Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Cold Drink Shop

I scratched my head, embarrassed, and quickly changed the subject, “Sis, let’s order something. The hand-shaved noodles here are pretty good.”
Shi Yu nodded, then called over the waiter, ordered two bowls of hand-shaved noodles, and picked out a couple of side dishes.
“Any news from Yezi lately? Honestly, that guy is always joking around, but if he hasn’t been in touch for so long, I’m starting to worry about him,” I said, gazing at Shi Yu across the table, her short hair framing her delicate face. I sighed, “Sometimes I think life is just full of uncertainty and change. In just a few months, everything feels so different, almost as if nothing is as it once was.”
Shi Yu shook her head and silently watched me for a moment. Then she suddenly smiled, “Chen, I’ve noticed you’ve become more sentimental lately. Compared to how you used to be, you’re much more mature, but you seem to have lost a lot of your joy. Remember when you first came to the bar after your breakup? You were so down, but you still managed to find pleasure even in hardship… People, sometimes, are even more complicated than life itself, aren’t they?”
I pondered Shi Yu’s words and nodded in agreement. I really had lived carelessly before—either lost in reckless fun or deeply repressed, as if I had ignored the transition and peace that should exist between extremes. This change, after all, came from my mindset and circumstances: the arrogance before graduation stemmed from ignorance of the hardships society holds, the bittersweet laughter after heartbreak was thanks to the support of people like Shi Yu, and this current melancholy came from Luo Qing’s arrival and departure, which taught me about life’s complexity and helplessness.
“Is work still exhausting lately?” I sighed inwardly. Perhaps anxious anticipation is the most alluring torment of all.
“About the same as always… But what about you? When are you going to find a proper job? A man who doesn’t seize his time to realize his value will always fall behind. Every girl has a hero in her heart. Only when you become strong enough will everything go smoothly,” Shi Yu’s tone was calm, but I knew the weight behind her words. She had given me so much advice and expectation.
“Is there a hero in your heart too?” I smiled, not daring to make any promises.
“Of course.” Shi Yu looked at me, her long lashes fluttered as she elegantly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“What kind of hero could be worthy of someone like you, Shi Yu?” I was intrigued, wanting to hear what her ‘ideal man’ was like.
“The hero in my heart must be someone who never stops striving, but also always makes me feel safe,” Shi Yu said after a moment of thought.
Her answer left me a little disappointed. Was it really that simple?
“That’s all?”
“Is it easy to achieve?”
“Is it hard?”
Shi Yu and I volleyed questions back and forth, then fell into a mutual silence, finally exchanging a knowing smile.

Who could have guessed that the ideal man of someone as elegant, kind, and beautiful as Shi Yu would be so ordinary? Her words made me reflect on myself, and I couldn’t help but sigh. The things I considered simple, I hadn’t truly accomplished myself—not even the first criterion: never ceasing to strive. I was always someone who went with the flow, and ambition seemed almost unattainable to me.
Soon our hand-shaved noodles arrived. I eagerly picked up my chopsticks, ready to dig in, while Shi Yu, as usual, sat quietly, smiling as she watched me.
“Sis, you should eat too…” I felt a bit embarrassed; every time I noticed Shi Yu smiling as she watched me devour my food, I would instinctively shift from gulping down mouthfuls to taking small, careful bites.
“Mm.” Shi Yu, seeing my awkwardness, picked up a few noodles with her chopsticks and tried a small bite.
Watching Shi Yu savor the noodles so attentively, I reverted to wolfing mine down, demolishing the whole bowl in just a few minutes, while Shi Yu had barely eaten. When I put down my chopsticks and watched her, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she teased me with a smile, “Still holding grudges?”
“Not at all. You make eating look so graceful, Sis. Sometimes I wonder if you were a princess in some royal family in your previous life.”
Shi Yu blushed even more at my words, setting her chopsticks aside and stopping eating.
“Sis, I’ll shut up now. You keep eating, I’ll play on my phone for a bit.” I realized I’d made her self-conscious, and if Shi Yu went hungry because of my nonsense, I’d feel genuinely guilty.
Shi Yu watched as I pretended to scroll through my phone, her lovely jade-like hand gently tapped the table, drawing my attention before she spoke, “Chen, tell me about your plans for the future. I can help you figure things out. If you keep going like this, you’re just wasting your youth—this won’t do.”
Seeing Shi Yu’s serious expression, I dared not joke further. After a moment’s hesitation, I shared my immature thoughts, “Actually… I’ve been thinking about starting my own business, but because of my limitations, a lot of things just aren’t feasible—I can only imagine them.”
“Oh? Tell me more.” Shi Yu seemed interested.
“I originally wanted to open a themed cold drinks shop, but the required startup funds are pretty high, and I don’t have that kind of money.” I spread my hands helplessly.
“A cold drinks shop? How childish…” Shi Yu’s lips curved in a slight smile, but there was no trace of disdain—perhaps she simply thought my idea was naive.
“How is it childish? I believe I can do it well. The technology and equipment aren’t a problem—I can hire specialists, and the equipment doesn’t need to be high-end, it’s easily available anywhere.” I protested.
Shi Yu laughed more happily at my eager defense, “Chen, your idea seems so sudden and absurd. Is there some inside joke I don’t know about? Why insist on a cold drinks shop if you have funds? You know as well as I do that winters in Yichun are freezing. Even if you open, you’ll only make decent income in summer. Seasonal revenue isn’t stable. Shops like that barely get any customers.”
I smiled confidently, “Sis, mine wouldn’t be just a regular cold drinks shop—it’d be a themed cold drinks shop.”

“Themed? You mean… like the bar business model?” Shi Yu finally stopped smiling, tilting her head as she seemed to consider it.
“Exactly. A themed shop opens up a unique marketing approach. Nowadays, most people live repressed, restless lives, unable to enjoy the small pleasures of daily living. Aren’t those perfect themes?” I paused, then continued, “This solves the problem of seasonal sales and creates a distinct brand—a cold drinks shop unique to Yichun.”
Shi Yu finally seemed to accept my idea, nodding as she offered her own thoughts, “Your idea has promise. In Yichun, every industry is highly competitive, but your choice of cold drinks avoids the main competition, which is crucial. That way, your required capital can be greatly reduced, and you won’t have to worry about investing heavily in competition. Just focus on running your own shop well. Later, imitators or competitors with capital may emerge, but by then your reputation will be established in Yichun, and they’ll find it hard to challenge you. Besides, no one would want to spend huge amounts just to fight over a cold drinks shop.”
I couldn’t help but nod in admiration. Shi Yu truly was a talented woman. I’d barely outlined my business model, yet she’d already thought so far ahead—even factoring in profit and competition. Such sharp thinking and intellect—what a waste not to pursue greater ambitions!
“But the problems remain… All the scenarios we discussed depend on your themed shop being well received by customers. If your theme doesn’t earn good reviews, your shop will only end up mediocre.” Shi Yu tapped her lips with her white, jade-like fingers as she spoke.
“That’s why…” I tapped my head with my finger and grinned, “Success depends on what’s inside here.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. How will you solve the funding issue?” Shi Yu’s question instantly crushed my enthusiasm.
I drooped, “I don’t know yet. I’m considering whether to ask my family for help…”
“What’s your budget for launching this themed cold drinks shop?”
“I haven’t calculated exactly… but it’d have to be at least a hundred thousand, I guess.” I sighed—comparing myself to others was frustrating. Luo Qing could casually come up with a hundred thousand, while I couldn’t raise that even if I sold my organs.
“How big a shop are you planning to rent?” Shi Yu asked again.
“Around a hundred and twenty or thirty square meters should be enough. If business goes well, I can expand gradually.” Truthfully, even claiming over a hundred square meters was a bit of an exaggeration. In Yichun, renting a shop that size would cost seventy or eighty thousand a year, plus equipment, staff, and renovation—the hundred thousand I mentioned wouldn’t even come close.
Shi Yu seemed to see through my exaggeration, rhythmically tapping the table as though pondering something. Just as I was sinking into self-pity, Shi Yu suddenly said something that made me jump up in astonishment: “All right, I can lend you two hundred thousand. Remember, it’s a loan, and there are conditions—afterwards, whenever I eat at your shop, it must always be free!”