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After leaving Long Wu’s restaurant, the three parted ways at the entrance. Li Si tightened her coat collar—Beijing’s late December nights were truly frigid. Fortunately, Leng Mochen had offered his own jacket to her.
"Get in!" Leng Mochen opened the car door for her. After she got in, they drove in the direction of home.
Li Si was lost in thought along the way. After glancing at her several times, Leng Mochen finally asked, "What’s on your mind?"
"I was thinking about how I have two adjacent shops that have been sitting empty. Brother Long’s words just now gave me an idea. Mochen, what do you think—should I use that location to open a store?" Originally, her only goal had been to complete her studies, but Brother Long’s remarks had sparked inspiration.
Though Mo Si was beginning to scale up now, only a handful of people knew she was one of its shareholders.
In the eyes of outsiders, the gap between her and Leng Mochen was significant. She felt it necessary to openly run a business herself!
Even if it didn’t make much money, at least others would see it as her own endeavor—not as her living off him like a freeloader.
Leng Mochen frowned briefly before quickly smoothing it out. "Great! If you want to do it, let Jiang Feng help you!"
He understood her sensitivity—certainly Brother Long’s offhand remarks had struck a nerve with her. Since she wanted to try, he would fully support her!
"Mochen! You’re the best!" Li Si couldn’t help but grab his right hand to warm it. The two exchanged knowing smiles as the warmth of the moment suffused the narrow confines of the car.
After a period of silence, Li Si felt compelled to ask, "But Mochen, what kind of store should I open?"
She had wracked her brain over the options—clothing, food, housing, transportation, all sorts of industries.
A restaurant or hotel was definitely out of the question, and she wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about apparel or handbags. Despite her enthusiasm, she lacked practical experience!
Leng Mochen kept his focus on the road. While waiting at a red light, his large hand reached over to rub the top of her head. "What’s the rush? Take your time to figure it out. No matter what you want to do, I’ll back you. What’s there to worry about?"
In truth, he wanted to say he didn’t want her to do anything at all—just stay by his side. But he understood Li Si and her feelings, so he offered his full support instead.
"I’m getting ahead of myself again!"
She frustratingly smacked her own forehead. During the whole drive, her mind had fixated solely on the question of opening a shop.
In fact, even if Long Wu hadn’t mentioned it, she had considered it before. To have a promising future with Leng Mochen, she needed to continuously improve herself—standing still wouldn’t keep pace with him.
When they arrived at the apartment building, Leng Mochen turned to her and stretched his lips into a helpless smile. "Sweetheart, you don’t need to overthink this! There was some truth to Long Wu’s words, but at the end of the day, it’s about the two of us. Do whatever makes you happy—I just want you to feel fulfilled!"
Li Si’s eyes became misty with emotion. How could she not understand his intentions? Yet, since arriving in Beijing, her mindset had shifted significantly—she constantly wanted to integrate herself into the Leng Family and their social circle.
But as they say, haste makes waste—she had been too eager!
"Alright, we’re home. I’ll walk you upstairs! Get a good night’s sleep; maybe you’ll wake up with fresh ideas tomorrow!"
Leng Mochen pulled her into an embrace and gently patted her back. He understood her worries and uncertainties.
"Mm! Maybe!" Li Si snuggled silently into his arms. The events of the day replayed in her mind—things she hadn’t mentioned to him—leaving her marveling at how complicated human nature truly was.
Yin Qi’s perceptions of her were rooted solely in the fact that she wasn’t at the top of the social pyramid. If the day came when she reached that pinnacle, the next interaction would likely be filled with flattery.
Her motivation to accomplish something wasn’t just about proving herself—it was also about showing everyone who had looked down on her that they shouldn’t underestimate the young. Besides, since her rebirth, she really wasn’t poor anymore.
Although the car heater was running, Beijing’s late December nights were still freezing. Leng Mochen tightened his embrace around her and whispered softly in her ear, "Be good now! Let’s go upstairs."
Li Si straightened up and nodded. The dashboard clock displayed midnight.
"It’s already 12 o’clock. Maybe you shouldn’t drive back to Jinyuan!" After speaking, she suddenly felt she might have said something wrong, lowering her head in embarrassment. She didn’t mean anything else—just that driving back so late might be dangerous. She was concerned.
Leng Mochen’s eyes darkened slightly, the glimmer of humor lighting them up as he gazed at her small bowed head. He deliberately teased, "So, you’re asking me to stay over?"
She quickly raised her head to clarify, "I meant for you to stay and use the guest room—nothing more!"
"Got it! You’ve been scheming for a while now, haven’t you? Should I grant your wish tonight?" Recently, he particularly enjoyed teasing her—seeing her flustered, cheeks puffed in frustration was endlessly entertaining.
At that moment, Li Si finally understood the phrase "the thief cries ’stop thief.’" He was the one with the thoughts, wasn’t he?
Angrily, she opened the car door, got out, and yelled toward him, who was still in the driver’s seat, "Just drive back to Jinyuan already!" She forcefully shut the door behind her.
Leng Mochen calmly turned off the car, stepped out, circled around the front, and pulled her into his arms. "Pouting again?"
"I’m not!" Her tone was obviously filled with indignation, tempered by embarrassment.
"Alright, just teasing you! Let’s go—I promise I won’t step into your bedroom. Deal?" He could only make such a guarantee.
"That’s more like it!" Li Si feigned harshness, replying as if she were vengeful. But her hidden smile betrayed her, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it.
After the two washed up, they exchanged goodnight wishes. Leng Mochen, in victory, received a sweet goodnight kiss before retreating to their respective rooms.
Li Si collapsed onto the bed, burying her body in it, inhaling the sunshine scent lingering on the blankets. She took a deep breath—home was the best. It felt so comfortable. She was completely drained from the day, her thoughts so tangled that her head hurt. Eventually, she dozed off without even realizing.
In the guest room, Leng Mochen didn’t sleep right away. He fiddled with his phone aimlessly, his eyes filled with a deep, inexplicable emotion.
Early the next morning, Li Si was still lost in slumber when she was jolted awake by the icy touch of Leng Mochen’s post-morning workout hands. She couldn’t help but groan, "What are you doing? So annoying! Didn’t you say there was nothing happening today?"
She was utterly exhausted, reluctantly cracking open one sleepy eye. From the slit between the curtains, she could sense that daylight had crept in.
What was he up to? Didn’t he know interrupting someone’s sleep was the biggest offense? She had confirmed with him yesterday that she planned to sleep in until she woke naturally! Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novelFɪre.net
Leng Mochen deliberately leaned into her ear and whispered, "I suddenly came up with an idea for the shop you want to open! But since you don’t want to hear it, I won’t say anything."
Li Si immediately rubbed her eyes and perked up, "No! I want to hear it! I wasn’t fully awake just now—I was talking nonsense!" She knew he’d definitely have ideas—how could he not, as her genius strategist?
"Oh? Really? Then where’s your sincerity?" He looked down at her from above. Her pink pajamas, messy hair, and sleep-still eyes made her look all the more adorable.
She couldn’t help but want to scream. Big brother, where’s your dignity? How could you start demanding kisses this early in the morning, without brushing your teeth or washing your face? That’s too much! Helplessly, she beckoned him closer—fine, if he didn’t mind, so be it. (To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to visit Qidian [qidian.com] to vote for recommendations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)