Chapter 329 - 196: Seeing Xiao Ya Again_2

Words : 1226 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 329: Chapter 196: Seeing Xiao Ya Again_2"Why have you lost so much weight?" Chen Feng looked at her with some surprise and remarked with a hint of concern, "While business is important, you shouldn’t push yourself so hard." Xiao Ya smiled slightly and said, "I’ve been on a diet. It’s good to be able to slim down now. The milk tea shop was busy at first, but I’ve gotten used to it now. And I’ve already hired four employees, so it’s not too exhausting." "That’s good." Chen Feng nodded and didn’t say anything more caring, as their relationship was different now; saying too much might lead her to misunderstand. He then introduced Wu Mengting beside him, "This is Wu Mengting, my friend and also my assistant. In the future, matters related to my investments will be managed by her; any business regarding the shop, she’ll discuss with you." "Hello." "Hello." The two women exchanged smiles, shook hands, and quickly let go. "Alright, I mainly came by to check the shop and introduce you two to each other. Now, continue with your work; we’ll leave first." Chen Feng wanted to meet Sun Xiaorui as soon as possible, then wash up and sleep. However, Xiao Ya suggested, "Why don’t we find a place to have dinner and chat about the milk tea shop’s operations." "Sure." Before Chen Feng could reply, Wu Mengting agreed with a smile, "We haven’t eaten yet, as well." Seeing this, Chen Feng couldn’t oppose it. So, the three of them went nearby, found a stir-fry restaurant, booked a private room, and ordered a few dishes. Xiao Ya gave Chen Feng a rough report on the current situation of the shop. The initial investment from both sides was 700,000, with shop rent, decoration, franchise fees, and equipment materials adding up to more than 500,000, while advertising and flyer distribution cost over 20,000. In total, around 600,000 was spent initially. The business has been quite good these days, with daily turnover exceeding 10,000 after discounts. Especially in the first two days of opening, turnover was over 20,000 before it gradually decreased to more than 10,000. As for gross profit, it’s about fifty-fifty, meaning that these days it’s at least a few thousand yuan daily on average, which seems like a lot. But after subtracting shop rent, labor, utilities, and equipment maintenance costs, at least half is deducted again, and what’s left is Xiao Ya’s and Chen Feng’s net profit as shop owners. Roughly calculating these days, their net profit is about two to three thousand on average each day. This means, at this average level, Xiao Ya can earn at most fifty to sixty thousand a month, and Chen Feng forty to fifty thousand. This is an ideal scenario. Therefore, while the milk tea shop appears bustling, it’s not as profitable as everyone imagines. Rent takes the largest portion. The busier the street and higher the foot traffic, the more expensive the shop rent. Because it’s near East Lake, the foot traffic is quite high, hence the monthly shop rent is as high as 32,000, which was the result of some bargaining. So, most of the time, opening a shop seems more like earning money for the landlord. Xiao Ya concluded, "The profitability of the milk tea shop is much worse than I expected." "Do you regret opening this shop now?" Chen Feng asked Xiao Ya with a smile. Back then, she had done enough homework for opening the milk tea shop and even worked undercover in a milk tea shop for nearly a month to understand its real operation. But she wasn’t the shop owner, so she wasn’t clear about the specific profit aspects. "Of course I don’t regret it." Xiao Ya shook her head, "Although it’s a bit tiring, working from a little past seven in the morning until after nine at night, if I can earn fifty to sixty thousand a month, hundreds of thousands a year, I’m content." Chen Feng thought about it, then nodded, "That’s true. But if you stick to this long-term, it would be too exhausting. Look, you’ve already slimmed down quite a bit. If it drags down your health, it’s not worth it. How about hiring a manager? You can just come over to do the accounts check and supervise." Xiao Ya smiled and nodded, "I’ve thought about it, but since the shop has just opened, I definitely need to oversee it myself. Once business is on track, I’ll hire a manager or select one from the current four." "As long as you’re clear about it." The meal lasted just over half an hour, after which they parted ways with Xiao Ya. During the meal, Wu Mengting barely spoke. It was only after Xiao Ya left that Wu Mengting said to Chen Feng, "This woman seems very career-minded. The entire time all she talked about was business; nothing else. Such a woman isn’t really good." Chen Feng nodded, "You’ve got a good eye. At the time, I felt her career orientation was too strong, her ambition too intense, and it seemed pointless, so I broke up with her. Initially, I was worried she’d be upset or sad about it, but now it seems she’s more at ease than I am. When facing me, there’s no visible emotional fluctuation, she’s quite calm and collected." Wu Mengting shook her head, "That might not be the case. She might just be good at pretending. Didn’t you say she lost a lot of weight? Maybe it’s because you broke up with her." "How could that be? She must have been busy opening the milk tea shop, and then busy with the shop’s business, that’s why she lost weight. Didn’t you hear her say she’s been working from seven in the morning until past nine at night?" "Anyway, I think you should try not to interact with her in the future; otherwise, it’ll be awkward for you, and she definitely won’t be feeling great either." "That’s true. From now on, you can handle the communication with her for me. Monthly account checks, profit sharing, everything—you handle it." "Alright." They talked as they walked, reaching the parking place. Chen Feng said he wanted to head straight back to Red Villa Bay, but Wu Mengting suggested they all stay at East Lake Villa tonight and have a gathering of the four of them. Lin Wan and Sun Xiaorui had both returned to Xiu Zhou. Chen Feng mentioned that he’d already arranged with Sun Xiaorui to have their gathering at noon at East Lake Villa tomorrow. Wu Mengting ultimately couldn’t persuade Chen Feng, so they parted ways at the parking lot. He drove quickly back to Red Villa Bay and, seeing the lights in his villa from afar, thought of Sun Xiaorui whom he hadn’t seen for some time. A warmth welled up in Chen Feng’s heart. When he parked in front of the villa and was about to find the garage’s remote control, he saw the garage door automatically rising. Looking up, he saw the lights on in the garage, and at the garage door stood Sun Xiaorui, elegantly dressed, smiling at him. Under the warm orange light, it gave a feeling of home, causing a smile to appear on Chen Feng’s face.

Chapter 329 - 196: Seeing Xiao Ya Again_2

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