Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 100: Chapter 95: Chance Encounter with Li Xiancheng

”This one looks really nice, Shufan, why don’t you try it on?” As the designated bag carrier among the four brothers, his hands were already loaded with bags of clothes, shoes, and trousers, yet Ye Qianying and Jia Ning were still not satisfied with their shopping, continuing to browse through various garments, asking the siblings to try anything that caught their eye, and if the siblings approved, they would immediately buy it with a card swipe.

”Li Xiancheng?” Luo Qianqian looked at the familiar figure sitting on the bench holding his head and moved closer to get a better look before exclaiming in surprise, ”What are you doing here?”

”You are...?” Li Xiancheng looked at the small child in front of him, having no recollection of her.

”I’m a friend of Zhang Jingjing, we met before at the Zhang family’s Christmas Eve party.” Luo Qianqian’s mouth twitched slightly. It hadn’t been that long; had he already forgotten her? Could her face really be that unremarkable?

”Oh, that child, huh? What brings you here?” Li Xiancheng looked at the child in front of him, and after being reminded, he seemed to have some recollection, squeezing out a smile that was uglier than crying.

”I’m here shopping for clothes with my brothers and aunt. What about you?” Luo Qianqian pointed resignedly toward the group inside the store and then inquired.

Li Xiancheng looked at the crowd inside the store carrying a bunch of bags and sighed with some distress, ”My concept was rejected by the investment company this morning. Then I planned to treat myself to a meal with my girlfriend—well, not my girlfriend anymore—to comfort myself.” As he said this, Li Xiancheng pointed to a jewelry store on the upper floor, covering his head with his hands as he continued in pain, ”Who knew she’d already found someone new.” It was a repressive moment for Li Xiancheng, and being able to talk about it made him feel much better, even though the listener was just a kid.

”Investment company? You could look for Uncle Zhang, couldn’t you? He seemed to think highly of you at the party.” Luo Qianqian recalled the praise Li Xiancheng received at the party.

”Haha, the adult world is complicated, you wouldn’t understand. There are plenty who would add flowers to the brocade, but few who would send charcoal in snowy weather,” Li Xiancheng said, remembering the phone call he had made. The person on the other end claimed they had no spare cash and suggested maybe trying with thirty to fifty thousand first. They praised him to his face, but deep down did they not disdain his ideas as unrealistic?

”Qianqian, what are you doing? Is that someone you know?” After finishing their shopping, the group headed outside and saw Luo Qianqian chatting with Li Xiancheng, prompting Jia Ning to ask.

Investment... ”Second Aunt, is Second Uncle interested in making investments?” Luo Qianqian looked at Jia Ning with a face full of hope as she asked.

”Investments? He might be, I’ve never asked,” Jia Ning replied, somewhat perplexed by Luo Qianqian’s question, wondering if the child really knew what she was talking about.

”Please wait a moment, I can’t do anything about the second question, but maybe I can help a little with the first,” Luo Qianqian said with a smile to Li Xiancheng before pulling Jia Ning aside, ”Second Aunt, could you talk to Second Uncle to see if he would be interested in making an equity investment, the fifty-fifty kind? It might sound unbelievable to you, but I promise it will make money, it just needs time. Could you please talk to Second Uncle and give him a chance?” She said, gesturing towards Li Xiancheng.

Jia Ning frowned slightly, wondering if the child knew what she was talking about. She inquired, ”Who is he?”

”Li Xiancheng, a graduate student at Q University.” Luo Qianqian inwardly cursed herself for not having paid more attention to the news in her previous life, now having hardly any information at her disposal.

”I’ll give your Second Uncle a call. I can’t guarantee it will work, though,” Jia Ning said, unable to bear rejecting Luo Qianqian who was gazing at her with big hopeful eyes, and took out her phone with a nod.

After a while, ”Qianqian, your Second Uncle said that his money didn’t come from the wind,” Jia Ning said softly, noting Luo Qianqian’s slightly disappointed face but continued, ”However, since it’s his little niece’s first time asking him for help, he feels bad for refusing. Let Li Xiancheng go to him directly. If he can impress your Second Uncle, he will make the investment.”

Luo Qianqian, hearing the latter part of the conversation, nearly jumped for joy. The prospect of development was, of course, not something she even needed to think about; it was very promising indeed.

”Mr. Li...,” Luo Qianqian said excitedly as she returned to Li Xiancheng’s side, ”my Second Uncle mentioned you could go to his place and try.”

”Try what?” Li Xiancheng was somewhat stunned.

”Discuss your dreams and ambitions,” Luo Qianqian happily exclaimed, ”and also talk about your concepts, financing, and such.”

”What?!” Li Xiancheng looked at Luo Qianqian in astonishment, ”What does your Second Uncle do?”

”...” Luo Qianqian genuinely didn’t know and turned to her Second Aunt for help.

Jia Ning stepped in to explain for Luo Qianqian, ”My husband is the largest shareholder of Haoran Group.”

”Haoran?” Li Xiancheng’s eyes widened, ”Haoran Real Estate, Haoran Economics, or Haoran Hotels?”

”Haoran Group,” Jia Ning said with a gentle smile, proud that her husband was held in such high esteem.

”...” Li Xiancheng took the business card from Jia Ning and was speechless for a long time.

”We’ll be leaving now,” Jia Ning said after finishing, ”I’ve informed my husband about you. Just give a call before you go.” Jia Ning then took Luo Qianqian and continued shopping.

Luo Qianqian, however, was staring wide-eyed; Haoran, with Luo Yanhao’s ’Yan’ and Luo Yanran’s ’Ran’, the Haoran Group that was even renowned in her previous life actually belonged to her Second Uncle’s family?? The name actually came from her two cousins? Luo Qianqian found it hard to accept all at once.

”Qianqian, you’re not just finding out about this, are you?” Luo Yanran said teasingly as he pinched Luo Qianqian’s cheek, observing his sister still maintaining her shocked expression, ”Didn’t you read the CD I gave you? It’s mentioned there.”

Upon hearing Luo Yanran’s words, Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes; did he really not know whether she had watched the CD or not? There were also things in her room that hadn’t been played. In the evening, it was always them occupying the TV to play games, forcing her to just sit by, watching her brothers.

”Speaking of which, Xiao Ran’s choice of name has the meaning of searching for Xiaowu too,” Luo Yanhao said gently as he saw his mother walking with his cousin without a trace of displeasure, ”The children from our great uncle’s family chose names signifying endless learning, ours signify vast righteousness, the third uncle’s family initially chose ’setting sail far and wide,’ and the fourth uncle’s family chose ’profound knowledge and determination.’ Yhan Miyuan, ’Yhan’ is the generational character, ’Miyu’ has the meaning of searching, and ’Yuan’ is from ’setting sail far and wide.’

”Then why isn’t my brother called Luo Yanfan?” Luo Qianqian asked softly, looking at her brother. Luo Shufan was momentarily stunned, not expecting Luo Yanran’s stage name to have such significance.

”The third brother’s intentions, who knows? Even until the last moment, the family only knew the name of the third younger sister, but there were too many with the same name,” Ye Qianying said softly.

”Dad said,” Luo Shufan said quietly, and everyone fell silent, listening to what Luo Shufan had to say, ”the ’Shu’ from ’a mountain of books with paths, a sea of learning without end,’ and the ’Fan’ from ’vast righteousness, setting sail far and wide.’ Dad hoped that I would become a child who is righteous, eager to learn, has goals, and will strive towards those goals without looking back.” As Luo Shufan spoke, tears gently fell.