How Do I Raise My Credit Limit? Urgent!

"Mmm..."

Her Highness woke quickly.

That was just how she was. She loved sleeping; whenever she had nothing to do, she was sure to be asleep, as though she could never get enough.

But she was not tired. When there was something to do, she would not yawn once. Even if she was asleep, the moment someone called her, she would wake and quickly become alert.

A strange, strange person.

"Mmm..."

She stretched wide. Her figure did not have much to show off, but her eyes were already clear. Catching the aroma drifting from the dining room and kitchen, she smiled at once, her naturally bright eyes sparkling. Alone in the Jade Capital, she had not felt this content in a long time.

"Wait!"

Chen Banxia ran into the dining room, climbed onto a chair, and took a bottle of wine down from the cupboard.

"Have a drink with your sister!"

Oh, right. This woman liked drinking too.

Professor Chen normally never drank.

Chen Shu did not refuse, but he made one thing clear first. "I'm only having a tiny bit."

"Have a little more."

"Drinking is bad for you."

"It's fine. I'll prescribe you a couple of medicines afterward."

"..." No matter how he tried, Chen Shu could not imagine that being an option. "I'm only having a little, anyway."

"Fine, fine..."

Chen Banxia took a glass and poured him half a glass. She kept the bottle for herself. Before she even picked up her chopsticks, she had already plucked a slice of twice-cooked pork from the plate and popped it into her mouth.

Chen Shu looked at her helplessly. "The Jade Capital's so big, and you're starving like this?"

"Hey!"

Chen Banxia made a sound of protest as she ate.

Only after swallowing the pork did she explain, "Don't assume the Jade Capital has everything just because it's so big. Okay, it does have everything, but that doesn't mean any of it is good. The food here, at least, is genuinely awful. You can find every major regional cuisine in the country, but it's like all the chefs turn stupid the moment they arrive. Their food isn't authentic, and it's bad. Seriously, there are hardly any good places to eat."

Seeing that Chen Shu did not believe her, she added, "Look up the online rankings of cities that are food deserts. The Jade Capital tops the list."

Chen Shu still did not believe her.

Chen Banxia fell silent, raised her bottle, and made to clink it against her younger brother's glass.

Chen Shu slowly raised his glass.

Clink.

"Eat, eat."

Chen Banxia spoke as if he were her guest and she had put together the whole meal.

At two in the afternoon, sunlight streamed into the room.

Chen Banxia had finished her wine. Her cheeks were flushed, and about half the food was gone. She patted Chen Shu's shoulder in satisfaction and declared in a tone that brooked no argument, "From now on, come over and cook for me once a week. Don't worry, your sister will make it worth your while."

"Dream on."

"You're an unfilial brother!"

"Go sleep it off." Chen Shu pinched Chen Banxia's cheek and gave it a tug. "I'll wash the dishes."

"Show your sister some respect!"

"Fine, fine..."

"You're leaving this afternoon?"

"Yep."

"Don't go. There's so much food left. We can open another bottle tonight. I've got a bottle from the Royal Wine Cellar. Let's drink it tonight," Chen Banxia urged. "Then you can stay here. You can sleep on the sofa."

"I have a bed at the hotel. Why would I sleep on a sofa?"

"My sofa's really soft!"

Chen Banxia loved sleeping on her sofa and would not stand for anyone criticizing it. Then she pondered for a moment and looked as though she had suddenly seen the light. "Oh, I know! You want to go back to the hotel and sleep with your childhood sweetheart!"

As she said it, she pointed at Chen Shu with utter certainty, as though she had caught him committing some heinous crime. Righteous zeal burned in her eyes as she exposed his wickedness.

"Go sleep. I'll leave you the leftovers."

As Chen Shu gathered up the bowls, chopsticks, and plates, he told her, "Stop eating instant noodles and snail rice noodles all the time. They're not balanced meals. And don't just order takeout. Your kitchen's pretty well equipped. Did you mean to cook for yourself at first, then give up because the food didn't turn out well and it was too much trouble? Stick with it for a few days. Follow a few cooking accounts on short-video apps and make a couple of dishes their way. Wouldn't that taste better? You'd feel proud of yourself too."

"You think I don't know how to deal with an unbalanced diet?"

"It's bad for your health, too."

"I'm a nationally certified Level Two Pharmacist from Yujing University. You think I'm worried about my health? Can't I prescribe my own medicine? I'm a Fourth-Tier Cultivator, too."

"Taking too much medicine is bad for you as well..."

"Then I'll take some medicine that's good for me."

"..."

Hey, you look so cute. Why do you have to argue about everything?

Chen Shu carried the dishes into the kitchen. After rinsing them and loading them one by one into the dishwasher, he heard it start running and began washing the wok. At the same time, he called out, "I made you a container of Mixed Sauce and put it in the fridge. You can have it with noodles."

There was no answer.

When he came back out, Chen Banxia was still in her seat, propping up her chin and barely staying upright. She hiccupped and said, "I've transferred you the money for the Second Tier potion. I'd suggest buying the cheapest one and keeping what's left, but it's up to you. Tell me if it's not enough."

She hiccupped again, paused, then added, "And if you ever need money in the future, just come to me."

Her tone was casual, but generous.

After saying it, she felt an immense sense of satisfaction.

Luckily, Chen Shu was not a little boy too proud to accept help. He took things in stride and was happy to go along with his sister on small matters like this, letting her enjoy the satisfaction of helping her younger brother.

After leaving her apartment, he glanced at his phone on the way downstairs—

Thirty thousand yuan received.

She really was rich!

In Yi Nation, potions for advancing from the First Tier to the Second Tier usually retailed for twenty to thirty thousand yuan. Their main ingredients were all the same. They were made by licensed companies under government supervision, so there was no difference in safety or compliance. The more expensive ones tasted a little better, had a little painkiller added, and came in nicer packaging. In short, you were paying for nothing worthwhile.

Chen Shu had bought the cheapest one back then, and it had even been on sale. Just over nineteen thousand yuan. What a bargain.

Chen Banxia was so generous!

But potions for advancing from the Second Tier to the Third Tier cost much more. They used rare materials and were priced about the same as auxiliary potions for advancing from the Third Tier to the Fourth Tier.

Probably over a hundred thousand yuan.

Chen Shu had more than eighty thousand now.

That evening, at the hotel.

Carrying a watermelon and two spoons, Chen Shu went to Ning Qing's room. He set the watermelon on the table and ran a finger across it, slicing it in half.

"Turn on the TV."

He handed one half to Ning Qing and kept the other, then climbed onto her bed and sat cross-legged.

He scooped out a spoonful and ate it. Not bad; it was pretty tasty. He sniffed without thinking, then wondered why girls' rooms always smelled so nice while his own room never did. He used shampoo and soap too.

The evening news came on.

Ning Qing climbed onto the bed and sat beside him, and the pleasant scent drew closer.

As he ate, Chen Shu asked, "What time are you registering tomorrow? Want me to go with you? I could register in the morning and go with you in the afternoon."

"No need."

"Right. Registration's easy."

Chen Shu scooped up another bite of watermelon and chatted casually. "I think you should make a friend or two once you start university. You hardly have any."

"I don't really need to."

"You get lonely too, you know."

"I have you."

"Hmm..."

Her words made Chen Shu happy.

Being someone she relied on felt pretty good.

But the feeling lasted only a moment. "I'm glad you said that, but I still have to say it: you can't have only me. You need a friend or two. I shouldn't take up your whole life, either. That would leave you with no one else to turn to, and it wouldn't be fair to you. If your whole life goes smoothly, fine. But if you hit a rough patch one day and I happen to be away, there won't be anyone to comfort you or listen."

Chen Shu paused. "I don't mean you need really close friends, or lots of them. Just one or two people you can talk to."

He went back to eating watermelon and watching the news.

Ning Qing answered mildly.

"We'll see."

Chen Shu glanced at her but did not press the matter. She had her own ideas; he should not impose too many of his on her. "But you'll be living in a dorm. If you want to get along with your roommates, you can't ignore them when they talk to you."

"I know."

"You're not just saying that to brush me off, are you?"

"No."

"Good girl..."

Chen Shu glanced at her again.

Qingqing was wearing those silk pajamas again today. He had a feeling they were the most alluring thing she had ever worn; they traced the curves of her upper body perfectly. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she had her long, snow-white legs crossed beneath the hem, with a narrow gap where her calves met her thighs. Her smooth skin caught the light overhead and looked like jade.

Chen Shu sank into thought.

After a moment, although he doubted it was possible, he could not resist asking, "Do those pajamas make your chest bigger?"

Ning Qing turned toward him, puzzled.

"?"

"Look—"

Chen Shu pointed at her chest. "It looks bigger than usual. How does that work?"

"..."

Ning Qing pushed his head around with one hand.

"Watch the news."

He settled down for a while.

A very short while.

Then Chen Shu lowered his head again and began poking her thigh. Each press of his index finger left a little dent that sprang back the moment he let go.

His eyes shone slightly, as though he found it fascinating.

Ning Qing stared at him, expressionless.

"Having fun?"

"It's all right."

"Should I put that on your tab too?"

"It's such a small thing. Why keep a tab? We've known each other forever." Chen Shu sounded like a street vendor haggling over a deal as he urged her, "Forget it, forget it..."

"?"

Holding her watermelon in one hand, Ning Qing gripped his wrist with the other and moved his hand away.

Then she focused on the news and her watermelon.

But he was full of mischief, and even watermelon could not keep his mouth shut. Before long, he called to her again.

"Qingqing..."

"What?"

"Can I touch your leg?"

"No."

"Put it on my tab."

"You're almost out of credit."

"Then think of a way to raise my limit."

"..."

Ning Qing turned and set her watermelon on the bedside table. Then she got out of bed, pulled him to his feet, and put both hands on his shoulders, pushing him all the way to the door.

He stood in the hallway, tilting his head as he looked at her. She pursed her lips.

"Good night."