Su Bai quickly led Aunt Jiang away from the scene.
His movements were so swift that Xue Datao didn’t even have time to react.
Originally, Xue Datao had planned to ask to share their table—being shamelessly persistent was his usual style.
But Su Bai didn’t seem like someone who would easily give in.
His tall, muscular build alone was intimidating enough.
If Su Bai had been a frail-looking college student, Xue Datao might have been even more relentless in pestering Aunt Jiang.
Bullying the weak while fearing the strong—that was just how he operated.
Just as Xue Datao was about to return to his own group of friends, his eyes suddenly landed on a woman of breathtaking beauty sitting down at Aunt Jiang’s table.
Holy cow… Was that stunning girl Su Bai’s girlfriend?
So this was Aunt Jiang, out for a meal with her adopted son and daughter-in-law?
Instantly, Xue Datao was consumed by envy.
He had always thought his own son, Xue Tao, had done well by dating a top student at Jiangcheng University—a girl with a sweet, innocent look.
But compared to Aunt Jiang’s daughter-in-law, she was completely outshone.
The worst part? Xue Datao had never even seen Liu Yuanyuan in person, only heavily filtered photos.
And yet, those couldn’t hold a candle to Xia Lin’s real-life beauty.
"Ah well," he consoled himself mentally, "this girl probably doesn’t have much education—might even be a vocational school grad. Someone this gorgeous wouldn’t have the focus for studying."
It never crossed his mind that she was actually his son’s university advisor.
Meanwhile, back at their table, Su Bai glanced toward Xue Datao’s group.
Fortunately, their seats were on the far side of the all-you-can-eat beef hotpot restaurant, almost at the opposite end.
Likely cowed by Xia Lin’s undeniable aura of wealth and elegance, they didn’t dare look over too often.
"Aunt Jiang, you’re really popular! Your livestream career must be booming if you’re attracting such enthusiastic fans," Su Bai teased.
“Enthusiastic fan? More like a total idiot,” Aunt Jiang rolled her eyes. “Everyone in the livestream just watches him for laughs—he’s got a few screws loose.”
"...Wait, really?" Su Bai was stunned.
Well, what a coincidence.
Xue Tao was practically the communal joke of the male dorm, entertaining everyone from adjacent floors.
Could it be that this "digital pet" trait was hereditary?
"Was that guy’s name Xue Datao? Funny, there’s a student named Xue Tao in Su Bai’s class—even his roommate," Xia Lin remarked.
She remembered every student under her supervision clearly, a fact Su Bai deeply admired.
Most university advisors did the bare minimum, barely recognizing their students, let alone engaging with them.
Their motto might as well be "keep it distant."
But Xia Lin, though she didn’t micromanage, made sure to notify eligible students about scholarships and opportunities.
Truly dedicated.
And yet, she remembered Xue Tao… Then again, someone as… unique as Xue Tao would stick in any advisor’s memory.
"What if that’s Xue Tao’s dad?" Su Bai whispered near Xia Lin’s ear. "Don’t they look alike?"
"...They really do."
Xia Lin spared Xue Datao another glance but didn’t dwell on it.
Xue Tao wasn’t significant in her eyes—her main concern was restraining the flashy local from flaunting his wealth too obnoxiously, lest some hot-tempered classmate punched him.
As for Big Xue—no, Xue Datao—his vibe was uncannily similar to Xue Tao’s.
If nothing else, their fashion sense came from the same playbook.
His polo shirt and slacks weren’t cheap, nor was the designer belt on display.
Yet the overall combination was painfully mismatched.
Add the chunky gold Rolex on his wrist, and he was the textbook image of a nouveau riche.
All he needed was a gaudy gold chain.
Truly, family upbringing left its mark on college students.
Xia Lin shook her head with a wry smile and turned her attention to the beef hotpot with Su Bai and Aunt Jiang.
Freshly sliced beef hotpot was perfect for health-conscious middle-agers.
The broth was nearly clear, just a few pieces of daikon and corn for sweetness and to cut the gaminess.
Priced at over 200 per person, this was one of Jiangcheng’s better all-you-can-eat beef spots.
The meat came from Guizhou yellow cattle, air-flown for freshness—tender yet firm, many cuts needing just seconds in the broth to reach perfection.
That slight rareness was the true test of quality.
Aunt Jiang wasn’t familiar with this style of dining, so Xia Lin patiently guided her, even preparing a plate of brisket fat and a side of satay sauce dip…
An authentic way to savor the beef’s natural flavors.
"Xia Lin, you really know your stuff," Aunt Jiang marveled.
"Not bad, not bad. I’ve always had a passion for food and enjoy exploring different places," Xia Lin said with a soft smile. "I’m not too ambitious career-wise, though. My main plan right now is to settle into a stable job, maybe something like a counselor, and focus more on life and family."
After saying this, Xia Lin fixed her gaze on Su Bai for a moment.
That look wasn’t just a hint—it was practically a declaration.
Su Bai played dumb, burying himself in the food.
Ah, this beef—so red.
These beef balls—so round~
"Hey, Su Bai, did you hear what Director Xia just said? She’ll take care of the home, you handle the outside. Don’t think just because you made enough from stocks to buy a Panamera, you’re invincible. You’ve still got to keep working hard, you know~"
Su Bai: "…" (sweating emoji)
Wait, why are both of you ganging up on me?
He was starting to see the pattern—women around him were all about forming alliances.
Senior Zhou Jialu teamed up with Chen Yusheng, while Xia Lin made her move through Aunt Jiang.
So far, it seemed only the Wan Sisters were relatively less experienced in their tactics.
Noticing Su Bai’s exasperation, Xia Lin smoothly wrapped things up. "Su Bai’s ability to make money is already undeniable. He’s still young, and marriage is way too far off. For now, during his four years at Jiangcheng University, he should just relax and enjoy himself."
The underlying message: Even if you don’t respond to me now, don’t think you can marry someone else. Hmph.
Su Bai could feel the storm hidden beneath Xia Lin’s gentle, watery gaze.
Life was tough.
It seemed like way too many women wanted to marry him.
But then again, Xia Lin was an excellent choice for marriage. Just the connections and resources she brought along were enough to make anyone envious.
The system had only given Su Bai money and personal skills—social connections still had to be built from scratch.
Marrying a well-connected, reliable heiress was the fastest way to establish those ties.
No wonder so many men throughout history had been willing to marry into wealthy families.
It really was tempting!
Besides, Xia Lin had a great personality, nothing like those domineering rich girls.
Su Bai was genuinely starting to waver.
Luckily, he was only a freshman—there was no rush. He could take his time deciding.
However, Xue Datao, who had just passed by with dipping sauce and overheard a snippet of the conversation, was in a hurry.
He wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him.
Did Aunt Jiang just say this kid was only a freshman and already driving a Panamera?
Damn, is he that loaded?

he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...

tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...

ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!

ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"