He stood with his back to his own front door, right in the center of the space between the doorway, the wall, and the staircase handrail. Unlike Liu Lianlian and Dong Zhipeng, who were leaning against the door and the wall respectively.

He stood straight, his hands hanging naturally by his sides. His right hand clutched a cellphone, showing no fidgeting. When speaking to her, he would turn his head slightly, ensuring his gaze remained level and proper.

In an instant, Liu Lianlian felt an inexplicable sense of awe arise within her.

She couldn't explain it; she just suddenly didn't dare to be as frivolous as before.

"Alright then, you're busy, so just come knock on my door when you're free since we live close by. I'll be home these next few days..."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Dong Zhipeng nodded and bowed. "Brother Lie, you go ahead with your things!"

"Okay, bye!"

Han Lie waved and turned back to his house.

Once the Han Family's door slammed shut, Liu Lianlian suddenly deflated—her shoulders slumped, her head drooped, as if she had run out of batteries.

Dong Zhipeng was still staring at the Han Family's door, oblivious to Liu Lianlian's strange behavior, and marveled, "Brother Lie truly is a role model for our generation... so freaking awesome! Lianlian, do you know who that was just now... hey, where are you going?"

"Going home!"

Liu Lianlian turned and left, her steps thundering down the stairs.

"Huh?" Dong Zhipeng was confused. "Didn't we agree to go shopping together?"

A cold laugh came from below. "Who agreed with you? You have legs, go by yourself!"

So, Dong Zhipeng returned home in dejection, and Old Dong wondered aloud, "Why are you back? Didn't I tell you to make up with Han Lie?"

With a sigh, Dong Zhipeng said, "If Liu Lianlian got rejected, what can I do? I see it now, with the current Han Lie, ordinary folks really can't get close to him..."

On the second floor, Liu Lianlian faced the same question upon returning home.

She didn't sigh but glared irritably at her mother and then complained to Old Liu, "It's all my mom's fault! Now Han Lie treats me like a stranger, he's too lazy to even say much. What kind of situation is this?!"

Old Liu quietly lit a cigarette and tried to comfort his daughter. "It's nothing, it's nothing. If you can be friends, so be it; if not, it's no big deal. What would our family need his help for? Just be yourself. If anyone is to be laughed at, it's your mom and me..."

It would have been better not to mention this. Now that it was brought up, the two women of the house became even more irate.

Guo Hongyu muttered darkly, "When I stopped Lianlian from playing with that boy back then, you had no objections, right? How come it's all my fault now..."

Old Liu glared. "Maintaining distance isn't a problem, but did I ever ask you to say those strange things and mock people? We're neighbors; are you the only one with a mouth?"

Liu Lianlian was too irritated to listen to their quarrel. She returned to her room and sank onto her bed. Unintentionally, her gaze fell upon the junior high graduation photo on her desk.

In the photo, Han Lie was in the middle row, with herself right in front of him.

At that time, the long-haired, slightly timid Han Lie had his gaze cast downwards, looking as if he were stealthily peeking at her neck.

She knew it wasn't true.

The adolescent Han Lie was weighed down by heavy thoughts but had treated her well, with respect and care.

However, very few people respected him, so he would always lower his gaze, trying to diminish his presence, finding solace in a blend of lonely amiability and seclusion.

Yet, in just a short year, everything had changed.

Liu Lianlian still recognized Han Lie's silhouette, but apart from that familiar smile, everything about him, inside and out, seemed so unfamiliar.

Handsome? To describe him as merely handsome seemed too superficial. It was a style she didn't understand nor had ever encountered. Wherever Han Lie stood, he would firmly capture everyone's attention, quietly filling the entire space.

Comparing him to the memory in her mind, the shock was simply indescribable.

Once, she thought she'd never have any thoughts about Han Lie in her life, but now...

Liu Lianlian suddenly stretched out her hand, flipped the graduation photo face down on the desk, then jumped onto the bed, yanked the quilt over, and forcefully covered her head.

「...」

After Han Lie got home, he casually cleaned the tea set and then arranged the whole set on the coffee table, ready to impress the next wave of visitors.

Shen Cheng, the chief of the Agricultural Bank, had scheduled a visit for the first day of the Lunar New Year, and there might be some other idlers coming to feel out the situation.

Han Lie hadn't been keen to interact with them before. He found it draining without any visible benefits, and his parents didn't need their care.

However, after Pan Dajun came bearing heavy gifts, Han Lie had a change of heart.

Dream City still had potential to be tapped. He could befriend a few more bank managers, then directly pull out a list of high-net-worth individuals for a major meeting. On one hand, he would use their money for development, and on the other, sell them overpriced houses...

I am indeed too kind~~~

When Shen Cheng arrived as promised, the "benevolent" Han Lie served him a pot of tea snagged from Old Pan.

As expected, Shen Cheng was someone who understood such things and was immediately stunned.

"Oh, Mr. Han, you're being too polite; there's no need for such ceremony..."

Han Lie replied casually, "It's not particularly good tea, just some Chen tea that has been frozen for half a year. Shen Xing, please don't mind my humble offering."

Upon hearing this, Shen Cheng immediately focused on the tea and was shocked once again.

This fragrance, this color, this taste... could it be the very top-grade West Lake Longjing?

Good heavens! No wonder Old Tang's subordinate said Han Lie was making a splash. A full Gu Jingzhou tea set, West Lake Longjing worth ten thousand a tael and unavailable on the market... For someone to gift him items of this caliber, what incredible influence must he wield?!