Hot Female Anchor

If... if it were Zhou Yi, she would probably be quite happy.

Setting aside status and background, she really liked Zhou Yi's personality.

He understood her deeply and trusted her completely.

Just these qualities alone were enough to make her heart flutter.

Not to mention Zhou Yi was tall, handsome, and exceptionally capable—what woman wouldn’t be tempted by a man like that?

Yet she couldn’t help feeling that there was no future between her and Zhou Yi.

"If it were you, I’d be willing to go register for marriage right now." Xie Tingwan sighed. "But even when it comes to my own marriage, I don’t have the final say."

Zhou Yi had only said those words to plant a seed in Xie Tingwan’s mind.

Once she started seeing him as a potential marriage partner, every interaction between them would carry that possibility.

It was a subtle suggestion—a nudge toward romance.

When you’re in that ambiguous stage with someone, a statement like this lingers in their thoughts, making them wonder, "What if he were my partner?"

That’s how romantic tension builds.

Women, especially, have a tendency to overanalyze.

Under the influence of their own idealization, the person they’re drawn to becomes increasingly perfect in their eyes, and their affection grows deeper.

A single gesture or word from you can send their imagination spiraling in countless directions.

This dynamic has its pros and cons. Just like when your girlfriend suddenly gets upset for no apparent reason, it might be because she’s overthought an offhand comment.

Zhou Yi wasn’t truly acting as her mentor—he was aiming to win her heart.

Another advantage of this approach was that Xie Tingwan would naturally compare other men to Zhou Yi.

If the Xie family pushed her toward an arranged marriage, no matter who they introduced, she would inevitably measure them against Zhou Yi.

If the other man fell short, her feelings for Zhou Yi would only intensify.

People are shaped by comparison.

Zhou Yi smiled and said, "But what if? What if that person turns out to be me? Fate works in mysterious ways."

Xie Tingwan couldn’t suppress a flicker of hope.

Yes, what if it really were Zhou Yi?

If she worked hard enough to earn her father’s approval and secured her position as heir, given Zhou Yi’s caliber, her father might not object.

Her eyes brightened as she looked at Zhou Yi. "Then I hope fate brings us together."

Before this, marriage had been a source of fear and disgust for her—she despised the idea of an arranged union.

But now, something had changed.

[Xie Tingwan’s affection points +20]

Xie Tingwan was a difficult woman to impress at first, but once you broke through her defenses, you’d find she was just as vulnerable as anyone else.

Everyone has their weaknesses.

Her unfulfilled desires were hers.

"I’ll help you. Once you truly secure your position as heir, we’ll see if fate is on our side."

Zhou Yi was essentially dangling a carrot—hinting that if Xie Tingwan became the heir, he wouldn’t hesitate to be with her.

He was shrewd; if Xie Tingwan inherited Tianhua, the benefits for him would be substantial.

Yet, under the influence of alcohol and Zhou Yi’s smooth words, Xie Tingwan’s rationality had faded. She believed him.

"I’ll work hard. I won’t let you down."

She smiled.

The alcohol had flushed her cheeks, and there was an unmistakable allure in the way she gazed at Zhou Yi.

"It’s getting late. Let me walk you back to your dorm."

"Okay."

Though slightly tipsy, Xie Tingwan could still walk steadily. They maintained a respectful distance between them.

At the dorm entrance, she asked, "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

She fell silent for a few seconds before exhaling softly.

"I wish you were at A University."

Her expression dimmed.

Being with Zhou Yi was the only time she felt completely at ease—she could speak freely without pretending to be some delicate flower. But such moments were fleeting.

Zhou Yi didn’t belong to her, nor did he belong to A University.

"Maybe I’ll come to A University someday."

At this, Xie Tingwan perked up. "Really? You could really come?"

"If I win first place in the national math modeling competition, then definitely. It’s written in the rules."

She knew about that rule, but first place in an international competition was no easy feat.

Frowning, she said, "Isn’t there another way? I remember there’s a special admissions channel. Let me look into it."

"What, you don’t think I can win?"

"It’s not that. If you’re this confident, then I believe you can do it."

With that, she smiled and gave Zhou Yi a spontaneous hug.

"Zhou Yi, I’ll be waiting for you at A University. A Province has better resources, bigger stages. Your world shouldn’t be confined to a small place like Huaihai."

"That’s why I’ll come. I still have to help you secure Tianhua, after all."

[Xie Tingwan’s affection points +5]

A sweet smile graced her lips.

As Zhou Yi walked away, she watched his retreating figure.

Before, her world had been bleak and lonely—she had only ever had herself.

But now, she had a companion. Zhou Yi was her kindred spirit.

---

The next day, Zhou Yi set off on his journey back to the province.

When they had first arrived, the group had been distant, barely acquainted. But after the competition, they had become close friends.

Well, all except Yang Hong—he had been completely sidelined.

Watching the others fawn over Zhou Yi, Yang Hong could only scoff.

Even his own teammates barely spoke to him—none of them had won any awards except Yang Hong himself.

Too ashamed to approach Zhou Yi, they kept their distance, regretting their choice to follow Yang Hong.

Wang Yuyan and Gong Zi sat on either side of Zhou Yi, while Lu Youyou sat across from him.

The three most beautiful girls in the group were all clustered around him—who wouldn’t be envious?

Wang Yuyan, clutching her milk tea, asked cutely,

"Captain, can we visit you at Huai University sometime?"

"Of course. Your school isn’t far from Huai University, right?"

"How about I treat everyone to dinner this weekend? You all got me such expensive gifts last time, and I never properly thanked you. I made some money from streaming yesterday, so it’s my treat!"

Gong Zi patted her head. "Don’t worry about it, Yuyan. Keep your earnings for yourself."

Wang Yuyan shook her head. "No, no, I insist. No one’s allowed to refuse."

Zhou Yi chuckled. "Alright, I’ll be there."

With his agreement, the others accepted her invitation.

They then asked about her streaming, promising to tune in that night to boost her viewership.

The journey back was filled with laughter—a stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere around Yang Hong’s group.

He could already imagine what it would be like when he went to the U.S. for the competition.

After returning to Huaihai, Zhou Yi went straight back to his apartment. Since he had been away for the competition, skipping classes that afternoon wouldn’t be a problem.

His phone was flooded with congratulatory messages, but the most excited one came from his advisor, Wang Wei.

Just by counting the number of exclamation marks in his WeChat messages, Zhou Yi could feel his enthusiasm.

He chuckled, replied briefly, and then went to sleep. The trip had really worn him out.

By 7 p.m., Zhou Yi opened the link Wang Yuyan had sent him—it was her livestream.

Zhou Yi’s username was simply his real name. Wang Yuyan had been singing when she noticed his arrival, and her face immediately lit up with a sweet smile.

"Welcome, Captain!"

Wang Yuyan’s livestream had only a few dozen viewers since she hadn’t been featured on the recommended page yet—that would happen tomorrow.

Aside from Zhou Yi, almost everyone else from the team was already there.

Wang Yuyan’s livestream mainly involved singing and chatting. With her pretty and charming looks, she was quickly gaining followers, and some even sent her gifts.

Zhou Yi kept the stream running in the background while reviewing project materials Jiang Ruolan had sent him, half-listening to Wang Yuyan’s broadcast.

Eventually, some viewers in the chat urged her to participate in a PK battle. She hesitated.

As a new streamer, if she ended up matched against a big-name host, she’d be completely outmatched.

"But... but our fanbase isn’t strong enough yet. I’m scared to try," Wang Yuyan said nervously.

The chat, however, kept pushing her:

[Go for it! Big Bro’s got your back! Don’t worry.]

[We’ll help you with votes, Bunny. Just go for it!]

[New streamers rarely get matched with top hosts—just give it a shot.]

[You won’t make much money if you don’t do PK battles, sis.]

Encouraged (or pressured) by the comments, Wang Yuyan finally gave in and started the PK match.

Soon, she was automatically paired with another host.

On screen appeared a heavily filtered face—clearly using strong beauty effects—but with an undeniably stunning figure.

The opposing host’s ID was Fei Fei. She wore a black lace top with a deep V-neck, accentuating her ample curves.

Her voice was dripping with sweetness the moment she spoke.

"Thank you, my dear brothers, for the gifts! Love you all so much, mwah~ Hubby, come here, kisses!" She blew a kiss to the camera with a playful wink.

Her chest nearly pressed against the lens, making Wang Yuyan visibly uncomfortable and too shy to speak.

Meanwhile, Fei Fei’s chat was exploding with gifts from her loyal "big brothers."

Before Wang Yuyan could even exchange greetings, the PK bar was already dominated by Fei Fei’s side—her fans had already sent over 3,000 yuan worth of gifts.

Wang Yuyan tentatively spoke up, "Uh… hi, nice to meet you."

Fei Fei only acknowledged her after finishing her thanks to the gift-givers.

"Hey. So, what’s the game? If I lose, I’ll take off my top and dance the Train Shake for you."