22
Easy Money Comes and Goes Quickly
Xie Zhengjie found himself back to being a penniless prince.
The reward money he had received from the reformed thugs was returned to the police station to be handed back to its rightful owners.
With the situation resolved, Inspector Ma personally escorted him out with a smile.
Meanwhile, Lu Yeqing no longer insisted on detaining Xie Zhengjie.
The deciding factor was a teenage boy who Xie Zhengjie had rescued.
The boy bravely stepped forward at the police station to recount how the thugs had extorted and assaulted him, and how this superhuman man had saved him.
Interestingly, the young boy revealed that he had once been acquainted with the thugs.
They had grown up together but eventually chosen vastly different paths in life.
This made Chen Linyao shocked.
The boy looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, while the thugs seemed at least a decade older.
With the matter concluded, she took Xie Zhengjie out of the station but headed to a mall first.
“What is this?”
Xie Zhengjie scrutinized a box filled with small, colorful pieces.
Some were square, others long and rectangular, all with studded tops and hollow undersides.
“Building blocks.”
“What are they for?”
“To pass the time.”
Xie Zhengjie examined the small toy box again.
The cover depicted a strangely angular ship that lacked any curves.
It seemed that if it were placed in water, it wouldn’t make it out of shore.
Suddenly, this woman had brought him here to buy a child’s toy, so it must be one of her hobbies.
“I’m buying it for you,” Chen Linyao said flatly.
She had been utterly drained from work and dealing with his antics.
It seemed like she needed to find something for the young man to do before he left.
Otherwise, if he kept leaving the room, she’d likely have more headaches.
“For me?” Xie Zhengjie looked at the box of building blocks, then asked, “What’s the occasion?”
“I don’t want you leaving the apartment and causing trouble, so I’m giving you something to stave off boredom,” she replied bluntly.
“If that’s the case, I’d prefer books.
I enjoy many of the stories your people write.”
“No way.
You finished three books in just half a day.
The only way to keep you occupied would be to buy an entire library for you.”
“That wouldn’t be bad.”
Chen Linyao sighed deeply but suddenly had a lightbulb moment.
She said, her voice tinged with excitement.
“Right, I should make you a library card for you instead.”
Why didn’t I think of this sooner?
The cost of a library membership was minimal, and he could read as many books as he wanted without spending a fortune.
“A library card?”
“Exactly.
In our city, there’s a public library.
If you have a membership card, you can read any book there for free.
When you’re done, just leave the book on the designated shelf, and the staff will handle the rest.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
“You owe me one favor, don’t you?”
“Have you finally decided what you want from me?”
“I have,” Chen Linyao nodded before saying.
“I want you to promise not to cause trouble. Can you do that for me?”
The young woman’s eyes were earnest.
She disliked being controlled and, in turn, didn’t enjoy dictating others’ actions.
“This doesn’t mean you can’t defend yourself or stand your ground if someone creates problems for you.
I just don’t want you to do things that might lead to unnecessary complications.
You’re a prince—you should understand what’s appropriate and what isn’t, right?”
The young man studied her expression before replying, “I give you my word.”
He didn’t pause long before adding, “But this doesn’t count as the favor.
Normally, we aren’t ones to enjoy stirring up trouble in the first place.”
Chen Linyao laughed and said, “Should I believe you?
You just caused a huge ruckus.”
“What’s considered trouble in your land and mine may differ greatly,” the young man countered, glancing at her.
He then said.
“Sometimes, I’m not sure whether something qualifies as a problem here or not.”
“If you’re unsure, ask me first.
We’ll learn together.
I’ll also try to understand your kingdom’s perspective.”
“That sounds acceptable,” Xie Zhengjie replied.
It was already late, and neither of them had eaten dinner.
Unfortunately for Chen Linyao, her stomach lacked patience and began growling audibly.
the young woman’s face flushed red.
They had just been having a serious conversation, but her stomach clearly didn’t care.
“First off, I think—” Xie Zhengjie said, breaking the awkward silence, “I think the people of my kingdom would enjoy the red dish you prepared this morning.”Chen Linyao squinted at him but then smiled and said.
“Your people have good taste. That’s called tomato and egg stir-fry—it’s practically a national dish for us. I still have some ingredients left in the kitchen. Would you like me to make it again?”