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.
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
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?!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
