Bro, do you have any money?

Jiang Tian's hand paused as he took the cigarette. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

After all, his impressions were still stuck ten years in the past, when anyone wearing a suit was someone successful.

Now that ten years had passed, did even insurance salesmen dress so formally?

After a brief silence, Jiang Tian smiled. "That's pretty good too. You're earning a living through your own efforts, without stealing or robbing anyone. There's nothing wrong with that."

Zhang Miao gave a bitter smile. "Tian, stop making fun of me. Out of all our old classmates, I'm doing the worst. I get up before the roosters and go to bed later than the dogs, all for a salary of just over three thousand yuan a month. What's good about that?"

Jiang Tian smiled faintly at his words. Though he rarely smoked, he lit his cigarette to keep him company.

Indeed, nothing was easy in the adult world.

If he hadn't gone through everything he had over the past ten years, he would probably have been much the same.

Still, Jiang Tian didn't think there was anything wrong with such a busy, ordinary life. After all, once someone reached his level, peace and simplicity were sometimes the best things of all.

They remained silent for a long time. Only after they finished their cigarettes did Zhang Miao suddenly ask, "By the way, Tian, what are you doing these days?"

Jiang Tian snuffed out his cigarette butt and casually flicked it into a trash can several meters away. "Me? I'm unemployed right now."

"You haven't found a job yet?"

Zhang Miao froze.

Jiang Tian nodded. "I only came home recently. I haven't had time to look yet."

Zhang Miao shook his head regretfully. "If I were doing a little better, I'd help you find a job. But I can barely keep myself afloat right now, and I might get laid off. I'm sorry, Tian..."

Seeing how guilty Zhang Miao looked, Jiang Tian couldn't help feeling a warmth in his heart.

He hadn't expected this good friend, whom he hadn't contacted in ten years, to still be thinking of him. It deeply moved him.

"Sanshui, what are you talking about?"

Jiang Tian patted his shoulder.

Zhang Miao managed a smile, then suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead. "Right, I came out to deliver some documents to a client. I almost forgot! Tian, I can't keep chatting. I've got some urgent documents to get to a client. Let's catch up when we have time!"

He quickly stood as he spoke.

Jiang Tian nodded. "Sure, go take care of it. We'll get together when we have time."

"Oh, Tian, do you have WeChat? Let's add each other. Once I get through this busy stretch, I'll treat you to a meal!"

Zhang Miao took out his phone as he asked.

"WeChat? Sure!"

Jiang Tian nodded and took out his own phone. Luckily, he'd asked his younger sister to register an account for him the night before. He hadn't expected it to come in handy so soon.

"All right, Tian, I'd better get going. Keep in touch!"

After they added each other on WeChat, Zhang Miao hurried away.

Amid the cold wind, Zhang Miao soon disappeared from sight, looking rushed and harried.

Watching his retreating figure, Jiang Tian felt an emotion he couldn't quite describe. Perhaps living an unremarkable life was a fate most people could never change.

"Bro! You're done looking around already?"

Just as Jiang Tian was reflecting on this, Jiang Wan'er and Han Ying came out of the library.

Jiang Tian turned toward them. "Why were you out so quickly?"

"Oh, the city library is great! We told the librarian which books we wanted, and they looked up their locations on the computer. We came out as soon as we got them."

Jiang Wan'er grinned and waved the books in her hand as she spoke.

Then she looked in the direction Jiang Tian had been watching. "By the way, Bro, I saw you talking to someone just now. Who was that?"

"Oh, a high school classmate. We bumped into each other and chatted for a bit."

Jiang Tian rubbed his nose as he spoke.

"I see. So where are we going next?"

Jiang Wan'er nodded, then asked eagerly.

"It's not even ten in the morning yet, so it's a little early to eat. How about we look around nearby?"

Jiang Tian offered the suggestion.

"Yes, yes! I haven't really had a chance to explore the city!"

Jiang Wan'er nodded eagerly at his words, looking delighted.

"Then where should we go?"

Jiang Tian looked around as he asked.

Jiang Wan'er shook her head, then turned to Han Ying. "I don't know. Ying'er, is there anywhere you'd recommend?"

"Huh? You want my recommendation?"

Han Ying paused, then said, "We're in South City right now. If we want somewhere fun, I'd recommend Grand Joy City. It's got food, drinks, shopping, and entertainment all in one place. I also heard there's a pedestrian street beside it. We could take a look there."

"Grand Joy City? Great! I keep hearing people talk about it, but I've never been."

Jiang Wan'er clapped her hands, then turned to Jiang Tian. "What do you think, Bro?"

"Anything's fine. Wherever you two want to go."

Jiang Tian smiled and nodded. As long as his sister wanted to go, he'd take her anywhere, even up into the heavens or down beneath the earth.

"Let's take the bus. I just checked the map, and it's not far from here. We take the 501, then transfer to the 302, and we'll be there. About half an hour."

Han Ying smiled as she held her phone.

"Let's take a taxi instead. Crowding onto a bus would probably be a hassle."

Jiang Tian spoke after a moment's thought.

If he hadn't been afraid his sister and her friend wouldn't be able to handle it, he would have flown them over himself. It wouldn't even take half a minute.

"A taxi? That would cost so much."

Jiang Wan'er shook her head repeatedly.

Taxis in the city were expensive. Even the starting fare was twelve yuan.

Han Ying nodded too. "Exactly. From here to Grand Joy City, it'd cost at least twenty or thirty yuan. It's not that far anyway. Let's just take the bus."

After all, both girls were still students, and neither of their families was particularly well-off. Naturally, they couldn't bear to waste money like that.

Understanding what they were thinking, Jiang Tian smiled faintly. "Don't worry. Everything today is on me!"

"You? Bro, do you have any money?"

Jiang Wan'er sounded doubtful.

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Jiang Tian rubbed her head. "Did you forget? I bought the clothes you're wearing!"

Only then did Han Ying notice the new clothes. She exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, Wan'er, is that Versace you're wearing? No wonder it looks so pretty!"

Jiang Wan'er only knew the clothes looked nice, not what brand they were. Hearing the name Versace, she couldn't help asking, "Are these clothes expensive?"

"Of course! Versace is a major international brand. Just the piece you're wearing would cost at least three or four thousand yuan!"

"Th-three or four thousand?"

Jiang Wan'er's mouth fell wide open. That expensive? That was almost what Mom and Dad earned in over half a month!

"Bro, why didn't you tell me these clothes were so expensive?"

Coming to her senses, Jiang Wan'er chided him, then started trying to take them off. "Bro, I've only worn them for one morning. We should still be able to return them, right?"

Jiang Tian hurriedly stopped her. "Return them? Why? I bought them for you to wear. Your brother has money now, so don't worry!"

He wasn't kidding. He had over ten million yuan on hand now.

A mere few thousand yuan really didn't matter to him.

Besides, if he truly wanted to make money, it would be a piece of cake.

But Jiang Wan'er insisted, "No, they're too expensive! I thought they only cost a few hundred. This much money could cover our family's expenses for over a month!"

Seeing how reluctant his sister was to spend the money, Jiang Tian sighed inwardly, his guilt deepening in an instant.

Girls her age were at the stage when they cared most about looking pretty. Yet she was suppressing that natural desire because of money. How could he, her older brother, not feel heartbroken?

"Wan'er, listen to your brother. I really do have money now. From now on, you don't need to worry about money anymore. With me here, I won't let you suffer in the slightest!"

Jiang Tian gently patted her head, his expression utterly serious.

"But, Bro, where did you get so much money?"

Jiang Wan'er still felt pained at the expense.

Jiang Tian smiled faintly. "Don't worry about that. In any case, neither you nor Mom and Dad will have to worry about money anymore! Come on, let's take a taxi to Grand Joy City."