You Have to Queue Up to Be a Sugar Baby

The next morning.

Shen Yi opened his eyes at his usual time, his body now accustomed to this biological clock.

No matter how exhausted he was the night before, as long as he slept for four solid hours, he’d wake up refreshed.

Turning his head, he saw Shu Yunyi still sound asleep.

Professor Shu had overexerted herself last night, so since there was still some time before she needed to get up, he let her sleep a little longer.

Shen Yi carefully slipped out of bed, pulled on his clothes, and picked up the scattered garments from the floor, hanging them neatly before heading out to wash up.

Having showered before bed, he simply brushed his teeth and splashed water on his face.

After freshening up, he went to the kitchen and whipped up two simple dishes using leftovers from yesterday.

Placing the food on the table, he checked the time—it was about right—and pushed open the bedroom door.

Approaching the bed, Shen Yi brushed aside the strands of hair covering Shu Yunyi’s face, leaned down to kiss her forehead, then gently shook her shoulder.

"Wake up... wake up..."

"Yunyi, Shu Yunyi?!"

She was dead asleep. The shaking only elicited a soft murmur, her eyes stubbornly shut.

Seeing her refusal to stir, Shen Yi grinned—he had his ways.

Lifting a corner of the blanket, he slid his hand underneath, groping around until he found his target and gave a playful squeeze.

Shu Yunyi’s steady breathing hitched, her eyes flying open.

The sudden sensation made her turn her head, and the sight of Shen Yi’s mischievous smirk brought her fully awake. She scowled.

"Ugh, I was sleeping so well! Why’d you have to ruin it?"

Shen Yi withdrew his hand and held his phone in front of her face.

"Look at the time. Still want to sleep?"

"Come on, get up already. A professor shouldn’t be lazing in bed like this."

Shu Yunyi’s eyes widened at the clock—it was past eight. She must’ve been more exhausted than usual to oversleep by an hour.

As she sat up and reached for her clothes, Shen Yi turned to leave, tossing over his shoulder,

"Go wash up. I’ll start boiling the noodles."

"Yeah, yeah, move aside."

Shu Yunyi grabbed her underwear and sleep dress but didn’t bother putting the latter on, hurrying past him with her legs clamped together—clearly desperate for the bathroom.

The sight of her bare, swaying curves made Shen Yi shake his head in amusement. If he hadn’t woken her, would she have wet the bed?

Though this wake-up method only worked on Shu Yunyi.

If he tried it on Fu Nanzhi, it’d backfire—she’d drag him back to bed for a morning encore.

Back in the kitchen, Shen Yi reignited the stove.

He pulled a bundle of dried noodles from the cabinet, boiled them with some greens, prepared a light broth, topped it with a fried egg, and finished with a sprinkle of scallions.

A simple, humble breakfast noodle dish, done.

Timing was key—noodles turned soggy if cooked too early, but now, as she finished washing up, they were ready.

Shu Yunyi emerged from the bathroom, comb in hand, smoothing her hair as she walked to the table. The aroma made her sit right down.

"Smells amazing. You’re my savior, Xiao Yi."

"Being waited on hand and foot is just too good."

Shen Yi pushed the bowl toward her.

"Eat up before it gets cold. Can’t even shut you up with food."

"Just remember how good I am to you."

Shu Yunyi set the comb aside, twirled a mouthful of noodles, and hummed in delight.

"So delicious..."

Shen Yi frowned, tasted his own bowl, and chuckled.

"It’s just plain yangchun noodles. Bit dramatic, don’t you think? I’m not some gourmet chef."

Shu Yunyi arched a brow and sniffed.

"What’s wrong with that? I like it."

"Fine, as long as you’re happy. Now eat."

Pleased, she took a few more bites before suddenly looking up.

"Xiao Yi, let’s move out."

She’d brought this up before—being cared for was too comforting, especially when work piled up.

The university-assigned apartment was convenient but meant for single occupancy. Plus, with so many people around and Shen Yi being an unofficial resident, it wasn’t a long-term solution.

Shen Yi paused mid-bite.

"Move out? To where?"

"Buy a place," she said breezily.

"Easy for you to say. Without your influencer income, where’s the money? Give it a few months."

He raised an eyebrow.

Jingyuan’s housing prices, especially in the city center, were among the highest nationwide. Even the outskirts were pricey—standard for a first-tier city.

Buying property had been on his mind, but not this soon. Without the simulator, Shen Yi wouldn’t have dared dream of it. For ordinary folks, this was a fortune earned over lifetimes.

"Why wait months?" Shu Yunyi looked puzzled.

Shen Yi explained,

"I need my investments to mature first. This isn’t grocery shopping—you can’t just grab it off the shelf."

Of course, this was just an excuse to mask the simulator’s role in his sudden wealth.

After days of exploiting the simulator, Shen Yi had nearly a million saved up. A few more months, and he’d have enough.

If this kept up for a year or two, buying multiple properties would be effortless.

Back at Tiancheng, even as a department head—the highest position—he’d have needed years of savings to afford one.

"You know how to invest?" Shu Yunyi started to ask, then remembered the new car she’d seen and swallowed her doubt.

In their past life, Shen Yi had substantial savings, originally earmarked for a venture. But when her influencer career took off, he dropped his plans to help manage her accounts.

Now that she’d quit, he’d naturally seek other avenues.

Realizing this, she warned,

"Nothing good comes easy these days. Don’t get scammed."

Shen Yi slurped down the last of his noodles and wiped his mouth.

"I’m not an idiot. Don’t worry."

"Hmph." Shu Yunyi tapped her chopsticks.

"Scammers love overconfident smart guys like you. Stay sharp."

"But don’t stress—if you go broke, just run to me. Big sis will take care of you~"

She wasn’t entirely joking. Shu Yunyi’s salary was decent, though she didn’t save much. She owned a flat and a shop, both rented out (just not in Jianyuan District).

Add to that the three properties Mother Qin had inherited, and their rental income alone could sustain a comfortable life.

Shen Yi laughed.

"Too many people want to take care of me. You’d be way down the list."

"Keep dreaming." Shu Yunyi rolled her eyes.

"Who else would put up with you?"

Shen Yi waved her off.

"Enough chatter."

"Hurry up and eat. I’ll clean up—you’ve got class. Don’t be late."

Shu Yunyi nodded and focused on her meal.

After breakfast, Shen Yi cleared the dishes while she changed.

Before leaving, Shu Yunyi entered the kitchen, cupped Shen Yi’s face, and planted a kiss.

"Bye, my little househusband~"

Shen Yi dried his hands and hugged her back.

"Go ahead, take your time."