"President Su, welcome!"
As soon as they entered the teahouse, the group was greeted with warm hospitality.
To be precise, the hospitality was directed at Su Bai.
After his last visit, Su Bai found the taste and service here quite impressive, so the "card-charging immortal" (as he jokingly called himself) topped up another membership card.
The amount? Just the maximum limit for system cashback.
The owner quickly realized Su Bai was a wealthy patron who loved indulgence and added him on WeChat.
Even before heading to the parking lot earlier, Su Bai had already contacted the owner, saying he’d be coming for morning tea.
He’d pre-ordered a few dishes, which were now almost ready.
"Any seasonal delicacies today? Price isn’t an issue—just make sure it’s fresh and delicious," Su Bai asked.
"Of course, President Su, of course!"
The owner beamed. "We just got a wild Hong Kong grouper today, air-flown from Malaysia. We’ll steam it and drizzle it with oil to highlight its natural freshness… though it’s a bit pricey—weighed out, it might cost over two thousand…"
"I already said price isn’t a problem. Bring it."
"President Su has quite the appetite."
"I love meat, even for breakfast."
Watching Su Bai chat casually with the owner, who was practically bending over backward to please him, the girls couldn’t help but feel intrigued.
This was a rather upscale teahouse, rumored to be a favorite spot for professors and business partners to discuss deals.
Cantonese cuisine, with its mild flavors and elegant presentation, was perfect for business banquets.
But seeing the owner address Su Bai so deferentially—"President Su" this, "President Su" that—
The easily impressed Wan Sisters couldn’t hide their admiration, their eyes practically sparkling.
Jiang Qiuran, meanwhile, was lost in her usual emotional turmoil.
Only Chen Yusheng remained unfazed. She had little interest in this kind of flashy display of wealth—she was just looking forward to that wild Hong Kong grouper the owner mentioned…
Hmm, it’d probably be delicious, though maybe a bit too bland for her taste.
What if she dipped it in chili powder? The thought struck her out of nowhere.
In any other setting, this would likely earn her some ridicule. After all, a two-thousand-dollar wild grouper was prized for its delicate, succulent flesh.
Dipping it in chili powder? That’d be a waste.
But around Su Bai, Chen Yusheng felt oddly emboldened to act on her whims.
She leaned in and whispered her idea to Su Bai, who nodded. "Sure, I’ll let the server know."
"Mm!" Chen Yusheng’s eyes lit up with joy. "You don’t think it’s wasteful? It’s such a fine fish."
"Don’t worry. If you like it, we can come often. The supply isn’t that scarce—just expensive. As long as we stay on good terms with the owner, it shouldn’t run out too quickly…"
Truth be told, most luxury ingredients were like this. If you were willing to pay, you could always get them.
Su Bai wasn’t afraid of running out of money, so the price barely registered with him.
But for Jiang Qiuran, the reality hit hard—her heart practically trembled.
Su Bai’s mother gave him a monthly allowance of twelve hundred yuan.
This fish alone, plus the tea service fee, amounted to two months of his allowance.
Honestly, even with the recent swarm of wealthy suitors pursuing Jiang Qiuran, none had treated her to anything this extravagant.
The most outrageous offer so far had come in early September, right after the semester started.
An upperclassman from the arts college reserved a table at a Michelin-starred restaurant for her, even offering to let her bring a friend—just to avoid making her uncomfortable by his presence.
In other words, the simp wasn’t even showing up—pure freebies.
But Jiang Qiuran hadn’t gone.
Accepting such favors would leave her indebted, one way or another.
At the very least, her reputation would take a hit.
She still wanted to maintain her image as the campus’s sweet, untouchable goddess.
Yet here was Su Bai, effortlessly indulging in even greater luxury.
Sipping the fragrant tea, Jiang Qiuran felt a storm of emotions.
Normally sociable and composed, she was unusually quiet today.
Thankfully, Wan Xinyan kept the conversation lively, so the table didn’t fall into awkward silence.
Wan Xinyan noticed Jiang Qiuran’s odd behavior, glancing between her and Su Bai.
Hmm…
A woman’s intuition told Wan Xinyan there was something going on between these two.
Especially with Su Bai’s deceptively innocent, yet mischievous expression—it practically begged for speculation.
Come to think of it…
Him suddenly inviting her out to eat probably had ulterior motives.
Wan Xinyan, true to her name ("Xinyan" meaning "clever words"), was sharp-witted.
But unlike girls who schemed against their partners, her cunning was reserved for their shared "enemies."
If she was going to stick with Su Bai, she had to anticipate his needs.
Her dark, gleaming eyes darted playfully as her doll-like face broke into a sweet smile.
"So, Jiang Qiuran, you’re still single, right? Any guys on this trip catch your eye?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Jiang Qiuran’s expression soured further. She hurriedly shook her head. "No, I… I’m not looking to date right now."
"Oh, I see… So your standards are just that high. What a shame—the best catch, Su Bai, has already been snatched up by our top student Chen Yusheng."
"…Haha, really? Well, good for them."
Jiang Qiuran’s reply was stiff. She shot Su Bai a loaded glance before finally asking him directly:
"You and Chen Yusheng got together so fast—you must really click, huh?"
"Wow, you noticed!" Su Bai grinned. "We’re basically made for each other."
"Mhm~" Chen Yusheng, busy wrestling with the first dessert—a coconut cake—mumbled her agreement through a full mouth.
She even locked eyes with Su Bai for a moment.
As the internet would say, their chemistry was off the charts.
Wan Xinyan monitored Jiang Qiuran’s reactions closely, growing more certain of her suspicions.
But she didn’t push further on the topic of Su Bai’s relationship.
She had a feeling Jiang Qiuran was about to crack.
Instead, she steered the conversation toward local tourist spots, especially the upcoming "Tianrong Resort."
A comprehensive destination blending hiking, ancient towns, and amusement parks, it had become Jiangcheng’s top choice for short getaways in recent years.
Travel didn’t always have to be about novelty.
Variety and relaxation were key—and by that measure, Tianrong Resort was perfect.
Beyond the usual attractions, it also catered to deep-pocketed visitors with exclusive perks.
Luxury hotels were part of the package, too.
"Oh yeah, so where are we staying for this trip?" Su Bai asked between bites of peanut-braised chicken feet.
Wan Xinyan giggled. "Su Bai, we’re leaving right after this meal—how do you still not know where we’re staying?"
"Didn’t bother checking. The locals booked the rooms for us."
"Ah, typical Su Bai—always so easygoing."
Jiang Qiuran bristled at that.
Who did Wan Xinyan think she was, acting like she knew Su Bai so well?
Though… he really was the carefree type, wasn’t he?
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.
] [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!"
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?"
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...
