Financial Independence through Cracked Apps-Chapter 135 - 127: Encounter

"Come over to my place?"

Aria’s deeply suggestive words, paired with the captivating and expectant look in her eyes, made her meaning instantly clear to Lin Shen.

But this also left him feeling conflicted.

After all, the persona he had crafted for Aria was that of a wealthy, elite intellectual.

’A person like that living in a small, old, and rundown apartment of about sixty square meters in the suburbs of Modu... It doesn’t quite fit the image, does it?’

Now, Lin Shen was finally understanding the benefits of owning a luxurious, spacious flat.

He used to think, ’A place to live is a place to live!’

Now, he was too embarrassed to even bring a girl home!

’Looks like I need to put "buy a house" on my agenda.’

Lin Shen grumbled to himself, but he quickly found an excuse to change the subject.

"My new place is under renovation, so it’s not really suitable for guests."

"Then where are you staying now?"

Aria believed Lin Shen without a doubt, completely captivated by his smooth talk and the persona he had created.

"At a friend’s place?"

"At a hotel."

Lin Shen said with a small smile.

"I have a suite at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel that I use long-term. They always keep it reserved for me, and I stay there whenever I feel like it."

"Oh, I see!"

Aria’s expression was one of sudden understanding.

She had heard of the Ritz-Carlton and had a rough idea that staying there long-term, even in the cheapest room, would cost at least a hundred thousand a month.

’He’s so rich!’

Aria liked Lin Shen even more now.

She’d been searching for her Prince Charming for over twenty years and never found him back home, only to run into him in a foreign country!

Lucky!

Aria rested her chin in her hand and leaned closer to Lin Shen. Just as she was about to say something, he stood up and said with a light chuckle,

"Finished eating? Let’s go."

"Where are we going?"

"To enjoy the night view of the Bund, of course."

After giving Aria a full day’s experience of Huaxia’s temple culture, Lin Shen felt it was time to bring her back to reality.

After all, for a city like Modu, luxury and prestige were its main themes.

So, the two of them left the Vegetarian Restaurant at Longhua Temple and drove toward the city center.

*

*

「8:00 PM.」

The sky was dark.

Not a single speckle of starlight could be seen in the gloomy night sky, only a bright half-moon, faintly visible through the hazy clouds.

Fortunately, however, this kind of weather was perfect for admiring the dense rows of skyscrapers along the Bund.

They stood amidst a light mist, the Neon lights refracting to cast a dreamlike, fantastical glow.

It had a certain cyberpunk, high-tech vibe.

"Did you know? Besides Modu, there are many other cities in Huaxia worth visiting."

Lin Shen took Aria’s hand and led her on a stroll along the crowded Bund, smiling as he introduced her to other cities.

"For example, there’s the ’3D magic city,’ Mountain City; the Capital City; and if you like ancient Huaxian culture, you absolutely have to visit Chang’an."

"Swift is my horse on the spring breeze; in a single day, I’ve seen all of Chang’an’s blossoms!"

Lin Shen deliberately recited the poem in Chinese, which made Aria’s smile grow even wider. She subconsciously tightened her grip on his hand, trying to interlace their fingers.

"If I get the chance, I’ll definitely come back to Huaxia!"

"You’re welcome anytime. I can show you around again then."

Feeling the warmth from Aria’s hand, Lin Shen was genuinely surprised at how forward and bold this foreign blonde bombshell was.

Logically speaking, an extreme sports instructor should have met plenty of rich foreign playboys and seen all their tricks for picking up women.

’And yet, all I did was sweet-talk and bluff a little, and she’s already fallen for me, body and soul?’

’It only took a single day, too.’

Lin Shen found it a little hard to believe.

The reality, however, was that Aria was first attracted to his "character model," and only then to his personality and character.

Lin Shen’s very existence shattered her stereotypes of Asian men.

The gap between her expectations and reality was the key reason her fondness for him had grown so exponentially.

Everything else was just icing on the cake.

As for the short amount of time, that was hardly worth mentioning. After all, it wasn’t like they were looking for a serious relationship.

A rendezvous is, by its nature, fleeting.

Spending a long time together is called companionship.

Aside from admiring the night view of the Bund, Aria’s gaze never left Lin Shen’s profile.

Their intimate behavior made them look like a real couple, drawing envious glances from many of the tourists around them.

’This really is a winner-take-all society!’

*

After Lin Shen had shown Aria most of the panoramic view of the Bund, he suddenly leaned in and asked her in a low voice,

"What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"10:35 in the morning." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"That’s not too early."

Lin Shen suggested with a smile,

"How about I show you a good time tonight and help you relax?"

"Okay!"

Aria agreed without hesitation, her eyes filled with deep meaning and anticipation.

She thought "relaxing" meant going to a hotel.

But in reality, Lin Shen took her to a bar.

Of course, the two weren’t entirely different in some respects, but Aria still felt a small pang of disappointment.

However, as they walked into the bar, Lin Shen took the initiative and affectionately wrapped his arm around her waist.

This sent a thrill of surprise through Aria.

Although the gesture was still gentlemanly and restrained, it was enough to express Lin Shen’s intentions!

’This means there’s still a chance tonight!’

"Hello, we’d like a booth."

"Of course, sir. The minimum charge for a booth is ten thousand yuan. How many in your party?"

"Just the two of us."

Lin Shen took the menu from the bar promoter, casually ordered some drinks and a fruit platter to meet the ten-thousand-yuan minimum, and handed it back.

"This will be all."

"Very good, sir."

Led by the promoter, Lin Shen walked into the randomly chosen bar with his arm around Aria.