Beauty and the Bodyguard Chapter 3 - So Youre Rich?

The young woman stopped her assault on Lin Yi. Losing all interest in the confrontation, she slumped back against the window and replaced her earbuds.

“We have reached Songshan Station. Passengers, please prepare to disembark. The train will be stationary for fifteen minutes.” As soon as the intercom fell silent, Lin Yi began gathering his things.

To his surprise, the girl next to him followed suit. This was her destination as well.

Once she stood up, Lin Yi was able to confirm her height—his mental estimate had been exactly right.

Stepping onto the platform, he surveyed his surroundings. Massive skyscrapers dominated the skyline, a staggering transformation from the city he had visited a decade ago.

“Hey, wait!” a female voice called out from behind him.

It was the girl from the carriage, and she was jogging to catch up with him.

“Is something wrong?” Lin Yi asked. He didn't assume this was a case of love at first sight, despite his fairly handsome features. His physical appeal was completely undermined by his terrible outfit—a plain white tank top paired with muddy yellow trousers that made him look like a tasteless farmer.

“You aren't actually going to try and cash that winning ticket, are you?” Her tone was far from friendly, clearly still annoyed by how he had brushed her off earlier.

“Oh, you mean this?” Lin Yi reached into his pocket, pulled out the paper tab, and tossed it onto the side of the road like common litter.

“Wha—!?” Her eyes widened in shock as she pointed a trembling finger at him. “Y-you just threw it away?”

“Yep,” Lin Yi confirmed with a nod. “It was a fake, after all.”

“You knew?” The girl’s confusion deepened. What was wrong with this guy? Why would anyone pay for something they knew was a scam? Was he a fool or just crazy? Looking at him, he didn't exactly seem like a wealthy Young Master who got scammed for entertainment.

“Yeah, I knew. Besides, you gave me a warning, didn't you?” Lin Yi said, offering a small smile.

“Then why on earth did you pay them?” She was starting to feel frantic.

Lin Yi’s smile remained as he swung his bag around, unzipping it so she could see inside.

She glanced at Lin Yi before peering into the bag.

Inside were seven thick bundles of cash!

“So you’re actually rich? Even if you have money, you shouldn't just throw it away like that, don't you think...?” The girl failed to see his point. To her, it just looked like he was flaunting his wealth.

“This right here is the money from earlier.”

“The money from earlier? What do you mean?” She was still lost. “You’re saying you took your money back? But you only gave them forty-nine thousand. There’s at least seventy or eighty thousand in there!”

“Well, that ‘professor’ had thirty thousand on him. I just decided to take it along with mine.” Lin Yi gave a casual shrug. To him, the act was as simple as putting on a shirt or pouring a glass of water.

“Wha...” The girl was completely stunned. Lin Yi wasn't an idiot at all. In fact, he was several levels above those scammers, managed to rob the professor of his own thirty thousand while retrieving his own funds!

“Why the look... You aren't going to report me to the authorities, are you?” Lin Yi teased, watching her reaction.

“Of course not,” she replied, her face flushing as she shook her head.

“All joking aside, I really want to thank you. It’s rare to find girls like you,” Lin Yi said sincerely. “Would you like to grab a bite to eat later?”

“No...” She shook her head, looking a bit fidgety. “My family is waiting for me at the station gates.”

Lin Yi simply nodded. While picking up girls required a certain level of skill, fate also played its part. Pushing too hard against the natural flow usually led to the wrong result. “Well, see you around then.”

The girl stood there, watching Lin Yi’s back as he walked away. He was certainly an interesting character. Had her mother not been waiting at the exit, she wouldn't have minded getting to know him better.

It wasn't that she had fallen for him, but rather a different type of intrigue. Lin Yi stood out. He carried tens of thousands in a bag rather than a bank account, and he possessed a certain aura that even his unsightly clothes couldn't hide.

“Sir, are you looking for a hotel for the night? Very cheap rates here...”

The moment Lin Yi exited the station, he was swarmed by hotel promoters. To them, someone dressed like a farmer was the perfect target for a budget guesthouse.

People with real money wouldn't look at these places, and the high-end hotels didn't need people handing out flyers in the street.

Lin Yi waved them off as he pushed through the crowd, heading toward the taxi stand.

In his hand, he held a scrap of paper given to him by Old Man Lin, which listed the address of his destination.

He climbed into a taxi, and the eager driver turned to face him. “Where to, young man?”

“This address,” Lin Yi said, handing over the note.

The driver was a local veteran of the station area with a sharp eye for tourists. Lin Yi was clearly an outsider. The man assumed Lin Yi was likely a country boy looking for work in the city, and he immediately planned a few detours to inflate the fare.

However, his face turned sour the moment he looked at the paper.

Songshan City, High Light Avenue, No. 36. Pengzhan Towers. 11.2 kilometers from the station. Take the Second Circle Bridge.

The route and the exact distance were already mapped out. There was no room for him to play any tricks! Furthermore, why did this kid want to go to Pengzhan Towers? That was the headquarters of the largest corporation in Songshan! Someone who looked like a farmer... it seemed impossible that he would know anyone in such a place.

Sighing, the driver put the note aside and pulled away from the curb.

Songshan had efficient traffic flow and numerous bridges. They reached the destination in no time. Lin Yi paid the twenty-four kuai fare and stepped out of the car.

Looking up at the massive skyscraper looming over him, he felt a bit lightheaded. Wasn't this building taller than the great mountain back home? This client seemed wealthy enough that this could truly be his final mission before retirement.

After confirming it was the correct location, Lin Yi marched inside.