Near Modu University, inside a private room of an elegantly styled restaurant.
Lu Cheng and Xia Qinghe sat side-by-side at the dining table, quietly enjoying their lunch.
Xia Qinghe wore a light pink dress that Lu Cheng had specially chosen for her. Its soft color made her already fair skin appear like fresh snow, adding a touch of untouched purity.
She ate the exquisite food in front of her in small, somewhat reserved bites.
However, compared to her initial nervousness and the hint of sorrow in her brows, much of it had dissipated.
Evidently, she was starting to adapt to this carefully taken care of life, and had even developed an indescribable sense of dependence.
After all, Brother Cheng was too good to her, so good that she couldn't resist him.
Lu Cheng looked at her docile appearance and casually asked:
"How have things been at school recently? Has anything special happened?"
Xia Qinghe's hand trembled almost imperceptibly.
In her mind, she instantly recalled Shen Yan's inexplicable confession that day, and the subsequent scandal on the campus forum that had left her embarrassed and angry.
She instinctively wanted to hide it.
She didn't want Brother Cheng to think she was a troublesome person, and even less did she want him to… dislike her because of these messy things.
"It's, it's been fine, everything's as usual, nothing much has happened."
She tried to make her voice sound calm and natural.
Lu Cheng looked at her clear eyes, which flickered slightly from guilt, and a playful smile curved on his lips.
He put down his cutlery, picked up a clean napkin, leaned forward, and with a natural and intimate gesture, gently wiped the corner of Xia Qinghe's mouth.
The warm touch of his thumb instantly brought a blush to Xia Qinghe's cheeks, and her breathing became a little rapid.
"Is that so?"
Lu Cheng's voice, with a hint of teasing magnetism, came close to her ear.
"But how did I hear…"
"Someone confessed to you?"
"And it was your childhood friend, a classmate from both middle and high school?"
Boom!
Xia Qinghe felt her mind go blank, and her cheeks instantly turned so red they looked like they might bleed!
He knew?
A wave of panic surged in her heart, and she quickly tried to explain:
"Brother Cheng! No! It's not what you think! Although we were classmates, we're not childhood friends at all! I barely… I barely have any contact with him! Really!"
Lu Cheng looked at her flustered and eager-to-distance-herself cute appearance, and the smile on his lips deepened.
He simply enjoyed the feeling of seeing her nervous and flustered in front of him, yet having no choice but to rely on him.
He gently took her hand, which was resting under the table, and his fingertips softly stroked the back of her hand, comforting her:
"Qing He, don't worry."
"Of course, I believe you."
His tone remained gentle, but his eyes carried an undeniable sense of pressure.
"It's just…"
He changed the subject, his tone taking on a hint of appropriate "displeasure" and "hurt."
"You not telling me proactively… makes me a little unhappy."
Xia Qinghe looked at Lu Cheng's playful expression and listened to his slightly "aggrieved" tone, and instantly understood what he meant.
She felt her cheeks grow even hotter, and her heart pounded impossibly fast.
She quickly lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, with a hint of coquetry and pleading.
"I'm sorry, Brother Cheng…"
"I was wrong… I didn't mean to hide it from you…"
"Can we… talk about it when we get home…?"
...In the afternoon.
Lu Cheng left Xia Qinghe's residence.
Sitting in the back seat of the Rolls-Royce, the gentleness on Lu Cheng's face had long vanished, replaced by his usual indifference and the composure of someone in control of everything.
He looked at the report sent by his bodyguard on his phone regarding Shen Yan's latest movements, specifically that he was frantically raising money.
A cold smile played on Lu Cheng's lips as he dialed a number.
The call was quickly answered, and an exceptionally respectful, even fawning, voice came from the other end.
"Master! What brings you to contact me?"
Lu Cheng ignored the other party's chatter and gave his instructions in a cold voice.
The other end repeatedly affirmed, not daring to show the slightest neglect… At this moment, Shen Yan was frantic with worry.
If he wanted to trade cat coin, he first needed capital!
He shamelessly borrowed from every relative and friend he could contact, and even former classmates with whom he had been on good terms.
The result?
Because his past reputation as a 'lick-dog' was simply too well-known.
Most people, upon hearing he wanted to borrow money, assumed he was going to be a 'lick-dog' again, either directly refusing or finding various excuses to decline.
He even resorted to applying for online loans with his student ID… but the approved amount was pitifully low… Begging and scraping together, he finally managed to gather a mere twenty thousand yuan!
Twenty thousand yuan!
This amount of money… even if cat coin really surged like in his previous life, reaching five yuan each, multiplying by twenty-five times… that would only be five hundred thousand. It sounded like a lot, but would it be enough to help Qing He repay that scoundrel's favor?
Moreover, he still wanted to exact his revenge and thoroughly slap the faces of those who betrayed him in his previous life. How could this meager sum be enough!
Repeatedly reviewing his past life's memories, Shen Yan found it difficult to find a better opportunity to make money than this one.
He had to get more capital!
In his desperation, a place he was intimately familiar with, yet deeply hated, surfaced in his mind—
An underground bank!
In his previous life, he had ultimately borrowed money there when his capital chain broke and he had nowhere else to turn, eventually being crushed by the snowballing debt.
That place was a den of devils that devoured people whole!
But it was also the only place that didn't care about your identity or your credit, as long as you dared to borrow, they dared to lend!
A flash of desperate resolve flickered in Shen Yan's eyes.
This time, it was different!
He possessed the winning future!
He took a taxi to an inconspicuous basement of a shop located on the city's outskirts.
Pushing open the door, the interior was surprisingly opulent.
A scantily clad, heavily made-up receptionist greeted him.
When she saw his identification and his request, the receptionist showed no outward change, but her hand secretly pressed a button.
Not long after, he was informed that the loan had been approved.
The result was unexpectedly smooth, but with time being critical, Shen Yan, eager to get the money, didn't think much of it.
He took the contract and quickly scanned it.
He was very familiar with the terms, as he had dealt with this place often in his previous life for capital turnover and to please Tang Yurous.
Nine out, thirteen back!
Borrow 300,000, only receive 270,000! And he had to repay 390,000 a week later!
For every day overdue, the interest would multiply!
A standard, black-hearted usury contract!
Moreover, the lender was backed by Modu's local underworld.
They weren't afraid if you didn't repay, because they had ways.
But precisely because of this, a destitute university student like him could borrow money far beyond his repayment capacity here.
Shen Yan didn't hesitate.
His mind was now filled with images of cat coin about to skyrocket.
He had absolute confidence that he could repay the money, principal and interest, before the repayment deadline!
He picked up the pen and quickly signed his name… In the back office of the underground bank.
A thin man in a Tang suit sat there; he was the owner of the underground bank.
He meticulously watched the scene of Shen Yan signing the contract on the monitor in front of him.
At this moment, the man's face was full of confusion.
Why would Young Master Lu, who was so elusive, be so concerned about a poor student?
He really couldn't understand the thoughts of these important figures.
But since he had spoken…
He instructed his subordinate: "Go! Find out where that kid just invested the money! Whatever it is, we'll buy it too!"