Chapter 29: Childhood’s Lonely Fantasy

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Childhood’s Lonely Fantasy

Jiang Shuyi recognized Chen Yuan, too, her gaze lingering for a moment.

There weren’t many handsome freshmen, but Chen Yuan was one of them.

During military training, he’d gained a bit of a reputation among the new students for being a good basketball player and quite handsome. Since he was an underclassman in her own department, she had hoped to use her position to get to him first and have him join the External Relations Department. To her surprise, after she explained the process, he turned her down.

’His presence here is a little strange, though.’

He didn’t look like a guest staying at the hotel; it was more likely he knew the staff.

However, they just nodded to each other in greeting before Chen Yuan left with Song Jianye.

Afterward, Jiang Shuyi politely walked over to Xu Jing.

"Hello, I’m the head of the External Relations Department at Polytechnic University. Our school is planning to hold a ’Top Ten Campus Singers’ competition soon, and we have some sponsorship slots available. Would you have a moment to discuss them?"

When she heard they were from Polytechnic, Xu Jing didn’t immediately refuse.

The young miss was a student there, after all. They had to pay close attention to any and all goings-on at that school.

Uncle Zhang sat on a nearby sofa, looking at his phone, showing no intention of getting involved.

"What are the prices?" Xu Jing asked.

"The best slot is for exclusive sponsorship, which is 3,000 yuan. In addition to banners, it includes extra poster displays. The students at our school have very strong spending power."

Located in University City, Xu Jing had lost count of how many times students had come asking for sponsorships.

But Lanting was a four-star hotel with relatively high prices, so not all students could afford it.

However, the hotel did have a budget for this kind of thing. As for who received it, that was a very subjective matter.

"Young lady, do you know Chen Yuan?" Uncle Zhang asked casually.

"I do. We’re in the same school. He’s a freshman this year," Jiang Shuyi replied without hesitation.

"Is he in the student union?"

"No, but if you give us the sponsorship, I can get him into the student union."

"Alright. Leave your number. I’ll think about it."

"Okay, okay, thank you, President Zhang."

Jiang Shuyi left her phone number and then departed the hotel with the newly recruited department member.

"Senior, from the way he was talking, does this mean we’ll get the sponsorship as long as we get Chen Yuan to join?" the department member, Li Yong’an, asked.

"Mhm, that’s the subtext."

"But recruitment is already over. Can he still get in?"

"As long as the money’s right, forget getting into the student union—you could take a shit on the chairman’s head and it would be fine."

...

After getting the fruit, the two of them walked slowly back toward the Polytechnic campus.

The evening breeze caressed their faces. The temperature was perfect—the best time of day.

’Tongzi said I’ll have fraternal twins someday. Song Jianye has been around for a while now, but where’s the baby boy?’

’With so many guys coming and going,’ Chen Yuan mused, ’any halfway decent-looking one could be my son.’

Song Jianye stopped in front of a small stall selling figurines and dolls.

"Excuse me, how much is this one?" Song Jianye said, pointing to a Gatomon figurine.

"30," the stall owner said, standing up with a smile.

"I’ll take this one."

Song Jianye took out her phone to scan the payment code.

Chen Yuan pushed her phone away. "That’s too expensive. Don’t buy it."

"Oh, okay."

Song Jianye obediently put her phone away, though she still looked a little reluctant.

"Hey, hey, don’t go! If you think it’s expensive, you can bargain," the owner called out, not wanting to lose a customer.

"Bargaining can make it cheaper?"

"Right now, this item exists in a superposition of being bargainable and non-bargainable. If you don’t bargain, you’ll never know which state it’s in. So you have to try. Understand what I mean?"

’What the hell? Is this some kind of Schrodinger’s price?’

"Go on, bargain," Chen Yuan told Song Jianye.

"I don’t dare."

"You have to, even if you don’t dare."

"Um..."

Song Jianye hesitated for a long while, holding it in until her face turned red.

"Can you do 29?"

Chen Yuan: ...

"10 yuan," Chen Yuan suddenly said.

Song Jianye looked at Chen Yuan in shock.

’From 30 down to 10?!’

’After haggling it down so much, won’t the owner get mad?’

"Fine, take it for 10 yuan."

’Damn it. I still offered too much.’

The clash over the price was an eye-opener for Song Jianye, opening up a whole new world for her.

’He’s so amazing. He can drop the price by 20 yuan in one go.’

’I only dared to ask for one yuan off.’

o(╥﹏╥)o

’I’m a useless university student.’

After paying 10 yuan, Song Jianye left with the Gatomon figurine, which was only the size of a ping-pong ball.

"You’re amazing. I’d never dare to haggle with the owner like that."

"It’s a necessary skill for the poor, but you don’t need it," Chen Yuan said.

"I need it too. My uncle limits my living expenses, so I have to be frugal."

"What kind of vicious uncle is that? You need to learn to fight back. He has no right to control you like that."

Although he didn’t know why Song Jianye’s living expenses were covered by her uncle, the situation perfectly fit the mold of a villainous character from a novel.

’He probably has ideas about embezzling her family’s fortune, too.’

"What should I do? Ask for 20,000 in living expenses next month?"

"Huh? Twenty thousand?"

Chen Yuan looked at Song Jianye. "How much does your uncle give you each month?"

"Ten thousand," Song Jianye said with a pout.

"He told me that’s all I get each month, and if I spend it all, he won’t give me any more. He wants me to learn to be thrifty."

Chen Yuan: ???

’Ten thousand a month in living expenses, and he calls that being thrifty?’

’Seriously, is your uncle the Erlang God or something?’

’I’ve done so many tasks and haven’t even earned as much as your monthly allowance!’

’My apologies, Uncle. You’re a good man. I’m just not familiar with that concept.’

"So, is that enough for you?"

"Not enough, but Uncle Zhang gives me more."

Looking pleased with herself, Song Jianye opened the Gatomon’s packaging and waved it in front of Chen Yuan.

"Isn’t it cute? After it evolves, it becomes Celestial Maiden Beast. I’m going to hang it on my bag."

"So you had a good childhood, too. But why don’t you like Angemon?"

’This poor kid doesn’t have... tendencies, does she?’

"I just think Celestial Maiden Beast is very pretty."

’True, especially the armor-break version.’

"You haven’t seen the second season?"

"Second season?"

Her small head was filled with big question marks.

"It’s good that you haven’t. Don’t ever watch it."

Her portrayal in that season is notoriously bad.

"So you only like Celestial Maiden Beast because she’s pretty."

"That’s not the only reason. When I was little, I had no one to play with, only Uncle Zhang and an auntie. Back then, I really wanted a Digimon so I wouldn’t be lonely."

’The lonely child of a wealthy family...’

Chen Yuan could understand that feeling a little. He’d had similar fantasies when he was a child.

’I will now sortie in Gundam form...’

’Except, I wasn’t lonely...’

"So you’ve liked Celestial Maiden Beast ever since then."

Song Jianye nodded earnestly. "I even showed a picture to Uncle Zhang and told him I wanted one, so he secretly bought me a cat."

"Did you ever pat its head to make it transform faster?"

"I did! But it hissed at me, so I didn’t dare to pat it anymore. I would still hug it to sleep every night, though."

"Then you just had to raise it as a Gatomon that couldn’t transform."

"Mhm, but when I was eight, it went back to the Digital World. After that, I could only see it in my dreams."

"Something like that happened to me, too."

"Really?"

"I was the ninth chosen child. My Digimon was Huabei Beast."

Chen Yuan really hadn’t wanted to make such a lame joke, but the atmosphere had gotten a bit sad. ’Might as well use a bad pun to lighten the mood,’ he thought.

Slowly, the two made their way back to school, stopping downstairs from Dormitory 9.

"Here, this is for you."

Song Jianye handed Chen Yuan a container of cut fruit. "I had Sister Jing make five boxes."

"Thanks."

"Bye-bye."

Song Jianye went back into her dormitory building, and Chen Yuan headed toward Dormitory 3 with the cut fruit.

[System Task: To be a qualified dad, you must have a good physique. Jog one kilometer a day for five consecutive days. Reward: 1,300 yuan cash, Professional-Grade Postpartum Recovery Skills.]

’Come on, man...’

’I can learn postpartum recovery techniques from other people. Why don’t you give me the contact info for some married women? You give me all these skills but no clients to use them on.’

’Just send all the married women in the East China Region my way.’

’I’m bold. The ones who aren’t divorced are fine, too.’

...

A thank you to my book friend [Tonight, Heavy Rain] for the donation.

My brothers, please follow the latest Chapters and send your monthly tickets! I want to get on the Sanjiang recommendations list! o(╥﹏╥)o