Financial Independence through Cracked Apps-Chapter 123 - 115: Not Good! Lin Shen Got Hit On

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Lin Shen looked up, his gaze falling on the delicate makeup of the young woman in the hanfu. He could tell she was naturally quite pretty.

She had a slender figure and a charming face.

Among average people, she would definitely be considered a cutie.

Unfortunately, Lin Shen’s standards had become a bit high.

After spending so much time with goddesses like Jiang Wan and Qin Yuenan, who were always in the spotlight, his tastes had inevitably changed.

It wasn’t that Lin Shen was ungrateful, just that his threshold for being interested in a girl had risen considerably.

Still, her courage to strike up a conversation with a stranger was worthy of praise.

At least, it was something Lin Shen couldn’t do himself, so he admired people like her. With that in mind, he offered a gentle smile and a polite refusal.

"Sorry."

"Eh?"

The young woman in the hanfu probably hadn’t expected to be rejected when asking for his WeChat. After a moment of surprise, she still wasn’t ready to give up.

After all, Lin Shen’s handsome appearance in the hanfu was just too much for her.

"Um... I see you’re here alone, too. Why don’t we walk around together and take pictures for each other?"

"I have a girlfriend."

At a time like this, the photos he had just taken with Qin Yuenan that afternoon came in handy.

Lin Shen waved his phone, a triumphant smile playing on his lips.

"See? She’s beautiful, isn’t she?"

...

The young woman’s beautiful eyes widened. Upon seeing Qin Yuenan’s coolly stunning face in the photo, her expression fell, the disappointment visible to the naked eye.

’So it’s true, all the handsome guys get snatched up by even prettier girls...’

"Well, I won’t disturb your outing. I wish you two the best."

"Thanks."

The young woman in the hanfu was graceful and composed, and Lin Shen naturally responded with politeness.

’Now that’s how you approach someone.’

’Pestering them after they’ve already said no isn’t approaching, it’s harassment.’

After the young woman left, Lin Shen sat back down by the entrance, planning to wait for Qin Yuenan while playing on his phone.

Just then, his shoulder was tapped again.

’Are you serious!’

’Is there no end to you people?’

Lin Shen was getting annoyed. He turned to see if the girl "approaching" him was pretty.

If she was average-looking, he’d just use the picture of Qin Yuenan to reject her again.

If she was a bit of a looker, maybe he could add her as a friend and see where things went.

Well...

’She’s definitely very beautiful.’

Lin Shen’s expression instantly changed to one of pleasant surprise.

"Nan, you’re finally out!"

"If I didn’t come out now, a certain someone’s soul would have been completely hooked by another woman."

Qin Yuenan crossed her arms and snorted coldly.

She had clearly witnessed the entire exchange.

However, she hadn’t stepped in to declare her sovereignty, choosing instead to test whether the will of this "player" was truly firm.

And whether the things he had promised her before were lies.

’All in all, his performance wasn’t bad!’

Qin Yuenan was very satisfied with how Lin Shen had rejected the other girl, but she couldn’t help the small stirrings of jealousy in her heart.

After all, she had been gone for less than twenty minutes, and someone was already asking for Lin Shen’s WeChat.

In the future, if she got busy with work and couldn’t see him for a day, wouldn’t this guy be surrounded by a huge crowd of fangirls?

’No way!’

’I have to find a way to solve this problem!’

While Qin Yuenan was busy pondering how to solve the problem of Lin Shen getting hit on, he was carefully looking her up and down, a flash of astonishment in his eyes at the sight of the cool, elegant beauty before him in her hanfu.

’I have to say, it’s a perfect match!’

Her tall, graceful figure was accentuated by the ethereal, flowing sleeves and skirt, creating an incredibly atmospheric look.

A piece of sheer, emerald green gauze draped over her delicate collarbones and fragrant shoulders, adding a touch of hazy, indistinct beauty.

Moreover, Qin Yuenan’s personality was already aloof and dismissive, and this outfit only served to further accentuate her cool aura.

On top of that, her new high ponytail made her swan-like, jade neck look incredibly long and slender.

’Really nice!’

Lin Shen praised her silently. But when he stood up, he startled Qin Yuenan, causing her to take a step back as a strange light flickered in her beautiful eyes.

"This outfit of yours..."

"What about it?"

Lin Shen raised an eyebrow, flicked open his folding fan, and fanned his chest, playfully mimicking the dialogue from a xianxia novel as he chuckled.

"Fairy maiden, for what reason do you stare so intently at this humble Daoist?"

"Because you’re handsome, alright?"

Qin Yuenan rolled her eyes, looking rather exasperated. Her tone sounded resigned, but in truth, she was speaking from the heart.

Dressed in the mamianqun, Lin Shen was almost too handsome.

His upright figure with its narrow waist and broad shoulders, topped off by the roguishly handsome smirk that occasionally played on his lips.

These masculine features were devastatingly effective against women!

’No wonder someone tried to hit on him.’

Qin Yuenan grumbled silently to herself. Just then, a store employee ran out to ask them a question.

"Do you two need a follow-along photoshoot? It’s included in the 299 yuan package, with five free prints."

"No need."

Lin Shen waved his hand, not wanting a third wheel to disturb his date with Qin Yuenan tonight.

Besides, his photography skills had already been boosted by 220% thanks to the Camera and Album. He was probably nearing the level of a professional photographer, so he didn’t need anyone else.

So, Lin Shen just asked the employee for a camera and then took Qin Yuenan’s hand to go see the sights.

The Confucius Temple, Bailuzhou Park, the East Water Pass Ruins, and the Zhonghua Gate Walled City.

Lin Shen and Qin Yuenan left their mark all along the Qinhuai Riverfront.

The two of them, dressed in ancient-style hanfu, drew the gazes of many passersby, their head-turn rate practically 100%.

After all, the sight of Lin Shen holding Qin Yuenan’s hand while strolling through the alleyways seemed like a scene straight out of a TV drama.

Picturesque and dreamlike.

Other tourists wore hanfu to match the surrounding scenery, but for Lin Shen and Qin Yuenan, it was the other way around.

Their presence seemed to add a touch of old-world charm to the quaint, ancient town around them.

Many tourists even thought the two were actually filming a drama and quickly made way for them.

This much attention made Qin Yuenan lower her head in embarrassment, feeling annoyed with herself.

’I knew I shouldn’t have worn a hanfu!’

But Lin Shen, ever since overcoming his social anxiety, quite enjoyed the pleasant feeling of being looked at with admiration.

It was like paying for a service, leaving him in a good mood.

"Nan, let me take your picture."

Lin Shen led Qin Yuenan onto an arched bridge, planning to use the Qinhuai River behind her as the backdrop.

"Cross your arms, turn your head to the side... yes, perfect."

As a "professional" photographer, directing a model’s poses was also a technical skill.

Before, Lin Shen didn’t know anything about it, but now he somehow understood it all in a daze.

It was as if he had entered a state of enlightenment specifically for photography.

Thinking it over, Lin Shen attributed all these changes to the 220% boost in his photography skills.

Just as Qin Yuenan struck a cool, aloof pose, a sudden night breeze swept past, lifting her high ponytail.

Lin Shen seized the opportunity and decisively snapped a picture.

CLICK—!

"Really good."

Lin Shen admired his photographic work over and over, a faint sense of joy and satisfaction gathering in his chest.

Back when he had no money, being a man of simple tastes, he used to think that only spending money could bring happiness.

But now that he was financially free, just taking one stunningly beautiful photo made Lin Shen feel incredibly happy.

’Perhaps this is the meaning of life.’

In the photo, Qin Yuenan’s aura was cool and proud.

Strands of her flying hair partially concealed her nation-toppling side profile, giving her an otherworldly, transcendent feeling, as if she were above the mortal world.

Paired with the ancient town on the Qinhuai Riverfront in the background...

...the photo was simply flawless, both in atmosphere and in its subject.

Qin Yuenan leaned in to take a look. Her beautiful eyes blinked, and she was suddenly, deeply impressed by Lin Shen’s exquisite photography skills.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

"I’m self-taught."

Lin Shen said with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Maybe I’m a one-in-a-million photography genius."

"Alright, alright, you’re the genius, okay?"

Qin Yuenan sighed dotingly and nudged her chin toward the side of the bridge, gesturing for them to switch places.

She would be the photographer, and Lin Shen the model.

As for the photos she took... well, the results were hard to describe.

"You have to focus on my face, and don’t frame the portrait so tightly. You can’t even see the scenery behind me."

Lin Shen hadn’t even finished his sentence before Qin Yuenan shot him a cold, upward glance.

It made him immediately change his tune and offer praise instead.

"But anyway, for a beginner, this is already really good."

"Hmph!"

Qin Yuenan snorted coldly and continued to take a few more pictures of Lin Shen.

Afterward, the two wandered around, admiring the night scenery while also making sure to fill their stomachs with famous local snacks.

「10:00 PM.」

Lin Shen and Qin Yuenan returned to the hanfu rental shop, gave back the clothes and camera, and picked up the photos from inside.

Then, they had Wang come pick them up in the car, ready to head back to the hotel.

As the excitement of the day slowly faded with the quiet of the night, a surging wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over them from head to toe.

Qin Yuenan yawned, resting her head on Lin Shen’s shoulder, drowsy and ready to fall asleep.

After all, she had been out and about all day, and her body had long since been running on overload.

But Lin Shen still looked as if nothing was wrong, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

"Are you made of iron?"

Qin Yuenan couldn’t help but ask curiously.

"You’re not tired?"

"I’m alright."

Lin Shen smiled slightly, wrapping an arm around Qin Yuenan’s slender waist to pull her into his embrace. He lowered his head, inhaling the clean scent of her hair as he spoke softly.

"Go ahead and sleep. I’ll wake you when we get to the hotel."

"Mm."

In Lin Shen’s arms, Qin Yuenan felt a sense of peace she had never experienced before.

She closed her eyes to rest, drifting in a light sleep for an unknown amount of time before she suddenly felt a warm, large hand cover her thigh.

It stroked back and forth, giving a gentle squeeze every so often. Its five fingers even began to crawl inward like a spider...

Obviously, Lin Shen’s hands were getting restless again.

Qin Yuenan had known this would happen. She smacked his hand away, opened her beautiful eyes, and stared at him coldly.

But he just pointed out the window.

"We’re at the hotel."

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Qin Yuenan looked out the car window, then lightly punched Lin Shen’s shoulder.

"So this is how you wake me up, is it!"

"I called your name right by your ear several times, but you wouldn’t wake up."

Lin Shen said innocently.

"I had no choice, I had to use this method. If this method didn’t work either..."

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Qin Yuenan froze. Only then did she notice that Lin Shen had, at some point, wrapped his left arm around her back and under her armpit...

"Lin Shen!"

Qin Yuenan’s face instantly turned bright red!