Chapter 31: How Much Did Lin Jingqiu Actually Give?

Qin Shou's words were blunt—perhaps even harsh.

But undeniably, he had a point.

Chen An was still a student, not even of legal age yet. Just a regular high schooler. How could he possibly have money?

Aside from a few government or school subsidies for academic excellence, Qin Shou genuinely couldn't figure out where Chen An might've gotten the funds to get involved in this sort of thing.

He frowned.

"Did he save up all the scholarship money the school gave him or something? But he still spends money at school, right?"

"And I heard he comes back to the orphanage every now and then—and every time he comes, he brings gifts for the kids. What could he possibly have left?"

"Even if he saved every last cent of his scholarships, what's that gonna be? A thousand bucks? Maybe two? What's that gonna fix? It's not even enough to cover labor costs!"

By the time he finished, Qin Shou unconsciously puffed out his chest, voice rising a notch.

He couldn't help it—that was the confidence wealth gave him. He had long understood a simple truth:

In this day and age, money wasn't everything.

But without money, you were nothing.

"Hey! You little brat—what nonsense are you spouting?!" The director's face darkened, and he gave Qin Shou a sharp smack on the head.

The boy instantly covered his head and begged for mercy, crying out pitifully.

He had been influenced by money and class status over the years, yes—but deep down, he still deeply respected the old director.

So even when the old man lost his temper and raised his hand, Qin Shou didn't dare retaliate. He took the scolding honestly and without complaint.

Thankfully, the director knew his limits. He hadn't actually used any force.

Looking at the boy's sullen expression, the old man sighed.

"Those words better not reach Chen An's ears. Even if he doesn't say anything on the surface, he'd definitely feel awful inside."

"I want you to understand something," the director said gravely. "All my life, I've never expected anything back from you kids. All I ever wanted was for you to live well."

"Take Chen An for example. Maybe the amount he's giving isn't much—maybe, like you said, it's not even enough to hire one worker—but it's still a token of his heart."

"I couldn't care less how much money it is. Do you understand?"

That was also why the director hadn't asked Chen An how much was in the card this morning.

Qin Shou mumbled, "I get it, I get it, Director."

Then he added, "But I'm just thinking for his sake, you know? With that little bit of cash, wouldn't it be better if he used it to eat something decent for once? Why go out of his way to save face, only to suffer for it later…"

As he spoke, he noticed the director raising his hand again. Qin Shou quickly smiled and backed down.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop. Don't get worked up."

The director sighed. "You're not entirely wrong, either."

"Exactly."

Qin Shou stood up and picked up the bank card on the table, stuffing it into the old man's hand.

"There's about two hundred thousand yuan in this card. I raised it through my own contacts. Just hold on to it, Director. The workers can start tomorrow."

"If it's not enough, just let me know—I'll figure something out."

The moment the director heard that number, his hand trembled, nearly dropping the card.

"You little punk—where the hell did you get that kind of money?!"

He stared at the boy, shocked, eyes wide behind his glasses. Even the hair around the mole on his lip twitched from the force of his disbelief. His voice had risen several octaves.

Right then, sounds came from the doorway—it was Chen An and Chen Xi returning.

Hearing the commotion, they both looked over toward the teenager seated in the office.

Qin Shou looked rather pleased with the director's stunned expression. The corners of his mouth curled up high. He also cast a glance toward the two who'd just walked in.

Then, with a generous flourish, he waved a hand.

"I'm telling you, Director—this amount? It's nothing! No need to make a fuss. Just take it and use it as you see fit."

He was grinning from ear to ear, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Chen An had once been the person he looked up to most as a child—someone he even resented a little.

The way adults fawned over Chen An with so little effort on his part—it had made Qin Shou jealous for a long time.

Now the roles had reversed. He finally had the chance to show off in front of Chen An. How could he not enjoy it?

The only thing that dampened his satisfaction was Chen An's calm, indifferent demeanor. It left Qin Shou feeling like something was missing.

It was like cooking a delicious meal… and realizing at the end that you forgot to add salt.

It tasted like nothing.

At that moment, the director finally gathered his wits. He gave Qin Shou a stern look.

"I'm warning you—just because you've been taken in by a good family doesn't mean you can do whatever you like. If you ever dare do anything illegal or immoral, I'll be the first to deal with you!"

As he spoke, he tried to hand the bank card back.

But how could Qin Shou possibly take it back?

He had just finished putting on a grand show. There was no way he was about to spoil the moment by walking it back. That wasn't his style.

"Come on, Director. Just hold onto it, alright? Trust me—this kind of money? It's really nothing to me."

He turned to Chen An with a grin.

"Brother An, help me talk some sense into him, will you? I mean, really. I already said it's pocket change, but he still refuses to accept it."

Chen An played along and said, "You should just take it, Director."

Unable to argue with the two of them—and thinking that the orphanage really did need some fixing up—the director finally relented and took the card, albeit with a heavy sigh.

Qin Shou stood up, hands clasped behind his back, chin tilted with modest pride.

Then something crossed his mind, and he turned to Chen An.

"Brother An, I heard from the director that you gave him money too? Wanted to help out?"

He stepped over and patted Chen An on the shoulder.

"It's a kind gesture, and we appreciate it. But honestly, compared to the orphanage, you need the money more right now."

He gave the director a knowing look.

"Brother An, take my advice—get your card back. There's no real point. You'd be better off saving it for yourself, just in case."

His tone was earnest, and to his credit, there wasn't much mockery in it. He genuinely thought he was doing what was best for Chen An.

The director hesitated, then pulled out the card Chen An had given him earlier. After a pause, he offered gently, "Qin Shou might've said it harshly, but there's some truth in what he's saying. Why not… take it back?"

But Chen An shook his head.

"It's fine. One more hand won't make a difference. Just keep it. Even if it's not used now, it might come in handy someday."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Shou grew anxious.

"Brother An, don't be stubborn! Don't you have expenses at school?"

He tried to reason with him, "Let me guess—it's scholarship money, right? What, a thousand? Maybe two?"

"I mean no offense, and don't take this the wrong way, but… what can you even do with that? Be real. Wouldn't it be better to keep it and treat yourself to a nice meal now and then?"

Chen An blinked.

Suddenly, he realized—he had never actually asked how much money Lin Jingqiu had deposited into that card.

So he answered truthfully, "I don't know how much is in it."

Qin Shou snorted, assuming Chen An was just being stubborn and saving face.

"Well, good. There's an ATM down the street that's open 24/7. Let's go find out."

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