Chapter 71: Bro, Did You Strike It Rich?

Chapter 71: Brother, Did You Make a Fortune?

The evening breeze was gentle and soft, painting the city in a golden glow.

Bai Li stood behind a telephone pole covered in small advertisements, looking dazedly at the black car and the person inside.

It felt like a dream.

He wore a gray sweater, and specks of light from the windshield danced across his slender fingers. With one hand resting on the steering wheel, his defined profile was strikingly handsome.

It was no wonder he was photographed so often.

Bai Li adjusted her breathing before sliding into the passenger seat, gazing at Fang Ye with a hint of awkwardness.

Fang Ye looked back at her.

Silence stretched for a moment.

Bai Li blinked. "Brother, aren't we leaving?"

Fang Ye's fingers brushed against the rough texture of the steering wheel, and he smiled, reminding her, "It's going to be hard for me to drive if you don't put on your seatbelt."

"..."

Feeling a bit foolish, Bai Li hurriedly reached for the seatbelt. With a crisp click echoing in the air, the car slowly pulled away from the school district.

Fang Ye leisurely controlled the steering wheel, his fingers tapping against the center console as low, melancholic music began to flow through the cabin.

From time to time, he glanced sideways at the young woman, noticing she was deep in thought, her hands folded together as if pondering something serious.

She hadn't changed her posture for a long time.

Noticing her unusual behavior, Fang Ye finally spoke, his voice gentle: "What are you thinking about? Did you run into trouble?"

Though his tone was cool, the care in it was unmistakable.

Bai Li turned her head to look at the car's interior, then back at him, and asked softly, "Brother, I want to ask you a question."

"Go ahead, ask." Fang Ye raised his chin slightly, gesturing for her to proceed.

Looking straight ahead, Bai Li tried to use her calmest tone to ask, "Did you make a fortune?"

Fang Ye was taken aback, seemingly caught off guard by the abrupt question. After a couple of seconds, he chuckled, "Why would you suddenly ask that?"

Bai Li turned her head, clutching her seatbelt. "You bought a car."

Fang Ye raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Buying a car means making a fortune?"

He had never imagined that the young girl's definition of making a fortune could be so casual, especially since her stepfather was a successful high-finance executive.

If that was truly how she viewed things, it would only give him a headache, and he would have to treat her even better. His younger sister should have higher horizons so she wouldn't be easily lured away by others.

"Not really."

Bai Li didn't actually think buying a car meant making a fortune; she was someone who had seen the world.

It was just that she kept having those so-called prophetic dreams, making her jumpy at the slightest sign of trouble, half-convinced Fang Ye was destined to become a billionaire tycoon.

Moreover, at the age of college students, how many could afford to buy a car on their own? Even if it wasn't making a fortune, it was still extremely impressive.

Fang Ye smiled warmly, turning his head slightly to look into her eyes. "Then why did you say that?"

She absolutely could not mention the prophetic dreams. After a moment of deep thought, Bai Li finally found an excuse: "A classmate told me you're very impressive and very rich."

Fang Ye kept his eyes fixed ahead, his gaze calm and tinged with the coolness of early September, his voice steady. "Ah, your brother hasn't made a fortune just yet."

Bai Li looked bewildered, unable to read his expression, yet she felt no disappointment. Instead, she gazed at him with an even firmer look and said, "It's fine, you will."

It wasn't mere comfort; she truly believed it.

Fang Ye leisurely parked the car in the lot, unbuckled his seatbelt, and suddenly turned to look at Bai Li at eye level. With a very low voice, he said as a matter of course, "Well, though I haven't made a fortune, it's more than enough to support my little sister."

After a brief pause, weighing his words, he added, "So, if you lack anything, tell me. If any male classmates try to give you gifts you like, don't accept them. Your brother will buy them for you."

He believed that dating in college was like investing in stocks—nine times out of ten, you'd lose. There were far too many guys who used smooth talk and a little pocket money to trick young girls, and he was genuinely afraid of her being easily coaxed.

His sister deserved the very best of everything.

With that, he opened the door and stepped out of the car.

Leaving Bai Li alone inside, her heart beating wildly.

What was that supposed to mean? That was too unfair to her heart.

The trace of woody fragrance lingering around her still carried Fang Ye's cool and steady aura.

She felt like she was doomed.

The affection she had managed to suppress with such difficulty, along with all her psychological defenses, had been completely shattered by that close encounter, her inner walls crumbling away.

Then, a bitter ache began to spread.

Her brother really just saw her as a younger sister.

While she truly, deeply liked her brother.

Liked him so much that her heart could no longer contain it, and just seeing him filled her with joy.

...

This mood persisted all the way to the restaurant. By the time all the dishes were served, Bai Li still hadn't dared to raise her head and look properly at Fang Ye.

To Fang Ye, this behavior looked somewhat guilty.

A trace of probing returned to the man's eyes. Then, handing Bai Li her utensils, he asked with feigned nonchalance, "What is it? Do you have someone you like?"

The restaurant booths were partitioned, offering a strong sense of privacy, and the Japanese-style tatami mats felt cool to the touch. Hearing the question, Bai Li's hand trembled, and her words came out stammering, "N-No... no."

Fang Ye's gaze descended the very next instant, recalling what the young woman had mentioned over the summer about a secret crush. "Someone from Qingda?"

Bai Li choked, her brain racing at lightning speed.

She truly admired Fang Ye's sharpness and insight; he could see right through her lies effortlessly. She could only counter with an even firmer tone, "No."

"Mm." Fang Ye didn't have the heart to interrogate her further, telling himself that as an older brother, he shouldn't meddle too much.

With a soft sigh, he said, "If you ever meet someone better than your brother, don't keep it from me."

Bai Li froze, her gaze shifting from the tablecloth to Fang Ye's face. For some inexplicable reason, her heart fluttered.

Neither in the past nor in the future had she ever seen anyone better than Fang Ye.

He was as gentle as a lingering breeze. At the age of five, with all the clumsiness of childhood, he had taken care of her, risking his life to save her that once.

As they grew up, he took her in when she had nowhere else to go.

During his youngest and poorest days, through blood, sweat, and toil, he had desperately provided her with the best life he could offer.

He had even saved up a hefty sum for her tuition, ensuring she would never have to worry about anything.

She hadn't forgotten a single thing; she had memorized it all in her heart.

This was devotion without reservation—it simply couldn't get any better than this.

Bai Li looked up, meeting his refined, light-colored eyes directly. After a long moment, she said with utmost seriousness, "I probably won't ever have the chance to keep it from you, because no one is better than you. You are the best person in the world. Even though I don't understand why you're so good to me, truly, no one else treats me this way."

Only after finishing did she belatedly lower her head to eat, not daring to look at Fang Ye's expression.

Oh no!! That speech was way too impulsive and passionate!

She sounded like a total fool.

However...

Everything she said came straight from the heart.

To have such a wonderful person willing to treat her this well—that was already a blessing.

The September sky was bathed in the lazy warmth of early autumn.

Fang Ye propped his chin in his hand, watching her eat, his dark eyes as deep as a nighttime lake.

He was pondering the young girl's words.

*Why treat her this way?*

The corners of his lips curved upward. Thinking of something, the slightly upturned edges of his eyes lost all trace of their usual stern edge.