15: Self-love

Hearing that the person who got out of the sports car was Chen Ming, Zhao Ya immediately shifted her gaze.

At this moment, Chen Ming, dressed in designer clothes, perfectly matched Zhao Ya's imagination of what a top-tier rich young master should be.

Zhao Ya dreamed of marrying such a rich and handsome young master and becoming a wealthy wife.

She wouldn't have to do anything in the future; just being a pretty face would allow her to live a life of luxury.

Thinking that she had previously removed such an excellent candidate for a fiancé from her list,

Zhao Ya wished she could travel back in time and give her past self a hard slap.

Among the list of potential fiancés Zhao Ya had prepared, Chen Ming's appearance and family background definitely ranked in the top three!

"Xiaoya, let's quickly go over and say hello to him?" Lin Wei suggested.

"Okay! I'll touch up my makeup first!" Zhao Ya took out her makeup box, opened it, and patted and dabbed at her face.

She was preparing to use her most beautiful side to regain the impression score she had in Chen Ming's heart.

She felt that as long as she showed a little weakness and gave him a way out, Chen Ming would definitely become hers again.

Zhao Ya had a deep understanding of PUA and had even spent money to learn it from others.

She kept a pond full of 'fish' and bossed them around daily without repetition.

Occasionally, if a 'pet' threw a tantrum, she would condescendingly accompany him out to watch a movie or eat a meal.

If even that didn't work, she would hold hands, make physical contact, act cute, and maintain a certain level so that the other party would think that with a little more effort, he could get her and feel satisfied.

Zhao Ya decided that she would put Chen Ming, this big 'fish', into her private fish pond.

Her brain quickly turned, thinking about what to say.

It had to be meticulously planned!

"Perfect!"

She pursed her lips, ensuring the fiery red lipstick was applied evenly, and after confirming it was perfect, Zhao Ya strode towards Chen Ming.

"Chen Ming, what a coincidence, I didn't expect we would meet here by chance." Zhao Ya smiled gracefully and took the initiative to greet him.

"It is a coincidence. I have things to attend to, so I'll be going first." Chen Ming was focused on buying the shopping mall and acquiring supplies, not interested in these 'rosy-cheeked skeletons'.

There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Back then, Zhao Ya looked down on the penniless Chen Ming. Now, the tables had turned. After possessing hundreds of billions of assets, he looked at Zhao Ya, who was subtly, no, overtly, sending him glances.

Chen Ming felt that she was just so-so.

"Huh?"

Chen Ming's reply truly surprised Zhao Ya.

She stood frozen on the spot, never having imagined that one day, she, the campus beauty who had been scouted to pose for magazines, would be ignored by Chen Ming.

His eyes had never stayed on her for more than five seconds from beginning to end!

What could be more important than a great beauty like her taking the initiative to throw herself into his arms?

"Chen Ming, I've carefully considered what you said before. Although I can't agree immediately, we can start as friends first." Zhao Ya caught up to Chen Ming and said.

"Said what? What words?" Chen Ming asked, puzzled.

"Didn't you say you liked me and wanted me to be your girlfriend?" Zhao Ya was certain that Chen Ming was pretending to be foolish.

He wanted to use this method to attract her attention.

It was low, but Zhao Ya really didn't want to miss this big 'fish', so she endured it!

"Uh... about that, sorry, I lost a bet with a friend and said that on impulse. It was nonsense, don't take it to heart." Chen Ming told the truth.

"I really have things to do. Goodbye."

"..." Zhao Ya.

Clenching her fists, with so many people watching, Zhao Ya felt that her dignity had been trampled upon.

"Don't you think this is boring? I've already agreed to start as friends with you, you should be content. How can you expect to reach the sky in one step?"

After walking a few steps, hearing Zhao Ya say this, Chen Ming was a bit annoyed. "Which important person are you?"

'Still pretending?'

Zhao Ya decided to use her killer move. "Alright, I can make an exception and agree to have dinner with you tonight. Just dinner, don't think too much!"

She made a serious declaration.

"Idiot." Chen Ming left those two words and couldn't be bothered to argue with Zhao Ya.

If he had known he would be pestered by Zhao Ya, he wouldn't have made that bet with Wang Wei and the others in the first place.

Chen Ming had eyes and could see that Zhao Ya was a 'female sea king' (a term for someone who dates many people).

Precisely because he was sure she looked down on someone like him, Chen Ming had 'confessed', and was naturally rejected.

Who would have thought that now that he was driving a sports car and dressed in designer clothes, she would change her cold, dismissive attitude and shamelessly say she wanted to be friends with him.

Playing around was fine, but Chen Ming was a thousand times unwilling to marry a woman like this.

"What did you say!"

Hearing Chen Ming call her an idiot, Zhao Ya's face turned red with anger, unable to hide her fury. "Chen Ming, don't push your luck! Believe it or not, I'll never talk to you again! I'll blacklist you!"

"..." Chen Ming.

He had seen people who thought highly of themselves, but this was the first time Chen Ming had seen someone who thought *this* highly of themselves.

"Excuse me, are you General Manager Chen, Chen Ming?" Just as Chen Ming was about to speak, a voice came from behind him.

Turning around, he saw that the person's temples were already graying, looking forty or fifty years old, but his face was still full of energy.

He was dressed like a typical successful businessman.

"That voice, you're General Manager Meng, the one I spoke with on the phone earlier, right?" Chen Ming asked.

On his way here, he had learned the phone number of the mall's owner from the general manager of the five-star hotel that had previously delivered his food.

He called and expressed his idea of acquiring the mall.

"Yes, it's me." General Manager Meng nodded in affirmation.

"Regarding the acquisition, how have you considered it, General Manager Meng?" Chen Ming asked again.

"To be honest, I currently have no plans to retire. Why don't you look for..."

Before General Manager Meng could finish speaking, Chen Ming raised his hand and said something astonishing: "I'll add another 500 million. I'll offer 2 billion to buy this shopping mall."

This price included the downtown land and the entire building...

"..." General Manager Meng.

"..." The onlookers.

"..." Lin Wei.

"..."

Zhao Ya, who had planned to question Chen Ming about what he meant and demand an explanation today, had the words caught in her throat.

After hearing the number 2 billion, she couldn't help but swallow, gulping down her words.

'He can casually take out 2 billion to acquire this shopping mall?!'

Instantly, Chen Ming's position and value on Zhao Ya's list of potential fiancés skyrocketed from the top three to the undisputed number one.

Moreover, there was a world of difference between him and the second place!

Looking at it this way, Chen Ming's previous little 'hard to get' tactics instantly became not annoying, but rather very charismatic, humorous, and witty.

His favorability rating in Zhao Ya's heart soared!

'It's decided! I'll disband the fish pond and focus on being his girlfriend, no, being his wealthy wife!'

Zhao Ya made up her mind, convinced that Chen Ming was her ultimate destination.

Chen Ming wasn't interested in her thoughts at all.

Seeing that General Manager Meng still looked hesitant, he simply added fuel to the fire: "3 billion, that's my bottom line!"