Jiang Qiuran's curiosity about that mysterious masked woman largely stemmed from the other's demeanor—she was the classic sweetheart type. Among the girls around Su Bai, none really fit this archetype, meaning Jiang Qiuran had originally monopolized this niche. But now, another girl had beaten her to it!
In other words, if Su Bai grew tired of her, he might not need Jiang Qiuran at all anymore.
The mere thought of this was terrifying.
Yet Su Bai didn’t seem interested in chatting with her. He hadn’t replied to several of her messages, and fearing she might annoy him, Jiang Qiuran stopped sending more.
Meanwhile, at an American-style steakhouse...
A sizzling cast-iron platter was brought out, bearing a USDA Prime ribeye steak glistening with juices.
According to the server, the steak had undergone a 42-day dry-aging process—no one knew why it was exactly 42 days. Maybe because 42 was the ultimate answer to the universe?
In any case, it tasted fantastic—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a rich, buttery burst of flavor upon the first bite. When sliced open, the center revealed a delicate pink hue, the marbling of the beef clearly visible.
"So, what do you think of this place? Yangyang, you should be the judge."
"Huh? Why me?"
"You’ve lived abroad. Dishes like this are more common overseas, right?"
"Oh… yeah, it’s really good."
Yangyang cut a small piece of steak, took a bite, and gave her honest opinion: "The searing technique is solid, and the aging process is well-executed. The only downside is the flavor profile is a bit plain. I prefer more experimental aging methods."
"Ah, you mean when they add different ingredients to the wrapping during aging?"
"Mm-hmm. Common ones include cheese or avocado aging, but there are also flashier options, like Longjing green tea aging or fermented bamboo shoot aging..."
"Wait, you can really use fermented bamboo shoots?"
"Of course! Hehe, I tried it once when I was bored abroad. The result was… hard to describe. Let’s just say it’s an acquired taste."
Aging techniques essentially involve slow, controlled fermentation of meat.
There are two main types: dry-aging and wet-aging. Depending on what’s added to the aging wrap, the meat absorbs those flavors—though it’s not a straightforward one-to-one transfer, as temperature and fermentation time also play a role.
"That sounds fun. The penthouse at Yashige has plenty of space—maybe I’ll set up a couple of aging chambers for experimentation."
"You’re really going to try it? Can I come watch?"
The moment the words left her lips, a flicker of unease crossed Liu Chenyang’s face.
Being with Su Bai was so enjoyable that she sometimes forgot the complications of reality.
She couldn’t openly join Su Bai’s harem, could she? If that ever happened, her father would absolutely lose it!
Sure, Su Bai was wealthy, but the Liu family were established power players in Jiangcheng. If push came to shove, her father would inevitably clash with Su Bai.
So maybe it was better not to visit Su Bai’s home as Yangyang… Ugh…
Meanwhile, Su Bai noticed the hint of melancholy in Liu Chenyang’s expression and immediately understood.
He reached out, ruffling her hair reassuringly. "Don’t worry. Just come over when the time comes. I’ll handle everything."
"Really? Su Bai, you wouldn’t find it troublesome…?"
"Troublesome how?"
"Well… um…"
Su Bai pinched her cheek playfully, making her blush and stumble over her words.
Being pampered by such a considerate man was truly wonderful.
But Su Bai’s mind was already racing with bolder ideas.
Was there a way to convince Liu Chenhu to stop raising his daughter as a son?
Ideally, a gentle, harmless, and seamless transition.
For now, while Yangyang was studying at Jiangcheng University, Su Bai could easily spend time with her without raising the Liu family’s suspicions or getting tangled in their internal drama.
With four years to work with, Su Bai was confident he could find a solution—one that would allow Yangyang to exist openly as a girl.
Of course, he didn’t have a concrete plan yet, just some theories.
The key likely lay with that Old Taoist who had Liu Chenhu completely fooled…
If he could bypass Liu Chenhu and deal with the Old Taoist first, Yangyang’s problem would solve itself.
Su Bai thought this approach was brilliant, though he wasn’t sure if it was feasible yet.
But that was a concern for later.
Right now, the priority was enjoying the meal.
The steak was excellent—aside from the slightly monotonous flavor, it was one of the best in the Bada Plaza, though the price was a bit steep.
As for the side dish, truffle fries… Western cuisine really was predictable. Any time they wanted to inflate prices, they just slapped on truffle or caviar.
But when Su Bai took a bite, his eyes lit up.
These fries… had a cheese filling.
The rich, sweet cheese, balanced by the earthy truffle, cut through the grease perfectly.
Even by Su Bai’s recent high standards for gourmet food, this dish was impressively executed.
His expectations now heightened, he tried another side:
"Smoked Chili Creamed Spinach"
Now this was innovative.
Taking the traditional sweet creamed spinach and tossing it with Mexican-style chili sauce…
"Tastes like the two-and-a-half-yuan spicy oil-tossed spinach from the university cafeteria’s cold dish counter."
"Hahaha, I was thinking the same thing!"
Fusion cuisine was always a gamble—sometimes divine, sometimes disastrous.
…
Finally, the obligatory dessert.
Nothing remarkable—it tasted like something from a chain bakery on the mall’s first floor, probably from the same supplier.
Honestly, that was a good thing. For mid-tier Western restaurants, store-bought desserts often outperformed homemade ones.
After all, we were living in the era of mass-produced pre-made dishes.
A mediocre house-made dessert couldn’t compete with a professionally supplied one.
Dinner concluded, the bill came to over 1,300 yuan.
Su Bai only got a 2x cashback reward this time.
Oddly, he felt pleased seeing low-multiplier cashback on small purchases—luck had to balance out. If low-value spends yielded small multipliers, it meant high-value spends were more likely to hit big ones.
It was practically superstition at this point.
As for the afternoon’s plans, Su Bai already had an idea.
Parked in the underground lot of Bada Plaza, he turned to Yangyang and announced his intention to buy a tennis court.
"Buy what?"
"A tennis court."
"…"
What an obscure thing to say!
Even in Yangyang’s social circles, no one casually mentioned "buying a tennis court" while lounging in a car, fiddling with the infotainment system after a meal.
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
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...
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?"
