The youths of Wuling gather east of the Golden Market, crossing the spring breeze on white horses with silver saddles. Chapter 134: A Journey to the Treasure Island (7)

Tian Jisheng showed no intention of obstructing them. Instead, he smiled and gestured with one hand, "Please, Mr. Fang."

Leading the stumbling Cheng Chen and Li Jing, the three had just stepped out of the shop when Fang Yu’s legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, he managed to steady himself against a nearby signpost.

"Damn it, so you like to gamble, do you? Let’s just cut ties from now on. I’ll exchange your 10% share of Qinglu for the money, and you can just head back to Nanwu." Fang Yu was truly furious; he panted heavily while hailing a taxi.

Cheng Chen scratched his head sheepishly, not daring to make a sound, and braced himself as he ushered Li Jing into the car.

By the time they finally returned to the hotel, the group hadn't slept at all, having waited in his room the entire time. Seeing the three return safely, they let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Fang Yu, you're back? Are you hurt?" Xia Churan was the first to rush over, scanning him from head to toe.

"Mm, I'm fine. Why haven't you all slept yet? What time is it?" It was already midnight.

"How could we sleep when you weren't back? How much money did you lose?" the young girl asked, her expression filled with worry.

"I didn't lose anything. In fact, I made a little—enough for us to go shopping tomorrow, ha!" He half-jokingly pulled the thick stack of bills from his bag and gave it a shake.

The girl’s eyes glimmered with unshed tears, and she pouted, though she felt embarrassed to say anything with everyone else around.

Shen Molan, ever the composed one, spoke up, "Alright, as long as you're safe. I was worried you wouldn't have enough money there. Come on, everyone, get some rest. I can see Li Jing is quite shaken up."

Cheng Chen gave a dry laugh and nodded, "Exactly, exactly. My wife and I are going back to sleep, too. Everyone, rest up."

A few minutes later, the group yawned and returned to their respective rooms. Fang Yu’s tension finally evaporated, and he collapsed heavily onto his bed.

Xia Churan bit her lip, then gently rested his head on her lap. She patted his back as if soothing a child, carefully smoothing his black hair, comforting him in that quiet way.

Fang Yu was so exhausted that he didn't even want to speak; he simply lay quietly in the girl’s arms, closing his eyes to recover.

After a while, he slowly propped himself up and rubbed the girl’s head.

"Thank you, Churan."

With red-rimmed eyes, the girl grumbled as she straightened the creases in his collar, "Can you take me with you next time? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"Alright, alright, didn't I come back in one piece? Be good. I’m going to take a shower."

Perhaps he had been too tense, for when he emerged from the bathroom wiping his hair, Xia Churan had already fallen asleep leaning against the side of the bed. He quietly tucked the blanket around her before carefully crawling into the other side.

The next day, Cheng Chen and Li Jing, likely feeling embarrassed, claimed they were still shaken and planned to stay in the hotel to watch TV. This left the remaining five to head to the city center.

Upon entering the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in the heart of Taoyuan, Xia Churan was dazzled by the dizzying array of goods.

"Wow, this is so high-end! It's much bigger than the cultural mall in Xianjiang."

"Ha, of course. This is one of the top malls in Asia; you can't compare it to our little town back home."

With the 150,000 in backup from last night, Fang Yu felt much more confident today. Even if he couldn't afford Hermès or Chanel, he could at least afford to browse Coach and MK.

Once inside, Xia Churan and Shen Molan were like fish in water, browsing from one end to the other. Their stunning looks and graceful figures caused many passersby to stop and stare.

Zhao Bin, having no interest in luxury goods, grumbled to himself while buying a pile of snacks from a vending machine, settling into a rest area to munch on them.

Lu Zhen, however, was quite interested and dragged Fang Yu around.

"Hey, Boss Fang, is this brand expensive?" Lu Zhen asked, pointing toward an MCM store.

"Mm, it's alright. Considered 'affordable luxury,' I suppose. Why, planning to get something for someone?" he asked half-jokingly.

"Well, Zhang Yan is my girlfriend now, right? I can't come all the way out here and go back empty-handed. Besides, it’s cheaper to buy here than on the mainland, especially with the dividends you gave us, Boss Fang." Lu Zhen grinned, pulling out his wallet.

Fang Yu nodded and continued to follow Xia Churan and the others, his mind elsewhere. The girl was chattering away, asking Shen Molan about everything, and the young heiress was naturally an expert on these luxury goods.

"I think this bag would really suit you, Churan," Shen Molan said, holding up a Burberry Lola bag against Xia Churan.

"Oh? Really? This color is so pink!" What girl doesn't love a new bag? Xia Churan was feeling quite overwhelmed.

The shops in Sawan were not as snobbish as those on the mainland. Furthermore, the sharp-eyed clerks could tell at a glance that even if Xia Churan’s clothes were a bit student-like, Shen Molan was carrying an LV Speedy bag.

"Fang Yu, does this look good?" Xia Churan asked timidly, turning around in front of him.

"It looks great. Let's wrap it up." He raised his eyebrows and glanced at the price tag while the clerk was busy explaining things to the two girls; thankfully, it was still within his budget.

Luxury goods in Sawan were slightly cheaper than on the mainland. A spring trench coat and a Lola bag came out to about 15,000.

Not only that, but Fang Yu also had the clerk pack an extra Lola handbag. Since he had finally made a trip out, he had to bring something back for his "white moonlight."

"Tsk, that light green one is obviously for Qin Lu, isn't it?" Xia Churan pouted, hooking her arm through his in dissatisfaction.

"What else? Am I going to use it myself?"

"You stinky Fang Yu, and here I was feeling sorry for you last night!" The girl grumbled and began whispering to Shen Molan, though there was a hidden smile in her eyes.

By the end of the afternoon, he had not only spent all 150,000 TWD won the previous night but had also dipped into his own funds for another 100,000.

"Tsk, I never would have guessed that a small internet cafe boss like you would be so generous," Shen Molan said, eyeing the bags in his hands with some surprise.

Just as Fang Yu was chatting with the two girls, a sharp gaze from not far away cut through the crowd and locked onto him.

"That’s the young man from last night, right?" a young man in rimless glasses asked in a low voice, looking toward Tian Jisheng.

"Yes, Mr. Zhou. We didn't give him any trouble. The one named Cheng Chen is also a tourist from the mainland. I was afraid of causing trouble for Mr. Yu; after all, if it involved relations between the two regions, it might have impacted our organization," Tian Jisheng said, standing respectfully to the side.

The man surnamed Zhou nodded noncommittally.

"Mm, well done. This amount of money is nothing, but this young man named Fang Yu is not simple. He has the poise of a leader at such a young age. Alright, let's go." With that, he turned his head and waved at Tian Jisheng.

Fang Yu, currently unaware that he had been targeted, was fortunate that the opposition hadn't paid much attention to him, as he had only taken 150,000 TWD the night before.