Chapter 95 Living Expenses

Zhang Peng grabbed Li Lei by the collar and shouted in disbelief:

"You've got to be kidding, bro?"

"You can actually trick your parents into giving you more living expenses like that?"

"You Guangdong people are way too generous!"

Wu Gang leaned in, his eyes full of jealousy, and teased sourly:

"Is this specifically for your hotel expenses?"

"No wonder you folks in Guangdong love having so many kids. It turns out your mom is in a rush to hold a grandchild, and she wants you to bring a granddaughter-in-law home while you're still in college?"

As he spoke, his eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh:

"No way, I have to try this method too!"

"Maybe my mom will increase my living expenses as well!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Wu Gang impatiently pulled out his phone. His fingers moved quickly to dial his mother's number. He deliberately softened his tone, putting on an obedient yet aggrieved act:

"Mom~ I've started dating."

"Money's a bit tight lately, can you increase my living expenses?"

The voice on the other end pierced right through the earpiece—sharp and stern, clearly audible to the entire dorm—filled with blunt scolding:

"You brat!"

"You've only been in college for a few days, and your mind isn't on your studies?"

"Instead of learning something good, you're learning how to date?"

"Did I send you to college to find a partner?"

"If you don't master your major, how will you find a job later?"

"You're going to be the death of me!"

The smile on Wu Gang's face froze instantly. He pressed his ear against the phone, not daring to even breathe loudly, mumbling, "Mom, I was wrong," and "I'll study hard from now on." His cowardly appearance made the three of them—Lin Chen, Zhang Peng, and Li Lei—shake with suppressed laughter.

Two minutes later, the call was hung up with a sharp "click," leaving only a busy signal in the earpiece.

Wu Gang put down his phone, crestfallen. His face was long, his mouth pouted enough to hang an oil pot, and he looked completely deflated.

The next second, Lin Chen, Zhang Peng, and Li Lei couldn't hold it in any longer. They clutched their stomachs and burst into laughter, the sound in the dorm almost bringing down the ceiling.

"Hahahaha..."

"Wu Gang, that was too miserable!"

Zhang Peng laughed so hard he kept slapping the table.

"I told you that trick wouldn't work, but you didn't believe me!"

Li Lei took a sip of water, suppressed his laughter, and teased slowly in a thick Guangdong accent:

"Are all you local parents in Star City this hot-tempered?"

"Our parents in Guangdong are better, you know."

"They believe in the more children, the more blessings."

"As long as I treat my partner well, my mom might even give me more!"

Wu Gang glared at him, feeling both angry and aggrieved. Just as he was about to retort, suddenly, a crisp "Ding-dong..."—the notification sound for an Alipay deposit—rang out, exceptionally distinct in the noisy dorm.

Immediately after, a gentle WeChat voice message came through his phone. It was his mother's voice, and her tone was much softer than before:

"You brat, I'm being serious. It's fine to date, but you can't let it interfere with your studies. Treat the girl well, don't bully her. This money is to subsidize you, tell me if it's not enough."

Wu Gang looked up abruptly, his eyes wide as saucers. He stared at the "Alipay received 3,000 yuan" notification on his screen, froze for three seconds, then jumped up and shouted excitedly into his phone:

"Long live Mom! Thanks, Mom!"

"I promise I won't let it interfere with my studies!"

His instant transformation from gloomy to sunny triggered another round of laughter from the three.

Watching Wu Gang's smug look, Zhang Peng felt an itch himself. He rubbed his hands together, muttering to himself:

"Damn, if Wu Gang can get a raise, and Li Lei got one too, why can't I?"

"My mom should agree too, right?"

No sooner said than done, Zhang Peng also took out his phone and dialed his mother's number, his tone even more fawning than Wu Gang's:

"Mom, I have something to tell you. I've started dating."

"Money's a bit tight right now."

"Do you think you could increase my living expenses?"

But events unfolded in the exact opposite way he had imagined.

The scolding from the other end of the line was even sharper and longer than Wu Gang's mother's had been. She berated him for not applying himself, for dating and affecting his studies, and even went on to say he wouldn't amount to anything in the future. It lasted for a full ten minutes, giving Zhang Peng no chance to get a word in.

Finally, the call ended with a loud "bang." Zhang Peng stood there holding his phone, stunned. The smile on his face had completely vanished, replaced by a look of bewilderment and grievance.

He crouched on the floor, sighed, and said dejectedly:

"Sigh, as expected, family values are different..."

"It seems the people in my family who work in banking are just too professional."

"The moment they open their mouths, it's all about studying hard, not a shred of leeway."

Lin Chen and the others watched his dejected state and didn't have the heart to tease him anymore; they could only pat his shoulder to offer some comfort.

But no one expected that about ten minutes later, Zhang Peng's phone would ring again. The caller ID showed "Grandpa."

He was stunned for a moment, then quickly answered the phone, his voice still a bit shaky:

"Hello, Grandpa?"

His grandfather's kind and hearty voice came from the other end:

"Grandson, I heard you started dating?"

"How is it? Is the girl pretty?"

Zhang Peng was astonished and quickly asked:

"Grandpa, how did you know?"

"Your mother just called and told me. She was complaining about you not being serious and scolded you, didn't she?"

Grandpa said with a laugh,

"It's fine, it's fine. It's normal for young people to date. How can she be so old-fashioned?"

"If she won't increase your living expenses, Grandpa will!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Peng heard a "Ding-dong" from his phone, and his grandfather's voice came through again:

"I've transferred 20,000 yuan to you. Use it for now."

"If you two get along well and you can bring me a great-grandchild in the future, I'll reward you with another 100,000 yuan!"

"What? 20,000? And a 100,000 reward?"

Zhang Peng jumped up instantly, his eyes wide as saucers. All his dejection was swept away, replaced by unbelievable, wild joy.

In the dorm, Lin Chen, Wu Gang, and Li Lei all stared at him, dumbfounded, their eyes filled with envy. They kept muttering:

"Holy crap!"

"Grandpas really do love their grandsons!"

"This is too awesome!"

Wu Gang even slapped his thigh, looking regretful:

"I have to call my grandpa too. My mom is stingy, but maybe my grandpa is generous!"

Zhang Peng hung up the phone and looked at the transfer record, grinning from ear to ear. He triumphantly waved his phone at the three of them:

"See that? My grandpa loves me! From now on, I'm someone with 'dating funds' too!"

Lin Chen watched the three of them acting up, shook his head helplessly, but a smile unconsciously tugged at the corner of his lips. However, he was still muttering to himself about his date with Zhao Mengyao that evening.

What on earth did this mysterious and direct female doctor want?

Zhang Peng shouted generously.

"Dinner is on me, let's go out to eat!"

"Let's treat ourselves tonight. Plus, I have a date tonight, so I might not even come back!"