Chapter Twelve: Black Suits You Quite Well

Early the next morning, Lan Tian left the house with dark circles beneath his eyes. There was no helping it—after sending that WeChat message last night, he had dug out the bank card that now held a hundred million and clutched it tightly in his hand. He hadn’t felt the slightest bit of drowsiness, his mind running wild until dawn.

Now that he was wealthy, there was no need to skimp on himself. At first light, Lan Tian made his way to one of Ning City’s renowned teahouses. Like a nouveau riche, he ordered a lavish spread of breakfast dishes and feasted to his heart’s content. But in the end, he couldn’t manage to eat even half of it. He called over a server, had the rest packed up, and set out for Wang Ling’s place.

The Hilton Hotel.

He’d been surprised last night when Wang Ling sent him her location. Was this girl still at odds with her family? She’d rather stay in a hotel than go home?

He took the elevator up and arrived at her room. He’d barely knocked twice before the door swung open to reveal Wang Ling’s pretty face, brimming with grievance.

He had already texted her after breakfast to say he was nearly downstairs. Otherwise, given how long girls usually took to get up and ready, if he’d waited to call her from the lobby, he might have been stuck outside her door for half an hour.

Wang Ling hadn’t had time to put on makeup yet. But even barefaced, she didn’t appear pale as some women did; her small, smooth face retained a healthy glow. A girl’s true beauty is best judged without makeup, and to Lan Tian’s eyes, Wang Ling’s natural face was little different from how she looked with cosmetics, save for a touch less vividness. In fact, there was a fresh, water-lily grace about her now.

“Tsk tsk, dressed like that, aren’t you afraid I’ll lose control and do something beastly?” Lan Tian’s eyes flashed with amazement as he looked her up and down, taking in her simple pajamas.

“Hmph! That day, I was completely out of it and you didn’t even dare do anything. Regretting it now, aren’t you?” Wang Ling shot him a teasing glare, her eyes dancing.

“I do regret it. From personal experience, I think even Lei Feng must have had his share of regrets.” Lan Tian strode into the room with a laugh.

“Haha! Don’t go making things up about Lei Feng—he was a genuinely good person, unlike you, who regrets doing good deeds!” Wang Ling ignored him and sat at her vanity, beginning her makeup routine. “Too bad, you only get one chance. It’s too late for regrets now~”

“So you actually wish I’d regret it? Want me to pour you a little wine right now?” Lan Tian joked. For some reason, he always felt at his ease around Wang Ling, as if they’d known each other for ages, with not a hint of awkwardness.

“Pfft! You wish! Plotting against your own sister—dream on!” Wang Ling spat back, her cheeks flushing adorably at some sudden thought.

“Haha, you’re the one with wild ideas—I’m more worried you’ll try something with me.” Lan Tian grinned, raising the breakfast bag he’d brought. “Here’s your food. I’ll leave it here. I’m going to use the bathroom.”

Without waiting for a reply, he ducked into the restroom.

No sooner had he entered than a shriek rang out. Before he could react, Wang Ling burst in, cheeks aflame, snatched up some clothes from the sink, and dashed out again.

When Lan Tian saw what she’d grabbed, his own face reddened and a strange sensation stirred inside him.

This girl really was absent-minded… Who left their underwear lying around like that?

And black, too—a little see-through, if he wasn’t mistaken…

He hurriedly shook his head, forcing the thought away. Best not to dwell on it, or he’d get himself in trouble. After a moment, he composed himself and strolled out as if nothing had happened.

Outside, Wang Ling stood with a fiercely determined look, eyes wide as she glared at him.

“Ahem, why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t see anything, truly,” Lan Tian protested, feigning innocence.

“Hmph! You little pervert! Barging into a lady’s bathroom like that!” Wang Ling fumed, clenching her fists as if she wanted to wallop him.

“You were too quick! I swear, I didn’t see a thing.” Lan Tian held up two fingers in oath.

“Add another finger.” Wang Ling glared at those offending digits, her tone menacing.

“Fine, fine. Hurry up and eat your breakfast—it’ll get cold!” Lan Tian quickly changed the subject. “Are you free today? Come out with me—no, I mean, let’s go shopping!”

Wang Ling said nothing. She picked up a delicate pastry and fixed Lan Tian with a stare, taking a fierce bite as though she imagined she was biting into him instead.

Lan Tian’s eye twitched. He felt a chill run down his spine.

By the time Wang Ling finished her makeup and breakfast, it was past eight. She pulled a set of car keys from her bag and handed them to Lan Tian. “I’m going to the bathroom. Go ahead and bring the car around. You do have a license, right?”

Lan Tian nodded, took the keys, and headed out. At the door, he paused and turned back.

Wang Ling looked puzzled. “What’s wrong? Why are you just standing there?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to say—black suits you.” His face was earnest.

With that, he dashed off.

Wang Ling was speechless.

“Lan Tian!” Her shrill cry echoed behind him as he fled, laughter bubbling up from his chest.

Silly girl, you’re still too green to take on your big brother!

…

“My god! Did you win the lottery or something?!”

Inside the Vacheron Constantin flagship store on the first floor of Ning City’s Yida Shopping Plaza, Wang Ling finally couldn’t hold back her shock.

“No, even if you hit the jackpot, you wouldn’t spend money like this!” She stared at Lan Tian, eyes wide in disbelief.

She wasn’t exaggerating. The events of the past two hours had left her reeling. Last night, Lan Tian had claimed he didn’t have a cent to his name—couldn’t even afford to treat her at a street-side eatery. But today, it was as if he’d become a different person. His clothes, pants, shoes—everything was designer, and he’d bought a dozen sets in one go!

At first, Wang Ling had assumed he expected her to pay. Her heart sank a little, but she steeled herself. At most, it would be two or three hundred thousand—nothing she couldn’t handle, considering how much she owed him.

But when they reached the register and the total came to three hundred eighty-five thousand, Lan Tian didn’t even blink. He casually produced a bank card and handed it to the clerk.

“Put it on the card.”

Wang Ling’s mind nearly shut down. What was going on with this guy?

Then, they headed to the first floor, and things got even crazier. She watched as Lan Tian, faced with a Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle worth over two million, didn’t so much as flinch—just swiped his card for it. He even picked out a ladies’ watch worth over half a million for her. Before she could refuse, he’d already paid.

Good lord! Her own BMW Z4 was worth less than six hundred thousand—about the same as that watch!

Insane!

Wang Ling stared at Lan Tian, who remained calm and unruffled, utterly dumbfounded.