37: Chapter 37 My Best Friend's "Interview"

At three forty-five in the afternoon, the subway traveled smoothly on its return journey.

The carriage swayed slightly. Qiao Yichen leaned against the vertical pillar near the door when his phone vibrated in his palm.

The screen lit up, showing Liu Yanran's name.

He tapped it almost instantly. The brief message caught his eye: "Are you free tonight? Lin Wei and Su Qing want to have dinner together. Come over if you don't have plans."

The heart that had been suspended finally settled back into place.

He reread the message twice. He knew Su Qing, and Lin Wei was likely her best friend. The tone seemed like a casual gathering of friends, but it was actually the best friends teaming up to vet him. Even so, it made him relax considerably.

He glanced down at what he was wearing today—for the visit to Auction House, he had specially put on his best dark gray casual suit over a light blue shirt. The overall look was neat and sharp, perfect for meeting people, so there was no need to go home and change.

The subway arrived at the station just then. He got off with the crowd, stopped in a relatively quiet corner of the platform, and quickly replied:

"Okay, I'm on the subway now. Where are you?"

He sent the message.

On the fourth floor of the mall, inside the coffee shop.

The screen of Liu Yanran's phone, placed on the table, lit up with a very soft notification sound.

"He replied!" Lin Wei, sharp-eyed, immediately lowered her voice, a teasing smile in her expression.

Liu Yanran picked up her phone. Seeing the reply, her fingertips paused for a moment over the screen before she sent the mall location over.

"XX Mall. Call me when you arrive."

Su Qing picked up her Americano, which had cooled slightly, and looked at Liu Yanran, a knowing smile on her lips. "I told you, he would come."

Liu Yanran didn't reply, just picked up the partially full pomelo tea and took a small sip. The warm tea, with its slight sourness and lingering sweetness, slid down her throat. She placed her phone face down on the table again, her fingertip unconsciously stroking the surface.

The sunlight outside shifted slightly, and the patches of light on the tabletop lengthened.

Four fifteen in the afternoon.

Qiao Yichen stood in the mall atrium, finding a relatively quiet corner, and dialed Liu Yanran's number.

"Yanran, I'm at the mall. Where are you?"

Her calm voice came from the other end of the line, seemingly softer than usual. "We are in the coffee shop on the fourth floor."

"Okay, I'm coming up."

"Mm."

The call ended cleanly and quickly. Almost at the moment Qiao Yichen put away his phone, Liu Yanran also set hers down and said softly to the two friends beside her, "He's coming up. I'm just going to the restroom for a moment." She picked up her small chain bag and rose from the booth.

Lin Wei watched her slightly hurried back as she turned and winked at Su Qing. "She's going to touch up her makeup."

Su Qing pursed her lips and smiled noncommittally, her gaze already directed toward the coffee shop entrance.

A few minutes later, the glass door was pushed open, and Qiao Yichen walked in, his eyes quickly scanning the interior.

The coffee shop was quite busy on a weekend afternoon, but his gaze quickly locked onto the booth area against the wall—two ladies with distinct temperaments were sitting there, one of whom was Su Qing. Liu Yanran was not present.

Su Qing also saw him and raised her hand in a small gesture, not overly broad, but clear enough.

Qiao Yichen adjusted his breathing, a proper smile appearing on his face, and walked over.

"Lawyer Su, good afternoon." He stopped beside the booth, first nodding respectfully to Su Qing, his tone familiar yet respectful.

Then, his gaze shifted to the lady beside Su Qing, who had a bright smile and eyes showing undisguised curiosity and scrutiny. He inclined his head slightly. "Hello, I am Qiao Yichen."

Lin Wei sized him up, the smile in her eyes deepening. She raised her hand in greeting. "I'm Lin Wei. Don't just stand there, sit down quickly. Yanran just stepped out and will be right back." She pointed to the empty seat opposite where Liu Yanran had been sitting, next to herself.

"Thank you." Qiao Yichen accepted gracefully and sat down.

The waiter came over at the right moment, and he ordered a glass of ice water.

A brief silence. Lin Wei and Su Qing exchanged a look.

The test had already begun the moment Liu Yanran left her seat.

The brief silence was broken by Lin Wei's crisp voice.

"Qiao Yichen, right?" She leaned slightly forward, resting her elbows on the table, supporting her chin, her smile as friendly as if she were examining a new sample garment. "Yanran mentioned you. I finally get to meet the real person today. You look even more energetic than I imagined."

"Thank you," Qiao Yichen replied with a smile.

"I heard from Su Qing that you're running your own studio?" Lin Wei got straight to the point. "It's called 'Yiran Consulting'? The name is quite interesting. What exactly do you do?"

"It's just starting up. Mainly connecting with some GG channel resources to help clients with precise advertising placement." Qiao Yichen's answer this time was very precise, highlighting the core: channels and placement.

"You're the boss now, huh," Lin Wei nodded, looking at him with bright eyes. "So when you get busy, do you have no time to go shopping? I like the cut of your suit; where did you buy it?"

Qiao Yichen answered simply, "I bought it in a mall. I had something today, so I dressed a bit more formally."

"Good taste," Lin Wei said with a smile, moving on. The next question was more direct. "Our Yanran, when she gets into work, she forgets to eat. Do you keep an eye on her when you work overtime?"

This question carried a hint of teasing but also a serious probe. As Qiao Yichen was contemplating how to respond, Su Qing, who had been quiet beside him, put down her coffee cup.

She didn't look at Qiao Yichen, but rather at Lin Wei first, a slight smile on her lips, her tone casual as if mentioning something offhand. "Lin Wei, haven't you always complained that drawing traffic on Taobao is expensive and ineffective now?"

Lin Wei paused, then immediately reacted, her eyes lighting up. She quickly picked up the thread. "Right! Platform traffic fees are getting higher and higher; any investment feels like throwing money into the water." After speaking, she naturally turned her gaze to Qiao Yichen, a hint of genuine interest in her smile. "Hey, Qiao Yichen, this 'channel resource' you mentioned, does it connect with our Taobao store? Do you have any… cost-effective exposure spots?"

Qiao Yichen quickly organized his thoughts upon hearing the question.

"Most of the channels I deal with are information flow GG placements and splash screens or content integrations on some vertical Apps," he answered truthfully, not mentioning what he wasn't good at. "The demographic tags can be screened very finely, such as age, region, and consumer interests. If it matches the profile of your store's target customers, the exposure cost will be a bit lower than purely buying keywords. But in terms of clicks and conversions, it ultimately depends on your product and landing page."

Lin Wei nodded after listening. She didn't seem disappointed; instead, she found him straightforward. "I understand. Channels are channels, and products are products. Do you have any suitable spots right now for the 20 to 30-year-old female demographic, leaning toward the fashion and apparel category? If you have data, you can send it over for me to look at."

"I just finished a project for the women's clothing tag a while ago, and the data was quite good. I can find the anonymized backend screenshots when I get back for your reference," Qiao Yichen said.

Su Qing listened quietly from the side without interrupting.

At this moment, Lin Wei was about to press further about specific data and price ranges—

A clicking sound came from behind them.

Liu Yanran walked out of the restroom.

She had reapplied her makeup; the new lip color was more striking, and she had redone her hair. She returned to the booth and sat down naturally in the empty seat next to Qiao Yichen.

As she sat down, her elbow lightly brushed against Qiao Yichen's arm.

Just that one touch.

Then she picked up the now-cool pomelo tea and took a sip, raising her eyes to look at Lin Wei, who was still animated, her tone placid but carrying a hint of interruption. "What are you two chatting about, so excitedly?"

Lin Wei blinked, immediately dropping her businesslike expression, her smile reverting to the teasing banter between best friends. "Oh, just casual talk, seeing if there are any opportunities for cooperation."

Su Qing raised her coffee cup, concealing a knowing smile at the corner of her mouth.

The atmosphere subtly shifted.

Qiao Yichen glanced at Liu Yanran beside him.