Thinking of Zhou Jialu's stunningly beautiful face and her curvy, devilish figure, Ke Yujia looked down at her own unremarkable chest and petite stature. A deep sense of inferiority instantly welled up in her heart.
Yes.
Brother Su Bai was so outstanding, wealthy, and handsome. What kind of peerless beauties hadn't he seen?
How could he possibly truly like a nobody like her, who knew nothing but dancing and wasn't even sexy enough?
Perhaps everything today was just her own wishful thinking and unrequited affection.
His kindness to her was merely the casual tenderness of a wealthy patron, just as effortless as when he casually bought the entire dance troupe.
"Splash..."
The sound of running water continued.
Ke Yujia squatted down, hugged her knees with both hands, and buried her face in her arms.
The warm water mixed with a drop or two of salty tears, sliding down her cheeks.
This feeling was too agonizing.
It was ten thousand times worse than having her toys snatched away when she was a child.
She clearly wanted to get close to him, and she had clearly given him her whole heart, yet she didn't even know what he was thinking. Was this suspended, up-in-the-air feeling the taste of a secret crush?
Worrying about gains and losses, treading on thin ice.
"Ke Yujia, you are so useless..."
She secretly scolded herself in her heart.
But what could she do?
She really liked him. From the moment he stood in front of her at the service area, from the moment he recognized her and picked her up, she knew that she would probably never be able to take her eyes off this man for the rest of her life.
Even if he only treated her as a younger sister.
Even if he only felt that she had a "unique charm."
She didn't want to give up either.
"No."
Ke Yujia suddenly raised her head, a trace of unprecedented stubbornness flashing in her clear, deer-like eyes.
She stood up, turned off the showerhead, and picked up a bath towel to dry her body.
Looking at the girl in the mirror, whose face was flushed like peach blossoms from the steam, she clenched her small fists.
"Since we've already kissed, there's no turning back!"
"He didn't push me away, which means he doesn't hate me! As long as he doesn't hate me, I still have a chance!"
"So what if I don't know how to date? So what if I'm petite? I can learn, I can work hard!"
"Since he already has a mature woman by his side, I will take 'cute' and 'obedient' to the extreme! Principal Dancer Lin said that dancing is about maximizing strengths and avoiding weaknesses, and relationships are the same!"
At this moment, this little nobody, who used to be the most inconspicuous in the dance troupe and would only hide in a corner and cry when things happened, seemed to have completed a psychological transformation.
Love, sometimes, can truly make people brave.
She dried her hair, changed into clean pajamas, and walked out of the bathroom.
Picking up the phone on the bedside table, she opened Su Bai's WeChat.
Although it was just a simple "big white goose" avatar, it had become the entire motivation for her life right now.
[Brother Su Bai, I'm done showering. I was really happy today, thank you. (Cute little rabbit making a heart shape.jpg)]
She pressed the send button.
No matter what tomorrow would bring, at least today, she had taken the first step.
...
In the master bedroom of the Yundi Villa, the smart temperature control system maintained the room temperature at the most comfortable twenty-five degrees.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the night sky of Ancheng was dotted with stars, while inside the panoramic glass, dim and ambiguous ambient lighting enveloped the large double bed in a soft halo.
The air was filled with an extremely high-end and intoxicating fragrance. It was the scent of the Bulgarian haute couture rose essential oil left behind from when Xia Lin used her resources in the magic city to specially send a private jet to fly over a top beautician team along with their equipment to give Zhou Jialu a full spa treatment that afternoon.
"Done washing up?"
Su Bai leaned against the headboard, holding a glass of whiskey with an ice sphere, watching Zhou Jialu walk out of the bathroom.
At this moment, Zhou Jialu was only loosely wrapped in a black silk nightgown, the belt tied loosely around her waist. As she walked, her long, straight, and well-proportioned beautiful legs were faintly visible.
But the most stunning thing was the condition of her skin right now.
If the former Zhou Jialu was a red rose in full bloom, exuding mature charm, then now, after experiencing four hours of top-tier facial anti-aging and luxurious full-body essential oil care, her whole person seemed to have been reinjected with astonishing vitality.
Her originally fair skin now looked as if it had drunk its fill of water, revealing a pinkish tenderness and radiance from the inside out. Under the warm-toned lighting, it even shimmered with a faint glow resembling top-quality mutton-fat jade.
"How is it? Junior, have you seen the results of your exclusive beauty investment?"
Zhou Jialu stepped on the soft wool carpet and walked to the edge of the bed. She didn't rush to get into bed, but instead gracefully twirled in front of Su Bai, like a model showing off her proudest work.
The hem of her nightgown fluttered along, bringing up a tantalizing fragrant breeze.
She leaned down, bringing her stunningly bright face close to Su Bai. Her captivating fox-like eyes were full of confidence and charm: "Want to touch?"
Su Bai put down his wine glass, reached out, and gently traced his fingertips across her cheek, following her slender neck all the way down to her delicate collarbone.
The touch was incredibly smooth and tender, as if water could be squeezed out with just a little force.
"Indeed not bad."
A spark of amazement flashed in Su Bai's eyes, and his voice unconsciously deepened a bit. "It seems the team Xia Lin found really has some skills. With this skin condition, people would believe it if you said you just turned eighteen."
"You only know how to sweet-talk."
Zhou Jialu gave him a coquettish eye roll and naturally snuggled into his arms, her jade-like arms wrapping around his neck.
She pressed her face against Su Bai's broad and sturdy chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, and let out a faint sigh.
"But seriously, Su Bai... lying on the beauty bed this afternoon, I really felt like I was dreaming."
Zhou Jialu's fingers unconsciously drew circles on Su Bai's chest, her tone carrying a deep sense of emotion. "Going through that whole process, the equipment used was the latest international anti-aging black technology, and a small bottle of the essential oil applied to the body is worth half a year's salary for an ordinary person... This is a life that countless women wouldn't even dare to dream of."
"As a woman, no matter how strong or glamorous one appears on the surface, deep down there is always a fatal weakness—the fear of aging."
She looked up, her eyes revealing a rare trace of vulnerability.
As a senior who was a few years older than Su Bai, although she was currently in a woman's most charming golden age, every time she looked in the mirror and saw the extremely fine dry lines that might appear at the corners of her eyes, she would feel an indescribable sense of anxiety. Time is always exceptionally cruel to women.
"But today, after finishing the treatment and looking at myself in the mirror, I suddenly wasn't afraid anymore."
Zhou Jialu leaned in and planted a heavy kiss on Su Bai's lips. "Good thing I'm with a resourceful junior like you. As long as you're here, I feel like I'll always have confidence and never grow old."
To a woman, top-tier skincare products are certainly important, but what matters even more is a man willing to spend fortunes on her and protect her for a lifetime.
This is a youth-preserving magic far more effective than any anti-aging serum.
"Since you know how good your junior is, shouldn't you hurry up and show some actual gratitude to repay me?"
Su Bai's desires were stoked by her heartfelt confession.
With a flip, he pinned the tender, seemingly boneless body in his arms against the soft Egyptian cotton sheets.
"Don't worry, this exercise promotes blood circulation better than any spa treatment."
...
An unknown amount of time passed before the storm finally settled.
The air in the room felt somewhat thick, as if thickened by the extreme heat.
Zhou Jialu lay limp on Su Bai's chest, not wanting to move a single finger. Her wavy hair was scattered messily, and sweat stuck a few strands to her rosy cheeks, giving her a breathtakingly languid beauty.
Su Bai leaned against the headboard, one arm wrapped around her slender waist, while his other hand picked up the phone from the nightstand.
Earlier, during the breaks in their exercise, the phone had vibrated several times.
Swiping open the screen, a WeChat chat box with a little white rabbit avatar popped up.
[Ke Yujia: Brother Su Bai, I just finished showering. I was really happy today, thank you. (Cute bunny making a heart shape.jpg)]
This was sent over half an hour ago.
And just five minutes ago, seemingly unable to hold back any longer after not getting a reply, she cautiously sent another message:
[Ke Yujia: Are you asleep? If so, then good night, sweet dreams~ (Moon.jpg)]
Between the lines, her anxiety and careful probing practically spilled out of the screen.
Su Bai looked at the screen, a faint smile curving his lips. The image of the little girl in a short skirt and white pantyhose, so nervous she was stiff in the movie theater, surfaced in his mind. Tapping his fingers, he replied:
[I just finished taking care of some things. I'm not asleep. You should rest early too, I'll take you out for good food tomorrow when you're free.]
"Oh my, in the middle of the night, claiming you just finished taking care of some things..."
A slightly sour, yet clearly coquettish voice drifted up faintly from his chest.
Zhou Jialu had opened her eyes at some point. She was trying to prop herself up, her fox-like eyes staring intently at the phone screen in Su Bai's hand.
"This little bunny heart is so sweet, calling you brother this and brother that."
Zhou Jialu deliberately pouted her red lips and reached out a finger to poke Su Bai's chest gently. "You really have boundless energy, junior. We just finished rolling in the sheets, and before you've even caught your breath, you're busy comforting that old classmate who loves wearing white pantyhose?"
"What? Is my good senior jealous?"
Su Bai didn't feel embarrassed about being caught at all. Instead, he openly tilted the screen toward her so she could see clearly, and casually tapped her perky nose.
"Why would I be jealous?"
Zhou Jialu snorted softly and slumped back down limply. "It's not my first day knowing you're a scumbag. Besides, that little girl was crying her eyes out at the rest stop today, she really is quite endearing. I'm just curious, what kind of spell did you cast when you took her out this afternoon, to enchant her so much that she's staying up half the night, eagerly waiting for your reply?"
Su Bai smiled, locked the phone, and tossed it aside. His large hand gently stroked Zhou Jialu's smooth back.
"There wasn't any spell, really."
Su Bai looked at the ceiling, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes. "It's just that when I took her walking down the ancient street today, I finally remembered who she was."
"Who? Isn't she your kindergarten classmate? Didn't you two recognize each other in the car this afternoon?" Zhou Jialu was a bit confused.
"Not just a regular classmate."
Su Bai chuckled softly. "You don't know, but the kindergarten we went to back then was in poor condition. During nap time, everyone slept on a long communal bed. Because she was small, she was pushed into the corner and cried every day. And back then... she always had a runny nose, so her nickname was Little Sniveler."
"Little Sniveler? Pfft--"
Zhou Jialu couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. "So she has such a cute dark history!"
"Exactly."
Su Bai continued, "She happened to sleep right next to me. This girl was timid and had nightmares every day, waking up crying whenever she had one. I would secretly slip her the White Rabbit creamy candies my mom packed for me to coax her to sleep. Later on, some local punks in town bullied her, and I even got into a fight with those upperclassmen for her, getting my head busted open."
"That was the first time in my life I played the hero saving the damsel in distress. I never expected the one I saved would be this little white rabbit in our dance troupe now."
After hearing Su Bai's story, the teasing and banter on Zhou Jialu's face slowly faded, replaced by surprise and an unconcealable gleam.
"Oh my god..."
Zhou Jialu propped up her chin, looking at Su Bai with sparkling eyes. "Sleeping in the same bed for kindergarten naps, sharing the same candy, and even fighting and bleeding for her... After losing touch for over a decade, when you bought the dance troupe, she became your employee, and then you staged a perfect hero rescuing the beauty scene at the rest stop..."
Zhou Jialu got more excited as she spoke, even slapping Su Bai's thigh in her thrill.
"Junior! This isn't just old classmates catching up, this is literally the top-tier 'childhood sweethearts, destined reunion' script straight out of a romance novel!"
"In her heart, she probably considered you her peerless hero since she was little, right? And today she found out you were that little boy from back then... No wonder she's staying awake in the middle of the night!"
Zhou Jialu understood all too well how lethal this sense of destiny was to a pure girl experiencing her first awakening of love and lacking any romantic experience.
"Isn't this just pure fate!"
Not only did Zhou Jialu show no jealousy, she instead revealed an excited expression, like someone who loves watching a good drama unfold.
Having stayed by Su Bai's side for so long, and having developed a tacit understanding with Chen Yusheng, Li Xingya, and the others, Zhou Jialu had long accepted Su Bai's incredible charm and the fact that he was destined not to belong to just one person.
Rather than being a bitter woman fighting out of jealousy, it was better to be a sensible, understanding big sister who knew when to advance and when to retreat.
"It seems..."
Zhou Jialu reached out her slender fingers, gently tracing Su Bai's Adam's apple, her eyes as seductive as silk. "Junior, you're about to have another devoted female confidante."
"As for Yusheng and the rest of us... it looks like we're going to have another sweet and adorable 'good sister'."
"You're quite generous." Su Bai looked at her with a half-smile. "Aren't you afraid that little bunny will come in and steal some of your favor?"
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Zhou Jialu haughtily lifted her face, which was currently at the absolute peak of its beauty having just undergone a top-tier anti-aging treatment. "She has her soft and cute charm, while I have my mature allure. Besides, you're a monster with terrifying stamina. Having a few more girls to help share the burden means I can suffer a little less!"
Speaking of this, as if recalling the "torture" from just now, Zhou Jialu shot him an annoyed but playful glare.
"But I am warning you, that girl is as innocent as a blank sheet of paper. If you really claim her, you had better treat her well."
Hearing Zhou Jialu's words, which sounded like a warning but were actually a sign of total indulgence, Su Bai felt incredibly satisfied.
What defined the ultimate harem of a mega-tycoon?
This was it.
No scheming, no chaotic drama, only mutual tolerance and absolute obedience.
"Don't worry. They are my women, so of course I will cherish them."
Su Bai rolled over, once again pinning this unbelievably sensible, vixen-like senior under him.
"But right now... let's talk about what you just said about 'suffering a little less.' From the looks of it, you won't be suffering any less at all!"
"Ah! Su Bai! You're an animal... Mmm..."
The night was seductive, and the romantic passion within the Yundi mansion remained as intense as ever.

rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!

ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"

transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”

ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!