Super Rich: It all started when I met a young woman in a sleeper car.

Chapter 72 Tenderness

The warehouse lights were off, and the door was locked.

The four of them returned to the apartment and washed up.

After taking a shower, Chen Xun sat on the edge of the bed, drying his hair, his mind still replaying Zhou Wenbin's shrewd face and the profit-sharing plan.

Three days.

As he was thinking, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Chen Xun, are you asleep?" It was Lin Xinyue's voice, very low.

Chen Xun went over and opened the door.

Lin Xinyue stood outside in her pajamas, her hair still a little wet. Her eyes were fixed on him, and there was something in them, not the usual carefree look.

"Come in." Chen Xun stepped aside.

Lin Xinyue walked in, but didn't sit down. She stood in the middle of the room, twisting the hem of her pajamas with her fingers.

"What's wrong?" Chen Xun closed the door and leaned against it to look at her.

"I can't sleep," Lin Xinyue said, her voice a little muffled. "My mind is... a bit of a mess."

Chen Xun didn't respond, waiting for her to continue.

"About that theme for the new store," Lin Xinyue turned to face him, "I know you want to do it, and I think it's worthwhile. But, Xinyue-jie, I... I'm getting a little anxious doing the math. If we invest 50,000 yuan and Zhou Wenbin doesn't back down, we'll have to shoulder the entire burden. And if it doesn't work out..."

She paused, her voice lowering slightly, "It's not that I'm afraid of losing money. It's that I'm afraid... afraid of messing things up. It hasn't been easy for us to get to where we are now, starting from a small shop. I'm afraid I might miscalculate something and drag everyone down with me."

Chen Xun walked over and took her hand.

My palms are a little cold.

"Accounts are static, but people are dynamic," Chen Xun said. "No matter how detailed your calculations are, the market doesn't always follow them. When we cracked down on counterfeit shops or filed reports with the Industry and Commerce Bureau, were we ever 100% certain of winning before we acted?"

Lin Xinyue looked up at him, her eyes a little red, but she didn't cry: "I know. It's just... the pressure is immense. Watching you talk to them, watching Xiao Tao draw so excitedly, watching Li Qian come up with ideas... I just felt that I had to get things straight and not hold them back."

"You've done a great job." Chen Xun pulled her closer. "Without you keeping score, we would have lost money long ago."

Lin Xinyue buried her face in his shoulder, her voice muffled by his clothes: "Chen Xun, sometimes I feel... we're moving too fast. I'm afraid I can't keep up."

Chen Xun didn't say anything, he just hugged her tighter.

After a while, Lin Xinyue looked up at him with teary eyes.

Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

The kiss started tentatively, then became urgent and deep. Chen Xun responded, his arms around her waist.

The two stumbled and fell to the side of the bed.

……

The rain has just stopped.

Lin Xinyue rested her head on Chen Xun's arm, her fingers unconsciously tracing his name on his chest.

"Li Qian has been unusually quiet lately," she suddenly spoke, her voice slightly hoarse afterward.

Chen Xun hummed in agreement: "You noticed it too?"

"I'm not blind," Lin Xinyue said. "She often gets distracted during meals and discussions. Today in the warehouse, she was also quieter than usual. Although she shared her ideas,... it just felt different."

"You're overthinking it," Chen Xun said, twirling his fingers through her red hair.

"I hope I'm just overthinking it." Lin Xinyue sighed. "I'm just afraid... because of what happened between us, and Xiao Tao... she's feeling uncomfortable, but she won't say anything. With her personality, it's even more painful for her to keep it bottled up."

Chen Xun patted her on the back: "Don't overthink it. Li Qian knows what she's doing."

"Okay." Lin Xinyue responded, remained quiet for a moment, then got up and started getting dressed. "I'm going back."

"Let me lie down a little longer."

"No, thank you." Lin Xinyue put on her pajamas, walked to the door, glanced back at him, and smiled. "I have to get up early tomorrow. You... should go to sleep early too."

She gently closed the door.

Chen Xun lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Chen Xun let out a breath.

He had just closed his eyes, wanting to sleep.

There was another knock on the door.

It's very light, but very clear.

Chen Xun opened his eyes, glanced at his phone, and saw it was past 2 a.m.

He got out of bed and opened the door.

Li Qian stood outside.

She was also wearing pajamas, her purple hair loose, and her face appeared somewhat pale in the dim light of the corridor. She didn't come in, but leaned against the doorframe, her eyes fixed on the ground.

"I...I saw Sister Xinyue go back," Li Qian said softly, as if afraid of waking something.

Chen Xun's heart skipped a beat.

"Come in," he said, stepping aside.

Li Qian walked in, but didn't go any further; she just stood by the door.

"I have insomnia," she said, still with her head down. "I can't sleep. My mind is... full of things. The new store plan, Zhou Wenbin, and..."

She stopped.

"Anything else?" Chen asked, closing the door behind him.

Li Qian looked up at him, her eyes filled with something complex—not sadness, not anger, but a kind of…empty bewilderment.

"And you," she said.

Chen Xun remained silent.

Li Qian took a step forward, reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face against his chest.

"Chen Xun," her voice was muffled, "I won't argue. I won't ask. I just... really wanted to see you tonight. When I saw Sister Xinyue come out of your room, I stood in the hallway. I know I shouldn't have come, but I came anyway."

Chen Xun felt that the part of his pajamas on his chest was a little wet.

He sighed and hugged her back.

"How stupid," he said.

Li Qian didn't say anything, she just hugged her tighter.

Then she looked up and kissed him.

This kiss was different from Lin Xinyue's; it was quieter, longer, and carried a slightly salty, tearful taste.

Chen Xun responded and led her to the bedside.

……

In the darkness, there were only the sounds of breathing and faint noises.

After a long time, Li Qian curled up in Chen Xun's arms, gently tracing her name on his arm with her fingers.

"The theme proposal," she suddenly said, her voice still a little breathless, "I've thought about it again."

"Hmm?" Chen Xun looked down at her.

"Besides desks, blackboards, and school uniforms," Li Qian said, "we can also set up a wall specifically for 'class diaries'."

"Class Diary?"

"Hmm." Li Qian's voice calmed down a bit. "It's about letting customers write something on sticky notes after they finish their noodles and stick them on. It can be a memory, a wish, or a blessing for a stranger. We clean them up once a week, but take a photo to keep a record. That way, the store not only has our decorations, but also the 'stories' left by our customers. It's more interactive and easier to spread."

Chen Xun's eyes lit up.

"That's a great idea," he said. "The cost is almost zero, and the results might be even better than taking photos in school uniforms. Li Qian, you're amazing!"

Li Qian stirred slightly in his arms, but didn't say anything.

It was quiet for a while.

"Chen Xun," she called to him.

"Um?"

"What if..." Li Qian's voice was very soft, "I mean, what if... in the future, your business grows bigger and bigger, and you meet more and more people? Will you... think that the three of us are particularly immature and embarrassing?"

Chen Xun was stunned for a moment.

He reached out and turned Li Qian's face towards him.

In the darkness, only the outline of her eyes could be seen.

"Li Qian, listen carefully," Chen Xun said, his tone very serious. "Without the three of you, there would be no 'Xunwei Instant Noodles' as we know it today. One store, two stores, money, cars—these things can be earned back. But the three of you, once you're gone, they're truly gone."

Li Qian looked at him and blinked.

Then she leaned in and kissed him again.

"I believe you," she said.

Outside the window, the sky was beginning to turn gray.

Li Qian got up and started getting dressed.

"I'm going back," she said. "It's almost dawn."

Chen Xun watched her put on her pajamas and walk to the door.

Li Qian opened the door and glanced back at him.

"Chen Xun".

"Um?"

"Good night," she said. "No, good morning."

She gently closed the door.