That day, as Kong Huaijin left Huanyu, she found herself lost in thought.
She pondered Huanyu's corporate policies, Zhou Yi's app, and—most importantly—Zhou Yi himself.
When she returned home, Kong Xiaohe predictably teased her.
"So, the daughter of Huaihai's richest tycoon splurges on lavish gifts, the female CEO publicly declares her love, with sports car pickups—that’s the headline, right?"
"You already know about it?"
"It’s all over the internet. It’s not like I live under a rock. Sis, you have no idea how many people have asked me about it. I was completely baffled. Hmm, now who was it that once said there was no way things would work out with Zhou Yi? Surely that wasn’t my sister, was it?"
Kong Huaijin tossed her bag aside and flopped onto the couch with a laugh. "What, mocking me now? That was then, this is now."
Human beings could never escape the "true fragrance" principle.
Kong Xiaohe scooted closer. "I’m curious—how did you change your mind so quickly? That’s not like you, sis."
Kong Huaijin rubbed her neck and closed her eyes, replaying the day’s events in her mind—especially the moment they kissed on the bench. A faint flush crept up her cheeks, and she turned away slightly, afraid Kong Xiaohe might notice.
"How do I put it? That dinner before wasn’t enough for me to really understand him. Or maybe I admired him more back then. But after today, I like another side of him even more."
"For you to say something like that... it must be serious. Looks like I might get to call Yi-ge 'brother-in-law' someday."
"Not so fast. It’s still early. He wants to take things slow, get to know each other as friends first."
"Mm, Yi-ge does have a steady personality. He wouldn’t just agree because of your status. That’s actually a good thing."
Later, Kong Huaijin mentioned her plans to invest in Zhou Yi’s company. Kong Xiaohe fully supported the idea, leaving only their father’s approval to secure.
Kong Huaijin wasn’t worried. With her father’s sharp business acumen, he’d recognize the project’s long-term potential.
Still, as his daughter, she knew she had to discuss major decisions with him. After all, he hadn’t retired yet—proper procedures had to be followed.
After chatting a while longer, Kong Huaijin headed upstairs to shower and unwind.
She opened her phone’s gallery, scrolling through the photos Zhou Yi had taken of her. But her gaze lingered on their selfie together.
That look in Zhou Yi’s eyes... anyone would’ve melted under it.
A soft smile tugged at her lips as she reminisced about their kiss.
She opened WeChat and sent Zhou Yi a message:
[Kong Huaijin: I’ll go to class with you again tomorrow.]
[Zhou Yi: Is the esteemed Miss Kong abandoning her corporate empire now?]
[Kong Huaijin: Shouldn’t one give up a little something for the person they like?]
Besides, it was just money—the one thing she had in abundance.
Zhou Yi replied with a sticker, then said he was going to sleep. Kong Huaijin had hoped to chat longer, but now she could only drift off with thoughts of him.
Zhou Yi always knew when to pull back and when to lean in.
Today, he’d grown closer to Kong Huaijin, but it was time to create some distance—like flying a kite, where tension and release kept it soaring.
Kong Huaijin didn’t resent him for ending the conversation. Instead, her heart swelled with longing.
This was the peak of her infatuation. Unless Zhou Yi crossed a line, her feelings would only deepen—especially when her yearning went unfulfilled.
Her phone buzzed with messages from friends and admirers asking about Zhou Yi.
To all, she replied the same: "It’s true."
Before bed, she posted a WeChat Moment—visible to everyone—sharing the photos Zhou Yi had taken.
Their selfie, however, remained private. She’d save that for the day they made things official.
She wondered: if she wanted to pursue Zhou Yi, shouldn’t she have a strategy?
But this wasn’t her forte. Then she remembered a savvy friend and texted her: "How do you keep a man wrapped around your finger?"
The reply came swiftly:
"The secret is to praise him, indulge him, use him. Be sweet-tongued but steel-hearted. Never cry, never nag, never confront. Understand him, give him space, then reel him in. Spend his money, leverage his connections. Master the art of coyness, play the damsel, read the room, and perform when needed. Stay soft, demand what you want, and seize his heart."
Kong Huaijin studied the advice, already planning her next move.
On Tuesday, she accompanied Zhou Yi to class again, pressing him to agree to Wednesday’s dinner. He declined.
On Wednesday, she returned—this time with a purpose.
It was the day of her planned dinner with Luo Bingqing, and she would get Zhou Yi to join.
This time, she didn’t come empty-handed.
Kong Huaijin arrived in a brand-new sports car—a 6-million-yuan Lamborghini.
With only one morning class, she showed up early. By now, their classmates barely batted an eye.
When Zhou Yi walked in, she tossed him the keys.
"Yi, no need to shop for a sports car. I bought you a Lamborghini."
Seated casually in Zhang Wu’s spot, she delivered the line with effortless nonchalance.
The boys behind them gaped, mouths forming perfect O’s.
Zhou Yi sat down, eyeing the keys with a frown. "Jiejie, what’s this? I can’t accept something so extravagant."
He set the keys on the desk, clearly resisting.
The guys in the back nearly combusted with envy. A Lamborghini! And Zhou Yi had the audacity to refuse? How principled could one man be?
Yet here was this goddess, making three trips to Huai University just for him. They’d kill to learn his secrets.
Kong Huaijin chuckled. "What’s the big deal? It’s just a car. Consider it compensation for coming to dinner today, okay?"
She nudged the keys back into his hand, her tone laced with playful pleading.
Zhou Yi feigned reluctance, hesitating before finally sighing. "Fine, I’ll go."
Kong Huaijin had gone this far—refusing now would seem pretentious.
Her fingers curled around his sleeve. "Great! Actually, a friend of mine is a huge fan of yours. She begged me to invite you. Don’t make me lose face in front of her, alright?"
With Zhou Yi, even Kong Huaijin had softened into girlish charm.
His resolve cracked. "Alright, I’m in."
Twice, he’d held back—not because he wasn’t interested, but because he refused to seem like an easy conquest.
People never treasured what came too readily.
Whether man or woman, the thrill lay in the chase, not the prize.
Besides, for the sake of this Lamborghini, he couldn't let Sister Kong lose face.
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?!
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
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!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
