The waiter poured two shallow glasses of wine, placing them beside Xia Lin and Su Bai respectively.
Xia Lin picked up the stemmed glass, giving it a gentle swirl—her posture flawless, the kind of refinement taught by elders at home.
Every movement exuded an innate elegance, far beyond what those trained in "socialite workshops" could ever mimic.
This was the kind of grace that could only be cultivated from childhood.
Moreover, Xia Lin’s demeanor was noticeably more understated than the typical "socialite" vibe—no wonder her blind dates fawned over her so much.
Even among the daughters of wealthy families nowadays, many lacked both class and looks.
Yet even within that elite circle, Xia Lin stood out.
Diligent, gentle, and refined—she was the perfect marriage material.
As she swirled her wine, Xia Lin studied Su Bai, her eyes brimming with unmistakable interest.
"Watching a movie? That was just an excuse to brush off that uncle," Su Bai said nonchalantly. "Seemed like Director Xia was annoyed by him, so I threw in a few extra words to piss him off."
"Why call him ‘uncle’? He’s barely in his thirties."
"He’s a whole zodiac cycle older than me—what’s wrong with ‘uncle’? These days, kids see a three-year gap as a generation. Even high school freshmen call me ‘uncle.’ Who do I complain to about that?" Su Bai shrugged innocently.
"Hahaha, fair enough!"
Xia Lin was amused. This guy really knew how to hold a conversation.
She sensed a rare ease in Su Bai—not the pretentious "laid-back" act some wannabe sophisticates put on, but a genuine "whatever, who cares" attitude.
Being around someone like him would be fun.
The appetizers arrived quickly—a molecular gastronomy salad.
Molecular cuisine involved manipulating ingredients through physical and chemical processes, deconstructing and reconstructing their properties.
Think potato foam or lychee masquerading as caviar.
An occasional indulgence for novelty’s sake.
But the restaurant’s real specialty was its meat dishes.
Su Bai had a hearty appetite, especially for meat, so Xia Lin ordered him lamb chops, steak, and fish fillet, plus sides—more than enough for him to feast on.
Premium ingredients paired with wine made for an exquisite meal.
The wine of choice was Sassicaia, from Tuscany, Italy.
A blend of Bordeaux’s structure and Tuscany’s terroir, with notes of blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco, its complexity deepened with age. Su Bai picked the 2015 vintage—priced at a steep 36,000 yuan.
Since this was a thank-you dinner for Director Xia, splurging on a fine bottle was only fitting.
"Mmm, nice… I love this one’s profile, but I’d never buy it for myself. Thanks for the treat today."
Xia Lin clinked glasses with Su Bai.
"No big deal. I’ve been craving good wine, and having you here makes it even better."
"Honestly, if you’re up for it, we could catch a movie this afternoon. There’s a new indie film I haven’t seen yet."
"Should I take that as Director Xia inviting me to the movies?"
"Yeah, pretty much. You in?"
Xia Lin was direct, without a trace of shyness.
Her smile was like a warm breeze—utterly devoid of any coquettishness, yet her toned, athletic figure and smooth, faintly pink-tinged skin stirred something primal.
If Zhou Jialu was the kind of enchantress who made men want to misbehave at first glance,
then Xia Lin was the born "wife material," the type who made you imagine her in a pure white wedding dress.
Su Bai thought for a moment.
"A movie sounds good, but I’d rather skip the theater… Hey, doesn’t the Ascott’s private screening room have on-demand new releases?"
"Yep, a perk for residents."
"Then let’s try that. See if they’ve got the one you want."
"Deal."
With plans set, both picked up their pace eating.
Xia Lin was looking forward to this.
Her upbringing was strict—openly chasing or seducing a man was beneath her dignity.
But a private screening room? Perfect for some one-on-one time.
Su Bai felt the same.
After helping Xia Lin ditch her annoying suitor, her favorability toward him had already hit 68 points.
Pushing it past 80 would bind her as one of the system’s "indulgence cashback" targets.
He wondered if Xia Lin offered even juicier returns—like her family’s business. Would investing in it count as "indulgence"?
...
The meal totaled just over 40,000 yuan.
36,000 of that was the wine—no surprise, premium booze always jacked up the bill.
Su Bai swiped his card, triggering a 3x cashback—netting him 80,000 yuan.
The thrill of splurging and still making money? Unbeatable.
Most rich people didn’t earn their wealth easily, and spending it hurt.
They might play the big spender at checkout, but inside, they weren’t so relaxed.
Su Bai’s ease, though, was bone-deep.
To Xia Lin, it spoke of upbringing—the poise of old money.
She couldn’t help speculating about his background.
She’d checked his file at the start of the semester.
His parents were factory workers, long deceased, with a neighbor listed as his guardian.
Nothing there explained his spending habits.
Xia Lin suspected the "parents" might not be his real ones.
Among the wealthy, such soap-opera twists weren’t rare.
But that was a mystery for later. Right now, her focus was the movie.
She’d canceled tennis with her bestie for this.
This screening had to nudge them into flirtatious territory—subtly, though.
True blue bloods moved with precision: steady, sharp, lethal.
The Ascott’s private theater was nestled in the complex, surrounded by a man-made brook in a courtyard.
According to Xia Lin, the design fused "neo-Chinese" elements.
What was "neo-Chinese"?
"Traditional aesthetics mutilated with weird modern touches—enough to make old-school landscapers vomit blood."
"Really? I wouldn’t know. Just looks nice… This paving isn’t cheap, right?"
"Marble. Higher grade than your average five-star hotel." Xia Lin’s lips curled. "My recommendations always match your… stature."
"My what now? News to me."
Su Bai caught her probing tone and played dumb.
The best lies were half-truths, veiled enough to mystify.
No need to spell things out—his spending did the talking for him.
Xia Lin swiftly shifted to another topic after her failed attempt, seamlessly avoiding any awkwardness.
A clever woman, Su Bai silently noted in his mind.
Cleverness is good—it’s the mark of a virtuous wife and nurturing mother.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
