11: Chapter 11: After spending 60,000 yuan on games, the senior student was stunned.

Jiang Jinyue watched him with this expression, a flash of surprise flickering in her eyes.

This guy... he really didn't care.

It wasn't an act, nor was he just putting on a brave face for the sake of his pride.

He genuinely felt there was no difference between a twenty-thousand-yuan garment and a two-hundred-yuan one; if it got ruined, so be it, as long as it could still be worn.

This attitude made her inexplicably relieved.

Growing up, she had seen too many people acting timid and nervous in the face of luxury goods.

Some would pinch pennies just to buy a designer item, treating it as if it were a sacred object.

Some, despite knowing nothing about it, would put on the airs of a connoisseur.

Others treated a logo as a status symbol, terrified of even getting a crease in their clothes while walking.

And then there was Tang Luochuan...

"You..." Jiang Jinyue rarely took the initiative to speak, "Don't you feel bad?"

Tang Luochuan: "Why are you... so full of questions??"

Jiang Jinyue: "..."

The group headed toward the cafeteria; the rain was easing, and the air was filled with the scent of grass and damp earth.

Shen Muyan walked by Tang Luochuan's side, stealing glances at his profile.

She had been skeptical about the rumors from yesterday.

But Jiang Jinyue's reaction just now had completely dispelled her doubts.

Who was Jiang Jinyue? She had grown up in an old mansion on the Bund and had been exposed to more luxury goods since childhood than textbooks.

If she said those clothes were authentic, then they definitely were.

Plus...

Shen Muyan recalled the look on Li Jiaqi's face last night as she played the "professional appraiser," and she suddenly found it rather amusing.

What did that woman know? She probably just learned it from somewhere and was merely mimicking others.

"Luochuan," Shen Muyan said softly, "About last night... I'm sorry, I didn't say anything to defend you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know... those rumors in the group."

"Oh, that." Tang Luochuan said dismissively, "Let them talk. It's not like I'm losing a piece of flesh over it."

"But I heard the school is planning to intervene!" Shen Muyan said, still sounding worried.

Tang Luochuan pondered for a moment, then said with anticipation, "Do you think they might expel me?"

He was truly out of options; he had even considered starting a fight last night just to get himself expelled.

Though, that approach was hardly advisable.

Shen Muyan shook her head. "I doubt it. They'll probably just tell you to keep a low profile. Besides, if the car really is yours, it shouldn't be a big problem."

Jiang Jinyue suddenly interjected, "Driving on campus isn't a big deal to begin with. It's just that some people are jealous."

"Jealous?" Tang Luochuan turned his head to look at her. "You see things quite clearly."

Jiang Jinyue didn't respond, merely curling the corners of her lips slightly. The smile was fleeting—so fast that one might think it was an illusion.

This actually left a good impression on Tang Luochuan. While Shen Muyan was a year older than him, she was a bit too naive.

Whereas Jiang Jinyue, who was around his age, had seen the crux of the matter at a glance.

It was true; the whole thing was perfectly normal. If not for someone stirring the pot behind the scenes, it wouldn't have attracted any attention at all.

There weren't many people in the cafeteria, so the three of them grabbed their food and found a corner to sit.

Tang Luochuan was his usual self, burying his head in his food as if that bowl of porridge were a gourmet feast.

His other hand held his phone, and he was busy playing a game.

He had spent over sixty thousand yuan, buying plenty of outfits and mounts.

Being able to one-shot opponents as soon as he stepped out—that feeling was truly satisfying.

Tang Luochuan hadn't originally liked these pay-to-win games; he had even ranted about them online.

Now that he thought about it, it wasn't that the games were poorly made.

It was just that he hadn't had the money, which meant his experience had been limited.

"What are you smiling about?" Shen Muyan asked with a smile on her lips. She wasn't actually curious about what he was laughing at.

She knew he was playing a game, but Tang Luochuan just kept clutching his phone without making conversation with them.

Still, Shen Muyan wanted to get to know him better.

"Look! I just killed this guy, and now he's cursing at me!"

"He's cursing at you, and you're happy about it??"

"He's only cursing because he can't beat me. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"So you're very skilled then?" Shen Muyan pulled out her phone. She played games occasionally, like Candy Crush and the like.

She knew boys usually played Honor of Kings. Although she didn't know how to play, it was the perfect opportunity to act like a complete novice!

She could get closer to him and offer him looks of admiration whenever needed.

Tang Luochuan sighed. "Average. I just play occasionally! The game I'm playing right now is something else."

"Well, you're clearly good at other games too, since you just killed someone! Can you take me with you?"

"This doesn't require any skill!"

"Then what does it require?"

"You just need to spend money to become strong."

Tang Luochuan replied with a straight face.

Shen Muyan was taken aback. "How much do you have to spend?"

"Uh... it's not too much, really..."

"Then I'll spend some too! I don't need to be amazing, just let me follow you and you can carry me." She was still thinking too simply.

In her worldview, how much could you possibly spend on a game? A few hundred? A few thousand?

Take that popular game Black Myth: Wukong for example—she'd heard of it, and didn't it only cost a few hundred yuan?

If such a massive hit only cost that much, how much could a mobile game possibly cost?

"Senior, Luochuan spent sixty thousand last night. I think you should forget it."

Zhou Qi looked at her, struggling to hold back his laughter.

"Sixty... sixty thousand?"

Shen Muyan's chopsticks nearly dropped into her bowl. Her eyes went wide, as if she had just heard something utterly fantastical.

"Just... just for a mobile game?"

Tang Luochuan nodded seriously. "The server just opened yesterday. The first-time top-up rewards were quite a good deal."

"You call that a good deal?" Shen Muyan looked toward Zhang Ming and Zhou Qi, hoping for confirmation. "You two must have misread it, right?"

"I guarantee my eyes aren't failing me!" Zhang Ming pointed to his own eyes, behind thick lenses that were at least four or five diopters strong.

"Alright, I'm full. Let's go." Tang Luochuan wanted to end this topic quickly; he didn't want to discuss money with these people any further.

No showing off, no over-explaining, no deliberate attempts to be low-key.

Just doing whatever he felt like and enjoying life—that was what he wanted.

Upon hearing that number, Jiang Jinyue arched a brow. Even that amount exceeded her expectations.

She had seen her own cousin spend millions on a game before.

But her perception of Tang Luochuan hadn't placed him at that level.

...

Just as Tang Luochuan shoveled the last spoonful of porridge into his mouth, his phone suddenly vibrated.

It was a message from his counselor: [Tang Luochuan, come to my office in a bit.]

"Tsk, that was quick." Tang Luochuan wiped his mouth and stuffed his phone into his pocket.

Shen Muyan immediately tensed up. "Is it the counselor?"

"Yeah. He's probably going to talk about yesterday." Tang Luochuan stood up and stretched. "Perfect. Saves me the trouble of going to find him."

"Should I go with you?" Shen Muyan stood up as well. "I can help you testify that the clothes were authentic, and the car too..."

"No need." Tang Luochuan waved her off. "You going would actually cause more trouble; it would make it look like we're involved."

He was blunt, and Shen Muyan blushed, sitting back down.

Jiang Jinyue looked up at him and said indifferently, "Good luck."

"Thanks." Tang Luochuan smiled, turned, and walked out of the cafeteria.