The wine glasses were filled, and the eight of them raised their cups.
Meng Wenzhou grinned and said, "Let’s toast to Su Yang’s new house!"
"Come on, bottoms up!"
Everyone downed their drinks in one go. Su Yang smiled and said, "I won’t bother with formalities—thanks for celebrating with me!"
"Hey, we’re all close friends here. No need to be so polite."
"Alright, enough talk. Let’s eat!"
As Su Yang’s voice trailed off, the group dug in enthusiastically, clearly starving.
After a while, Lu Yun leaned in and whispered to Su Yang, "You bought another place?"
"Yeah, in Nanlin District. I can move in next week."
"So you won’t be living in Senhai Manor anymore?"
Su Yang shook his head. "Nah, I’ll switch between the two, depending on the situation."
"That’s luxurious. Another penthouse?"
"Nope, a villa."
"A vi—"
Su Yang’s reply left Lu Yun speechless.
"Eat up," Pan Ning interjected calmly, placing a slice of peppercorn-seasoned pork kidney into Su Yang’s bowl.
Su Yang blinked, then chuckled. "I can serve myself, thanks."
"Hmph."
Lu Yun’s face twitched almost imperceptibly. Without thinking, she picked up a piece of abalone and dropped it into Su Yang’s bowl.
The once-lighthearted atmosphere instantly turned subtle.
Liu Bo glanced over, stifled a laugh, and went back to eating. Han Xiaoyu and Xia Keke pretended not to notice, focusing on their food. Tang Ziyun peeked, stuck out her tongue slightly, and continued eating. Meng Wenzhou, however, shot Su Yang a confused look.
Su Yang frowned and blinked in response.
"What’s with the eye contact? You two got something going on?" Pan Ning suddenly asked.
Su Yang froze, then forced a laugh. "Huh? Did we?"
"I’ve seen you two exchanging glances all night. Are you guys… gay?"
Su Yang leaned closer to Pan Ning and muttered, "You should know whether I’m gay or not."
"What if you’re bi?"
"I—what kind of nonsense is that? Come on, let’s have another round!" Su Yang hastily raised his glass to change the subject.
The group ate and chatted for another hour until they were stuffed, polishing off two bottles of Moutai.
If Pan Ning was present, no alcohol ever went to waste.
After dinner, Meng Wenzhou pulled Su Yang aside to the restroom.
Once outside the private room, he immediately asked, "What was that about earlier?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean. My sister putting food in your bowl is one thing, but Lu Yun too?"
"Well, we’ve known each other for ages. It’s just a friendly gesture, no big deal."
"Something’s off. From what I’ve seen, the way she looks at you isn’t just ‘friendly.’ That kind of gaze doesn’t lie."
"Uh…"
"Man, you’ve got some serious luck with women. I was thinking of pursuing Lu Yun, but seems like I’m out of the running."
"Honestly? She does have feelings for me."
"‘Feelings’? That was full-on heart eyes."
Meng Wenzhou sighed, looking genuinely dejected.
"Whatever. I won’t compete with you. But you can’t have both Pan Ning and Lu Yun. Life doesn’t work that way."
Su Yang gave an awkward smile. "I know."
"Good. So… which one do you like more?"
"Uh, that’s a tough one. Can I say both?"
"Get outta here!" Meng Wenzhou laughed, shoving him playfully.
After the restroom break, Su Yang quietly settled the bill. The group then left the restaurant.
"Hey, Liu Bo, where are we staying tonight?" Su Yang asked.
"I booked the best guesthouse in Shima Town. Just follow me after drinks."
"Got it."
They strolled along the riverbank in Shima Town, lined with bustling bars on both sides.
This was the liveliest time of night in the ancient town.
The eight of them weaved through the crowd.
Liu Bo pointed to a bar a few hundred meters ahead called "Blossom Court." "Let’s go there. I’ve been before—decent vibe, not too rowdy."
"Sure."
Soon, they reached the entrance of Blossom Court. Though called a bar, it was more of a tranquil, traditional-style tavern.
A short wooden staircase led up to the glass door. Inside, mellow folk music played as patrons lounged at dimly lit tables, chatting and drinking in a laid-back atmosphere.
Many visitors to the town sought exactly this kind of slow-paced relaxation—a cozy tavern, a breeze, and good company.
A waiter in a vest greeted them. "Welcome to Blossom Court. How many in your party?"
"Eight. Got a window booth?" Su Yang asked.
"Right this way."
They followed the waiter to a riverside booth. The wooden window swayed gently in the night breeze.
Su Yang, as usual, took the innermost seat.
Lu Yun hesitated for a split second, but Pan Ning had already slid in beside Su Yang.
With a quiet sigh, Lu Yun sat next to Tang Ziyun instead.
They ordered two crates of beer and some fruit platters.
As they waited, five people—three men and two women—entered the bar.
One of the women wore a sleek black deep-V off-shoulder top paired with a figure-hugging tulle pencil skirt.
It was Xia Li.
Su Yang, facing the entrance, spotted her immediately. He raised an eyebrow at Meng Wenzhou.
Meng Wenzhou turned and grinned. "What a coincidence."
"I have a feeling they’ll sit near us."
Meng Wenzhou chuckled. "I believe it. Your luck with women is unreal. They’ll definitely come over."
Sure enough, Xia Li’s group approached.
Spotting Su Yang and Meng Wenzhou, Xia Li paused, then smiled. "We meet again!"
Su Yang grinned back. "Third time today, right?"
"Yep." Xia Li turned to the waiter. "We’ll take the table next to theirs."
"Of course. This one seats six, though it’s not by the window."
"That’s fine."
Once seated, Xia Li waved at Meng Wenzhou. "Long time no see, Meng."
Meng Wenzhou nodded. "What brings you to Shima Town, Xia?"
"I came here with a friend to discuss some business. We finished dinner early, so we thought we'd stop by a bar for a drink. Didn’t expect to run into you here."
"Actually, I spotted you earlier during dinner."
"Oh, really? Why didn’t you call me over?"
Meng Wenzhou chuckled, "You were deep in conversation—didn’t want to interrupt."
"Come on, Meng Wenzhou, if you’d just called my name, I’d have dropped everything to share a drink with you the second I knew you were next door."
"You’re too kind, Xia Keke. But now we’ve got the chance, haven’t we?"
"Haha, true enough. Since fate’s brought us together, why don’t we merge tables?"
"Sounds good to me. What do you think, Su Yang?" Meng Wenzhou glanced at Su Yang.
Su Yang nodded with a smile. "No problem at all."
"Waiter! Over here, please."

his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…

lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.

for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?

to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”