Chapter 35: Intimate Name, Further Relationship with Xia Ruoshui

Xu Li asked cautiously, "Did you say his name is Chen Fan?"

"Yeah, Dad, his name is Chen Fan. Why?" Xu Zhouqun answered indifferently.

Chen Fan?! That person's name is Chen Fan?!

Xu Li suddenly stood up, his face pale with fright.

"That's the new owner of our Yongjia Shopping Center! He's not an imposter! Where are you right now?" Xu Li asked urgently.

Xu Zhouqun told him his location, and three minutes later, Xu Li rushed over in a panic. From a distance, he saw Chen Fan standing there with an indifferent expression.

"Boss, why didn't you notify us when you came?" Xu Li hurried over with a fawning smile.

Seeing this, everyone in the store was stunned.

So this young man really is the owner of Yongjia Shopping Center!

"I didn't inform you on purpose. How else would I have seen this?" Chen Fan said coldly, clearly displeased with Xu Li.

"You idiot, why are you still standing there? Come over here and apologize to the boss!" Xu Li scolded his son angrily.

Trembling, Xu Zhouqun approached. "What are you waiting for? Apologize to the boss!"

But Chen Fan waved it off. "No need for an apology. I've already informed Human Resources. You can pack your things and leave my Yongjia Shopping Center," he ordered.

The staff brought over the clothes that had been packed, and Chen Fan and Xia Ruoshui left the store. Xu Li stood there, stunned.

He had been planning to retire comfortably in a few years, but now, because of his son's actions, he was dismissed on the spot. Furious, Xu Li pulled off his crocodile leather belt, ready to give his son some "childhood memories."

Soon, screams echoed through Yongjia Shopping Center as Xu Zhouqun "relived his childhood."

Meanwhile, Chen Fan and Xia Ruoshui were heading to put their shopping bags in the car.

"I didn't expect Mr. Chen to be the owner of Yongjia Shopping Center. You really are young and promising," Xia Ruoshui remarked, clearly impressed.

She had always known from her sister that Chen Fan was from the wealthy Chen family but had cut ties with them. Still, despite being considered an outcast, Chen Fan had become more successful on his own, and this made Xia Ruoshui admire him even more. In some ways, they were similar.

"You flatter me, Ms. Xia," Chen Fan responded modestly.

After putting their things away, they continued shopping. When they reached the supermarket, Chen Fan had an idea when he saw the freshly cut beef and lamb.

"Ms. Xia, do you feel like having a barbecue?" he asked.

"Barbecue?" Xia Ruoshui repeated, a bit surprised. "I've never had it."

Her face showed a touch of sadness. Growing up, her family was strict, and she hadn't had the chance to try various snacks. Now, managing the Xia Group, she was always eating at high-end restaurants, dining on gourmet or foreign dishes. She'd never had the chance to try simple foods like barbecue.

"You've never had barbecue? That's a shame. How about this? Come over to my place tonight, and I'll cook us a barbecue dinner," Chen Fan suggested.

His villa had a large yard, perfect for grilling.

"Alright," Xia Ruoshui nodded with a smile.

Chen Fan bought various barbecue ingredients, as well as a grill, smokeless charcoal, and other materials. As they were shopping, the sound of the system suddenly chimed in:

[Ding]

[Task Complete: Shopping with Xia Ruoshui]

[Task Reward: A 100x Consumption Rebate Card (Maximum 500 million)]

[Task Reward: 51 Experience Points]

With the task complete, Chen Fan now had a rebate card worth nearly 500 million, bringing him closer to a net worth of over 10 billion!

After buying everything they needed, they returned to Chen Fan's villa at Yujing Villa. The two began preparing the ingredients in the yard. Although Xia Ruoshui wasn't much of a cook, she could help with chopping vegetables and the like.

Just as Chen Fan was preparing the grill, he received a call from Wei Jingxiong.

"Mr. Chen, do you have time for dinner tonight?" Wei Jingxiong asked.

"Sorry, Mr. Wei, I have plans tonight," Chen Fan replied, glancing at the grill.

"Ah, that's too bad. What about tomorrow? Are you free then?" Wei Jingxiong asked again.

"Yes, tomorrow works," Chen Fan nodded.

"Great! Let's meet tomorrow then. I'll treat you to breakfast."

"Sounds good," Chen Fan agreed, and they set a time.

Half an hour later, Chen Fan had finished grilling the first round of skewers. He handed one to Xia Ruoshui to try.

She took a bite, and her eyes lit up. "This tastes so different from the barbecue in restaurants!" she exclaimed.

Having eaten so much high-end restaurant food, this kind of barbecue felt refreshingly simple and delicious.

"Glad you like it," Chen Fan smiled. He knew how to grill well, and with his top cooking skills, the barbecue turned out great.

Feeling that something was missing, Chen Fan went to his wine cellar and grabbed a few bottles of wine, pouring a glass for himself and Xia Ruoshui.

Since she lived next door and didn't have to go anywhere, it didn't matter if she drank a little.

Xia Ruoshui hesitated for a moment before accepting the glass. She normally had a very low alcohol tolerance and avoided drinking during social events, but Chen Fan had poured it for her personally, and with the stress she'd been under lately, she decided to indulge a little.

As soon as she took a sip, her face turned red. After just one glass, the usually reserved and quiet Xia Ruoshui became much more talkative.

Because both of them came from wealthy families, they found they had a lot in common and their conversation flowed effortlessly.

"Ms. Xia... It's getting late. Maybe you should stop drinking," Chen Fan gently suggested, seeing that she'd had quite a bit.

"It's fine! I can handle it! I haven't had too much..." Xia Ruoshui waved him off, her cheeks flushed from the wine.

The once cold and composed Xia Ruoshui now looked very different, with a softer and more charming demeanor.

"You know, Mr. Chen," she began, "we're good friends now. There's no need to call me 'Ms. Xia' or for me to call you 'Mr. Chen.' It feels so formal."

She suggested dropping the formalities, feeling that it made their conversations too business-like.

"Alright, how about this: I'll call you Ruoshui from now on, and you can call me Chen Fan," he agreed.

"Ruoshui?" Hearing this name stunned Xia Ruoshui. Usually, only her parents or elders in the family called her that. It felt intimate.

If anyone else had called her that, she would've been furious, but when Chen Fan said it, she felt no resistance at all.

Even Xia Ruoshui didn't quite understand why she felt this way.