Strolling by the Lakeside with Sheng Sheng

Watching Su Bai effortlessly carry Wan Xinyue to the bed, tuck her in, and settle her comfortably, Wan Xinyan remarked with admiration, "Su Bai, you’re really strong. If it were me, I wouldn’t have been able to handle my sister at all."

"Is that so?" Su Bai glanced at her and then at Wan Xinyue. "Seems pretty normal. You two probably weigh about the same."

"Not quite. Sister is two pounds heavier than me."

"Just two pounds? How much of a difference could that make?"

"Those two pounds are in key areas, so the impact is significant. Want to compare for yourself, Su Bai?"

"Oh? Would your sister even agree to that?"

"She totally would!"

Wan Xinyue, deep in her drunken slumber: No objections here!

And so, in the spirit of thorough investigation, Su Bai conducted a hands-on comparison.

"Hmm… you’re right."

"See? Sister actually has a slight edge over me."

"There are some other differences too."

"Well, I do prefer exercising more~"

As their conversation lulled, the bedroom fell into a brief silence, leaving only the sound of their breathing.

Darkness swallowed the room, save for the faint glow of a small nightlight at the foot of the bed.

In such an atmosphere, emotions ran high, and people were far more likely to act on impulse—or perhaps, not so much on impulse.

To Wan Xinyan, taking that step with Su Bai felt entirely natural.

If anything, she had been eagerly waiting for him to…

She also had to thank Chen Yusheng for allowing her and her sister this romantic night, this private moment with Su Bai.

How wonderful.

"Su Bai, can I sit on your lap? I rarely get to feel this kind of pampering."

"Of course." Su Bai settled onto the windowsill and motioned for her to come closer. "I remember you mentioned your parents passed away very early."

"Mhm, just like your situation. That’s why we’re so drawn to you… We like someone tall and strong, someone dominant, someone financially secure… Sigh. And honestly, we don’t have many standout qualities besides our looks. If we had to compete in the job market, pay off student loans, rent a place, secure our future… Just thinking about it feels exhausting. My sister and I… we’ve been scared of poverty for so long."

"That’s understandable. My purpose is to make life better for girls like you who’ve had it hard."

"Hehe, and we won’t let you down, Su Bai…"

...

"From now on, you’ll live a good life with me."

...

A wave of exhaustion washed over Wan Xinyan, her eyelids growing heavy.

Between the red wine she’d drunk earlier and the warmth of Su Bai’s embrace, she soon drifted off to sleep.

Su Bai carefully laid her down beside Wan Xinyue.

He took a moment to admire the sight and nodded to himself.

Perfect.

The two sisters’ sleeping faces were absolutely adorable.

He couldn’t resist snapping a photo for keepsake.

As for when he’d take things further with Wan Xinyue… he’d wait until she sobered up. Wan Xinyan would probably handle the arrangements—this girl knew exactly how things worked.

A sensible girl like her was worth keeping around long-term.

Oh, and Jiang Qiuran was shaping up nicely too. Though not as sharp as Wan Xinyan or Senior Xiaolu, her unique vibe was refreshingly new to Su Bai.

Lost in his thoughts, Su Bai took a quick shower before stepping outside.

Chen Yusheng had already eaten her fill and was now lounging on a foldable rattan chair, facing the distant lake while fiddling with her phone.

Su Bai walked over, covered his own eyes, and navigated his way to her purely by instinct.

"Let me guess—you’re browsing the player forums, discussing the new game releasing this weekend."

"...You’re a mind reader, Su Bai!"

"Nah, mind readers are too subtle. A man shouldn’t be subtle!"

"Pfft, what kind of logic is that?"

Chen Yusheng stood up, pulled his hands away, and kissed the tip of his nose. "Play with me!"

"Play what?"

"That co-op game coming out this weekend. I want to play it with you." She paused, then emphasized, "Only with me. No other girls."

"Deal."

This was one request he had to honor.

Gaming was Chen Yusheng’s exclusive domain.

After all, they’d met through games.

It was also where she excelled.

She didn’t interfere with Su Bai’s other relationships, but when it came to gaming, she had to assert her dominance.

How clever of him to understand her so effortlessly. Chen Yusheng grinned—a rare sight, given her usual poker face. She only ever lit up like this around Su Bai.

After some affectionate banter, Chen Yusheng asked, "Between me and Wan Xinyan, who’s better?"

"You, obviously. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d always go for the tall, leggy beauty."

"Really? I pegged you as a secret lolicon."

"Overthinking it. Check my Bilibili and Douyin favorites—all mature women, guaranteed."

"Show me!"

Without shame, Su Bai opened his private favorites tab and handed her the phone.

Chen Yusheng scrolled through with great interest.

"Verdict?"

"Well… in terms of quantity and watch frequency, mature women dominate. But you’ve got a little bit of everything else too."

"Yep. I’m an equal-opportunity admirer."

"You’re shameless! Hmph~"

Chen Yusheng nuzzled her head against his jaw. "Su Bai, take me for a walk by the lake."

"Sure."

"Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamed of living in a big house by the water, strolling along the shore aimlessly, waiting for inspiration to strike before getting back to work…"

"So your childhood dream was to be a writer!"

"Not at all! Programmers can work like that too—there are remote positions."

At this, Chen Yusheng sighed. "Su Bai, do you really think I can become a top-tier lead engineer like you said? The industry’s so competitive. I mean, I’m smart, sure, but there are so many smart people."

"But most of them don’t have the resources you do."

"What resources?"

"You have me. Take a look at my account balance—it’s all yours to fund your startup."

He flashed his phone screen.

Thanks to his recent relentless… activities, his savings were nearing 90 million.

Chen Yusheng froze, her lips parting slightly. "But… startups are money pits."

"Don’t worry. I’ll invest and make more for you. We’ll milk the foreign capital markets and funnel it back into domestic tech. Peak integrity, right?"