Joy Plaza

After shopping for clothes, shoes, and bags, the three friends made their way to the beauty section on the first floor. Based on their skin types, Zhao Yaqian recommended a set of skincare products.

As time passed, more people began filling the mall after work.

Li Yuanyuan glanced at Zhao Yaqian, who was eagerly shopping, and couldn't help but remind her, "Maybe that’s enough; if you keep buying, you’ll be eating dirt for the rest of the month!"

"Yep, I’ve got everything I wanted. Now I’ll have new clothes to wear," Zhao Yaqian lifted her shopping bags, inspecting her haul with a look of satisfaction.

Besides the dress, she’d also bought a shawl, a T-shirt, shorts, and a pair of flat sandals, all on sale. Total: 1,780 yuan.

Li Yuanyuan checked the time and said, "It’s already 8 p.m. Let’s decide where to eat."

They’d had bubble tea and some snacks while shopping, so they managed to hold out until now.

"How about fried chicken and beer?" Zhao Yaqian suggested. "The Korean fried chicken place you took me to last time—it was delicious."

Li Yuanyuan immediately agreed, "Sounds perfect! It’s been a while since I’ve had some."

Jiang Zimu checked her phone and said, "Just a few more minutes. Zhang Wensheng heard we’re out, so he wants to join us. He should be here soon."

Hearing Zhang Wensheng’s name, Zhao Yaqian paused, then nodded, "Alright."

She and Zhang Wensheng were on good terms, having known each other since high school. She’d even borrowed money from him once.

Having dinner together wouldn’t be a big deal. The only issue was that now she had a boyfriend, so she’d have to keep a respectful distance to avoid any misunderstandings.

"Ring, ring—" Her phone started ringing.

Jiang Zimu quickly answered it.

"Hey, where are you now?"

"Alright, we’ll wait for you by the North Gate."

After hanging up, she smiled at her friends, "Zhang Wensheng is just two blocks away. Let’s go meet him."

Li Yuanyuan hooked her arm around Zhao Yaqian, "Alright, let’s go get some fried chicken!"

Walking out of the mall, they were greeted by a warm night breeze. The sky was dotted with stars, and the square was lit up with vibrant colors, bustling with people.

Among the crowd were couples embracing, holding hands, or even sharing a kiss.

Seeing this, Zhao Yaqian couldn't help but think of Tang Song. She really wanted to go on a romantic date with him in a place like this.

She took out her phone and snapped a selfie with the lively square as a backdrop, sending it to Tang Song with a message, "Brother Song, still working late? It’s so lively here. When will we come here together?"

While they waited by the roadside for Zhang Wensheng, her phone buzzed with a message notification.

[Tang Song: "Qianqian, you look gorgeous. Got a lot of work tonight. You’re at Joy Plaza?"]

Zhao Yaqian quickly replied, "Yes! I bought some new clothes. I’ll wear them for you next time. We’re just heading for fried chicken."

[Tang Song: "Which restaurant? If I finish early, I’ll come join you."]

Beaming with a big smile, she sent him her location.

---

"Why is this light taking so long?" Zhang Wensheng muttered impatiently, staring at the crowded intersection.

Just a turn away from Joy Plaza, and he was stuck here.

His roommate Du Guangyin snapped a photo, sending it to their dorm group chat with the message: "Almost there! I’ll send you guys a pic soon."

The group chat erupted instantly. Zhang Wensheng had been boasting about his gorgeous high school junior, saying how beautiful she was, but he always refused to show them a picture, keeping her identity tightly guarded.

Zhang Wensheng rolled his eyes, ignoring the messages. He focused on the brightly lit Joy Plaza, gripping the steering wheel as he thought about how to make the coolest entrance.

As he imagined his grand arrival, the traffic slowly started moving. He made the turn and was almost there.

Sitting up straight, he ran a hand through his hair, scanning the curb as he drove.

After a bit, a tall, stunning figure came into view, and Zhang Wensheng’s face broke into an excited smile.

"Is that your ‘goddess’?" Du Guangyin asked, lifting his phone toward the window. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ N()velFire.net

Ignoring him, Zhang Wensheng honked twice.

Beep beep— The crisp sound of his horn drew attention as he angled his beloved LingShuai to the curb in its most flattering pose.

In the passenger seat, Du Guangyin noticed the three girls on the sidewalk. He recognized Jiang Zimu but not the others.

His eyes quickly locked onto the tallest girl, dressed in a floral dress, her long black hair slightly tousled by the evening breeze. Her bare, long legs were shapely and toned, exuding a natural allure that instantly captured his attention.

He gulped and took a quick photo. Her figure and looks were even better than the influencers he’d seen online, but this was no filter—he was seeing it firsthand!

He blurted out, "D*mn! No wonder you kept this so secret—she’s stunning!"

Zhang Wensheng smirked in satisfaction. Without turning off the engine, he shifted to neutral, pulled the handbrake, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the car.

With a big grin, he waved, "Qianqian, good evening! It’s been a few months. You’re looking more beautiful and mature."

"Good evening, Zhang Wensheng." She smiled, glancing at the car parked in front of them. "Did you drive here? Is this your car?"

Leaning against the hood, Zhang Wensheng replied, "Yep, just got it a few days ago. Figured I’d take you three lovely ladies for a spin and save you a cab."

Zhao Yaqian gave him a thumbs-up, genuinely impressed. "That’s awesome! The car looks really cool. Did you have it modified?"

"Sure did—this is a LingShuai with a Mitsubishi EVO kit. It’s a perfect car for young people." Zhang Wensheng looked at her, feeling a mix of nostalgia and excitement.

Owning a car in college, even if it was second-hand, was already a pretty big deal. His dorm mates were so envious they jokingly started calling him “Dad,” begging for rides.

Of course, it came at a cost: insurance, repairs, maintenance, and gas would add up fast. Since he didn’t want to ask his family for money, he’d have to pick up some side gigs. But it was all worth it.

Now that he had a car, he could take Zhao Yaqian on trips and visit her more often.

Li Yuanyuan teased, "Hey, there are two other girls here too! Aren't you going to greet us?"

"Oh, right! Good evening, Yuanyuan, Zimu." He laughed awkwardly, motioning toward the passenger seat.

As Du Guangyin climbed out, Zhang Wensheng introduced him, "This is my roommate, Du Guangyin. He hasn’t had dinner yet, so he came along."

Du Guangyin gave a shy nod, "Good evening."

"Hello," both Li Yuanyuan and Jiang Zimu greeted him.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Wensheng patted his car, grinning, "Hop in, beautiful ladies. Just tell me where you want to eat, and I’ll drive you there."

"Definitely need to check out your new ride!"

"Let’s go to the Korean fried chicken place near campus."

The three girls opened the back doors and climbed in.

The car wasn’t very spacious, but with Li Yuanyuan and Jiang Zimu both under 170 cm, they fit fine. However, the tall Zhao Yaqian had to adjust, tilting and folding her long legs to sit comfortably.

She curiously examined the retro-styled interior. It was clearly an older car.

Bang! The door shut firmly.

"Off we go!"

With his "goddess" sitting behind him, Zhang Wensheng felt the urge to show off a bit.

Leaning back, he gripped the wheel with his left hand, released the handbrake with his right, then smirked as he shifted into first gear, pressing the clutch.

The engine growled in a deep rumble.

Sputter— A dissonant sound echoed as the car stalled.

(⊙o⊙)… Embarrassed, Zhang Wensheng scratched his head and mumbled, "New car, still breaking it in—it does that sometimes."

Jiang Zimu chuckled, "Manuals can be tricky. No worries."

Li Yuanyuan and Zhao Yaqian also offered a few comforting words.

Quickly regaining his composure, Zhang Wensheng started the car again, now carefully releasing the clutch and easing the gas.

The car’s yellowish halogen lights illuminated the road ahead.

---

Songmei Fashion

Tang Song stretched, standing up from his office chair.

His day had been packed with meetings, a photo shoot, and focusing on secondary development of the OA system.

Using ready-made code, he’d managed to deploy it with a few adjustments through Docker on his server without any major issues.

He had also updated the new UI for

Shimmer Coffee’s mini-program.

Sipping water, he strolled to the floor-to-ceiling window.

The city lights mingled with distant starlight, and a line of headlights formed a glowing path.

Knock, knock, knock— A soft knock sounded.

"Come in," Tang Song turned around.

Gao Mengting entered with a smile, "Everything’s set up. We did a trial run earlier—equipment and processes are all good."

"Great job," Tang Song smiled, spreading his arms. "How about a hug?"

"No, thank you!" Gao Mengting rolled her eyes. "I'm clocking out. Bye!"

"See you tomorrow. Bye!"

Watching his partner leave, Tang Song picked up his phone and opened his chat with Zhao Yaqian. He hadn’t had time to check in on her lately.

Seeing her radiant face and attractive figure in the photo, he smiled in admiration.

As a hard-working beauty consultant, she had just gotten her promotion. It was time to pay her a visit.

Plus, she was wearing a skirt today—perfect for some close contact.

Gathering his belongings, he grabbed his keys and left the office.

The workspace was mostly empty now, with only He Liting and live-stream manager Zhao Zhiming finalizing tomorrow’s content and engagement details.

After a few words of encouragement, Tang Song exited the building and took the elevator down to B1.

"Preparing to depart. Please proceed to the underground parking exit," the GPS announced as his Mercedes S450L smoothly left the garage, joining the bustling night traffic, becoming part of Yan City’s sparkling skyline.