"Why?"
"So you two can talk."
"Don’t leave!"
Heavy Makeup Girl gently pulled free.
"You survived an illegal street race. You can survive a conversation."
The other girls followed her.
Chi Lingxi stared after them in disbelief.
"...Traitors."
Then Shen Tian stopped in front of her.
"Feeling better?"
Chi Lingxi looked back.
"...A little."
"Shoulder?"
"It’s sore."
"You should have it checked properly when you get home."
She nodded.
"I will."
There was a brief silence.
Neither seemed to know exactly what to say next.
Then Shen Tian held the prize case toward her.
Chi Lingxi stared at it.
"...What?"
"For you."
She blinked.
"...What?"
Shen Tian smiled.
"You heard me."
Chi Lingxi looked down at the case.
Then back up.
"...That’s the prize money."
"Yes."
"Eighteen million yuan."
"Six hundred thousand too."
She stared at him as though he’d lost his mind.
"Why are you giving it to me?"
Shen Tian shrugged.
"I don’t need it."
"That doesn’t mean you give it to me!"
"Why not?"
"Because..."
Chi Lingxi struggled to find words.
"Because that’s eighteen million yuan!"
Shen Tian nodded.
"I know."
"You just raced for it!"
"Not really."
"...You literally just raced for it."
Shen Tian laughed.
"Fine. I raced. But I didn’t come for the money."
Chi Lingxi looked confused.
"Then why did you come?"
For the briefest moment...
Shen Tian looked toward Xu Ning.
[Careful, Host.]
He ignored her.
Then looked back at Chi Lingxi.
"I heard someone I knew might be getting involved in something dangerous."
Chi Lingxi’s eyes widened slightly.
"You came because..."
Shen Tian didn’t finish the sentence for her.
He simply held the case toward her again.
"Take it."
She slowly shook her head.
"I can’t."
"You can."
"No."
"Why?"
"It’s yours."
Shen Tian sighed.
"Chi Lingxi."
She looked up.
"Your mother’s restaurant isn’t doing badly... But it isn’t exactly doing wonderfully either."
Her expression changed.
"...How do you know that?"
"I pay attention."
That was partially true.
Xu Ning had done most of the research.
But Shen Tian wasn’t about to explain that.
He continued.
"You help there constantly. You work after school. Your mother works almost every day. You both deserve breathing room."
Chi Lingxi’s fingers slowly tightened around the strap of her bag.
Shen Tian looked down at the case.
"This money could help renovate the restaurant. Pay debts. Give your mother time off. Save some. Invest some. Whatever you want."
Chi Lingxi stared at him.
Her throat suddenly felt tight.
"No..."
She whispered.
Shen Tian tilted his head.
"No?"
Her eyes became slightly wet.
"You can’t just do things like this."
"Why?"
"Because..."
She laughed weakly.
"Because..."
She didn’t know how to explain it.
How was she supposed to explain what he was doing to her heart?
First the outing.
Then his kindness toward her mother.
Then the way he treated everyone without looking down on them.
Then tonight.
He had saved her life.
And now...
Without hesitation...
He was handing her more money than her family had probably seen in years.
Not as a loan.
Not as leverage.
Not because he expected anything.
He simply...
Wanted to.
Chi Lingxi looked at the case again.
"I can’t take all of it."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Then consider it compensation."
"For what?"
"For getting dragged into my entertainment."
She stared at him.
"...You weren’t even the one who invited me tonight."
"Technicality."
That finally made her laugh.
A small...
Genuine laugh.
Shen Tian placed the case carefully into her hands.
She instinctively held it.
The weight surprised her.
Her eyes widened.
"Shen Tian..."
"Don’t spend it all on snacks."
"I’m serious."
She looked at him.
Then laughed again.
"You really are ridiculous."
"I’ve been told."
Across the parking area...
Yun Wanhe watched.
His expression slowly hardened.
"He’s giving her the prize..."
His prize.
At least...
That was how Yun Wanhe saw it.
"That money should’ve been mine."
He had already imagined what he would do with it.
Pay his parents’ debts.
Move them.
Purchase resources.
Restore his dignity.
And now Shen Tian was handing the entire amount away...
Like pocket change.
To Chi Lingxi.
Something dark twisted deeper inside him.
"He’s showing off. That’s all this is. He’s showing her how wealthy he is."
The words came easily.
Too easily.
"He’s trying to buy her affection."
That explanation felt better.
Because the alternative...
That Shen Tian was genuinely kind...
Was much harder for Yun Wanhe to accept.
Chi Lingxi looked down at the prize case.
Then at Shen Tian again.
Her emotions were becoming impossible to contain.
"Thank you."
Shen Tian smiled.
"You’re welcome."
"No."
She shook her head.
"I mean...For everything."
Her voice became quieter.
"For helping my mother. For inviting us out. For tonight. For..."
Her eyes drifted toward the damaged hypercar.
"Coming back for us."
Shen Tian’s expression softened.
"You don’t have to thank me for that."
"I do."
"You really don’t."
"I do."
She stepped closer.
Shen Tian blinked.
Chi Lingxi hesitated.
Her courage almost disappeared.
Heavy Makeup Girl and the others watched from a distance.
One silently mouthed...
"Do it."
Chi Lingxi immediately glared at her.
Heavy Makeup Girl covered her mouth to hide her laughter.
Chi Lingxi looked back toward Shen Tian.
Her face burned.
Then...
Before she could lose her nerve...
She leaned forward.
And kissed Shen Tian gently on the cheek.
It lasted less than a second.
Barely anything.
The moment she pulled away...
Her entire face became bright red.
Shen Tian froze for a moment.
Chi Lingxi stared at the ground.
"...That’s..."
She swallowed.
"...for saving me."
Behind them...
The girls exploded.
"Oh my God!"
"She actually did it!"
"Lingxi!"
Heavy Makeup Girl screamed.
"I KNEW IT!"
Chi Lingxi wanted the ground to swallow her.
"STOP!"
Shen Tian touched his cheek.
Then smiled.
"You’re welcome."
That made her face even redder.
Chi Lingxi then ran away.
Yun Wanhe saw everything.
Everything.
His body became completely still.
The sound of the crowd faded.
The music faded.
The engines faded.
(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!

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