"I get it, Big Bro..." Jiang Xiaoya's heart skipped a beat from his touch. She whispered hurriedly, "Go... go hit the restroom for a second!"
"Alright," Lin Feng nodded.
He intentionally raised his voice, glancing at Zhou Xiaomeng. "You guys keep watching. I'm gonna hit the head."
With that, he set Jiang Xiaoya down, stood up, and strode into the suite's private bathroom, clicking the door shut behind him.
Click.
The lock engaged softly.
On the massive king-sized bed, only the two girls remained. The air was still thick with tension, clashing awkwardly with the movie soundtrack blaring from the screen. Jiang Xiaoya sprawled on the bed, her chest heaving, the flush on her face still visible.
She lazily rolled onto her side, looking at the statue-still Zhou Xiaomeng with a knowing smirk.
"Mengmeng, what's up? You're stiff as a board."
Xiaoya's voice was husky and languid, dripping with provocative charm. Zhou Xiaomeng winced. She didn't dare look at Xiaoya, keeping her eyes glued to the screen. Her lips trembled as she squeezed out a dry response: "It's... it's nothing."
"Nothing?" Xiaoya chuckled. She propped herself up and leaned into Xiaomeng's ear, her breath warm. "Was I... being too loud just now? You heard everything, didn't you?"
Xiaomeng's face went beet red. She snapped her head around, glaring at Xiaoya with a mix of shame and anger.
"You guys are... you're too much! Right in front of me, you just—"
"Oh, please, it's no big deal."
Xiaoya waved it off, grabbing her discarded pink bra and stuffing it into her bag. "We're besties; what's there to hide? Besides, you think I'm doing this just for kicks?"
"You're not?" Xiaomeng blinked, looking at Xiaoya's "just-got-rocked" glow. It didn't exactly scream reluctance.
"Of course not!" Xiaoya sighed, her expression turning dead serious as she lowered her voice. "Mengmeng, I'll let you in on a secret, but you can't tell a soul. You think Brother Lin Feng is just being a nice guy? Giving me a $30,000 car just for some touching and feeling?"
Xiaomeng's curiosity peaked. This was exactly what she couldn't wrap her head around. She instinctively leaned in. "Then... then why?"
"Tax write-offs, you silly girl!"
Xiaoya gave her a "you're so naive" look.
"Big corporate guys like him make a killing every year, and they have to pay a ton in taxes—we're talking hundreds of thousands. Instead of just handing that money over to the government for nothing, they'd rather spend it."
"Buying a car is the best way to do it. It's called 'strategic tax planning.' If he didn't buy this car, that money would be gone anyway. This way, the car is mine, and he gets the credit for the favor. It's a win-win!"
This was total BS Xiaoya had just cooked up on the spot. That's not how taxes work at all. But to the clueless Zhou Xiaomeng, it sounded like a divine revelation.
Of course! That explains everything!
Suddenly, it all clicked. No wonder Lin Feng was so generous—he was just spending money that was already earmarked for the taxman.
Thinking about it that way, a little groping seemed like a steal. Even if they actually went all the way, it wouldn't normally cost tens of thousands! Back in their hometown, a $40,000 dowry was considered an astronomical "bride price" that most families couldn't even dream of.
"It's just a bit of fun, no skin off my nose," Xiaoya added, seeing Xiaomeng's resolve waver. "Look, if you don't jump on this now, he's got another 'event' later. That money will just go to some other girl. A sugar daddy this rich doesn't come around twice. We gotta secure the bag!"
She paused, taking Xiaomeng's hand with a sincere look.
"Besides, we're best friends, right? I'll be real with you—I snuck his contact info from your phone last time. Now that I've told you this secret, we're even! Besties for life, okay?"
The last of Xiaomeng's defenses crumbled at the words "even" and "besties."
She bit her lip, whispering one last bit of hesitation: "Is he... is he really just gonna touch? Not... for real?"
"I swear!" Xiaoya promised, her unbound chest bouncing for emphasis. "Relax! He's just looking for a thrill—he likes that 'pure college girl' vibe. As long as you act shy and play hard-to-get, he gets even more into it. He's a high-status guy; he just wants to play around, he's not gonna force anything."
"Look at me, I'm fine, aren't I? I've still got my 'first time.' We just hold the final line. Let him play a bit in exchange for a $30,000 car... where else are you gonna find a deal like that?"
Just playing around...
A $30,000 car...
The words looped in Xiaomeng's head. The scales of logic and desire were tipping violently toward the latter.
In the bathroom, Lin Feng splashed some cold water on his face to chill out.
When he felt enough time had passed, he walked back out and reclaimed his spot in the middle of the bed. The moment he sat down, Xiaoya stuck to him like glue, her soft body pressed against his.
"Big Bro," she said, her voice sickeningly sweet, "Mengmeng wants a car too. Do you still have a few hundred thousand left in that... 'tax budget'?"
Lin Feng paused. Tax budget? What is this brat up to now?
Why are we buying another car all of a sudden?
Not that he cared about the money. Once he collected five "cauldrons" and hit the third level of his Yin-Yang Harmony Art, the system would reward him with 50,000 Spirit Stones—that was $5,000,000 in cash!
An investment of $100,000 per girl was a bargain. Dropping thirty grand was basically pennies.
He knew Xiaoya was a sharp one and was likely running a play for him. He leaned into it, putting on a frustrated frown.
"Didn't I tell you to keep that quiet? Why are you blabbing?"
"Oh, come on, Big Bro~" Xiaoya coaxed, hugging his arm. "Mengmeng isn't a stranger! She's my best friend!"
Lin Feng glanced at Zhou Xiaomeng, who was so nervous she didn't know where to put her hands. He curled his lip in a mock sneer.
"Her? Doesn't she have a boyfriend? She's probably been ran through already. You can find girls like that at any bar for a few hundred bucks. I'm not interested."