Chapter 26: Escorting the Campus Belle Home, the Boys Are Green with Envy

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The group exchanged glances. Though they still had their doubts, they eventually nodded.

On Friday, the final bell rang.

Lin Qianfan packed up his schoolbag and glanced at Xia Ruo, who was still sitting at her desk.

“Let’s go. I’ll walk you home.”

Xia Ruo pressed her lips together and said softly, “There’s no need. I can go home by myself.”

“Stop talking nonsense. Let’s go.” Lin Qianfan stood up and slung his schoolbag over his shoulder. “It isn’t safe for you to walk alone.”

Xia Ruo hesitated, but in the end she stood and followed him out of the classroom.

As they reached the school gate, they happened to run into a group of male students.

“Oh, Lin Qianfan is walking Xia Ruo home again?” one of them whispered.

“Damn, that guy is really lucky. The school beauty is with him every day.” Another student sounded envious.

“Enough, I’m getting jealous.” Someone joked. “I want to be Lin Qianfan for once too.”

Lin Qianfan heard their murmurs, but his expression remained unchanged, as if he had heard nothing.

Xia Ruo, however, seemed somewhat uncomfortable. She lowered her head, looking a little embarrassed.

“Don’t mind them,” Lin Qianfan said quietly. “We haven’t done anything shameful.”

“Mm,” Xia Ruo replied. She quickened her pace, hoping to escape the surrounding gazes as soon as possible.

By the time they reached the area near Xia Ruo’s home, night had completely fallen.

Xia Ruo’s mother was standing at the entrance. When she saw the two of them from a distance, she froze for a moment.

Lin Qianfan stopped. “You’re home. I won’t go in.”

“All right.” Xia Ruo nodded.

Lin Qianfan turned and headed toward his own home.

“Rourou, did he walk you home again?” Xia’s mother asked, glancing at Lin Qianfan.

“Mm,” Xia Ruo answered indifferently.

Her mother said nothing more, merely reminding her, “Get inside quickly. And keep your distance from him in the future.”

“I know, Mom,” Xia Ruo replied softly.

Lin Qianfan turned and walked toward his own home.

As soon as he got back, he casually tossed his schoolbag onto a chair and immediately took out his phone.

Several unread messages had appeared on the screen.

The editor’s profile picture was glowing. When Lin Qianfan opened the chat, he found nothing but reminders to update his novel.

“Lin Qianfan, what have you been doing these past few days? The readers are about to blow up the comment section!”

“Update it now! If you don’t, people are going to report you!”

Lin Qianfan rubbed his brow and typed a reply.

“Got it. I’ll write it now.”

After closing the chat with his editor, he noticed a message from an unfamiliar number.

“Hello, Mr. Lin. We are Dream Chaser Studio. We would like to discuss the copyright cooperation for Fragrant Rice with you.”

A flicker of interest passed through Lin Qianfan’s eyes. He quickly typed back, “Are you looking for an outright purchase or a profit-sharing agreement?”

The other party replied almost instantly.

“An outright purchase. One hundred thousand. Would that work for you?”

Lin Qianfan leaned back in his chair and pondered for a few seconds before typing a few words.

“That works. I’d like to review the contract first.”

The other party soon sent over an electronic copy of the contract, along with a message:

“Mr. Lin, please look it over first. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at any time.”

Lin Qianfan opened the contract and skimmed through it, confirming that there were no problems with the terms.

Everything was clearly stated: a full copyright buyout for one hundred thousand, with no claim to any future earnings.

For his current circumstances, it was already an excellent price. Without hesitation, he replied:

“The contract is fine.”

He attached a string of bank account numbers.

The other party worked with impressive efficiency. Less than five minutes after he sent the message, a notification arrived on his phone.

“Your account ending in **** has received a deposit of 100,000.00 yuan.”

Lin Qianfan stared at the message, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly as he felt some of the tension leave him.

With this money, many things could now move forward smoothly.

He set his phone aside, turned on his computer, and began writing several days’ worth of chapters in advance.

The novel’s readership had been growing rapidly lately, and his editor was pressing him even harder. He had to make sure this wave of updates kept the momentum steady.

On Saturday, he finished writing quickly. After checking the chapters one by one, he clicked “Schedule Publication.”

He let out a long breath and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was still early. He picked up his coat, opened the door, and left.

Lin Qianfan had been observing the shops and restaurants near the school for quite some time.

Standing on the street and looking at the rows of storefronts, he began calculating his next move.

“The food-delivery market hasn’t taken off yet. If I can bring all these businesses onto a single platform, offering one-stop ordering and delivery, then, judging by the way things developed in my previous life, I’ll definitely be able to capture the needs of plenty of students and nearby residents.”

He walked along the street once, committing the operating conditions of every shop to memory.

Some restaurants were doing well, with long lines outside their doors. Certain convenience stores, on the other hand, were nearly deserted and clearly struggling.

This information would be crucial for the negotiations ahead.

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Lin Qianfan considered where to begin and finally chose a mid-range restaurant that appeared to be doing fairly well.

A server was greeting customers at the entrance. When he saw Lin Qianfan approaching, he asked casually, “Young man, are you here to eat?”

“Is the owner available for a chat?”

The owner did not even look up. His fingers moved over a calculator as he replied, “If you’re here to eat, talk to the server.”

Lin Qianfan remained calm and went straight to the point.

“I’m here to discuss a partnership.”

The owner stopped what he was doing and looked up at him.

“A partnership? What do you do?”

“I develop software near the school, and I’m currently promoting a food-delivery platform.”

The owner frowned slightly.

“What food-delivery platform? We’re not interested.”

Lin Qianfan took out a prepared packet of materials and placed it on the counter.

“Please don’t reject it just yet. I’ve prepared a detailed proposal. You can take a look first.”

The owner accepted the promotional material and examined it with a frown. Several lines were printed across the page:

“Campus Food-Delivery Platform Launching Soon! Join Now and Seize the Market Advantage! Merchant Commission: 10%. Delivery Handled Entirely by the Platform!”

The owner looked up, his voice filled with confusion.

“Is this something your school is running?”

“No. I built it myself,” Lin Qianfan replied.

“We’ve developed a food-delivery platform specifically for the school and the surrounding residential areas. Once you join, we’ll handle order collection and delivery for you, saving you a great deal of trouble.”

The owner’s frown deepened. He waved his hand dismissively.

“Young man, I don’t understand this sort of thing, and I don’t need it.”

“Our restaurant is doing quite well. There’s no need for all these flashy gimmicks.”

Lin Qianfan had expected the rejection.

“Boss, you think business is good now, but have you ever considered all the students and residents who are too busy to come here in person? Aren’t you losing those customers?”

“The users on our platform will all be students from the school and residents from nearby. Ordering will be convenient for them, and you’ll gain an additional source of income. Why not take advantage of it?”

The owner remained unconvinced.

“An additional source of income sounds good, but isn’t a ten-percent commission too high? Our profit margins are already very thin.”

Lin Qianfan immediately replied, “How about this, Boss?”

“Our platform’s commission is indeed ten percent, but three percent of that will be returned directly to you as a bonus.”

“In other words, besides the profit you make from selling meals as usual, you’ll receive an additional share of the platform’s commission. The platform and your restaurant can both make money. What do you think?”