Chapter 111: It Depends on How You Define Success

In the afternoon, the day’s busyness finally came to a halt.

Song Wenqin, feeling for her husband after a busy morning, shooed Zhang Zhaohai and Zhang Yang out and personally cooked lunch for the two of them.

Zhang Yang and his father stood outside the shop, chatting idly.

Zhang Zhaohai hadn’t even changed out of his chef uniform. He took out a box of cigarettes Zhang Yang had brought back last time, and the father and son each took one.

“Son, even though it’s been busy lately, I finally understand what it means to feel fulfilled,” Zhang Zhaohai said, exhaling smoke rings contentedly as he watched people passing by, his eyes squinting into a thin line.

“You should’ve realized that long ago, Dad,” Zhang Yang said with a smile.

Looking at his father now, smoking thousand-yuan-per-pack cigarettes, with boxes of Wuliangye and Moutai at home, running a thriving snack shop, and preparing a three-story restaurant, not to mention the villa Zhang Yang had secretly prepared for them-how could it not be a world of difference compared to the past?

The two chatted about everything, sharing thoughts on the future, until Song Wenqin called them in for lunch.

Late as it was, Zhang Zhaohai had a couple of drinks and then dozed off after the meal.

“Mom, your phone screen is broken, right? I almost forgot-let me get you a new one this afternoon,” Zhang Yang said, noticing the cracks covering Song Wenqin’s screen.

“No need, it still works,” she said, swiping the screen to show him.

“Just replace it, it’s not much money,” Zhang Yang smiled.

Since he insisted, Song Wenqin didn’t resist and agreed.

After lunch, Zhang Yang drove his Cayenne toward a nearby shopping district.

On the weekend, the mall was packed.

Meng Baihan’s long black hair framed her striking features, and beside her stood a well-dressed, mature-looking man.

“Teacher Meng, don’t be too formal. I’m actually your senior,” the man said casually.

“Oh… hello, Senior Huang,” Meng Baihan replied politely in a soft voice.

The man beside her was Huang Yuzhou, an accomplished alumnus who had returned for the school anniversary, having made a donation to his alma mater.

At the midday gathering, many teachers and administrators were present, and once they learned both were single, the principal kept trying to set them up.

After lunch, the senior, ten years older, took the initiative to invite her out.

“Teacher Meng, I’ll be straightforward,” Huang Yuzhou said. “Over the years I’ve focused on my career, and personal matters were delayed.”

“Senior Huang, you’re joking. With your background, it’s not like anything would have stopped you,” Meng Baihan said.

“It’s not that I haven’t met capable women, but finding a girlfriend isn’t the same as finding a wife,” Huang Yuzhou smiled. “It’s been a matter of fate, I guess.”

Meng Baihan said nothing.

Honestly, he was impressive.

At his age, a man who has achieved nothing is unattractive, but one who’s successful signifies maturity and stability.

And he made it clear-he was looking for marriage.

“Teacher Meng, do you believe in fate?” Huang Yuzhou asked seriously.

“Huh?” Meng Baihan was caught off guard.

“I do, actually,” Huang Yuzhou said thoughtfully.

“Don’t think I’m being sentimental. Ten years ago, if I’d met someone I wanted to care for forever when I was powerless, it would have ended in regret. But now, at the right time, meeting the right person-do you think I’ll let it slip?”

“Senior Huang… that’s too…” Meng Baihan stammered, overwhelmed by his words.

“Let’s give it a try,” Huang Yuzhou said, looking at the girl who reminded him of a first love. “I can handle any concerns now.

“Work-you can continue teaching or become a full-time housewife, it’s fine.

“Houses-I have properties here, in Gusu, and Jinling. You can choose where to live. And you don’t have to live with my parents.

“Children-if you want a few years of just the two of us, that’s fine. If you want kids, that’s fine too. I’ll provide nannies, housekeepers, and everything you need, so your youth won’t be consumed by diapers and sleepless nights.

“I’ll earn and provide; you enjoy peace.”

Meng Baihan was stunned, her mind blank.

Any girl would struggle to resist such gentle, thoughtful promises, but she wasn’t one to act impulsively in love.

She cleared her head at the crucial moment.

“This is too sudden, Senior. I… I need to think,” she said, trying to find an excuse to leave.

“No problem, I just wanted to share my thoughts. There’s no rush. Let’s sit somewhere, have a drink?” Huang Yuzhou suggested calmly.

“I… might have something to do,” Meng Baihan mumbled, hesitant.

“Really?” Huang Yuzhou smiled.

As she fretted, she suddenly saw a familiar figure walking out of a nearby phone store-her eyes lit up as if she’d seen a savior.

“Zhang Yang?”

“I… I ran into my old high school classmate,” she quickly explained to Huang Yuzhou. “Senior, can we end here for today?”

“High school classmate?” Huang Yuzhou looked at the tall figure ahead, shaking his head with amusement.

Was she making an excuse? He couldn’t tell.

He said nothing, watching Meng Baihan walk straight toward the figure.

Zhang Yang had just exited the phone store.

What phone he bought? Naturally, a Huawei, just like his father-Mate 60 Pro, pure white.

Unexpectedly, as he stepped out, he ran into a tall figure.

“Huh? Meng Baihan? We’ve been running into each other a lot lately.”

“Zhang Yang,” Meng Baihan approached, lowering her voice. “Do me a favor.”

“Ah? A favor?” Zhang Yang asked curiously. “What kind?”

“Help me get out of here,” she said quickly, sensing approaching footsteps.

Zhang Yang looked up and saw a man walking toward them-mature, composed, calm.

“So this is your high school classmate? Hello, I’m Huang Yuzhou, class of ’11 at Yinghai High, your senior,” Huang Yuzhou extended his hand.

Though Zhang Yang didn’t know the details, the scene felt familiar.

“Oh, hello, Senior,” Zhang Yang shook his hand.

“What a coincidence today. Senior, how about I buy you coffee?” Huang Yuzhou offered.

Zhang Yang glanced at Meng Baihan, then at Huang Yuzhou.

Good, Meng Baihan didn’t claim he was her boyfriend as a shield-principled enough.

He could help with that favor.

“Thanks, Senior, but we really have something to do right now. Maybe another time?” Zhang Yang said apologetically.

“Stop making excuses. You’re not dating, what’s the problem? Don’t even let me offer a coffee?” Huang Yuzhou laughed.

Meng Baihan opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted.

“Don’t think about making your classmate pretend to be your boyfriend. Too obvious,” Huang Yuzhou said, shaking his head. “I’ve known you for years-I can tell.”

“Pretend?” Zhang Yang blinked. “Senior, it’s not really pretending. Actually, I’ve always…”

He looked determined, gazing at Meng Baihan.

“Meng Baihan, I don’t know if it’s too late to say this, but I’ve liked you since high school. Today, I finally get to tell you.”

Meng Baihan froze, eyes wide.

She looked at the handsome man in front of her, hearing him confess, unable to tell if it was real.

“I… I…” she stammered, heart racing.

Huang Yuzhou frowned slightly, suspicious.

She seemed to be staging a scene, but this junior’s behavior didn’t seem fake-could it be real?

He looked at the junior’s tall, handsome figure, thinking for a moment.

“So, does this mean we’re rivals?” he smiled broadly, looking relaxed. “Alright, a toast to rivals, it’s only right. Let’s go.”

Zhang Yang looked at him, then at Meng Baihan.

“Let’s go. Since Senior wants to treat, let’s not refuse,” he said, lightly pulling Meng Baihan along.

She followed in a daze, her mind replaying Zhang Yang’s words.

Huang Yuzhou’s declarations had caught her off guard, but Zhang Yang’s words, half-real, half-playful, left a deep impression, making her heart ache to privately ask him about it.

The three went to a coffee shop downstairs. Huang Yuzhou ordered just one coffee for himself.

“What are you doing now?” he asked.

“Me? Running a small shop casually,” Zhang Yang replied, sipping his coffee. “By the way, thanks for the coffee, Senior.”

“You’re welcome,” Huang Yuzhou smiled. “Here’s my business card. We’re alumni; if I can help with anything, just let me know.”

He pushed the card across the table.

Zhang Yang took it, glancing at the numerous titles-seemed like a company owner.

“I don’t have a card. Let’s exchange WeChat?” Zhang Yang offered.

“Sure,” Huang Yuzhou agreed, adding him.

After connecting, he naturally opened Zhang Yang’s profile and checked his Moments.

The latest post was about the opening of his new store.

He glanced casually, smiled, and put his phone away, then looked at Meng Baihan. “Teacher Meng, I can see you’re feeling conflicted. Don’t overthink it. If you want to avoid me, then after we finish coffee, you can just leave with this junior here.”

He spoke with an air of magnanimity.

“Ah, that’s all I need to do?” Meng Baihan blinked, surprised.

“Yes. What’s mine is mine in the end. What isn’t mine, no amount of holding on will keep it.” Huang Yuzhou said casually, then glanced at Zhang Yang. “Junior, let’s leave it to your skills-we’ll compete fairly.”

Zhang Yang nodded indifferently, thinking that leaving with Meng Baihan afterward would count as helping her out.

After finishing coffee, the three of them stepped out of the café and happened to pass a luxury resale shop.

“I have a watch I want to sell. Let me check the price,” Huang Yuzhou said, smiling as he looked at the store.

“Let’s go in and take a look too,” Zhang Yang said, curious, and followed.

Inside, the counters were filled with second-hand luxury bags for sale, and behind the counter, an array of pre-owned luxury watches was neatly displayed.

In the world of luxury goods, circulation in the second-hand market is normal. Especially for collectible watches, resale prices often exceed retail.

“Handsome, what’s the buyback price for this watch?” Huang Yuzhou showed his wrist.

“Whoa, that’s a Rolex Ice Blue Diamond Daytona, right?” The store owner leaned over to examine it, taking a sharp intake of breath.

“Yes, retail price seven hundred thousand. How much can you offer?” Huang Yuzhou asked, smiling.

Zhang Yang and Meng Baihan observed from the side.

“We can give you seven hundred ninety thousand,” the owner said after a moment’s thought. “I wouldn’t touch other watches, but yours has a strong market.”

“Seven hundred ninety thousand? Hmm, I’ll think about it,” Huang Yuzhou said, glancing at Zhang Yang and Meng Baihan.

Zhang Yang found it entertaining and was curious about the secondary market price of his own Audemars Piguet. The Royal Oak series is known to hold value well.

“Boss, can you check my watch too?” Zhang Yang asked, stepping forward.

“Junior, you have a watch to sell too?” Huang Yuzhou laughed. “Luxury watches are worth buying back. Ordinary watches, they either won’t take or discount heavily. Tight on cash? Need me to lend you some?”

Zhang Yang gave him a curious look and revealed his Audemars Piguet.

“Whoa, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak!” the shop owner exclaimed.

Zhang Yang removed the watch, casually weighing it in his hand and handed it over. “Take a look.”

“No, I don’t dare,” the young owner waved his hands frantically.

“What’s the big deal?” Zhang Yang laughed. “How much would this go for now? Bought for 1.8 million originally.”

“I can’t quote you exactly or afford to buy it, but the secondary market would easily fetch two million,” the owner said, inspecting it without touching.

“Two million, okay.”

Zhang Yang had just asked out of curiosity and was satisfied knowing the price. His cash flow wasn’t tight enough to actually sell his watch.

“What?!” Huang Yuzhou’s expression froze, watching Zhang Yang casually wear a two-million-yuan Audemars Piguet.

Junior… wearing a Royal Oak? Two million?!

He looked at the tall, handsome figure, sensing an overwhelming financial aura and instantly felt a strong sense of competition.

“Let’s go, Meng Baihan,” Zhang Yang said to the still-dazed girl.

“Okay,” she obediently followed.

Huang Yuzhou’s heart sank. His supposed generosity had been based on not seeing his opponent as a real threat. Now… what was happening?

Feeling unsettled, he walked out and followed them.

Outside, Meng Baihan walked with Zhang Yang for a moment, then suddenly stopped and lightly tugged him.

“Zhang Yang, so it turns out you’re the quietest yet most successful in our class.”

She stared at him, speechless.

“Successful?” Zhang Yang smiled. “Depends on how you define success.”

“If you think a luxury watch defines success, besides this Audemars Piguet, I also have a Vacheron Constantin.”

“If you define success as owning property, I have a villa worth tens of millions here, and in Shanghai, I also have a large flat at COFCO Seaview No. 1.”

“If success is luxury cars, besides this Cayenne for daily use, my Shanghai garage also has a Cullinan and a Bentley.”

“If all these things equate to success in your eyes, then sure, I’d say I’m pretty successful.”