Boss Lu: A reborn life is destined to be without regrets!
Chapter 232 - 176. Guard your dreams

Chapter 232: 176. Guard your dreams

It actually felt a bit strange.

The WeChat group named "Ran Dong" had noticeably quieted down ever since Zhou Sinin and Lu Jincheng kissed under the moonlight.

After the completion of the basic form of intimacy, there would indeed be subtle changes in the relationship between a man and a woman.

While still walking on campus, Zhou Sinin and his distance had unconsciously gotten much closer, Lu Jincheng’s arm encircling her waist didn’t need to hold back anymore, acting much more freely.

Their physical understanding of each other gradually became apparent, as if the originally clear boundary between them had vanished with that lengthy, intimate kiss.

What emerged was a new term called "world for two."

Zhou Sinin, who used to enjoy sharing, gradually began to prefer messaging Lu Jincheng and Guan Yongyi separately.

She talked a lot in the group before because the three of them often went out together.

Everyone was not short of money, making it easy to gather for food and fun.

There was no need to worry about differences in consumption views or values, nor about the possibility of inadvertently upsetting someone.

But when she found that her world for two was more joyful...

Going out with three people didn’t seem so interesting anymore.

After all, one person is called walking, two people are called dating, and three people are called playing Landlord.

Dating is really great!

Hugging and kissing the boy she liked made it seem as if every cell was bubbling with happiness!

He seemed to always be able to surprise her, speak pleasantly, cheer her up, and be entertaining.

In short, super romantic.

That pink bubble floating into the sky that evening, he had nearly fulfilled all of Zhou Sinin’s fantasies about her ideal type.

Therefore, Zhou Sinin’s desire to share stopped with the WeChat group.

To make the group’s change from lively to quiet not so obvious, she added a bit of subtle craftiness.

Her topics were limited to complaints, devoid of invitations.

When she found something tasty or fun on Xiaohongshu or Weibo, like a new spot to check in, she would send a private message to Guan Yongyi.

She said, "Baby, what do you think about this? We should go next time, whenever you’re free."

But before, all this would have been posted in the group.

If Lu Jincheng also joined the conversation, then it was natural for everyone to go out together.

Without invitations directed at both people, chat about outings in the WeChat group instantly decreased.

And Guan Yongyi remained her quiet self, rarely initiating topics in the group, responding only when someone mentioned her.

If Xiao Zhou didn’t speak, or Lu Jincheng didn’t speak, then the group would naturally fall silent.

So extending this to moving out to live was the same principle.

Living with Guan Yongyi, in all respects, was indeed very fitting.

There was no need to worry about safety and it eliminated the loneliness of living alone.

The two of them were best friends, and just the thought of living together was delightful.

But if...

What if things with Lu Jincheng progressed rapidly?

Having Guan Guan living side by side and spending day and night with her seemed...

A bit...

Really inconvenient.

"What are you considering about me?"

Lu Jincheng asked knowingly, his lips curved into a smile he couldn’t suppress.

"Nothing! Forget it if you don’t understand."

Zhou Sinin pursed her lips, huffed lightly, and kicked the turf in front of her with force.

The sky was clear, and the sun slowly sank into the horizon, its afterglow pouring into the sky like molten gold.

The twilight lingered, and the girl’s profile was tinged with gold, softening the lines of her jaw.

Of course, he understood, but he couldn’t say it.

It was just too strange to voice these subtle, ineffable little moods.

"I’m sorry... it’s all my fault. I disturbed your peaceful college life, and now you can’t even live in the dormitory."

Lu Jincheng approached the most common parallel bars on the playground, spoke, and with a push of his hands, he hopped up.

"It’s okay."

Zhou Sinin stood below the parallel bars, tilting her chin up to look at him.

"Come up here. Wearing white clothes you’ll get dirty easily on the lawn, it’s cleaner sitting here."

Lu Jincheng sat on one side of the parallel bars, his feet resting on the other side, and waved to Zhou Sinin.

"Alright."

Fortunately, although Zhou Sinin was known as a little princess, she was not a delicate girl who detested exercise.

She stood on tiptoe and emulating Lu Jincheng’s movement, she gave a boost with her arms and jumped up after him.

In the middle of the parallel bars, a boy and a girl sat close together, closer to the sky than others.

"I won’t... fall off, will I?"

Usually, parallel bars were considered the domain of boys.

Zhou Sinin was sitting on them for the first time, looking up at the sky and the twilight, feeling a mix of apprehension and novelty.

"It’s okay, I’m holding you."

Lu Jincheng naturally extended his right arm and brushed Zhou Sinin’s hand back, slightly cool.

Then her left hand obediently opened up, fingers interlocked, palm to palm.

Now she was safe.

Tonight there were no clouds, and the twilight had nowhere to hide but in Zhou Sinin’s blushing cheeks.

"If you get further and further from campus life in the future, will you be unhappy?"

Shoulder to shoulder, Lu Jincheng merely had to turn his head and seemed like he’d fall into the girl’s watery eyes the next second.

Her long eyelashes fluttered among the peach blossoms, sending shivers down his spine.

"Well... I don’t know."

Zhou Sinin bit her lip, paused for a few seconds: "If I really went from living in the dormitory as a female college student to becoming a special group that only comes to punch in for classes, I might feel a little regret?"

"Because I think living on campus is pretty nice, my roommates are all cute, everyone giggles every day like sisters, the cafeteria’s roast goose rice is delicious, and there’s double-skinned milk, hot dry noodles, tofu skin..."

"If we move out, we might just stick around our residence," Xiao Zhou observed Guan Guan for quite a while, "Despite living close to the school, she’s currently just like that."

At home by the warm felt fire, I and my raccoon slumber indoors.

Guan Yongyi was a faithful practitioner of these lines, after starting to live alone, she really didn’t like to go out much.

Not to mention going back to the school cafeteria, she didn’t even want to go to Beiyuan.

On days without classes or internships, she preferred to quietly stay at home, stroking her cat and listening to music.

But Zhou Sinin couldn’t do that.

Just the thought of staying in all day made one uncomfortable.

The girl looked up, noticing a faint extra moon in the sky.

"But hey, I’m not saying all this to complain."

She stuck out her tongue, her eyes sparkling, a smile lurking within her shining starry eyes.

"Even though I really like campus life, and would like to do things like other people, go to classes with the boy I like, eat meals, shop, play games, walk on the field together..."

"But if I really missed out on all that, I wouldn’t regret it at all."

"Because the days spent running the coffee shop with you were equally joyful."

The man’s large hand was pulled closer by Zhou Sinin until it finally stopped in his embrace.

"It was really joyful... running a small shop, drinking coffee, earning a bit of money."

Dusk was gentle, her brown hair fluttering in the evening breeze.

"I understand now that plans can’t keep up with changes, who knew you were so impressive, actually managing to sweet-talk my dad into giving us funds!"

The girl pursed her lips, a small arc forming at the corner.

"Do you think, making the coffee shop bigger, turning it into a chain, becoming a brand, is this the life you want?" Lu Jincheng asked.

"What use is it to wonder if I want it or not?" Zhou Sinin spread her hands, a helpless look on her face.

"I’ve already been lured onto your ’pirate ship’, can I even say no now? If I say no now, my dad would be the first to disagree."

"Right, speaking of which, I have a question."

"Hmm?"

"Why do you want to open a hundred stores in a month? Why the rush, don’t we only have enough money for fifty?"

"Wouldn’t it be more stable to wait a bit, recoup some funds, then continue to expand?"

The finance girl blinked, her curiously shining pupils clear.

As the chief financial manager, not only were the costs clear to her, but she also knew exactly how long recouping the investment would take.

This is why partners starting from scratch are trusted; once there is a first successful joint experience, there is no need to worry too much about the other messing up.

Replicating the formula without mistakes would work just fine.

But this was not the outcome Mr. Lu wanted.

"The remaining money can be used for loans. After the first fifty stores exhaust our capital, we can use collateral for mortgage loans to build up scale."

"...But if you’re taking such a big risk and we end up losing money, what then?" Zhou Sinin asked, puzzled.

"It doesn’t matter if we lose money. You can go back to enjoying your happy college days," Lu Jincheng shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were of no importance.

Customer trends, product directions, advanced strategies – they were all on his side, and he had already established one successful and well-known standalone store.

As a person who had been reborn, if he didn’t dare take this risk, didn’t seize the opportunity to spread out in the market, quickly building a moat while he had the chance, that would be a real joke.

"Not really."

"Then tell me, what is your dream?" Lu Jincheng pressed.

"I don’t really have any dreams..." Zhou Sinin massaged her temples, sighing softly into the air.

"I used to find the financial markets interesting and hoped to become a star of control amid the thunder and lightning."

"But as I grew up and saw how tired my parents actually were behind their glamorous appearances, I suddenly didn’t look forward to it anymore."

"I don’t want to become an adult so soon, so childhood dreams can wait."

"So, you could say I haven’t figured it out yet. What about you?"

"Me..." Lu Jincheng leaned on the other bar, letting his legs swing back and forth, his voice drifting in and out.

"I think..."

He cleared his throat, paused for a moment, and couldn’t help but fall into thought.

Financial freedom?

He had experienced that in his past life.

Achieving that hardly qualified as a dream.

Making up for regrets?

That couldn’t be called a dream either, too broad.

After much thought, he realized that the words closest to a dream were just those four characters.

Doing whatever he wanted.

If he wanted to make money, he would pursue projects with boldness and vigor.

If he wanted to eat, drink, and be merry, he’d indulge without restraint.

If he wanted to capture the heart of the girl he admired, he shouldn’t worry about numbers.

If he wished for all the girls to let go of their personal emotions and happily surround him every day, then...

Damn, that’s a dream.

He was halfway through his thoughts and had not yet spoken when Zhou Sinin, wrapped up in her own thoughts, interrupted his scattering reverie.

"I get it, dreams are hard to express."

She turned her head and leaned on Lu Jincheng’s shoulder, both of them bathing under the same moon.

"I may not have a dream now, but I am willing to protect yours."