Chapter 189: Reluctant to Be a Flower Vase

Li Dong was busy, and far away in Beijing, Qin Yuhan was also occupied.

Having just returned to school from the military training base at noon, Qin Yuhan put down her luggage and prepared to head out.

Seeing this, Qi Fangfang hurriedly followed and asked, "Yuhan, where are you going?"

Qin Yuhan replied, "Just going out for a walk."

Qi Fangfang's face showed suspicion. Since returning from the summer vacation, Qin Yuhan seemed like a different person, always coming and going mysteriously.

During the military training, Qin Yuhan often found opportunities to go out, and recently she hadn't been going in and out with them as often.

Qi Fangfang felt a bit displeased and asked, "Aren't we still friends? Are you hiding something from us?"

Qin Yuhan looked conflicted and said, "Fangfang..."

"Forget it, if you don't want to say, then don't. But if you're in trouble..."

Qi Fangfang stopped mid-sentence. Qin Yuhan didn't need their help anyway; Li Dong, that rich guy, was still around.

Thinking of Li Dong, Qi Fangfang asked with some doubt, "Has Li Dong come to Beijing?"

Qin Yuhan shook her head and said, "He's been busy recently."

Qi Fangfang's mouth dropped open in shock and she exclaimed, "No way!"

Qin Yuhan looked confused and asked, "What do you mean, 'no way'?"

Qi Fangfang glanced at the bustling corridor and, without saying a word, pulled Qin Yuhan towards the emergency exit.

At the stairwell, Qi Fangfang's expression became serious and she asked, "Yuhan, have you started dating someone else? What did Li Dong say, did you break up or are you hiding it from him?"

Qin Yuhan looked stunned, then said angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about! If you keep making things up, I'll tear your mouth off!"

"Really not?"

Qi Fangfang was still full of suspicion. If Qin Yuhan wasn't in a relationship, why would she be running out so often? And why was she hiding it from them? Qin Yuhan hardly knew anyone in Beijing; where could she possibly go?

Qin Yuhan, frustrated, said, "Stop making things up, if you keep it up, we won't even be friends anymore!"

Seeing this, Qi Fangfang finally relaxed and said with a smile, "Don't be mad. It's fine if it's not true. Honestly, Li Dong is really great—a genuine millionaire. Don't mess around."

Since the last time Qi Fangfang visited Li Dong's company in Pingchuan, she had admired him greatly. A billionaire at just twenty wasn't easy to come by.

What impressed her even more was Li Dong's bold investments, such as investing seventy million in Baidu's stocks.

This had been all over the media recently. While others might confuse this Li Dong with another, Qi Fangfang knew very well who he was.

Because of the Baidu stocks, Qi Fangfang had been restless for days. 

Young, wealthy, not bad-looking, and devoted to his girlfriend—such a man was incredibly rare.

Qi Fangfang genuinely hoped for a good outcome between Qin Yuhan and Li Dong, so she offered this advice.

Of course, she had her own selfish reasons.

Qin Yuhan was her best friend, and if Qin Yuhan and Li Dong really worked out, she might benefit from it in the future.

Students from Beijing University didn't worry about finding jobs, but Qi Fangfang didn't want to spend her life working for others. Whether starting a business or finding a good job, it always helped to have connections with wealthy individuals like Li Dong.

Qin Yuhan snorted and said unkindly, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll really get mad."

Qi Fangfang laughed and quickly reassured her.

After chatting for a while, Qin Yuhan said, "I have to go now. I still have things to do."

"Yuhan, what exactly are you up to? Do you really need to hide it from me?"

Qi Fangfang couldn't help her curiosity and asked again.

Qin Yuhan hesitated for a moment but then nodded, saying, "Come with me!"

...

Near the east gate of Beijing University.

Looking at the small store under renovation, Qi Fangfang was surprised and asked, "You mean you leased this store?"

Qin Yuhan nodded with some excitement and said, "Yes, I want to open a dessert shop. The business will definitely be booming!"

Qi Fangfang frowned and said nothing, walking around the store.

The store wasn't very big, about thirty square meters or so. Although it wasn't fully renovated and lacked decoration, Qi Fangfang felt it was not bad after a look.

Good or not, Qi Fangfang still had doubts and asked, "Is this your idea or Li Dong's?"

"It's my idea. Li Dong doesn't know."

Upon hearing that Li Dong didn't know, Qi Fangfang was even more skeptical and asked, "Why didn't you discuss it with Li Dong before opening the store?"

"Opening a store isn't as simple as you think. Just having a store isn't enough. Have you found a pastry chef? We're busy with our studies in the second year; who will help you manage the store? Also, do you know the process of making desserts? Have you conducted market research? What if competitors cause trouble..."

Qi Fangfang listed a dozen potential issues. Seeing Qin Yuhan looking confused, she sighed and said, "Putting other things aside, how much have you spent?"

"Almost two hundred thousand," Qin Yuhan said timidly.

As soon as Qin Yuhan finished speaking, Qi Fangfang smiled wryly and said, "You really are wealthy. For such a small store, you've already spent two hundred thousand before it's even finished?"

"Transfer fees and a year's rent are almost a hundred thousand, and there are also costs for equipment and renovation. Is two hundred thousand too much?"

Qi Fangfang felt like she was going to die. Is two hundred thousand a lot? These days, what can you do with two hundred thousand?

With two hundred thousand, you could make a down payment on a house near Beijing University!

While they were still hesitating over clothes costing a few hundred yuan, her friend was asking if two hundred thousand was a lot. Qi Fangfang felt an overwhelming mix of envy and frustration.

Suppressing these unwelcome thoughts, Qi Fangfang asked, "You said Li Dong doesn't know? Where did you get the money?"

Qin Yuhan felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Li Dong gives me pocket money every month. I hadn't used it before, but last time I checked, there was almost five hundred thousand in my account."

Qi Fangfang was stunned. Is this the world of the rich?

Five hundred thousand in pocket money, and Qin Yuhan had only been in school for a year.

A year of pocket money amounting to five hundred thousand—this is the result of finding a good husband. If she had known, she wouldn't have bothered with studying and university; she would have found a wealthy man to marry instead.

Of course, this was just a thought.

Qi Fangfang took a deep breath, swallowed her envy, and said with a wry smile, "Forget it, I won't worry about you. Anyway, with Li Dong's money, if you waste it, it's just wasting his money."

Qin Yuhan immediately retorted, "You're the one wasting it!"

"I really want to do something. Fangfang, don't you believe in me?"

Qin Yuhan asked this question anxiously. To open this store, she had made countless decisions and put in a lot of effort.

The experiences and observations of the entire summer vacation made her realize that she couldn't continue like this; she didn't want to drift further away from Li Dong.

What she wanted to do now was to bridge the gap with Li Dong as much as possible, so that Li Dong wouldn't leave her far behind.

This dessert shop held a lot of hope for Qin Yuhan. She wanted to follow Li Dong's example, starting with one store, then a second and third, and eventually opening dessert shops all over Beijing.

By then, she felt she would be able to catch up with Li Dong's pace.

Seeing Qin Yuhan's anxious and hopeful face, Qi Fangfang couldn't bear to discourage her and said gently, "Yuhan, doing business isn't that simple. You're still a student, and we don't have much real-world experience..."

"But Li Dong is also a student!" Qin Yuhan protested.

Qi Fangfang retorted, "Your Li Dong is a freak. Let's not compare ourselves to him."

Seeing that Qin Yuhan was still not giving up and the store was already leased, Qi Fangfang thought for a moment and said, "If you really want to make this dessert shop work, I suggest you don't get involved in the daily operations. Hire an experienced professional manager to handle things and find someone trustworthy to manage the accounts. It will definitely be better than doing it yourself."

Although Qin Yuhan was reluctant, she had to admit that Qi Fangfang's words were a big blow to her.

She had been thinking that running a store would be as easy as Li Dong making money, but she forgot that she really didn't know much about it.

Opening this dessert shop was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Seeing how popular other dessert shops were, she thought it would be good to open one near the school.

But now that she thought about it carefully, she seemed to know nothing about it, and probably couldn't even name many types of desserts.

Sighing in dismay, Qin Yuhan

 muttered, "I feel like I'm really useless."

Li Dong had started with nothing and built up such a big business in just over a year.

And here she was, even using Li Dong's money to open a store and hoping to catch up and surpass him—it was simply ridiculous.

Qi Fangfang could actually understand Qin Yuhan's feelings and knew she was under pressure.

Gently patting her shoulder, she comforted her, "Don't belittle yourself. Don't listen to me too much; maybe you really can make the dessert shop a success. The more heads, the better—let's consult Zhou Yuemeng and Mengmeng. I refuse to believe that us four top students from Beijing University can't compete with one Li Dong."

After feeling down, Qin Yuhan cheered herself up, clenching her small fist and encouraging herself, "I can definitely do it!"

"I believe in you! Keep it up!"

Qi Fangfang hurriedly supported her. She was genuinely afraid that Qin Yuhan might be discouraged by her words.

As for whether the dessert shop would make money, Qi Fangfang didn't really care. After all, Qin Yuhan wasn't short of money.

With Li Dong around, even if it lost money, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Of course, if Qin Yuhan could really make the dessert shop successful, Li Dong would definitely think more highly of her.

Beijing University's talented woman was not just a flower vase!