the one she loved was by her side, everywhere felt like the most beautiful scenery.

As the time hit 3:00 PM, Fang Yu remembered what Xia Churan had said the previous night. He gave a dry laugh and looked at the beauty in his arms. "Lulu, I might not be able to have dinner with you tonight. The accounts at the internet cafe are a bit off since I got back, and I need to go do a proper inventory."

Qin Lu nodded obediently. "Okay, I know you're super busy right now. Get back early, and remember—no making yourself impossible to find again."

Seeing how sensible and sweet she was, he kissed her cheek tenderly. "I know. When your break starts, I'll take you out to travel. Anywhere you want to go, just pick a spot."

"Psh, my family might not even let me go. Alright, hurry back now." Qin Lu blushed. A girl's mind is much more delicate than a boy's; to her, his words sounded like he was trying to coax her into spending the night together.

After dropping her off at school, he punched the gas, his 640 roaring as he sped past forty-nine cars, finally making it back to the snack street before 4:00 PM.

Xia Churan, who was busy at the register, saw him with a playful glint in her eyes and a hint of joy on her face. "Oh, so the young Master Fang finally knows how to return? I thought you were going to spend the whole night with Qin Lu."

He rolled his eyes and grabbed a soda from the shelf. "Enough with the sarcasm. Didn't you say you'd cook for me? Why aren't you out buying groceries yet?"

"Hmph, if I waited for you, the food would have gone cold hours ago. I already had Cheng Chen take Li Jing and me to the next town over at noon." She gave him a look and went back to scribbling in her ledger.

"Oh..." He looked at Xia Churan thoughtfully, then turned to Zhao Bin, who was nearby. "Zhao Bin, come on, let's go get some milk tea."

Zhao Bin looked confused. "If you want milk tea, just go next door yourself. Why are you calling me?"

"Come on, yours tastes better. I don't trust those apprentices." He made up a random excuse.

Zhao Bin didn't suspect a thing and followed him out. They arrived at "Qinglu" at the end of the street, walked into the preparation room with practiced ease, and a moment later, walked out carrying two cups of rich, fragrant silk-stocking milk tea.