A lifetime.
Supporting each other, being together through thick and thin, growing old together.
When you think about it, the words "a lifetime" are truly heartwarming.
Facing Su Yirao's smiling gaze, some of Guan Qingtong's fluttering thoughts suddenly retreated. She took two steps back, trying to calm the chaotic emotions caused by her wandering thoughts.
With a seemingly carefree smile, Guan Qingtong said, "That sounds nice. But gratitude aside, I won't be a maid to serve you, sister."
"What's this?" Su Yirao raised an eyebrow, smiling helplessly. "Weren't you just saying you had no way to repay me? And now you're refusing?"
"It's not that I'm refusing..." Guan Qingtong said. "I just want to stand on the same level as you, sister."
Supporting each other sounds pretty good.
To reach that level, though, she needed to work harder.
Silently cheering herself on, Guan Qingtong heard Su Yirao laughing and shaking her head as she said, "Putting me on a pedestal again?"
"It's not putting you on a pedestal, it's the truth," Guan Qingtong said. "I've encountered a problem recently that I couldn't solve, but for some reason, I believe you can, sister."
Su Yirao raised an eyebrow and said, "What's the problem? Let me hear it."
So Guan Qingtong explained the situation with the third-party app that ran away with their money, hoping for Su Yirao's guidance.
"You handled it well," Su Yirao nodded. "From what I see, your approach is the best course of action for now. All that's left is to wait for the court's decision."
Su Yirao then summarized, "Since the app was introduced by the mall, I didn't do much research before signing the contract. That was a big mistake. You should avoid making the same one—learn from this experience."
"I'll be careful," Guan Qingtong said earnestly.
Su Yirao paused, then pulled out her phone, saying, "The mall should take some responsibility since they promoted the app. Let me make a call and see what I can do."
"Okay."
The call quickly connected, and Su Yirao put it on speaker so Guan Qingtong could listen and learn.
Skipping the usual pleasantries, Su Yirao got straight to the point: "Sister Qu, the contract with the app was promoted by the mall. Now that we've lost money, don't you think the mall should offer some compensation?"
Su Yirao's tone was firm.
On the other end of the line, Sister Qu, known for her ability to read people and situations, immediately started apologizing, aware that the responsibility couldn't be easily shirked.
"The mall is also very frustrated by this situation. We're waiting for the court proceedings. Don't be too upset, Xiao Su, let's just wait for the court's decision," she tried to deflect.
"We'll wait for the court's decision, but the mall introducing a fraudulent company will surely become a laughing stock in the industry."
"Sister Qu, I'm not trying to make things difficult for you," Su Yirao said firmly. "But it's uncertain if that company will even respond to the court summons, or if there will be any compensation."
"A few thousand yuan may not be much, but making store owners lose faith and turning the mall into a joke is not worth it."
Guan Qingtong listened with bated breath. Only someone like Su Yirao, with her background, could make such a threat without worrying about repercussions.
If anyone else tried this, it would be seen as burning bridges with the mall. And as long as a store operated in the mall, the management could always find ways to make things difficult. It just wasn't worth antagonizing the mall!
"I understand how you feel. The mall didn't do a thorough job vetting this partnership, and I'll apply for a month's rent and utilities to be waived for your café as compensation. Would that be acceptable?"
Rent and utilities for Qiyu Café typically amounted to about 20,000 yuan per month, so getting this waived over a loss of just a few thousand yuan was a huge win.
"Thank you so much, Sister Qu," Su Yirao said, her tone brightening.
"And about the Su family..." Sister Qu hesitated before asking, "Could you help suppress any news tying this incident to our project?"
"I'm afraid that's tricky," Su Yirao said, feigning difficulty. "There are other affected businesses in the mall. Silencing me won't stop the rumors."
Sister Qu sighed. "I'll apply to waive a month's utilities for all the affected stores. That's the most I can do."
"That would be fair," Su Yirao said, smiling. "The ones who scammed us are to blame, not you or the project."
"Thank you, Xiao Su."
After hanging up, Guan Qingtong couldn't help but applaud. "Sister, you're amazing! Not only did you get us compensated, but you also helped the other victims."
"Sometimes, it's better not to take a loss. If you can push back and recover something, then push back," Su Yirao said casually.
Guan Qingtong nodded.
"You might think my approach isn't very applicable to you, right?" Su Yirao asked, seeming to read her mind.
"Sister, your status allows you to negotiate like that. For people like us, she wouldn't be so polite."
"True, but my resources are your resources. In the future, you can leverage what I provide, and I'll back you up."
"The promise I made to you wasn't just empty words."
Guan Qingtong froze for a moment. She didn't even remember what promise Su Yirao was referring to.
"The future that Yu Xingye could offer you, I can offer as well," Su Yirao said softly. "If you have any ideas or problems, just share them with me. I'll do everything I can to help."
"Thank you for paving the way for me, Sister," Guan Qingtong said sincerely.
They were supposed to be enemies, the protagonist and the villain of a story. Yet here they were, laughing and living under the same roof. It was nothing short of miraculous.
"We've dawdled long enough," Su Yirao reminded her. "Go change clothes; we're heading to IKEA to pick up some things your mother might need."
"Okay!"
After a quick breakfast of a couple of bread slices, they drove to IKEA.
The store was spacious and well-decorated, with polished tiles and a variety of home furnishings that created a warm and inviting atmosphere.
They browsed for a while, picking out a few small items here and there.
Suddenly, Guan Qingtong's eye caught some high-quality photo frames. Inspired, she made an excuse to go to the restroom and secretly bought a few.
She had just finished editing their photos from the old town trip yesterday and was planning to frame some of them. This was perfect timing.
Just as she finished paying, a familiar voice called out, "Guan Qingtong?"
Turning around, she saw the smiling faces of Zhu Yuan and He Xiaoyue.
"Fancy meeting you here. Are you here to pick out furniture too?" she asked, walking over.
"Yeah," Zhu Yuan nodded, glancing around casually. "Are you alone? Want to grab lunch together later?"
"Two of us, me and Sister Su," Guan Qingtong said. "Let me check with her first. If she doesn't have plans, we can join you."
Zhu Yuan raised an eyebrow mischievously. "You two are moving fast, huh? Already living together?"
Guan Qingtong froze for a moment.
Before she could respond, Su Yirao's voice came from behind. "Oh, it's you again."
Apparently, Su Yirao had heard Zhu Yuan's teasing.
Zhu Yuan blinked and smiled. "Yep, fancy seeing you again. How about lunch together?"
"Lunch sounds good," Su Yirao agreed. "But be careful where you're winking. My Qingtong here is straight and doesn't swing that way."
The three people around her fell silent at her words.
Guan Qingtong: Have I not been clear enough? I'm your girlfriend in name, and everything we've been through isn't just to help you fend off marriage pressure, is it?
She felt a pang of frustration and a sudden urge to do something.
Unlike Guan Qingtong's inner turmoil, Zhu Yuan was simply speechless, picking up on the sour note in the air.
He Xiaoyue, sensing the tension, turned to Zhu Yuan.
Zhu Yuan dropped her teasing, glaring at Su Yirao. "I'm taken. Don't accuse me of anything."
He Xiaoyue smiled faintly and said, "Su Yirao, don't bully my girlfriend. Or I'll have to take it out on you."
He Xiaoyue worked at a top-notch hotel with excellent facilities and services. Su Yirao had planned to host her company's new product launch there.
To save on costs, she had asked for a discount.
"In that case, don't tease my Qingtong," Su Yirao replied.
Zhu Yuan sighed, realizing that Su Yirao had heard her earlier jabs.
Honestly, if the teasing was directed at Su Yirao, Guan Qingtong didn't mind.
"Alright, we still need to pick up a few things. See you at lunch."
The four parted ways, continuing their shopping.
Since Guan Qingtong's mother preferred firm mattresses, it took them about half an hour to find one that suited her.
Just as they were about to call over a store associate to inquire about the price, they spotted Zhu Yuan and He Xiaoyue at the checkout.
"It's nice to be single, huh? Sleeping on a hard mattress without anyone to cuddle up to," Zhu Yuan said, still a bit miffed. "I could never; I need my girlfriend on a soft bed."
"This is for my mom," Guan Qingtong explained. "She's older and prefers a firmer mattress."
Zhu Yuan's attempt at showing off backfired, leaving her speechless.
"Truthfulness is always the ultimate weapon," Su Yirao chuckled.
He Xiaoyue gently patted Zhu Yuan's shoulder, signaling a truce as she called over a store associate to help ease the situation.
"Hello, how can I assist you?" the associate asked politely.
"We'd like some information about this product, please," Su Yirao replied.
After listening to the associate's explanation, both women exchanged a glance, satisfied with the mattress. They arranged for delivery and decided to make the purchase.
"Are you all friends?" the associate asked, eager to please.
"Thank you for shopping with us today. In addition to the latest bedding set, I can also offer you a bonus of a matching set of couple mugs and slippers."
"The couple set was just gifted to those two ladies over there. You all seem to be friends, and you two look very compatible, so I can apply to give you the extra gift set."