The more Jian Ran thought about it, the more she felt she couldn't be taken advantage of. After some negotiation, she successfully returned the unopened bottles of alcohol. The money was refunded as well.
Her mood instantly improved. Save where you should, spend where you need—waste is against her principles.
Coming back from the front desk, she was eager to share the good news with Chu Lulin, but from a distance, she saw him looking lost in thought. She paused, suddenly realizing a problem.
Returning items after ordering but not consuming them was perfectly normal for an ordinary person, but it didn't fit the image of a wealthy woman. It seemed a bit stingy.
Was Chu Lulin worried she was going bankrupt?
Once the thought crossed her mind, the more she considered it, the more plausible it seemed. After all, if your boss is having financial issues, you'd worry about whether your salary would be paid too.
Tsk—she'd slipped up.
She needed to quickly think of a way to stabilize morale.
"I'm back," Jian Ran said, pretending to be nonchalant as she walked over.
Chu Lulin stood up and took a couple of steps toward her, smiling. "Was it refunded?"
Jian Ran straightened her back unconsciously. "Actually, I forgot to tell you something earlier."
She didn't like to flaunt her wealth, but to reassure her 'employee,' a little show was necessary.
"This club is under my name."
She was the rich woman herself!
Chu Lulin was visibly taken aback, surprised. "This club is yours?"
Jian Ran: "..."
Not quite that rich!!
"No," she cleared her throat, a bit embarrassed at having oversold it. "I mean, I'm the landlord."
Having built up the momentum, saying just that felt a bit anticlimactic.
She had to add more weight.
"And those shops next door are mine too."
So he really didn't need to worry. Even if she hadn't already set aside the allowance for keeping him, her rental income was enough to support him.
Even if Chu Lulin was a bit slow, he finally caught on to why she was telling him all this.
She was still so adorable.
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "You're amazing, big sister."
Jian Ran waved her hand modestly, her vanity as a 'rich woman' thoroughly satisfied.
"Give me my bag. Let's go." She reached out for the bag she'd asked him to hold earlier.
Chu Lulin didn't hand it over. "I'll carry it."
Jian Ran thought it was fine and withdrew her hand.
But just as she did, Chu Lulin extended his other hand.
She raised an eyebrow, looking at him questioningly.
Chu Lulin smiled calmly, meeting her gaze directly. "Big sister, can we hold hands?"
Jian Ran's eyes widened.
Whoa! So practical—now that she knew he had money, he wanted to hold hands right away?
Chu Lulin just smiled, not explaining, and kept his hand outstretched waiting for her answer.
Jian Ran didn't waste any time. She directly placed her hand in his, their palms touching, and she boldly slid her fingers between his.
Entwined, fingers interlaced.
A rich woman wouldn't be coy—she'd be bolder, more unrestrained!
"Can we go now?" Her eyebrows arched, like a proud little cat.
Chu Lulin's lips curved. "Okay."
In places like these, there were many couples coming and going, and plenty of people acting intimately. Their simple hand-holding seemed quite proper by comparison.
But Jian Ran's heart was racing. For some reason, she felt a mix of nervousness and excitement.
Chu Lulin's hands were much larger than hers, broad and warm, holding hers with a firm grip that didn't hurt. His fingertips had a thin layer of calluses, and he rubbed them lightly against the back of her hand, sending tingles through her.
It was as if tiny electric currents were traveling from her fingers all the way through her body.
Jian Ran scolded herself for being too pathetic. It was just holding hands—why was she reacting so strongly? When she first held hands with Zhou Yu, she hadn't been this excited.
It really proved the saying: a proper relationship is sweet enough, but a secret one is even more thrilling!
She began to realize that Chu Lulin's sudden move to hold hands was probably him actively moving their relationship forward.
Maybe in his 'process,' they had reached the hand-holding stage.
Jian Ran sighed. Tonight really was a case of planting willows unintentionally and getting shade.
They had hugged, they had held hands. Next... kissing shouldn't be far off, right?