Financial Independence through Cracked Apps-Chapter 106 - 103: The Cool Lady’s Mind

"You’re learning."

After receiving Qin Yuenan’s sweet kiss as a "thank you," the corners of Lin Shen’s mouth curled up uncontrollably.

He wasn’t sure when it started, but the aloof ice queen wasn’t so "icy" anymore.

When Lin Shen made requests in his usual half-joking tone, Qin Yuenan no longer rejected him outright. Instead, she’d provide emotional validation in a way she knew he’d like.

She’d even started to take the initiative!

Lin Shen hadn’t expected such a huge change in such a short time.

The old Qin Yuenan would never have rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. She usually would have just rolled her eyes and reluctantly asked, "What kind of reward do you want?"

But now, she had completely figured out what Lin Shen liked.

And that was flirty stuff!

"One more kiss."

Getting a little carried away, Lin Shen pointed to his cheek and eagerly leaned in.

But he was firmly pushed away by Qin Yuenan.

"Stop fooling around. We have things to do today. Hurry up and eat."

"Alright."

After a bit more playful banter with Qin Yuenan, the two finished breakfast and went downstairs.

Wang Shuo had already been waiting at the hotel entrance for a while. He immediately greeted them with a flattering smile.

"President Qin, did you rest well?"

"Very well."

The usually taciturn Qin Yuenan had, for once, offered her own opinion. The corners of her mouth were even slightly upturned, a clear sign that she was in a very good mood.

This left Wang Shuo feeling a little overwhelmed by the favor. With his high EQ, his eyes instinctively shifted to Lin Shen.

He knew very well that the only person likely to make Qin Yuenan look this happy was her young boyfriend.

’Looks like things went very smoothly for them last night...’

’Fuck!’

’I’m so jealous!’

*

*

The International Pet Expo.

This was the event Qin Yuenan and Lin Shen were attending this morning.

It was held at the Jinling International Expo Center, with several dozen exhibitors, including well-known leaders in the domestic and international pet industry.

This included Hill’s, a major producer of staple pet food, and Mars, which manufactures pet supplies, among others.

Even Merck, a leader in the pet healthcare industry, had set up a booth.

Furthermore, the variety of pets on display was extensive; it was no exaggeration to call it a grand event for the pet industry.

Pet Guardian Home’s booth was located in the northwest corner.

A huge company logo hung at the entrance. The shelves on the left were filled with Pet Guardian Home’s featured staple foods and treats for pets.

The shelves on the right held various pet toys and daily necessities like scratching posts.

In the middle was a fenced-off play area where several beautiful cats and dogs were running around.

Visitors could take off their shoes and go inside to play with the pets, which attracted a lot of attention.

"President Qin, this way, please."

Led by Wang Shuo, Qin Yuenan and Lin Shen arrived at the Pet Guardian Home booth. A staff member quickly approached to give them an introduction.

"This is our staple food section. The cat food uses..."

Qin Yuenan listened to her employee’s explanation with intense focus and concentration.

After all, a company’s booth is its public face. If you don’t even know your own products, how can you sell them to customers?

Fortunately, the employees chosen to staff the booth were elites from the sales team, exceptional in both their speaking skills and logical presentation.

Qin Yuenan nodded slightly, expressing her approval of the employee. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Lin Shen, on the other hand, focused his attention on the two large booths in the center.

Mars Petcare and Nestle Purina.

As the two comprehensive giants of the international pet industry, the breadth of their business was truly astonishing.

Staple food, treats, prescription diets, grooming products, cat litter, dog leashes... they even dabbled in products for parrots and ornamental fish.

’This is practically a monopoly on the pet industry, isn’t it?’

Lin Shen walked into the Mars booth. A parrot at the entrance suddenly squawked "Welcome!" in a perfectly clear voice, which took him by surprise.

’Quite the smart one.’

Lin Shen wandered around the booth, paying close attention to the ingredients in the staple pet foods.

The core of cat food was ingredients containing animal protein, like beef and chicken.

It was also supplemented with taurine, which cats cannot synthesize on their own, as well as various easily digestible carbohydrates.

’Feels pretty similar to what people eat.’

Lin Shen mused to himself, then went to browse the pet supplies section, which was a real eye-opener.

Many of the products were already becoming smart devices.

For example, the automatic timed feeders for cats and dogs.

After inputting your cat’s or dog’s breed and weight, it would create the healthiest diet plan, scheduling several meals a day and dispensing a set amount of food at designated times.

It directly saved the owner a significant amount of effort.

Lin Shen was secretly impressed and began to ponder.

’Maybe I could look into developing similar technology. After all, there don’t seem to be many smart pet products in the country.’

"So this is where you are."

Just as Lin Shen was about to leave the Mars booth to look around elsewhere, Qin Yuenan, having finally found him, walked over quickly. There was a hint of complaint in her voice.

"I’ve been looking for you for a while. Can’t you let me know before you run off?"

"What? It’s only been a little while, and you can’t be away from me already, Nan?" Lin Shen teased.

This earned him a cold glare from Qin Yuenan, who retorted, "I was afraid you’d get lost."

"Then I’d just have to wait for you at the information desk," Lin Shen chuckled, then changed the subject. "Are you done looking at your company’s booth?"

"Mhm," Qin Yuenan nodded. "The booth setup is good. They don’t need any suggestions from me. And they’re not comfortable with me hanging around, so I came out."

"So, does that mean you’re free now?"

"I guess so."

Qin Yuenan glanced toward the interior of the Mars booth.

"But I still need to check out the products from other brands."

"Let’s look around together, then."

Lin Shen moved closer to Qin Yuenan and reached out to wrap an arm around her slender waist, but she dodged him with a sidestep, looking slightly flustered.

"Um... there are a lot of people, and many acquaintances."

"It’s not like our relationship is some big secret."

Seeing the exasperated look on Lin Shen’s face, Qin Yuenan pursed her thin lips in thought for a moment before taking the initiative to slip her hand into his right palm. She whispered, "Hand-holding is my limit. No waist-grabbing."

"Fine."

Lin Shen considered that this was Qin Yuenan’s first relationship. Public displays of affection would indeed take some getting used to for her.

Moreover, she was a senior executive at Pet Guardian Home and knew the leaders of many companies here.

It was understandable that she wanted to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings by not being overly intimate.

So, Lin Shen held Qin Yuenan’s hand and strolled around the International Pet Expo, thinking it would be a sweet date for the two of them.

But she ended up focusing entirely on work.

"This smart collar is pretty good. It can monitor a dog’s various vitals."

"I need to make a note of the ingredients in this cat litter. Its odor control is excellent."

"That Golden Retriever must be a show-quality dog, right? We really should participate in more international pet competitions to promote our own products."

...

Seeing Qin Yuenan so engrossed in the exhibition, Lin Shen scratched his head, unsure of what to say. He couldn’t help but complain internally.

’Is this what a workaholic is usually like?’

’She’s a little too passionate about her job!’

’Has she never heard of slacking off while on the clock?’

To stop Qin Yuenan from focusing on work, Lin Shen pulled her directly to the central area of the convention center to watch the various pet shows.

There were dog agility competitions, dog obedience trials, informal breed judging for cats and dogs, and more.

Cute cats and dogs did their best to show off their skills and good looks on a large patch of artificial turf, attracting countless expo visitors who gathered to watch and take pictures.

You could even enter your own pet into the competitions for a chance to win a lovely prize.

As Qin Yuenan watched the adorable pets, a surprising sparkle lit up her eyes.

Seeing this, Lin Shen suddenly asked out of curiosity, "Nan, you like pets so much. Why don’t you have one at home?"

"I’m busy with work and don’t have time to take care of one," Qin Yuenan said softly. "Besides, I can’t handle parting with a pet, even if it’s years or a decade later."

"Is that so," Lin Shen chuckled. "I’m the exact opposite. After I move, I plan on getting a cat and a dog. Otherwise, my days are just too boring."

"You’re moving?" Qin Yuenan’s expression faltered. "Did you buy a place in Modu?"

"No, I’m planning to rent," Lin Shen murmured, a strange note of wistfulness in his voice. "I don’t want to live in my old place anymore. It’s too small."

"Is that so."

Seeing the somewhat desolate look on Lin Shen’s face, Qin Yuenan knew very well that the small space was just an excuse for him to move.

In reality, he wanted to escape a place filled with painful memories.

Sensing the subtle sadness in his heart, Qin Yuenan took the initiative to hold his hand. The woman who was never good at comforting people suddenly spoke in a gentle voice, "The past is in the past. Have you found a place you like yet?"

"I think your neighborhood is pretty nice, Nan," Lin Shen teased with a light laugh. "How about I move in and become your neighbor?"

"I can ask around for you, then."

Seeing her looking like she was seriously considering it, Lin Shen quickly added, "No need. I actually haven’t decided where to move yet."

"Well, when you’ve decided, let me know. I can go with you to look at places."

"Aren’t you busy with work?"

"It’s not impossible to make time."

Qin Yuenan looked down, pursing her lips in a moment of internal conflict. When she spoke again, her voice was tinged with a hint of shyness.

"Besides, I’m happy when I’m with you."

"..."

Lin Shen was taken aback. A sudden warmth flooded his heart.

’Even though Nan has never directly expressed her feelings, I can tell from all these little details... It seems like she really likes me!’

"Thanks."

Lin Shen tightened his grip on Qin Yuenan’s hand, which made the corners of her lips curl up. She retorted with his own words, "I’ll get angry if you keep being so polite."

"Then I won’t hold back."

A wicked smile spread across Lin Shen’s face as he moved next to Qin Yuenan. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he swiftly wrapped an arm around her slender waist and, while he was at it, gave her perky, full bottom a squeeze.

!?

Qin Yuenan’s beautiful eyes flew wide open. Lin Shen’s overly bold "harassment" in public made her flush beet red in an instant, her eyes filled with shame and anger.

"Lin Shen!!"