Chapter 7

Wang Fan thought this item was easy to come by, so he didn’t dwell on it too much. He was still preoccupied with the mystery of the painting. Could it be a forgery from the Qin and Han dynasties? He had to get to the bottom of it!

"2.8 million? This seems..."

Wang Fan suddenly jumped up from his chair, completely stunned. 2.8 million? It was almost unbelievable!

Wasn’t it said that the painting might be fake? How could the auction house offer him so much money? Was there something strange about it?

"There’s no one else here. Actually, giving you this much is already a significant risk for us. We really can’t add more money. After all, we need a lot of money for future operations and technical processing!"

...

Wang Fan didn’t even notice what they were saying. He was completely stunned! The auction house had just said it might be a fake, and he had already prepared for the worst. Who would have thought the result would be so unexpected!

A few days ago, he was still upset about losing his 4,000 yuan a month job, constantly worrying about his sister’s living expenses and tuition, and his father’s illness. But now, the auction house had informed him that the painting could sell for 2.8 million. How could he not be overjoyed!

Wang Fan was just an ordinary person, having attended a second-tier university. In college, he met Zheng Yiran. Back then, Yiran loved to laugh and enjoyed eating ice cream. They often walked along the river for hours, and when she got tired, he would carry her on his back. The riverside road was filled with her laughter.

When did the house become a mountain between them? Yiran had said more than once in front of him:

"If you love me, buy a house and marry me. Why should a girl like Xiao Mei, who is inferior to me in every way, live in a luxury villa, while I have to rent a house and get married with you?"

"Wang Fan, my girlfriends all say that if a relationship isn’t aimed at marriage, it’s just a joke. If you don’t buy a house for marriage, it’s also a joke!"

Thinking of such hurtful words, Wang Fan closed his eyes to calm down. It was understandable that girls hoped for a better life.

Of course, he wanted her to be happy, but when a woman’s happiness is tied to material things, it becomes very frustrating!

If he had had so much money back then, would Yiran still have broken up with him?

Wang Fan shook his head, deciding not to dwell on these painful memories. He never expected that a discounted item from the Three Realms Supermarket could sell for over 2 million. It was like a pie falling from the sky and landing right on him!

2.8 million was an astronomical figure for Wang Fan, who had a monthly salary of only 3,000 to 4,000 yuan. He had never even dreamed of having so much money!

Wang Fan walked out of the bank, seeing the hall manager smiling humbly through the glass. He pinched himself, and it hurt. The sun was bright and clear, and everything was real!

He really had 2.8 million in cash! It was split into two accounts and stored in his shirt pocket!

"To Jiangcheng University!"

He stopped a taxi and got in, his face beaming with joy. He quickly sent a message to his sister, telling her to wait for him at their usual spot!

It was Saturday, and the entrance of Jiangcheng University was filled with various luxury cars. With the students coming and going, the traffic was chaotic.

But today, Wang Fan was in a good mood and spotted Wang Qian in the crowd right away. His sister was tall and slender, a bit dark, and wearing cheap jeans, but she was still lively and beautiful!

"Brother, how did you have time to come? If you’re not working, you should rest. It’s too hot today, be careful not to get heatstroke. Here, I brought you some iced water!"

Wang Qian, being from a rural area, often worked part-time and never bought cosmetics, so her face had a healthy wheat color.

Wang Fan took the iced water from his sister, noticing that she had only brought one bottle, which she had clearly bought for him. He felt a surge of emotion, his nose tingling.

"You’re not in class today, let’s go eat!"

"Let’s skip it. We can go for rice noodles, which cost 7 yuan per serving and are very filling!"

Wang Qian cheered, and every time she saw her brother in a good mood, even if it was just for a bowl of rice noodles, she felt incredibly happy!

"Xiao Qian, don’t ask anything today. Just be a good little sister! I’ll take you out to have fun all day!"

Wang Fan, looking at his sister’s simple clothes, habitually patted her head, but Wang Qian pouted and said, "Brother, I’ve told you not to touch my hair. A woman’s hair is like a man’s waist—look but don’t touch!"

"Ha ha! You’re really my sister! No doubt about it, even the way you talk is just like me!"

Wang Fan laughed, drawing the attention of the people around him. A few fashionably dressed, youthful girls nearby exclaimed in surprise.

"Wang Qian, let’s go shopping. Ali said she wants to go to Wu Guang to buy a dress. Do you want to come along and give some advice?"

A round-faced, fair-skinned girl called out to Wang Qian. The Ali she mentioned was another girl, who seemed to be Wang Qian’s classmate!

"Thanks, but my brother is here, and I really don’t have time. Ali, Xiaoling, you two go ahead and have fun!" Wang Qian smiled shyly; these were her classmates.

"Come on, Xiaoling, what does Wang Qian, that country bumpkin, know about clothes? You’re just wasting your time!"

The girl next to her glared at the round-faced girl, then looked at Wang Qian, who was dressed poorly, and gave a disdainful smile. She didn’t even say hello and walked away.

"With her appearance, the salespeople won’t even let us try on clothes. Birds of a feather flock together. Bringing her would only make us all look bad!"

"Exactly, Xiaoling, you should think before you act. Don’t do such thankless things next time!"

The group of girls chattered, not lowering their voices, as if they were discussing something very ordinary. Wang Fan felt a surge of anger.

"Brother, let’s go for rice noodles. They didn’t mean it maliciously. Girls often joke like that!"

Wang Qian smiled at Wang Fan, playfully holding his arm and pulling him towards the rice noodle shop. She was a bit uneasy, knowing that her brother must be angry after hearing those words.

"Do they always treat you like this?"

Wang Fan looked at his sister, feeling a deep sadness. He should have known that, given their family’s poor conditions, his sister would not fit in with her classmates and would likely be ostracized. Seeing it firsthand was very painful.

"Brother, it’s nothing. I’m not good at buying clothes, and they’re not wrong. Girls often say such things, and it’s not malicious."

Wang Qian looked up at her brother with clear, water-like eyes, which calmed Wang Fan. Yes, his sister’s attitude was something to be proud of!

"Wu Guang Mall? Let’s go there!"

Everyone in Jiangcheng knew about Wu Guang, which sold high-end clothing. A single piece from a boutique cost several months of his salary. He had only been there to broaden his horizons, never to buy anything.

"Brother, are you crazy? Why are we here? The things here are expensive and not good. My classmates were just joking. Don’t take it to heart!"

Wang Qian, looking at the towering Wu Guang building, felt her legs tremble. She tightly held Wang Fan’s hand, refusing to go in. The prices, as her dorm mates had said, were staggering.

"Brother isn’t upset about what others say. I just want my sister to look beautiful. You’re my sister, and as long as I have the ability, I’ll give you the best. I’m sorry, sister!"

"Brother, you’re acting strange today. You’ve always given me the best. Let’s go back!"

No matter what Wang Fan said, Wang Qian refused to budge. She knew her brother had always been good to her and didn’t want him to struggle to buy her clothes.

"Xiao Qian, I’ll tell you the truth. I won the lottery, and the amount is so large that I can’t even use it all. So, I’m being generous and buying my little sister some clothes. I’m not that great!"

Wang Fan spread his hands, at a loss. He had to tell the truth; otherwise, his sister wouldn’t let him spend a single cent!

"Really? I want to see the card!"

"Here’s the message from the bank. You’ll understand when you see it!"

Wang Fan smiled and handed his phone to his sister. She wrinkled her nose, counting the zeros one by one, and when she finished, she was stunned. Then she let out a joyful scream, which startled Wang Fan. He wished he could cover her mouth; this girl’s voice was too shrill!

He didn’t see the security guards peeking out, and if she screamed again, they might take them to the police!

"Brother, what are we waiting for? I want to buy a dress!"

Wang Qian went crazy, pulling her brother towards Wu Guang Mall, making Wang Fan laugh. Who said girls don’t love beauty and dresses? That’s just nonsense!

Wang Fan smiled as he watched his sister in the fitting room, not coming out for a long time. Bored, he took out his phone to read the news. Suddenly, a piece of news caught his eye, making his mind go blank. The world was too crazy!

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