Zhou Youbai was undoubtedly the center of attention tonight.
Her velvet gown, intricately crafted, was covered in densely arranged rhinestones and gold threads that shimmered with fragmented light under the brilliant chandeliers of the banquet hall, every movement radiating brilliance.
The Zhou family had only one daughter, and her older brothers doted on her endlessly. Calling her a princess was no exaggeration at all.
That was precisely why her parents and brothers had gone all out to make her coming-of-age ceremony as grand and dignified as possible.
As the birthday girl of the evening, Zhou Youbai stood at the center of a cluster of girls, wine glass in hand.
"Youbai, your family really went all out. Holding the banquet at home instead of a hotel is way more elaborate," said a girl wearing the latest Chanel-style dress, looking around with envy.
"Exactly, my dad only agreed to book a hall at the Sheraton for my last birthday. It doesn't have the charm of a private party like this," another girl chimed in, her tone full of undisguised envy and flattery.
Hosting a private banquet at home—from venue decoration and catering to security services—required a double test of both money and connections, far more distinguished than the assembly-line services of five-star hotels.
The girls surrounding Zhou Youbai were all classmates from her elite school, each with a wealthy background, so their words naturally carried a certain sophistication.
Zhou Youbai pursed her lips into a smile, showing just the right amount of helplessness. "I originally suggested just celebrating at some hotel to keep it simple, but my parents and brothers insisted—they said a coming-of-age ceremony only happens once in a lifetime and they wanted to make it a big fuss."
It sounded like a complaint, but it was dripping with humblebrag.
"Alright, alright, stop it. If you keep going, we're really going to die of jealousy," someone laughed.
As the group chatted and laughed, someone suddenly brought up a name that seemed a bit out of place.
"Hey Youbai, did you invite Jiang Yunlu? I haven't heard from her in ages, ever since she transferred to that... Guangba or whatever."
"Jiang Yunlu?"
The girls exchanged glances—some curious, some dismissive, but mostly carrying a shared, unspoken sneer.
The heiress of Century Tianyun Group, in terms of status, she was a cut above most people here.
But this particular person had left their school, refused to mingle with their rich-kid circles, and insisted on playing that silly badminton, acting all aloof and superior.
They might be polite to her face, but behind her back, not a single one of them liked her.
Zhou Youbai, unaware of their thoughts, replied casually, "Of course I invited her. I told her she had to come—it's my coming-of-age ceremony. How could she miss it?"
A short-haired girl covered her mouth with her hand and said, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Ever since she went to Guangba, I've never seen any updates on her social media. I thought maybe she'd blocked us all."
Another girl immediately jumped in with a scoffing laugh, "Blocked? Please. She's one of Guangba's top students now, too good to hang out with us common folk, right?"
The sarcasm in their words was sharp and cutting.
They didn't dislike Jiang Yunlu just because she didn't fit in. The deeper reason was that her existence was like a mirror, reflecting their own superficiality and emptiness.
Now, the unattainable princess from the clouds had actually lowered herself to go to a place like that, making her the biggest joke in their circle.
Just then, the girl who had spoken first gently nudged Zhou Youbai with her elbow, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for drama.
"Seriously, Youbai, you didn't actually invite her, did you?"
The others exchanged knowing looks and said meaningfully, "Youbai, don't forget—tonight is about you."
"But Yunlu is my best friend. We've known each other for years," Zhou Youbai said. She was still immature, unable to pick up on the subtext.
"She might not see you the same way. Has she even reached out to you? And here you are, eagerly inviting her. Who knows if she'll even show up."
Zhou Youbai's face darkened, but she didn't respond to that person. She just turned her head away, ignoring them.
But the person kept pressing, "Jiang Yunlu left us because she thought we were all uneducated and shallow, right? Now? She might have found better friends already."
"Enough!" Before Zhou Youbai could say anything, the others noticed her expression souring.
The next moment, respectful greetings rang out from a distance.
"Miss Jiang, long time no see."
"Hello, Miss Jiang."
The chorus of greetings instantly drew everyone's attention.
After Century Tianyun Group took over the Zhou Group, it had grown even more powerful, naturally catching the notice of many.
Almost everyone who knew Jiang Chengshan knew about Jiang Yunlu.
So the businessmen present all flocked to greet Jiang Yunlu, hoping to at least build a good connection.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yunlu, holding Lin Mo's arm, emerged from the crowd.
She then let go of Lin Mo's hand and walked over to Zhou Youbai of her own accord.
"Youbai, happy birthday!"
Zhou Youbai was genuinely delighted to see Jiang Yunlu and hugged her back.
"You've gotten even prettier!"
"Stop it. I'm definitely not as pretty as you today," Jiang Yunlu said.
Today, Jiang Yunlu had clearly dressed down, as she knew better than to upstage the birthday girl.
Lin Mo hung back a little, waiting for the two to finish their warm exchange before he approached.
Still, the sight of Jiang Yunlu entering the party on Lin Mo's arm had already drawn enough attention.
The wealthy businessmen were wondering which bigwig's son Lin Mo might be, while the scions of rich families were trying to figure out just who Lin Mo was.
The boys gathered together, all staring at Lin Mo.
These were also classmates from the elite school, guys who had known Jiang Yunlu since before.
It had always felt natural to have a crush on Jiang Yunlu.
As far as they knew, Jiang Yunlu had no siblings, and given how close a touch she and Lin Mo had shown when they entered, this guy might be Jiang Yunlu's...
Over by the birthday girl, Jiang Yunlu handed Zhou Youbai a box.
"This is your gift—see if you like it? I designed it myself."
Zhou Youbai opened it. Inside was a platinum necklace, studded with small diamonds all along the chain, with a pink diamond at the center.
"It's so beautiful!" Zhou Youbai really did love shiny things like this.
Especially since Jiang Yunlu had designed it herself.
At their level of wealth, monetary value wasn't all that special—sincerity mattered far more. When you're rich, you value the thought. When you're poor, you value the price tag.
And those girls who had been gossiping just moments before were now completely silent.
They weren't stupid. They knew exactly how powerful Jiang Yunlu's family was. They could suck up to Zhou Youbai, but they didn't dare offend Jiang Yunlu to her face.
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
