113. The Unobtainable Will Always Be Restless

Zhang Yang spoke these words effortlessly.

It's perfectly fine to keep a low profile in front of family.

But why be low-key in front of outsiders, especially the prettiest girl in your high school class? Wouldn't you want to drive your Bentley to your former school beauty years later and say, "Long time no see"?

It's just human nature.

He glanced at Meng Baihan, who was still staring blankly at him, and, feeling mischievous, added another sentence.

"But actually, even with all these things, there's still one thing I've never had."

Meng Baihan's eyes widened as she looked at the handsome figure standing in front of her, and her heart began to pound wildly.

"What... what else?"

"What do you think?" Zhang Yang smiled and extended his hand.

Meng Baihan blankly reached out and, as if possessed, placed his hand in Zhang Yang's palm.

Zhang Yang squeezed Meng Baihan's smooth, tender hand, then pulled her away.

Behind him, Huang Yuzhou was still standing there, his mouth dry, not yet recovered from what he had just seen and heard.

His promises and guarantees paled in comparison to this junior's killer combo of groundwork and confession.

This... this is absolutely rubbish.

"How could I have lost so completely?" he muttered to himself, his fists clenching unconsciously.

In the distance, Zhang Yang and Meng Baihan walked for an unknown amount of time.

Then, he let go.

"Alright, you've completely shaken off this guy. He probably won't bother you anymore. You're welcome."

Zhang Yang spoke casually, his expression showing no trace of the deep emotion he had just displayed.

Meng Baihan was dumbfounded.

She was completely immersed in the feeling she had just experienced, as if it were a perfect dream, and she didn't want to wake up at all.

"Zhang Yang, what you just said... was it all a joke?"

"Which? A car, a house, or a confession?" Zhang Yang looked at Meng Baihan with amusement. "The car and house are real. A confession? Old classmate, didn't I promise to help you get out of this? You didn't actually believe me, did you..."

"No, how could that be?" Meng Baihan's eyes flashed with disappointment, but he forced a smile and denied it outright.

"Hmm." Zhang Yang looked at Meng Baihan's dazed and confused appearance, and wondered if he had gone too far.

Ultimately, he underestimated his current charm.

He's as handsome as a novel's male protagonist, possesses immense wealth, and delivers a heartfelt monologue. Honestly, it doesn't matter if a girl is materialistic or looks-obsessed; he'll win her over.

"Then I'll take you back, or would you like to walk around a bit more?"

"I... I want to go back. I'll take a taxi myself. You go ahead and do your work." Meng Baihan was flustered and forced a smile.

"Why take a taxi? We're old classmates, don't be so polite with me. Let's go." Zhang Yang grabbed Meng Baihan's arm and pulled her away without saying another word.

A moment later, inside the Cayenne.

To ease the tension, Zhang Yang initiated a casual conversation with Meng Baihan.

"The house in Purple Garden No. 1 was partly paid for by my parents and partly by my brother, who has been in the renovation business for years," Meng Baihan said softly, his head slightly lowered.

"Your uncle and aunt are also in business, right?" Zhang Yang asked casually.

He remembered that when he was in high school, his impression of Meng Baihan was that she came from a wealthy family, and was definitely not the kind of goddess from a humble background.

Meng Baihan nodded gently.

"Zhang Yang..." she suddenly called out to Zhang Yang.

"Hmm?" Zhang Yang glanced at Meng Baihan while driving.

"What you just said startled me; it sounded so real." Meng Baihan stared at Zhang Yang, observing the expression on his face. "When did you become able to lie so convincingly?"

Zhang Yang drove his car, smiling nonchalantly.

"It can't be said to be entirely a lie."

Meng Baihan's heart jumped again, and he felt a strange sense of anticipation.

"So what you mean is?"

"Back in high school, think about it, how many boys in your class had a crush on you?" Zhang Yang said with a smile.

"Then... does that include you too?" Meng Baihan asked, mustering his courage.

"Yes, now that I think about it, I guess you could call it appreciation, an appreciation of beautiful things," Zhang Yang said casually.

Meng Baihan felt a surge of joy. She pursed her lips, staring at Zhang Yang with a mixture of happiness and annoyance. "Then... then why didn't you say so back then?!"

"Stop joking around. Did you give me a 'friend zone' card back then?" Zhang Yang said, looking at Meng Baihan.

There were some things he didn't say.

For example, appreciating?

That was in the past; he's not the Zhang Yang of yesteryear anymore.

"That's not necessarily true. How will you know if it will work if you don't even try?" Meng Baihan felt a little melancholy and regretful, as if she had unintentionally missed something.

Even if she tries to comfort herself with words like "life is always full of regrets," it seems to be of little use.

Zhang Yang smiled but didn't say anything.

Meng Baihan's family lives in an old-style villa area in the city.

Although it has been a long time since then, every household there was quite wealthy, as they were among the first in Yinghai City to become rich.

He drove slowly in from the entrance and finally stopped in front of a villa.

This villa is a townhouse, and the area in front of it is neatly and tidy, unlike some villas where the front yard is full of vegetable gardens planted by old ladies.

"Zhang Yang, thank you for bringing me back."

Before getting out of the car, Meng Baihan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped, still hoping that Zhang Yang would say something.

"You're welcome, we're all classmates," Zhang Yang said casually, without saying another word.

He sat in the car, turned his head to look out the window, and just then saw a slightly plump, fair-skinned middle-aged man walking out of the villa, who was looking at him with piercing eyes.

Zhang Yang thought to himself, "This must be Meng Baihan's father."

Never mind, I can say hello or not.

Zhang Yang thought for a moment, watched Meng Baihan get out of the car, and then drove away first.

As soon as Meng Baihan got out of the car in front of the villa, the middle-aged man came to greet him.

"That young man just now seemed alright."

"Huh?" Meng Baihan looked a little guilty in front of her father. "That was my high school classmate."

"High school classmate, I've never heard you mention me before." The middle-aged man nodded. "What are you doing now, young man? Locally or somewhere else?"

"Oh, Dad, he's just a regular classmate, don't ask anymore." Meng Baihan said, both amused and exasperated, and quickly entered the villa.

The middle-aged man watched Meng Baihan run away, his face thoughtful, and then made a phone call without thinking.

A short while later, Meng Mingfeng's voice came through the phone.

"Dad, are you sure it's the handsome guy who drives Cayenne?"

"Yes, are you aware of this?"

"I know about this. He is indeed my sister's classmate. His circumstances are definitely excellent. He just bought a detached villa a while ago. The only downside is that he has a girlfriend." Meng Mingfeng rambled on for a long time, but then changed the subject.

"Then why are you talking so much nonsense to your father? It's all just empty talk!" The middle-aged man slammed down the phone, his brows furrowing.

···

Zhang Yang hadn't originally planned to stay long after returning this time.

However, this time I was busy preparing for the family's new restaurant and following the renovation plan, and before I knew it, quite a few days had passed.

Zhang Yang would video chat with Bei Wei every few days to check on the progress over there.

We know that the popularity of Mao Roast Duck has really taken off, with a surge in inquiries and many people currently in talks to franchise.

Breaking the ten mark is just around the corner.

Who knows, he might break through ten companies by the time he returns to Magic City, or even before he does.

This happened in a coffee shop.

"Mr. Zhang, these are all my design drawings, along with details." Lin Jingmin pushed the notebook in front of Zhang Yang. "I've also sent a copy to your email."

Zhang Yang glanced at it briefly.

With a budget of 15 million, and knowing that Zhang Yang could find experts far more professional than herself, Lin Jingmin poured her heart and soul, energy, and inspiration into the design of this villa.

As for the results, they are naturally quite pleasing.

She sat next to Zhang Yang, explaining the details bit by bit, pausing from time to time, looking at Zhang Yang expectantly, hoping to hear a word or two of praise from him.

"Great, it's really good. How did you come up with these ideas?" Zhang Yang looked at the inspired design and felt it deeply resonated with him.

In his excitement, he slapped Lin Jingmin's thigh with one hand.

Lin Jingmin winced in pain, but seeing Zhang Yang's satisfaction, she couldn't help but feel smug.

"Just push yourself. I know you have experts behind you, so ordinary designs won't stand out. Just scrap them again and again, start over again and again."

Zhang Yang nodded, feeling that his actions that day had been quite effective.

At least, Lin Jingmin didn't dare to lie.

As for the budget details, judging from how confidently she handed them over, she was probably not afraid of being criticized, which is why she was so confident.

"Okay, satisfied. Now it's your turn to work out." Zhang Yang nodded, then lowered his head and let out a soft "Eh?"

This smooth, silky texture.

"Nice stockings," Zhang Yang commented.

"Balenciaga letter socks, do you like them?" Lin Jingmin thought to herself with a hint of pride.

Zhang Yang glanced at Lin Jingmin, whose upper body appeared serene and devoid of desire, while her lower body wore alluring Balenciaga letter stockings. He immediately fell into deep thought.

"Are you free later?"

"It's my job to keep you company. Your villa project is such a big undertaking, it's perfectly normal for me to spend half a day or a whole day here," Lin Jingmin said matter-of-factly.

"That makes sense." Zhang Yang wholeheartedly agreed.

A moment later, the two left the coffee shop, got into a car, and randomly chose a nearby hotel to further discuss the plan.

In the afternoon, Zhang Yang lay half-reclined on the bed, his expression one of serene indifference.

This time it was his turn to live a life of simplicity and detachment.

Lin Jingmin leaned over, looking up at his face, her short video app open, sharing funny videos with Zhang Yang, trying to please him and make him smile.

"Hey, why are there so many unread messages popping up on your short video app?" Zhang Yang glanced at them and pointed curiously.

Lin Jingmin opened it and took a look in front of Zhang Yang without any hesitation.

"Junjie Decoration?" Zhang Yang seemed to vaguely recognize the name.

"It's Meng Mingfeng," Lin Jingmin said with a smile, opening the chat window as she did so. "I didn't reply to his WeChat, so he came here."

What was supposed to be a private chat window was now laid bare before Zhang Yang.

Junjie Decoration: You're clearly online, why aren't you replying?

Zhang Yang glanced at the chat box and blinked.

Lin Jingmin's cool and beautiful brows furrowed slightly as her fingers slid lightly across the screen, and lines of text appeared rapidly.

"To be honest, if I really cared about you, I would definitely take the initiative to contact you, tell you about my daily life, and share all sorts of trivial things with you."

"Instead of having you constantly asking me what I'm doing, whether I've eaten, or if I'm off work."

"Actually, all my passivity and initiative explain everything."

That means I don't like you.

"Do you understand?"

Zhang Yang held the small body curled up in his arms while looking at the most private chat content in front of him, unsure of what to say.

It's hard to believe that Meng Baihan's brother, who seems quite successful, is like this behind the scenes.

Zhang Yang didn't seem particularly smug.

He was simply puzzled and confused.

Is Meng Mingfeng so desperate for women that he can't find anyone else? Is he really going to hang himself on Xiao Lin's side?

He didn't hide anything and directly brought up the topic with Lin Jingmin.

"I can only describe it in one sentence." Lin Jingmin casually closed the chat box without even glancing at it again.

"What did you say?" Zhang Yang asked curiously.

"The saying goes... what you can't have always stirs your heart, while those who are favored are always fearless." She said, looking at Zhang Yang.

"I get it. It means he can't get it because he can't have it, but who are you talking about, the one who's being favored?" Zhang Yang blinked and asked.

"Is that even a question..." Lin Jingmin tilted her head back, leaned in with her pure and aloof face, and offered passionate kisses again and again.

"Of course, it's you, Mr. Zhang."

"This whole thing has become quite a mess," Zhang Yang said, finding it somewhat absurd.

He glanced at Designer Lin's fair face, which looked both aloof and affectionate, and finally decided not to waste the beautiful afternoon.

Around two or three in the afternoon, Lin Jingmin took a shower, tidied her clothes, and quietly left the room.

Zhang Yang took a leisurely shower and then stood by the window to smoke a cigarette.

Then, he looked down and saw that Meng Baihan had sent him a message.

When are you going back to Magic City?

Zhang Yang found it strange; why would Meng Baihan suddenly contact him?

He replied to the message without thinking.

"I'm not entirely sure, it'll probably be a while."

"Well, a few classmates happened to be on vacation and went back to Yinghai this time, and I was thinking of taking this opportunity to get everyone together," Meng Baihan replied.

"Who are they?" Zhang Yang asked again.

Meng Baihan then named several people.

As expected, they were all among the more outstanding members of that group from back then, and the ones who hung out with Meng Baihan and his friends.

"I think I'll pass. I don't really hang out with them," Zhang Yang said casually.

As for things like using class reunions to gain prestige or anything like that, he wouldn't stoop to doing that now, because he simply doesn't care what those people think of him.

"Huh? You won't even give me a little face?" Meng Baihan asked, slightly disappointed.

"It's not that I'm disrespecting you," Zhang Yang said with a laugh. "The point is, it doesn't matter whether I go or not; they won't miss me."