Chapter 30: Why Do I Feel So Hot?

“One hundred fifty thousand a day?”

Inside Shuangqing Restaurant, voices buzzed loudly.

When Meng Jie heard Wang Zihao mention the daily earnings from the campus card, she was stunned, her mouth slightly open, chopsticks frozen mid-air.

She knew Chen Yansen had made over a hundred thousand selling MP3s and MP4s, but that took weeks—now, one hundred fifty thousand in a single day? How could she not be shocked?

“It’s just an estimate. How much we actually get depends on Zhao Maolin’s character.”

Chen Yansen picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth, speaking calmly.

“Brother Sen, you mean Zhao Maolin will cheat us on the commission?”

Wang Zihao’s pride vanished instantly; he asked angrily.

“We know how many phone cards we sold, so he won’t short us on the 80-yuan activation commission—but for the recharge bonus, we don’t have precise data, so Zhao Maolin can give us whatever he wants.”

Chen Yansen explained slowly and calmly.

His words doused him like ice water; Wang Zihao deflated, face filled with helplessness.

But when he caught Chen Yansen’s calm, composed expression, his mind raced—and hope flared up. He hurriedly asked: “Brother Sen, you’ve got a plan, right?”

“What plan do I have? When you reach the mountain, a path will appear. Don’t overthink it. Just eat.”

Chen Yansen sighed lightly and tapped the table.

As for a plan—he certainly had one. If Zhao Maolin dared to cheat him, Chen Yansen had more than enough ways to make him beg on his knees.

He didn’t tell Wang Zihao because he wanted him to understand how treacherous people could be, and because he’d seen him getting carried away, celebrating halfway through—this was a gentle warning.

“Are you planning to run for class monitor? My dad says the first few days after school starts are crucial—if you can get noticed by the counselor and land the position, you’ll have an edge for scholarships and student union spots later.”

Meng Jie cheerfully changed the subject.

“My dad’s right, but I’m not interested in being class monitor.”

Chen Yansen looked up, lips curling slightly.

Xucheng College was just a second-tier school, and he had no intention of taking the civil service exam—the minor perks of being class monitor meant nothing to him.

Better to spend time figuring out how to make money.

“Who’s your dad? You’re always making stuff up.”

Meng Jie laughed, annoyed by his audacity, her speech suddenly stumbling.

Wang Zihao chuckled, lowered his head, and focused on eating.

Soon after, the three chatted and laughed, finishing the meal over an hour later. When they stepped out, night had fallen, pitch-black.

“Thanks for the meal, Boss Chen. I’m heading back to the dorm.”

Meng Jie checked her watch—fifteen minutes until eight—and waved goodbye.

“The dorm shower closes at eight. If you go back now, you won’t have anywhere to bathe. Want to come to mine?”

Chen Yansen’s lips curled slightly, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Yes! Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Meng Jie paused, then scowled in accusation.

“You didn’t ask me! What, you think I’m going to eat you?”

Chen Yansen slipped his hands into his pockets, leaned down, and grinned with insolent charm as he whispered close to Meng Jie’s ear.

“Pfft! Who’s scared? We’re good brothers. It’s just borrowing your room to shower.”

Her heart pounded, but her voice remained bold and carefree, not the slightest hint of shyness.

“Really? That’s exactly what I thought too.”

Chen Yansen smiled faintly and turned toward the hotel.

“Brother Sen, can I come up and shower too?”

Wang Zihao called after his back, then hurried after him.

“Zihao, you’re healthy—you can just take a cold shower.”

Chen Yansen turned his head, blinked, and spoke casually.

“Oh right! I just remembered—the counselor’s coming to check dorms soon. I’ll head back now.”

Wang Zihao was inexperienced, not stupid—he instantly understood Chen Yansen’s signal, grinned awkwardly, and dashed back toward campus.

“Brother, let’s go.”

Chen Yansen patted Meng Jie, who stood frozen, and teased with a smile.

Inside the hotel room, when Meng Jie saw the frosted glass door, she hesitated: “I—I didn’t bring clean clothes. Maybe I shouldn’t.”

“I prepared them for you.”

Chen Yansen pointed to the table—where disposable underwear, a disposable towel, and a towel had been laid out.

“You could’ve told me the shower closed earlier.”

Meng Jie realized—the guy had planned this all along, deliberately dragging out dinner.

“Didn’t you want to spend more time with me?”

Chen Yansen quietly closed the door, slid the chain into place, and stepped slowly toward Meng Jie.

“I—I don’t know.”

She’d meant to say “I don’t want to,” but looking into Chen Yansen’s bright eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“You’ve changed a lot.”

Chen Yansen smiled, stepped back, sat on the edge of the bed, and stared straight at Meng Jie. “Your eyes are evenly shaped, shimmering with moisture, long, upturned lashes, soft crescent-shaped under-eye curves adding liveliness, lips pink like soft jelly.”

Aside from her slightly short hair, ugly glasses, and lack of makeup, everything else stirred in Chen Yansen an uncontrollable fondness.

Such a lovely girl—last life, she’d stubbornly stayed single until her thirties, grinding away in the banking system.

The middle-aged woman with black-rimmed glasses and a solemn expression at the class reunion was nothing like the girl before him now.

“You’ve changed too—I feel like you’ve gotten taller.”

Meng Jie said, raising her hand to measure above his head—then realized, sitting down, Chen Yansen was as tall as she was standing.

“I was 182 before, now I’m 184. You gonna shower or not?”

Chen Yansen leaned back, propped himself up with his hands, and spoke lazily.

“This door’s translucent. You’re right here—how can I possibly shower?”

Meng Jie crossed her arms, pointing at the frosted glass door.

“We’re brothers. You don’t think I’d peek, do you? Besides, it’s scorching hot outside—can you really let your good brother suffer?”

Chen Yansen pouted, looking wounded, as if accusing her of not trusting him.

“You perverted creep! A Liumang !”

Meng Jie’s chest heaved with rage, rolled her eyes, saw his shameless expression, and gave up—she grabbed a box of disposable underwear and stormed into the bathroom, fuming.

Soon after, the sound of rushing water came, and a slender, graceful silhouette clearly appeared on the glass.

Not long after, the sound of rushing water came, and a slender, delicate figure clearly reflected on the glass.

Chen Yansen glanced casually, then sat at the desk, pulled out a Dell business laptop, logged into QQ—mostly group messages, some private chats from “underclassmen.”

At that moment, Li Hui’s message popped up: “Brother Sen, I want 300 more phone cards tomorrow.”

“7 a.m., Telecom promotion station.”

Chen Yansen replied simply and clearly.

“Thanks, Brother Sen.”

Li Hui replied instantly—this “Brother Sen” was coming more naturally now, even though he was a freshman and Chen Yansen was a junior.

Meng Jie finished bathing, dressed, and cautiously pushed open the bathroom door, expecting to find Chen Yansen crouched by the door, spying.

But Chen Yansen sat at his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard—clearly busy with campus card sales.

Seeing this, a pang of guilt struck her.

Right—her body was nothing special. Chen Yansen probably didn’t even care to look. Her nervousness melted into emptiness.

Yes, with her flat figure, Chen Yansen probably didn’t even want to look—her earlier nervousness now turned hollow.

[84] Chen Yansen heard the movement behind him, didn’t turn around, and directly instructed Meng Jie.

Chen Yansen heard the movement behind him, didn’t turn, and ordered directly.

Chen Yansen heard the noise behind him, didn’t turn around, and directly instructed Meng Jie.

Meng Jie glanced around, spotted the mineral water on the coffee table, grabbed a bottle, handed it over, then opened one for herself, sipping slowly, cheeks flushed.

Meng Jie glanced left and right, soon spotting the mineral water on the coffee table; she casually picked up a bottle and handed it over, then opened one for herself, sipping slowly, her cheeks flushed.

Meng Jie sat on the edge of the bed, voice quiet.

“Weird. This water’s weird. What did you give me? I feel like I’m burning up.”

Chen Yansen gulped down water, then frowned seriously.

Chen Yansen gulped down a mouthful of water, then suddenly frowned and asked seriously.

Meng Jie froze, silently cursing Chen Yansen’s shamelessness, unsure how to react.

Meng Jie froze, silently cursing Chen Yansen for being shameless, unsure how to react.

(End of chapter)