Chapter 92, Chapter 90: The Alluring Momo

Ye Chen immediately pulled out his phone. Only then did he realize he had not even turned it on. Holding the Nokia brick in his hand, he powered it up at once and hurriedly called Liu Momo.

Momo had just finished class and was about to go eat with some classmates. Hearing Ye Chen’s call, she was overjoyed. When she learned that he was treating, she promptly dragged along two roommates.

At the school gate, Ye Chen wandered about under the blazing sun. The security guard, seeing that he was lingering there and knowing he was not a student, stationed himself in front of him like a utility pole, his eyes sweeping over Ye Chen from head to toe. When Ye Chen moved left, the guard moved left; when Ye Chen moved right, the guard followed right.

“Hey, buddy, you’re blocking me,” Ye Chen said, looking up at him.

“I’m the security guard here. Protecting the students is my duty,” the guard replied with a cold snort.

“I don’t mean any harm,” Ye Chen explained at once.

“Just by looking at the way you’re dressed, I can tell you’re here to chase after the girls,” the guard said flatly. “If you’re a man wanting to pursue a girl, I won’t say a word. But at the very least, you should have a car, right? Today’s female students are all so materialistic. How can you manage without one? If you have a car, it ought to be at least three hundred thousand. How do you even have the nerve to come walking in here?”

Those words left Ye Chen speechless.

Still, the guard was not entirely wrong. In today’s society, college girls were often valued like merchandise. Ninety jin was the golden dividing line. For a pretty girl weighing ninety jin, monthly support could run at no less than one hundred yuan per jin. By that calculation, supporting a beautiful female college student weighing ninety jin for a month would cost at least nine thousand yuan. If she weighed ninety jin or less, each additional jin, or each jin under, would reduce the standard rate by one hundred yuan. Of course, especially beautiful faces were an exception. In particular, a girl like Liu Momo could hardly be judged by such a crude formula.

Liu Momo had a figure that was undeniably explosive, with measurements of 35E, 24, 35—enough to set every man’s blood on fire. Add to that her innocent appearance and delicate features, and it was no wonder the eyes of many wealthy men had been fixed on Jianghuai University’s newest campus beauty.

So whenever the weekend came around, all kinds of luxury cars in every color imaginable lined the entrance of Jianghuai University. They came to pick up girls for the weekend, then delivered them back on Monday. That was the so-called arrangement.

A little at a loss for words after the guard’s lecture, Ye Chen simply stood to the side and smoked.

Soon, Liu Momo walked out from inside, arm in arm with two tall girls.

“Brother Chen!” She let go of the two girls and rushed toward him.

Ye Chen tossed away his cigarette butt, opened his arms, and lifted her off the ground. Smiling, he said, “Momo, you’ve lost weight again!”

“Have I? If I have, then it must be because I’ve been missing Brother Chen,” Liu Momo said, sticking out her little pink tongue.

Then she took the two girls beside her and introduced them solemnly. “Brother Chen, these are my classmates, Li Wen and Qianqian.”

“Hello,” Ye Chen said with a polite smile.

The two of them had already sized him up as soon as they came out. His appearance had indeed earned him a high score in their eyes, but when they combined that with what Liu Momo had once said about his financial situation, they concluded that he was not good enough for her.

After all, Liu Momo’s suitors at school numbered at least a reinforced company, and the number of boys secretly in love with her but too afraid to confess was even greater. Someone like Ye Chen was not worthy of her.

“Hello, Ye Chen. We’ve been hearing Momo talk about you nonstop,” they said with light smiles.

Li Wen was about the same height as Liu Momo, nearly five feet seven. Qianqian was a little shorter, but her skin was even better than Li Wen’s. Li Wen was likely a local girl, living in Jiangbei City all year round, so her complexion would naturally be a little worse than Qianqian’s, who came from inland. Sea wind could age a girl’s skin quickly, which was why skin-care products sold so well in Jiangbei City.

What puzzled Ye Chen most was that Liu Momo was also a local girl, yet her skin was so tender and dewy, like that of a newborn infant.

“Brother Chen, let’s go eat,” Liu Momo said, looping her arm through his and lowering her voice. “Did you bring enough money? If not, I have some.”

The moment Ye Chen heard that, his heart trembled. This girl was always so considerate, always thinking one step ahead of everyone else. If one married such a girl, life would surely be very comfortable, because she would have already thought of everything for you. There would be nothing left for you to worry about.

He was deeply moved. Pinching her cheek, he said, “Silly girl, since it’s Brother Chen treating, how could I let you pay?”

“Hehe, I was only worried that Brother Chen might not have brought enough money,” Liu Momo said, sticking out her pink tongue. She knew very well that Brother Chen’s pride would never allow her to pay at a time like this, so she dropped the idea.

Li Wen and Qianqian walked behind hand in hand. Under the glaring sun, Liu Momo seemed not to fear it in the least.

To keep the girls from being baked by the sun, Ye Chen simply led them into the Grand Cloud Heaven Hotel directly across from Jianghuai University. This hotel was clearly designed for the wealthy playboys and second-generation rich kids around the university town. Once the weekend came, business here became unbelievably hot; almost every weekend, the rooms were fully booked. One could see just how indulgent the girls from the school were.

“Brother Chen, this place is very expensive!” Liu Momo quickly tugged at his arm.

Li Wen and Qianqian behind her looked at Ye Chen with great curiosity. A meal here would probably cost at least eight hundred yuan, and that was only for the most ordinary spread. Though it was a rip-off, at least the rip-off made sense. First, the service was impeccable, from the guard at the entrance to the greeter in the lobby to the waiters in the private rooms. Every motion was perfectly standardized, and even the most ordinary polite phrases sounded warm and welcoming. The smile on everyone’s face never showed less than eight teeth.

“Don’t worry. Brother Chen brought enough money,” Ye Chen said with a faint smile.

“But...” Liu Momo still felt it was a little improper. They had originally planned to eat western food, which could probably be handled for three or four hundred yuan at most. But here, even the cheapest four-person set meal cost well over eight hundred. She already felt a little pained. Although it was Brother Chen’s money, they would be living together in the future, wouldn’t that be like spending her own money?

“Be good. Come in with Brother Chen,” Ye Chen said with a smile, then wrapped an arm around Liu Momo’s slender waist and led her inside.

Li Wen and Qianqian hesitated for a moment, but in the end they followed. The moment they stepped through the door, it was as if they had entered an entirely different world. The guard at the entrance politely pushed open the revolving door for them. Inside was a world of cool air. After the searing heat outside, stepping into the air-conditioning felt wonderfully refreshing.

A greeter immediately came over, bowed to them, and said politely, “Sir, miss, welcome. May I ask whether you have a reservation?”

“We don’t. Please find us a private room,” Ye Chen said, waving a hand.

“Certainly. Please follow me.” The greeter instantly smiled, and those eight white teeth gave off an especially warm impression.

The lobby was decorated with gilded splendor. Walking in here, Liu Momo and the others felt as though they had entered a Western world, like a country bumpkin stepping into the Grand View Garden. Ye Chen himself did not find the surroundings especially surprising. Some vague impression in his mind seemed to suggest he had once seen a place even more luxurious than this.

Led by the greeter, the four of them entered a small private room. Though it was the smallest room, it was still more than spacious enough for four people. Its opulence made the girls exclaim again and again. The table and chairs were made of crystal, and the walls were decorated with iconic oil paintings from the Renaissance. A crystal chandelier hung down from the ceiling, close enough to touch. By the window stood a large floor-to-ceiling pane, now covered by thick curtains, and beside it was a huge sofa. Ye Chen looked at that sofa and immediately smiled.

“Brother Chen, what are you smiling at?” Liu Momo asked curiously.

“That one,” Ye Chen said, pointing at the sofa.

Liu Momo and the others turned to look, but they saw nothing unusual. There was only a cushion on the sofa, along with a few throw pillows. Nothing else.

Frowning, Liu Momo asked, “Brother Chen, what exactly did you notice?”

“Heh, didn’t you see what’s different about that cushion?” Ye Chen grinned. “A cushion like that is disposable. Doesn’t it seem strange for it to be placed in a room like this?”

Liu Momo and the others looked again, and only then did they roughly understand what he meant. The girls’ faces immediately turned red.

Liu Momo spat, “Brother Chen, you’re so bad, telling us about that kind of thing!”

“Haha... I didn’t say anything. You figured it out yourselves,” Ye Chen said, bursting out laughing.

These private rooms had been designed precisely to make it convenient for men and women to do their business here on weekends. No wonder even the minimum spending for such a small room was over eight hundred yuan. Now everyone finally understood.

Qianqian, who had been sitting on the sofa, immediately stood up, pulled out the chair, and sat down beside Li Wen.

The waiter arrived somewhat late. Upon entering, he said apologetically, “I’m sorry for the delay. To express my apologies, I can apply for an 8.8 discount with our lobby manager on your behalf. What would you like to order?”