Chapter 617 - 275: You’re Still Laughing! Damn It, I’m Going to Squeeze You Till You Burst

"I don’t have time. I can only stay for tonight."

Michelle found a random spot on the sofa and sat down. "First thing tomorrow morning, we’re off to the next city. The investors have scheduled a roadshow for us in a whopping 23 cities."

"Wow, that’s insane."

"We have no choice. The business climate over on Hong Kong Island isn’t great right now."

Michelle explained, "Everyone’s coming to the Mainland to expand their business these days. I’ll probably be coming here a lot more in the future."

"By the way, what role are you playing in this new TV series?"

"The second female supporting role. She’s a manipulative schemer."

Michelle said happily, "It’s not the female lead, but I have plenty of lines and screen time."

"That’s still really good."

"What about you?"

Michelle asked back, "Didn’t you say last time that you were cast as the female lead in a short-form drama? Has it been released yet? How’s the reception?"

"Not yet, but it’s coming soon. Any day now."

Wanqing sighed. "I just hope I don’t disappoint everyone."

"Don’t worry, you’ll be great!"

After encouraging Wanqing for a bit, Michelle brought the conversation back to Xu Yun.

When men get together, they talk about women. When women get together, of course, they talk about men.

"Wanqing, have you seen Xu Yun recently?"

Wanqing answered, "Just once. You know, that time when we were on the phone."

"You haven’t seen him since?"

"Nope."

Wanqing said, "I’ve been busy filming on set recently. I just got back yesterday. If you hadn’t come over, I’d still be memorizing my lines for the next show right now."

"And he hasn’t tried to see you?"

"No, but he’s probably really busy with his own stuff."

Wanqing said with a smile, "You have no idea. Ever since he came to visit me that one time, the way the director and manager at my company treat me has done a complete 180."

"Of course. I mean, look who he is."

Michelle smiled, then added, "But I did run into him by chance today during the roadshow at the mall. He was with a beautiful woman."

"Oh."

"He saw me too and even sent me a message."

Michelle said, looking glum, "But after we exchanged a message or two, he just ghosted me."

"What, you’ve still got your eye on him?"

Seeing her best friend’s disappointed expression, Wanqing seized the rare chance to tease her. "If you really want to see him, why don’t you try giving him a call right now?"

"Oh, so you’re making fun of me, are you? Just watch me teach you a lesson."

With that, Michelle lunged forward, tackling Wanqing onto the sofa.

Laughing, Wanqing fought back.

The two of them were soon wrestling playfully, attacking each other’s weak spots.

Wanqing: "Aah! That tickles!"

"Admit you were wrong!"

"I was wrong, I was wrong!"

"No, you’re not wrong."

Michelle, who had the upper hand, giggled. "You’re like a man with a full stomach who can’t understand a starving one. You’ve had your fill, so now you’re mocking me."

"That’s not true."

"Bullshit."

Michelle playfully cursed, "After you got off the phone with me last time, are you telling me you and Xu Yun didn’t... you know?"

Wanqing’s face instantly turned red.

"See? I knew it. No wonder ’they’ seem a bit rounder than last time."

Michelle said indignantly, "No fair! Why am I left all alone while you’re living it up every night?"

"I’m not ’living it up every night,’ don’t be ridiculous."

Wanqing said shyly, "It’s only been that one time."

"That’s still better than me!"

Michelle sighed. "Ever since that time on Hong Kong Island, I haven’t had it even once. I’m practically turning into a nun."

"That’s on you, you can’t blame me for it..." Wanqing couldn’t help but laugh.

"You’re still laughing! You’re horrible! I’m going to squeeze them till they pop!"

Michelle was seething with playful rage. Just as she was about to continue punishing Wanqing, her phone suddenly went "DING!"

Since she had set a custom notification sound just for Xu Yun, she knew instantly who the message was from.

Overjoyed, she immediately let go of Wanqing and got up to check the message.

[Where are you?]

Michelle quickly replied: [I’m at Wanqing’s place.]

[Wait for me.]

Seeing this, Wanqing, who was sitting to the side, asked curiously, "Who’s that from? You seem so worked up."

"It’s from Xu Yun."

Michelle held up her phone, showing it off. "He messaged me. He told me to wait for him here."

Wanqing was surprised. "He’s coming over to my place?"

"Yep."

Michelle looked at Wanqing and gave her a meaningful smile. "Looks like you’re in for a treat again. But I get to go first this time. No fighting me for it."

Wanqing was left speechless.

Michelle suddenly asked, "By the way, Wanqing, do you have any good... battle attire... here?"

"No."

"Then you’re coming with me to buy an outfit right now."

Wanqing: "I’m not going..."

"Come on, I don’t know my way around here."

Michelle clung to Wanqing’s arm, whining, "It’s so rare for me to get to see him. Just help me out, please?"

...Wanqing.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Xu Yun had spent the afternoon accompanying Li Jinshu around several malls. After buying a car full of gifts, he finally drove her home.

By then, it was already getting late, a little after 9:00 PM.

Li Jinshu wanted Xu Yun to come up and stay the night, but she gave up on the idea when she remembered that Chen Ran would most likely already be home.

’With an outsider around, it’s hard to let loose, after all.’

’Besides, she and Xu Yun had already gotten their ’exercise’ in this afternoon, so she’d already completed her mission, so to speak.’

Li Jinshu returned home laden with shopping bags of all sizes. Seeing that Chen Ran was indeed there, she called out with a smile, "Chen Ran, come give me a hand. There’s too much stuff."

"Of course, President Li."

Hearing her, Chen Ran quickly got up and went to the doorway.

She looked at the floor covered in luxury brand bags and thought, ’This must have cost hundreds of thousands!’

"President Li, looks like you went on a major shopping spree."

"Not really."

Li Jinshu said blissfully, "It was all Xu Yun. He insisted on buying me whatever caught his eye. I couldn’t talk him out of it, and before I knew it, we’d bought all this."

As she helped Li Jinshu with the shopping bags, Chen Ran asked in confusion, "Then why didn’t President Xu come up with you?"

Li Jinshu really wanted to say, ’It’s because you’re here that he didn’t come up.’

"He had other things to do tonight."

As she spoke, Li Jinshu picked one bag from the pile and handed it to Chen Ran, saying, "This is for you."

"Huh?!"

Chen Ran didn’t see what the gift was, but one look at the Louis Vuitton shopping bag told her it wasn’t cheap.

She tried to refuse. "President Li, this is too expensive."

"Nonsense. It’s not that big of a deal."

Li Jinshu smiled. "You’ve worked hard expanding the business lately. Consider this an extra bonus from me. I hope we can both keep working hard to make the fitness center bigger and better."

"Well, in that case, thank you, President Li."

"Go on, open it. See if you like it. If you don’t, you can exchange it."

"Okay."

Chen Ran opened the bag with an expectant look on her face and found a brand-new 2024 model messenger bag inside.

She had actually been looking at Louis Vuitton bags recently.

She had originally planned to wait until she got paid this month to buy a slightly cheaper bag.

She never expected President Li to just give her a bag that was listed on the official website for over 20,000.

Li Jinshu asked, "So? Do you like it?"

"I love it, but it’s really too expensive!"

"As long as you like it."

Li Jinshu smiled. "To be honest, it’s not really a gift from me. Xu Yun paid for it all. I’m just regifting it."

Chen Ran was at a loss for words.

"Alright."

Li Jinshu stretched her back and said, "I’m a bit tired after walking around all day. I’m going to take a shower and head to bed. Good night."

"Good night, President Li."

After Li Jinshu went into her bedroom, Chen Ran looked at the bag in her hands, feeling a wave of emotion.

’Someone else’s life is my dream!’

Just then, for some reason, her thoughts drifted to Xu Yun. She recalled the first time she had met him in Guilin.

Then, inexplicably, she remembered what had happened earlier that day, and her face flushed red.

「In another apartment.」

Michelle and Wanqing had also finished their showers. They were sitting quietly in the living room, watching TV, eagerly awaiting the sound of a knock at the door.