Chapter 93: Moving In (Part 2)

ht then, it’s easier to talk about this. Hey, I heard your company got the Xinghai Square project; he must be involved in its development too"Su Licheng nodded and said, "Yes, Wang Guangming is a good...Chapter 93: Move-In (Part 2)

A meter of sunlight falls into the European-style tea restaurant with potted plants on its exterior walls. This is one of the famous, exquisite small shops in a street west of Nan University's gate, known for combining the charm of southern China's scenic landscapes with modern European culture.

On the narrow door's blackboard outside, a young female owner, whose firm chest and round buttocks have made many students from Nan University drool, writes in elegant Chinese and English about today's special menu. Through the light brown floor-to-ceiling windows of the main building, one can see girls dressed up carefully.

Many people like to bring books or park their cars outside, gathering with a couple of close friends or colleagues, chatting about university anecdotes, office politics, or even gossiping about some unapproachable big figures' private lives. Occasionally, they glance out the window at passersby; those blatant gazes make McDonald's delivery boys blush slightly as they walk by.

Su Can knows this place well from stories spread by Zhang Xiaqiao and others. It is said that many young women here possess full university bachelor’s degrees or higher, including master's and doctorate degrees, and often frequent the tea restaurant.

Zhang Xiaqiao has several times enthusiastically invited Su Can to come along but knows that Tang Wu's 302 dormitory members like Cheng Congcong are regulars here. Considering his reputation in a few dormitories, it would be too conspicuous for him and Zhang Xiaqiao’s group to go there together. Thus, he always firmly refused when confronted with such invitations.

Lin Luoran often moves around and occasionally comes to Nan University, which is quite normal given her wide social circle, following in the footsteps of her father. Similar to Lin Luoran or Ye Huishang, as well as Wang Weiwei and Lin Zhouwu, their social networks grow exponentially with each step forward, forming unique systems.

This is also natural; many old friends are gradually forgotten due to the growing social network they encounter in their respective cities. For instance, people like Su Can, Xue Yiyang, Liu Rui, and others who grew up together were scattered across different cities as they pursued their own paths.

Only because of him did those friends who would otherwise drift apart find a focal point to gather around. Su Can feels content with this; there's nothing more comforting than having a group of friends who can still bond over missed classes, football games, drinks, and food years after graduation, without anyone ever leaving.

The Bentley sharply turned in front and parked by the tea restaurant door, blending into the sunlight beams filled with white snowflakes. The champagne-colored car body looked especially refined under its reflective light. However, Su Can felt a bit embarrassed because he was not yet proficient at parking; it took him extra movements to park properly and he accidentally locked the Bentley's steering wheel.

After parking, he hurriedly got out of the car. The Bentley boys' team had been invincible in the 1930s, but Su Can felt a bit sorry for his sports model making such a clumsy scene before these large windows.

He pushed open the door and entered. Inside were many people but the place was unusually quiet; everyone's eyes were on him.

Su Can’s gaze fell upon an elegant seat by the left side of the floor-to-ceiling window, under a lush palm tree.

Wearing an English-style dark red checked cotton shirt and coffee-colored long socks ending in princess-round head Martin boots, Lin Luoran had her long legs crossed. She held a fruit tea with both hands, lightly biting on a straw. The warm sunlight filtering through the French horse-chestnut trees by the roadside was softened by the glass windows before sprinkling over her shoulder-length hair; golden dust particles surrounded her, freezing her stunning smile and revealing rare astonishment.

This moment seemed to slow down time.

**"People say that Shanghai girls choose their partners based on a diploma, two languages, three bedrooms with one living room, four seasons of branded fashion, and five facial features. So which category does the brother who just entered fit into" A girl named Xie Si, currently studying in Nan University's Cultural Relics Department, called out to her friend Lin Luoran. She is one of a few close friends that Lin has at Nan University.

Xie Si’s face still had pimples but her single eyelid shone with spirit as she spoke softly to Lin Luoran without noticing the latter's expression: "People like him tend to hide their true nature well. Youth often signifies frivolity, and being too wealthy can signify a lack of security. Isn't there a saying that gangsters are not scary; it’s when they have money to spend on themselves that they become dangerous Being with you makes me really sad, Lin Luoran. Everyone has been staring at us all along, and now the guy is actually heading over here. If he tries illegal chatting up, just tell him politely: ‘Sir, please respect yourself, I do not sell my body or talent.’”

"What kind of person sells their body but not their skills" Su Can strode forward purposefully and smiled at the two girls, having heard what Shi Si said in her state of panic.

Lin Luoran looked up to meet Su Can standing before the square table; Su Can lowered his head to look back at Lin Luoran across from him. Shi Si herself was very low-key, a reserved and shy female student from the School of Liberal Arts who would rather crawl into an underground hole than be in the spotlight. Today, being here already suppressed the attention that usually focused on young and beautiful shop owners; now even some women were attracted to Lin Luoran's youthful beauty, developing a tendency towards homoeroticism. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for her not to attract attention.

Su Can sat down with a thump. Lin Luoran tilted her neck stiffly toward the window and turned back to look at Su Can before smiling lightly, "Nice car."

Shi Si only now realized that they knew each other and recalled her previous malicious remarks about Su Can. She couldn't hold it in any longer; she picked up a book and hurriedly stood up, saying, "I still have some things to do. I need to go to the library to look for some information this afternoon, plus tennis practice. See you later." Then she left.

Lin Luoran, known for her strong personality, suddenly felt lost and a bit anxious, but her clear eyes continued to stare at Su Can intently, "Hey, you earned money to buy a car but didn't treat us. What's the reason"

Lin Luoran wasn't interested in luxury cars or anything like that; she had seen too many of them from childhood and knew about Su Can's capabilities since he owned a company. Yet, Su Can appeared in front of her unexpectedly. The tall figure standing under the spotlight momentarily left her at a loss.

"I'll make it up now, but I have something to do next. Do you want a ride"

"That's not how you invite someone; it lacks sincerity," Lin Luoran pursed her lips.

Su Can understood the Miss Lin's straightforward character and said, "Well, here’s what happened: I didn't just buy a car with my earnings, but also a house. Are you interested in helping me evaluate it"

Lin Luoran finally nodded slightly and picked up her bag to pay the bill, smiling, "That's better. Let's go."

This girl then happily got into Su Can’s car. Material possessions didn’t mean much to Lin Luoran; perhaps growing up with a diplomat father who traveled extensively had instilled in her a yearning for freedom and independence.

She wouldn't lack food or clothing, nor did she seek fame among the nobles or how rich and powerful her life would be. She had even considered what she wanted from her future partner: someone taller than her and earning more; he should also teach her what happiness is.

The aunt who raised Lin Luoran since childhood taught her that sometimes men have a psychological barrier, feeling better when their income is higher. Women might prefer to be less capable so that their partners can feel superior in some ways, thus preventing future conflicts. Life is fleeting like the clouds between gaps; high officials and wealth don't mean much before death. These simple truths revealed profound wisdom about life.

Lin Luoran could accept the idea of being content with modest prosperity, naturally admiring Su Can's attitude toward success. She saw this boy rise from an inconspicuous small city to a person who wouldn’t be easily forgotten. In this era, there were no heroes; people moved too fast for their souls to keep up, let alone have faith. Su Can managed the transition from Xiahai to Shanghai, but Lin Luoran knew how hard-won it was. So she genuinely felt happy for him when he asked her opinion on his new home.

Su Can drove all the way to Manhattan No. 1; the security guard at the property was stern-faced and had seen enough of luxury cars like a Bentley, showing no signs of awe towards Su Can or Lin Luoran in the car. Indeed, the strength of this real estate development group that could build such high-priced properties could be seen throughout their ranks, reminding him of the guards outside Dunhuang Hotel in Rongcheng who exuded the same aura. It was the background these people relied on that gave them confidence.

Since the property's parking lot hadn't fully started operations yet, it wasn’t open to the public. But when Su Can wanted to park there, the burly guard didn’t fawn or look down upon him; he simply reminded him to leave early and allowed entry.

Su Cen purchased a three-bedroom apartment with an area of ninety square meters, not some spacious residences complete with mezzanines. For him, such a home felt more like a "home."

As the most common investment strategy, Su Cen had considered putting his money into buying large amounts of property in Shanghai at a low price and even setting up a real estate company to obtain land using his connections with Dayong Construction. Then he could speculate on rising house prices without investing any capital upfront. However, that was not Su Cen's ambition. It would require him to give up many of his current jobs and projects if he were to focus solely on this speculation.

This was the tactic that many wealth groups at the time often used; diverting large amounts of funds and manpower from their real industries towards the rapidly growing property industry, making "no money for real estate, but when you have money, definitely invest in real estate" a primary mindset for most companies eager to share in this lucrative cake.

But that did not suit Su Cen. He was well aware of the potential of his own industries, and the impact that Chinese Facebook would have on society could never be compared with that of a speculative property investor.

"The kitchen position is good; if it were me, I'd make it an open space. Put an oven here; occasionally you can bake some cakes yourself. What's your problem" Lin Luoran glared at Su Cen angrily.

While Su Cen was listening to Lin Luoran's suggestions, he heard the door of the neighboring unit opening, and a man and a woman walked out from there, peeking into their place.

The couple were around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. Upon seeing Su Cen and Lin Luoran, they immediately introduced themselves as their neighbors. The man was named Gu Jun, and the woman Wang Yan; they had just gotten married last year.

"My husband and I live in the unit next door; we'll be neighbors now. Once your place is renovated, will it be for you two to live in" Wang Yan asked while observing their house, mainly because her husband Gu Jun had been captivated by Lin Luoran's appearance and demeanor earlier, which made her extremely uncomfortable, so she immediately shifted the topic.

Su Cen and Lin Luoran were momentarily taken aback. Su Cen nodded afterward, "Yes."

Lin Luoran glanced at him with a slight blush on her face; even the strong Miss Lin was unusually quiet this time.

In response to his wife's sharp gaze, Gu Jun quickly collected himself and diverted the topic, "Oh, your house is small, so it won't be too complicated to renovate. Look at ours; there are many issues with our renovation. We need to break down some walls and do all sorts of things. Our place is over 120 square meters. The other unit we bought has another apartment with an area similar to ours, which we plan for our parents."

Gu Jun couldn't help but feel superior as he spoke; after all, Manhattan Prime was well-known in the city and had a price of nearly ten thousand yuan per square meter even at Shanghai's general housing prices. Buying two units like this naturally allowed him to express some satisfaction. Moreover, with Lin Luoran present.

Wang Yan added somewhat vainly, "What do you guys do Are you fresh graduates It’s getting harder and harder for recent grads to find jobs." Although Su Cen and Lin Luoran looked very young, since they had houses bought by their elders, it was unlikely that they were still college students. They must have just started working after obtaining the approval of both sets of parents. However, this girl looks too sweet; she’s like a little fox spirit.

Su Cen felt it wasn't easy to explain and simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Wang Yan then asked, "What do your families do"

This woman's curiosity was quite excessive. Su Cen replied, "My family is from Chengdu, and my father works at Dayong Construction." Lin Luoran also looked curiously at Wang Yan and said, "My father is in the news department."

Perhaps due to a natural dislike for Lin Luoran, as her neighbor, she couldn't help but feel uneasy if such an attractive young woman was next door, possibly causing her husband's heart to stray. She was also unhappy with Lin Luoran’s aloof demeanor and added, "Oh, your Gu Brother works in the XuHui District Judicial System, currently focusing on rule-of-law city construction. If you need help finding jobs, give him a call." Then, Wang Yan felt it wasn't enough when she mentioned her husband's identity and handed over her business card, saying, "Here is my contact information; if you ever need anything, feel free to reach out to me. We're neighbors now, so we should take care of each other."

Lin Luoran looked at the business card in her hand, which read "Physician of Renal Department, Shanghai Huashan Hospital" in both Chinese and English. The corners of her mouth curled slightly, finding Wang Yan's mentality somewhat amusing.

The true intention behind this gesture was not genuinely to introduce Su Can and Lin Luoran to someone influential; rather, it was mostly for the sake of showing off.

Su Can thought that a person from the Legal System Promotion Section of the Xuhui District Judicial Bureau at Wang Yan's age would likely not be a bureau-level official. Even if she were just an ordinary staff member, there still existed some level of influence. As for Lin Luoran being a physician in one of China’s top hospitals, their statuses could be considered relatively equivalent. Such qualifications, especially considering their ages which are under thirty, naturally make them appear very accomplished to the common people, no wonder they have grounds for pride. Without having suffered any major setbacks and with somewhat inflated self-confidence, it is not surprising.

"Alright, I've taken it." Lin Luoran put away the card and smiled at the two of them.

Wang Yan probably felt a bit more balanced and comfortable after displaying her "strength," so she said, "Then we'll be off. Our car is waiting downstairs."

In the elevator, Wang Yan pinched Gu Jun's waist and asked, "Wasn't she pretty You like this type of girl, right"

Gu Jun smiled and repeatedly answered "How dare I," but inwardly he was cursing. Who wouldn’t like such a type The sight of that girl paired with the guy next to her made him feel uneasy.

*** After checking the house's utilities, Su Can turned off the main power switch and prepared to leave. Standing at the doorway, Lin Luoran surveyed the layout of the entire house. She was slender and graceful. Taking a deep breath, she moved gracefully with her long hair swaying gently along with her figure. "Let’s go," she said.

No one noticed the lingering look in her eyes as she turned away.

The position of the oven she had envisioned; the bay window and wardrobe she hoped for; the salted vegetable jar passed down from her grandmother that she wished to place under the kitchen cabinets; the color of the bathtub and design of the shower head that she imagined— all these hopes were sealed off inside when the door closed.

Wang Yan and Gu Jun drove out in their Toyota Camry from the underground parking lot. The car was not as sturdy as a Volkswagen, had suspension issues, a small interior space, and rough workmanship on the interior details. However, Wang Yan liked its stylish appearance, which made it seem upscale.

Then they saw Su Can and Lin Luoran come down the stairs towards an imported Bentley that they had been observing earlier. They opened the car doors and got in.

They started driving into the sunlight drenched streets.

The Toyota followed behind them, silent for a long time.

Underneath the European-style streetscapes of Gaotiao Street, Lin Luoran turned to look at Su Can. Her eyes were slightly red with some wind blowing in from the car window, causing her long black hair to flutter wildly. She said, "Su Can, what should I do Suddenly, I feel a bit jealous of Tang Wu."

(To be continued)nge this fact. You should know who should receive what's inside."Zhao Lijun opened the envelope with some doubt and pulled out photos. After examining them closely and seeing through Su Cen’s perspect...