Chapter 5

The door banged shut; I hadn’t gone far.
Liang Zheng caught up, handsome face puzzled: “I’m serious. You spend a little money—how’s that vain?”
I stopped. Huh? Looking down on me?
Liang Zheng got it: “Let me calculate: Your biggest spending month with Pei Yu was eight million yuan. Averaged daily, about 260,000; hourly, over 10,000; per minute, just over 180 yuan.”
“And part of that went to donations, right?”
At that, I straightened proudly.
I believe in taking from the masses and giving back.
When poor, I couldn’t help others.
But when rich, I rob the rich to aid the poor.
Besides donating to charities, orphanages, and opening animal shelters for strays.
I tip delivery guys hundreds or thousands; on good days, I scan 200 yuan to street cleaners.
Once at the hospital, I saw a rural woman whose husband wouldn’t pay for treatment; I gave her my 50,000 yuan ring.
Liang Zheng smiled, continuing: “You know how much I earn per minute? Sitting still, two or three thousand yuan.”
He blinked innocently: “So sorry, but your spending doesn’t qualify as gold-digging. My mom once said her least materialistic month was spending just 2,000 yuan a minute; Dad gifted her a car and praised her for it.”
Liang Zheng looked at me earnestly, smiling: “Mengmeng, wake up. You spend maybe 100 yuan a minute—not even enough for takeout. Where else is there a girl as kind and frugal as you?”
I stood dazed, uncertain: “Really? Am I that frugal?”
Liang Zheng nodded firmly: “Of course. Only incompetent men call someone as simple as you vain.”
I saw the light but reminded him: “Even if not vain, I still love money; that won’t change.”
“That’s a great quality—” Liang Zheng said. “Who doesn’t love money? Anyone dare say otherwise?”
I thought of something, tilting my head: “But fair warning: money’s always first in my heart. Even if I like you later, you’ll only be second.”
“Second?” Liang Zheng looked shocked, incredulous: “I—I get second? Really?”
No communicating; time for the next step.