They surrounded me right after the breakup.

After the lecture ended, Principal He held Jiang Han's hand tightly.

"President Jiang, let's have a simple lunch at the school cafeteria. I've asked them to prepare the food in advance."

Jiang Han smiled and shook his head.

"Principal He, there's really no need. I'll go for a stroll on the Bund with Qingning."

Principal He glanced at Shen Qingning, then at Jiang Han, and knowingly released his grip.

"Alright, alright, you young people can go about your business. I've noted down the lecture. I'll have someone send you the cooperation agreement to your email later."

"OK."

As I stepped out of the lecture hall, the sun was shining brightly.

A few students who hadn't left yet watched them from a distance, whispering among themselves.

Shen Qingning walked on the left side of Jianghan, her high heels clicking on the fallen leaves, her steps much lighter than when she came.

The car stopped at the school gate, and Jiang Han opened the passenger door and gestured for the other driver to enter.

"Let's go, Director Shen."

Shen Qingning was stunned for a moment.

"What, Director Shen?"

"Aren't you training newcomers? From now on, you'll be Director Shen of the Artist Training Department at Xingyue Media."

It's not far from the drama academy to the Bund, about twenty minutes.

Shen Qingning rolled down the car window a crack, and the wind blew the stray hairs at her temples.

There were more people on the Bund than expected, and the two of them walked slowly along the viewing platform.

Shen Qingning's high heels clicked on the stone pavement, the rhythm not fast.

She was still wearing the same black midi skirt, high heels, and sheer black stockings that accentuated her long, slender legs.

As always, she attracted a lot of attention along the way; some people recognized her, but no one went up to her.

It was simply because the man in the dark gray shirt next to her had such a commanding presence.

The two continued walking along the riverbank, and when they passed the entrance of the Peace Hotel, a young man carrying a camera bag blocked their way.

He had a DSLR camera hanging around his neck, the lens cap already unscrewed.

Excuse me for bothering you.

He spoke very quickly, and was so excited that he stuttered a little.

"I'm a street photographer. I just saw this lady over there; the lighting and composition were excellent. Could I take a few pictures?"

Shen Qingning glanced at him.

"No!"

The photographer paused for a moment, probably not expecting to be rejected, his hand still holding the camera in mid-air.

"Um... I'm a professional, not the kind of person who just takes random photos. Look, this is my portfolio."

The man took out his phone to show it, but Shen Qingning had already looked away.

"I don't take photos."

The photographer's ears turned red.

Jiang Han leaned against the railing, a slight smile on his lips.

"Sir, your girlfriend is amazing. Seriously, any few pictures of her could be on a magazine cover. It'll only take two minutes."

"She said it wasn't necessary," Jiang Han said casually.

The photographer nodded awkwardly, screwed the lens cap back on, and turned to walk away quickly.

His back view looked a bit disheveled.

After everyone had walked away, Jiang Han turned his head to look at Shen Qingning, his smile deepening.

"What? Even the big star Shen doesn't want to be photographed anymore?"

Shen Qingning turned around, tiptoed and leaned close to Jiang Han's ear, her breath brushing against his earlobe.

"I am yours, I won't let anyone else see me."

She paused, then lowered her voice.

"As for you, you can film whatever you want."

Jiang Han raised an eyebrow, recalling the scene of him taking out his phone in the bedroom earlier.

Shen Qingning bit her lip at the time, but did not avoid the camera.

When a woman changes her temper, it's more dramatic than the tides of the Huangpu River.

Jiang Han watched her take a step back and straighten up again.

His expression remained calm, as if the words that had just made any man surrender were nothing more than a comment about the nice weather today.

"Let's go." Jiang Han pulled his hand back from the railing.

The two walked to a cafe on the south side of the Bund, ordered two Americanos, and sat on the terrace.

Jiang Han was about to speak when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

An unfamiliar number from Shanghai.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Jiang Han?"

The voice on the other end was that of a middle-aged man, respectful in tone and with a Shanghai accent.

"This is Jiang Han. Who are you?"

"Hello, Mr. Jiang! I'm Gu Changming from the Shanghai branch of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank."

"Old Liu told me you came to Shanghai. He's an old classmate of mine, and he specifically asked me to make sure you were treated well."

Qiu Siyao is currently working at the Jingzhou branch of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, where President Liu is her supervisor.

It's likely that Siyao mentioned her trip to Shanghai to Director Liu.

"President Gu, you're too kind!"

"Not at all! Mr. Jiang, it's a rare treat for you to come all this way. Tonight, I'll treat you to a casual dinner at No. 3 on the Bund."

"After dinner, I'll show you around the local customs and culture of Shanghai. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

The tone of the last half of the sentence was particularly ambiguous.

Shen Qingning paused slightly, holding her coffee cup, pretending she hadn't heard anything.

She's been in the entertainment industry for too long; she's all too familiar with this kind of rhetoric.

The dinner party is the first event; the second event is the real focus.

Foot massages, massage parlors, and those minor celebrities willing to drink and laugh with you.

She understands men's social rules better than most women.

Shen Qingning said softly, "You go with President Gu, I can go back to the hotel by myself."

Jiang Han glanced at her sideways.

Shen Qingning's expression was calm; she genuinely felt he should go.

This kind of maturity is honed through hundreds of dinner parties.

Jiang Han put the phone back to his ear.

"President Gu, I won't have dinner. Could you please arrange a car for me and find a client manager who is familiar with the real estate market in Shanghai?"

"Real estate?" President Gu's voice clearly faltered for a moment.

"Yes, I want to see houses in Shanghai."

There was a silence on the other end of the phone for about two seconds, then President Gu's voice became enthusiastic again.

"No problem, Mr. Jiang! I'll arrange it right away! Xiao Zhang from our branch's personal loan department is a local and knows every property like the back of her hand. I'll have her go find you right now."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Qingning looked at him.

"Why aren't you going?"

"It's boring."

Do you know what the second game is?

"I know." Jiang Han picked up his coffee cup and took a sip.

"That's why I'm not going. We have braised pork at home, why go out and eat gutter oil?"

"Pfft!"

Shen Qingning burst out laughing exaggeratedly when she heard Jiang Han's analogy.

Twenty minutes later, a Mercedes-Benz van pulled up in front of the coffee shop.

The car door opened, and a woman in her early thirties got out.

She wore a dark blue suit skirt, her hair was tied up in a bun, and she was carrying a briefcase.

He was wearing mid-heeled leather shoes and walked very fast; it was obvious he had developed this skill from working in a bank.

She walked up to Jiang Han and bowed slightly.

"Hello Mr. Jiang, I am Zhang Xiaoyi from the Personal Loan Department of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. President Gu asked me to come and accompany you to look at houses."

Jiang Han nodded: "Get in the car."

Zhang Xiaoyi sat in the passenger seat, turning to the side to introduce the real estate market in Shanghai to Jiang Han.

"President Jiang, after the price increases of the past two years, housing prices in Shanghai are currently at a relatively high level."

"Many investors are taking a wait-and-see approach, worried about policy adjustments. The average price on the Bund has reached 50,000 to 60,000 yuan per square meter, and it is even more expensive inside the inner ring road."

Do you think prices will continue to rise?

Zhang Xiaoyi thought for a moment and said, "Personally, I think that in the long run, it's unlikely that housing prices in Shanghai will fall."

"Land supply is decreasing while the population is still flowing in, but there may be fluctuations in the short term."

Jiang Han leaned back in his seat, watching the street scene recede outside the window.

He knew better than anyone how high Shanghai's housing prices would rise in the next few years.

"Manager Zhang, if I'm looking to buy an apartment near the Bund, do you have any recommendations?"