Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 491

“Okay!”

This wasn’t a big deal for Xu Xiuwen.

He had planned to do so anyway.

Hearing Xu Xiuwen agree, Fei Yang’s face immediately lit up with a smile.

Fei Yang said, “Mr. Xu, shall we head back now?”

Xu Xiuwen glanced at the time and said, “No rush. It’s getting late, so let’s have lunch first before signing the contract.”

Neither Fei Yang nor Qiao Yumin objected.

The three of them then went to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

Xu Xiuwen ordered the dishes, but Fei Yang insisted on paying.

It wasn’t that Xu Xiuwen was trying to take advantage of the situation; it was just that Fei Yang was adamant about treating them, and Xu Xiuwen couldn’t refuse.

Xu Xiuwen understood that it was all because the house had been sold, and Fei Yang stood to earn a decent commission.

So, eating a free lunch felt perfectly justified—after all, the wool comes from the sheep’s back.

As lunch was about to wrap up, Qiao Yumin, who had been silent the entire time, finally couldn’t hold back.

“Mr. Xu, may I ask you something?”

During the meal, Qiao Yumin had been wearing a slightly tense expression, clearly preoccupied.

Xu Xiuwen had noticed but, not being the type to pry, didn’t ask.

“What is it?”

Qiao Yumin asked, “Mr. Xu, you mentioned earlier that you plan to open a coffee shop. Will you personally manage it?”

Xu Xiuwen shook his head. “No, I study in Jinling and don’t have the time to stay here. I plan to hire some staff.”

“Have you hired anyone yet?”

“Not yet. I plan to recruit after I secure the property.”

Hearing this, Qiao Yumin subtly breathed a sigh of relief.

She suddenly smiled and said, “Mr. Xu, I know this may sound presumptuous, but I’d really like to recommend someone to you. She’s a professional barista with SCAE certification and a barista vocational skills certificate, and she’s genuinely passionate about this field.”

Xu Xiuwen didn’t think it was presumptuous at all.

After all, as long as someone was qualified, it didn’t matter who they were.

He nodded and said, “When would she be available? Why don’t you give me her contact information so I can meet her?”

“Mr. Xu, she’s available now, and her home is nearby. If you’re okay with it, I can call her over right away.”

“Okay! Go ahead and call her.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yumin was delighted. She excitedly stepped outside to make the call.

By now, the meal was nearly finished.

But to wait for the barista recommended by Qiao Yumin, Xu Xiuwen decided to linger a bit longer.

Another ten minutes passed.

Suddenly, Qiao Yumin stood up and waved toward the door. “Luoxin, over here!”

At the restaurant entrance, Qiao Luoxin smiled and called back, “Sister Yumin.”

Her voice was cool and composed.

Soon, a tall girl came into Xu Xiuwen’s view.

Xu Xiuwen glanced at her.

The girl had medium-length hair, neither long nor short.

She wore a simple black T-shirt on top, paired with white wide-leg pants and sneakers.

Her makeup was understated, complementing the cold and restrained aura she exuded.

As for whether she was attractive—there was no doubt about it.

She was stunning.

The pure black fitted T-shirt, paired with the pure white wide-leg pants, created an eye-catching contrast. The snug top and loose bottom style highlighted her figure beautifully.

And as everyone knows, if a girl is well-endowed on top, a plain black shirt can make her stand out effortlessly.

This made her appear less full-figured.

Such is the slimming effect of black clothing.

Yet, even in a black T-shirt, the girl standing before them still looked exceptionally well-endowed. Clearly, she had the real deal.

However, Xu Xiuwen had seen plenty of beautiful women and was long past being fazed by such sights.

He merely glanced at her briefly before turning to the starry-eyed Fei Yang and said, “Let’s go. Time to head to the shop and sign the contract.”

“Uh… sure, Mr. Xu.”

Fei Yang was momentarily stunned.

He had assumed Xu Xiuwen would chat with the beautiful newcomer first.

Both Qiao Yumin and Qiao Luoxin were also caught off guard.

Just as Qiao Luoxin was about to say something, Qiao Yumin subtly tugged at her sleeve.

Qiao Luoxin turned to meet Qiao Yumin’s gaze, which stopped her from speaking further.

The four of them then headed to the real estate agency.

When they arrived, the two staff members they had encountered earlier were still there, casually chatting.

Seeing the group return, the two staff members froze for a moment.

Zhao Jie, in particular, was confused about why Xu Xiuwen and the others had come back.

In his mind, after seeing the property and learning the price, Xu Xiuwen should have dismissed the idea of purchasing it and found some excuse to leave.

The thought that Xu Xiuwen would actually return with Fei Yang hadn’t even crossed his mind.

Fortunately, Fei Yang cleared up his confusion.

As soon as Fei Yang entered, he smiled and said to Zhao Jie, “Brother Zhao, Mr. Xu has decided to buy the shop on Jinling West Road, and he wants to sign the contract right now.”

Zhao Jie’s eyes widened in shock, his face full of disbelief.

He knew the price of that shop—2.6 million yuan!

Xu Xiuwen had only taken a quick look at it.

Not even two hours had passed, and he had already decided to buy it?

Zhao Jie struggled to accept the reality. Unable to hold back, he blurted out, “That’s impossible. How could he afford that shop?”

The moment those words left his mouth, his colleague, Fei Yang, and Qiao Yumin were all stunned.

Even if you’re doubtful, how could you say it out loud?

What if you offend the client and he decides not to buy it?

Xu Xiuwen didn’t know where Zhao Jie’s initial disdain for him came from.

It was probably some form of prejudice.

But he didn’t care.

Hearing Zhao Jie’s remark, Xu Xiuwen didn’t get angry. He simply smiled faintly.

That smile seemed to trigger Zhao Jie further, prompting him to say something even more shocking:

“Stop joking. How could a country bumpkin like him afford a commercial property?”

This time, Zhao Jie spoke in a dialect.

Xu Xiuwen couldn’t fully understand it, but he caught the term “country bumpkin” loud and clear.

“Heh…”

A soft, cold laugh escaped him, barely noticeable.

Xu Xiuwen ignored Zhao Jie’s doubts entirely.

He turned to the visibly flustered Fei Yang and said, “Go prepare the contract. I have other things to do later.”

Fei Yang nodded quickly and went to get the paperwork ready.

The property owner soon arrived at the agency.

Before signing, Xu Xiuwen carefully reviewed the contract, pointing out areas that needed clarification. He also examined the owner’s ID, property deed, and other documents.

Once he confirmed everything was in order, he signed the contract.

After signing, Xu Xiuwen headed to the bank with the real estate agent and the property owner to complete the transfer.

Afterward, Fei Yang returned to the agency alone.

Another colleague asked, “Where are they?”

Fei Yang replied, “They’ve left.”

“The transfer’s complete?”

“All done!”

It was only then that Zhao Jie calmed down.

Xu Xiuwen really bought the shop?

He actually had the money?

Zhao Jie suddenly felt his heart bleeding.

The commission on that property was nearly 10,000 yuan.

If he had sold it himself, that 10,000 yuan would have been his.

But now, it had gone to Fei Yang.

What hurt him the most was that this client was someone he had personally pushed away.

Zhao Jie wished he could slap himself in the face!

But he couldn’t figure it out.

How could a so-called “country bumpkin” afford to buy such a shop?

After all, even he couldn’t.

—

After completing the bank transfer, Xu Xiuwen parted ways with Fei Yang.

He headed back with Qiao Yumin to her agency to sign another contract.

Qiao Luoxin followed along the entire time.

Xu Xiuwen had yet to exchange a single word with her.

On the cab ride back, Qiao Yumin mulled things over and finally decided to apologize to Xu Xiuwen.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Xu.”

“For what?”

“Zhao Jie’s attitude earlier wasn’t great. I want to apologize on his behalf.”

Only then did Xu Xiuwen understand the reason for her apology.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind. And there’s no need for you to apologize for him. You’ve done nothing wrong. In fact, I should thank you—thanks to you, I was able to find a shop I’m happy with.”

Qiao Yumin shook her head and said, “Zhao Jie is someone who’s always been full of himself. He looks down on outsiders. But not everyone is like that. Many people here warmly welcome people from other places to live and work here.”

Xu Xiuwen nodded without saying much.

The cab driver, who had been listening in, chimed in, “The young lady is right. Some people are a bit prejudiced, but most folks are welcoming. People like me, for instance, love it when outsiders come here! The more people come, the more rides I can get. Isn’t that right?”

The three passengers were amused by the driver’s comment and burst into laughter.

After the laughter faded, Xu Xiuwen turned to look out the window.

He hadn’t taken Zhao Jie’s behavior to heart at all.

No individual can represent an entire city.

In any city, there are always both good and bad people.

Xu Xiuwen had a favorable impression of Shanghai.

The city was open, bustling, and full of history.

—

Before long, the cab arrived at their destination.

Xu Xiuwen followed Qiao Yumin into the agency.

The property owner had arrived ahead of them.

They repeated the same process as before.

After reviewing the contract and verifying the documents, Xu Xiuwen quickly signed it.

Once the transfer was complete, they returned to the agency.

It was then that Xu Xiuwen seemed to remember Qiao Luoxin.

He walked over to where she was sitting and said softly, “Hello, I’m Xu Xiuwen.”

“Hello, I’m Qiao Luoxin.”

Qiao Luoxin immediately stood up.

Xu Xiuwen extended his hand.

She glanced at it briefly before reaching out to shake his hand.

Xu Xiuwen’s eyes widened slightly. “You’re also a Qiao?”

Qiao Luoxin nodded. “Yes.”

“And what’s your relationship with Miss Qiao here?”

“She’s my cousin.”

No wonder the first thing she said when she appeared was to call her “Sister Yumin.”

It turned out the two were indeed relatives—cousins, to be exact.

This discovery amused Xu Xiuwen.

Qiao Yumin and Qiao Luoxin were cousins.

Logically speaking, since they shared a bloodline, they should resemble each other to some extent.

But in reality, Qiao Yumin looked more like a younger Tao Hong, while Qiao Luoxin bore a striking resemblance to Zhang Xinyu.

At first glance, Xu Xiuwen didn’t notice the similarity. But the longer he looked, the more he found it uncanny.

Both had willow-leaf eyebrows, big eyes, high nose bridges, cherry lips, and oval faces.

Their eyes, in particular, stood out—they had more visible sclera, which was very similar.

Xu Xiuwen once heard a saying:

If a woman’s eyes have more visible white, it means she has a strong desire in certain aspects.

Moreover, women with more sclera are said to be ruthless, calculating, and less likely to remain faithful in relationships.

Xu Xiuwen wasn’t sure how reliable that theory was.

It probably wasn’t reliable at all.

After all, Qiao Luoxin’s eyes had more visible white, but her overall demeanor exuded a cool and restrained air—none of that flirtatious energy.

Returning to the point:

Though Qiao Yumin and Qiao Luoxin were cousins, their looks were quite different, which mildly surprised Xu Xiuwen, but that was all.

Xu Xiuwen didn’t beat around the bush. He went straight to the point and asked, “Your cousin says you’re a professional barista?”

“Yes. I have an SCAE certificate and a barista skills certification, and I’ve worked at Starbucks for two years.”

Qiao Luoxin looked quite young.

Xu Xiuwen guessed that if she had attended university, she must have just graduated—no more than a year ago.

But then she claimed to have worked at Starbucks for two years.

Xu Xiuwen’s first reaction was that she was lying.

However, he didn’t expose her immediately. Instead, he calmly asked, “Which university did you graduate from?”

“Shanghai Normal University.”

“What year?”

“Class of ’22.”

When Qiao Luoxin said she was a 2022 graduate from Shanghai Normal University, it confirmed his suspicions.

She had just graduated this year.

So she must have been lying earlier.

Xu Xiuwen continued asking, “You said you worked at Starbucks for two years, but didn’t you just graduate?”

Qiao Luoxin explained, “Yes. I started working part-time at Starbucks during my junior year and continued until I graduated, which totaled two years. After graduation, I didn’t continue the job.”

Hearing her explanation, Xu Xiuwen realized it had been a misunderstanding.

He couldn’t help but ask, “You were a student at Shanghai Normal University. What made you decide to work part-time at Starbucks for two years? Were you short on money?”

Qiao Luoxin shook her head. “Shanghai Normal University was my parents’ choice. I wasn’t interested in it myself. I love making coffee, so I started working at Starbucks part-time. I earned all my certificates while working there.”

“Then why didn’t you continue? You’ve just graduated, after all.”

Qiao Luoxin replied, “Well, my parents wanted me to join them in the U.S. They didn’t want me to stay in China alone, so I had to resign.”

“I see,” Xu Xiuwen nodded.

At this point, Qiao Luoxin began asking questions of her own.

“I heard you’re opening a coffee shop?”

“That’s right.”

“What kind of coffee shop are you planning to open? A franchise, or are you creating your own brand?”

“I want to open my own coffee shop.”

After Xu Xiuwen finished speaking, he noticed the corners of Qiao Luoxin’s mouth curl up slightly.

But the smile disappeared in an instant, leaving him unsure if he had imagined it.

“What stage are you at now?” she asked.

“Heh, to be honest, aside from the shop I just bought, I haven’t prepared anything else.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“A plan? My idea is to first find a renovation company to redesign and remodel the space, then start hiring and training staff.”

“Quite a thorough plan.”

Xu Xiuwen froze.

Why did that sound a bit sarcastic?

Was he overthinking it?

Qiao Luoxin continued, “How much do you know about running a coffee shop?”

“Not much,” he admitted.

“Then why do you want to open one? Are you a coffee enthusiast?”

Xu Xiuwen shook his head. “No, I don’t dislike it, but I wouldn’t say I love it either. I just want to open a coffee shop to make money.”

Qiao Luoxin found his answer amusing.