Chapter 361 - 219: Lu Fan: Yixia, Last Night You Hugged Me and Kissed Me Hard

Chapter 361: Chapter 219: Lu Fan: Yixia, Last Night You Hugged Me and Kissed Me Hard

Pan Lanfang didn’t try to stop them, saying cheerfully, "Alright, alright, you two get going. Be safe on the road."

Lu Fan and Jiang Yixia got into the car, and it slowly drove out of the village.

In the rearview mirror, Pan Lanfang and Jiang Guoqiang were still standing in the doorway, watching them leave.

Jiang Yixia sat in the passenger seat, gazing out the window without a word.

After they had driven for a bit, Lu Fan spoke up. "Your aunt and uncle... are they always like that?"

Jiang Yixia nodded, her tone tinged with resignation. "They’ve been competitive ever since we were kids, always comparing everything. It used to be about whose house was taller, then whose kids got better grades. Now it’s about whose son-in-law has more money. That’s just how some country folk are. If a family is doing well, they get jealous. If a family is struggling, they look down on them."

"Well, with me in the picture now, that’s a comparison they can’t win," Lu Fan said with a smile.

Jiang Yixia glanced over at him. She didn’t respond, but the corners of her mouth lifted in a small smile.

After a moment, she said, "Thank you for these past two days."

Lu Fan chuckled. "Thank me for what? We’re family."

Jiang Yixia didn’t answer, turning her head to look out the window again.

’But inside, it felt as though something had quietly loosened.’

...

「Meanwhile, at the Jinling Institute of Technology.」

In the studio, Jiang Sifan sat at his desk, a stack of cash laid out before him.

He had made a special trip to the bank to withdraw it.

Today was payday.

Gao Lao, Brother Ming, and Qiu Zai were all there, along with a few classmates who helped with the accounting.

The small studio was packed to the brim, and everyone had a smile on their face.

Sifan stood up and announced excitedly, "Everyone worked hard this month! Alright, time to get paid!"

He handed out the cash person by person, each receiving a thick wad.

Gao Lao counted his share, his eyes lighting up. "Holy shit, this is a lot! Sifan, did you give me extra?"

Sifan chuckled. "It’s not extra. Business was great this month, so everyone’s cut is bigger. You did a great job handling those new clients, so of course your commission is higher."

Brother Ming laughed too, clapping Sifan on the shoulder. "Sifan, there’s a real future working with you. I used to have a part-time job in the cafeteria for just eight an hour. What I made this month is more than I used to make in three months at that job."

Qiu Zai chimed in, "Totally! If I’d known a startup could be this profitable, I would’ve joined you the moment school started."

Sifan laughed. "It’s not too late."

After paying the part-time staff, Sifan looked at the leftover cash and said to Wen Wan, "As for the remaining profit, let’s split it fifty-fifty."

Wen Wan was stunned, looking at him in disbelief. "Class President, I... I get a share too?"

Sifan nodded firmly. "Of course. We built this studio together, so it’s only natural we split the profits fifty-fifty. You get here earlier than I do and leave later every single day. I’ve noticed."

Then, Sifan sent her a transfer on WhatsApp.

Wen Wan glanced down at her phone, completely stunned.

’Thirteen thousand yuan!!’

She had never held so much money in her entire life.

During New Year’s as a child, the most she ever got in a red envelope was fifty yuan, and even that she had to hand over to her mother.

After starting college, she’d earned all her own living expenses from part-time jobs. She was always strapped for cash each month, never even splurging on a milk tea.

She looked up at Sifan, her eyes turning a little red. "Class President, I..."

Sifan smiled and waved it off. "Don’t be so formal. You earned this. Ever since Xu Junjie’s business went under, we’ve poached a lot of his clients. Now we’re so swamped with orders we can’t keep up, and you’ve been the biggest help through all of this. So don’t argue with me about it, or I’ll actually get mad."

Wen Wan nodded and accepted the transfer.

She lowered her head, not wanting anyone to see the tears welling up in her eyes.

...

That evening, Wen Wan returned to her dorm room, sat on her bed, and took out her phone.

First, she transferred five thousand yuan to Sifan.

After sending it, she stared at the screen, waiting for a reply.

Sifan replied quickly: [Don’t be in such a rush to pay me back. Keep it for now. I just got paid too, so I have cash on hand.]

Wen Wan quickly replied: [Class President, I have money now, so please take it. I’ll pay back the rest bit by bit.]

There was a moment of silence from Sifan’s end before he replied with a simple [Okay].

Wen Wan then opened Lu Fan’s WhatsApp. After a moment’s hesitation, she transferred five thousand yuan to him.

Wen Wan: [Uncle Lu, here’s the money I owe you. Thank you again for helping me.]

After sending it, she stared at the screen, her heart pounding a little.

Lu Fan replied a few minutes later: [No rush. Use it for now and pay me back when you’re more comfortable financially.]

Wen Wan quickly replied: [Uncle Lu, I have money now. The class president just paid me—thirteen thousand yuan! I have extra, so please take this. Otherwise, I won’t feel right about it.]

Lu Fan read the message, thought for a moment, then replied: [Alright, I’ll accept it. But Wen Wan, if you run into trouble in the future, don’t try to handle it all by yourself. Go to Sifan for help. He’ll definitely be there for you. He can be a bit awkward with his words sometimes, but he has a good heart.]

Reading his message, Wen Wan’s eyes reddened again.

She replied: [Thank you, Uncle Lu. I know the class president is very good to me.]

After sending her reply, she set her phone down by her pillow, lay back, and stared at the ceiling.

Everyone else in the dorm room was already asleep.

She thought back to how Sifan looked when he was handing out the pay earlier that day, recalling the earnest look on his face when he’d said, "You earned this."

’It made her feel so, so warm inside.’

And in that moment, she was certain of one thing.

’She had a crush on her class president.’

’But... with his family being so well-off, how could she ever be good enough for him...?’