I am not just a tycoon

"Shen Yuan, I'm sorry, I really didn't expect things to turn out this way."

Lih Xiao had completely calmed down now, and while she was blaming herself, Shen Yuan noticed that her Feel-good Index towards him was changing.

60..61..62.. Finally, the Feel-good Index settled on 72, which was even 3 points higher than the original 69.

"No worries, as long as it's all clear now."

Shen Yuan was in a good mood now, waving his hand magnanimously before immediately showing his true colors, pointing inside the room and saying, "I'm a bit thirsty, let me in to have some water first."

"Shen Yuan, not this again."

Lih Xiao no longer believed Shen Yuan's words; his previous misdeeds were still fresh in her mind.

"I really am thirsty. I rushed here right after lunch, and my throat is parched. Just let me drink some water, and then I'll leave."

Shen Yuan continued with his fib, trying to win Lih Xiao's sympathy. He had used this trick successfully once before with Chen Na, so he was fairly confident.

"Really?"

Lih Xiao looked at him suspiciously.

Thinking he might be succeeding, Shen Yuan straightened up and asserted, "Of course it's true."

"Then wait here."

After saying that, Lih Xiao closed the door immediately. After about ten seconds, she came back and handed Shen Yuan a paper cup filled with water: "Here, drink this then."

Shen Yuan's eyelid twitched, thinking how this felt like he was being guarded against like a wolf, leaving no trust at all. Had his image in the counselor's mind really come to this?

Given the counselor's wariness, there was definitely no way to get further inside today. After drinking the water, Shen Yuan said goodbye to Lih Xiao and prepared to head down in the elevator.

At the elevator, there was a middle-aged woman with a bag of trash, apparently headed to throw it out. She had witnessed the entire scene, and with a grin, she said to Shen Yuan, "Young man, don't be too hasty; haste doesn't bring success."

Shen Yuan turned to her and replied, "Auntie, being quick lets you eat it while it's hot. If you're slow, you'll only get leftovers."

"But you need others to let you eat in the first place, don't you?"

After hearing that, Shen Yuan smiled, "How do you know I didn't get to eat? I just didn't today."

The middle-aged woman smiled without a word, thinking how stubborn young people are these days. Nevertheless, the young man seemed quite decent, both in appearance and stature; it's just a pity if he's not willing to struggle for twenty fewer years.

Remembering her now-deceased husband, who left behind five apartments and eight storefronts, she felt it was rather a shame.

When she saw the young man heading towards a Benz G-Class downstairs, she immediately dismissed the thoughts she had just harbored and silently congratulated herself for not speaking up.

Ah, such a high-quality catch is rare; it seems she still had to go with her sisters to a club and choose a male model.

The last one, Jack, was quite good but was chosen by one of her sisters; this time, it should be her turn.

Shen Yuan, utterly oblivious to the middle-aged woman's rich inner thoughts, would have burst out laughing if he knew. Those pesky issues should be left for those who needed them.

As Shen Yuan got into the driver's seat, he received a WeChat message from Lih Xiao: "Shen Yuan, come out with me this weekend."

Shen Yuan smiled knowingly, thinking that this trip was not in vain after all. Not only did his Feel-good Index increase, but the counselor had also completely opened up her heart.

After confirming the details with the counselor, Shen Yuan called his secretary, Fu Yingzi, to delegate some work.

He told her to issue a notice that the deadline for entrepreneurship application submissions was this Wednesday at 17:00, with no extensions. The list of those who passed the preliminary screening would be announced on Friday, and those students would have their re-assessment scheduled for either the following Monday or Tuesday.
Stay tuned with empire

It was a tight schedule, and Fu Yingzi would have to work overtime, but with June already beginning and the International campus soon to break for the summer holidays, it was crucial to arrange everything before then.

After the call, Shen Yuan also discovered several videos sent by Su Xuewei.

They were videos of the construction site; one each for the first, second, and third floors, each lasting over a minute. The electrical and plumbing work was done, and it was now time for tile and paintwork.

Uncertain whether these were filmed by her or by the construction team, he sent a WeChat message asking, "Did you go to the site all by yourself again?"

Su Xuewei: "Yes."

Shen Yuan: "Why didn't you just have the construction team send you a few clips? Why go there so frequently?"

Su Xuewei: "The construction team doesn't capture details as meticulously, and I also wanted to check on our company's construction team's workmanship and attention to detail."

This silly girl, why so serious about everything?

Shen Yuan couldn't help commenting, then sent another message on WeChat: "It's not easy to get a bus in the villa area, how are you planning to get back?"

Su Xuewei: "There's a bus station, I just need to transfer a few times."

Shen Yuan: "How long will it take you to get back?"

Su Xuewei: "About two and a half hours."

Thinking he didn't have much else to do that afternoon, Shen Yuan replied, "Then I'll come pick you up. Wait for me there."

Su Xuewei quickly replied: "No need, no need."

Shen Yuan didn't care whether she wanted it or not, he simply floored the accelerator and headed there.

His acquaintance with Su Xuewei was also an accident, mainly because Guanting's Old Wan was a bad egg, purposely binding a pretty intern to him.

Today, the sky over Star City was overcast, and there weren't many cars on the road. When Shen Yuan arrived at Green Bamboo Lake, he opened the car window, breathed in some fresh air, and looked out at the lush Green Bamboo Lake, thinking how nice it would be to live here in the future.

In the meantime, Shen Yuan called the community's property manager, Guan Shufang, to register his Benz G-Class's license plate, to avoid any issues entering the community later.

When he arrived at the villa, it was already 4 PM. Su Xuewei was quietly sitting on the steps at the entrance, like a little cat.

She was dressed in a plain white T-shirt and a pair of bleached straight-leg jeans.

Though her outfit was simple and somewhat conservative, her pert nose, rosy thin lips, and fair complexion still made it clear that she was a beauty-in-the-making.

She sat there, exuding tranquility, until Shen Yuan appeared in her view, prompting her to stand up, slightly anxiously.

"Have you been waiting long?"

Shen Yuan looked at her and asked.

Xuewei shook her head nervously, "No, no."

Shen Yuan found it somewhat amusing, "Why are you so flustered? I'm not going to eat you."

Xuewei lowered her head without responding, and Shen Yuan, not wanting to tease her any further, stretched out his hand and pointed inside, "Take me inside to have a look."

"Mm-hmm."

Speaking of her area of expertise, Xuewei's eyes brightened a bit. She led Shen Yuan into the villa and started introducing him to the construction progress and their company's specialty techniques, one by one.

She was very patient and detailed in her explanations, not even noticing whether Shen Yuan was listening. In fact, Shen Yuan's ears were almost calloused from listening, as he wasn't there to hear all this today.

Taking advantage of a break in Xuewei's speech, Shen Yuan said, "It's getting late. Why don't you join me for dinner later?"

Xuewei paused, then looked down and declined, "Sorry, I have things to do at home tonight."

"What things?"

"I need to go home to cook for my mom and my brother."

Xuewei replied in a low voice.

Shen Yuan didn't ask further, for she didn't seem to be lying, nor did she seem like a person who would lie. From Xuewei's plain attire and manner of speaking, one could tell her family's situation.

As for why Xuewei didn't mention her dad, Shen Yuan already had a guess in his mind.

"Then how about you accompany me for a walk instead? After the walk, I'll drive you back," Shen Yuan suggested again.

This time Xuewei didn't refuse; she nodded and cautiously followed behind Shen Yuan.

Along the lake road, there was a path made of green bricks, specifically for pedestrians. Walking along this path, one could see the clear, greenish lake water as well as the lush mountains in the distance.

A gentle breeze blew, lifting Xuewei's smooth ponytail. Shen Yuan couldn't help but turn back to take a look; the girl was watching the distant scenery intently.

"Do you like the view?"

"Yeah."

Xuewei softly replied.

Suddenly, Shen Yuan stopped abruptly. Xuewei, caught off guard, bumped into Shen Yuan's back.

Feeling the softness press against his back, Shen Yuan's lips curled slightly upward. Even though Xuewei was wearing a loose T-shirt, Shen Yuan could still feel her curves.

She really had something there.

Xuewei quickly stepped back, defensively casting a glance at Shen Yuan with a hint of indignation in her eyes.

Shen Yuan chuckled and didn't say anything, just continued walking. He wanted to repeat the act, but this time Xuewei was more vigilant and kept a greater distance.

After walking for about ten minutes, Shen Yuan checked the time. It was nearly 5 PM. Not wanting to delay Xuewei from cooking at home, he suggested heading back.

Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating. The originally overcast sky suddenly let down rain, raining down like beans, hitting both of them.

Shen Yuan wiped the rain off his face and looked around; only a signpost a hundred meters away could provide shelter. He suggested, "Let's take cover there for a while."

"Mm."

Xuewei raised her hands above her head, trying to block the rain, but the small palms of a girl were no match for such rain, and to avoid getting completely soaked, she had to start running after Shen Yuan.

As Shen Yuan ran, he glanced back. Xuewei's white T-shirt was completely wet from the rain, revealing her creamy undergarments.

As she ran, the soft 'headlights' bounced rhythmically, like a fantastic dance, giving Shen Yuan quite a sight.

Soon, the two reached the signpost, gazing at the ceaseless rainfall from the sky, which didn't seem to stop anytime soon.

Xuewei, having just run, had a flushed face and her chest heaving dramatically. She now realized her attire had betrayed more than intended, shyly crossing her arms in front of her chest trying to cover up her unintentional display.

Shen Yuan initially intended to be a gentleman, staring straight ahead unwavering, but a casual glance at the semi-transparent T-shirt and the delicate curves underneath completely dropped his intention to play the chaste man.

"You, you stop looking!"

Xuewei buried her head, speaking indignantly.

"I'm not looking, I'm just glancing," Shen Yuan defended himself.

Hearing Shen Yuan's unreasonable explanation, Xuewei was left without a response, her neck turning red up to her ears.

What a rogue!

Shen Yuan took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

However, it seemed that the heavens knew what Shen Yuan was thinking, as a gust of wind blew, tilting the rain several degrees more. Xuewei got soaked on her lower body and had to move closer to Shen Yuan.

Feeling the softness draw near, Shen Yuan couldn't help but reach out his right hand and place it on her soft shoulder.

Xuewei immediately twisted uneasily, trying to break free, but with the heavy rain and the narrow space, she had nowhere to hide.

Shen Yuan took further advantage, holding her tighter, "This should keep you from feeling cold."

Xuewei bit her lip; she wasn't cold at all, and had never said she was from the beginning.

This was the first time Xuewei had been held by a boy like this. A tingling sensation spread from her shoulders throughout her body, feeling like ants crawling over her, and she lifted her beautiful eyes to look at Shen Yuan.

This man really has no shame!

.....