The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

Sister Lan brought coffee to the group. The small porcelain saucer and the coffee cup on it were decorated with flowers and smelled delicious.

Then she handed Ye Shu a booklet and told him to choose the fabric and style first, and then take his measurements later.

Ye Shu rarely wears suits. He's only worn one suit in his entire life, which was at the school's job fair after graduating from university. He bought that suit for 400 yuan, but he never got to use it.

However, although he couldn't distinguish between Italian and British styles, he had eyes. Those two holes under his eyebrows weren't for breathing, so couldn't he tell which one looked better?

He and Xiaoxue sat together, placed the booklet in the middle, and their heads were close together as they began to discuss which set looked better.

Qin Lili sat on the sofa next to her, crossing her legs and chatting with Sister Lan like an old man. The zipper of her sun protection clothing was open, revealing a black sports vest underneath.

The two started chatting about ten years ago when Sister Lan had just taken over the shop, mentioning that Qin Lili used to come here to have her dress altered when she was still wearing white dresses, and then jumping to how she suddenly disappeared a few years ago without even making a phone call.

Ye Shu was studying the pattern of the clothes when she heard Sister Lan sigh and tap her coffee cup with her red fingernails:

"It's been so many years, you should let go by now. Drifting around like this, when will it ever end? You know in your heart that he's already..."

Let's not talk about that now.

Qin Lili interrupted him abruptly, took a deep breath, and unconsciously scratched her leg with her right hand, leaving several red marks.

Seeing this, Sister Lan could only shake her head and say nothing more. She simply took a sip of her coffee, leaving a faint lipstick mark on the cup.

Ye Shu heard everything clearly from the side. He remembered the first time he met Qin Lili. When they were drinking, Xia Qing seemed to have described what their first meeting was like.

According to Sister Xia Qing, Qin Lili used to be a rich young lady. Back then, she wore white dresses and had a gentle personality. The contrast with her current appearance—tanned with a wheatish complexion, blue-tipped hair, and a wild beauty—is quite striking.

As for who this "he" they were talking about is? What happened to him?

Considering the context, Ye Shu felt that Qin Lili's personality had become the way it is now, and that was directly related to him!

Ye Shu silently pushed up his air glasses on the bridge of his nose. There was only one truth! That was... none of his business.

Why are you meddling in Lili's private affairs?

Ye Shu isn't some saintly, warm-hearted, centrally-connected person who rushes to his aid whenever someone is troubled.

Everyone has their own way of living; the right way is to mind your own business and not meddle in other people's lives.

As the old saying goes, people are too busy crying over their own ancestral graves to have time to cry over mass graves.

Ye Shu sighed. He decided to focus on picking out a suit with Xiaoxue. Other people's business was their business and had nothing to do with him.

"There don't seem to be many people here."

Qin Lili changed the subject from Sister Lan, glancing around the shop with her chin and saying:

"I walked here surrounded by big brands, aren't you afraid of being squeezed out and going bankrupt?"

Sister Lan smiled and put the cup down:

"My little shop has been on this street for twelve years. The surrounding signs have changed time and time again, but I've managed to stay afloat. What do you think is the reason?"

"Cheap and affordable?"

Ye Shu, who was looking at the brochure, suddenly spoke up. He had been drawn to Lan Jie's words earlier. Why has she been in business for so many years among so many big brands?

Sister Lan was amused by Ye Shu's comment about it being cheap and affordable; her earrings even swayed when she laughed.

"Little brother, if you're just strolling around this street, who cares whose shop is cheaper?"

Ye Shu felt a little embarrassed by what was said. Indeed, if Qin Lili hadn't brought him here, he would never have appeared on this street in his entire life.

If someone really wanted a cheap place, they wouldn't come here at all.

Seeing his expression, Sister Lan smiled even more, leaned back on the sofa, and said:

To put it simply, it boils down to two words: feelings.

Feelings... Ye Shu seemed to understand, but also seemed not to understand; he was currently in a state of half-understanding.

Seeing Ye Shu's somewhat dazed expression, Sister Lan continued:

"I'm not bragging, but I know 70% of the people who come to this street regularly. They are all my regular customers."

Seventy percent... Ye Shu might not have thought much of it before, but now that he has taken over Corner Tea House, he is a little shocked to hear that seventy percent of the customers are repeat customers.

Sister Lan continued speaking from the other side:

"However, this is a suit shop, and most people don't come here to buy suits often. But they will introduce their relatives and friends, like you. The reason I've been able to stay here for so many years is not because of any marketing gimmicks, but because of the high quality of my products. Customers trust me and are willing to give me their business."

Yes! That's it!

Ye Shu suddenly understood. Back when Corner Tea House became popular because of Chen San San's video, although the doorstep was almost worn down by the crowds of customers every day, he always felt uneasy.

So that's what was wrong!

Although Uncle An had told him about it before, he hadn't figured it out at the time. He was only thinking about how to fully capitalize on this wave of benefits.

But this is not the state he wants. What he wants is not a fleeting moment of glory, but a steady, enduring flow that can be simmered into a fine soup over time.

The calm and composed atmosphere in Sister Lan's shop is exactly the state he desires.

Thinking of this, his gaze towards Sister Lan changed. He let down his guard and his eyes were filled with admiration and a sense of having learned something.

Seeing the change in his expression, Sister Lan chuckled and teased:

"What's this, little brother? You've come here to learn from me?"

"He owns a small coffee shop."

Qin Lili, who was drinking coffee beside her, chimed in.

"Yes, Sister Lan is welcome to come anytime. I'll treat you to coffee."

Ye Shu quickly nodded in agreement.

"That's great, I'll definitely go."

That sounds like Lan Jie's catchphrase.

However, the following short conversation was just polite talk, since in Ye Shu's mind, no one would travel this far just to have a coffee.

The two of them considered this matter closed, and Qin Lili started chatting with Sister Lan about things that had happened over the years.

Ye Shu stopped listening to their conversation, her mind filled with the phrase "a steady, long-term relationship."

He looked down to continue flipping through the booklet, but when he turned his head, he saw Xiaoxue looking at him with a resentful expression, as if something had happened to her.

Seriously? You're jealous of this too?

Ye Shu found it amusing and winked at her.

Xiaoxue simply ignored him and instead lowered her head, pretending to look at the booklet. She then very lightly kicked Ye Shu's foot with her toe.

Ye Shu quickly grasped Xiaoxue's left hand and squeezed it.

Xiaoxue blushed, but did not pull her hand back.

Neither of them spoke; everything was understood without words.