Chapter 107

The cafeteria's main lights had long been turned off, and the ultraviolet sterilization lamps cast a dim, eerie glow; although the two could not clearly see each other's faces, Liu Jiaoyue knew Yang Tianxing was staring at her.

She felt a bit like a child caught by their parents sneaking onto the internet, but this time, after hearing the reason she gave, the "parent" couldn't bring himself to be angry at all.

Yang Tianxing took the rag from Liu Jiaoyue's hand and tore it in two with a "rip": "How much is left to clean today?"

"Two more rows."

Liu Jiaoyue answered weakly.

"We'll each take a row, then head back once we're done."

From time to time, couples would emerge from the corner seats, holding milk tea, casting curious glances at the two figures cleaning, then lower their heads and hurry through the cafeteria's rubber curtains.

It was the kind of look that suggested they had just been up to something inappropriate for minors.

It was past 10:40 PM when they finished cleaning completely; Yang Tianxing walked in front with a cigarette in his mouth, while Liu Jiaoyue trotted behind him, the cold, clear moonlight shining on the main road of the Finance Institute.

Yang Tianxing didn't speak, and Liu Jiaoyue felt quite uneasy; the two walked in silence, and as they passed the garden beneath the girls' dormitory, Yang Tianxing suddenly stopped: "The willow trees are budding."

Indeed, it was late February in Chang'an, and on the willow trunks that had endured the cold, a hint of tender green spring had sprouted—fragile yet resilient.

Yang Tianxing studied it for a moment before continuing to walk Liu Jiaoyue back; at the entrance of the girls' dormitory, Liu Jiaoyue stammered, wanting to explain: "I, I..."

Yang Tianxing waved his hand: "No need to say more now; tomorrow morning, I'll take you somewhere."

"I have class in the morning."

Liu Jiaoyue glanced at Yang Tianxing; she didn't want to skip class.

"Then just ask the class monitor for leave."

Yang Tianxing blinked and said: "I'm giving you permission."

Liu Jiaoyue was stunned for a moment; she felt something was off, but couldn't put her finger on it.

After returning to Dorm 312, Yang Tianxing grabbed Yi Min and asked: "Old Six, where are there 4S dealerships in Chang'an?"

"What's up, Brother Yang? Are you looking to buy a car?"

Yang Tianxing waved his hand: "No, I want to take someone to broaden their horizons."

Yi Min immediately became interested: "Brother Yang, you've asked the right person; there isn't a 4S dealership in Chang'an I'm not familiar with. My cousin even dragged me along when he bought his car."

"What kind of car model do you want to show them? Luxury cars, sports cars, or family cars?" Yi Min asked familiarly.

"A family car will do."

Yang Tianxing replied.

"Then is that high-end, mid-range, or low-end?"

Yang Tianxing thought for a moment: "Try to get an understanding of all of them."

Yi Min really wasn't bragging; he was indeed intimately familiar with the car dealerships in Chang'an, rattling off locations, prices, and services with ease.

Song Fei, listening from the side, couldn't help but sigh: "Old Six, you really do know your stuff, you know everything, but you can't afford any of it."

……………

The next morning, Yang Tianxing drove Liu Jiaoyue from the school and picked a few 4S dealerships to visit.

"This car is called a Mercedes-Benz, and the on-the-road price—that is, the price to buy it—is 660,000; a single steering wheel is worth our four years of tuition."

When introducing them, Yang Tianxing tried his best to link the value of the cars to daily life.

Sure enough, Liu Jiaoyue widened her eyes as she looked at this 660,000-yuan white Mercedes.

Yang Tianxing said: "Touch it."

Liu Jiaoyue shyly shook her head.

Yang Tianxing stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and placed it on the hood: "It's fine, just get a feel for it."

The sales staff at the Mercedes 4S dealership probably realized that Yang Tianxing and Liu Jiaoyue might not be able to afford one, but they didn't chase them away either; they poured a cup of hot tea for them and went back to standing behind the glass door, chatting in the sun.

After leaving this shop, Yang Tianxing took Liu Jiaoyue to the next dealership.

"This car is called a Xiali, and the on-the-road price is 120,000."

Yang Tianxing pointed at a red Xiali and said.

This brand's service level was very average; when Yang Tianxing brought Liu Jiaoyue closer to get a feel for it, a male salesman shouted: "If you aren't buying, don't go around touching things."

Yang Tianxing said nothing and led Liu Jiaoyue straight away.

In the third dealership, Yang Tianxing pointed at a car and introduced: "This car is called a Passat, and the on-the-road price is 225,000; it's also the one I just drove over."

Liu Jiaoyue looked up; only now did she understand the reason Yang Tianxing had brought her out.

"If you work part-time in the cafeteria, it would take a very, very long time; you might not be able to afford a sedan until you're as old as your grandmother."

Yang Tianxing smiled gently: "But I want to thank you; from childhood to now, besides the bicycle my mother bought for me, no other woman has been willing to buy me a car."

"Actually,"

Yang Tianxing continued: "There are many more cars, and their prices are even more expensive—so expensive that if you aren't born with them, you might never be able to afford them in this lifetime."

Liu Jiaoyue nodded blankly; Yang Tianxing certainly couldn't bear to blame her, as her heart was too pure.

In an era where the internet was just beginning to become widespread, university students were bombarded daily by waves of information; with their worldviews still unformed and facing many twists and turns, Liu Jiaoyue's mindset that "hard work can earn money" seemed somewhat naive, like a fragile yet resilient clear stream, quietly blooming with its own high-spiritedness in the cold winter of the secular world.

"Sir, are you looking to buy a car?"

At this moment, a young female salesperson walked over to ask, her face showing an undisguisable greenness.

"Thanks, I can't afford one right now."

Yang Tianxing said with a grin.

"It doesn't matter if you can't afford one now; I believe you will definitely be able to in the future, so if it's convenient, could you leave your personal information?"

The female salesperson pleaded slightly: "Please help me fill one out."

Yang Tianxing figured this little girl was at most 16 or 17 years old; she looked somewhat familiar and was likely an intern. She was decent-looking, and the point was that her gift of gab wasn't bad.

"Then bring it here."

Yang Tianxing decided to do her a favor; when he finished filling out the form and handed it to her, the young girl handed over a business card: "Thank you, this is my business card; it was just printed this morning, and you are my first one."

"Oh, then I am honored."

Yang Tianxing took it over, glanced at it, and suddenly froze.

"Your name is Le Mingrong?"

Yang Tianxing suddenly raised his head, carefully sizing up the young girl before him; this figure was overlapping with the socialite who had secretly scratched his palm at the banquet on the night of Yang Tianxing's rebirth.

"Yes, what's wrong?"

The girl felt a bit strange.

"Nothing, a friend of mine is also named that."

Yang Tianxing returned to his calm state.

"Is she a good friend of yours?" Le Mingrong asked.

"We just shared a meal, that's all."

After Yang Tianxing left with Liu Jiaoyue, Le Mingrong stood where she was, somewhat dazed.

Before long, a young man about her age walked over.

"Mingrong, what happened?"

"I just ran into a gentleman, and he urged me to cherish simplicity," Le Mingrong said.

The young man didn't understand either; he shook his head and said, "Then don't think about it. Remember to stay away from people like that in the future. When we were in vocational school, the teacher said society is very complicated, and we must protect ourselves."

Le Mingrong nodded silently and took a look at the form information in her hand.

Customer Name: Yang Tianxing.