Chapter 19: Who Is Xiao Hong?

On the afternoon of May 2, the final subject of the mock exams was over.

With the exams completed, Li Dong felt much more relaxed and thought he did well enough not to need to ask his parents for help.

Life had been pretty carefree lately, with successes in both money and romance.

He had been pleasantly surprised by the lobster business, which was supposed to be just a side hustle for pocket money. Last night, Li Dong checked his account and found he already had around 1.5 to 1.6 million yuan.

He had unintentionally crossed into the ranks of millionaires and couldn't stop smiling.

Adding to his joy, his sweet relationship with Qin Yuhan had made him even happier.

Of course, what made him even more relieved was that his parents' medical check-up results had come in. There were no major issues, just some nutritional deficiencies and fatigue.

There were minor health problems, but nothing serious. The doctor said a period of rest would help, which finally removed Li Dong's biggest worry.

...

After leaving school, Li Dong didn't wait for Qin Yuhan.

He had arranged with Li Chenggui to pay the down payment and sign the contract today.

When he arrived at the teahouse next to the Blue Sea Shopping Mall, Li Chenggui was already waiting.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they began signing the official contract. The previous agreement had only been a preliminary one, and now Li Dong could gain the mall's usage rights upon paying the down payment.

As for the property deed, that would have to wait until the bank loan was processed. Li Dong wasn't prepared to pay the full amount upfront. Not only did he not have enough money at the moment, but even if he did, he wasn't planning to spend it all.

The loan documentation and procedures had already been handled. With over a million in deposits at the bank and the property as collateral, getting the loan was relatively easy.

After signing the contract, the two went to the bank. Li Dong transferred 1.5 million to a third-party account. All that was left was to wait for the loan to be approved.

However, Li Dong already had the usage rights to the mall, and the contract clearly stated that he could start the renovation from now on.

Looking at the drop in his bank balance from seven digits to six, Li Dong felt a bit empty. Fortunately, he knew that the money spent now would double in a few years, which cheered him up.

Leaving the bank, both Li Dong and Li Chenggui sighed with relief. The deal worth millions had been completed, a notable achievement in Dongping.

Li Chenggui let out a sigh of relief and said, "Mr. Li, we'll be neighbors from now on."

"Ha ha, indeed. It's an honor to become neighbors with Mr. Li. Please take care of me in the future."

Li Dong also smiled. Although the fourth and fifth floors were still under Li Chenggui's control, he was now the real owner of the Blue Sea Shopping Mall. The essence of the mall belonged entirely to him.

After chatting briefly with Li Chenggui, they parted ways.

Li Dong thought it was time to find a renovation company. However, he was unsure if he could find one in Dongping that met his standards. If not, he'd have to go to the city or provincial capital.

There were now large supermarkets there, and renovation companies had more experience, which would definitely be more convenient than Dongping.

With the upcoming busy schedule and the approaching college entrance exams, Li Dong didn't want to delay. He hoped to get everything sorted out during the remaining three days of the holiday.

...

After spending the entire afternoon in Dongping, visiting several renovation companies, Li Dong didn't find one that met his expectations.

The local companies in the county had no experience in renovating large supermarkets. The design drafts and plans they provided were outdated, which disappointed Li Dong.

Unable to find a solution, Li Dong decided to head to Qingyang the next day. If that didn't work, he'd have to go to Pingchuan.

The next morning, Li Dong got up early, had a quick meal, and headed to Qingyang.

After spending the morning in Qingyang, Li Dong visited five or six renovation companies. Compared to Dongping, Qingyang's standards were noticeably higher.

Although the design proposals were still a bit off from Li Dong's vision, with a few adjustments, they could meet his requirements.

Renovating a supermarket was relatively straightforward, with no overly complex elements.

In the end, Li Dong chose a company named Yang Ding. He briefly explained his requirements, and they agreed to visit the site the next day and provide a design plan within three days. Li Dong then headed back to Dongping.

When he returned to Dongping, it was still before 2 PM. With thoughts of Qin Yuhan on his mind and no one else at home, Li Dong went directly to her house.

Standing downstairs at the Qin residence, Li Dong called Qin Yuhan's home.

"Hello, who's speaking?"

The voice on the phone startled Li Dong. He suppressed his nervousness and said, "Hello, Auntie. I'm Qin Yuhan's classmate. Is Qin Yuhan at home?"

"Yuhan, someone is looking for you!"

"Coming!"

Hearing Qin Yuhan's voice made Li Dong breathe a sigh of relief. After all, this was his future mother-in-law, so he was quite nervous.

Once Qin Yuhan answered the phone, Li Dong, fearing her mother might overhear, quickly said, "Qin Yuhan, Xiao Hong's birthday is today. We're waiting for you at the usual place. When will you come?"

...

Qin's House.

Qin Yuhan was initially pleased to hear Li Dong's voice but then became a bit nervous.

Upon hearing Li Dong's fabricated excuse, Qin Yuhan almost burst into laughter. If she hadn't seen her mother eavesdropping, she would have scolded Li Dong for his nonsense.

Suppressing her laughter, Qin Yuhan said seriously, "Sorry, I almost forgot. You guys go ahead and have fun. I'll be there soon."

She then hung up and told her mother, Yang Yun, "Mom, a classmate's birthday is today. I won't be back for dinner."

Yang Yun frowned. Her daughter had been frequently out for dinner lately, and now, during the holidays, she was going out again. She wondered where all these events came from.

Moreover, the call was from a male classmate, which made Yang Yun even more uneasy. She nonchalantly asked, "Yuhan, which classmate's birthday is it? Do I know them?"

Qin Yuhan secretly stuck out her tongue and suppressed her laughter, saying, "Xiao Hong. You don't know her."

Yang Yun pondered who Xiao Hong could be but couldn't recall anyone by that name. Seeing her daughter's firm expression, she reluctantly advised, "Alright, you go. Just don't stay out too late."

"Okay, got it. Bye, Mom!"

Qin Yuhan grabbed her small backpack, put on her shoes, and happily ran downstairs.

Yang Yun muttered to herself, "Why is this girl so happy lately? Could it be she's in a relationship?"

She shook her head, thinking that with graduation approaching, it was unlikely her daughter would be in a relationship at this time.

...

Once downstairs, Qin Yuhan looked around but didn't see Li Dong.

She thought he might be waiting in the alley and was about to leave when she heard someone calling her from the nearby bushes.

Turning around, Qin Yuhan couldn't help but laugh and jogged over, saying, "Why are you hiding here? You look like a thief."

Li Dong brushed off the leaves from his clothes and grunted, "You don't understand. I'm hiding here to avoid your mother spying on us from the window. If I hide here, she won't see us."

Now that their relationship was getting warmer, Qin Yuhan didn't mind Li Dong's playful comments. She laughed and said, "You're so sneaky. My mom wouldn't spy on us."

"Who knows? Parents always see their children as their little treasures. Now that I've stolen your parents' treasure, I have to be extra careful."

Saying this, Li Dong took Qin Yuhan's hand and led her out. Qin Yuhan was still thinking about the phone call and smiled as she walked, "Li Dong, where's Xiao Hong? You came up with that name. I almost laughed."

"Forget about Xiao Hong. Let's go. I'm taking you to…"

"Dad…"

Both of them halted simultaneously. Li Dong's face turned pale as he saw a middle-aged man coming towards them. His luck seemed to be running out!

Unexpectedly, her father had returned from outside. This could be a bit problematic.

Normally, encountering her father wouldn't faze Li Dong, but right now he was holding his daughter's hand, and her father should have noticed.

Qin Hai's eyes weren't blind. Seeing his daughter holding hands with the young man in front of him, his eyes narrowed into slits.

However, as a father, he was usually calmer than the mother. If Yang Yun had seen this, it would have likely turned into a major confrontation. Qin Hai managed to stay composed and forced a smile, "Yuhan, where are you going?"

Ignoring Li Dong, Qin Hai continued, "You're the one who's always bullying my daughter?"

Li Dong broke into a cold sweat. He never imagined her father would know about him.

He glanced at Qin Yuhan with some resentment, wondering what bad things she had said about him at home. Her father's expression wasn't too friendly.

Qin Yuhan secretly stuck out her tongue, feeling a bit embarrassed and helpless. She hadn't expected this situation to arise.

Besides, Li Dong used to bully her, making her cry several times in middle school. It was natural for her to complain a bit at home.

But she didn't expect her dad to remember Li Dong's name until now, which made things tricky.

"Uncle, you must be mistaken. I'm Li Dong, but I haven't bullied Yuhan." Li Dong tried to explain, feeling unable to handle the situation.

If he was labeled as a bully, it would lead to a lot of trouble in the future.

Qin Hai wasn't sure if he heard Li Dong's explanation. He snorted a few times but didn't respond.

Seeing his daughter looking at him with expectation, Qin Hai's heart softened. He suppressed his anger and said, "Remember to come home early if you go out. And if anyone bullies you, tell Dad. I'll make sure to break his legs!"

The last sentence seemed to be directed at Li Dong's forehead. It was almost as if he was directly saying he'd break Li Dong's legs.

Li Dong broke into a cold sweat and decided not to try to get on his good side. He grabbed Qin Yuhan and quickly left the dangerous area, trying to escape before her father lost his temper.