Chapter 56: The Financial Power of the Wealthy Blossom

Swish!

Sensing the lingering hostility radiating from Jing Tian, Dou Xiao and the others instinctively put some distance between themselves and Zhang Li.

"That's Jing Tian, the legendary campus belle."

"And Zhang Li, the campus heartthrob!"

With the campus belle and heartthrob standing together, they instantly became the focal point of the entire cafeteria, prompting a few students to sneakily pull out their phones to take pictures.

Many people couldn't help but think that while Jing Tian was known for her pleasant personality and approachable nature, she had always kept boys at arm's length.

Could it be that she was finally going to fall for Zhang Li, the ultimate cream of the crop among heartthrobs?

"Just imagine how ridiculously cute their child would be with those two faces combined."

University students were naturally at an age full of imagination and elaborate daydreams.

In an instant, numerous romantic novel titles flashed through the minds of the onlookers, such as *The Gorgeous Campus Belle Falls for the Cold Heartthrob*, *The Untold Story of the Stoic Heartthrob and the Stunning Campus Belle*, and *The Campus Belle's Domestically Overbearing Pursuit of Her Man*.

"Senior, what a coincidence running into you today. Let me treat you to lunch," Zhang Li said with a gentle smile, choosing not to address Jing Tian's earlier remark.

It was hard to answer anyway.

He and Jing Tian weren't close enough to run into each other on a regular basis.

To bluntly state that they weren't that familiar with each other would seem cold and heartless, making Jing Tian lose face.

After mulling it over, changing the subject proved to be the best course of action.

"Sure, thanks, Junior!" Jing Tian took a deep breath and put on a bright smile.

She knew very well that her emotional reaction toward Zhang Li had been a bit abnormal.

If they were classmates in the same program, seeing each other every day, she would have had a valid excuse to interact more frequently.

However, they were separated by a grade, and both were heavily scrutinized figures on campus. Hanging out for no reason would inevitably invite suspicion regarding their motives.

As for the notion of pure friendship... who would believe that?

Even Jing Tian herself didn't buy it.

For the past two months, she had spent every single day thinking about Zhang Li—and farming experience points.

With that thought in mind, Jing Tian stepped in front of Zhang Li and beamed. "I'm the senior here, so I should be the one treating you."

"I'm a guy, so I insist on treating you," Zhang Li said, shaking his head in refusal.

Are you really just offering to treat me?

You clearly just want to use this opportunity to "farm" me.

"Why must a guy always pay just because a man and a woman are eating together?" Jing Tian puffed out her chest and argued her case with conviction. "I said I'm treating, so I'm treating."

"Alright then, I'll treat you another time so we're even. How does that sound?" Zhang Li had no choice but to compromise.

"That's more like it." Jing Tian nodded in satisfaction, her smile dazzling enough to mesmerize several nearby onlookers.

"I must say, aren't you two acting a bit too much like nobody else is around?" Chai Biyun couldn't help but complain.

"That's exactly what I was going to say," Cai Wenjing agreed, nodding in affirmation from the side.

The two girls exchanged glances and realized they still shared the exact same wavelength.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" A rosy blush spread across Jing Tian's cheeks. "I just haven't seen my junior in a while, so I was being polite."

"Senior, haven't you also not seen your dear junior sister in a while?" Cai Wenjing asked with an aggrieved expression.

"When I said I was treating, I meant for all of us," Jing Tian hurriedly backtracked.

"Thanks, Senior." Cai Wenjing glanced at Zhang Li. "Actually, never mind. Someone might think I'm trying to vie for favor."

Jing Tian felt her entire body heat up.

She finally realized she must have completely lost her mind to openly "interrogate" Zhang Li right out in the open like that.

Anyone unaware of the truth would assume the two of them shared some sort of special relationship.

In reality, however, she merely wanted to trigger a "+1".

How many normal people could remain calm when confronted with supernatural powers?

"Too late," Zhang Li said, staring straight at Cai Wenjing. "I can already tell you're vying for favor against the senior."

"Since Her Imperial Concubine is being so proactive, His Majesty will reluctantly agree to treat you to lunch."

"I see your skin is itching for a beating again, you cheeky little junior!" Cai Wenjing immediately brandished her fists at Zhang Li in a playful display of force.

Seeing this, everyone around them burst into laughter.

Amidst the crowd, Zheng Yuxun and Yuan Shanshan watched the scene unfold with dark, inscrutable expressions in their eyes.

[You treated Zhang Li to lunch in full public view. Aura of a Big-Spending Sister +1] (Zhang Li's attribute corresponds to the Aura of a Wealthy Tycoon)

In the end, it was settled that Zhang Li would treat the entire group, while Jing Tian would treat Zhang Li individually.

"It actually works."

As Jing Tian took a bite of her chicken cutlet, her heart surged with excitement.

Sure enough, as long as she did something for Zhang Li, she would reap the benefits. This supernatural ability was still fully functional.

In that case, she needed to figure out a way to grind her physical strength and constitution, ultimately attaining a completely healthy body.

"Public view... does that mean the influence has to be on a larger scale?"

"The last time I treated Zhang Li and Wenjing to a meal, there was no reward."

"He also mentioned an effective duration, meaning the interaction can also be sustained over a sufficient length of time."

"..."

Jing Tian turned her sharp little mind to work, summarizing the crucial pieces of information.

Wanting to farm "+1" points off Zhang Li wasn't something that could be achieved through just any random action.

With that thought in mind, Jing Tian initiated a conversation with Zhang Li: "Junior, you seem quite articulate, but I never took you for a homebody."

"Why does the senior think I'm a homebody?" Zhang Li played along with Jing Tian's performance.

"We haven't seen each other for over two months since the welcome gala," Jing Tian said with an expression of one who saw right through him. "The campus is only so big, and there's only one cafeteria. If it took us this long to run into each other, it must mean you rarely go out."

"That sounds somewhat reasonable," Zhang Li took a sip of his soup and replied with a smile. "You guessed wrong, though, Senior."

"The very next day after the welcome gala, I went back to the crew to film a movie and only returned to campus a month ago."

"Since then, I've been desperately trying to catch up on the coursework I missed, spending all my time either in the classroom or the dorm, which is why I haven't been going out much."

"Recently, I've been preparing to audition for another film and need to study the original novel, so I've been even busier."

Hearing this, Jing Tian's eyes lit up. She leaned in closer and asked in a low voice, "What's the movie you're preparing to audition for?"

Zhang Li lowered his head and whispered into Jing Tian's ear, "I wonder if you've heard of it, Senior? It's the espionage film *The Message*, which Huayi plans to start shooting in January next year."

"I've heard of it," Jing Tian immediately replied. "*The Forbidden Kingdom* suffered a massive loss, and Huayi's highly anticipated Feng Xiaogang comedy *If You Are the One* hasn't even been released yet, yet Huayi is already planning to invest sixty to eighty million into shooting the spy thriller *The Message*. I heard that Li Bingbing, Zhou Xun, and Huang Xiaoming have already confirmed they're joining the cast."

"Not bad, Junior. You actually managed to score an audition opportunity for this production."

Zhang Li: "..."

There's no "not bad" about it.

If he hadn't caught a glimpse of a future role while interacting with Zhou Xun, he probably would have had to wait until media reports came out or Huayi made an official press announcement about starting production on *The Message* before finding out.

As for the audition opportunity, seeing as he had collaborated with Huayi on *If You Are the One*, the studio was bound to grant him that much courtesy. It didn't mean he had already secured the role.

"It's just an audition, not a guaranteed casting. It's nothing special," Zhang Li said with a faint smile.

Even though he had done plenty of preparatory work in advance, he didn't dare guarantee he would successfully land the role of Bai Xiaonian.

Compared to Alec Su, he lacked significantly in age, life experience, and fan popularity; his only advantages were his looks and acting chops.

"Guaranteed casting?"

As the saying goes, the speaker has no intention, but the listener reads meaning into it.

A bold idea suddenly sparked in Jing Tian's mind.

"I need to use the restroom. You guys wait for me here."

Some matters were best acted upon sooner rather than later. With those words to Zhang Li and the others, Jing Tian headed toward the washroom.

However, instead of entering a stall, she walked over to a window and dialed a number. "Uncle Lu Zheng, didn't you mention a while ago that Huayi approached you about investing in *The Message*?"

"Planning to turn it down? I suggest you agree to it."

"No, it's not that I want to play a role myself. I'm hoping that after the company invests, you can secure a role from Huayi for a junior of mine."

Lu Zheng: ?!?

Wait a minute, is this precious niece of mine planning to keep a young toy boy?