"Jie Jingsi, overindulgence will ruin your health," Qin Mei said.
"I’m not worried. I have you," Jie Jingchen said with a smile.
Qin Mei was speechless. "My medical skills don’t cover that area. But if you’re ever in need, I could give it a try. Who knows, I might even stumble upon a huge business opportunity."
A dark line formed on Jie Jingchen’s forehead. ’She really has money on the brain, trying to profit from this kind of thing too.’
"I forbid it," Jie Jingchen said bossily.
"Forbid what?" Qin Mei feigned ignorance.
"Meimei, be good. We won’t earn that kind of dirty money," Jie Jingchen coaxed softly.
Qin Mei wasn’t happy about that. She puffed out her cheeks. "Jie Jingsi, what do you mean by that? What do you mean ’dirty money’? How is it dirty? As long as you’re not stealing, robbing, or selling... you-know-what, any money you earn with your own skills is clean money."
Looking at the aggressive Qin Mei, Jie Jingchen felt a headache coming on. He lowered his head and gave her luscious red lips a quick peck. He didn’t dare to kiss her properly, afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop.
"Meimei, earning money is too tiring. I can’t bear to see you work so hard." Jie Jingchen meant it. He could support her; she didn’t need to work in the public eye.
But Qin Mei had lofty ambitions, so all he could do was support and respect her choices.
"Well, it can’t be helped. It’s not like you give me any money," Qin Mei said with a slight arch of her brow, her tone playfully complaining.
Jie Jingchen studied her, his gaze thoughtful. He asked tentatively, "You like money?"
"Obviously," Qin Mei rolled her eyes at him, poking his chest. "Who doesn’t like money?"
Jie Jingchen seemed conflicted for a moment, then he moved off of her. Qin Mei froze, watching in confusion as he got out of bed.
’What does he mean by that? Does he think I’m tacky because I like money?’
’In this day and age, liking money isn’t tacky. Money makes the world go round, and that’s true in any era.’
"Jie Jingsi, what are you doing rummaging through my bag?" Seeing Jie Jingchen digging through her shoulder bag, Qin Mei protested loudly. ’What is he looking for?’
When she saw him pull out a key, Qin Mei’s eye twitched. ’That’s the key to the cabinet!’ Sure enough, Jie Jingchen unlocked the cabinet and took out a metal box. Her pupils shrank. ’That’s the box where I keep my passbooks!’
"Jie Jingsi, what are you doing?" Qin Mei lost her composure, sitting up abruptly and glaring at him.
Jie Jingchen ignored her. He took a passbook from the very bottom of the box, walked back over to Qin Mei with the box and the passbook, and handed the passbook to her. "Here."
Qin Mei glared at him, snatching the metal box and the passbook back. She haphazardly shoved the passbook into the box. "Jie Jingsi, even if you want to win favor with my own things, this isn’t the way to do it!"
"The passbook is mine," Jie Jingchen said, his brows knitting slightly, his tone unreadable.
"Bullshit! It’s obviously..." Qin Mei trailed off, unsure whose passbook Jie Jingchen had actually grabbed. Besides her own, the only others in there belonged to Jing Qi and his mother.
"Meimei, the passbook really is mine. Look, if you don’t believe me." Jie Jingchen stood over her by the bed, shaking his head in resignation at her actions.
"Impossible. I’ve never seen you with a passbook," Qin Mei said, refusing to believe him. Jie Jingchen snatched the metal box from her hands. Qin Mei blinked, then tried to grab it back the moment she recovered. "Jie Jingsi, you’re the worst! Give it back!"
Jie Jingchen opened the metal box, took out the passbook, and opened it for Qin Mei to see.
Qin Mei was dumbfounded. It really was Jie Jingchen’s name on the account. And the amount... so many zeros!
Qin Mei knelt up straight on the bed, extended a finger, and counted the digits. "Ones... tens... hundreds... thousands... ten thousands... a hundred thousand..."
She clapped a hand over her mouth, staring at Jie Jingchen in utter disbelief.
"It’s for you," Jie Jingchen said with a smile, placing the passbook in Qin Mei’s hand.
"Is this really yours?" Qin Mei’s voice trembled slightly.
"It was mine. Now it’s yours." Jie Jingchen’s gentle smile was as rich and intoxicating as the aroma of fine tea.
His words went straight to her heart. She waved the passbook in her hand and reminded him, "Jie Jingsi, this is a hundred thousand."
’Didn’t he say he was broke? He still owes me for Jing Qi’s leg treatment.’
"Mhm, a hundred thousand," Jie Jingchen nodded.
"Where did you get so much money?" Qin Mei asked in disbelief. But then she thought about it and wasn’t so shocked anymore. He was the eldest maternal grandson of the Qiao Family, after all. It wasn’t that surprising for him to have a hundred thousand in savings.
"I earned it," Jie Jingchen said, implying the money had nothing to do with the Qiao Family.
"You earned it? How?" Qin Mei was skeptical. ’Can a soldier really save this much money? Impossible. I know what salaries are like these days.’
"Not by stealing, robbing, or selling... you-know-what. It’s clean money," Jie Jingchen said, echoing her earlier words.
Qin Mei listened, completely stunned. She stared at him, her heart in turmoil. ’Well, I’ll be damned. The man spends my money while saving his own.’