Traveling through the second dimension, the joy system encourages me to laugh heartily!

The naturally beautiful Zhang Xuanni looks very young. Standing next to Zhang Wanzhen, they don't look like mother and daughter at all; people would believe they are sisters...

“Mom,” Zhang Wanzhen’s voice was hoarse. Her gaze swept over her father, whose face was equally pale, before returning to her mother, pleadingly, “You… please stop arguing…”

Zhang Xuanni's heart sank. Her daughter had indeed heard them arguing, but she didn't know how much she had heard.

So he tentatively asked, "You... heard everything?"

Zhang Wanzhen looked at her mother's forced smile and nodded vigorously: "Yes, I heard you. How much money does our family... actually owe?"

The air fell silent again, and Zhang's father lowered his head even further.

Hearing her daughter's question, Zhang Xuanni felt a pang of sadness, but she forced a gentle smile and reached out to softly stroke Zhang Wanzhen's hair, just as she had comforted her when she was a child.

"Silly child, making money is an adult's responsibility, not something you should worry about. Your task now is to study hard and improve every day, understand? Mom and Dad will take care of these problems..."

Her voice was soft, as she tried to use her frail body to shield her daughter from the harsh reality of life.

At this moment, Zhang's father, who had been silent all along, also came over. His previously somewhat dejected face forced a stiff smile, although the smile concealed an undisguised embarrassment.

“Yeah, Zhenzhen,” he deliberately raised his voice, with an exaggerated sense of ease, “Don’t underestimate your dad! Your dad is very capable, he can definitely handle this little storm! Don’t worry!”

To make his point more convincing, he even awkwardly bent his arm, trying to show off his no-longer-firm muscles...

However, Zhang Wanzhen, who was usually docile and obedient, seemed like a completely different person at this moment.

Her clear eyes met her parents' gaze directly, without the slightest hesitation. Her little face was filled with an unyielding determination: "Dad, Mom, don't lie to me! I'm not a three-year-old anymore! Tell me, how much money do we owe?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear and full of confidence.

The couple were taken aback by their daughter's sudden assertive attitude. They exchanged a glance and saw surprise and a hint of unfamiliarity in each other's eyes—their daughter's eyes were different today.

Zhang Xuanni was the first to look away, a flicker of panic and evasion crossing her face. As if finding an outlet, she spoke urgently, pointing at her father, "Ask your dad! This...this is all debt he owes!"

After saying that, as if afraid of being questioned, she practically fled, quickly walked to the sofa, sat down, and tightly clutched the hem of her clothes.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wanzhen immediately turned her gaze to her father.

Zhang Wenbin's smile completely vanished. He awkwardly rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting around as he tried to change the subject: "Uh... well, my dear daughter, you just got back, haven't you eaten yet? You must be hungry! Daddy will make you some food, including your favorite braised pork..."

As he spoke, he tried to slip away like his wife, heading towards the kitchen.

"Dad! Don't run away!"

Zhang Wanzhen reacted quickly, stepping forward and grabbing her father's arm to stop him from escaping. "Tell me the details, how much do you owe? Maybe...maybe I can help you pay it off!"

?

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly exploding in the small living room.

Zhang Wenbin's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at his daughter. Even Zhang Xuanni, who was on the sofa, jumped to her feet, wondering if she was hallucinating, her bewildered gaze fixed on her daughter.

"What...what did you say?" Zhang Wenbin's voice was dry, filled with a great sense of absurdity.

Zhang Wanzhen took a deep breath, looked directly into her father's eyes, and repeated clearly, "I said, I can help you pay it off first. But I need to know exactly how much debt you have."

"Help...help us pay it back? What will you use to pay it back?"

Zhang Wenbin looked as if he had heard a fairy tale, a bitter and helpless smile on his face. He subconsciously reached out to touch his daughter's head.

But Zhang Wanzhen avoided the question, saying matter-of-factly, "Pay back with money! What else can I pay back with?"

“My dear daughter, Dad knows you’ve grown up and are sensible, and you want to help Mom and Dad, but this matter… is really not something a high school student like you can handle. I appreciate your good intentions, but don’t worry about it…”

"I can help!"

Zhang Wanzhen stubbornly raised her chin, her eyes filled with an unprecedented seriousness and determination.

She knew her parents wouldn't believe her based on words alone, much less tell her the truth. So without hesitation, she quickly pulled her phone from her pocket, swiped the screen rapidly, and then handed it directly to her father, saying, "Take a look at this!"

Zhang Wenbin glanced at his daughter's phone screen with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

However, when the crystal-clear bank account balance came into view, he felt as if he had been struck by an invisible lightning bolt! His expression froze instantly, his eyes bulged out, and his mouth opened slightly, but he couldn't utter a sound.

It's a whopping 480 million!

"You...you..." Zhang Wenbin suddenly looked up, staring intently at his daughter. His voice trembled with extreme shock, and his face gradually changed, becoming increasingly grim. An ominous premonition quickly spread through his heart. "How could you have so much money?!"

Because she had a contingency plan, Zhang Wanzhen remained calm: "I borrowed it. If it's not enough, I can borrow more."

She dared not say it was "pocket money" given to her by Chen Ming, and could only use the word "borrow" to cover it up. But the word itself, and the shocking amount, were enough to ignite her father's already tense nerves.

As expected, Zhang Wenbin flew into a rage upon hearing this, roaring at his daughter like a wounded beast:

"Borrowed? Tell me the truth! Where did this money come from?! Did you... did you do something you shouldn't have done?! Huh?!"

His anger was mixed with fear that his daughter might go astray, and a deeper, more shameful feeling of intense self-blame for his incompetence as a father, which could have led to his daughter's "sacrifice"!

Zhang Wanzhen did not flinch in the face of her father's rage. She had anticipated this, and remained unusually calm, meeting his fiery gaze without fear, and said earnestly:

“I didn’t do anything wrong! I borrowed this money from Sister Shi Ci! She said she could lend me more if it wasn’t enough, interest-free, and I can pay her back slowly when I have the money in the future…”

Zhang Xuanni, who was on the sofa, rushed over when her husband was in a fit of impotent rage, and snatched their daughter's phone from his hand.

When the balance of 480 million clearly came into her view, her face instantly turned deathly pale, followed by a complex blush. Her expression was unpredictable, and the huge shock made her breathing rapid.

Instead of roaring like her incompetent husband, Zhang Xuanni suddenly grabbed her daughter's wrist with such force that Zhang Wanzhen frowned slightly.

"Come with me!"

Without saying another word, he grabbed his daughter and walked heavily and hurriedly toward the bedroom inside...

Zhang Xuanni slammed the bedroom door shut and, while her daughter was extremely shy, conducted a thorough examination.

The room was dimly lit, and the atmosphere instantly became subtle and tense. Zhang Wanzhen's heart pounded wildly, almost leaping out of her throat.

Looking at her mother's serious and scrutinizing gaze, she subconsciously shrank her shoulders, her cheeks instantly flushing with embarrassment.

Because if her body is examined carefully, her mother, who has been through similar experiences, will definitely notice something amiss.

At that time, the lie she told about "borrowing" money will be exposed immediately!

She was even prepared to face her parents' disappointment and anger, her little face tense, barely daring to breathe, awaiting the final judgment.

However, to her surprise, after examining her for a while, her mother actually breathed a sigh of relief, and the stern frost on her face gradually melted away.

“Baby,” Zhang Xuanni pulled her daughter to sit down on the edge of the bed, her tone more patient than ever before, “Don’t be afraid, Mommy doesn’t doubt you. It’s just… this money came so suddenly, and the amount is so large, Mommy is worried that you’ve been scammed, or… wronged.”

She paused, carefully observing her daughter's expression. "Now tell Mom properly, who exactly is this 'Sister Shi Ci' you're talking about? Why...why did she lend you so much money? And without interest?"

Zhang Wanzhen was stunned upon hearing this—her mother hadn't noticed? The "flaw" she had imagined didn't exist?

Unbeknownst to the girl, Chen Ming had secretly cast a healing spell on her. As a ripple of light blue light swept across the wound, the minor abrasion was instantly healed!

Chapter 217: How much determination did you have when you said that?

In fact, Chen Ming once had a sudden thought—now that he has recovered, would he get the first recharge bonus again if he recharges?

In order to find the answer, he went to great lengths to consult the legendary chisel-wielding king, Alice.

Unfortunately, Chen Ming did not receive the first recharge bonus again.

From then on, whenever he cast a healing spell on the girls in his harem, he would stop halfway through the treatment and would not repair the walls and windows.

After all, Chen Ming wasn't some kind of demon—if he could exploit a bug to gain massive amounts of Pleasure God Power, that would be somewhat understandable, but since exploiting a bug didn't work, there was no need to make the girls suffer any more.

However, Zhang Wan was truly the only exception.

She told Chen Ming about her concerns—she was afraid that if her parents knew the truth, they would be filled with deep self-blame, thinking that their daughter had "sacrificed" herself to pay off their debts, which would cause them more pain than the debt itself.

So, in order to help her cover up her lie, Chen Ming not only had Shi Ci pretend to be her god-sister who lent her money, but also carefully healed all her wounds, thus making up for the last flaw.

Zhang Wanzhen was unaware that, with Chen Ming's secret help, her well-intentioned lie had been restored to a flawless state.

Thinking her mother had simply been careless and hadn't noticed, she breathed a sigh of relief and slowly said:

"Sister Shi Ci is my cousin Yun Yi's best friend. I met her when I visited my cousin's house this time. She is a very nice person and also very, very rich. It seems that her family is in a big business. She liked me the first time she met me and took the initiative to recognize me as her god-sister."

Following the script she had rehearsed with her cousin and Shi Ci, she narrated smoothly, "Later... when my cousin mentioned that our family was having some financial difficulties, she offered to lend me money to help the family get through the crisis. She said she trusted me and liked me as her younger sister, so she didn't want interest and told us to pay her back slowly when we had the money..."

After Zhang Wanzhen finished speaking, she carefully observed her mother's reaction.

After hearing her daughter's words, Zhang Xuanni's brows remained slightly furrowed, her eyes filled with suspicion.

Is there really such a good thing in the world?

A newly recognized god-sister, simply because of "liking" and "trust," generously gave away 480 million yuan interest-free? If the other party were a man, perhaps it could be understood as having ulterior motives, but this is a woman...

"that's it?"

Zhang Xuanni stared intently into her daughter's eyes, trying to find any hint of hesitation or guilt. "She really didn't make any other requests? Any additional conditions?"

Zhang Wanzhen shook her head vigorously, her eyes clear and resolute:

"Really, no! Sister Shi Ci is a really kind person; she just genuinely wanted to help me. Mom, if you're worried, you can come with me to Ling'an City and meet her in person!"

Hearing her daughter suggest that she meet the other person, Zhang Xuanni finally felt much relieved. Although her doubts weren't completely dispelled, her daughter's open and honest attitude reassured her considerably.

She nodded, her tone softening: "Okay! Mom will go with you! I also need to thank them in person."

She was determined to meet this person and see what was going on...

After the mother and daughter reached a consensus and decided to go to Ling'an City, the atmosphere finally eased, and they happily opened the door and returned to the living room.

Mr. Zhang, who had been pacing anxiously at the door like a cat on a hot tin roof, immediately came forward, his face full of worry, his eyes darting back and forth between his wife and daughter: "How is it? Did you find out?"

Zhang Xuanni merely glanced indifferently at her incompetent husband and said, "I've found out. Your daughter is innocent, upright, and a virgin. Stop with your nonsense and don't get any ideas!"

"Phew—!" Upon hearing this, Zhang Wenbin felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He let out a long sigh of relief and even leaned against the wall, feeling somewhat exhausted.

Those brief ten minutes or so were like hellish torture for him—his daughter, who had just turned eighteen, suddenly pulled out 480 million yuan to show him. Countless worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind. Now that he knew it was a false alarm, the lingering fear and relief were indescribable…

With this, Zhang Wanzhen had successfully resolved one of her worries. All that remained was to take her mother to Ling'an City to "meet" with Sister Shi Ci.

The gloom in the home was finally completely dispelled, and the light of hope shone through.

……

Meanwhile, in Ling'an City...

Chen Ming and Qing Zijin had already finished lunch at their maternal grandmother's house.

The waiter came over with the bill: "Sir, the total is 123 yuan."

Chen Ming scanned the QR code to pay.

Looking at the bill, Qing Zijin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At 61.5 yuan per person, the price was indeed economical for this area, perfectly matching the virtuous image she wanted to project.

Since Qing Zijin planned to do more shopping while traveling, Chen Ming drove her home after they left her grandmother's house.

A Porsche 911 Turbo S came to a stop in front of the Hedgehog Cat Media Academy.

Qing Zijin unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned forward to hug Chen Ming, gave him a kiss, and smiled:

"Thank you so much for bringing me back! I had a great day!"

"I'm glad you're happy. See you tomorrow!" Chen Ming replied with a gentle smile.

Goodbye, senior!

Qing Zijin got out of the car and walked briskly towards the school gate.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows that fell upon her youthful face. She couldn't help but hum a soft tune, her mood as bright and cheerful as the clear weather.

Looking back on her time with Chen Ming today, from the initial slight awkwardness to holding hands, hugging, and then having a meal together, she found that she was not resistant to those slightly intimate contacts. Instead, she felt a natural sense of things coming together naturally.

This gradual dating pace made her feel very comfortable.

Although she had indeed made up her mind to become Chen Ming's woman.

This decision was not made hastily, but after careful consideration—the conditions presented by senior Chen Ming were simply too outstanding. Whether it was his unimaginable wealth or his generosity towards those around him, she clearly realized that this was an opportunity that could help her transcend social class and realize her dreams.

The more I learned from my two best friends, Liu Rushuang and Su Mengdie, the more I was amazed by Chen Ming's seemingly limitless resources, and the more I longed for the wonderful life I might have in the future.

She was afraid of missing out and regretting it in the future, so she did a lot of research during this period, studying how to provide emotional value to the wealthy!

However, despite her determination, she was still a girl who had never had intimate contact with a man.

If the senior student acts too eager and does something too intimate all at once, she will definitely feel uncomfortable.

What made her feel at ease and even somewhat surprised was that Chen Ming seemed to understand and care about her feelings. Even though he clearly knew her feelings, he didn't show any coercive attitude.

The whole process felt more like a first date for a couple who had just started dating, full of tentative exploration, getting closer, and a gradually warming sweetness, making her feel as if she had entered a romantic relationship.

This feeling of being respected and treated with patience was far better than the transactional relationship she had envisioned, filling her with much more hopeful anticipation for the future of the relationship…