"I’ve paid the bill. Nuonuo, Shen, let’s go."

After Shen Yun returned from the restroom, she gave Lin Shen a meaningful look.

He understood instantly. He immediately stood up, smiled at Xia Qingguo and Shen Yuanyuan, and said his goodbyes.

"Sorry, you two, but I have something to do this afternoon. I won’t disturb your date any longer."

"Wait!"

Just as Lin Shen was about to leave, Shen Yuanyuan suddenly called out to him.

"Why don’t we add each other on WeChat? I’m studying for my Master’s in Finance at Princeton. Maybe we’ll have a chance to collaborate in the future."

"That won’t be necessary."

Lin Shen waved his hand. His smile remained gentle, but his tone was exceptionally cold and merciless.

"This will probably be the last time we ever meet. That’s all."

Huh?

Shen Yuanyuan was stunned, watching Lin Shen turn and walk away.

’I thought my education and looks were pretty decent,’ she thought, ’but he just shot me down flat?’

’And he was so rude about it, too!’

Shen Yuanyuan’s expression soured with anger, while Xia Qingguo, standing to the side, frowned slightly.

"Why did you suddenly try to add Lin Shen on WeChat?"

"For connections. Networking."

Shen Yuanyuan shot Xia Qingguo a glare.

"You don’t understand anything about business, so just stay out of it."

"Right, right. You know best, okay?"

Xia Qingguo grumbled to himself.

’I’ve gone with you to meet so many people, and I’ve never seen you proactively ask for someone’s WeChat before.’

’But when it comes to Lin Shen, suddenly it’s for "networking"...’

’Do you think I don’t know what you’re really thinking?’

’You just think he’s handsome and wanted to hit on him!’

A flood of jealousy washed over Xia Qingguo, but there was nothing he could do.

After all, he was nearly forty, and on most days, the only thing he could offer Shen Yuanyuan was conversation.

Moreover, Shen Yuanyuan had returned from abroad and had particularly strong desires.

This led to growing friction between them. Behind their seemingly harmonious relationship was a hidden problem: their sexual incompatibility.

But even knowing this, Xia Qingguo was unwilling to break up with Shen Yuanyuan.

Because Shen Yuanyuan paid for his food, clothes, and housing—he was, for all intents and purposes, a kept man.

’If you’re going to be a kept man, you can’t really talk about personal independence.’

「1:30 PM.」

PHEW—!

Lin Shen couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of relief after leaving the restaurant.

Seeing this, Shen Yun came up to him, linking her arm through his and asking with concern,

"Shen, that was tiring, wasn’t it? I won’t bring you next time. They were really something, asking you one question after another!"

"It was fine."

Lin Shen gave a sly smile.

"At least I got a nice reward out of it."

"Oh, really?"

Shen Yun’s charming eyes narrowed. She pressed her lithe body close to Lin Shen’s side, draping an arm over his shoulder and whispering in his ear, her breath warm and sweet.

"You know, I got a nice ’reward’ too..."

AHEM!

Seeing the two of them flirting intimately, oblivious to everyone else, Xia Nuonuo finally couldn’t resist clearing her throat, her tone cool.

"Just take me home. That way, I won’t be in the way of your date."

"That’s not it at all, Nuonuo, don’t get the wrong idea."

Shen Yun hurried to Xia Nuonuo’s side, trying to placate her.

"How could you possibly be in the way? By the way, what do you think of Shen?"

"..."

Hearing this, Xia Nuonuo looked Lin Shen up and down before saying softly,

"As long as you like him, I don’t care."

"Oh, honey, what do you mean you don’t care? You’re my daughter. You have a say—and veto power—in this family."

Shen Yun tried to hug Xia Nuonuo, but she was ruthlessly rebuffed as Nuonuo sidestepped her.

"Your business is your own to decide. I can’t get involved, nor do I want to. Besides, you know more than I do and are a better judge of character. I don’t need to give my opinion."

"That’s it."

Xia Nuonuo walked straight to Shen Yun’s Bentley Flying Spur, opened the rear door to place the electric guitar from her back inside, and then got into the front passenger seat.

Seeing this, Shen Yun looked at Lin Shen apologetically.

"I’m sorry, Shen. Xia Nuonuo’s personality is a little... odd. Please don’t mind her."

"It’s fine."

Seeing that Lin Shen’s smile was still gentle, Shen Yun’s heart warmed, and she said softly,

"Shen, after you help me take Nuonuo home, why don’t you come with me to the factory this afternoon?"

"One of the production lines over there has already been converted."

"That fast?"

Seeing Lin Shen’s surprised expression, Shen Yun said with a grin,

"Wasn’t it easy to convert? We’re just switching from producing food for people to producing food for pets. The hygiene standards are even lower."

"True."

Now that Shen Yun put it that way, Lin Shen felt it made a lot of sense.

So, he decided to take a trip to Shen Yun’s factory in the afternoon to check out his future "supply chain."

Thus, Lin Shen drove and followed Shen Yun, first making a trip to Zhonghai Mansion·Jiuxu.

When he learned that the three-story detached villa before him was Shen Yun’s home, Lin Shen had to reconsider the true extent of her personal wealth.

To be able to afford a villa in Magic Energy, where every inch of land is worth a fortune, her net worth was definitely over a hundred million.

The only uncertainty now was the first digit.

’It’s probably a 5 or higher...’

’Is food processing really that profitable?’

Lin Shen marveled silently.

’It really pays to get into a popular industry when you’re starting a business!’

’Even if you reach the top of a niche industry, your profits would probably only be a tenth of what a popular industry brings in.’

While waiting for Shen Yun to come out, Lin Shen took the opportunity to handle some business on his phone.

First, there were the interviews Lin Ping was conducting. Qi Hao and the others had all passed.

It would have been hard for them not to pass, really. After all, they were all very experienced Cat Cafe employees.

Some could do latte art, others knew about cat care, and there was even a young woman who could dance!

Lin Shen really liked that last part!

It wasn’t that he was a pervert; he just felt that in this sluggish economy, you needed a gimmick to attract customers.

And dancing, while it might be walking a fine line, was definitely effective!