Beauties Like Clouds

Xie Tingwan's single sentence made it clear that her relationship with Zhou Yi was closer than others.

Zhou Yi smiled at the group and said, "Good morning, everyone."

Then, turning to Xie Tingwan with warmth in his voice, he added, "I opened it—I really like it. Thank you for the gift, Wanwan."

Zheng Wei and He Lan immediately sensed the personal connection between Zhou Yi and Xie Tingwan, so they didn’t extend their earlier invitation for him to sit with them.

Joking aside, this was Xie Tingwan they were talking about! Who would dare compete with her?

The men, meanwhile, couldn’t help but envy Zhou Yi. What man wouldn’t be jealous of receiving a gift from Xie Tingwan?

Zhou Yi led the group from S Province to another row of seats. Before long, everyone had arrived.

Teacher Yang, the team leader, was efficient and straightforward. She gathered everyone at the entrance, instructed them to collect their luggage, and then headed straight to the airport.

Before boarding the plane, Zhou Yi sent messages to quite a few people.

You Man, Jiang Ruolan, Kong Huaijin, Qiao Xi, Little Jia, Su Ning, Zhang Wu...

[I'm about to board the plane, Manjie. I'll call you when I land. Take care of yourself while I'm gone.]

[Ruolan, I’m heading to the airport now. I’ll leave the company in your hands. I’ll update you after landing.]

[Sis, Xiao He and I are at the airport, ready to depart. I’ll send you photos once we reach the U.S.]

[Xi, I’m boarding soon. Let’s chat when I arrive. If I have time, I’ll bring back XX’s artwork for you.]

[Jiajia, I’m about to get on the plane. I’ll message you when I land. Don’t take cold showers—they’re bad for your health.]

[I’m heading to the airport now. I’ll let you know when I arrive. Wait for good news in a few days.]

[Wu, keep an eye on Weibo for me. I trust your skills—you’re the best anti-defamation team leader.]

It took Zhou Yi a long time to send all these messages, and even 077 couldn’t help but marvel.

Now this was what you called a true master of time management.

He tailored his approach to each woman.

Su Ning admired strength, so Zhou Yi emphasized his determination to win an award, telling her to expect good news.

Qiao Xi loved art exhibitions and had a more artistic personality, so he promised to bring back a painting she adored.

...

Zhou Yi’s WeChat was flooded with messages, mostly wishing him success in the competition, but he didn’t have time to reply to all of them.

People like Xia Qiuzhi and Chu Han, for instance.

Truthfully, they had never stopped messaging him, but Zhou Yi rarely responded.

Once his messages were sent, everyone reacted differently.

The happiest was likely Qiao Xi, who was pleasantly surprised that Zhou Yi knew her favorite artist and even remembered to bring back a piece for her while abroad.

What an incredible man.

A blissful smile spread across Qiao Xi’s face as she stared at her phone.

[Qiao Xi: Yi-ge, how did you know I love XX’s paintings? I don’t think I ever mentioned it.]

[Zhou Yi: There’s a photo in your Moments where you’re looking at a painting. Unless I’m mistaken, it’s by that artist, right?]

Qiao Xi was even more astonished that Zhou Yi recognized the artist just from that photo. Did he share her admiration for that master?

[Qiao Xi: Yi-ge, you like him too!?]

[Zhou Yi: Yeah, so I’ve read up on his work before.]

[Qiao Xi: Ahhh! I never knew you were into his art too!]

Qiao Xi felt like she had found a kindred spirit, but Zhou Yi had to board the plane, cutting their conversation short.

Hearing the system announce the rise in Qiao Xi’s affection, Zhou Yi smirked.

He pocketed his phone without replying further.

Then there was Zhang Wu’s message. As Zhou Yi’s most loyal subordinate, he took his responsibilities seriously.

[Zhang Wu: Yi-ge, don’t worry. With me around, nothing will go wrong. No one’s ever out-argued me in the fan forums.]

[Zhou Yi: Good work. I’ll bring you back a gift.]

Zhou Yi was always generous with his people.

For someone like Zhang Wu, who had grown up starved for affection, even small gestures from Zhou Yi meant the world.

077: "I’m almost worried he’ll fall for you."

Zhou Yi: "Who? Zhang Wu?"

077: "You’re a little too good to him."

Zhou Yi: "The higher you climb, the more you need loyal followers. Zhang Wu is extreme—when he hates someone, he’ll do anything to ruin them. But when he’s loyal, he’ll go just as far for you."

Zhou Yi also posted a Weibo update—a photo of himself waiting at the airport. Now everyone knew he was heading off to compete.

The earlier he built momentum, the more fans he’d attract when he won first place.

[Ahhh! Where’s CEO Zhou off to? So handsome—that suit is lethal!]

[I think it’s for the international math modeling competition. Go, Zhou Yi!]

[I almost forgot Zhou Yi is still a college student, lol.]

...

Zhou Yi chuckled, put away his phone, and boarded the plane.

He slept soundly on the flight, waking up to daylight in the foreign country.

After landing, the group went straight to the hotel to drop off their luggage.

Zhou Yi spent the entire ride replying to messages while Xie Tingwan sat at the front, chatting warmly with the others.

She glanced at Zhou Yi occasionally, but seeing him engrossed in his phone, she didn’t disturb him.

Little Jia had been messaging Zhou Yi nonstop since he boarded the plane.

[Little Jia: Your fans all say you look amazing in that suit. See? My taste is impeccable, right, Zhou-ge?]

[Zhou Yi: Absolutely. Your excellent taste just makes me look even better.]

[Little Jia: You’re already handsome enough! Ugh, I miss you already. Maybe I’ll take a cold shower to calm down.]

[Zhou Yi: If you miss me that much, just sleep. You’ll see me in your dreams.]

...

While joking with Little Jia, Zhou Yi also snapped photos of the scenery outside and sent them to different people.

He sighed—traveling was exhausting.

But the foreign women here were undeniably stunning, with striking features and alluring figures everywhere he looked.

After settling in at the hotel, Teacher Yang outlined the schedule for the next few days.

"Today is free time. You can rest at the hotel or explore the city in groups. Avoid going out alone, especially at night—public safety here isn’t as good as back home."

"Tomorrow afternoon is the meet-and-greet organized by the hosts. All competitors will attend, so don’t be late. The competition officially starts the day after. Be prepared."

Earlier, Zhou Yi had marveled at the beautiful women on the streets. But when he attended the international competitors’ gathering, he truly understood what "a sea of beauties" meant.

And among them—an SSS-level conquest target appeared!

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