Whoever backs down is a coward.

Bai Zhenzhu didn’t want to be looked down upon by her friends – both Xia Xiaolan and Pan Baohua were her friends.

But when she contacted Pan Baohua, Bai Zhenzhu wanted to “follow her heart.” With Xia Xiaolan smiling beside her, Bai Zhenzhu steeled herself and gripped the telephone receiver tightly:

“Third Brother.”

“Hey, I’m listening, speak!”

“…Were you not joking last night?”

Pan Baohua couldn’t help but laugh remembering how Bai Zhenzhu had jumped out of the car: “Let’s talk in person. Where are you? Let’s meet face to face.”

“At Xiaolan’s company.”

“Alright, wait there!”

Click click click.

Pan Baohua was ruthless – he didn’t give Bai Zhenzhu any chance to refuse before hanging up.

This proves that people are very tolerant towards those they like.

When it’s a man you don’t like, his pursuit is called pestering.

When it’s a man you like, his domineering behavior is called manly decisiveness!

Before Pan Baohua arrived, Xia Xiaolan chatted with Bai Zhenzhu about other matters. Worried that Bai Zhenzhu might feel embarrassed, she avoided discussing romantic matters and instead talked about business.

Xia Xiaolan hadn’t forgotten about her plans to build the building materials mall.

Although temporarily shelved, she still wanted to build it when the time was right.

“It depends on how we invest. I originally wanted to build it under ‘Anjia Building Materials,’ but that would put too much financial pressure on Anjia. Now I’m thinking of a joint investment between Qihang Capital and Anjia Building Materials – we have shares in both, Qihang has money, and Anjia has channels and resources. By integrating resources from both sides, this building materials mall can take root quickly.”

Of course, given that Xia Xiaolan owned 50% of Qihang Capital and 29% of Anjia Building Materials, she was the major shareholder on both sides. No matter how they cooperated, she would be the one giving orders.

Bai Zhenzhu held 29% shares in Anjia Building Materials but very few in Qihang Capital.

So she decided to listen to Xia Xiaolan – after all, Xia Xiaolan wouldn’t harm her!

Today Bai Zhenzhu was distracted during business discussions. Xia Xiaolan didn’t force her, only outlining the general idea. She wasn’t in a particular hurry about the building materials mall – land prices in Qiongdao hadn’t skyrocketed yet, and then there was Asia… Xia Xiaolan felt she had quite a lot to do.

Watching Bai Zhenzhu and Third Brother Pan start dating would be a way to relax.

Honestly, if Bai Zhenzhu and Pan Baohua got together, she and Jiang Yan would be the matchmakers – shouldn’t Third Brother give them a matchmaking gift?

As Xia Xiaolan was thinking this, Pan Baohua drove up.

Xia Xiaolan looked down from the window:

“I don’t need to escort you down, right?”

Bai Zhenzhu walked with large strides, but her clenched fists betrayed her nervousness.

Standing by the window, Xia Xiaolan watched Bai Zhenzhu get in the car. Pan Baohua even lowered the window to wave goodbye. Xia Xiaolan couldn’t help but smile like a doting aunt – what could she do? She couldn’t control herself. These two dates would be very interesting!

Too bad she couldn’t be there to watch the whole process.

As Xia Xiaolan smiled, the phone on her desk rang.

“Little Yu?”

“Director Xia- no, Sister Xiaolan, my mother…”

On the other end, Yu Li’s voice choked up, unable to complete her sentence.

Xia Xiaolan’s heart sank, “Yu Li, what happened to Auntie?”

Bai Zhenzhu touched the car door.

Bai Zhenzhu didn’t dare look at Pan Baohua.

Bai Zhenzhu awkwardly coughed twice.

Bai Zhenzhu… was suffocating, it was really hard to endure.

“Third Brother, I shouldn’t have jumped out of the car and run away last night. That was very impolite. I’ve already deeply reflected on my actions.”

Hehe.

Pan Baohua thought, if your hands weren’t clenched into fists, I might have believed you!

How exactly did she reflect on herself?

Did she want to fight him?!

Pan Baohua found Zhenzhu quite amusing.

He felt their relationship upgrade wouldn’t be boring.

“Zhenzhu, do you want to fight me?”

“Huh? I don’t…”

“Don’t lie. I think you want to hit me. Why? Because what I said made you uncomfortable, made you uneasy, or are you scared?”

Bai Zhenzhu glared at him.

Is this what upgrading their relationship meant?

She hadn’t even agreed yet, but Third Brother Pan seemed different from before.

This version of Third Brother Pan felt somewhat unfamiliar, so she nodded firmly: “Fine, let’s fight then.”

Pan Baohua agreed readily.

You couldn’t find another couple like this in the world – before even agreeing to a date, they stopped the car to exercise and had a good fight.

While confessing to Comrade Zhenzhu, Pan Baohua didn’t show her any mercy.

Bai Zhenzhu was drenched in sweat, and after half an hour, she still lost with one move.

But this time Pan Baohua didn’t let her fall, catching her before she hit the ground.

“How about it?”

Bai Zhenzhu wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve, “Third Brother, I can answer your question from last night now. I agree with your idea, let’s upgrade our relationship!”

Pan Baohua hadn’t gone easy on her, which made Bai Zhenzhu happy.

This meant their way of interaction hadn’t changed!

It was still the familiar way.

That was good.

She wouldn’t feel afraid or uneasy with this mode of interaction.

So what was there to be afraid of? Bai Zhenzhu agreed directly.

“Are you sure? No regrets? I’m very serious.”

Pan Baohua was delighted – he liked Bai Zhenzhu, and her straightforwardness was a major factor!

“I won’t regret it!”

Xiaolan was right – she was getting the better deal, why would she regret it?

As for talk about failing to upgrade their relationship, Bai Zhenzhu didn’t mention it. She might be unrestrained, but she wasn’t emotionally unintelligent or stupid enough to say discouraging things at this moment.

Pan Baohua thought for a moment, “Then let me take you back to Yangcheng. Yesterday I went as a friend, today I’ll go as your boyfriend – we should give your family an explanation.”

Yesterday when Bai Zhenzhu said she’d see him downstairs, she never came back.

Who knows if her family might have misunderstood?

These two straightforward people got together incredibly fast, confirming their relationship in just one night.

When Pan Baohua took Bai Zhenzhu back to Yangcheng, they happened to see Gao Huabin being blocked at the door by Chang Ying.

Gao Huabin was holding gifts and smiling:

“Sister Chang, I don’t have any other intentions. I just want to see how the old lady is doing – whether her wound still hurts after being discharged from the hospital. The old lady must want to see me too!”

Chang Ying was angry, “Little Gao, we’ve made everything clear. Since the blind date with Zhenzhu didn’t work out, there’s no need to keep in touch – it’s better for both you and Zhenzhu. We didn’t even make an issue of you ambushing people at the Pengcheng building materials store yesterday, but now you’re getting even more presumptuous?!”

The neighbors were all watching what was happening.

Chang Ying stood at the door, refusing to let Gao Huabin in.

Who knows how Gao Huabin developed such thick skin – even in this situation, he calmly argued:

“Zhenzhu refused because she didn’t understand me. I think my conditions aren’t bad, why should Zhenzhu reject me?”

Because she doesn’t like you, isn’t that obvious?

Before Chang Ying could speak, a voice sounded from behind Gao Huabin:

“Because Bai Zhenzhu has a boyfriend now, and her boyfriend is very unhappy seeing someone harassing her. He wants to talk with you!”