Financial Independence through Cracked Apps-Chapter 134 - 126: "Hiding Stars

Jing’an Temple.

An ancient Buddhist Temple with origins dating back to the Three Kingdoms Period, its architecture was modeled after pre-Ming Dynasty styles.

Gates, halls, and corridors intertwined, with the temple in the front and a pagoda in the back.

The Great Hero Hall, the Celestial King Hall, and the Three Saints Hall comprised the main structures of Jing’an Temple.

Intricately carved beams, painted rafters, and gracefully upturned eaves adorned the buildings.

Every architectural detail held the profound historical and cultural depth of Huaxia.

This was precisely why Lin Shen had chosen to bring Aria here.

First, he wanted her to experience the Huaxia architectural culture that amazed so many foreigners.

Second, he needed to complete a task for GoGo Maps.

[Upgrade Mission: Check in at a temple (Complete).]

[GoGo Maps Lv. 14 → Lv. 15]

[Reward: Startup funds accumulated per Red Point passed increased from 150,000 → 160,000. Current total: 6,800,000]

[Congratulations! GoGo Maps has successfully been upgraded to Lv. 15, triggering an extra reward: Item Scratch-Off Ticket x1]

[Reward Item: Random Scratch-Off Ticket x1]

[Upgrade Mission: Check in at an airport.]

The moment they arrived at the temple gates, Aria was so stunned by the magnificent sight before her that she was left speechless.

She covered her mouth with one hand, her face a picture of astonishment.

"This is amazing! Can buildings really be made like this?"

"Back in ancient times, they didn’t have things like concrete."

Lin Shen explained with immense pride.

"These structures are the culmination of the life’s work of ancient Huaxia craftsmen..."

Since it was the weekend, Jing’an Temple was crowded with tourists.

But Aria boldly linked her arm with Lin Shen’s, just like a couple, and followed his lead into the temple, taking in the solemn and dignified surroundings.

Of course, they attracted quite a few astonished glances along the way.

Although foreign tourists were a common sight at Jing’an Temple, it was rare to see someone like Lin Shen showing a foreign girl around.

Most importantly, this foreign girl was gorgeous!

She had bold brows, big eyes, and a radiant smile.

Her supermodel-like, athletic physique was especially eye-catching—curvy in all the right places, voluptuous and alluring.

She looked like a cheerleader warming up the crowd at an American football game, exuding a healthy, positive aura that was simply pleasant to look at.

As a result, many people pointed and stared at Aria, which seemed to make her think of something. She leaned over and whispered to Lin Shen.

"Lin Shen, will they not welcome me here because I’m German?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because so many people are staring at me."

"That’s because they think you’re beautiful."

Lin Shen comforted her with a light chuckle.

"Don’t worry about their stares. After all, people are always intensely curious about things that are new and beautiful, aren’t they?"

"Oh, I see."

Hearing Lin Shen’s gentle words, Aria felt a deep stir in her heart. A brilliant smile bloomed on her lips, and a strange light seemed to sparkle in the depths of her eyes.

"So, are you curious about me?"

"Of course!"

Lin Shen admitted frankly.

"Being drawn to beauty is human nature. Remember what I told you last night?"

"What was that?"

"You’re the most beautiful German girl I’ve ever met. One of a kind."

Lin Shen took the initiative, wrapping his arm around Aria’s toned waist. He looked down into her bright, sky-blue eyes and said affectionately.

"It’s like you have stars hidden in your eyes, shining so brightly."

!?

Lin Shen’s unique compliment made Aria’s cheeks flush. The normally bold woman suddenly became shy, her heart racing.

’Stars in my eyes?’

’So this is how Huaxia People compliment someone...’

’It feels so romantic!’

Aria was instantly captivated by the magnetic depth of Lin Shen’s voice. She immediately pressed her body against his, rising onto her tiptoes to try and wrap her arms around his neck.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her full lips puckering.

She was clearly asking for a kiss.

But Lin Shen was a master of playing hard to get. He pulled back just enough to dodge her, then smiled innocently as if he hadn’t noticed a thing.

"This is a temple. Shall I take you to burn some incense and pray?"

"Sorry!"

Aria understood the meaning behind his words and quickly apologized.

’He probably feels that this is a solemn, serious temple, and with so many tourists around, we shouldn’t be overly affectionate.’

’Otherwise, we’d be breaking the rules here.’

Aria suddenly felt a wave of belated fear, patting her full chest and letting out a soft sigh of relief.

’Phew, I almost made a huge mistake!’

But Lin Shen’s affectionate words from just now lingered in her mind, leaving a sweet aftertaste.

She had never heard anyone talk like that before.

Although Aria had boyfriends back in Germany, their ways of expressing affection were completely different from Lin Shen’s.

They would just use flowers and candlelight dinners to set the mood, then frantically praise your body and looks.

It was common and crude.

Their goal was also very clear: to get into bed.

While it was direct, it paled in comparison to Lin Shen’s subtle expressions, which seemed to hold endless affection!

Aria much preferred this kind of affectionate talk!

It wasn’t overly blunt, but the meaning was still clear.

Seeing the look of adoration on Aria’s face, Lin Shen suddenly thought that being good at English was really useful!

’Otherwise, with a language barrier, it would be really hard to win over a foreign girl.’

Fluent communication paired with his playboy-style lines was an absolutely devastating blow to Aria, who had never heard anything like it!

However, Lin Shen wasn’t in a hurry to seal the deal; he planned to keep her in suspense for a while.

So, he took Aria to burn incense and pray, explaining that the more sincere her attitude, the more likely her wish would come true.

"I wish for my parents to stay healthy, and for my own career to get better!"

After praying, Aria excitedly asked Lin Shen.

"Lin Shen, what’s your wish?"

"Aria, did you know?"

Lin Shen teased with a smile.

"A wish won’t come true if you say it out loud."

"Huh?"

Aria froze, a look of panic on her face. She thought about rushing back to pray again.

Just then, Lin Shen stopped her.

"I’m just kidding. Actually, wishes always work. Do you want to know my wish?"

"Mhm."

Seeing the anticipation on her face, Lin Shen pointed to his cheek, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

His meaning was self-evident.

Aria understood in a second. Without hesitation, she threw herself into Lin Shen’s arms, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

A kiss on the left wasn’t enough, so she gave him one on the right, too.

She even tried to kiss him on the lips.

But he leaned his upper body back to dodge it again, placing his hands on her shapely waist and hips as he spoke gently.

"I wished that you won’t get hurt when you do extreme sports in the future. That’s my wish."

Huh?

Aria blinked her pretty eyes a couple of times. She truly hadn’t expected Lin Shen to come to a temple and specifically pray for her!

In that instant, her heart was enveloped by a rich warmth she had never felt before, and her gratitude was written all over her face.

"Lin Shen..."

Aria called out Lin Shen’s name affectionately in her clumsy Chinese. Just as she was about to say something more, he suddenly released her and put some distance between them.

"Come on, I’ll show you around some more."

"Okay..."

To be honest, Aria was a little disappointed.

She had already shown her strong interest in Lin Shen, but he remained unmoved.

Just a kiss on the cheek and an arm around her waist. It seemed he had no intention of taking things further.

’Does he not like physical contact with me?’

This made Aria a little insecure.

After all, her figure was what she was most proud of. At work, students often hit on her, hoping to "get to know her better."

’But with Lin Shen, he could actually resist making any moves on her?’

’He’s too much of a gentleman!’

Aria gained a deep appreciation for the elegant and polite restraint of Huaxia men, and it also filled her with a desire to challenge Lin Shen.

That’s right!

She wanted to conquer Lin Shen!

A fiery, competitive desire burned in Aria’s eyes, but Lin Shen apparently didn’t notice.

The two continued to stroll around Jing’an Temple and its surroundings, trying some of the local Gourmet Food for lunch.

In the afternoon, Lin Shen took Aria to another temple.

Longhua Temple.

Compared to Jing’an Temple, which was hidden amidst towering skyscrapers, the area around Longhua Temple was relatively quiet.

Its architectural style was also dominated by halls and pagodas, but the details were very different from Jing’an Temple.

Lin Shen didn’t know much about it, so he discreetly tagged along beside a tour group of senior citizens, listening to their discussion about Longhua Temple’s history and translating for Aria.

This made her admire Lin Shen even more.

"Lin Shen, I didn’t realize you knew so much!"

"I read a lot of books."

Lin Shen boasted shamelessly, but this only made Aria’s eyes fill with a peculiar sparkle as she looked at him.

’He’s handsome and rich.’

’He’s knowledgeable and also a smooth talker.’

’He’s just too perfect!’

So, what should have been a pleasant afternoon of sightseeing turned into Aria’s campaign to relentlessly win Lin Shen over.

Not only did she keep giving him flirtatious looks and teasing him with her words,

she even proactively pressed her fine body against his, occasionally reaching out to stroke his shoulder or waist.

Her subtle actions were full of suggestion!

Of course, Lin Shen understood perfectly, but he continued to restrain himself, as immovable as an old Buddha statue enshrined in the temple.

’If I’m going to make a move, it has to be tonight!’

Lin Shen had his own rhythm. He couldn’t let Aria lead, or he’d lose the upper hand.

’Right now, I’ll let her desire build up. I’ll draw it out when the time is right.’

Lin Shen plotted silently in his heart.

When the time came, he took Aria to experience a meal at the Vegetarian Restaurant inside Longhua Temple.

They served exquisite dishes made from vegetarian ingredients that resembled meat dishes, and the flavors were very unique.

Aria was amazed by this, marveling that such incredible food could exist in the world.

"Of course."

Lin Shen said proudly.

"I’m not bragging, but if you took all the cuisines from every country in the world and added them together, they still wouldn’t compare to Huaxia Gourmet Food."

"A single regional style can have dozens or even hundreds of different dishes, not to mention there are several major culinary schools."

"I know."

Aria nodded in agreement.

"Huaxia Gourmet Food is famous all over the world."

"If you have a chance to come back, I’ll take you to try more."

"Next time..."

The thought of returning to Germany tomorrow filled Aria’s heart with disappointment and loneliness.

This day with Lin Shen had brought her a happiness she had never known, and she found herself deeply attracted to him.

"Lin Shen, I wish I had met you sooner."

Aria sighed from the heart, resting her chin on her hand. This made Lin Shen smile.

"There’s an old Huaxia saying: It’s better to be timely than early. Cherish the present moment."

"Cherish the present moment..."

Aria savored Lin Shen’s words, then suddenly turned her head to stare intently at him with her captivating, beautiful eyes.

"Can I come over to your place tonight?"