WTO Subsidy Dilemma: The Battle Horn Sounds

"No problem, let's meet in the lobby in half an hour."

Among today's refreshed daily tasks, most revolved around physical chores within the apartment.

The nurse sister's hand had just been treated, and her leg still needed a couple more days of rest before she could move comfortably.

For now, Lin Yu had to give up on ordering around the outer disciple (the cat) and do the tasks himself.

Compared to the public daily tasks,

Lin Yu was more eager to see if he could successfully get his little girlfriend to reveal her identity!

After breakfast,

Chen Qimeng lingered instead of heading to work, busying herself in the lobby by tidying up random items—some of which didn’t even need tidying.

She was clearly making work for herself.

This behavior naturally meant she had something she wanted to discuss with Lin Yu.

If he couldn’t recognize that, he might as well have wasted his past life.

But what was it that she hadn’t brought up in the room earlier?

After completing three public daily tasks,

Lin Yu pocketed the rewards: [Sect Contribution 240] and [Spirit Stones 240].

Now that his sect status had risen to the level of Holy Son, the standards for public daily tasks had also been elevated to a higher tier.

Returning to the lobby, Lin Yu pulled up the information panel hovering over Chen Qimeng.

Sure enough,

he spotted something unusual in the task list.

[Living Allowance (New Daily Task): In the past, whenever the host ventured into the mortal world, the Acting Sect Leader would provide a discretionary living allowance. Now that the host has been honored as the Holy Son, the Acting Sect Leader wishes to offer it but worries it might shame him!]

After reading the task prompt, Lin Yu nearly laughed out loud.

So she was agonizing over how to bring up giving him pocket money?

Thinking about it, that fit Chen Qimeng’s fretful personality perfectly.

In just a few short days,

Lin Yu had undergone a dramatic transformation from who he used to be.

At this moment,

Chen Qimeng was genuinely torn.

In the past, whenever she found out Lin Yu was going out, she’d always prepare extra spending money—

always more, never less.

Worried he might hesitate to spend it, she’d repeatedly remind him that treating friends was perfectly normal.

But times had changed.

Lin Yu now had the ability to earn money—

effortlessly making sums she couldn’t match in a year or two.

Handing him pocket money now made her fear he’d take it as an insult.

She cared deeply about the pride and dignity of young people.

Yet doing nothing left her feeling unsettled.

So she pretended to busy herself, trying to come up with the right words.

"Qimeng Auntie, aren’t you heading to work yet?"

Lin Yu’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Chen Qimeng: "Oh… I’m about to go. Just dusting the couch cushions—won’t take long."

Lin Yu stifled a chuckle.

Chen Qimeng might as well have written "I’m hiding something" across her face.

She had no talent for masking her emotions.

So,

Lin Yu walked over and took the initiative:

"Qimeng Auntie, there’s a school event today. I might run into a lot of classmates."

"Going out with them, heh… Can I request some activity funds?"

Chen Qimeng’s eyes widened in surprise: "???"

Lin Yu was actually asking…?

Within seconds,

her face lit up with a smile as she replied warmly:

"Of course! It’s fine to spend a little when you’re out with friends."

"Wait here a moment, Xiao Yu!"

With that,

she hurried to her bag to fetch some cash.

"Thanks, Qimeng Auntie!"

Lin Yu grinned cheerfully.

Though only the two of them were present, Lin Yu still addressed her as "Auntie" when asking for money—

both speaker and listener found it comfortable.

Soon,

Chen Qimeng returned with her wallet, pulling out three red bills.

Then, as if reconsidering, she added two more.

Five hundred!

Was it because she knew he already had money that two or three hundred felt too little?

Lin Yu didn’t take it all at once.

Instead, he plucked two bills and said:

"None of my classmates are rich kids. We always split costs evenly."

"Movie tickets won’t cost much either, so I won’t need this much."

"Two hundred is enough!"

Chen Qimeng hesitated, then stubbornly pushed an extra hundred into his hand:

"Carry more cash, just in case."

"Have fun, Xiao Yu."

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, host! Daily task ‘Living Allowance’ completed. Reward: Sect Contribution 50, Spirit Stones 150!]

Being the Holy Son really had its perks.

Completing a daily task from his Dao Companion even netted him this many Spirit Stones.

Lin Yu stopped refusing and pocketed the money:

"Heh, I’ll make sure to have a great time with my classmates."

"Qimeng, I’ll ask you for money when I go out."

"But when you go out, you can’t refuse if I give you money too."

Chen Qimeng’s expression froze: "!!!"

Suddenly, she felt like she’d boarded a pirate ship.

Just moments ago, he’d been calling her "Qimeng Auntie."

Now, with the money secured, it was back to "Qimeng."

Dropping the "Auntie" made it strangely hard to refuse.

……

8:20 AM—

Ten minutes earlier than the time Lin Yu and Chi Qingshui had agreed on.

They hailed a taxi together, heading for the cinema at QianDa Plaza.

"Ding!"

Just as they settled into the car,

Lin Yu’s phone chimed.

He glanced at the screen—Chen Meng Tingyu!

[Chen Meng Tingyu: Hubby, I’m already at the market. It’s packed this early.]

[Chen Meng Tingyu: (Market photo)]

Tsk.

In Pingchuan City, the left rear door of taxis was usually locked.

Following the unspoken rule, they entered from the right—Lin Yu first, Chi Qingshui after.

Lin Yu had only looked away from Chi Qingshui for a few seconds,

yet she’d managed to send such a long message, complete with a photo!

Clearly, she’d prepared the text in advance and just pasted it in.

Well, well.

Who knew the battle would begin so early?

Lin Yu typed a rapid reply.

The content didn’t matter much—

after all, Chi Qingshui couldn’t see it now.

Nor did he plan to show it to her or discuss it face-to-face.

In the silent car,

Chi Qingshui grew subtly uneasy.

Since morning, she’d been meticulously crafting her "alibi."

So why did Lin Yu seem completely unfazed?

Last night,

he’d urgently consulted her—his classmate—on how to handle the situation.

Now, faced with such a major "twist," why wasn’t he reacting?

"Da Chi, why do you look so serious?"

"Not feeling well?"

Lin Yu feigned concern.

"No…"

Chi Qingshui seized the chance to probe:

"Have you figured out what to do about that thing?"

……

(Today’s second chapter. Bonus update coming soon!)