Chapter 397: Money is the Most Reliable After All

The sky was high and the clouds were vast; the spring breeze was pleasant.

The park was filled with clusters of flowers, and ginkgo trees stood tall and erect. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows upon the ground.

Beneath a ginkgo tree, Chen Shanni heard that Shen Yan would spend more time with her and even take her out alone; it would be a lie to say she wasn't happy.

But she was also afraid that Shen Yan was just fooling her, so she confirmed this fact with him repeatedly.

Shen Yan straightened his back, returning to his true masculine self, pulled Chen Shanni back into his arms, and raised a hand to gently stroke her beautiful hair.

The girls nearby couldn't help but reveal knowing, motherly smiles.

They even offered applause in congratulations.

Oh my god!

Where on earth can one find a boyfriend like this? He can set aside his pride, yet stand tall when needed; he knows when to be firm and when to be flexible, and his emotional support is just perfect.

Looking at the "big pig's trotter" beside them, they really wanted to give him a makeover.

In their excitement, they couldn't help but nag their male companions: "Look at how that guy spoils his girlfriend; learn a thing or two from him instead of just making me angry all day long."

The men cast a resentful glance at Shen Yan.

Just kidding, I would rather break than bend; acting cute is absolutely impossible.

Such behavior immediately provoked the girls' displeasure, followed by a barrage of verbal and physical output.

Chen Shanni covered her mouth and giggled, while Shen Yan added the perfect touch at the right moment: "How could I lie to you? Even if my legs were broken, I would still accompany you alone."

"You just know how to sweet-talk me!"

Despite saying that, Chen Shanni's eyebrows curved into crescent moons.

"You don't believe me?" Shen Yan looked disappointed.

Chen Shanni saw through his disguise at a glance, pouted, and said, "I'll believe you only if you stay to keep me company tonight."

Wu Yue'er had revealed earlier that morning that Shen Yan was going to find Hao Anqi that night to rekindle their past; she said this specifically to see how Shen Yan would choose.

Shen Yan guessed her thoughts and felt it was more important to appease the good girl, so he immediately stated, "That's no problem at all; everything else has to be pushed aside for you."

Even though she knew the man was using sweet words to please her, Chen Shanni drank it in like honey; she raised her head and kissed Shen Yan on the cheek as a reward.

Shen Yan grinned.

Finally, he had managed to soothe this girl.

The two walked around the park, whispering intimate words, and time slipped away quietly.

Over half an hour passed.

Luo Qiqi called to say she had finished purchasing the ingredients and was at the entrance of the vegetable market, asking where Chen Shanni was; Chen Shanni replied she would be there in five minutes.

The car drove to the road opposite the vegetable market.

They saw Zhu Baoping and Luo Qiqi with large and small bags at their feet; although ingredients for forty people weren't massive, they still weighed several dozen catties, which was quite a burden for the two of them.

The two were panting heavily, and fine beads of sweat were seeping from their foreheads.

After getting into the car, Zhu Baoping couldn't help but start complaining: "Sister Luo, I'm only doing this for your sake; otherwise, you couldn't pay me to do such thankless work."

Luo Qiqi's thoughts were exactly the same as his.

If it weren't for Yu Youwei's request, she would never have been foolish enough to take on such a miserable task.

After currying favor with Luo Qiqi, Zhu Baoping started grumbling again: "Old Shen, you wouldn't believe it. I ran into a shameless boss while buying vegetables just now, and it made me so angry."

Shen Yan asked what happened, and Zhu Baoping wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued his account: "I thought the pork was too expensive, so I tried to haggle with the boss. The jerk muttered, 'Look at that stingy guy, it's a waste for his girlfriend to be so pretty.'"

"Damn it! He thought I couldn't hear him, but my ears are sharp. Then I started arguing with the boss. That bastard said such nasty things, one minute saying it's like a fresh flower stuck in cow dung, the next saying a good cabbage was being trampled by a pig."

"Damn! So what if I'm a bit dark, a bit short, and have bad skin? At least my features are those of a normal person. The son of a bitch! How dare he insult someone like that."

Shen Yan suppressed his laughter and offered comfort: "Hey! I bet the boss either has an unhappy marriage, a shrew for a wife, or is just an old bachelor. Why bother arguing with someone like that?"

"That must be it!"

Zhu Baoping felt it made sense.

The son of a bitch was unhappy with his own life and took it out on me.

Serves him right!

Luo Qiqi chimed in to comfort him: "Exactly! Actually, you're a pretty good person; you're helpful and take the initiative to contribute to the class. Many girls like your type."

After all, he had helped her and was implicated because of her; in terms of reason and sentiment, Luo Qiqi shouldn't turn a blind eye.

Luo Qiqi had said these things in the market, but Zhu Baoping had been too angry to listen. Hearing her say it now, he assumed Luo Qiqi was moved by his proactive helpfulness.

He felt incredibly excited inside.

He never expected that a casual act would win the favor of his goddess; it turned out that heaven was still looking out for him.

So, Zhu Baoping decided to strike while the iron was hot and win over Luo Qiqi completely. He asked thirstily, "Then, would you be willing to be my girlfriend?"

In an instant, the car fell into a deathly silence.

You could almost hear a pin drop.

Shen Yan pretended not to hear and kept his head down playing with his phone. Luo Qiqi glanced at Shen Yan, then struck Zhu Baoping's newly risen hopes down to the bottom of the valley.

"I was just trying to comfort you; why are you climbing up the pole?"

In fact, Luo Qiqi could have expressed it more tactfully, but she was worried about Shen Yan misunderstanding, so in her haste, she chose the most direct way.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Luo Qiqi regretted them.

But words spoken are like spilled water and cannot be retrieved, so Luo Qiqi had to stick with it.

She tried her best to explain: "What I mean is, you aren't the type I like. Everyone has different preferences. Keep it up! You will definitely meet the right girl for you."

Zhu Baoping managed to squeeze out a smile, then turned his head to look out the window.

Sure enough, money is the most reliable thing in this world; it has the most human touch and can bring everything he wants.

Ganbatte!

Rich woman, here I come!

He would never be like Lin Yang, acting like a foolish sycophant.

What he yearned for was the sea of stars.

For the rest of the journey, the car remained silent; after parking on the lawn, Shen Yan helped carry the ingredients back to the campsite, then plopped down into a reclining chair.

He typed a few words casually.

"Something came up tonight, I'll come find you tomorrow."

Hao Anqi replied instantly: "Are they excluding me? (aggrieved)"

Shen Yan: "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

Hao Anqi: "Poor, weak, and helpless (crying)"

Shen Yan: "(pats dog head)"

Suddenly, Shen Yan felt a chill down his back, as if he were being stared at by a wild beast.

He turned his head to look.

He saw Lin Yang standing at the entrance of the lodging tent, his expression as still as an ancient well, like a calm lake.

After a few hours of rest, Lin Yang's complexion had not improved much; his lips were pale, and faint dark circles hung under his eyes, unable to hide his exhaustion.

Lifting the tent flap, with just one glance, Lin Yang spotted Wu Yue'er, the most conspicuous among the classmates.

And Shen Yan beside her.

This caused Lin Yang's already gloomy mood to be shrouded in another layer of haze.