"Where do I have that?" Xiao Xue's face turned red.

Although she was a gifted student, in terms of love, she was still utterly clueless. Teased by Tang Yumeng like that, she became so shy that she didn't know how to respond. The delicate Xiao Xue, with her rosy cheeks, looked innocent in Tang Yumeng's eyes no matter how she looked at her.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you," Tang Yumeng said with a laugh. "Song Ming must be furious by now; I wonder how he's going to deal with Lin Chuan."

"I guess so too," Xiao Xue nodded in agreement.

Both of them couldn't help but worry about Lin Chuan since, after all, this situation was far from simple. What good could come from offending Song Ming?

In the break room.

The brothers of the Song family were called to the office by Song Ming for a lecture, so everyone else took the opportunity to cheer and celebrate unrestrainedly.

"Brother, well done. We are proud of you."

"Lin Chuan, you are our pride."

............

Heading home after work.

As soon as Lin Chuan arrived at the base of the City Committee building, he was called out by Tang Yumeng: "Lin Chuan."

"Sis, is that you?" Lin Chuan was startled and, seeing Tang Yumeng's delicate beauty, he broke into a smile.

Every time he saw Tang Yumeng, he felt an indescribable sensation in his heart—perhaps this was love; maybe, it was something beyond love. Even Lin Chuan's smile became more radiant. Seeing Lin Chuan, Tang Yumeng couldn't help but smile too: "Finished work?"

"Yeah, off work," Lin Chuan quickly nodded.

Isn't that obvious? Would I run into you if I wasn't off work?

Tang Yumeng lightly swept her hair from her forehead and walked towards Lin Chuan, saying, "I've heard that..."

"No need to say anything, I admit it," Lin Chuan confessed proactively. "Today I indeed offended Vice-Secretary Song, and I acknowledge my mistake to Secretary Tang."

Pfft...

Tang Yumeng laughed, covering her mouth.

Under the setting sun, Tang Yumeng's laugh was so sweet and charming, it even invoked a protective instinct in someone.

"Sis, you're so beautiful," Lin Chuan said with a silly chuckle.

"Go away," Tang Yumeng spat softly, saying, "I'm not blaming you for what happened today but telling you that you did really well."

"Ah?!" Lin Chuan looked at Tang Yumeng in astonishment, saying, "Sis, I... I didn't hear you wrong, did I?"

"Of course, you didn't," Tang Yumeng shook her head.

"Haha..." Lin Chuan burst into hearty laughter.

...

On the way home, Lin Chuan touched his pocket.

There wasn't much money left in his pocket, just some small bills. Looking at these bills, Lin Chuan suddenly remembered that it seemed like a while since he had given Nuo Xiaoxi some pocket money, and this girl has never actively asked him for it. Lin Chuan felt a little annoyed and hurriedly took his bank card to withdraw money from the bank.

Usually, Lin Chuan seldom spent money, and even if he did, he mostly preferred to use his card, which was a habit from the years he had spent abroad.

Upon arriving at the bank, the same bank that had been robbed before, nothing about its exterior gave away that it had ever been subjected to a robbery. Nor could one tell that four robbers had died here. Just as he entered the lobby, he saw several strange people messing about.

There was a table set up in the lobby, covered with offerings. There was also a large incense burner, with several sticks of incense stuck in it.

In front of the table, a Taoist wearing a yellow robe was swinging a Peach Wood Sword, chanting under his breath: "Heavenly Spirit, Earthly Spirit..."

There was quite a crowd of onlookers who seemed to be discussing the spectacle. The bank staff watched indifferently from the sidelines, none of them intervening, as if they had accepted this bizarre event. Lin Chuan, curious, made his way into the crowd and saw an old man standing to the side.

"Uncle Liu, what's going on here?" Lin Chuan asked in confusion. "I didn't go to the wrong place, did I? This is a bank, not a graveyard, nor a memorial hall."

"Young man, you're in the right place," Uncle Liu laughed. "I heard that a family had someone pass away, but they don't know the password to the bank card. And since the bank requires the person themselves to withdraw money, the family had no choice but to invoke the spirit."

"Ah?!" Lin Chuan was instantly dumbstruck, muttering to himself, "What in the world is this?"

"Alas, the system has killed people," the old man said with a bitter smile.

"Aren't the bank's people too unreasonable?" Lin Chuan frowned.

"Exactly." The old man replied irritably: "Last year, I withdrew money here, and only after getting home did I realize there were two counterfeit bills in the mix. When I came back to settle accounts with them, they said they bear no responsibility once you leave the counter."

"That's infuriating!" Lin Chuan nodded in anger.

"What's even more infuriating is what happened later," the old man said resentfully. "This year, when I took out money, they gave me an extra bundle. They called me as soon as I got home demanding I return it, threatening criminal charges if I didn't. Damn it, I immediately retorted: 'No responsibility once you leave the counter'."

"Haha, old man, well done," Lin Chuan said, feeling exhilarated when he heard this.

"Sigh, in the end, when the police came knocking, I still had to return the money honestly," the old man said, stroking his beard.

The young and the old, as if they were friends forgetting their years, talked away like a constant stream of water.

"Young man, you seem like a good person. Are you married?" the old man asked.

"Not yet," Lin Chuan shook his head.

"Oh, that's great, I have a granddaughter, a real beauty," the old man quickly said. "Why not... let me set you up with her?"

Lin Chuan was taken aback, he looked at the old man seriously. Although the old man had an air of immortal charm and vitality, there was a huge mole beside his nose. It's said that family moles can be inherited, and Lin Chuan immediately imagined that the old man's granddaughter must look like 'Ru Hua' from the TV show, huh?

"Don't..." Lin Chuan hurriedly shook his head, saying, "Uncle, I've got a girlfriend."

"Not being married is no problem," the old man grinned.

Lin Chuan waved his hands in a hurry: "Uncle, I should get my money, you're busy..."

Having said that, Lin Chuan took to his heels.

After withdrawing five thousand yuan, Lin Chuan hurriedly left the bank. The old man called out from behind, "Young man, slow down, my granddaughter is as beautiful as a flower..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan ran even faster. As beautiful as a flower, indeed. Wouldn't 'Ru Hua' from television scare someone to death?

Return to Changlin Factory.

Nuo Xiaoxi was bending over her books reviewing her lessons when Lin Chuan came back, and she got up to greet him.

"Brother Lin, you're back?" Nuo Xiaoxi said with a smile: "I'll go make food."

"Don't!" Lin Chuan quickly grabbed Nuo Xiaoxi's hand and then said, "Xiaoxi, you have a few more days until your college entrance exams, so stop busying yourself, study well, or go out and take a walk to relax. Also, here's three thousand yuan for you."

"Brother Lin, I have money," Nuo Xiaoxi hurriedly said.

"Brother Lin hasn't given you money for several months, where did you get money from?" Lin Chuan said with a smile. "And you don't even ask me for it."

Nuo Xiaoxi lowered her head, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Take it," Lin Chuan stuffed the money into Nuo Xiaoxi's hand and said, "After your exams, go on a trip with your classmates to unwind. You've lost a lot of weight these past few months."

"Mm," Nuo Xiaoxi said, her face red, tenderly throwing herself into Lin Chuan's arms and speaking moved, "Brother Lin, you're so good to me."

"Silly girl, if I don't treat you well, who will?" Lin Chuan laughed.

"Brother Lin, after I graduate from university, I'll marry you," Nuo Xiaoxi boldly confessed.

"Haha, once you start university, you'll find many boys who are handsomer and more outstanding than Brother Lin," Lin Chuan laughed heartily. "By then, you'll definitely find me old, ugly, and moreover, penniless."

"I would never," Nuo Xiaoxi pursed her lips, saying: "In this life, living I am Brother Lin's, dying I will be Brother Lin's ghost."

Nuo Xiaoxi was a very innocent girl, innocent as if she were a blank piece of paper. And Lin Chuan was an artist, it was he who painted a color of happiness onto this blank paper, which allowed Nuo Xiaoxi to feel warmth and happiness even after the devastating loss of her mother.

Nuo Xiaoxi was also a girl who knew gratitude. She knew it was Lin Chuan who did not disdain or abandon her. He not only repaid her debts but also took her in and even planned to support her through university. Such a man, if she were to abandon him for someone else, she would be worse than pigs and dogs.

Lin Chuan didn't know how to guide Nuo Xiaoxi, only to let her slowly come to her own realizations. By the time she goes to university, she will naturally understand how vast the world is, how beautiful it is. That all the beautiful scenery is not restricted to what's just before her eyes.

After dinner, Lin Chuan habitually started to go out.

Walking to the old camphor tree, Uncle Liu's bike repair stall was long gone, while across the street, Aunt Liu of the tailor shop was still toiling away. The absence of the bike repair stall made Lin Chuan feel a little lost.

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