After hanging up the call with his big-hearted mom, Qin Tian couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Brother Tian, are you planning to move out of the dorm after you buy the apartment?" Chen Zhuang asked.
"No, it was a gift for Nuan Nuan from her parents for her eighteenth birthday. She's still planning to stay in the dorm for now, and so am I," Qin Tian replied.
"That's good, that's good. If you moved out, our dorm would be too quiet!" Chen Zhuang nodded with a smile.
"Brother Tian, when is Xia Nuan Nuan's birthday? Should we all celebrate it together?" Cao Mingliang suggested.
"It's on October 8th, right after the National Day holiday. Nuan Nuan and I are planning to see if we can take a leave, celebrate her birthday at home, and then come back,"
"I see! Then we should celebrate it again!"
"Let's talk about it when we get back. I'll treat everyone to a meal then," Qin Tian said with a smile.
"Alright!" Cao Mingliang nodded.
"Giving an apartment as a birthday gift, the world of the rich is really different," Chen Zhuang lamented.
Zhuang Zhe nodded in agreement, feeling the same.
He had to think carefully about how to bring up buying a computer with his parents after the holiday.
The difference was truly vast.
"There's nothing surprising about that. Shouldn't it be more surprising that Brother Tian earned the money himself and bought an apartment just like that?" Cao Mingliang said with a strange expression.
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhuang and Zhuang Zhe looked at Qin Tian with admiration.
After a moment of thought, Qin Tian said, "After the National Day holiday, if you guys have time, open a stock investment account. I'll give you some advice and help you earn some pocket money."
As soon as he said this, Chen Zhuang and the other two's eyes lit up.
"Brother Tian, I don't need to say anything else. From now on, if you need anything, just say the word. If I even blink, I'm ungrateful," Chen Zhuang patted his chest emphatically.
"Then, should I ask my dad for more capital during the holiday?" Cao Mingliang pondered, his eyes full of anticipation.
Although he had plenty of pocket money, who would complain about having more?
"Old Cao, I'm mainly doing this to make Brother Zhuang and A Zhe's college lives more comfortable. If you want to join, you can, but I have to state a few prerequisites," Qin Tian said seriously.
"Go ahead!" Cao Mingliang nodded solemnly.
"Firstly, stock trading has a large element of luck and is full of uncertainty. If there are too many financial entanglements, the way we interact will change. You might think it's nothing now, but I don't want to plant seeds of trouble."
"Understood!"
"Therefore, I hope your principal investment won't be too large. Just earning some pocket money is enough."
"Got it, Brother Tian. I agree with what you said." Cao Mingliang smiled freely and added, "Then I'll pass. You can just take care of Brother Zhuang and A Zhe."
Qin Tian was stunned and quickly said, "That's not what I meant..."
"Brother Tian, I understand. It's my own decision. If I'm just earning a little money, it's better to just talk nicely to my dad!" Cao Mingliang interrupted him.
"That's good. I hope you don't have any grudges!"
"Don't worry, I won't."
"Okay!" Qin Tian breathed a sigh of relief and continued to Chen Zhuang and Zhuang Zhe, "Also, I hope you guys don't spread this around. We're all best buddies, and I'm helping you earn some pocket money. I hope you'll think of me too."
"Brother Tian, don't worry, A Zhe and I are not ungrateful people," Chen Zhuang solemnly assured him.
"I won't say a single word about this!" Zhuang Zhe chimed in.
"I'll just pretend I didn't hear anything and don't know anything," Cao Mingliang said with a grin.
"Then it's settled. I won't help you make a fortune, but I guarantee that the two of you will have financial freedom in college, and easing your families' burdens should be no problem," Qin Tian said frankly with a smile.
Since he had brought up this idea, he had to clarify everything. Otherwise, once money was involved, conflicts were easily created.
Chen Zhuang and Zhuang Zhe nodded emphatically, their eyes full of gratitude.
They both knew that Qin Tian was taking a significant risk by helping them earn this pocket money.
If this matter were to leak out, other classmates would flock to Qin Tian, asking him to help them make money too.
At that point, Qin Tian would be in a difficult position.
If he agreed, there would be endless trouble later.
If he refused, others would hold grudges and even resent Qin Tian as their class monitor.
Therefore, they were extremely grateful to Qin Tian.
They both came from ordinary families, and their parents were already shouldering a lot of expenses for their university lives. If they wanted to do anything else, like dating, the spending would increase even more.
As for Qin Tian, the reason he took the risk to do this good deed was because he understood the three guys in the dorm well, knowing they weren't fools and were also grateful people.
...
...
The next day, it was the weekend, and Qin Tian and Xia Nuan Nuan had nothing to do.
While having breakfast together in the cafeteria, Xia Nuan Nuan called her mother to ask if they should go look at the apartment together.
However, Su Xia directly refused, saying there was no need for them to tag along and they would see it after it was selected.
So, after breakfast, at Qin Tian's suggestion, the two of them, with nothing else to do, went to the school library to read.
Due to the previous system tasks, and the fact that he wanted to read more books to enrich himself, Qin Tian had been visiting the library frequently these days.
He couldn't help it; his reading efficiency was really fast, and he finished the borrowed books quickly.
The two of them went to the second floor, found a few books, and chose a spot by the window with good sunlight, sitting down to read quietly.
Xia Nuan Nuan placed a small bag on the table, containing some snacks to pass the time and a bottle of water.
During the holiday, she couldn't focus on academic books, so she chose "Norwegian Wood," a novel by the famous Japanese writer Haruki Murakami.
Opening the book, Xia Nuan Nuan unwrapped a lollipop and skillfully and naturally offered it to Qin Tian's mouth.
"I'm not eating, you have it!" Qin Tian said with a smile.
"Oh!" Xia Nuan Nuan replied, popped the lollipop into her own mouth, and said, "Brother, have you read this book before? What did you think?"
This "Norwegian Wood" was the one Qin Tian had recommended to her just now.
"Yes, I read it a long time ago. It's a love story worth savoring, calm and elegant, yet slightly melancholic," Qin Tian briefly shared his feelings.
The "long time ago" he mentioned was during his college days in his previous life, and he still remembered this novel vividly.
"Really? Then I think I'll like it!" Xia Nuan Nuan smiled sweetly, lowered her head, and began to read intently.
Qin Tian also started flipping through the book in front of him.
He was reading about the history of various Western countries, and he had brought all six volumes with him.
In the morning, there weren't many people in the library, and it was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of turning pages.
In the serene atmosphere, time passed quickly.
At some point, Xia Nuan Nuan had leaned against Qin Tian, her gaze focused on the lines of text on the pages, completely immersed in the world depicted in the novel.
The love entanglements between Watanabe, Naoko, and Midori were as poignant as the continuous spring rain.