The meaning of the steel wool flower is wealth and endurance

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.