Starting Off By Confessing To My Classmate's Mother

In the current era, running an internet café was considered a lucrative business. Many owners made a fortune, their cafés bustling with customers.

However, Gu Wanzhou's distant cousin, Sun Ziyi, was an exception. His café struggled, barely scraping by.

The reasons were clear—an inconvenient location paired with outdated equipment. Selling the café, along with its aging computers, for 200,000 yuan wasn't unreasonable, but anyone who bought it would surely be a fool.

And now, this fool appeared to be none other than Li Zhiyan.

"This boy…" Gu Wanzhou sighed internally. He's capable in so many ways, but business isn't one of them.

To her, Li Zhiyan had always been a brilliant and diligent child. His talent was undeniable, and she had never questioned his determination.

But starting a business wasn't the same as solving a complex problem or acing an exam.

Still, a nagging curiosity lingered in her heart. Does he really have enough money to buy an internet café? Or is this just a whim because he doesn't know the costs involved?

Even more puzzling was how he seemed to know her cousin was selling his café. She hadn't shared that detail with anyone, and yet, here he was, calling Sun Ziyi directly.

Could it be true? Could there really be some unexplainable fate binding us together?

Her thoughts spiraled further. Does this mean… he really plans to… pull the cart with me?

The mere idea made her face flush. Imagining a young man so boldly stepping into her life and—No, stop it! She shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts.

---

Meanwhile, on the way to the café, Li Zhiyan was nonchalant.

"Yeah, I'm planning to buy a café and run it myself," he said casually to Sun Ziyi over the phone.

Beside him, Li Siyu stared at his friend in disbelief.

"You're really buying a café? At 18? That's insane!"

The excitement in Li Siyu's voice was palpable. "Does this mean I get free internet access for life? Bro, I'm going to camp at your place every day!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll give you unlimited access," Li Zhiyan replied, dismissing him with a wave.

"But…" Li Siyu hesitated, "Why this café? The machines are ancient, and the location is terrible. I mean, even I avoid going there because it's so laggy. Why not go for something better, like Dreamland Café?"

"Do you think I can afford a high-end café?" Li Zhiyan shot back. "Besides, I have a plan to upgrade the machines. Once that's done, I'll hire a manager and a few staff to handle operations. It'll work out."

Li Siyu's jaw dropped. "A manager? Staff? Bro, that's next level! I want to be the manager!"

"Sure, why not? You can be the manager for now," Li Zhiyan agreed nonchalantly.

Li Siyu cheered as if he had won the lottery. "This is the dream! A 3,000-yuan salary just to sit around! I'm going to be rich!"

---

When they arrived at the café, Sun Ziyi and Gu Wanzhou were already waiting outside.

"Gu Aunty," Li Zhiyan greeted with a smile. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

As if this connection wasn't fated enough…

"See?" he added, "I told you we're destined to meet!"

Gu Wanzhou was caught off guard. "You two know each other?" Sun Ziyi asked, surprised.

"Of course," she replied, though her voice carried a hint of exasperation. "And, believe it or not, this is the person interested in buying your café."

She turned to Sun Ziyi. "Go fetch some iced cola from the fridge for our guest. He likes it cold."

As her cousin walked off, she leaned closer to Li Zhiyan, her tone serious.

"Zhiyan, listen to me. This café isn't worth it. The equipment is outdated, and the location is terrible. You'll lose money for sure."

But her words seemed to bounce off him.

"Aunty Gu, I've already made up my mind. I've thought this through, and I'm confident I can turn things around."

Her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "But it costs 200,000 yuan. Do you even have that much money?"

"I do," he replied calmly. "I've been working as a translator and helping with system upgrades. I saved up exactly 200,000 for this."

His nonchalant reply left her stunned.

Translator? System upgrades? She knew the boy was brilliant, but this level of resourcefulness was beyond her expectations.

"You're just 18, yet you've already accomplished so much…" she murmured, half to herself.

---

Inside the café, it was clear why the place was struggling.

The chairs were tattered, some missing entire sections of fabric. Half the headphones only worked on one side. A sign on the wall read: Chairs are for guests. Sit on the edge, and you're a dog.

"200,000 for this dump…" Li Zhiyan muttered under his breath, shaking his head. But then he remembered the system's promise. 20CM.

For that reward, he would've bought an even worse café.

"Alright, let's sign the papers," he said confidently.

Gu Wanzhou sighed. She couldn't stop him now.

After a few hours of paperwork and a quick trip home to gather the last bit of cash from his mom's savings jar, the deal was finalized.

---

As the new owner of the Brotherhood Internet Café, Li Zhiyan couldn't help but smile. This wasn't just an investment; it was the foundation for something far greater.

"Zhiyan, you're too impulsive," Gu Wanzhou said with a weary expression. "This café is a money pit. I don't see how you can make it profitable."

"Trust me, Aunty Gu," he replied with unwavering confidence. "I've got a plan."

She studied him for a long moment. Despite her reservations, there was something about his determination that made her want to believe in him.

Just as she was about to respond, her gaze drifted downward—and froze.

On the chair beside him was… something that shouldn't have been there.

Or rather, something that couldn't possibly be that exaggerated.

She blinked rapidly, her mind racing. Is this real? Is this what I think it is?

Her cheeks burned as she quickly looked away. This kid… what on earth is going on with him?