My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

Yang Tian paused for a moment, put down her chopsticks, and looked at him: "How much do you want to borrow?"

Su Ming gritted his teeth: "Ten thousand."

Yang Tian's eyes widened slightly, somewhat surprised: "Why so much?"

Su Ming was silent for a few seconds, then told the truth: "I want to open an arcade. I'm partnering with a friend, we've already found a storefront and paid the deposit. We just need 10,000 yuan more."

Yang Tian frowned after hearing this.

"An arcade?" she said worriedly. "But those things... won't they get raided?"

Su Ming nodded, his tone carrying a hint of "what's the use of trying?": "Let's find out first."

He was thinking that this thing could earn two or three thousand a day, and if he and Bao Yazhong split it, he could still get more than a thousand a day. He could make some money first and fill the hole. If he really got caught, his cousin-in-law shouldn't just stand by and watch him die. The man behind her was so capable, getting him out shouldn't be difficult. But if the money difference was too big, things might change. Right now, his only way to save himself was to make money first.

Yang Tian looked at him and remained silent for a while. Then she smiled.

"Okay," she said. "I'll lend it to you."

Su Ming was stunned. He thought Yang Tian would refuse, after all, they had only known each other for a short time, and this was ten thousand yuan, and Yang Tian wasn't a rich woman.

Yang Tian continued, "I've saved 15,000 yuan from my part-time job. You can have it all if you want."

Su Ming looked at her, at her bright, sparkling eyes, and a surge of indescribable emotion welled up inside him. That emotion contained warmth, guilt, and a touch of bittersweetness.

This girl truly loves him.

The more this happened, the less he could bear to hurt her.

He reached out and took her hand. Her hand was soft and warm, trembling slightly in his palm.

"Yang Tian!" he said earnestly, "I'll pay you back double when I make money."

Yang Tian smiled, a smile brighter than the neon lights outside the window. She shook her head and said, "I don't want double. As long as you're alright, that's all that matters."

These words were like a warm current flowing into Su Ming's heart. He held her hand tightly, momentarily at a loss for words.

The two remained silent for a while.

Yang Tian suddenly changed the subject, her voice lowering: "Su Ming, what if... what if we really can't get those three thousand chips back? Will you hate me?"

Su Ming's body trembled slightly. He'd just started to feel a little better, and now he'd fallen into the icy valley again.

He looked up at Yang Tian, ​​his heart sinking. He guessed that Yang Tian lent him money probably because she already knew her brother's chip was gone for good.

Yang Tian stared at him with wide eyes, her eyes filled with expectation, unease, and a little bit of fear.

Su Ming didn't speak, but his face was ashen.

Seeing his expression, Yang Tian quickly forced a smile and waved her hand, saying, "Don't be like that, I was just saying in case. Actually, my brother has taken this to heart too. I called him again today, and he said he'll be back the day after tomorrow, and the first thing he'll do is find out."

Su Ming nodded, remaining silent.

Yang Tian picked up a piece of food for him with her chopsticks and said with a smile, "Eat quickly, the food is getting cold."

The two continued eating, with Yang Tian initiating conversation and engaging in casual chatter. The awkward atmosphere gradually dissipated, but Su Ming still felt uneasy.

After the meal, Yang Tian did not take him home directly, but instead rode her bicycle to her brother's house.

"Wait a minute," she said. "I'm going to get my bank card."

She ran upstairs and came down a moment later, holding a bank card in her hand. She stared at the card for a while, examining it closely, before smiling and calling out to him, "Let's go!"

It's not hard to see that she still felt a little sorry for him.

Su Ming remained silent and got on his motorcycle.

A moment later, Yang Tian found a nearby bank and withdrew 15,000 yuan from an ATM.

She handed the thick wad of banknotes to Su Ming, smiling as she said, "Here, fifteen thousand. Keep the extra five thousand for emergencies."

"Fifteen thousand? Why did you take it all?" Su Ming was surprised again.

"Just take it!" Yang Tian said with a relaxed smile, "Work hard, I believe you can do it."

Su Ming took the wad of money; it was so heavy that it made his palms burn.

He looked at the girl in front of him, at her face that looked especially gentle under the streetlights, and a feeling he couldn't quite describe welled up inside him.

I felt touched, guilty, and a little heartbroken.

"Thank you! You're so kind!"

Yang Tian smiled, a hint of playfulness in her smile: "What are you thanking me for? You're my boyfriend! It's only natural for me to be good to you, isn't it?"

Boy friend.

These three words were like a pebble thrown into the murky waters of Su Ming's heart, creating ripples. It seemed this beauty had truly fallen for him!

He looked at her, at her bright, sparkling eyes, at the sincere smile on her face, and suddenly felt like a complete jerk.

This girl was truly in love with him. But he was thinking about how to get her pregnant and how to use her to put pressure on her brother.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"Yang Tian, ​​you're so kind!"

Yang Tian was stunned for a moment, then obediently leaned into his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist.

The two of them stood there, embracing each other, under the streetlights, in the darkness of the night.

In the distance, neon lights flickered, and traffic flowed endlessly.

Nearby, two hearts beat to their own rhythms.

After embracing for a while, he kissed her, and she responded passionately. The two then embraced each other fervently and tenderly in the street.

After a fierce close-quarters battle, Su Ming held her close, inhaling the fragrance of her hair, and silently promised: Yang Tian, ​​once I've filled that hole and earned enough money, I will treat you well and only love you.

The two stood embracing under the streetlight, neither wanting to let go first.

A night breeze blew by, carrying the chill of early autumn and ruffling Yang Tian's long hair. A few strands drifted onto Su Ming's face, tickling him and carrying the scent of shampoo. He looked down at her, and she looked up at him. They smiled at each other, saying nothing, yet it felt as if a thousand words had been spoken.

The motorcycle was parked right next to me, the key still in the lock, swaying back and forth, flashing under the light.

Both of them had forgotten about it.

Just then, two dark figures crept out of the alley. Two young men with dyed yellow hair, wearing flashy shirts, walked with a swaying gait, their eyes fixed on the motorcycle.

They exchanged a glance, and a wicked smile crept onto their lips.

One person acted as lookout, while the other crept closer to the motorcycle. A hand reached out, the key turned, and the throttle roared to life.

"boom!"

The two got on the motorcycle and sped off.

"Oh no, the motorcycle has been stolen!" Su Ming suddenly snapped out of his daze, pushed Yang Tian aside, and took off after it.

"stop!"

The two blond-haired men glanced back at him, but instead of stopping, they laughed even louder. One of them even made a contemptuous gesture—thumbs down, and poked him twice.

"Come on, come on! Go ahead and chase me if you dare!"

The motorcycle roared and sped off dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.

Su Ming chased after him for a few steps, but as the distance between them grew further and further, he was furious.

Just then, he suddenly saw the road ahead clearly. He saw the motorcycle turn around and turn onto a small road, which was separated from this side by a river channel that was seven or eight meters wide.

In the middle of the river, a sewage pipe about thirty centimeters in diameter spans both banks. Below the pipe, several meters of murky river water gleams dimly in the night.

Even ordinary people would go weak in the knees if they saw it.

Su Ming's eyes lit up.

He practiced kung fu with his grandfather back in his hometown, and he's even practiced on plum blossom stakes. What's there to be afraid of? This is truly a godsend!

Without saying a word, he stepped onto the pipe.