Many men, once they become successful, forget everything from their past, eager to sever ties with their former selves, as if being associated with people and things from before no longer matches who they are now.
But Zhou Yi was never such a person. He treated You Man and Old Hai just as he always had, never forgetting the kindness You Man had shown him. He was still a decent man.
Old Hai hoped that You Man and Zhou Yi could have a better and better future.
"I'm getting old. I won't be able to work as a chef for many more years. I wonder if I'll live long enough to toast at your wedding banquet."
You Man's face flushed instantly. "Zhou Yi and I aren't even boyfriend and girlfriend. You really shouldn't say such things."
Old Hai chuckled. "You silly girl, I'm not blind. Alright, I won't tease you anymore. As long as he treats you well, that's what matters. The future will take care of itself. Cherish the person before you."
You Man thought the same way. She didn't dare to hope for the future, so she focused on cherishing the present, treasuring the days they could still be together.
After finishing the cooking, You Man thought that having been in the kitchen for so long, she probably smelled of food. She first went to a hair salon to wash and style her hair.
Then she went to a makeup shop for a makeover. She specifically asked the assistant for a fresh, translucent look—a very light makeup that wouldn't appear exaggerated, instead making her look gentle and elegantly beautiful.
Seeing that it was almost noon and time was running short, You Man had to quickly buy a white dress with a jasmine flower pinned on it from a random shop by the roadside.
She wanted to make a good impression on Little Jia, to at least appear dignified.
She knew her own features were too charming and striking, and she was afraid of giving Little Jia a bad impression.
In the future, if she and Zhou Yi went to City A, she might also have to visit his adoptive parents. Since Little Jia was their niece, that's why she attached so much importance to this meeting.
After returning to the restaurant, You Man simply waited for Zhou Yi and the others to arrive.
Approaching 12 noon, Zhou Yi and Little Jia finally arrived.
You Man had specially reserved an upstairs private room for them.
The restaurant business was quite good. As soon as Zhou Yi entered, he noticed the ground floor was almost full of customers.
Seeing him, You Man's eyes lit up, and she quickly got up and came around from behind the front counter.
Little Jia followed closely behind.
The moment she saw Little Jia, You Man's pupils contracted slightly.
What a beautiful young girl...
Especially that unmistakable air of noble elegance about her. Having run a restaurant, You Man had seen many wealthy people, but Little Jia's overall demeanor clearly indicated she wasn't from an ordinary family.
You Man began to feel somewhat awkward, afraid she might embarrass Zhou Yi.
She smoothed her hair and then stepped forward to greet Little Jia.
"You must be Little Jia. You're so beautiful, like a star."
Seeing You Man, Little Jia was also stunned for a moment.
She truly hadn't expected a woman of thirty to be so stunningly beautiful.
Even though Little Jia was accustomed to seeing beauties in City A, she was still taken aback by You Man's appearance.
Little Jia and You Man possessed two completely different types of charm.
What amazed Little Jia wasn't just You Man's exquisite facial features, but more the indescribable charm she exuded—in other words, she was very womanly.
You Man's voice was also gentle, giving a feeling of a spring breeze upon hearing her speak. Even someone as willful as Little Jia couldn't bring herself to be loud with such a woman.
When You Man spoke with a gentle, soft smile, Little Jia unconsciously softened her own voice as well.
Little Jia's eyes curved into smiles, with two shallow dimples appearing at the corners of her lips.
"Hello, sister! You're even more beautiful than a star!"
When Little Jia wanted to please someone, she could be very sweet-tongued.
In You Man's eyes, Little Jia was no different from an eighteen-year-old girl. Seeing Little Jia's youthful face, she instinctively thought Little Jia was very young, which dispelled some of her doubts. Perhaps it was just a child being clingy.
"Let's go inside to talk. The dishes are all served."
You Man smiled and took Little Jia's arm, leading her upstairs.
After the three of them were seated in the private room, Little Jia took out the gift she had prepared and placed it before You Man.
"Sister, for our first meeting, this is a little token of my regard."
You Man politely declined, but Little Jia insisted on giving it. They went back and forth, leaving Zhou Yi as an onlooker.
Seeing she really couldn't refuse, You Man finally accepted Little Jia's gift.
She smiled somewhat apologetically. "It was thoughtless of me. I should have prepared a gift for you too."
Seeing You Man so gentle and amiable, and considering her relationship with Zhou Yi, Little Jia felt a fondness for her.
"This meal today is the gift! It's not too late for you to treat me to a meal next time you come to City A."
"Alright, alright, definitely."
"Sister, open it and see if you like it. Try it on."
You Man opened it and was surprised to find a gold bracelet inside. Suppressing her complex feelings of astonishment, she smiled and thanked Little Jia.
Such an expensive gift... How could she repay it with just one meal? It seemed she would have to pick out something equally valuable for Little Jia later.
The two chatted happily, neither sensing anything amiss.
Zhou Yi watched them with great interest.
When You Man went out to handle some matters, Little Jia said to Zhou Yi with a grin, "You were right. Sister Man is indeed very easy to get along with. I quite like her."
Zhou Yi tossed a peanut into his mouth. "See? I told you. Maybe you two could even become friends."
Little Jia sighed. "Only people with good temperaments can be friends with someone like me. Sister Man is really nice."
Then she teased Zhou Yi: "Sister Man isn't like you. She speaks so pleasantly. If I were a man, I'd fall for her too."
Zhou Yi suddenly laughed. Little Jia blinked. "What are you laughing at? Am I wrong?"
Zhou Yi waved his hand. "You're right. It's just a pity Sister Man doesn't want to be in a relationship right now."
Little Jia sighed. "What a shame. Otherwise, I could have asked my aunt to introduce her to some high-quality matches, no problem."
Zhou Yi curved his lips. "Don't worry about other people's business. You're becoming more and more like your aunt."
Little Jia humphed. "If Sister Man weren't like family to you, I wouldn't bother."
Zhou Yi just smiled without replying and left the private room to look for You Man.
You Man had just finished dealing with the food delivery person downstairs when she ran into Zhou Yi coming down the stairs at the corner.
"Why did you come out? It's not good to leave Little Jia alone."
"I missed you."
You Man smiled gently. "But I'm right here in front of you."
"But we can't talk alone. Some things can only be said when we're alone together."
You Man guessed he was probably going to say something improper. She gave him a soft look and whispered, "There will be plenty of time to talk after Little Jia leaves."
"Zhou Yi, your adoptive parents in City A... are their family circumstances quite extraordinary?"
"Why do you suddenly ask that, Sister Man?"
"Seeing Little Jia, I guessed a little."
You Man felt worried inside. Someone as ordinary as her... it seemed even more impossible between her and Zhou Yi.
If his adoptive parents came from an extraordinary background, they would surely introduce him to more outstanding girls. When that time came... what should she do?
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!
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?!
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
