When it came to the topic of marriage, Zhou Yi couldn’t give her a satisfying answer, so he didn’t continue the conversation.
Carpe diem—why dwell on the future when he could simply enjoy the present?
After that, the two of them tacitly avoided bringing up the subject again.
The night passed quickly.
The next morning, You Man got up early to prepare breakfast for Zhou Yi before heading off to work.
Even though Zhou Yi had hired help for her, she was the type who couldn’t sit idle. She needed to be at the shop every day to feel at ease.
By the time Zhou Yi woke up, You Man had already left. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he reached for his phone.
He only had one class that morning, so he could afford to take his time getting to school.
You Man had also sent him a message, letting him know that breakfast was on the table—just heat it in the microwave for a few minutes.
Honestly, having a wife like You Man wouldn’t be so bad. But Zhou Yi was a wild horse at heart, untamable by anyone.
Slurping his noodles, he started scrolling through Weibo. His follower count had grown significantly, now surpassing 700,000—even some big names in the rock scene had followed him.
His inbox was flooded with messages, many from fans tagging him, and others inviting him to participate in variety shows.
Most of them mentioned the same show: The Singer Competition.
Despite its unassuming name, this show had produced some of the biggest names in the music industry.
It was an original music competition where every contestant had to perform their own songs.
To ensure authenticity, the show’s mentors would assign themes on the spot, and contestants had three days to compose lyrics and music—all under live broadcast, eliminating any chance of hiring ghostwriters or preparing in advance.
Of course, if someone happened to have a song that perfectly fit the theme by sheer luck, well, that was just good fortune.
This was why, after Zhou Yi’s two songs went viral, so many people urged him to join.
Some doubted he could have written those songs himself, others wanted him to prove his talent and silence the haters, and a few simply admired his skill and didn’t want to see it go to waste.
Zhou Yi sat in thought for a moment. If he went on the show and blew up, his influence and earnings would skyrocket.
He checked—the latest season of The Singer Competition was already in preparation.
Applications were open now, and since the show had already reached out to him, all he had to do was accept.
He just needed to confirm whether the filming schedule would clash with his other commitments.
Zhou Yi called Jiang Ruolan and asked her to coordinate with the show’s team and check the dates. If there were no conflicts, he’d go for it.
Time flew, and soon it was Saturday.
The day of Zhou Yi’s dinner with Kong Xiaohe had arrived.
They’d agreed to meet at 6 p.m.
Zhou Yi arrived punctually with Jiang Ruolan in tow.
The two of them entered a high-end restaurant called Peony Splendor, one of the Kong family’s properties, reserved for exclusive gatherings.
Kong Xiaohe was waiting at the entrance, chatting with another woman.
The woman wore a tailored black suit, her short hair neatly trimmed at the ears. Her sleeves were slightly rolled up, revealing a delicate wristwatch.
She stood with her hands in her pockets, teasing Kong Xiaohe.
"Really, you don’t want to?"
"Really, I don’t. Sis, stop messing with me."
"She’s gorgeous. You’ll regret not going to see her."
"I’m not into chasing celebrities."
"She’s not your average star, you clueless kid."
Kong Xiaohe sighed in resignation.
Just then, Zhou Yi’s car pulled up.
He stepped out, followed by Jiang Ruolan, who wore an elegant white ensemble.
Jiang Ruolan had dressed softly for the occasion—this wasn’t her moment to steal the spotlight.
Her hair was pinned up, and her outfit featured subtle blue accents at the collar and cuffs, breaking the monotony of white.
"Our guest is here."
Kong Xiaohe turned toward the car as the two at the entrance walked over.
The Kong siblings weren’t ones for formalities—they strode right up to greet Zhou Yi.
"Yi-ge."
Kong Xiaohe looked much healthier now, his cheeks rosy and lips no longer pale.
Zhou Yi smiled and patted his shoulder. "You look a lot better."
The woman beside Kong Xiaohe chuckled. "That’s all thanks to you, President Zhou."
She extended her hand. "Hello, I’m Kong Huaijin, Xiaohe’s older sister."
Her demeanor was poised and confident, her eyes warm with amusement.
She stood just half a head shorter than Zhou Yi, likely around 5’9". Everything about her—her speech, her style—left one impression:
This was a woman of substance.
Kong Huaijin bore a strong resemblance to her brother, though their eyes differed.
Where Kong Xiaohe’s features were delicate, hers were sharp—narrow phoenix eyes that tilted slightly upward, exuding charm even when she wasn’t smiling.
At that moment, the system’s voice chimed in:
"New SS-tier target detected: Kong Huaijin."
"Another SS-tier?"
"Correct. Her initial affection level is already high—30 points."
Zhou Yi guessed this was because of Kong Xiaohe. What the system called "affection" was probably just basic goodwill.
077: "This woman won’t be easy to win over. Even Su Ning’s brother couldn’t impress her. You’ll need a solid strategy."
Zhou Yi: "The steel wool’s symbolism is wealth and endurance. I can handle it."
His smile unchanged, Zhou Yi shook her hand warmly. "Hello, I’m Zhou Yi. ‘President Zhou’ is too formal—just call me by my name."
"First names feel too distant. You’re the Kong family’s benefactor. I’m a few years older—mind if I call you A-Yi?"
"Of course not."
"Then you can call me ‘sis,’ like Xiaohe does."
Not many had the privilege of calling Kong Huaijin "sis."
Her gentle demeanor surprised Zhou Yi—she wasn’t the aloof figure he’d imagined, nor the scheming woman Su Ning had described.
With a smile, she said, "I’ll go up and let Dad know you’re here. You two catch up."
Once Kong Huaijin left, Zhou Yi remarked, "Your sister’s really kind."
Kong Xiaohe burst out laughing. "Kind? Well... I suppose."
If you’d seen her smash a bottle over someone’s head or hospitalize a man with her stilettos, you might reconsider.
"My sister dotes on me, so she’s extra gentle with people who treat me well."
Kong Huaijin reserved her tenderness for Kong Xiaohe alone—even their father didn’t get the same treatment.
Protecting her brother was second nature to her.
Growing up, Kong Xiaohe’s frail health and quiet personality made him an easy target for bullies.
Once, when Kong Huaijin found out, those bullies paid the price.
Kong Xiaohe was often sick and in poor health, making it uncertain whether he could inherit the Kong family in the future. Because of this, Kong Huaijin had been raised like a boy since childhood.
Her temper was far from gentle—by her own words, if she gave you an inch, you’d better know your place. Cross her, and your fate hung in the balance. Harm her little brother, and your doom was sealed.
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
