Beauty is not a scarce resource, the wealthy are

Watching Wan Xinyan’s excited expression, Su Bai curled his lips into a smile.

Just as he had anticipated, she didn’t resist the chance to indulge in a little vanity with the gifts he had bought for them.

Everyone has a bit of vanity, especially in the atmosphere of an art school girls’ dorm.

Compared to the relatively simple and reserved girls in STEM fields, those studying art tend to mature faster.

Truthfully, Su Bai had only spent a little over ten thousand—even without considering the cashback, given his assets, it was practically pocket change.

But the reactions of the Wan sisters were amusing.

When Su Bai mentioned having the store deliver the items to their dorm, Wan Xinyan’s emotions visibly fluctuated.

In other words, she cared more about showing off than the actual value of the gifts.

Seeing her cheerful reaction, Su Bai found it quite entertaining.

Once everything was settled, Su Bai leaned down and said to Wan Xinyan, “Now that the shopping’s done, how about I take you two for a drive later? I remember there’s a riverside road north of this mall—sparsely populated, with plenty of open space for camping or strolling.”

“Yes, yes! We’ve always wanted to check that place out, but it’s too far without a car.”

“True, having a car really expands your range,” Su Bai mused.

It was a fact. Before owning the Mercedes GLE, he rarely bothered leaving campus.

Taking the subway was a hassle.

Even worse, many destinations were far from the nearest subway station, making shared bikes a tiring alternative.

Suddenly remembering something, Wan Xinyan asked, “By the way, for the Mid-Autumn Festival trip, are you planning to drive this car too?”

“Yeah, why?”

“No reason, just curious. It’s really spacious, perfect for road trips.”

Su Bai chuckled. “I think a Passat would work just fine too.”

“Ugh, no way! I don’t want to ride in Xue Tao’s car. Oh, right—can my sister and I ride with you? We’re calling dibs on the back seats! Don’t worry, we won’t freeload. We’ll make sure you’re well taken care of~”

Her suggestive tone carried heavy implications.

She felt today’s progress in getting close to Su Bai had gone well.

So, surely she’d earned a spot in his car for the trip, right?

The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in the Passat, listening to Xue Tao’s greasy, boring ramblings.

It was a fair question. Su Bai thought about it—the travel group had four guys and four girls, so theoretically, four people per car.

But that was just the textbook arrangement.

In reality, the Mercedes GLE’s back seat could easily fit three girls, and none in the group were the type you’d need to press F to interact with.

Add one more in the passenger seat, and all four girls could ride with him.

As for feasibility—Chen Yusheng would definitely stick to Su Bai. She was currently dead asleep at the JW Marriott after binge-watching thirteen episodes of anime and would probably cling to him like glue.

As for the last one, Jiang Qiuran…

Su Bai knew her well.

They were childhood friends, after all.

With all the other girls riding together, Jiang Qiuran would never agree to sit alone in the Passat with three unfamiliar guys.

Plan confirmed!

So Su Bai agreed, “Sure, you and your sister can take the back seats.”

“Roger that~”

Wan Xinyan playfully saluted.

She wisely didn’t ask who the passenger seat was reserved for.

Obviously, Chen Yusheng, right?

From what she’d heard, Su Bai and Chen Yusheng had been getting close lately, often gaming together.

Were they involved? Before, Wan Xinyan wasn’t sure. But after witnessing Su Bai’s financial power up close, she was certain Chen Yusheng had her eyes on him too.

Hell, they might’ve already… Well, no point speculating.

What mattered now was repaying Su Bai for buying them clothes.

Sure, she’d already gotten handsy with him in the fitting room, but that probably wasn’t enough. Wan Xinyan reminded herself to step up her game—rich guys weren’t fools.

Browsing Xiaohongshu, she’d come across countless gold-diggers sharing their regrets.

Most had met generous, wealthy men in their youth but got too greedy, acted entitled, and ruined their chances.

Then they got filtered out.

Pretty girls enjoy societal privilege when they’re young, often overestimating their worth.

But by the time their looks fade, they realize beauty isn’t rare.

There’s always an endless supply of eighteen-year-old stunners, but becoming wealthy? That’s getting harder by the day.

And let’s be honest—some rich guys are just impossible to stomach, even for the most determined gold-diggers.

Su Bai, on the other hand, was a rare exception. Flirting with him didn’t feel forced at all—in fact, it was genuinely enjoyable.

As the internet slang goes, it was a “physiological attraction.”

So when Wan Xinyan heard Su Bai was taking them to a secluded spot for a drive, she prepared herself.

This was her chance to show him the charm of twins~

…

Just as Su Bai led the Wan sisters toward the elevator to the mall’s underground parking lot—

On the other side of the same floor, Liu Yuanyuan stared at their retreating figures, stunned.

Holy crap… What am I seeing?!

Su Bai is holding hands with the Wan sisters from the art school?!

No way… He’s been acting shady with Chen Yusheng lately, yet here he is, cozying up to the Wan sisters like this.

Is this… cheating?

If it were just flirting with multiple girls, fine.

But what truly shocked Liu Yuanyuan was this: last night, Chen Yusheng didn’t return to the dorm.

It was the first time since the semester started that she’d stayed out overnight.

Liu Yuanyuan’s gossip radar had gone into overdrive. She’d spent half the night discussing it with her roommate Jiang Qiuran, but they couldn’t figure it out.

Why not ask her closest friend, Zhou Jialu?

Because Zhou Jialu hadn’t come back either.

That part wasn’t surprising.

Zhou Jialu’s boyfriend treated her so well—it was only natural their relationship would heat up fast.

But Chen Yusheng? That was weird!

Liu Yuanyan even asked her boyfriend Xue Tao and learned Su Bai hadn’t returned to his dorm either.

That spawned a terrifying thought.

Could Su Bai and Chen Yusheng have… gone to a hotel?!

Hard to imagine—Chen Yusheng, the aloof academic, always buried in lab work, actually going to a hotel with a guy.

But if it’s Su Bai… well, maybe not so strange.

After all, he’s handsome and fit.

Chen Yusheng choosing Su Bai wouldn’t be unusual in college.

Not all female students date for money.

Plenty prioritize looks—the so-called “marrying for love” fantasy.

To be honest, Liu Yuanyuan thought it was pretty foolish.

Su Bai's family was dirt poor, and Chen Yusheng's background didn't seem much better either. If these two ended up together, they'd inevitably face countless hardships down the road.