Reborn in 2006, I met Mr. Zhou from the past.

As he was swept into her soft, fragrant body, the slight disappointment he felt from being rejected was instantly soothed. He instinctively hugged her back, his hand gently stroking her back.

"Okay, I respect Nan'er's opinion."

Faced with the girl's gentle show of weakness, Zhou Chenyu had no choice but to surrender.

"I stayed at Yanzi's place because it was something I had agreed to before, and it also made it easier for me to understand their work."

Su Fengnan tilted her head back, her clear eyes reflecting Zhou Chenyu's image.

She took a small step back, creating some distance, and explained softly, "Brother Zhou, my new shop is opening soon, and there are still many trivial matters that I need to discuss and handle with Yanzi and Brother Hai. I'm staying there for convenience, so I can go over and keep an eye on things anytime."

Zhou Chenyu sighed helplessly, gently tapping her forehead with his slender fingers: "So young, yet so career-minded, what will become of her in the future!"

"Hehe..." Su Fengnan playfully stuck out her tongue, her eyes crinkling. "It's not that exaggerated. Once everything is on track, I'll hand it all over to them to manage. I'll still go back to studying hard."

"Yes, it's good that you know what's going on." Zhou Chenyu looked at her lively appearance, his eyes almost overflowing with doting affection. "I don't want you to exhaust yourself."

"Okay."

Su Fengnan nodded obediently. Actually, being constantly thought of and cared for by Zhou Chenyu made her truly happy; the feeling of being cherished made her somewhat indulgent.

However tempting this affection may be, she will not give up the opportunity for self-growth. She must become strong enough to be a towering tree that can shelter herself and her family from the wind and rain, rather than a vine clinging to others.

Although she is fortunate to have met Zhou Chenyu in this life, and she does not reject this new relationship, she can only become better and better and have the confidence to walk independently. If the ending is not as she wishes one day, she can turn around calmly and bear the storm alone.

At dinner time, Zhou Chenyu had a work appointment, so he first took Su Fengnan back to her rented apartment.

The house was filled with the aroma of cooking, and the three siblings sat around the dining table. Several plates of freshly cooked home-style stir-fries were laid out on the table, and amidst the rising steam, they eagerly discussed the details of the opening preparations while eating.

"Sister Xiaonan, Brother Hai finished his resignation procedures yesterday. Now we finally have enough people. He can help me take care of all the miscellaneous things in opening the shop," Yanzi said happily, handing Brother Hai a drink as she did so.

"Brother Hai, you really resigned?" Su Fengnan's eyes lit up upon hearing this, her tone filled with undisguised surprise.

Hai Ge slammed his chopsticks on the table, unscrewed his drink, took a big gulp, and nodded vigorously with a broad smile: "I quit! From now on, I'll be the store's full-time laborer. All the heavy lifting—purchasing supplies, moving heavy objects—will be my responsibility. I'll be there whenever you call!"

Su Fengnan felt a warmth in her heart, then put down her chopsticks, her tone serious and efficient: "Now that the manpower issue is resolved, we need to speed up the process. The hard decoration will be completely finished in another week, and I plan to open for business at the end of the month."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the two of them, before continuing clearly, "However, before officially opening, the licenses and permits must be in place. A business license, a food business permit, a health certificate, and a fire safety inspection certificate—none of them can be missing. I'd like to use Hai-ge's ID to apply for them, is that alright, Hai-ge?"

Hai Ge pondered for a moment, then readily nodded: "No problem."

Seeing that Hai Ge agreed readily, Su Fengnan felt relieved, and a smile appeared on her face: "Okay, I've prepared all the materials. I've also decided on the name of the shop, it'll be called 'Su Yue Shi Guang Dessert & Bakery'. Hai Ge, bring your ID card on Monday, and we'll go and get it done."

"Don't worry, leave the errands to me, I'll handle it perfectly." Hai patted his chest, his tone full of confidence.

"Sister Xiaonan's name is so beautiful! It sounds so sweet and warm!" Yanzi couldn't help but clap her hands in agreement, her eyes full of longing.

Su Fengnan smiled with satisfaction and then said, "Okay! I'll leave the licensing to you. Also, before the official opening, we need to have a week of trial operation. This period is crucial. Whether it's fine-tuning the product flavors, refining the service process, testing the stability of the equipment, or even pricing strategies and customer base building, we need to hone everything in practice. We need to use this week to identify and eliminate all potential problems to avoid any unnecessary mistakes after the official opening."

Upon hearing this, Hai Ge's hand, which was still picking up food, froze in mid-air, his eyes filled with amazement. Although he didn't understand those complicated business terms, seeing Su Fengnan's composed demeanor made him feel at ease.

"Xiao Nan, you're really sharp; you think of everything much more thoroughly than we do!" Hai Ge shoveled a big mouthful of rice into his bowl, his words muffled but firm. "Whatever you say, we'll do. This week is a trial run, and I'll definitely cooperate fully, controlling every detail perfectly. I won't let our store down!"

Seeing Hai Ge's convinced expression, Su Fengnan's lips curled into a slight smile. She then looked at Yanzi on the other side and asked softly, "What do you think of this arrangement? Are there any difficulties?"

"A one-week trial operation is definitely the safest option," Yanzi said gently, her gaze falling on Su Fengnan. "Sister Xiaonan, how about we invite some friends to come and try the food for free and help us promote it? What do you think?"

Su Fengnan smiled broadly: "Of course! This way, they can find fault with us and also help us build momentum—it's a win-win situation!"

The conversation between the three gradually shifted from the initial tension of preparations to their hopes for the future, and the more they talked, the brighter and more promising the road ahead seemed.

After all the preparations were finalized, everyone was surprised to find that more than two hours had passed.

As the event ended, the three of them exchanged smiles, their faces filled with a sense of peace and certainty.

As night deepened, Su Fengnan, fueled by this momentum, finished perfecting her plan under the lamp, ready to hand it over to Zhou Chenyu and see his reaction.

After a good night's sleep, Su Fengnan felt exceptionally refreshed the next morning; she thoroughly enjoyed the satisfying busyness. Yanzi, however, tossed and turned, unable to sleep until dawn. When she appeared at the kitchen doorway with her eyes swollen and red, Su Fengnan was busy cooking noodles. Seeing Yanzi's "panda eyes," Su Fengnan was startled and quickly asked with concern, "What happened to you?"

Yanzi shook her head, her voice tinged with weariness: "It's nothing, I just had insomnia last night."

Su Fengnan understood immediately and joked, "You're not so excited you can't sleep, are you?"

Yanzi rubbed her eyes a little shyly and smiled sheepishly: "I am a little excited. The thought of our store opening soon makes me so happy."

Su Fengnan shook her head helplessly and scolded, "No matter how excited you are, you still need to sleep. You'll be busy from now on."

As she spoke, her hands didn't stop. She deftly scooped the noodles into a bowl, and while sprinkling on the seasoning, casually asked, "Do you want more or less chili?"

"Sister Xiaonan, I can do it myself." Yanzi quickly went into the kitchen and took the spice bottle.