Ling Chen fell silent, lowering his head as he lost himself in thought, his expression deeply dejected.
Seeing this, Qin Muwan's heart gave a slight tug.
She assumed Ling Chen was missing his parents.
With a faint, gentle smile, she said, "Actually, when your parents left, perhaps they had more important matters to attend to, and they simply had no choice..."
"Don't be sad."
She reached out a slender, fair hand, intending to pat Ling Chen's shoulder and comfort him.
Suddenly, Ling Chen raised his head.
Rubbing his chin, he asked in bewilderment, "Director, why aren't you wearing black silk stockings today? It'll be such a shame if your legs get tanned."
Qin Muwan: ......
She realized she had completely miscalculated.
She should have known better than to think this brat would suddenly turn sentimental.
Keeping his head down was just an excuse to check out her legs all along, and his dejected look was because she wasn't wearing black silk stockings?
"From this moment on, you are not allowed to say another word."
"Did you hear me?!"
Seething with frustration, Qin Muwan slammed her foot on the accelerator and sped straight toward the shopping mall.
"Alright, I promise I won't speak, Director." Ling Chen patted his chest.
[Rage +5]
"Shut up! No talking!" Qin Muwan's irritation flared even higher, and she almost couldn't resist kicking him right out of the car.
An hour later.
The two arrived at Haicheng's largest shopping center.
As soon as Qin Muwan stepped out of the vehicle, her graceful figure and stunning looks immediately drew the gazes of everyone around.
Coupled with her red hover-sports car, it was a sight that provoked endless envy.
In contrast, the sight of Ling Chen made onlookers involuntarily shake their heads.
One young man sighed, "Look at that? The poor play with cars, the rich play with romance, and top tycoons play with savages!"
"Director, that asshole is insulting me." Ling Chen glared at the young man.
"Just endure it! Stop going around looking for trouble every single day," Qin Muwan warned sternly.
"Got it." Ling Chen nodded obediently.
Then he pointed straight at the guy and shouted, "I feel like insulting someone today, so I'll spare you."
The young man smiled smugly, convinced he had gotten the better end of the deal.
A passerby standing nearby reminded him, "Dude, he just called you not human, and you're still standing there grinning?"
Hearing this, the young man's brain short-circuited for a second.
Having failed to finish his nine years of compulsory education, actually processing that required a fair bit of mental effort.
Inside the mall.
Qin Muwan first took Ling Chen to get a stylish short haircut.
Afterward, she picked out several sets of expensive clothes for him.
Most of them were casual sportswear.
When Ling Chen wanted to pick out a couple of suits, Qin Muwan stopped him.
"No way. Suits don't match your temperament at all—the contrast when you wear them is just way too jarring."
She would never forget that national apology press conference not long ago.
Ling Chen had worn a sharp suit with brilliantly polished leather shoes, looking the picture of elegance, only to stand on the high platform and ruthlessly tear everyone a new one.
It was just too damn incongruous...
He had taken the phrase "a beast in human clothing" and pushed it to its absolute limit!
After nearly three hours of tossing this way and that, Ling Chen now looked like a completely different person. His handsome features, chiseled jawline, and deep, intelligent eyes radiated a lively spirit.
He cut the picture of an innocent, delicate, and shy youth.
On the way back to school.
Qin Muwan said somewhat wistfully, "Remember to come early tomorrow. This should be our school's final grand tournament, so cherish it..."
Perplexed, Ling Chen asked, "Why?"
Qin Muwan offered a bitter smile and didn't explain.
Instead, she changed the subject. "If Haicheng University ceases to exist, do you plan to transfer to another university, or just wander the streets?"
"I can pull some strings to get you into a decent university, but on the condition that you promise to behave and stop pulling stunts. Other universities won't spoil you the way we do."
Ling Chen paused, faintly guessing the truth.
He wiped the smile from his face and said earnestly, "That won't happen..."
Qin Muwan brushed a lock of hair straying across her cheek behind her ear and murmured softly, "I hope so..."
With that, she pressed down hard on the accelerator.
Arriving at the school gates, Ling Chen said, "Director, I need to pick up a few things, so I won't go in with you."
"Where on earth is this kid running off to now? There's a pre-tournament pep rally starting in a little while!" Qin Muwan muttered, utterly speechless.
This unruly kid never let her have a moment of peace.
If he were actually her younger brother, she would be worried to death.
"You guys go ahead and start, I'll be there later." Ling Chen waved his hand and gradually vanished into the bustling street.
He needed to buy a big treasured sword.
With that gadget in hand, he could execute the Spinning Technique and give himself an extra layer of security for tomorrow's tournament.
Upon entering a weapons shop, a woman dressed in a traditional Chinese cheongsam stepped forward to greet him.
"Handsome, what kind of weapon are you looking for?"
Ling Chen scanned the racks before pointing at a glowing, radiant sword hanging at the very top. "How much for this one?"
The woman took it down, placed it in his hands, and introduced it with excitement:
"You have a great eye, handsome! This is one of our store's prized treasures, forged from high-grade diamond and personally enchanted with spells by a Void-Breaking Realm master. Overall..."
"Just tell me how much."
"Thirty thousand Blue Star Coins. No bargaining."
What the hell!
So expensive?
Even if he sold himself, he wouldn't have that kind of money.
"What about this one?" Ling Chen pointed toward a pitch-black sword in the middle display.
This time, the woman didn't take the item down, having likely figured out that this kid was dead broke.
Instead, she introduced it directly: "Forged from pure refined steel, razor-sharp, and suitable for use up to the Boulder-Breaking Realm Peak without any issues. The price is three thousand Blue Star Coins."
Ling Chen scratched his head, his voice trailing off, "Do you have anything cheaper?"
The cheongsam-clad woman smiled. "No."
Awkwardly looking left and right, Ling Chen finally spotted a wooden peach-wood sword hanging right by the shop entrance.
"How much for this?"
"Ahem... That's just a decorative piece. It has no offensive power whatsoever."
The woman gave a couple of dry coughs, feeling rather speechless. It was her first time encountering a customer quite like this.
Ling Chen rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought.
The system had said any treasured sword would let him use the Spinning Technique; it didn't explicitly say it had to be of high quality, right?
To be safe, he asked in his mind, "Xiaodian, can this wooden sword spin?"
[Strictly speaking, yes, though its power will be much lower.]
That'll do.
He was already this broke, so why be picky?
"Then how much does it cost?" Ling Chen inquired.
"Uh... if you really want it, just give me ten Blue Star Coins," the woman said.
Ling Chen offered an awkward smile. "Big sis, I'm a student. Can you give it to me for free?"
The cheongsam-clad woman froze on the spot, her expression locking up solid.
How could such a person even exist in this world?
Before she could manage a response, a group of people suddenly walked over.
"Well, well, junior, reduced to looking this dirt-poor?"
"How about you kneel down and apologize to me, and I'll buy that thirty-thousand-coin treasured sword for you?"
The speaker was none behind other than Gu Mingxuan.
Trailing behind him were seven or eight people, both male and female.
The guys were the usual lacklings who followed him around everywhere.
The girls were dressed rather flirtatiously, swaying with exaggerated gaits—heaven knows what kind of cheap company he had picked up.