Chapter 65: Lin Ketong: A Gift Bestowed by Heaven

After talking about the yoga class and the foreign language tutoring, Lu Mengyao felt much more at ease. She wanted to work hard to improve herself, rather than always being just a pretty face; as for her studies, she had no great ambitions—simply graduating steadily was enough for her.

“I’m going out shopping with Chen Qian and the others tonight. Do you want to come along?”

“No, that sounds boring.” Cheng Yao shook his head. He didn’t enjoy shopping with girls—it was just too exhausting, and besides, his relationship with Lu Mengyao didn’t require him to play the eager follower.

Lu Mengyao had expected as much and nodded lightly.

Unlike Zhang Ya, who seemed inseparable from her friends, Cheng Yao parted ways with Lu Mengyao and was about to head back to campus.

Just then, a message popped up on WeChat.

Lin Ketong: “Hello, I’m Lin Ketong, nice to meet you.”

“Hello, I’m Cheng Yao. How nice is it?”

“Very nice, really! Thank you for the commission—it came through! Are you free this evening? I promised before to take you out for dinner.”

“I’m free, where shall we eat?”

He happened to have time tonight; tomorrow evening he’d be busy.

Lin Ketong: “Xinjiekou. I just got off work and am heading over now…”

“All right, I’ll be there in half an hour.”

Cheng Yao, who had been planning to return to campus, changed course without hesitation, heading straight for the subway and boarding the train towards Xinjiekou.

Along the way, their conversation never paused. Although it was their first time meeting, Cheng Yao found himself defenseless against her smile. The impression he had of her was all about her smile—so bright and cheerful, it gave the illusion of instant chemistry.

Half an hour later, Cheng Yao left the subway and arrived at Xinjiekou.

He waited at the entrance of the mall for a while before Lin Ketong hurried over, dressed in a black dress and carrying a bag. Upon seeing Cheng Yao, she immediately broke into a bright smile, showing her white teeth and looking a little shy.

“Hello, have you been waiting long?”

“I just got here too.”

Lin Ketong turned to him and asked, “What do you want to eat?”

“I’m easy, not picky at all. Let’s go with whatever you like.”

“Then… how about Haidilao?”

“Sure, but there’s usually a line. Aren’t you tired after standing all day?”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it. Let’s go.”

Cheng Yao sized her up—her outfit was rather alluring, and she seemed a bit older than him.

“How old are you this year?” he asked.

“I’ll be twenty-five at the end of the year. And you?”

Cheng Yao’s cheeks twitched. “I’m twenty-three.”

“What? You look way too young for that—more like twenty at most.” Lin Ketong looked genuinely surprised.

“I just look young; some people are like that.”

“Yes, I see.”

Having bluffed his way past that, Cheng Yao took the initiative to keep the conversation going. Not talking would only make things awkward, but he was determined to avoid forced small talk.

“With a figure like yours, did you become a professional model right after school?”

Lin Ketong’s legs were even longer than Zhang Ya’s, and they were especially fair—though not in a sickly way, but rather healthy and beautiful; the kind of fairness that makes everything else pale in comparison.

Moreover, she was already quite attractive.

Lin Ketong shook her head. “I actually studied dance at Jinyi Dance Academy. After graduation, I occasionally did some photo shoots and took on some modeling gigs—the pay was pretty good. Here in Jinling, the cost of living is high, but salaries are generally too low.”

“Exactly, the cost of living keeps rising, but not the wages.”

“And you? Which university are you from?”

“Finance University.”

Lin Ketong suddenly laughed, her eyes sparkling with mirth. “Finance University, huh? So you must be loaded?”

“Haha, that’s right, Miss. You really know your stuff.” Cheng Yao couldn’t help but laugh. Even though he tried to keep a low profile, his confidence was hard to hide.

She really has a sharp eye—she saw right through me!

The service at Haidilao was, as always, excellent. Right away, they were asked if they wanted a complimentary manicure.

Lin Ketong already had her nails done—probably in pink, though Cheng Yao wasn’t sure. Her fingers looked quite lovely.

But in his eyes, Zhang Ya’s hands were still the most beautiful of all.

They took a number and found a spot to wait. The server brought over snacks and hot water.

From hobbies to school and entertainment, Cheng Yao let go and chatted freely.

As expected, Lin Ketong didn’t have a boyfriend, though she’d dated someone before; they broke up due to some disagreements.

Truth be told, Cheng Yao had already figured this out from her profile—he wasn’t exactly naïve.

Just then, a server approached them. “Sir, Miss, we have a small table available now, but you’ll have to sit side by side…”

“That’s fine,” Cheng Yao replied without hesitation, and Lin Ketong had no objections either.

The table was indeed quite small and didn’t allow for sitting face to face—they had to squeeze in together, making it perfect for couples.

Once seated, Cheng Yao logged in to his membership and handed it over.

“Thank you.”

“What would you like to eat? I’ll go get it.”

“I’d like some oranges, and some cherry tomatoes…”

After mixing his dipping sauce, Cheng Yao started cooking some lamb and praised Haidilao’s pangasius slices. “When you work as a car model, what’s the highest monthly salary you’ve earned?”

“Me?” Lin Ketong thought for a moment. “At my peak, over two hundred thousand.”

“Wow, that’s incredible! Doesn’t that make you a millionaire annually?”

Cheng Yao found it a bit unbelievable. Having good looks and a great figure really paid off—earning over two hundred thousand a month was a pipe dream for ninety-nine percent of people.

Lin Ketong replied awkwardly, “Not really. That was during my best period. Usually, if commissions are high, it’s about a hundred thousand a month. Now the competition is tougher, and I’m kind of stuck in the middle.”

“You’re a modern independent woman—you’re stronger than ninety-nine percent of women in the world!”

“Thank you…”

Cheng Yao shook his head. “People like us, apart from going to school, don’t really know what to do.”

“….”

Lin Ketong ate a cherry tomato and shot Cheng Yao a curious look.

After graduation, wasn’t he just going to take over the family business?

In truth, there was nothing outwardly remarkable about Cheng Yao—he didn’t wear luxury brands or an expensive watch, but he looked clean and well put-together.

Yet he could buy a supercar worth over four million without batting an eye. Lin Ketong couldn’t help but be curious about that.

It was the first time Cheng Yao realized how lucrative being a car model could be, though he figured most of it was hard-earned money.

After all, only those with good looks and a great figure could make such big money.

But there was no denying it—beauty and physique were natural advantages, a gift from the heavens, and nothing to envy.

Just like Cheng Yao himself, who often felt his own handsomeness made him stand out awkwardly among his dorm mates.

But there’s no need to be bitter about it—after all, it’s honest money, not ill-gotten gains.

“You like to laugh, don’t you?”

“I’m not usually like this…” As she spoke, Lin Ketong couldn’t help but laugh again, covering her mouth with her hand.

Not usually—so does she only laugh like this around me?

Cheng Yao wondered if she might be interested in him.

“So after we finish eating, where should we go? It’s getting late,” he said.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Ketong replied, “I got my commission today, so I have to treat everyone to drinks. We’re going to a bar tonight—do you want to come?”

“A bar, huh…”

Cheng Yao was a bit averse to bars, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker.

“Sure, I’m free anyway.”

…