A Rare Smile, A Race Against Time Begins

Ye Mengfu lowered her head, tucking her arms in as her cheeks burned from Lin Yu's words.

Just now… did that really happen?

She hadn’t noticed at all!

Her awareness during games was usually sharp—had her positioning really been off?

But with Lin Yu calling her out so bluntly, Ye Mengfu couldn’t bring herself to argue.

She silently stepped aside, relinquishing the turn to Lin Yu.

Lin Yu picked up the cue ball and set up another free shot.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Little Fufu was just too kind!

Not even a word of protest, just obediently giving in like that.

How are you supposed to win like this?

Only a few balls remained on the table, and Lin Yu pocketed two more.

Even so…

He still couldn’t clear the table!

Lin Yu: "…"

Is this game really that hard?!

Just a moment ago, watching Ye Mengfu play, it looked effortless.

The path of the rail shot didn’t seem to match what he’d imagined.

Adjust, adjust!

Next shot, he’d need to recalibrate his aim.

But more importantly…

Ye Mengfu took her turn again, this time with extra caution.

Her shots were quick, and she made sure to leave ample space between the "balls" when leaning down.

No way she’d let Lin Yu accuse her of body contact again.

Clink~

Clink~

Tink~

Ye Mengfu straightened up from the table and walked to the scoreboard:

"Time… to flip it."

Lin Yu sighed in defeat: "Yeah…"

He still lost?!

This is so embarrassing.

Guess his refereeing standards weren’t strict enough.

"Little Fufu, brace yourself."

"That last round was just a warm-up—been too long since I played, needed to shake off the rust."

"The real show starts now. Time for you to witness my true skills!"

Ye Mengfu clasped her hands behind her back, nodding eagerly like a little bird pecking at rice.

Her smile was no longer reserved but radiant and dazzling.

[Ding!]

[Legendary move! The Holy Son spends time indulging his Dao Companion’s hobbies, filling her heart with joy!]

[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones]

Pfft—

The sudden system notification threw Lin Yu off.

His break shot went completely awry, the cue ball rolling weakly off to the side.

Luckily, his reflexes were sharp—his hand moved faster than the ball.

He snatched it mid-roll and placed it back on the break line.

"Forget that last one, it was a fluke…"

"Blame your smile for distracting me."

"Let’s start over!"

Lin Yu scrambled for excuses to save face.

And honestly, it was true!

Ye Mengfu stayed put, giving Lin Yu another chance.

Hearing his words, she covered her face and laughed.

Lin Yu: "!!!"

Whoa!

Little Fufu can laugh like this too?

He’d never seen her so bright and carefree before.

Turns out, a little mischief goes a long way!

Too bad.

The smile lasted only seconds.

Noticing Lin Yu’s gaze, Ye Mengfu quickly lowered her hands, pressed her lips together, and looked away.

As if nothing had happened.

Lin Yu wasn’t disappointed.

There was plenty of time.

No way he’d let Little Fufu’s smile fade so easily!

Bang!

The game resumed!

……

Meanwhile.

At a certain real estate agency.

"Shan-jie, have some tea first."

"Our agent’s already negotiating, but completing all the transfer procedures in one day is… well, a bit tight, you know?"

"Even just one extra day—think you can manage, Shan-jie?"

"Unless it’s super urgent, one day shouldn’t hurt, right? Heh."

The agency manager, Manager Ma, respectfully placed a cup of tea in front of Xia Xiashan.

Today, Xia Xiashan was dressed in a sporty crop top and shorts, as if she’d just come back from a run.

Cross-legged on the sofa, she exuded an unshakable boss-lady aura.

Had it not been for Lin Yu, that image would’ve stayed intact.

Her early visit to the agency? All to secure the property Maomao had her heart set on.

One day too tight for paperwork?

Just a matter of insufficient incentives.

In voluntary transactions like this, rules bend where money talks.

"Manager Ma, I don’t have time to waste. Four percent commission."

"That’s more than your shop makes in half a month."

"Take it or leave it. Otherwise, I’ll find another agency."

"This listing isn’t exclusive to you anyway."

"If not for this specific unit, I wouldn’t be offering multiples of the usual rate."

Xia Xiashan wasn’t here for small talk.

Besides handling Maomao’s property purchase, she’d taken on several other tasks.

Maomao had finally mustered the courage to face Aunt Ruxue’s challenge.

As her sister, Xia Xiashan would move heaven and earth to help her succeed!

(Though technically, Aunt Ruxue’s "challenge" included her and Xia Yiwei too.)

Hearing the thinly veiled ultimatum, Manager Ma instantly backpedaled:

"Done! Absolutely done!"

"Don’t worry, Shan-jie! I’ll call the transfer office right now."

"Got a buddy there—he’ll bump you to the front of the line."

Four percent commission!

An unprecedented windfall for the agency.

Sure, Manager Ma had seen six-figure sums before.

But the real prize?

A favor owed by Xia Xiashan—priceless for future leverage.

So, of course, he’d planned to accept all along.

The earlier stalling? Just to emphasize the "difficulty" and inflate the perceived value of his help.

If he’d agreed too easily, Xia Xiashan might’ve dismissed it as no big deal.

All his behind-the-scenes efforts would’ve been for nothing!

Xia Xiashan saw right through the act.

But today, she had no patience for games.

Hence the blunt terms—cutting straight to the chase.

"Good. I’ll leave it to you, Manager Ma."

"I’ll be back at 4 PM."

……

At the Mercedes-Benz dealership.

Xia Yiwei stood beside a brand-new, unplated car, holding the purchase contract in one hand and her phone in the other:

"The title can wait, right? Money’s paid—I’m driving off in this Benz today."

"Xia Xiashan, I’m ahead of schedule here. Who’s the lecturing one now?"

"Alright, alright, no need to get smug. Meet you at the furniture mall."

"Honestly, Maomao could’ve just bought ten properties and called it a day. Why the whole song and dance?"

……

(First update today! As usual, there’ll be bonus chapters tonight. Free "power stones" are much appreciated—support your humble author!)

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