Charismatic Charm, No Other Way

The next morning, sunlight streamed across the warm bed.

Zhou Yi held Claire close and kissed her gently, whispering, "I have to go now, Claire. You should rest a little longer."

Claire clung to his neck, reluctance in her voice. "When will you have time to see me again?"

At that moment, she looked radiantly beautiful, her hair shimmering under the sunlight as if she were bathed in a soft, glowing filter.

Zhou Yi chuckled. "What, can’t bear to let me go?"

Claire tilted her head up and kissed him again. "You're the most amazing man I've ever met."

Zhou Yi feigned a shy expression, lowering his gaze. "You're amazing too."

And that was the truth—Claire had given him an experience unlike any other.

She was different from any woman he’d ever known.

Her passion burned fiercely, as if she had poured every ounce of her fire into him.

No wonder they called her the "Wild Rose"—it suited her perfectly.

With a captivating smile, Claire traced her fingers along Zhou Yi’s face and sighed softly. "I wish you could stay here. But you have your own life, your own home. You don’t belong here... or with me."

The night before, Zhou Yi had told her he was from China, just visiting for a competition.

Claire wanted to make the most of their fleeting time together, so she was desperate to know when he’d leave.

Zhou Yi didn’t give her a clear answer, only saying he’d reach out when he could.

His true nature as a player was on full display, but Claire, still under his spell, noticed nothing amiss.

"Allen, I don’t think I’ll ever forget you," she murmured.

"I won’t forget you either, Claire. You’ll always be the most beautiful Rose in my heart."

"Go on, then. Come see me when you’re free."

"Alright."

After leaving Claire’s place, Zhou Yi checked into a hotel to shower and change into fresh clothes.

Having learned from past mistakes—thanks to You Man—he was more cautious now.

Sometimes, people only learn after getting burned once.

Once dressed, he drained his phone battery completely before taking a cab back to his hotel.

By then, Xie Tingwan was already up, organizing outfits for the evening’s banquet and briefing everyone on local dining etiquette and social customs.

When Zhou Yi walked in, all eyes turned to him.

He grinned. "Sorry, did I miss Professor Xie’s lecture?"

Xie Tingwan shook her head with a wry smile. "Always teasing me. Care to explain where you were last night, Captain Zhou? I called several times—no answer. I nearly called the police. If not for Kong Xiaohe insisting you were fine, I would’ve."

Zhou Yi glanced at Kong Xiaohe, who wore a smug "told you so" look.

077 remarked, "Kong Xiaohe has blind faith in you, just like his sister."

Zhou Yi smirked. "Charisma. What can I say?"

He cleared his throat and explained, "You might not believe this, but I spent the night with some homeless folks. Just bought new clothes this morning—otherwise, I wouldn’t look this presentable."

One of the girls in the group gasped. "Were you robbed?"

"No. Yesterday afternoon, I visited an art exhibition and met two women who invited me to dinner. On the way, we passed an area crowded with homeless people. One of the women told me many of them used to own the city’s most luxurious offices before ending up there. It made me think about how unpredictable life can be."

"I wanted to hear their stories, so after dinner, I went back to talk to them. To truly understand a city, you can’t just see its glamour—you have to listen to those at the bottom. Their voices matter."

"And well, as you can see, I gave them most of my money and clothes. Just kept enough for a cab and a new outfit."

This was partly true—Jones had mentioned the homeless during their drive, but the rest was fabricated.

At first, the group was fixated on Zhou Yi dining with two women, but soon, their attention shifted to admiration.

Maybe he wanted to know why they’d fallen into poverty. Maybe he just wanted to hear their tales. Either way, none of them would’ve bothered.

But Zhou Yi did—and even gave them his money.

He was always different.

Even Xie Tingwan felt the same.

[Xie Tingwan’s affection +5]

Her affection had now reached 87—a deep fondness, though she hid it well.

Xie Tingwan wasn’t one to wear her emotions on her sleeve. Without the system, Zhou Yi would’ve never guessed her feelings ran so deep.

"I should go charge my phone. Don’t want to lose contact during the banquet."

"Go ahead. Rest up—I’ll call you when it’s time to leave."

Zhou Yi nodded and returned to his room to charge his phone, though he didn’t sleep.

Once it powered on, he checked his OTO messages—a foreign social app blending features of Weibo and WeChat.

Jones and Matthew had both messaged him.

Jones sent photos of several high-end custom-tailored suits, asking which he preferred for the banquet.

These weren’t just expensive—they were exclusive, impossible to get without status. Jones’s connections were clearly impressive.

Zhou Yi left the choice to her, and she happily picked a black suit with gold trim, the embroidery woven with real gold thread, designed to exude elegance.

In Jones’s eyes, Zhou Yi would look stunning in anything. She’d even booked a top-tier stylist for him—one who worked for major fashion shows.

She could already imagine the envy when she walked into the banquet with him.

Matthew’s message was about his teacher, Albedo, who was eager to meet Zhou Yi.

After a moment’s thought, Zhou Yi agreed.

He respected artists like Albedo.

Besides, connections like these could prove useful someday.

[Matthew: Zhou, would you be free tomorrow evening? My teacher is hosting a private gathering and would love for you to attend.]

[Zhou Yi: Thank you for the invitation. Tomorrow evening works for me.]

"Matthew: That's wonderful! Looking forward to your arrival."

Matthew sent Zhou Yi the time and location of the banquet.

Europeans are like this—they love hosting banquets, big or small.

Albedo's private gathering was an intimate affair, attended only by renowned figures in the piano world.

So, what kind of waves will Zhou Yi's arrival stir?