Chapter 50

"Is there something you need?" The woman's intuition was extremely sharp; she immediately sensed that Xiao Bing had come to see her for a reason. Upon closer inspection, she was wearing large-framed glasses on her nose, exuding a queenly aura, a perfect example of a mature and authoritative woman.

Xiao Bing extended his hand and said with a smile, "Hello, I am the owner of the noodle shop next door, my name is Xiao Bing. Are you the new owner of this store?"

"Uh-huh." The mature and authoritative woman, who resembled Yuta Ayaka, shook hands with Xiao Bing. Her voice was neither cold nor warm, "My name is Julia, and I am the new owner of this store."

Julia's hand was smooth but cold, much like her overall demeanor—noble and cold. If she were to hold a whip, she would be a perfect queen.

"Do you have something to talk about?"

Xiao Bing was not bothered by her lukewarm attitude and smiled, "Can we find a quiet place to talk?"

"Not really convenient." Julia was straightforward and gave Xiao Bing no face, "Let's talk here. I have a lot of things to do and not much time."

In Xiao Bing's experience, this was the first time a woman had been so blunt with him, not even giving him a smile. Su Xiaoxiao had been cold to him before, but it was a cold filled with hostility. Julia, on the other hand, was completely indifferent, as if he were just an ordinary passerby in her eyes.

Seeing Julia's direct attitude, Xiao Bing got straight to the point, "Then I'll just say it directly. Ms. Julia, before you came, we actually had the intention of taking over this store. As you can see, our noodle shop is very busy, but the space is too small to accommodate so many customers. We had the idea of expanding the shop, but you got here first."

Julia said coolly, "And then?"

"My point is, since you've already bought the store, I would like to discuss with you whether you could sell it to me at a price. You can set a slightly higher but reasonable price, and I'm sure you could make a profit by selling it to me."

Julia chuckled, and Xiao Bing realized it was not a good sign. Indeed, Julia said with a disdainful tone, "Do you think that money can solve everything?"

Xiao Bing said earnestly, "That's not what I mean. I am very sincere."

"That's good. I am also very sincere in telling you that I have been observing this store for a long time before buying it. No matter how much you offer, I will not let it go. Is there anything else? If not, I'll go back. I have a lot of things to do at home."

Xiao Bing sighed inwardly and said with a smile, "No problem. Even if we can't do business, we can still be neighbors. I'm glad to meet you."

"Uh-huh." Julia nodded, "We will be neighbors, but also competitors... If there's nothing else, I'll go now."

Julia turned and walked away in her high heels. She must live nearby since she left on foot. Xiao Bing watched her walk away, noticing that her posture was also very graceful, especially her round and firm buttocks, which swayed enticingly but not provocatively.

This woman is truly a top-notch beauty...

Xiao Bing put aside his wandering thoughts, returned to the shop, and told Zhang Jing and the others the not-so-good news. Then he joined them in the busy work of the shop.

By evening, the students had all finished school. Ye Zi's car pulled up to the noodle shop, and Ye Zi jumped out, running into the shop to pick up Xiao Bing.

Xiao Bing greeted the staff and got into the car with Ye Zi.

"How is your little cold?"

"It's cured." Xiao Bing smiled, "Young people have good physical fitness. Oh, by the way, do I really need to bring something? As a junior visiting your home for the first time, I feel it's not good to go empty-handed."

"Just listen to me." Ye Zi said with a playful tone, "You are my savior. This time, I'm inviting you mainly to thank you. Why would you need to bring a gift? Besides, they are all so wealthy, they don't need you to spend money."

After saying this, Ye Zi noticed Xiao Bing looking at her with a strange smile and asked curiously, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Sure enough, they say women favor outsiders. My wife is great. She hasn't even crossed the threshold yet, but she's already speaking up for me."

"Go to hell!" Ye Zi pushed Xiao Bing and said playfully, "I see you're feeling quite pleased with yourself lately, so you're starting to talk nonsense."

"I don't...," Xiao Bing said with a look of innocence, "What spring breeze?"

Ye Zi looked at Xiao Bing with a strange expression, making him feel uneasy. She then said with a half-smile, "Don't tell me you can't see it. Su Xiaoxiao has feelings for you."

"That's impossible!" Xiao Bing's expression turned serious when Ye Zi mentioned Su Xiaoxiao, "Xiaoxiao is just Pei Ya's sister. I treat her like a brother would treat a sister, wanting to take care of her in Pei Ya's place. She may have some good feelings for me, but it's just gratitude for saving her mother."

"Sigh, men are always less sensitive than women in matters of the heart. Just wait and see... Also, if you don't have feelings for her, don't let her get too involved. Don't let her repeat Pei Ya's tragedy..."

Xiao Bing thought about it and recalled the recent changes in Su Xiaoxiao's behavior. Her attitude had changed 180 degrees, but it didn't necessarily mean she had feelings for him. Maybe Ye Zi was overthinking it. Girls tend to overthink things.

Ye Zi laughed, "I knew you wouldn't believe me. Don't think I'm jealous. My man is mine if he's mine, and I can't force it if he's not. I just don't want another woman to get too involved with you."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful."

Ye Zi leaned into Xiao Bing's chest, pressing her face against his body, breathing in the sweet scent. Xiao Bing felt a bit drunk and dazed, gently reaching out to hold Ye Zi's slender waist.

Sweet moments always feel short. When they got out of the car, Ye Tianming and Ye Xinyi came out to greet them. Ye Zibucheng, supported by his stepmother Liu Piaopiao, also came out slowly. The grand welcome showed how much they valued Xiao Bing's visit.

Ye Tianming smiled kindly at Xiao Bing and stood aside with Ye Xinyi. Ye Zibucheng, supported by Liu Piaopiao, walked up to Xiao Bing, who hurriedly said, "Old man, your body hasn't fully recovered yet. Why did you come out so soon?"

Xiao Bing was a bit dramatic. He remembered that even when meeting high-ranking officials in the capital, he had never been so nervous. He was putting on a show for his future father-in-law, and if he were in the entertainment industry, he could easily win an award for his performance.

Ye Zibucheng stood in front of Xiao Bing, his eyes slightly red, tears welling up. He opened his mouth and finally said firmly, "Xiao Bing, thank you... thank you for saving my life."

Xiao Bing stepped forward to support Ye Zibucheng's arm and said with a smile, "Old man, you're too polite. Ye Zi is my friend, and Tianming is my good brother. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing!"

Ye Xinyi had been smiling all along, but when she heard Xiao Bing's words, her smile became a bit forced. Xiao Bing mentioned Ye Zi and Ye Tianming but left her out, which made her unhappy. For her, it was more than just a matter of being happy or not; she had more to think about.

Xiao Bing and Liu Piaopiao supported Ye Zibucheng and walked him into the hall. Xiao Bing realized how strained the relationship between Ye Zi and her father was. When Ye Zibucheng saw Ye Zi, he seemed to want to speak, but Ye Zi turned her face coldly away, and Ye Zibucheng had to close his mouth. However, from his expression, it was clear he cared deeply about his daughter.

Xiao Bing then noticed Ye Zi's stepmother. Liu Piaopiao was dressed appropriately today, but even in such a refined manner, she still exuded a seductive charm. Xiao Bing had to admit that among all the women he had met, few were as seductive as Liu Piaopiao.

After entering the dining room, everyone sat down, except for Ye Zi, who stood there. When everyone else was seated, she said, "You all eat first. I'm not hungry, I'll go to my room and sleep."

Just as Ye Zi was about to leave, Xiao Bing grabbed her wrist, his eyes showing a hint of reproach, but he smiled and said, "It's only this time of day, what kind of sleep are you talking about? I'm at your place, you can't just leave me here alone, right?"

As he spoke, he gently pulled Ye Zi to sit next to him.

Ye Zibucheng, seeing that Ye Zi did not get angry, his eyes lit up, and he smiled even more. He pointed to the table full of dishes and said, "Xiao Bing, I've been wanting to see you these past two days, but my body hasn't fully recovered. Today, I specially asked Ye Zi to bring you over. I must thank you in person. Look at these dishes, are they to your taste?"

"Abundant, too abundant."

"Good, then let's not be formal. Let's start eating." Ye Zibucheng was the first to pick up his chopsticks, and the others followed.

Ye Tianming poured a glass of wine for Xiao Bing and said with a smile, "My father can't drink now, so I'll have a couple of glasses with you!"

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