Stop Chasing the School Belle, My Shy Deskmate is Sweet and Soft - Chapter 78

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.

Then, as usual, Ye Ningyu’s soft voice came through:

“S-sorry, Xia Tian… I’ve been taking care of my mom these past two days, so… I haven’t logged into QQ.”

“Hmm? Is Auntie’s condition getting worse?”

“N-no, not at all. I’ve been taking her out for some fresh air.”

“Then why didn’t you have time in the evenings?”

“Sometimes I work on problems, and I lose track of time…”

“Don’t let it happen again. Tomorrow, come boating with me at the park. In the afternoon, we’ll head to school together.”

At this point, there was another pause on the other end.

After a few seconds, Ye Ningyu spoke again.

“Um… I have to buy medicine for my mom tomorrow.”

“Alright then. Tomorrow evening, I’ll see you at school.”

“Mm… Goodbye, Xia Tian.”

After hanging up, Xia Tian stared at his phone, feeling like something was off.

But as he replayed Little Ye’s words in his head, he couldn’t pinpoint what exactly felt wrong.

—

May 3rd was the last day of the May Day holiday.

That evening, students would return to school for self-study, with only 34 days left until the college entrance exams.

Just after finishing lunch, Xia Tian received a call from Tang Hao.

“Boss, someone else is here to discuss collaboration…”

“I’m not going over. Just give them the franchise contract. If they’re not happy with it, let them walk.”

Xia Tian spoke nonchalantly.

At this stage, he only wanted franchisees, as they would provide him with a steady stream of passive income.

To save himself some hassle, Xia Tian had entrusted Tang Hao with handling all the contracts.

Of course, Xia Tian had promised Tang Hao a 2% commission on the museum he managed.

“Uh, Boss, I think you should come this time. I told him about the contract, but he insists on meeting you in person…”

Xia Tian squinted. “Fine. Have him wait for me at the café. I’ll be there soon.”

“Got it.”

After ending the call with Tang Hao, Xia Tian thought for a moment.

Since he had to be at school by 5 p.m., going back and forth to change into his uniform and grab his school bag might cut it too close.

He decided to just get ready now and head straight to school after the meeting.

As he changed his clothes, he muttered to himself:

“Haven’t seen Little Ye in three days. I really miss her. I’m gonna pinch her cheeks until I’m satisfied!”

With that, Xia Tian rode his bike to the museum.

Tang Hao was waiting for him and immediately escorted him to the café.

“Boss, the person who wants to meet you is named Jiang Jianwei. He owns about half of the courier stations in Beian and has quite a bit of influence.”

“Jiang Jianwei?”

“Yes.”

Hearing the name, Xia Tian raised an eyebrow.

He vaguely remembered Jiang Jianwei.

In his previous life, during the middle stages of his entrepreneurial journey, Xia Tian had attended a business dinner with some bigwigs and met this man.

“Huh… So the butterfly effect brought someone like him to notice me?”

Muttering to himself, Xia Tian walked into the café.

The moment Jiang Jianwei saw Xia Tian, he stood up and extended his hand.

“Mr. Xia, hello! I’m Jiang Jianwei. I’ve heard so much about you. You’re just as young and promising as the rumors say!”

“Mr. Jiang, you flatter me.”

Xia Tian was slightly surprised.

Unlike the other franchisees, Jiang Jianwei didn’t show the same look of shock upon seeing how young Xia Tian was.

It was as if Jiang Jianwei had already done his homework and knew everything about Xia Tian.

Even now, with Xia Tian still wearing his school uniform and carrying a backpack, Jiang Jianwei didn’t seem the least bit surprised.

“Mr. Xia, let’s not beat around the bush. Unlike the others who’ve approached you recently, I’m not here to discuss a franchise. I think that’s pointless.

I know you’re not interested in taking on investors to open branches, but I’d like to give it a shot anyway. I can consistently provide new ideas for improving the Heartbreak Museum if you’re willing to accept my investment.

You’re a smart young man, so I’m sure you realize that continuing with your current model won’t maximize your profits.”

Xia Tian looked at Jiang Jianwei without responding immediately.

But in his mind, he’d already made a decision.

This was exactly the kind of person he’d been waiting for—someone not focused on short-term gains.

Xia Tian’s goal was to generate continuous income from the Heartbreak Museum. If he had accepted investments from the people who had approached him over the past two days, he would’ve had to constantly come up with new ideas to keep the museum innovative.

That wasn’t what Xia Tian wanted.

Now that Jiang Jianwei had brought up this very issue, Xia Tian knew it was time to sell the museum.

From the very beginning, Xia Tian had planned to sell the Heartbreak Museum.

His goal was to secure a large sum of money in a short period—at least 400,000 yuan.

Relying on the museum to slowly accumulate this amount wasn’t feasible. The only way to achieve his goal quickly was to sell it outright.

“Heh, Mr. Jiang, you’re quite straightforward. So let me be honest with you as well—I’m not looking for any investors for this museum. I’m willing to sell it to you directly.”

“What? Sell it to me?”

Jiang Jianwei had prepared a whole speech before coming, but he hadn’t expected Xia Tian to make such an offer.

This kid really doesn’t play by the rules!

“That’s right. Sell it to you directly.”

“Why?”

“Because I never intended to keep it. I only rented the venue for two months, and there are just over ten days left on the lease. As you can see, I’m still a high school student, about to take my college entrance exams.

After that, I’ll be heading to university and won’t have time to manage the museum. If it stays in my hands, it’ll slowly die, and it’ll also distract me from my studies.”

“After all, my dream is to explore the vast ocean of knowledge and academics.”

Jiang Jianwei was even more taken aback.

The Heartbreak Museum only had a two-month lease?!

He wanted to probe further, but then he remembered all the information he’d gathered before coming. He knew how many investors Xia Tian had turned away over the past two days. The fact that Xia Tian was willing to sell to him now was a golden opportunity.

He immediately asked, “How much are you asking for?”

“It’s not expensive—200,000 yuan will do. Since you’re interested in investing, I’m sure you’ve looked into my daily revenue. Even if the hype dies down, you’ll break even within two months. Plus, I’ve already signed so many franchise deals over the past few days. With each new branch, you’ll earn more.”

“However, there’s one additional condition: After selling you the museum, I must retain 10% of the revenue from all franchisees’ museums.”

Jiang Jianwei immediately refused.

“Impossible! I can agree to the 200,000 yuan, but I can’t accept the 10% ongoing revenue share. If you think 200,000 is too low, I can add another 100,000.”

“Don’t be so quick to refuse. The 10% share will gradually decrease by 2% each month, and after five months, I won’t take anything.”

Xia Tian’s tone remained calm.

He had already planned this out.

The money he would get from selling the museum, along with what he’d earned over the past few days, would partially go toward paying for Little Ye’s mother’s surgery after the college entrance exams.

The rest would be invested in July, with returns expected in November. That meant there would be a five-month gap where he’d need a source of income.

The 10% share would keep him afloat during that time.

Hearing Xia Tian’s explanation, Jiang Jianwei’s expression softened.

After a long moment of consideration, he agreed.

Because he, too, had his ambitions.

He firmly believed that taking over the country’s first Heartbreak Museum would multiply its revenue several times over.

Still, he hadn’t expected Xia Tian to plan on selling it from the start.

“Alright, but I need to tell you something… Two months ago, I signed an agreement with the venue’s owner stating that after the lease expires, the monthly rent will increase tenfold from the initial 8,000 yuan.”

“What the fuck?!”

Jiang Jianwei couldn’t help but curse.

Eighty thousand yuan a month for rent? Are you kidding me?

“Ahem, don’t get worked up. It’s only that high for the first month. You can negotiate with the venue owner after that. I started this museum from scratch, and all my money went into renovations. Without that agreement, the museum wouldn’t have gotten off the ground.”

Xia Tian smiled awkwardly.

Jiang Jianwei finally calmed down and took another look at Xia Tian.

When he first learned that the Heartbreak Museum’s owner was a high school student, he had been shocked.

Now, after this negotiation, he was increasingly impressed by the boy’s sharp business mind.

“Alright. I guess I’m the sucker in this deal… But whatever, 80,000 yuan is just pocket change for me. When do we sign the contract?”

“I’m ready anytime, but before we sign, you need to transfer the money to me first.”

To ensure there were no risks, Xia Tian insisted on confirming the payment before signing the contract.

Otherwise, all his efforts over the past month would have been for nothing, and he’d miss his one shot at jumping to success.

Jiang Jianwei nodded. “Alright, let’s exchange contact information. I’ll reach out once the funds are ready.”

—

Xia Tian arrived at his seat just as the bell for evening self-study rang.

But Ye Ningyu’s seat was empty.

Her backpack wasn’t in the desk slot, either.

“Hmm? Little Ye isn’t here yet?”

Xia Tian was surprised.

No matter the occasion, Little Ye was always the first to sit in her seat.

Today, she was late?

When something’s off, there’s gotta be a reason!

Xia Tian immediately went to the restroom, found a quiet stall, and called Ye Ningyu.

Her voice came through quickly.

“X-Xia Tian…”

“Why aren’t you at school tonight? Did something happen?”

“N-no… I went to buy medicine for my mom and got on the wrong bus. I’m… still on my way.”

“Seriously? How do you even get on the wrong bus? How much longer will it take?”

After a pause, her voice became even softer. “I… I already called Mr. Wang to ask for leave. I won’t be coming to school tonight… I need to take the medicine home to my mom.”

“You’re not coming?”

“Mm…”

Xia Tian was silent for a few seconds, his brow furrowing.

When he had called Little Ye last time, he had felt something was off. That feeling was even stronger now.

It wasn’t her first time buying medicine.

So how could it be that, coincidentally after not seeing him for three days, she got on the wrong bus while buying medicine?

How could it all line up so perfectly?