Great Xiao Hanhan has finally made a friend, and it's a boyfriend

A grand procession of sleek black luxury cars slowly made its way through the streets of Great Sea City, drawing crowds of onlookers who whipped out their phones to capture the astonishing spectacle. Even in a metropolis as prosperous as Great Sea City—the most affluent in the entire nation—such an extravagant display was a rare sight.

After all, in a place like Great Sea City, where wealth dripped from every corner, a mere small company or family couldn’t possibly command such grandeur. Even the most reckless rich kids, who might rev their engines late at night, wouldn’t dare flaunt this level of opulence—unless they wanted an earful from their families.

Though it was already evening, the streets remained bustling. For someone to parade such a lavish convoy in full view of so many spoke volumes about the power behind it. It was like stumbling into the celestial palace from those viral online clips—a world far beyond the ordinary.

Many filmed the scene, slapped on some dramatic background music, and captioned it with the trending phrase, "Accidentally Walked into Heaven’s Gate," lamenting the cruel hand of fate. Some were born in Rome; others were born as beasts of burden.

But after a brief moment of grumbling and venting, life went on. Back to the daily grind tomorrow—back to being just another cog in the machine. The awe-inspiring scene faded as quickly as it had appeared. In this fast-paced era, overthinking only led to pain—the kind that came with brutal clarity.

The best approach? Follow Ye Cheng’s example: crack open an iced tea, binge some mind-numbingly entertaining short videos, and just keep scrolling.

Take Ye Cheng, for instance. The guy had topped the academic charts in Great Sea City, yet here he was, still doomed to operate forklifts at some shady logistics company.

Young folks, just accept your lot in life. Take the occasional pacifier of cheap entertainment, and before you know it, another day’s gone by in blissful ignorance…

The convoy eventually rolled into the most exclusive district of Great Sea City.

Here, even the roads were custom-built, as if leading into another world—a side of Great Sea City invisible to ordinary people.

The outermost security checkpoint alone stretched nearly a kilometer, a dense maze of barriers designed to deter any would-be intruders.

But as the Shen family’s motorcade approached, the entire kilometer-long gauntlet of checks dissolved instantly, granting the procession of black luxury cars unimpeded passage as they glided deeper into the enclave.

Minutes later, the cars came to a stop.

Click.

The rear door swung open. The woman in the driver’s seat hurried out, shielding the doorframe with her hand to prevent her young mistress from bumping her head.

Shen Qinghan stepped out, one foot clad in an exquisitely tailored leather shoe touching the ground. She didn’t immediately steady herself, instead reaching for the small cane that supported her.

Tap. Tap.

She took a couple of tentative steps forward, testing her balance, before proceeding with quiet confidence. Behind her, the car door shut with a soft thud.

The short-haired woman who had been driving hovered close, repeatedly lifting her hands as if to assist—only to pull back at the last second.

"No need. I can walk by myself."

Shen Qinghan’s icy tone cut through the air, leaving no room for argument. The woman immediately withdrew her hands, chastened.

Truth was, Shen Qinghan simply hated being touched.

When she first met Ye Cheng, Shen Qinghan was still resistant to human contact. However, the situation at the time was urgent, and compared to the detestable physical touch, Shen Qinghan figured her injuries were far more important.

Shen Qinghan had strong principles but was never rigid—she knew how to adapt. She wouldn’t punish Ye Cheng just because he touched her, unlike the domineering and "unreasonable" student council president.

In reality, the kind of brainless drama you see in novels doesn’t actually happen in real life.

Take the elite academy Ye Cheng was attending, for example. The students were all heirs of prominent families—young masters, heiresses, and wealthy second-generation elites.

How could the successors groomed by these powerful families be idiots? Even if they weren’t geniuses, they were at least of average intelligence. Who in their right mind would go around picking fights for no reason?

Ye Cheng and Shen Qinghan had been hanging out for so long, yet not a single person had stepped forward to cause trouble for Ye Cheng. Did that mean there were no rich young masters in the school secretly pining for Shen Qinghan?

Oh, there were. And the number was terrifying.

Not only was Shen Qinghan breathtakingly beautiful, with a charm stat of 9—practically a human succubus—but even if she were hideous, countless young masters would still throw themselves at her.

It wasn’t about affection. It was pure ambition. Winning Shen Qinghan’s favor meant gaining the backing of both the Shen and Du families.

Even a nobody could skyrocket to the top overnight, earning a whole new chapter in their family history.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy. Shen Qinghan had been introverted since childhood, with an exceptionally high IQ. She wasn’t the type to fall for cheap tricks.

Whenever Shen Qinghan looked at someone, her gaze was calm, but something about it made people feel like she was silently judging them as idiots. Most couldn’t even handle the psychological pressure of that stare, let alone try to get closer.

One wrong move, and they’d be chopped into mincemeat.

But Ye Cheng was different. Ye Cheng was already an idiot—Shen Qinghan’s death glare had no effect on him!

Maybe that was why the two of them got along so effortlessly, with zero friction. In fact, Shen Qinghan found it oddly comfortable.

This kind of dynamic was something she had never experienced in all her years. Even though Ye Cheng would immediately grovel like some "lowly servant No. 9527," Shen Qinghan could tell he didn’t actually feel any inferiority or fear toward her.

He treated her like a real friend—no forced flattery, no resentment even when she smacked him for acting stupid.

It was… nice. She liked being around Ye Cheng and didn’t mind his random physical contact. Of course, she’d still hit him when necessary.

As for everyone else, regardless of gender, the moment they showed any intention of getting close to her, she’d feel an instinctive disgust—a deep-seated revulsion that had been with her since childhood.

That was why Shen Qinghan had always been a loner.

It was a psychological issue, but also a physical choice—Shen Qinghan’s body told her that she disliked the people around her, including the bodyguard now standing before her, seemingly eager to offer help and support.

She didn’t need it. She could manage on her own.

Tap, tap, tap…

Alone, Shen Qinghan hobbled forward with her small cane toward the grand estate, leaving behind the short-haired woman with an awkward expression, her outstretched hand frozen mid-air.

Fortunately, their young mistress treated everyone this way—otherwise, the woman might have had to start considering what form of apology would appease her.

The short-haired woman hadn’t expected it—the person she had just kicked down was actually the young lady’s school friend. Did this mean the family head’s plan had succeeded?

Her joy lasted less than a second before vanishing from her eyes. If it were true, then she had just kicked down the only friend their young mistress had ever made. This…

A shudder ran through her as if struck by a sudden realization. Her face paled several shades, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

No. She couldn’t just sit back and wait for disaster. She had to do something to fix this!

Determination flashed in her eyes as if she had resolved herself to something. Without hesitation, she turned and strode away.

……

Inside the estate.

Shen Qinghan’s home wasn’t like the lavish mansions outside but a centuries-old ancestral residence. Originally the Du family’s ancestral home, it had been passed down to Du Wanyi after her marriage, and the entire family now lived here.

Tap, tap, tap—Shen Qinghan wobbled along with her cane through the estate until she reached her room.

Bang!

The door shut behind her, and she didn’t emerge again.

Elsewhere in the estate, in another room, a stunning woman with her hair elegantly coiled knelt on a soft cushion, scissors in hand as she trimmed flowers.

Snip!

She cut a stem, secured it with a metal clasp, then grafted it to another prepared flower. Snip, snip… The sound repeated steadily in the quiet room.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the hallway before stopping outside.

"Family Head, the young mistress has returned!" The respectful voice of the short-haired woman came from beyond the door.

The kneeling beauty paused her scissors, gently tucking a flower into her coiled hair.

"Come in, Little Lan. We’ll talk inside." Her voice, laced with a soft allure, carried through the room.

"Yes!"

The woman called Little Lan pushed the door open carefully, entering with practiced reverence. She moved smoothly to the cushion before the stunning woman and knelt in the same poised manner—like a child in school, sitting upright in hopes of earning a gold star.

A moment of silence passed before Little Lan’s gaze fell on a small knife on the table. A flash of resolve crossed her eyes, and suddenly, she grabbed the blade and thrust it toward her own abdomen.

Rustle—

The branch in Du Wanyi’s fingers trembled before shooting forward at an incomprehensible speed.

Thwack!

It struck Little Lan’s wrist with perfect precision. Clatter—the knife slipped from her grip and clattered to the floor.

"Slap yourself—ten times—then explain clearly," Du Wanyi said calmly, as if what had just happened was nothing more than a trivial matter.

Without the slightest hesitation, Little Lan began striking her own face ten times. Slap! Slap! Slap! The sharp sounds echoed through the room, each blow delivered with full force.

By the tenth strike, the woman named Little Lan bore vivid red marks on her face, her skin speckled with traces of blood, a crimson streak now staining the corner of her lips.

"Family Head, I have committed a grave offense—I kicked the Young Master's friend down the stairs," Little Lan muttered, her voice heavy with guilt as she kept her head bowed.

"Hmm? Little Lan, what did you just say? A friend? You mean our Qinghan has actually made a friend at school?!"

The tense atmosphere in the room shattered instantly. Du Wanyi's previously composed demeanor vanished, her beautiful eyes widening in astonishment, brimming with excitement and delight.

Finally! Her dear Qinghan had finally opened up—finally made a friend!

"Male or female?" Du Wanyi pressed eagerly, staring at the bewildered short-haired woman before her.

"Uh… Family Head, it's… a boy," Little Lan replied, though she was utterly baffled by the sudden shift in mood.

Du Wanyi's excitement soared even higher.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful—a boyfriend, no less!"

Little Lan: "…"