Chapter 25: One Hundred Thousand

"Me! Are you genuinely clueless or just pretending? Ling Tian, we come from two different worlds. I hope you have some self-awareness!" Lin Elegant truly felt defeated by him, tossing out this remark before turning her head away. It's like a scholar meeting a soldier—reason has no place.

"I really don't have any self-awareness! Wife, tell me your terms—what exactly must I do for you to accept me?" Ling Tian simply refused to believe he couldn't win her over. His instincts told him Lin Elegant had feelings for him; love between men and women is subtle and mysterious. Some couples quarrel constantly but are secretly delighted rivals, others are polite yet live separate dreams even in the same bed. Sometimes a single glance can kindle thunder and fire.

Lin Elegant was precisely his kind of woman! (Ling Tian had a big appetite; every beauty was his dish!)

"There are no terms. No matter what you do, I won't accept you!" Lin Elegant refused without even glancing at Ling Tian.

"Cousin, why don't you give him a chance? Your birthday party is next week—you could let him be your shield," Song Little Beauty suggested, seeing the stalemate and coming up with an idea. If they had more chances to interact, sooner or later sparks would fly.

"Fine, then. Ling Tian, if you can bring me one hundred thousand in cash within three days, I'll give you a chance to pursue me." Lin Elegant had originally wanted to say a million, but after considering Ling Tian's attire, she lowered it to one hundred thousand. For an ordinary student, that was already impossible to produce, let alone give it away to a girl who wasn't even his girlfriend. A million would be out of the question.

"Deal! I won't need three days—I'll deliver the money to your villa tomorrow!" Ling Tian, hearing the amount, realized Lin Elegant still had a kind heart. She saw his shabby clothes and might truly need his help, especially since Song Little Beauty mentioned being a shield.

The other students, hearing Ling Tian's response, thought he was just putting on airs. This time it was a hundred thousand, next time it might be a million. A girl like Lin Elegant wasn't someone ordinary people could handle.

Lin Elegant was also surprised by Ling Tian's answer. Had she misjudged him? Was he a wolf in sheep's clothing? But he didn't seem the type—he looked more like a rogue than a scion of wealth or power. She wanted to see if he was truly willing to part with one hundred thousand.

"Fine, I'll wait," Lin Elegant replied with a cold smile, turning away from Ling Tian.

Just then, the teacher entered and prepared to begin the lesson. Ling Tian, having achieved his goal, knew staying near Lin Elegant would only irritate her further, so he called Dai Jin and the others to leave. Song Little Beauty followed Shi Little Fortune, leaving Lin Elegant alone to attend the class. The seat next to her, which had belonged to Song Little Beauty, was now empty.

Naturally, this incident was spread rampantly after class. Everyone knew about a guy named Ling Tian who, like a toad lusting after a swan, had openly pursued the campus queen Lin Elegant. The gossip reached every corner of the school, and some even embellished the story for Li Feng, who flew into another rage. Dealing with Ling Tian was once again on his agenda.

Leaving the classroom, Ling Tian and his group were in high spirits, surprised that Lin Elegant had given him a chance.

"Hehe, brother-in-law, how are you going to thank me? I really helped you out this time. If it weren't for me, cousin wouldn't have given you a chance. She's never given anyone a chance before," Song Little Beauty was eager for credit.

"Then I'll help you out; let Shi Little Fortune give you a 'chance.' Hehe," Ling Tian winked at her, deliberately emphasizing the word.

"My relationship with Shi Little Fortune is closer than yours with cousin. I want a different reward," Song Little Beauty didn't catch Ling Tian's meaning.

"Little sister, I mean giving you and Shi Little Fortune a chance to turn raw rice into cooked rice—hehe. If he dares not take responsibility, just go to the Shaolin Temple; they'll expel him and you two can get married," Ling Tian grinned wickedly. Song Little Beauty's eyes sparkled as she said, "It's settled then, brother-in-law. You must help me create the opportunity."

"Don't worry. Unless Shi Little Fortune isn't a man, he can't escape my schemes," Ling Tian said, giving Shi Little Fortune a mischievous look, his eyes fixed on the space between Shi Little Fortune's legs.

"Damn it, Ling Tian, don't be so shameless!" Shi Little Fortune was genuinely afraid of these two troublemakers. With Song Little Beauty and Ling Tian together, anyone could be driven mad.

They laughed and chatted all the way back to their apartment. None of them liked attending classes; they'd skip whenever possible. Song Little Beauty's only reason for coming was Shi Little Fortune.

Back at the apartment, Yuan Bao immersed himself in his computer. Song Little Beauty clung to Shi Little Fortune, insisting he accompany her to watch "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf." Shi Little Fortune was exasperated, while Song Little Beauty was delighted. Ling Tian had nothing to say, but at least Song Little Beauty wasn't interested in him.

Dai Jin and Ling Tian sat on the sofa talking.

"Ling Tian, are you really planning to pursue Lin Elegant?" Dai Jin brewed some tea, poured a cup for each of them, and asked earnestly.

"Yes. I came here to study just to pursue Lin Elegant and Li Serene. Now Li Serene is almost mine; only Lin Elegant remains," Ling Tian replied calmly, sipping his tea.

"Cough, cough!" Dai Jin choked on his tea, startled by Ling Tian's words.

"Ling Tian, can't you stop bragging?" Yuan Bao paused his computer work, unable to listen any longer to Ling Tian's boasts.

"Amitabha, abstain from greed and lust! Abstain from lies!" Shi Little Fortune pressed his palms together, trying to persuade Ling Tian to stop his nonsense.

"Brother-in-law, didn't you say Li Serene was your sworn sister? Now you're saying she's almost yours? Are you planning to have a foot in both boats?" Song Little Beauty, upon hearing Ling Tian's words, abandoned her cartoon and confronted him.

"Uh, just kidding, just kidding." Ling Tian, careless for a moment, forgot about his little sister-in-law nearby. He nearly mentioned sleeping in the same bed as Li Serene last night, but quickly swallowed the words. His friends might dismiss it as a joke, but if Song Little Beauty got angry and stopped helping him pursue Lin Elegant, it would be a huge loss.

"Bah!" Song Little Beauty shot Ling Tian a disdainful look and returned to her cartoon, where Big Big Wolf never catches Pleasant Goat.

"Ling Tian, wait a moment!" Dai Jin suddenly remembered something, quickly got up and rushed to his bedroom. Less than two minutes later, he returned with a thick stack of cash, placing it in front of Ling Tian.

"Dai Jin, what's this?" Ling Tian asked, surprised.

"One hundred thousand! Didn't you say you'd deliver one hundred thousand to Lin Elegant's villa tomorrow?" Dai Jin replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh, right. Are you planning to help me with the money?" Ling Tian was a bit moved—not by the money but by Dai Jin's gesture.

"Of course. You don't have the cash, but you've already made the promise. As your friend, I can't let you break your word. I have to help you out—what a risky friendship!" Dai Jin said, putting on a pained expression, but his tone was full of laughter.

Dai Jin's straightforwardness touched Ling Tian deeply. Many wealthy people are stingy—generous with their own spending, but unwilling to help friends in need. Of course, helping is kindness, not helping is the norm; you can't blame them. But such friends are disappointing, perhaps not true friends at all.

Ling Tian had thought Dai Jin's appearance as a country tycoon meant he was the type to indulge himself and ignore friends, but he hadn't expected Dai Jin to proactively offer one hundred thousand without anyone asking.

One hundred thousand! Maybe it's nothing to these wealthy folks—just as Ling Tian once gave a diamond ring to a girl so she'd accompany Zhang Yue. A hundred thousand is not much, but it's two years' salary for many ordinary people. Even among the rich, few would casually hand that amount to a friend.

This showed Dai Jin was indeed a good person, at least someone worth befriending.

"Aren't you worried I won't be able to repay you?" Ling Tian wanted to see what Dai Jin truly thought.

"Bah! This amount is nothing to me. Well, maybe a little, but it's a gift from your brother, no need to repay. No one in our dorm should be looked down upon, even if they're not rich," Dai Jin recalled how Lin Elegant had insulted Ling Tian for being poor and felt indignant.

"Exactly, exactly! You're our brother, and hearing you spoken about like that really stung. Take the money, who knows if Lin Elegant will make things harder for you—you can't go wrong with a little extra cash," Shi Little Fortune chimed in, pulling out seventy or eighty thousand from his golden pouch and placing it before Ling Tian. He clearly had the habits of a tycoon, always carrying plenty of cash.

"Ling Tian, I don't have as much as them, but here's a token from me. Don't mind if it's less," Yuan Bao came over, taking a few hundred out of his pocket. He was from an ordinary family and didn't carry much cash but wanted to show his friendship. He felt upset seeing Ling Tian looked down upon.

"Brothers, thank you so much! You truly treat me as a brother. Therefore, I can't hide it any longer—actually, I'm also a country tycoon, very wealthy, so I don't need your money. But I deeply appreciate your kindness."

Ling Tian gratefully confessed the truth to everyone. No matter the era, brotherhood is rare and precious, something to cherish most.

Lin Elegant's disdain for Ling Tian's poverty had indeed wounded his pride—even his friends couldn't bear it. If Ling Tian were truly from an ordinary family, her words would have struck his self-esteem, and struck hard. But Ling Tian wasn't an ordinary kid—he was very wealthy, so he had confidence and nothing could shake him.

Even if Ling Tian had been penniless, Lin Elegant's words wouldn't have hurt him, because he was Ling Tian. True confidence and strength come from one's own abilities—nothing and no one can undermine it.