Chapter 143
The white hem of her skirt fluttered slightly with each step, her long, silky hair danced in the wind, and her delicate face radiated a charming liveliness.
“Slow down, Wan Ning!”
Her three roommates, watching Lin Wan Ning jog ahead, couldn’t help but tease her from behind.
Lin Wan Ning reached the side of Long Ao Tian, noticing the navigation interface on his phone displaying the subway map. She tucked a strand of hair, tousled by the wind, behind her ear, revealing her fair profile, so exquisite that it was hard to look away. “Where are you going, bro?”
Before he could respond, Lin Wan Ning’s three roommates caught up.
“Bro? Is he the hero saving the beauty?”
“Of course! Otherwise, how could Wan Ning just abandon us the moment she saw her brother? Look at her, she’s smiling so happily now, completely forgetting her image as the aloof campus beauty.”
“Hi, we’re Lin Wan Ning’s roommates and best friends.”
“Hello, I’m Long Ao Tian.”
The first girl to speak playfully patted her stomach. “I’m full from lunch today.”
Then she grinned, “Hero brother, you’re treating us to a meal, right? Otherwise, we might just bully your sister in the dorm.”
The term “hero brother” made him chuckle. “Sure, just make sure to take good care of Wan Ning from now on.”
Hearing Long Ao Tian’s words, Lin Wan Ning’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she stole a glance at him, her eyes shimmering softly. A faint blush appeared on her fair face, accentuated by the hair she had tucked behind her ear...
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**Chapter 172: Hope in the Heart Fuels Perseverance**
She shot a playful glare at her three roommates. “If you keep eating like this, I wonder how you’ll maintain your figures.”
Seeing Lin Wan Ning’s slightly resentful gaze, her roommates stifled their laughter, exchanging teasing glances at her.
But they knew where to draw the line; some jokes could have real consequences.
So, they made an excuse about having things to do in the afternoon, but they couldn’t help glancing back occasionally, chattering away as they headed toward the music academy.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lin Wan Ning said, “Bro, don’t mind them. They just like to joke around.”
“It’s nothing. They seem pretty cheerful,” Long Ao Tian replied, not bothered at all.
At this age, it was only natural.
“By the way, where are you headed, bro?”
“Just out for a stroll, and to check out some houses.”
“Looking for a place? Are you planning to rent?”
“Yeah, something like that. Just going to take a look.”
“Can I come too?” Lin Wan Ning looked at Long Ao Tian with hopeful eyes.
She thought to herself that if he dared to refuse, she would just pout; she had to know.
Why rent a place off-campus? She wasn’t naive anymore; there had to be something more to it...
“If you’re free, sure, why not?” It wasn’t anything secretive, so Long Ao Tian had no problem with it.
“I have nothing to do in the dorm anyway. I’ll just tag along with you, bro,” Lin Wan Ning said with a smile. “Plus, I wanted to ask you about something regarding my online store.”
“Alright, let’s talk as we walk.”
Watching Long Ao Tian’s back, Lin Wan Ning couldn’t help but smile. She had only known her brother for a shorter time than Yu Ying and Qing Xue.
Now that she was closer to him at school, they could meet often, even go out for meals, slowly making up for the time she had missed with him.
She jogged a couple of steps to catch up with Long Ao Tian.
“Bro, it looks like the film academy is just ahead.” From a distance, she could see a large crowd gathered near the film academy.
Long Ao Tian noticed it too. People of all ages were either squatting or standing, some chatting and smoking in groups. They didn’t seem to be students.
This reminded Long Ao Tian of tales from his own world.
Dreamers aspiring to be stars would gather here, waiting for a film crew to arrive and select extras.
These people were here seeking a glimmer of opportunity. He remembered that in his world, some had shot to fame this way, becoming grassroots celebrities.
The success of a lucky few had drawn countless others, all hoping to be the next fortunate one.
“Those people are probably waiting for the film crew to cast extras,” Long Ao Tian said. “I’ve heard about it before, but this is the first time I’m seeing it.”
Lin Wan Ning watched the crowd, noticing some were very young, full of energy, while others, also young, bore the weight of exhaustion. “They look so tired.”
“They’re all just striving for a dream,” he replied.
“Do you think it’s really worth it?” Lin Wan Ning asked quietly, glancing at Long Ao Tian.
Instinctively, she felt that her brother seemed to know everything.
She felt that no matter what, he would have the answers for her.
“Maybe. Each of them carries a dream and hope, wishing to become a shining star one day. As long as there’s a flicker of hope in their hearts, they’ll keep pushing forward…”
Lin Wan Ning understood the meaning behind Long Ao Tian’s words.
It was precisely because they held onto hope that they pursued their dreams, regardless of success.
Perhaps one day, when that hope faded, they would leave this place, but at least they had once fought for their dreams.
As they spoke, Long Ao Tian had already led Lin Wan Ning away from the crowd.
Not far along, he spotted a man in a white shirt and black suit pants, probably in his early thirties, with a slight belly, standing in the shade, wiping sweat while looking at his phone, seemingly waiting for something.
“Hello.”
Hearing someone speak, the man turned to Long Ao Tian, instinctively smiling due to his professional habit. “Hello.”
After speaking, he took a couple of steps back, as if to clear the way.
Seeing this, Long Ao Tian chuckled. “Hi, I’m Long Ao Tian.”
The name coming from this young man left Cui Yong momentarily stunned.
He had heard Long Ao Tian’s voice on the phone and thought he sounded a bit young, but he never expected him to be this young.
After all, siheyuan (四合院, traditional courtyard houses) are usually quite dilapidated. To put it bluntly, while they might be a bit larger, they’re overgrown with weeds, lacking even basic amenities like heating or a proper bathroom.
When he had chatted with this Long Ao Tian, he had even suggested that if he used the money for the siheyuan to buy another property, it would be a much better deal.
However, with Long Ao Tian’s insistence, Cui Yong didn’t want to lose this opportunity, which led to their meeting today.
He quickly smiled, “Sorry, I really didn’t expect you to be this young.”
Long Ao Tian just smiled, understanding the surprise.
“Shall we go take a look?” Long Ao Tian didn’t want to waste time and said directly.
“Sure, it’s nearby. Let’s go take a look,” Cui Yong replied, leading the way.
Before long, Cui Yong stopped in front of a dilapidated entrance. “Here it is.”
The gray bricks and tiles gave it a strong sense of age.
To put it bluntly, it looked old and worn out.
This courtyard had likely been abandoned for quite some time.
Inside, weeds were rampant, but overall, the structure was still relatively intact.
The area covered about 300 square meters, resembling a large courtyard.
In Cui Yong’s view, the price for this dark, old siheyuan could easily buy a much better property in a different location.
At the very least, it would be clean and tidy, ready to move in without any hassle.
Here, just to use the restroom, one would have to run to the other side of the alley to find a public toilet. A complete renovation would cost tens of thousands more.
To him, that alone made it unappealing, but he wouldn’t say that outright. He was just a broker, and if he could sell it, he’d earn a nice commission.
Lin Wan Ning, seeing this scene, quietly tugged at Long Ao Tian’s arm, signaling him to look elsewhere.
Simply put, this rundown, chaotic place didn’t seem worth renting at all.
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**Chapter 173: I’m Not a Very Traditional Girl**
“Bro, you’re not really thinking of renting that rundown courtyard, are you?” Lin Wan Ning asked again as they walked.
“Is there a problem?” Although the size of the siheyuan exceeded his expectations, Long Ao Tian was genuinely satisfied.
Lin Wan Ning didn’t yet realize that Long Ao Tian was actually considering buying the siheyuan.
So in her eyes, that messy courtyard would require a lot of renovation even if they rented it.
Spending that money would be a waste if they decided not to stay there later, right?
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