Ch91 - The Allowance Given by the Crown Prince

After Jian Mei came back, he gave the compensation money to the blonde woman.

The blonde woman was no longer as arrogant as before. After taking the money, she quickly left, not even bringing up anything about going to see the school principal. It even seemed as if she was fleeing in haste.

After everything was settled, Jian Mei turned to Ying, Nanfeng, and the others and said, “Thank you.”

Nanfeng shrugged and replied, “No need to thank me, we’re all friends.”

For some reason, the word “friends” felt somewhat out of place in this context.

Jian Mei said to Xiao Ban, “It’s fine, I’ve already taken care of it.”

But Xiao Ban wasn’t reassured. 50 gold coins was definitely not a small amount for them. Of course, he knew Jian Mei’s savings, and after paying the fifty, he would basically be out of money. So, he pulled Jian Mei aside and, looking worried, asked, “Meimei, have you run out of money?”

Jian Mei replied, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“I’ll definitely find a way to pay you back later,” Xiao Ban said. “Don’t worry, I do part-time work during my breaks.”

Jian Mei knew that Xiao Ban’s part-time job was to cover his tuition, textbooks, and living expenses. If he saved the money and paid her back, it wouldn’t be enough. But if she outright refused, Xiao Ban would certainly worry.

After thinking it over, Jian Mei finally said, “It’s okay, you don’t need to pay me back. The school covers my meals and accommodation, so I don’t spend any money. And you know, we have scholarships for exams. I’ve won first place twice, so I’ve earned a lot of scholarship money. My pocket money is more than enough, so don’t worry about me.”

He was reassuring Xiao Ban.

Xiao Ban quietly listened to Jian Mei. From his expression, it was as if one could see the happiness of his life.

Actually, he had been somewhat worried before that Jian Mei wouldn’t adjust well to the new school. In his mind, he thought that the school had such high standards, and the class Jian Mei had been placed in was such an extreme environment. He worried that Jian Mei might be bullied or struggle there. However, that wasn’t the case at all. Even in difficult situations, Jian Mei had always managed to live well and thrive.

It was like the swampy situation in the mansion—he was able to shine even there. Just like now, even without formal education, Jian Mei could still achieve excellent results at such a prestigious school.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ban felt a bit bitter. “Then, you… you have to live well, okay?”

Jian Mei thought he was finally at ease and smiled as he said, “Don’t worry.”

“And… also your friends,” Xiao Ban said, deep down loathing them. “If they bully you, don’t just put up with it. If it gets too bad, just leave the school.”

After hearing this, Jian Mei said, “Actually, it’s not really bullying. Maybe it’s just that our views are different.”

Xiao Ban understood that it wasn’t just differing views, but also the disparity in social classes.

But Jian Mei had paid the money for him, and yet the feeling of helplessness in that moment, combined with the casual way Nanfeng and the others treated the blonde woman, made it feel as if none of this was a big deal to them, like they were brushing it off lightly. It all felt like a brand, ruthlessly stamped onto Xiao Ban’s heart. He didn’t hate Jian Mei, but he hated these powerful elites, and he hated the world.

Not far away, Nanfeng shouted, “Hey, come over here, your food’s about to be taken away by the waiter!”

After hearing this, Jian Mei quickly responded, smiled at Xiao Ban, and said, “Shall we go over?”

Xiao Ban hesitated for a moment, hiding the intense resentment in his eyes, then nodded and followed Jian Mei back to the table.

Today’s trip to the amusement park didn’t go very smoothly. On the way back, Jian Mei kept thinking about how to repay the 50 gold coins. Although Dazhuang-ge had said there was no rush, it didn’t mean he had forgotten about repaying the money. But now, his weekends were taken up with learning to read, and his weekdays were consumed with schoolwork. How could he find a way to earn money to repay it?

The herbal packs he had sold in the small town had done well, but there wasn’t much of a market for them here.

As he was lost in thought, he heard Ying say, “I don’t know what happened today, but after our trip, my skin’s not in good condition anymore.”

Jian Mei looked up.

Ying held a mirror, looking at her face. Normally, her skin was well-maintained, but because it was so pampered, it was delicate. After a bit of sun exposure, her skin had become red and flaky.

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“Ying, are the skincare products you use expensive?” Jian Mei asked casually. “Can I take a look?”

After hearing this, Nanfeng teased, “Xiao-Meimei, so you care about beauty too?”

Jian Mei ignored him.

Ying didn’t mind much and said, “Sure, but Meimei, your skin is so good, you probably don’t even need it. But, I’ve collected a lot of limited-edition items. If you want, I can give you some.”

For commoners and ordinary people, these precious skincare products, which could be worth a fortune, were just something she could casually offer.

Jian Mei shook his head. “No, I’m just asking.”

After arriving at school, Ying eagerly took Jian Mei back to her room to show him the skincare products. It made sense, though; in the SA class, there were no other girls, and she didn’t have any sisters to share these things with. It might seem a little strange, but at least being able to show off to Jian Mei fulfilled her need to share.

When Jian Mei entered Ying’s room, he was a bit surprised.

This place was simply too luxurious. The floor was made of crystal, gleaming brightly. Upon entering, there were many pink flowers and plants neatly arranged on the counter. Further inside, there was a large water tank with beautiful little fish swimming in it. The living room had a fluffy white carpet, and the bedroom was separated on its own. This wasn’t a student dormitory at all; it was clearly a miniature princess room.

Ying led Jian Mei into her walk-in closet. The shelves here were so long that it took several steps to reach the end, where they finally reached a table covered with an array of bottles and jars, all so dazzling and overwhelming that it was almost frightening.

Ying picked up one of the bottles and said, “This one’s for the face, and this one’s for the hands…”

Jian Mei noticed that these items were all mysterious liquids, stored in various bottles and jars. They looked like some kind of advanced, possibly alien, high-tech products.

Ying sighed a little as she picked up a bottle and applied it to her face. “Although this thing is expensive, it doesn’t really work well for me. You know, the constitution of people on our planet doesn’t really adapt to these imported goods from other planets. I’m okay, but I have a few friends who are even allergic to them.”

Jian Mei asked, “Really? How much do these cost?”

“This bottle costs about 200 gold coins,” Ying replied casually. “It’s just a redness cream.”

As she applied it, she softly sucked in a breath. “Ah, it stings a little. My skin must be too sensitive.”

Jian Mei noticed her skin turning even redder under the effect of the liquid. “Does it really work?”

Ying responded, “A little bit. By tomorrow morning, it should be much better.”

Jian Mei pondered for a moment, but he felt that this kind of skincare wasn’t very healthy. It wasn’t as gentle as herbal products. People from Stan Star were already resistant to imported goods, so using these—could they really be good for the skin? And they were so expensive.

He remembered that today Sakura had recognized the blonde woman’s counterfeit goods. Jian Mei gently said, “I’ll give you something in a couple of days. It should help a little.”

Ying asked, “What is it?”

“I haven’t made it yet,” Jian Mei replied honestly. “When it’s ready, you can try it.”

Ying smiled and said, “Okay!”

But in her heart, she didn’t have much hope. After all, she had tried many expensive cosmetics for her skin issues, and none of them worked. Jian Mei was just a student—what could he possibly do?

On the other side, Jian Mei began to plan his money-making career after returning to the dorm.

After he got back, he first boiled a small pot of medicine for Lu Xingwang. Recently, he had exchanged a medical book on his phone, which contained many prescriptions left by elderly doctors. He was now slowly reading through it, trying to figure out how he could use herbs to make his own skincare products. He also had a selfish thought—if he could cure Brother Da Zhuang’s face, that would be great.

Once the medicine was almost ready, he sent a message to Lu Xingwang. Over the past period, he had made progress in learning to write, and could now send some basic characters. Every day, once the medicine was ready, he would text Lu Xingwang, like a little wife sending food to her husband. “The medicine is ready!”

After a while, Lu Xingwang replied, “Wait a moment, I’m outside.”

Jian Mei replied obediently, then went to read alone on the balcony.

He had used points on his phone to buy some aloe vera, and the item-transfer function had already delivered it. Now, with a small knife in hand, he fiddled with it, trying to figure out how to turn the aloe into gel.

Ding.

A moment later, a call came in from Lu Xingwang.

Jian Mei picked up the call and answered softly, “Hello.”

“Back from the amusement park?” Lu Xingwang asked.

“Mhm.” Jian Mei responded. He handed over the decocted medicine and said, “Drink this first. It’s been sitting for a while, so it’s a little cold. Better to drink it warm—works better that way.”

Lu Xingwang gave a quiet reply. “Got it.”

Jian Mei mentally counted the days. “It’s been over half a month now. I’d like to take your pulse in a couple of days, see how you’re doing. Will you be free?”

The crown prince’s days were always full.

Still, Lu Xingwang didn’t hesitate. “I’ll be free.”

“You’re always buried in official reports,” Jian Mei said slowly, “and you have all those meetings, and people to see… Don’t worry, I won’t take up much of your time. I’ll make it quick.”

It had been a while since they’d last seen each other.

A bowl of herbal soup sat on the table, still faintly warm. It was bitter, but Lu Xingwang drank it spoon by spoon, his face steady, listening to Jian Mei’s voice. To him, it was as sweet as sugar.

Lu Xingwang parted his lips. “If it won’t take too long, then when’s your next break? I’ll have the officials shift the schedule around.”

People always adjusted their schedules to see the Crown Prince—never the other way around. But with Jian Mei, everything just seemed to fall into place.

Jian Mei said, “It won’t take long. I probably won’t have much time to relax this break anyway.”

Lu Xingwang paused mid-motion. “Something going on?”

While applying aloe vera gel, Jian Mei nodded. “I need to figure out how to make some extra money.”

Knowing he was talking about the 50 gold coins, Lu Xingwang said, “Is it about the money? I’m not in a rush. Just focus on your studies.”

Jian Mei replied, “That’s part of it. But even if I didn’t have to pay you back, I’d still need to support myself.”

Hearing that, Lu Xingwang finally realized how carefree Jian Mei used to be. He’d had a wealthy family and people who loved him—there was never a need to worry about making a living. But here, all of that was gone. No family, no safety net.

Even when he ran into trouble or needed money, he couldn’t just call home to talk things over. All he could do was cautiously ask Lu Xingwang for help. Spending even a rare holiday worrying about side gigs and living expenses… The thought of it clouded Lu Xingwang’s heart with a quiet, inexplicable fog.

He’d never cared about anyone else’s wellbeing. But knowing his little friend might be struggling—he just couldn’t feel happy about that.

Lu Xingwang set down the bowl of herbal medicine and said, “Jian Mei.”

Jian Mei was busy working aloe vera gel into his hands and absentmindedly replied, “Hmm?”

“For the medicine you brewed, how much should I pay you?” Lu Xingwang asked softly.

The moment Jian Mei heard Dazhuang-ge say that, he immediately responded, “No need for money. You weren’t feeling well, and I wanted to help. I told you before—if you don’t mind, just treat me like family or a friend. There’s no need to talk about money.”

Lu Xingwang said, “Then consider the 50 gold coins my way of helping you—you don’t have to pay it back.”

He was worried Jian Mei would be too distracted by all this, on top of school, to focus on his studies.

Jian Mei froze, blurting instinctively, “Ah, how can I accept that…”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Lu Xingwang said. “Would you argue with your family over borrowing money? If you’re going to fuss over money with me, then I’ll have to pay you for the medicine.”

Jian Mei thought about it and realized it was true. Even though Lu Xingwang had phrased it so rationally, Jian Mei could still sense the care behind his words. It was a strange feeling—like when Nanfeng and the others suggested ordering food earlier. Their kindness felt different from this.

And…

If Dazhuang-ge said it that way, does it mean he considers me family too?”

Jian Mei hesitated, then said, “Hmm… so I…”

“I’ve overlooked this before, sorry.” Lu Xingwang sent him a barcode and added, “Since you’re new to the school, you probably don’t know, but later there will be several large events and courses with fees. Scan this barcode—it’s my family card. Any fees you incur later will be deducted from it.”

Jian Mei instinctively said into the phone, “Ah, so it will be directly deducted from your account? Isn’t that a bit troublesome…”

Lu Xingwang’s voice shifted, becoming much deeper, and he completely cornered Jian Mei. “The things you told me about being friends and family before—were they lies?”

“……”

Jian Mei hurriedly said, “No, no, it’s not a lie.”

Lu Xingwang curved his lips slightly and said, “Then go ahead and scan it. I’ve granted you access. This is my family card, so you don’t need to worry. There should be enough funds in it. Don’t be too stingy when other classmates want to go out or eat. Use it as you need. Understand?”

Jian Mei nodded, still a bit confused, and scanned the card. The binding process was successful.

After linking the secondary card, his wristband, which was connected to the ID card, automatically upgraded to a red card after verifying the funds. Many new options appeared on the screen, including the balance inquiry option. Naturally, Jian Mei was curious about how much money was in this family card. Dazhuang was a prince, so his salary must be high, right? Could there be tens of thousands of gold coins in it?

With this suspicion, Jian Mei cautiously clicked on the balance inquiry button. The wristband’s screen quickly began to shift, showing that the request was being processed.

While Jian Mei waited, he reported to his family, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll mostly need money for things like paper, pens, and some daily necessities. I won’t spend recklessly on anything else.”

Lu Xingwang responded with a quiet “Mm,” glancing at the documents as he said, “You don’t need to be frugal. Spending freely is fine. If you run out of money, I’ll just transfer more to you.”

Jian Mei nodded in response and looked at the screen. The system switched soon after, and a string of numbers appeared. Jian Mei’s eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the balance. The amount had so many zeros that it was almost unbelievable. He kept counting and realized that the credit limit on this family card was over ten million gold coins!

…?

Dazhuang-ge, do you have some misunderstanding about what living expenses are?