I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping
Chapter 344 - 324 looks good, doesn’t it? (Thanks for the reward! Ask for monthly tickets!)

Chapter 344: 324 looks good, doesn’t it? (Thanks for the reward! Ask for monthly tickets!)

December 27th on the lunar calendar.

When Jiang Chen woke up, the world outside the window was a blanket of silvery white.

Clearly,

snow had fallen all night.

"Bro, you’re awake. I was about to call you."

Stepping out of the bedroom, Hong Xiaoyu was busy in the kitchen.

"What are you doing?"

"Making noodles, the snow outside is too thick, and I was too lazy to go out."

"Since when did you learn to cook?"

Jiang Chen was slightly surprised.

"You’re underestimating me, bro. Hurry up and wash your face; the noodles are almost ready."

By the time Jiang Chen had finished washing up, the noodles were on the table—a very ordinary bowl of hanging noodles with an egg beaten in.

"When did you learn this?"

Jiang Chen sat down and asked with a smile.

"Do I need to learn this? My mom has been cooking for decades, and I’ve learned just by watching. Bro, try it."

Hong Xiaoyu handed over the chopsticks.

Jiang Chen picked up a chopstickful.

"How is it?"

"It’s not as good as Aunt’s cooking; there’s a bit lacking, but it’s encouraging. There’s room for a lot of improvement."

Hong Xiaoyu seemed very satisfied, all smiles.

The two brothers ate their noodles leisurely.

"Dingdong."

Hong Xiaoyu’s phone rang.

Jiang Chen thought it might be from their aunt and uncle, but Hong Xiaoyu checked and, instead, heard a voice message.

"What are you up to?"

It was a girl’s voice.

"I’m having breakfast with my brother."

"Breakfast?"

"That means eating breakfast."

"It’s almost twelve o’clock, and you’re still having breakfast?"

"Well, it’s the New Year, so we have the rare opportunity to sleep in a bit."

Hong Xiaoyu kept sending voice messages unperturbed.

Jiang Chen silently ate his noodles without interrupting. When Hong Xiaoyu put down his phone, Jiang Chen looked up and asked with a smile, "Is that the girl?"

Hong Xiaoyu didn’t try to hide it, simply answering with an affirmative sound.

"Nice, when a girl takes the initiative to chat with you, it shows she has quite a fondness for you. As a boy, you should take the initiative when it’s time. If you really like her, dare to be bold."

"Bro, I understand what you’re saying, but, sigh..."

He sighed.

"What’s the matter?"

Jiang Chen’s chopsticks paused.

What was this kid concealing?

"Bro, please don’t tell mom and dad, okay?"

"What kind of person do you think your brother is; don’t you understand me?"

Hong Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment, then said with a touch of sadness, "Bro, it’s not that I lack courage, it’s just that I feel I’m a bit unworthy of her."

Jiang Chen frowned slightly.

"Why would you say that?"

Hong Xiaoyu’s mood seemed to sink for a moment as he lowered his head and looked at the noodles in his bowl.

"Her family’s background is very good. I heard that when school starts, her family drives a Series 7 to drop her off."

As the saying goes, a BMW Series 5 is the ceiling for ordinary folks.

To arrive in a Series 7 suggests they’re far from ordinary.

"Just because of this?"

"Bro, she is a pampered princess."

Hong Xiaoyu gave a wry smile.

"Do you feel inferior because your family conditions are poor?"

Hong Xiaoyu remained silent.

Observing him, Jiang Chen could understand his cousin’s frame of mind at this moment.

Not everyone is as "strong" as him.

When someone is carefree, having money or not just means the difference between eating steamed buns or fine dining at night—it doesn’t harm his happiness. It’s only when someone falls for another person that they feel the inferiority that comes with poverty.

"You are aware of her family’s situation, does she know about yours?"

Jiang Chen asked.

Hong Xiaoyu hesitated, "She probably knows a bit."

"Since she knows and still wants to talk to you, why are you still concerned?"

Jiang Chen laughed, "Look at your brother, do you think your situation is much worse than mine? If I had your mindset, wouldn’t I never find a wife?"

"Bro, you are better than me."

Hong Xiaoyu said sincerely.

Since childhood, his cousin had always been his target and role model.

Empathy.

If he had gone through what his cousin had, he probably would have collapsed long ago.

Although only three years his senior, in his eyes, his cousin had long been a real man.

"Love is not a business deal, and it’s not about having equal status to sit at the negotiation table. I understand your feelings, but there’s one thing I hope you can understand. College is the last ivory tower, the last place where you don’t need to worry about too many conditions. Once you leave college, to find such pure love again, will become a matter of luck. Your own feelings, your own decision, but I’ll just tell you this— if you give up now, one day in the future when you look back, you’re definitely going to feel regret."

"But if it’s doomed to not work out in the end, is it still worth starting?"

Hong Xiaoyu spoke softly.

The little boy who used to follow behind him had really grown up.

Jiang Chen was silent for a moment.

"It’s not only the perfect endings that give meaning to something. How many relationships last a lifetime, growing old together?"

Jiang Chen spoke softly, "Sometimes, even though you know there’s no end to this road, you still have to go down it and experience it. Only then can you tell yourself at least you tried, and you won’t be left with regret."

Hong Xiaoyu was distracted.

Jiang Chen lowered his head, finished the last bite of his noodles, pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, and then cracked a slight, playful grin.

"And it’s just the Seventh Department, isn’t it? Look at you, lacking ambition. Just go for it boldly, I, your brother, support you. As long as the girl likes you, everything else is not a problem."

Hong Xiaoyu smiled, taking it as his cousin’s comfort and encouragement without overthinking it, feeling a warmth in his heart.

"Thanks, bro."

Jiang Chen picked up his bowl. "Finish your noodles and head back. The New Year’s just a few days away, spend some time with your parents."

After finishing their noodles and washing the dishes, Jiang Chen escorted Hong Xiaoyu downstairs and saw him off at the entrance of the courtyard.

The snow had really piled up last night, covering the shoes and leaving a patchwork of footsteps everywhere.

In this kind of weather, taxis surely wouldn’t be running, but buses were still in service.

"Bro, don’t bother escorting me any further. Go back. I’ll come visit you again after the New Year’s."

"Alright."

Jiang Chen didn’t stand on ceremony.

"Bro, you sure you don’t want to spend the New Year’s with us?"

Jiang Chen waved his hand dismissively.

Hong Xiaoyu didn’t press further,

"Bro, I’m off."

The brothers parted at the entrance of the courtyard, with Hong Xiaoyu heading toward the bus station and Jiang Chen returning the way he came.

When he got back to the bottom of the building, he found Fang Qing dressed in a down jacket, wearing fluffy gloves, and just like when they were kids, was building a snowman.

"Jiang Chen, come help!"

She quickly spotted Jiang Chen and waved him over, her face red and flushed from the cold, even her ears were red.

"Are you still pretending to be a kid, being an adult and all?"

Jiang Chen approached with a smile.

"This lady likes it, none of your business."

It seemed as if Fang Qing would only act so haughty in front of Jiang Chen, urging him, "What are you standing there for? Help me!"

Jiang Chen, always manipulated since childhood, resignedly began to roll up snowballs beside her.

"Where’s Xiao Yu?"

"He’s gone back."

"Did you push him to leave?"

"The New Year’s almost here. I can’t let him keep bumming around at my place. Otherwise, my aunt and the others would blame me."

"Are you really not going to spend New Year’s with Aunt Jiang and the family?"

Jiang Chen shook his head and placed a snowball on the snowman’s body.

With both of them working hard, a snowman nearly as tall as a person gradually took shape.

Fang Qing somehow found some stones and dead wood to use as eyes and arms for the snowman.

"Haha..."

Looking at the comical snowman they had created, her smile bloomed like flowers as she took out her phone and snapped a photo.

"Jiang Chen, doesn’t it look like you?"

"Don’t you think it looks as silly as you?"

"Who are you calling silly!"

Fang Qing, grinding her teeth, pocketed her phone, then squatted down to quickly roll a snowball and hurled it at Jiang Chen.

"Insult me, I’ll show you!"

The snowballs flew like missiles, one after another aimed at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen tried to dodge, but still got hit several times.

"If you throw another, I’m going to fight back!"

"Go ahead, fight back!"

Fang Qing, undeterred and fearless, continued to hurl relentless volleys of snowballs.

Jiang Chen, without further politeness, promptly began retaliating.

For an instant, it was as if time had regressed, and the two youthful adults became frolicking children once more.

Jiang Chen really didn’t know how to be chivalrous. He braced against Fang Qing’s onslaught and rolled a snowball the size of a basketball, his head and body covered in snow.

"Stop! I don’t want to play anymore!"

Seeing herself at a disadvantage, Fang Qing hastily called a halt.

But Jiang Chen wasn’t about to listen.

"Take this one from me!"

With both hands cradling a basketball-sized snowball, Jiang Chen trudged through the snow toward her, his clean face displaying a mischievous smile.

Fang Qing’s face turned to panic and she turned to run home, but in her haste, she slipped, falling with a thud right into the thick blanket of snow, her face buried in it.

"Haha..."

Jiang Chen laughed heartily as he ran up to her. Without waiting for Fang Qing to stand up, he released his grip, allowing the large snowball to fall straight down onto her.

"Woosh..."

In an instant, Fang Qing was buried in snow, just like a snow-cloaked figure with only her long legs sticking out.

Having exacted his revenge, Jiang Chen didn’t hesitate to run into the building. By the time Fang Qing struggled up from the snow, the culprit’s silhouette was long gone.

Her hair, face, and body were all covered with snowflakes.

"Ah..."

The distinguished student of the Law University sat in the snow without a care for her image, childishly beating the snowy ground with her hands.

"Bang."

Rushing into the house and closing the door behind him as fast as he could, Jiang Chen went straight to the kitchen window and peered down.

There he saw Qing Mei still throwing a tantrum in the snow.

He watched her with a bemused smile.

After about five or six minutes, Fang Qing finally climbed up from the ground. She walked over to the recently completed snowman, as if she wanted to take out her anger on it, but in the end, she did nothing. She brushed off the snow on herself, wiped her face, and then entered the building.

Not long after,

Jiang Chen heard footsteps outside his door, but the person didn’t seem to have any intention of causing him trouble and peacefully went back home.

Jiang Chen thought that since the feud was settled, perhaps he should show some magnanimity and make a symbolic apology. Just as he was about to take out his phone, he saw that Fang Qing had just posted something on her Moments.

Clicking on it, he saw that the photo was of the snowman they had built together.

The head tilted to one side.

One eye larger than the other.

"Built a snowman with him again, doesn’t it look nice?"