Qi Luozhou’s expression had originally been faint and unreadable. When Shao Yuye’s gaze landed on him, he likewise noticed the dazzling brooch pinned to Shao Yuye’s chest.

Although its style differed from the one on his own chest, it was obvious that both pieces came from the same designer.

Qi Luozhou’s smooth stride halted abruptly, and the smile at the corner of his lips faded noticeably.

Though his lips soon curled up again, his gaze met Shao Yuye’s in midair. Neither spoke, yet the air crackled with an unspoken gunpowder tension.

Shao Yuye cursed inwardly, Damn Qi Luozhou, this bastard really had to compete with me even over something like this.

Tch.

But his brooch was a gift from his little sister. Its meaning was different, its design different, and it completely outclassed the one on Qi Luozhou’s chest!

Shao Yuye withdrew his gaze disinterestedly. When his eyes swept over the nameplates in front of the seats, he suddenly paused.

Was the organizer deliberately courting trouble just for the spectacle?

Putting him and Qi Luozhou side by side, were they toxic or what?!

Qi Luozhou, meanwhile, shifted his gaze to Shen Wanwan behind Shao Yuye.

The gala had yet to begin, the hall was buzzing with noise.

She was sitting there quietly, her head tilted slightly to one side, her eyes cool and innocent, almost as if she were surprised that he was wearing it. There was even a trace of scrutiny and appraisal in the way she looked at him.

His tongue lightly grazed his back molars, and the smile on Qi Luozhou’s lips widened.

She really managed to make him laugh out of sheer exasperation.

What an excellent gift this was.

One move, and both men were neatly dealt with.

He strode forward with long legs, eyes straight ahead, continuing toward the seats.

Just as he reached the two of them, Shao Yuye made a sharp turning motion and pulled out the seat that belonged to Qi Luozhou, reaching out to remove the nameplate on top, ready to tell Qi Luozhou to take it and go play somewhere else—

But Qi Luozhou beat him to it, calmly sitting down.

Shao Yuye froze for a moment, still holding the slip of paper with Qi Luozhou’s name on it.

“Hey—”

Are you kidding me?!

The two of them had hardly ever appeared together in public.

Qi Luozhou turned his face expressionlessly. “Thanks.”

Shao Yuye: “……”

Damn it!

Was that really how Qi Luozhou interpreted his action?!

He met her gaze calmly.

Just as he was about to speak, the StarShow inner-hall manager, who had been watching for a while, came trotting over with a stool, smiling apologetically.

“Really sorry, really sorry, there was one chair missing here…”

They had originally seated Shao Yuye and Qi Luozhou together precisely for the sake of buzz.

But clearly, given the situation now, tonight’s buzz was going to far exceed anything they had planned!

With the gala about to start and wanting to avoid further trouble, he hurriedly placed the stool for Shao Yuye. Knowing that Shao Yuye and Qi Luozhou didn’t get along, he even thoughtfully put it to Shen Wanwan’s left.

“Please, have a seat!”

Being one-upped by Qi Luozhou in front of his sister made Shao Yuye feel a bit embarrassed—

—mainly because it was in front of his sister.

But since the organizer had handed him a way out, Shao Yuye naturally took the seat.

There was no live broadcast in the inner hall.

But photographers were releasing photos in real time.

The moment Shao Yuye had just settled onto the chair, a photographer swiftly aimed the camera at the three of them and pressed the shutter.

Soon after, the official StarShow account posted the photo.

The lighting in the front rows of the inner hall was the brightest.

The three sat side by side—three faces that would shine under any lens, evenly matched, each with their own distinct appeal.

Shao Yuye was sharp, Shen Wanwan proud and poised, Qi Luozhou serene.

Their auras were different, yet the composition looked unexpectedly harmonious.

Especially Shen Wanwan…

Strictly speaking, she was seated in the center position.

If her looks or temperament had been even the slightest bit weaker, she would have been completely overshadowed by the two dazzling top-tier stars beside her.

Yet her brows and eyes were calm, she didn’t lose out at all.

It truly gave the illusion that two top-tier stars were merely there to set her off.

The photo exploded across the internet the moment it was released.

[Holy crap, what kind of luck does Shen Wanwan have? Sitting between two top-tier stars!]

[Aaaah I’m starting to dream about transmigrating into Shen Wanwan right now!]

[Huh? Did StarShow change its ways this year? They didn’t seat people by status anymore?]

[Feels unlikely… Shen Wanwan is sitting in the middle! Could she have used some kind of money power? After all, the price of that necklace today already exceeds my imagination!]

[No way? That’d be too gross. If that’s true, I’m never buying StarShow again even if you beat me to death…]

[No solid proof at all, don’t jump to conclusions. There must be a reason she’s sitting there. Any insiders from the inner hall? Come spill some tea!]

Meanwhile, all kinds of CP fans had already started shipping—

[‘WanZhou’ fans are over the moon, who understands this?! They’re even wearing matching outfits today! I’m crying!]

[‘Revenge’ is great too. ‘As long as I’m here, I’ll never let you be bullied!’]

[Is nobody shipping the ‘Rivals’? Personally pulling out a seat for him and all that…]

In the very last row on site, Jiang Jiang stared at Shen Wanwan, who was sitting primly in the front row and flanked by Shao Yuye and Qi Luozhou, until her eyes turned red with anger.

The girl next to her kept following the updates nonstop:

“Shen Wanwan is back at number one on the trending searches!”

So now, there really was no question of Shen Wanwan stealing her number-one trending spot.

After all, Shen Wanwan had even overtaken Qi Luozhou and Shao Yuye.

Fans of either of those two—pick just one—and they were all top-tier, formidable forces, weren’t they?

Thinking of that, Jiang Jiang pouted gloomily.

“She really… just has good luck, that’s all!”

Shao Yuye was famously straightforward and loyal.

As for Qi Luozhou, he had always viewed fame and profit lightly, and wouldn’t mind having an artist of mismatched status sitting beside him.

Shen Wanwan’s luck was really too good!

Shen Wanwan stepped away midway through the event.

Since she had already made all the splash she needed to make, she felt little interest in what followed.

Still, since she planned to leave with her brother later, she couldn’t go just yet.

While considering whether to go straight to the car or find a quiet, empty spot nearby to wait, warmth suddenly wrapped around her wrist. Someone grabbed her arm, and in the dizzying spin that followed, she caught sight of that familiar face. The the most iconic peach-blossom eyes, gentle yet tinged with coolness, as he pulled her into a nearby lounge.

Shen Wanwan was reminded of a certain night on a variety show before. It had happened the same way.

She had asked him whether he wanted to date. Qi Luozhou had dragged her into the room, and her hair tie had gone missing because of it.

“What are you doing?” she drawled lazily, feeling an inexplicable sense of amusement.

Qi Luozhou pointed at the brooch on his chest.

“Isn’t this gift a bit perfunctory?”

“Is it?” Shen Wanwan narrowed her eyes, knowingly playing dumb as she looked at him. “I think it looks great. You don’t like it?”

He let out a soft, amused laugh.

“I like it.”

Then that settled it.

Why drag her here so mysteriously just to interrogate her?

She blinked at him, already arriving at an answer in her heart.

Qi Luozhou looked at her, a trace of dissatisfaction in his tone.

“I thought it was a gift meant only for me.”

Shen Wanwan curved her lips into a smile.

“It is only for you.
“Yours is ‘Ideal.’”

Her gaze dropped to his chest, where a bird spread its wings in flight.

Then her eyes traveled upward, finally settling on those peach-blossom eyes of his.

“An Ideal of the human world~”

When she was in a good mood, she liked to make up playful nonsense like this, just to make the people around her a little happier too.

Qi Luozhou lowered his eyes, clearly pleased by the light, teasing lilt at the end of her words.

He hadn’t noticed before that she had this side to her.

Suppressing a smile, the corner of his eyes lifted. “That’s it?”

Shen Wanwan smiled softly. “What do you want, then?”

He stepped forward, instantly closing the distance between them. Qi Luozhou looked down at her, long lashes casting shadows, his voice low, almost like a lover’s whisper.

“As your future husband, I think I deserve some special treatment.
“What do you think?”

Shen Wanwan tilted her face up and asked seriously, “Are you… vying for affection right now?”

Qi Luozhou didn’t avoid her gaze at all. He met her eyes calmly and answered frankly, “Mm. You could say that.”

Before the words had fully fallen—

The girl in front of him had already risen onto her toes and lightly pecked his cheek.

Soft lips, touching and leaving in an instant.

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. His lips remained half-curved, his breath catching, Adam’s apple rolling slightly, the hand that had been hanging at his side frozen in midair.

Shen Wanwan admired his expression with satisfaction.

She had to admit. Watching someone who was always so confident and in control show this kind of reaction really was intensely satisfying.

She smiled brightly and asked, “Is that special enough?”

At the same time, a staff member’s drawn-out voice came from outside the room:

“Teacher Qi… Teacher Qi, are you here?
“Teacher Qi…
“Teacher Qi?”

The calls and footsteps grew closer. Soon, someone knocked on the door, and the staff member’s voice came through from outside.

“Teacher Qi? Are you inside?”

Qi Luozhou turned his head and answered.

At the same time, the staff member twisted the doorknob.

As the door was pushed open, Shen Wanwan heard him say one sentence—

“Not enough.”

Then he leaned down, his cool, thin lips covering hers.

Shen Wanwan’s eyes were open, their lips touching—a very pure kiss.

As if he were deliberately competing with what she had just done.

Her thoughts drifted again. Qi Luozhou’s eyelashes were really long, what on earth did this guy eat?

Then her willpower was gradually stripped away, breaths intertwining. In her daze, she thought that his looks really did count as her ideal type.

Qi Luozhou’s hand moved forcefully to the back of her neck, pulling her close and shielding her completely with his body.

So much so that when the staff member knocked and poked his head in, the moment he saw the scene inside, he was so startled that he jerked a step backward.

“Ah—s-sorry, Teacher Qi, I’ll head out right away!”

The staff member retreated in a panic, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

Only after separating himself from the room did he clutch his chest and take a deep breath.

…What on earth had he just walked in on?!

Unfortunately, everything had happened too fast. And with Qi Luozhou’s body blocking most of the girl, he couldn’t clearly see who the girl in God Zhou’s arms was.

So the rumors online saying that God Zhou already had a girlfriend… were actually true.

With his heart still pounding, the staff member awkwardly reminded from outside the door, “Teacher Qi, the gala program is about to start…”

The lounge was silent. Qi Luozhou straightened up and replied in an even, nonchalant tone.

“Yeah.”

Shen Wanwan’s neck was still wrapped in his arm.

She pressed one hand against his chest, signaling him to step back a little.

“Qi Luozhou.
“It’s hard not to suspect that you did it on purpose.”

“Mm.”

Qi Luozhou released her and lightly nodded, actually agreeing with her entire accusation.

Tch.

She gave him a cool glance. “I’m going back.”

---

By the time Shen Wanwan returned to her seat, the atmosphere in the venue was at its most heated. The newly debuted idol boy group F1NX was on stage, singing and dancing with full effort.

When Shen Wanwan sat down, Shao Yuye turned his head and asked her,

“Where did you go? You were gone for quite a while.”

Shen Wanwan smiled at her brother. “Just went out for a walk.”

Shao Yuye nodded.

That made sense.

Watching the performances really was boring.

He hadn’t planned to say anything more, but out of the corner of his eye he suddenly spotted Qi Luozhou slowly walking back over.

As the other man sat down, Shao Yuye spoke again, clearly implying something:

“It’s better not to wander around too much. What if you run into a pervert?”

Although Shao Yuye was confident that his sister would never take a liking to someone like Qi Luozhou, some basic precautions were still necessary.

He needed to instill in his sister, as quickly as possible, the idea that Qi Luozhou was not a good guy, so that she’d share his sense of righteous indignation and stand united with him against their common enemy.

Shen Wanwan, however, had no idea about the little twists and turns in his mind.

Following Shao Yuye’s line of sight, she cast Qi Luozhou a sideways glance.

Her red lips curved beautifully as she echoed in a low voice, “Exactly!”

The man being criticized didn’t get angry. Instead, he laughed.

He quietly blinked at her.

---

Shen Wanwan’s entrance was scheduled for the middle-to-late part of the lineup.

Honestly, it wasn’t an ideal position. At the beginning, audiences watch out of novelty, but by the time most of the earlier celebrities have finished walking, aesthetic fatigue sets in. Those who stick around this far are mostly waiting for the finale appearances by the top-tier stars.

Quite a few female celebrities appeared before Shen Wanwan, and everyone had clearly prepared especially thoroughly for today.

In particular, the newly popular young actress Jiang Jiang was arranged to go first. Wearing a teal-green fairy gown, she looked like a mysterious and elegant elfin princess, instantly blowing up the trending searches with her striking appearance.

The livestream chat erupted in screams as well.

Fashion bloggers quickly followed up with real-time analysis:

“Jiang Jiang’s dress is a CML Spring/Summer limited edition, worth over two million.”

“Did you notice the little deer-ear earring on her left ear? That alone costs over three hundred thousand…”

“Jiang Jiang’s fashion resources are really incredible. If I remember right, she’s only been debuted for a few years…”

The bullet comments went wild again with joyful shouting:

[Ahhh! Jiang Jiang is so pretty!]

[The most beautiful elfin princess, Jiang Jiang!]

[Our baby girl is so cute, so cute! I really want to give her a kiss!]

Next up were top-tier actress Xuan Ying, traffic star Lu Jiangming…

By the middle to later part of the event, the atmosphere in the livestream had already become a bit dull and monotonous.

That was, until the host announced Shen Wanwan’s name—

[Holy shit! They actually invited Shen Wanwan?! I thought those earlier spoiler posts were fake.]

[Of course, she was already on the official StarShow list before…]

[She’s really taken off now. StarShow isn’t something just anyone can get on…]

While everyone was chatting, a black sedan had already come to a smooth stop in front of the red carpet.

Staff stepped forward to open the door. The camera pushed in, and what came into view first was a long, slender, fair, perfectly straight leg.

The surface of her high heels shimmered, crystal straps winding once around her delicate ankle bones, refracting flowing light under countless spotlights.

Just this single image was enough to ignite the barrage of comments.

[Holy shit! Who is this?!]

The ‘Wan Feng’s recognized her at a glance.

If this wasn’t Wanwan, then who was?!

[HOLY SHIT!!!! Shen Wanwan is insanely beautiful today, she’s basically a living goddess!!]

[Wanwan is so pretty!]

[Shen Wanwan?!]

[That presence is incredible, she totally holds the whole venue!]

The camera then slowly lifted upward.

A light breeze fluttered her skirt. Under everyone’s expectant gaze, Shen Wanwan placed one hand on the attendant’s arm and stepped gracefully out of the car.

She was wearing a white spaghetti-strap dress. The perfectly tailored fit outlined her flawless figure to absolute perfection.

Utterly simple.

Yet also utterly beautiful.

A long, elegant neck; delicate, sharply defined collarbones.

Red lips, vivid and dazzling.

Under countless lights, beauty with no blind spots.

In the livestream, fashion bloggers all fell silent at the same time.

“The dress Shen Wanwan is wearing… it doesn’t look like a runway piece. But you can tell, it’s definitely extremely expensive.”

[Compared to the one Jiangjiang is wearing, which is pricier?]

The blogger shook his head. “Hard to say.”

But their attention was quickly drawn to the necklace around Shen Wanwan’s neck.

“Holy shit, did you guys notice that necklace?! That blue diamond!!!”

“I heard from a friend before that some insanely rich woman couldn’t even be bothered to bid and directly paid 100 million… I never expected it, so it was her!”

“So friends, do we even need to ask anymore? This is the ultimate, bling-bling, dazzling ‘rich flower of the mortal world.’ Jiang Jiang’s… at most a little rose.”

“Shen Wanwan is really absurdly rich. Listen, let me break it down for you slowly…”

The venue, which had already quieted down, erupted once again with Shen Wanwan’s appearance.

The female stars present were all trying to grab attention, either going for sweet and cute, or overtly sexy with plunging necklines.

But Shen Wanwan didn’t do either.

She remained as calm and understated as ever, as if nothing in the world could truly enter her eyes. Even under countless flashes, she maintained her cool indifference and elegance.

The comments went momentarily speechless:

[Now I finally know why they put her so late in the lineup…]

[Turns out it wasn’t because her status was low. If she’d gone earlier, there’d be no point watching the rest. Even Jiang Jiang got utterly crushed!]

Shao Yuye appeared second to last.

If there were anyone people were most looking forward to tonight, it was him and Qi Luozhou.

When he appeared on the scene in a black custom haute couture suit tailored for him by CY, the entire venue erupted into deafening screams.

“Brother Ye!”

“Brother Ye is so handsome!!!”

The livestream comments went completely wild, scrolling so fast they were impossible to read.

After getting out of the car, Shao Yuye strode forward on long, straight legs.

Facing the cameras, he was in excellent condition, deliberately making sure every photographer could clearly capture the glittering brooch on his chest.

[I don’t know why, but Brother Ye feels especially proud tonight!]

[His condition looks amazing today!!]

[How should I put it… he looks so good it’s almost like he’s floating. What kind of good news did he hear before getting out of the car?]

While the comments speculated endlessly, Yu Cheng, who was livestreaming on Weibo in real time, let out a cold snort.

“You think he’s just working hard at fan service? Wrong. He’s showing off the brooch his little sister bought him.”

The audience froze for a second, then burst out laughing.

[Help! Brother Ye, do you really love her that much?]

[Brother Ye’s sister is so rich. This brooch looks insanely expensive?!]

[Wuwuwu, really? Then Brother Ye won’t be fighting alone anymore, right?]

At this point, the fashion bloggers finally dug up the details of Shao Yuye’s outfit.

“Oh my god! Do you know how much this brooch costs?”

“Over 30 million…”

The fashion bloggers felt like they’d been baptized by money all night long.

First, Shen Wanwan dropped a 100-million-yuan blue diamond necklace bombshell.

And now there was Shao Yuye’s dazzling brooch…

Tonight’s StarShow could truly be described as dazzling with jewels and endlessly exciting!

[Holy crap, earlier I was just guessing that Brother Ye’s little sister might be pretty rich. I didn’t expect her to be this rich!]

[Aaaah! This is a two-way blessing! Brother Ye has suffered for so many years and finally met his sister! Spinning in circles and throwing flowers!]

[I used to envy her for having a brother like Brother Ye, it must be so blissful. But now I suddenly really want a sister like this…]

[No wonder Brother Ye is so smug. Everyone, just put up with him, okay? If it were me, I’d be flexing so hard the whole universe would know!]

After Shao Yuye finished signing his name at the brand board at the end of the red carpet, he waited to enter the venue. During that gap, Qi Luozhou made his entrance.

He wore a white suit tailored to perfectly trace the lines of his back and waist, with a white satin shirt underneath.

No matter which angle the cameras swept from, he was the very picture of elegance and nobility.

Those signature peach-blossom eyes curved slightly; when he lifted his gaze, it was as if countless stars shimmered within them.

When he smiled, everything around him instantly lost its color.

The venue erupted once again into a new wave of cheers—

“God Zhou, you’re killing me!”

“I’ll always fall for God Zhou, ahhh!”

As the camera slowly zoomed in, the bird-shaped brooch on his chest revealed smooth, natural lines.

[God Zhou’s brooch looks insanely expensive too!]

[Pfft! As expected of mortal enemies. Brother Ye decked himself out in gold and silver, and God Zhou immediately matched him! I crack up every time these two compete with each other!]

[You can tell both teams really went all out, hahaha. That said, I like them both!]

[Same! If only the two of them could make peace…]

Just as this comment was posted, the fashion blogger had more to add:

“My god, you’ll never guess! Tonight, Brother Ye and God Zhou’s brooches are actually from the same series!”

“Brother Ye’s is ‘Vitality,’ God Zhou’s is ‘Ideal’!”

“I’m crying, do they really have to wear matching series pieces just to one-up each other?”

…

As soon as Shen Wanwan arrived backstage, Xiao Le hurried over with a shawl and draped it over her shoulders.

By the end of November, the capital had already turned thoroughly cold.

“Wanwan, we’ve hit two trending topics in a row!”

Xiao Le happily pulled out her phone. “Look!”

On the hot search list, #Shen Wanwan, the embodiment of worldly wealth# had already shot up to number one, while #Just how rich is Shen Wanwan# sat at number ten.

She took the thermos, drank a little hot water, and nodded to show she knew.

After resting for a bit, she turned and entered the main hall.

Every guest’s seat had a name card.

Hers was at the very back.

Judging by the status of the celebrities attending today, she had the lowest seniority, so StarShow naturally placed her seat at the last position.

Shen Wanwan was about to walk over when, passing a corner, she suddenly heard someone whispering. The sound was faint, so faint that in the slightly noisy hall, you wouldn’t notice it unless you listened carefully.

“Shen Wanwan, ‘the embodiment of worldly wealth’? Hah, I say she’s just a worldly little green tea. Buying hot searches like crazy, zero real ability, she can only use money to save face!”

“Exactly. The moment she debuted, she played the ‘Shen family princess’ card, all aloof and above the mundane world. If she’s really so zen, why come on a show like this? Such blatant hypocrisy!”

Shen Wanwan’s steps abruptly halted.

She stood there and looked inside.

A woman wrapped in nothing but a thin piece of green fabric stood together with another woman dressed like a purple, exploded chicken. The two of them were happily gossiping away.

After hesitating for two seconds, she lifted her eyes and asked 001:

“Who are these?”

001: {…
{I thought you were thinking about how to clap back at them. I didn’t expect you wouldn’t even remember who they are…
{The one in green is Jiang Jiang. Before you appeared, she was number one on the hot search, everyone was praising her for being so fairy-like and beautiful. But the moment you showed up, people started comparing the two of you, and you completely crushed her.}

Oh.

If that was the reason, Shen Wanwan smiled in satisfaction.

Then she was actually quite interested in listening a bit more.

The people inside were still indignantly chattering on.

“What’s the point of her buying her own gown? If she’s got the guts, she should try not relying on her family and do it herself. Everything she does depends on family connections to boost her status, ugh!”

“No matter how much she shows off, it’s useless! Her rank is so low, she still has to sit behind me.”

“Exactly, it’s hilarious. There’s basically no lighting there, and the photographers won’t even shoot that area. So what if she’s rich? She still has to obediently shrink into a corner…”

Just as Shen Wanwan was listening with interest, a figure suddenly flashed before her eyes. The next second, someone firmly grabbed her arm.

She looked up and saw her brother’s face, blazing with anger.

But Shao Yuye didn’t look at her. His burning gaze was fixed on the two women inside, his eyes seeming ready to spit fire.

“If you’ve got nothing better to do, go outside and get some air to cool your heads. Standing here yapping and badmouthing people is peak gossiping auntie behavior.”

Those two were right in the middle of their gossip, faces flushed with excitement.

Out of nowhere, a cold male voice cut in. Both of them jolted in fright, turning around to meet Shao Yuye’s icy gaze.

“Ah… Brother Ye…”

Their faces instantly reddened. Jiang Jiang even unconsciously touched her ear.

Shao Yuye frowned. “What relationship do I have with you? Calling me ‘Brother’ the moment you open your mouth!”

What a bunch of nonsense.

How dare they talk about his sister.

After being snapped at like that, the two of them went pale and then flushed, alternating between green and white. Then they noticed Shen Wanwan standing beside Shao Yuye.

She was simply standing there quietly, the corners of her lips slightly curved, smiling with an innocent, guileless expression. Her aura remained light and calm, as if she hadn’t heard their slander at all.

Shao Yuye grabbed Shen Wanwan’s hand and pulled her forward.

“Come with me!”

He had never been the low-key type, and he hadn’t lowered his voice during the scolding just now. This area had already drawn quite a bit of attention, with many people turning to look.

Shao Yuye ignored all the stares and led her straight to the very front.

He directly gave up his own seat to her.

“You sit here.” Blowing irritably at the loose hair on his forehead, he added firmly, “Sit properly. Stay put.”

Shen Wanwan smiled at him, her eyes curving.

“Mm.”

After so many years of being used to fighting back on her own, being protected by her brother like this actually felt pretty nice.

Shao Yuye swept a sharp glance backward, still unable to calm the anger in his chest.

So pissed off.

How dare they say that about his sister.

If he weren’t someone who refused to hit women, he’d really like to throw a couple of punches their way.

Because of his rather outrageous move, a noticeable stir rippled through the inner hall.

At the same time, Qi Luozhou walked in through the entrance.

Whether it was a deliberate arrangement by the organizers or simply because the two were of similar stature, Qi Luozhou’s seat was right next to Shao Yuye’s.

When Shao Yuye turned his head, his gaze casually swept over Qi Luozhou.

Two seconds later, he snapped his head back.

His line of sight wavered, then finally fixed itself on Qi Luozhou’s chest…

---

Here, Shen Wanwan’s car had just pulled up in front of the studio entrance.

After receiving her notice, the assistants took the desserts she’d just bought out of the car and distributed them to everyone in the studio.

When they saw the labels on the boxes, everyone froze for a moment.

“Chu Tian’s?!”

Thanks to Qi Luozhou, this shop had recently become hugely famous.

Countless influencers had gone to check it out, eager to taste what kind of dessert a top star would buy late at night for his girlfriend. One after another, they were blown away, so much so that many were moved to tears on camera.

—“It honestly has no flaws. The only flaw is that I’m too poor, TAT.”

—“Family, it’s really delicious, totally worth trying! No problems at all, except the price!”

Chu Tian’s desserts were absurdly expensive, and the portions were tiny, with zero cost performance.

Even though office workers were drooling over them, once they thought about spending more than half a month’s salary for just a small bite, it felt completely not worth it.

Now, thanks to Shen Wanwan, everyone finally got to enjoy them!

“Rounding it up, we’re basically eating the same desserts as God Zhou’s girlfriend!”

001 whispered from the side: {If they knew these desserts were charged to God Zhou’s account, then rounding it up, God Zhou bought them himself… just imagine how amazing their expressions would be.}

Shen Wanwan chuckled lightly. “Weren’t you complaining before that I was vain? Since when did you pick up this kind of guilty pleasure?”

001 replied sheepishly.

{Ah!
{Being envied by everyone really does feel great!}

A straight-guy in the studio stuffed an entire crème brûlée into his mouth in one go.

Everyone looked at him expectantly. “So? How is it? What does it taste like?”

The guy closed his eyes, wearing an expression of pure bliss.

“Delicious! Every bite tastes like money!
“Wuwuwu! Wanwan, you’re way too nice!”

Shen Wanwan ignored this level of rainbow flattery. She walked over to the office sofa, sat down, and casually picked up a magazine from the coffee table to flip through.

The assistant brought over the macarons she’d bought as well.

Only these were paid for with her brother’s card.

001 said she was really going for ‘fair distribution to all.’

Seeing that Shen Wanwan had been reading magazines for more than ten minutes with no sign of heading to the reception room, Xiao Le leaned over and reminded her in a low voice, “Wanwan, the person in charge from GML is still waiting for you in the reception room. They’ve been there for over an hour…”

Shen Wanwan didn’t stop turning the pages. “Let them wait.”

She wasn’t in any hurry anyway.

Xiao Le immediately felt deep admiration.

GML was said to be named after a princess from a certain country. In the beginning, its main selling point was the so-called ‘royal brand.’ A few years ago it hadn’t attracted much attention, but in recent years it had been hyped up by several fashion bloggers using the ‘princess’ angle. Celebrities in the industry all regarded gaining GML’s favor as a status symbol.

Probably because the public had elevated it too much in recent years, GML’s executives had all become arrogant, masters at sucking up to the powerful and stepping on the weak.

But when they came to see Shen Wanwan, they were exceptionally respectful.

This was probably… the so-called superiority of the fashion circle, completely powerless in the face of absolute wealth.

Inside the reception room—

The two cups of tea on the coffee table had long since been emptied.

After sitting stiffly for more than an hour, the GML clothing designer’s shoulders finally slumped. He said anxiously, “How much longer do we have to wait?”

The person in charge sitting next to him was also getting tired.

“Who knows. This Young Lady changes her mind every day.
“In any case, watch what you say later. Don’t accidentally make her angry!”

This was already the tenth-something time he’d emphasized it since entering the room.

The designer’s ears were about to grow calluses from hearing it. He replied stiffly, “Yes, yes, yes.”

Bored from waiting, the person in charge lifted his teacup to take another sip, only to find there wasn’t even a drop left.

He glanced around but couldn’t see anywhere to refill it, and he couldn’t help cursing inwardly.

This Miss Shen really puts on quite the airs!

She’d deliberately left the two of them here to dry for a long time.

If it were based purely on her standing in the entertainment industry, they wouldn’t have come at all. Female stars far bigger than her still had to humble themselves and beg for a chance to work with them.

But because of the background behind her, and the amount she spent at GML every year, not only did they have to rush over on their own initiative, they didn’t even dare to leave despite being ignored.

The person in charge muttered quietly, “She really was born lucky.”

He was nearly forty. Thinking about how he’d still have to bow and scrape later to a little girl barely in her twenties made him feel extremely displeased.

Just then, the door to the reception room was pushed open.

Both of them looked up at once. The narrow crack of the door slowly widened, revealing Shen Wanwan’s delicate, indifferent face.

The person in charge instantly changed his expression, standing up eagerly with a smile. “Miss Shen!”

Shen Wanwan nodded lightly, neither warm nor cold, and sat down across from them.

Though she was young, she already carried a naturally imposing aura. When she wasn’t speaking, she looked distinctly aloof. The designer, though older than her, unconsciously drew his legs together and sat a bit straighter upon seeing her.

The person in charge asked attentively,

“Miss Shen, why did you suddenly return all of the new pieces?
“Are you dissatisfied with our new collection?”

At this, the GML designer wiped his sweat and hurriedly said, “Miss Shen, I can redesign them for you until you’re satisfied…”

Shen Wanwan lifted her chin slightly.

“It’s not a design issue.”

When she said that, the designer immediately let out a sigh of relief on the spot.

But very quickly, he felt that something wasn’t right.

It wasn’t a problem with the design…

Then what could it be?!

Fortunately, the considerate Miss Shen soon gave them an answer:

“Your brand is too petty. It doesn’t match my temperament at all.”

Petty?

The designer stared blankly at the person in charge, completely at a loss.

Since Miss Shen said there was nothing wrong with the design, then what did she mean by ‘petty’…?

The designer was still utterly confused, but the person in charge beside him felt that those words sounded strangely familiar, like he had heard them not long ago…

He froze for a few seconds, then suddenly realized—

Weren’t those the exact words he had used before about Shao Yuye?

This…

Could it be that Shen Wanwan was standing up for Shao Yuye?

He did know that Shen Wanwan and Shao Yuye were on the same variety show. At first, they clashed constantly, and only later did their relationship ease a bit.

But were they really that close now?

Close enough for Shen Wanwan to come forward on Shao Yuye’s behalf?

Cold sweat instantly poured down the person in charge’s forehead.

“Miss Shen… this matter can be explained…”

However, Shen Wanwan didn’t give them the slightest chance to argue.

She came like the wind, and left like the wind.

The person in charge felt his heart sink halfway.

The designer beside him asked hesitantly, “President Zhang, given the situation now… what should we do?”

The person in charge silently gritted his teeth.

What to do?

The one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it.

Of course, they had to go find Shao Yuye.

When Brother Li received the call from GML, he was still a little stunned.

Just a few days ago, the other party had been arrogant and overbearing. This time, though, they were extremely humble on the phone, saying that it had all been a misunderstanding caused by a newly hired colleague who didn’t know better. They hoped to resume cooperation with Shao Yuye.

Brother Li blankly handed the phone to Shao Yuye.

“Do you want to listen…?”

“What for?”

Shao Yuye was in the middle of styling and couldn’t conveniently take the phone.

The hairstylist beside him was fully focused, trimming the stray hair at his temples.

Brother Li simply put the phone on speaker.

Still confused, Shao Yuye let out a “Hello.”

The male voice on the other end immediately turned solemn:

“Hello, Teacher Shao. I’m the design director from GML. What happened before was all a misunderstanding. The colleague who liaised with you was new, we’ve already dismissed him. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused and hope you can give us another chance to work together…”

Shao Yuye waited a moment. Seeing that the other side had stopped talking, he raised an eyebrow.

“Finished?”

The person on the other end froze, then started repeating himself:

“Ah? We’re truly very sorry, Teacher Shao… This was entirely our fault. We sincerely ask that you be magnanimous and give us another opportunity…”

Shao Yuye asked again, “Finished?”

Not knowing his intent, the other side answered stiffly.

“…Yes.”

“Alright.”

He reached out and decisively hung up the phone.

The hairstylist beside him was dumbfounded.

The reputation of a hot-tempered top star really lived up to the name.

He even dared to hang up on GML’s call. That was seriously badass.

After CY learned that GML had changed their mind and gone back to apologizing to Shao Yuye and asking for renewed cooperation, the clothing designer rushed over the very same day to take Shao Yuye’s measurements. They coordinated several design concepts with Shao Yuye’s team, and the final plan was quickly finalized.

Once the suit was delivered, everything was ready, just waiting for the red carpet.

On gossip forums, discussions about StarShow were also running high. That evening, a post shot up into a massive thread as soon as it appeared—

[Breaking news: XS didn’t receive an invitation this year, and JYN only managed to get on after her team begged for a long time. But there’s someone totally unexpected who was invited by StarShow. Everyone, guess who?]

1F: [Who?]

2F: [Isn’t StarShow famous for only inviting whoever’s popular? Super snobbish.]

10F: [XS = Xiao Sui, JYN = Jin Yani. Someone even more popular than them, who could it be?]

67F (OP): [Here’s a hint: a female celebrity from a super popular variety show.]

70F: [A popular variety show? <Extreme Challenge>?]

99F: [Holy crap, don’t tell me it’s SWW?!]

100F: [Shen Wanwan? StarShow, are you kidding me? Even if she’s been really hot lately, gaining tons of followers and discussion, it’s still hard to believe she’d surpass Xiao Sui and Jin Yani, right?]

101F: [It’s actually possible. She really has been super popular recently, mainly because she’s been tied to Shao Yuye with that ‘Petty Revenge Duo’ CP. My classmates all like them quite a bit. StarShow probably considered that too.]

150F: [Even if Shen Wanwan is invited, she’ll just be playing a supporting role if she goes. Wish her luck.]

999F: [Holy crap. StarShow just posted the guest list. They really did invite Shen Wanwan!]

1069F: [Shen Wanwan is something else—she just skyrocketed!]

…

The red carpet at StarShow’s annual charity gala is the biggest highlight every year. Female celebrities bloom like a hundred flowers, competing in beauty, while male stars also engage in quiet rivalries, truly a grand arena of fame and fortune.

In past years, there were plenty of articles breaking down the celebrities’ outfits. This year, major fashion bloggers, eager to grab first-hand traffic, all launched livestreams one after another.

The media were on full alert as well. Photographers aimed their long lenses at the venue, and even though the livestream hadn’t officially started yet, many fans on site were already cheering and screaming.

---

After hanging up, Shao Yuye still felt unsatisfied.

He thought for a moment and called his former teammate, Yu Cheng.

Yu Cheng answered instantly and teased from the other end: “Yo, what wind blew you here? Rare for you to call me…”

Shao Yuye: “Huh? You also know my sister bought something for me?”

Yu Cheng: “?
“How the hell would I know anything?!”

The corners of Shao Yuye’s mouth lifted. “Oh, I was just about to tell you my sister bought me something good!”

Yu Cheng was utterly confused. “…Can you be normal for once?”

Shao Yuye’s voice sounded especially annoying,
“Ah? You’re asking what my sister bought me?
“Eh, nothing important, just a brooch.”

Someone say it’s nothing important, but in reality their mouth is already grinning up to the heavens.

Shao Yuye bragged, “Just in time, I’ll wear it on the red carpet.”

Yu Cheng was speechless. “…Do you know what I’m thinking right now?”

Shao Yuye completely ignored him, firing off, “Oh, my sister said I shouldn’t hang out with you guys who don’t have sisters,” and then, he swiftly hung up.

“…”

Yu Cheng stared at his phone, feeling confused, dazed, and burning with irritation.

Five minutes later, on Weibo—

@YuCheng: [This lunatic called me in the middle of the night just to show off his sister. Everyone please go scold him! @ShaoYuye.]

[Hahahaha I’m dying!]

[Siscon Brother Ye confirmed!!]

[I didn’t expect Brother Ye’s private personality to be like this, so cute, so cute!]

[Chengcheng: This person is truly annoying! I suggest he be dragged out and executed immediately!]

[Soooo how exactly did Brother Ye show off? I want to hear too!!]

Very quickly, all the former ON1E members also posted:

@LinXia: [Don’t be ridiculous! I was sleeping just fine and this guy called to show off his sister! @ShaoYuye]

@XuJunning: [Can someone please discipline him? @ShaoYuye]

@YuJinyan: [@ShaoYuye Everyone, please scold him harsher.]

@LiangJing: [Quiet question… anyone want to form a group to steal his sister?]

@ZhuYun: [Count me in for sister-stealing. Nothing else, I mainly want to see Shao Yuye cry. He cries so nicely. :)]

…

[Thank you to Shao Yuye’s sister for making my dead former group suddenly reunite on Weibo.]

[I’m seriously laughing to death. Did Brother Ye show off to every member?!]

[Hahahahaha! Brother Ye will be the death of me. He loves her that much??]

Soon, #ON1E#, #Shao Yuye Siscon#, and #Shao Yuye’s Little Sister# all shot up to the trending list.

The heat stayed high, fans were all laughing like crazy.

Xiao Le quietly reposted the Weibo and cautiously tried to get some gossip from Shen Wanwan.

“Wanwan, has Brother Ye ever mentioned his little sister to you?”

Shen Wanwan smiled. “Hm?”

“Brother Ye protects her so well, I really want to see his sister…”

—Brother Ye’s little sister must be adorably cute!

Shen Wanwan replied earnestly, “You can use me as reference.”

Xiao Le suddenly understood. “Ohhh, you’re right!”

The little princess in that photo…

She must have grown up to be similar to Wanwan, right? Both were raised like real princesses with real money.

After gossiping, Xiao Le even remembered to give a rainbow-flavored compliment.

“Wanwan, you’re so good, you always tell me all the gossip firsthand.”

Shen Wanwan looked at the Weibo posts from her brother’s teammates and smiled softly.

“Mm.”

Looks like that brooch, her brother really loves it~

Before bed, Brother Li finally sent the photo to CY. The next morning when the CY representative called, their voice was more earnest than before: “We hope to custom-tailor a suit specifically for Mr. Shao.”

Usually, sponsored outfits from brands are loaned.

CY’s outfit yesterday was an autumn runway limited edition, worth over 1.8 million.

Brother Li’s brain wasn’t fully awake this early, but since this was all beneficial to Shao Yuye, he agreed despite not understanding why.

Only after hanging up, when the representative subtly asked where that priceless brooch had been borrowed from, did Brother Li suddenly realize…

…Shen Wanwan may have given Shao Yuye something very valuable.

He silently opened his phone to search it up.

Even though he’d already prepared himself mentally, when he actually saw that astronomical number, he still choked up silently.

When he finally met with Shao Yuye and saw the true appearance of that brooch, Brother Li couldn’t help shedding the tears of the poor.

He repeatedly reminded Shao Yuye, “You better walk very steadily.
“That thing cost thirty million…”

Shao Yuye was grinning while scrolling through Weibo. The entire group had posted last night complaining about him.

The fans’ comments were especially funny, with all kinds of new jokes being born. He was thoroughly entertained.

When he heard Brother Li mention thirty million, he almost froze for a moment before belatedly turning his head. “For real?”

—That expensive?!!!

Brother Li rolled his eyes. “Why would I lie to you?”

“!”

The corner of Shao Yuye’s mouth twitched. “How many zeros are after that 3 again?!”

Brother Li, silently: “…Quite a few.”

Shao Yuye clenched his fist. He had originally been cutting back on unnecessary work, but suddenly he was filled with burning motivation:

“Help me fill up all my free time, right now. Didn’t you say there was a job a few days ago that sounded good? I’ll take it!”

Brother Li : “……”

—Please get a grip, man!
—No matter how many gigs you take, you cannot afford your walking symbol-of-luxury little sister!!!

Shao Yuye felt that ever since he’d found his sister, his luck had improved a lot.

She must really have that koi-luck aura, always bringing good fortune.

A few days later, good news came from the team of <Last Shot>.

The male lead role had been finalized as Shao Yuye, and the director asked them to come for the costume photo shoot in a couple of days.

When Brother Li received the news, he couldn’t contain his excitement and grabbed Shao Yuye’s hand.

“Ah Ye, it’s done! Oh my god, it’s done!”

One wave after another, nothing but good news.

So good, so good!

The blueprint he had imagined for Shao Yuye was finally about to come true!

Shao Yuye had one hand held by Brother Li, while the other held his phone.

Just then, the phone chimed. A transaction notification popped up.

The amount was 520¹.

His eyes trembled, and he squeezed Brother Li’s hand back, babbling and imitating Li’s excited tone: “It’s done, it’s done.”

Seeing his reaction, Brother Li felt comforted. He quickly calmed himself and patted Shao Yuye’s shoulder.

“Don’t get too excited. We have to stay composed. After all, we’ve seen big scenes before…”

Shao Yuye’s voice went up a pitch:

“How can I stay calm?!”

Brother Li took several deep breaths and gestured for him to follow along. “Come on, take a few deep breaths.”

Who knew that Shao Yuye would instead shove the phone in front of him so Brother Li could see the deduction message.

“My sister, seriously, I could cry to death!
“Even the amount she spends on a card swipe is shaped like her love for me!”

“???”

Brother Li stared at the message in confusion. He quickly recovered from the excitement he had felt moments earlier and now felt like coughing up blood.

—You brat!
—You absolute brat!
—So everything I just said, you didn’t listen to any of it!

---

1. the number 520 (五二零 wǔ èr líng) is often used as a slang for ‘I love you (我爱你 wǒ ài nǐ)’ in China. ↩︎

---

The night was deep, and the Maybach sped through the bustling streets.

The lighting in the car was a little dim. Qi Luozhou’s cool, pale skin looked especially striking in the dark, which only added a few degrees of abstinent, seductive charm to him.

After Shen Wanwan got into the car, she handed him the shopping bag.

“Gift.”

Qi Luozhou’s lips curved, and he asked with interest, “What is it?”

His voice no longer sounded as cold as it had earlier.

Shen Wanwan didn’t want to explain. She only drawled lazily:

“Reimburse me.”

“I kept forgetting to give it to you.”

Qi Luozhou took out a black card.

Thin, but with no credit limit.

Shen Wanwan already had one, her father’s, but that didn’t stop her eyes from lighting up at the sight of this one.

She lifted her chin and reached out to take the card.

Their fingertips brushed. His were slightly cool.

She asked very seriously, “Can it max out?”

Qi Luozhou chuckled.

“Let’s hope not.”

“Hey—” Shen Wanwan puffed her cheeks. “Isn’t this the moment where you’re supposed to say ‘Sure,’ or ‘It won’t max out,’ or something equally full of nonsense?”

“Mm. Sure. It won’t max out.”

Qi Luo-zhou smiled faintly. His beautiful peach-shaped eyes curved, and his long, thick lashes lowered slightly like butterfly wings.

Shen Wanwan spaced out for a second, suddenly wanting to touch his lashes.

She took the initiative to explain: “Just now, Su Tingxuan was pestering me on his own. I didn’t respond to him at all.”

“Mm.” Qi Luo-zhou replied lazily. “Is this you giving me a demonstration?”

Shen Wanwan shot him an approving look.

“Mm.”

“This is something you don’t need to worry about.” Qi Luozhou suddenly leaned forward a little, the smile on his lips deepening, his voice low and husky:

“In the entertainment industry’s Ten Most Virtuous Male Artists ranking, the number one is me.”

Just then the car drove out from a shadowed area. The light from a streetlamp shone in through the window, illuminating his exquisite face.

His thin lips were slightly upturned, brown eyes glimmering with amusement, staring straight at her.

Shen Wanwan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, caught off guard by his sudden bragging.

—Cocky.

She pressed down the upward tug at her lips and calmly met his gaze.

“Mm. Best if you stay virtuous.”

The two exchanged a tacit smile.

---

At home, Shao Yuye was wearing a black tank top, dark-blue boxing gloves on both hands, pounding the human-height sandbag until it thudded loudly.

When Shen Wanwan pushed the door open, his fist had just swung out hard, the breeze it created lifting the loose strands of hair beside her cheek.

Shen Wanwan spoke calmly: “Where’s all this anger coming from?”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it made Shao Yuye freeze instantly.

Sweat dampened his long hair. He panted lightly and reached up to tear open the Velcro on his gloves.

“Just annoyed.”

“Mm?”

“Just that stupid red-carpet mess.”

Shao Yuye tossed the gloves onto a rack, walked out of the gym, and grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge.

He had received the StarShow gala invitation long ago. As GML’s Asia-Pacific spokesperson, the brand had enthusiastically promised to sponsor two haute couture looks.

But then they suddenly said that considering he had just gone through a scandal, even though the whole internet pitied him, his current ‘pitiful’ image didn’t match the brand’s tone. So the deal they had already finalized suddenly got stonewalled.

But Shao Yuye was still a top-tier star.

Since GML refused, he soon got an invitation from another brand, CY. Though slightly lower in prestige than GML, CY at least had a friendly attitude.

Even though everything was resolved, the irritation still lingered.

He had heard the fashion circle was ruthless toward the weak and deferential to the strong, but he didn’t expect to experience it so vividly.

After hearing all this, Shen Wanwan narrowed her eyes: “Which brand?”

“Forget it.” Shao Yuye didn’t want to dump his bad mood on his sister, “It doesn’t matter. It’s already handled.”

“Say it.”

He wanted to let it go; she absolutely did not.

The netizens who called her ‘petty and vengeful’ weren’t wrong.

“GML.”

In truth, Shao Yuye hadn’t taken GML’s sudden refusal too personally.

What he disliked was their excuse, implying he had deliberately acted pitiful to manipulate public sympathy, flipping his public persona from ‘irritable cool guy’ to ‘nationwide sweetheart little victim.’

It felt disgusting to hear.

“I got it.”

Shen Wanwan nodded faintly and gestured for Shao Yuye to look at her spoils from the night.

Smiling brightly, she pushed a red velvet box toward him.

“Wear this at StarShow.”

“What is it?”

Shao Yuye opened the box, and was momentarily blinded by the dazzling diamond.

He squinted, and then saw clearly that inside was a leaf-shaped brooch.

A single whole diamond, glinting with a crisp green hue under the light.

The center was three-dimensional with smooth, polished facets, while the edges were slightly sharp, transitioning cleverly through long, step-cut diamonds. The carefully designed leaf surface extended naturally and gracefully.

Perfectly fitting its name.

—’Vitality’.

The moment Shen Wanwan laid eyes on it, she immediately felt it suited her brother perfectly.

“Do you like it?”

“It looks good.” Shao Yuye trusted her taste completely.
“How much was it?
“Brother will reimburse you!”

Shen Wanwan’s attention was fully on showing off her spoils. She pulled out a few more pieces: “I bought several. What does your formal outfit look like? Let me see which one matches best.”

But Shao Yuye still stuffed a card into her hand.

Everything he owned was on that card.

“From now on, use my card. Buy whatever you want!”

Having received two cards in one night, Shen Wanwan took the second one and sweetly replied:

“Thank you, Brother!”

Shao Yuye felt his heart bloom instantly and ran off to call Brother Li.

Hey—

Isn’t this what they call ‘getting a pillow right when you’re sleepy’?

Brother Li had still been stressing about accessories that afternoon.

The moment he picked up, Shao Yuye didn’t bother with suspense:

“I’ve got the brooch.”

Brother Li immediately became alert. “What brooch? All your accessories have to be approved by the brand. You can’t just wear some random no-name thing, after all…”

He grumbled while opening the photo Yuye sent over.

The bright, pure diamond in the picture made Brother Li let out a chicken-like scream—

“What?!”

Such a big diamond?!

So big it almost looked fake…

After a moment, Brother Li, totally lacking worldly experience, asked, “You didn’t just scoop this up from some street stall, right?”

This had once caused a small incident.

This respected idol was wearing a ten-yuan tank top bought from a street stall. It wasn’t that people disdained cheap prices; the career fans were mostly worried that such casual choices would hurt his commercial value.

Fans were heartbroken all over again and nearly organized a donation drive to buy him clothes.

Several competitors also put out tons of gossip pieces mocking him as a fallen top star.

If not for the studio repeatedly clarifying that Shao Yuye wasn’t that poor, that he could afford expensive clothes, and Brother Li posting a nicely dressed photo of him every day, the fans wouldn’t have stopped.

Logically speaking, Shao Yuye shouldn’t be doing things like this anymore.

But that diamond on the brooch was too big. Could it be moissanite?

The moment he said that, Shao Yuye was instantly offended.

“What nonsense! My little sister bought this for me! My sister!
“And even if it was from a street stall, so what? If my sister bought it, even if she scooped it up from a street stall, I’d love it.”

He was so angry he said it twice. On the other end, Brother Li finally relaxed.

Oh.

Shen Wanwan bought it.

Brother Li was instantly at ease.

That Young Lady would never possibly fall to the level of picking things from a street stall.

So that brooch must be something good.

“Tsk, how much must this cost…”

“No idea.”

Shao Yuye has no concept of money.

He did go through a period of hardship, but it was all mental hardship.

The company provided meals, and after entering the talent show he quickly shot to fame. In a sense, his luck had always been pretty good.

“Alright then.” Brother Li saved the photo. “I’ll check with CY tomorrow.”

---

The Qi family’s financial strength was on par with the Shen family’s, if not slightly superior, but they had always kept an excessively low profile.

Qi Yuan disliked socializing. It was said that his wife’s hobbies were equally simple: practicing calligraphy and painting every day, tending to flowers and plants.

There was very little information circulating about the Qi family. People only knew that they seemed to have a son, who is most likely a useless playboy who had never managed to make any kind of name for himself in the circle over all these years, remaining extremely mysterious.

This was the first time Mrs. Qi had appeared so frequently in public, which was why the Qi family had recently been brought up again and again in elite circles.

Everyone was guessing who was so lucky as to catch the young master of the Qi family’s eye—such grand occasions, such limitless splendor.

For a moment, no one knew what to say, and the atmosphere fell into a brief silence.

Then someone suddenly reminded them, “Shen Wanwan is here!”

Everyone turned to look toward the entrance.

Under the bright lights, Shen Wanwan walked in, dazzling and flamboyant.

She was wearing a black cocktail dress, with a bespoke off-white coat over it. Her figure was slender and graceful, and her exquisitely perfect face was so radiant it was impossible to look away.

Places like this were famous arenas of fame and fortune. The moment Shen Wanwan appeared, she became the center of attention. Her family background alone ensured she could never be ignored—let alone with a face as flawless as any top actress in the entertainment industry. Countless people crowded forward to strike up conversations.

Someone noticed the flash of light on her left hand and let out a soft “Eh?”

“Wanwan, do you have some good news?”

“Mm.”

Shen Wanwan headed straight toward the VIP area and replied casually,

“I’m getting engaged in a while.”

That person asked again, “What’s the guy’s family background like? Does he treat you well?”

Shen Wanwan raised her left hand. The dazzling pink diamond on her middle finger, which obviously worth a fortune, flashed straight into the questioner’s eyes.

She smiled faintly. “What do you think?”

Shen Wanwan took a seat in the back.

She found the lights in the front too bright—too dazzling for her eyes.

At the beginning, the items up for auction were all small pieces. Whenever she saw something that struck her fancy, she bought it.

001 was nearly blinded by the numbers. The inexperienced little light orb shouted nonstop:

{That’s just a tie clip, why does it cost over four hundred thousand?!
{And that brooch—this price is outrageous too, isn’t it…}

Shen Wanwan leaned lazily back in her seat and chuckled softly.

“When I was little, I had a very simple wish. I wished my dad would never go bankrupt for his entire life.”

001: {……}

Though it was a system and didn’t have such worldly desires, at this moment it still couldn’t help responding with very sincere sarcasm:

{What a truly plain and unadorned wish you have.}

The smile at Shen Wanwan’s lips deepened.

Now, that wish list had gained another item: Qi Luozhou.

After all, they were about to become a community of shared interests. She hoped he could steadily earn a continuous stream of money for her to spend.

The waiting process was especially boring.

Her goal tonight was the final item, the blue diamond.

Fortunately, chatting with the little light orb made time pass quickly.

At last, the blue diamond known as the ‘Heart of Diamond’ was presented.

From afar, it was a deep, ocean-like hue. When viewed against the light, it transformed into another kind of clear blue, immaculate and free of any impurities. In darker tones it was understated, while in brighter light it possessed a vivid, radiant beauty.

The women present almost all drew in a sharp breath the moment they saw it.

It was simply too beautiful!

The starting price for this lot was over fifty million.

The price wasn’t considered cheap.

Yet it still made 001 suck in a breath, very unsophisticatedly counting how many zeros followed the five.

The bidding quickly heated up.

“Fifty-five million!”

“Sixty million!”

“Sixty-five million!”

“Seventy million!”

…

“One hundred million.”

That crisp declaration of “one hundred million” instantly cooled the heated atmosphere of the bidding by half.

Everyone turned to look. Shen Wanwan sat calmly on the soft sofa, posture elegant and composed, eyes bright, utterly confident of victory.

Many pupils shrank in shock.

There could clearly have been more back-and-forth bidding, but Shen Wanwan went straight to one hundred million. From that point on, anyone thinking of raising the price had to think twice and no longer dared to bid lightly.

Countless overt and covert gazes fell on her, yet Shen Wanwan remained unmoved, as steady as Mount Tai, even slightly lifting the corner of her lips.

001 muttered quietly: {If I’m not mistaken, you look pretty pleased right now.}

Shen Wanwan neither confirmed nor denied.

“Mm.”

She made no attempt to hide her own vanity.

Onstage, the auctioneer raised the gavel.

“One hundred million, once
“One hundred million, twice—”

Most people no longer raised their paddles.

First, the price had already reached a fairly high point; spending that much money just to please a female companion wasn’t worth it.

Second, everyone knew she was Shen Rong’s daughter. Going against her meant going against Shen Rong, why bother competing with her?

In an instant, no one bid again.

The auctioneer’s gavel fell decisively.

“One hundred million, three times—sold!”

Quite a few people in the room felt a surge of envy and jealousy.

Just moments earlier, many had been snidely suggesting that Shen Wanwan might have bought a ring herself for the sake of appearances, wearing it on her middle finger and pretending it was a gift from a man.

Now, all of them fell completely silent.

Someone really couldn’t hold it in anymore and blurted out in envy, “Shen Wanwan’s luck is just too good!”

After happily finishing her shopping, Shen Wanwan deliberately took a stroll around the outer hall. The auction inside had already ended, while the one outside was still going on.

The inner hall was reserved for VIP clients; the outer hall invited some celebrities, as well as wealthy people whose status wasn’t enough to enter the inner hall.

Su Tingxuan was there.

Unexpectedly, Bai Ling was there too.

However, Bai Ling was sitting far away from Su Tingxuan, with a man of restrained, understated temperament beside her.

Shen Wanwan raised her brows in mild surprise.

Compared to the glow she’d seen around Bai Ling when she first awakened, it had dimmed quite a bit now.

001 thoughtfully provided some background info: {The fourth male lead. A rising star in the business world, a domineering tycoon type. Almost obsessively infatuated with the female lead. Because his mind is full of wanting to lock the female lead up and do ‘those’ things, he gets eliminated…}

Before it could finish speaking, a sudden furious shout came from that direction.

“Have I given you too much face or what?!”

001 instantly fell silent, and together with Shen Wanwan looked toward the source of the sound.

No one knew what Su Tingxuan had said wrong, but the woman flipped out on the spot and splashed a glass of wine all over him.

The wine-red liquid drenched him from head to toe, leaving him utterly disheveled.

The woman stood up, flicked her hand, and left. Su Tingxuan, utterly devoid of dignity, didn’t even have time to wipe his face. Carrying a pile of shopping bags, he chased after her in embarrassment. After running just a couple of steps, his gaze met Shen Wanwan’s, and his feet froze awkwardly in place.

Shen Wanwan looked at him coldly.

Su Tingxuan stood there stiffly, suddenly remembering the harsh words he’d once said to her.

—“I’ve been ordered around by you like a dog for so many years. Do you know how I’ve lived all this time? Even in my dreams I’m serving you tea, massaging your shoulders, pounding your legs!”

Those words he’d once roared at Shen Wanwan now came back like a vicious slap, striking him hard in the face.

Back then, he prided himself on his own abilities and was utterly sick of a life where he had to curry favor with Shen Wanwan.

But only now did he realize…

Shen Wanwan had actually treated him very well.

“Wanwan…”

He tugged at the corner of his mouth in a miserable attempt at a smile. His gaze dropped and caught sight of the ring on her finger. His eyes wavered for a moment as he said with difficulty,

“You…”

Regret surged over him. He wished he could step forward and pull her into his arms the very next second.

Shen Wanwan lightly stepped back.

She didn’t say a word. She simply lifted the corner of her lips with satisfaction and said to 001, “I told you he’d regret it.”

001 replied: {Yes, yes, yes—obviously. He looks like he wishes he could time-travel back and slap himself a few times. Hehehe! This kind of plot is so satisfying!}

Shen Wanwan carried her shopping bags to the back entrance and sent Qi Luozhou a message, asking him to drive the car over.

At that moment, Su Tingxuan chased out and, with a *thud*, knelt down in front of her.

Overwhelmed with remorse, he slapped himself hard.

“Wanwan… it was all my fault before…”

The auction outside wasn’t over yet, and there weren’t many people around. But Su Tingxuan still shamelessly acted out a scumbag’s public repentance.

Shen Wanwan crossed her arms with interest, watching as if it were a show.

“His acting’s not bad, huh?”

001 said: {…Well, his family’s about to go bankrupt too. If he doesn’t try hard one last time now, he’ll end up just like Shao Hongyuan.}

“That’s true.”

Shen Wanwan pressed her tongue lightly against the roof of her mouth, suddenly feeling a bit reflective.

One standing, one kneeling. The two remained locked in that position until the headlights of a black Maybach cut through the darkness and quietly stopped beside them.

Su Tingxuan’s wailing stopped instantly.

He stared blankly as the car window slowly lowered.

The light was dim; the man inside was hidden in shadow, his features completely indistinct.

But even through the car door, Su Tingxuan could feel the chill in his voice.

“Let’s go.”

“Bye-bye.” Shen Wanwan turned and said goodbye to Su Tingxuan, “My fiancé is here.”

Su Tingxuan stared at her in shock, momentarily unable to react.

Shen Wanwan looked down at him from above, her gaze as cold as ever, her tone carrying a hint of half-mockery, half-sarcasm.

“Since you chose true love, don’t look back.
“True love conquers all. Good luck.”

As if annoyed that she’d said too much—

An unhappy ‘tsk’ drifted out from inside the car.

---

News about Qi Luozhou suspected of having a girlfriend stayed marked as a hot topic all the way until the next morning.

Bystanders were eager to see fans break down, but the ‘Xiao Chuan’s were surprisingly accepting.

[It’s fine, God Zhou isn’t an idol anyway. If he’s dating, we’ll bless him.]

[I know this request sounds ridiculous, but I really hope the sister-in-law isn’t the annoying type…]

[Don’t be absurd. Buying a dessert = having a girlfriend now?! Stop guessing—just wait for the official announcement!]

That’s what they said, but their attitude was already very clear.

Qi Luozhou had been in the industry for many years and was basically the peak of the circle—looks, acting skills, career, no weak points.

Lots of actresses wanted to hype fake CPs with him for popularity, but every time something came out, his studio would immediately clarify everything in great detail. As a result, he had zero scandals for years.

But this time, the situation fermented the entire night, and the studio still hadn’t stepped out to deny anything. That already explained a lot.

---

On the other side, Shao Yuye placed freshly steamed, still-hot soup dumplings on the table.

Even though she had repeatedly said that he didn’t need to cook for her and that she would hire a chef separately, Shao Yuye had taken an interest in cooking and was determined to master it.

Since her brother insisted on cooking, Shen Wanwan stopped trying to persuade him otherwise.

The dumplings were made fresh that morning.

Shen Wanwan picked one up, let it cool, then bit into it.

The skin was thick, the meat was also thick. The dumplings were round and heavy.

The filling was mild, and overall, it felt dry.

Shao Yuye nervously asked, “How is it?”

Shen Wanwan replied honestly, “Not good.”

The light in his eyes visibly dimmed.

She added, “But it’s not awful, either.”

Shao Yuye lifted his head again; hope reignited in his eyes.

He clenched his fists, eager.

“Next time I’ll improve!”

He happily sat beside her, eating his own handmade dumplings with great enjoyment.

Suddenly, Shen Wanwan said, “I told you before that I lost my memory. You don’t want to know how I remembered it?”

“How did you remember it?”

“After I fell into the water that day, a system suddenly appeared.”

The little glowing ball lying on her shoulder, kicking its tiny feet, suddenly bounced up in panic:

{I don’t know if your brother will be shocked by this…}

Shen Wanwan explained everything clearly.

It was truly explosive information, something ordinary people would struggle to digest.

But if she wanted to untie her brother’s emotional knot, this was important context.

“Mom didn’t intentionally stop looking for you.” She said seriously, “Our memories were erased by the so-called ‘plot.’ Before that, both Mom and I had lost our memories.”

Shao Yuye slightly opened his mouth, frowned as he thought.

He didn’t speak, and the room fell silent.

It was clearly difficult for him to process.

Shen Wanwan asked gently, “You don’t believe it?”

“I believe,” Shao Yuye said suddenly, lifting his face, his eyes sparkling—
as if he’d just heard some incredible good news.

Shen Wanwan had a big question mark over her head. She couldn’t figure out his reaction and tried to phrase her next words carefully:

“I just wanted to say—”

Before she could finish, Shao Yuye burst out excitedly:

“Can you ask the system if Ultraman really exists in this world?”

“…”

“Hurry, this is very important to me.”

“…”

The room went dead silent.

Shen Wanwan pressed her lips together, took a deep breath, and fought the urge to crack open his skull to see what was inside.

Then she heard him urge again:

“Did you ask?”

001 was already dancing samba on her shoulder.

The round little puffball tried to wiggle a completely invisible hip, spinning around with closed eyes:

{Of course Ultraman exists! Anything is possible—believe in the light!}

“…”

Shen Wanwan lost all patience and slapped her brother hard on the shoulder.

“Did you even understand what I told you?”

—That Mom didn’t abandon you on purpose.

But not getting the answer she hoped for, Shao Yuye lowered his eyes and casually hummed in response.

Shen Wanwan: “?”

That’s it?

She puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

Shao Yuye quickly changed the subject. “What are you doing today?”

She was annoyed and didn’t want to talk to him.

“None of your business.”

Shao Yuye: “?
“Fine, I’ll show you a magic trick.”

He finished speaking and gestured for her to close her eyes.

The sole audience member, 001, asked curiously: {Wow! What magic trick is he about to do?!}

Although she felt it was completely unnecessary, Shen Wanwan still cooperatively closed her eyes.

001 watched the whole thing and gave her a live commentary: {Ohhh! So Brother is going to pull out a rose for you!}

Shen Wanwan: “…”

No wonder he kept tugging at his sleeve earlier.

He must’ve worked pretty hard preparing this little act.

At that moment, Shao Yuye signaled for her to open her eyes.

He pressed his five fingers together, palm facing her, made a few casual gestures, then hooked his pinky upward, lifting the rose stem hidden in his palm.

A bright red rose appeared steadily before her eyes.

Because 001 had already spoiled it for her, Shen Wanwan felt absolutely nothing.

Meanwhile, 001 was so excited it wished it could clap its tiny hands till they swelled—

{Wow amazing amazing amazing!!!
{Brother is incredible! Brother is the best! I’m going to support Brother for life!!】

Shao Yuye held out the rose to her with a face full of anticipation, his eyes brimming with the desire to be praised:

“How is it?!”

“…”

Shen Wanwan paused for two seconds, then clapped vigorously:

“…Wow amazing amazing amazing!!
“Brother is incredible! Brother is the best! I’m going to support Brother for life!”

---

Shao Yuye had work in the morning, and once he left, Shen Wanwan began reading.

Besides being an actress, she was also a student in C University’s acting program. Previously, because of filming and variety shows, she could skip school indefinitely. But as the weather grew colder and finals approached, she figured she should try a little harder.

Shen Wanwan studied until the afternoon, and when she felt tired, she checked her phone.

Plastic-sister Jiang Qingwu had sent her a message.

[Are you coming to tonight’s auction or not?
[There’ll be a good show.]

Because Shen Wanwan didn’t reply for a long time, Jiang Qingwu felt the bait wasn’t working and directly sent a photo.

[Isn’t Su Tingxuan’s family nearly bankrupt? How does he still have the mood to accompany a woman shopping?]

Shen Wanwan opened the photo. On screen, Su Tingxuan was carrying a woman’s bag with a flattering smile.

Even 001 felt disdain.

{He used to say you treated him like a dog with no dignity, and that Bai Ling was his true love. Well, look at that, now he doesn’t want either dignity or true love?}

Shen Wanwan closed the photo after a single glance, her voice calm:

“Of course he has to latch onto a rich woman. How else will he support himself?”

Without Shen Rong’s help, Su’s company was on the verge of collapse.

His situation wasn’t much better than Shao Hongyuan’s.

Rumor had it that Father Su even dragged Su Tingxuan to the Shen household, nearly ready to kneel before Shen Rong.

But Shen Rong didn’t even agree to meet them and had the bodyguards send them away.

Realizing the Shen family couldn’t be moved, Su Tingxuan could only set his sights on other women in the industry.

Love without material support is just a pile of loose sand.

He didn’t even have to pretend he was heartbroken—just breaking off the engagement was enough to end it…

But Jiang Qingwu’s reminder did stir Shen Wanwan’s shopping urge.

She curved her lips and replied:

[Sure, I’m coming.]

After Jiang Qingwu put down her phone, she told the others with a smile:

“Looks like Shen Wanwan still hasn’t gotten over Su Tingxuan. The moment she heard he’d be here, she said she was coming.”

Someone doubted it: “No way? Didn’t Wang Xiaoli and the others bump into her before? Some super handsome guy picked her up. She probably already has a new romance.”

“So who was that guy? Everyone gossiped for so long and still couldn’t figure it out. I’m starting to think she hired someone just to save face.”

At that, everyone fell silent.

“No idea. Real or fake, who can say?”

Tonight’s auction had apparently been in preparation for a long time. The collection was extensive, with many rare pieces that hadn’t surfaced for years. The final item was a 12.34-carat vivid blue diamond—clear, flawless, and designed simply yet full of depth.

After gossiping about Shen Wanwan, someone looked around and suddenly lowered their voice:

“Is Madam Qi here tonight?”

“Doesn’t seem like it. We’ve seen her a lot lately though.”

Jiang Qingwu said, “Madam Qi is quite aloof. I tried chatting with her the other day. She was polite but distant. Hard to talk to.”

She paused, then added mysteriously:
“I heard the family is preparing for a wedding.”

“Huh—what lucky woman is marrying into that family? She’ll never run out of money in her life.”

“You’d have to be pretty capable to win over such a cold future mother-in-law.”

Jiang Qingwu said with deep envy.

“The thing is, Madam Qi is incredibly generous. Her bids always jump by millions—seriously rich and willful! And she’s not even buying for herself. Everything is for her future daughter-in-law!”

---

Half an hour later, the car stopped at the gates of the Shen family villa.

Shen Wanwan got out first. Shen Mingzhen had heard she was bringing her fiancé home, so she’d dragged Aunt Jiang to the backyard vegetable garden to pick fresh produce. They still hadn’t returned.

Shen Rong was sitting on the living room sofa reading the newspaper. After Shen Wanwan changed her shoes, she took the initiative to call out, “Dad.”

Only then did Shen Rong lift his head, and immediately spotted the brightly sparkling ring on her left hand.

He let out a quiet snort through his nose before looking at Qi Luozhou with obvious displeasure.

Shen Wanwan introduced, “My fiancé, Qi Luozhou.”

Qi Luozhou politely greeted, “Uncle.”

Shen Rong put down the newspaper and stood up. “Come with me.”

Shen Wanwan protested, “What about me?”

“I have something to say to him. Go find your mother for a while.”

His tone was gentle when speaking to Shen Wanwan, but when his eyes swept back to Qi Luozhou, they instantly turned cold.

Since her Dad clearly had a stomach full of words waiting for Qi Luozhou, Shen Wanwan didn’t bother shielding Qi Luozhou.

“I’m going to find my Mom.”

Qi Luozhou nodded slightly, “Mm.”

He followed Shen Rong into the study, while Shen Wanwan, bored out of her mind, wandered toward the vegetable greenhouse.

Aunt Jiang was holding a small basket full of fresh vegetables as she chatted with Shen Mingzhen.

After just one week apart, Shen Mingzhen looked noticeably thinner.

Shen Wanwan called out, “Mom.”

Shen Mingzhen turned around, joy lighting up her face. “Wanwan, you’re back!”

Seeing the dark circles under her mother’s eyes, Shen Wanwan asked with concern, “Haven’t you been resting well lately?”

Shen Mingzhen stood up.

Aunt Jiang took the scissors from her hand and tactfully stepped away.

Shen Mingzhen gently shook her head.

“Whenever I think of him, I can’t sleep.”

The ‘him’ she meant was Shao Yuye.

She had been following every piece of news about him these past few days.

Her mind was still blank when it came to their past, yet every time she saw Shao Yuye speaking those harsh words into the camera, her heart spasmed with sharp, twisting pain.

“Wanwan, how is he doing now? Has all that online stuff affected him privately?”

“No.” Shen Wanwan reassured her. “Brother is in great condition.”

Shen Mingzhen let out a long sigh, wiping at the moisture gathering at the corners of her eyes. Then she deliberately changed the subject: “Today is a happy day, my daughter bringing my son-in-law home. Come on, Mom will cook you both a good meal.”

Shen Wanwan helped her mother in the kitchen.

Dinner was lavish. The four of them sat at the table, and surprisingly, Shen Rong—who was normally hostile—actually took the initiative to place a piece of drumstick meat onto Qi Luozhou’s plate.

Even Shen Wanwan, calm as she usually was, paused at such dramatic behavior.

Quietly, she glanced at Qi Luozhou.

To win her Dad over so easily… truly a ruthless man.

Qi Luozhou gave her a slight smile.

A cultured, refined smile. Impeccable on the surface, yet with something subtle and hard to decipher beneath it…

On the way back, Shen Wanwan brought it up.

“What exactly did you say to my Dad?”

Half of Qi Luozhou’s face rested in the light, the other half hidden in shadow, giving him an air of mystery.

He turned his head to look at her, meeting her eyes.

His voice, lowered, carried a faint, husky magnetism.

“I told him I would take good care of you.”

Shen Wanwan raised her brows.

“That’s it?”

Qi Luozhou: “Mm.”

Shen Wanwan stopped looking at him and turned her face toward the window.

Such nonsense, she didn’t believe a single word.

That night, Shen Wanwan still returned to Shao Yuye’s place.

Shao Yuye didn’t have work that evening. It was a rare free time. He was curled up on the sofa playing games. Hearing passwords being entered at the door, he tossed aside the controller and hurried over with loud, rapid footsteps to open the door for her.

On the big TV behind him, the main character—previously with zero deaths—lost all control and got KO’d by a sudden swarm of monsters, health bar emptied as he collapsed.

Behind Shen Wanwan, her assistant followed in holding two bags stuffed full of vegetables.

All freshly picked by Shen Mingzhen.

Shao Yuye glanced at the bags and let out a ‘heh.’

“Where’d you go?”

“Home.”

After changing shoes at the entryway, Shen Wanwan headed toward the washroom, speaking casually, “Mom grew these. Cook them when you have time.”

Shao Yuye froze for a moment, his gaze trembling as it fell onto the bags of vegetables. He muttered under his breath, “That’s your Mom.”

The sound of running water from the bathroom drowned him out easily.

Shen Wanwan didn’t hear him and raised her voice, “What did you say?”

Shao Yuye touched his nose awkwardly and stuffed the vegetables into the fridge.

“Nothing.”

It was still early, so the siblings played games together for a while before Shao Yuye went to sleep.

He had a schedule tomorrow and needed to get up early. If he slept too late, his face would get puffy and affect his image.

Shen Wanwan scrolled on her phone for a bit and happened to see a plastic-friend in her Moments showing off the little dessert cake newly released by Chu Tian.

A small and delicate piece, so cute that she suddenly wanted to eat it too.

Her temper, which she held back as it didn’t work out with Su Tingxuan before, flared back up inexplicably.

Probably because she’d already experienced Qi Luozhou agreeing to apply medicine on her last time, she only thought for a second before sending the picture to Qi Luozhou.

Shen Wanwan : [(photo.jpg)]

Shen Wanwan : [I want to eat this.]

001 couldn’t help complaining : {You were doing deep reflection earlier, and now you’re back to solid-state budding and ordering him around…}

Shen Wanwan smiled. “Can’t I?”

Ten seconds later, Qi Luozhou’s reply arrived on her phone.

She opened it, glanced at it, then shook the screen in front of the little light orb.

“Look.
“He’s not Su Tingxuan. He’s Qi Luozhou.”

001 looked at the reliable words on the screen—[Give me 30 minutes.]

It froze for two seconds, then began a new round of screaming:

{Why! Is! The! Male! Lead! So! Good!
{Why is he so good!!!}

Shen Wanwan lightly tapped its round little head. “Dummy. If he weren’t good, why would I marry him?”

001 : {True.}

That really was absolutely flawless logic~

Shen Wanwan lounged on the bed scrolling for a bit, and soon saw Qi Luozhou on the trending searches.

#Qi Luozhou Chu Tian#

She tapped into the tag and saw the photos the reporters took of him, and chuckled.

He wasn’t wearing a baseball cap, only a mask. So even though the reporters only caught his side profile, everyone could still easily tell it was him.

001 whispered : {Could God Zhou be doing this on purpose?}

Celebrities were extremely protective of their privacy, especially top-tier ones like him.

“Who knows.”

Shen Wanwan opened the comments.

[Chu Tian? Is it the Chu Tian I’m thinking of?]

[Yes yes yes, that super pricey—three years without business, one business feeds you for three years—ultra niche dessert shop! And the portions are tiny!!!]

[Does God Zhou even like sweets?]

[Not at all!!! I suspect he bought it for a girl!]

[Thanks for the invite, already eating the dessert God Zhou bought at home. Thanks for the concern, y’all can go now.]

Just then, Xiao Le called.

She had been fighting for the ‘WanZhou’ CP all day, and seeing the trending tag now, she was both jealous and regretful.

“Wanwan, you and God Zhou’s CP was only hot for one day before BE’ing.
“He seems to like someone…”

Late at night, a top-tier celebrity running personally to a niche dessert shop to buy a small cake—

No matter how you looked at it, it was suspicious!

He could’ve just asked his assistant, but he didn’t.

If that wasn’t a sign, what was?!

Shen Wanwan only hummed casually.

Her phone screen showed an incoming call from Qi Luozhou.

She said to Xiao Le:

“No more talking. I’m going to get my delivery.”

Xiao :e’s focus instantly derailed:

“AAAAH damn it what did you even order?! Your body is ridiculous, why do you love sweets so much but never gain weight!! Late at night too, and high-calorie desserts, your buffs are stacked to the max, why don’t you gain any weight?! Why!!”

Meanwhile, Shen Wanwan had already picked up Qi Luozhou’s call.

The man’s voice, muffled under his mask, carried a bit of huskiness.

“Open the door.”

Shen Wanwan opened the door.

Sure enough, he was already standing outside, holding a small, exquisite dessert bag in his hand, his features refined under the hallway light.

When he saw her, he handed over the dessert.

“Qi Luozhou.”

Shen Wanwan’s eyes lit up, as if countless lights were reflected in them.

She took the dessert, deciding to praise him.

“You’re such a perfect—”

“—perfect tool man?”

His voice was calm, with a trace of amusement.

Shen Wanwan spread her hands. “I didn’t say that.”

—You said it yourself.

But since he made her feel comfortable, she was willing to say a few nice words.

“All in all, I’m very satisfied with you.”

Qi Luozhou smiled. “Because I brought you dessert?”

“No.”

Shen Wanwan shook her head.

Because he understood her needs.

And her needs were simple.

What Su Tingxuan called ‘ordering people around’—

She just wanted to test—

Even though his time is also precious, is he willing to spend it on me?

And that was all.

001 was already completely conquered by Qi Luozhou.

It rolled in the air crazily, repeating one line over and over:

{Why is the male lead so good!!!
{It’s late at night and he’s delivering food to you, does your conscience not hurt?!
{He’s really… I’m crying!!!}

“Isn’t this the bare minimum?” Shen Wanwan said righteously. “If he’d pay even a little attention, if he had ears, he’d know what I need. He’s going to be my husband—”

At that point, Shen Wanwan narrowed her eyes dangerously, annoyed again.

“So in those stupid settings, why would I like Su Tingxuan? He doesn’t even have a basic service mindset. How could I ever be into him?”

001: {…}

Valid.

Elsewhere, Xiao Le hung up gloomily, checked the WanZhou Super Topics, then looked at the already explosive trending tag about Qi Luozhou at Chu Tian, and sighed silently.

—Such is timing. Such is fate.

Looks like Wanwan won’t be riding this CP wave with God Zhou after all…

---

This is top-tier breaking news.

Someone at the scene even started a live stream.

Even though it was a brand-new stream, the moment the title read [Reporter asking Shao Yuye live], huge waves of traffic poured in.

[These reporters are disgusting! Do they have to push him to the brink like this?]

[Reporters are the worst! Why do they always rip open Ye-ge’s wounds… I’m gonna have a heart attack!]

[But he himself said he cut ties with the Shao family, and this family portrait was taken just recently. There are so many doubts. It’s normal to ask questions.]

[Oh no, I have a feeling today’s going to be another bloodbath in the comments!]

[Ahhh these unscrupulous reporters are so annoying!]

[Please, stop hurting Brother Ye… I can see his arm trembling, he must be so angry right now…]

Under the camera, the man in black with black hair slowly straightened up.

He was very tall; where his shoulders had slightly slumped to deal with the reporters, they opened up now, making him look much taller.

All the reporters chased after him, hastily lifting their microphones.

Shao Youye looked into the camera; his dark eyes shone like stars. He spoke three words, each dropped like a stone.

“Because I’m stupid.”

No one could have expected that answer.

The whole place erupted in astonishment, only the flashbulbs kept popping.

Shao Youye stared at the camera and pulled a self-mocking smile at the corner of his mouth: “I wanted to guard my little sister’s room. For so many years Shao Hongyuan used that to ask me to come back, it was that simple.”

Everything went silent; even the live-stream chat stilled for several seconds.

The information in Shao Yuye’s words was huge!!!

Wasn’t Shao Jia not his little sister?!

Then what little sister did he mean?

A full-blood little sister?

The reporters on the scene were all silent for a moment. Shao Yuye’s answer completely exceeded the assumptions they’d prepared for, and everyone remained unusually dumbfounded for a long while.

[I’m dead laughing. Shao Yuye is basically the first one in our entertainment industry to self-expose like this hahaha. Reporters, take it slow so the CPU doesn’t get fried!]

[Hahaha, reporters don’t even need to dig. He exposed everything himself, clean and tidy.]

[So actually this shows he’s pretty straightforward; he’s telling the truth.]

[Ahhh so Brother Ye really has a biological sister? What does ‘trying to guard his little sister’s room all these years’ mean? Is his sister missing?]

…

Inside the nanny-van, Brother Li swiped through the online comments in disbelief, completely shocked.

Honestly, Brother Li also thought that question was really hard to answer.

To tell it calmly would seem fake and would be very easy for people to pick apart.

Besides, this matter cannot be explained in a sentence or two; the longer it drags on, the more ammunition it gives unscrupulous reporters. They won’t care what you say, they’ll intentionally keep throwing ‘why’ questions to provoke you.

And if, like before, Shao Yuye lost his temper, snapped “None of your business,” and walked away, that would play right into the reporters’ hands.

They might even write that he was guilty and fleeing from the truth, maximizing the negative impact on Shao Yuye’s personal reputation.

In short, whatever Shao Yuye said, reporters had a hundred ways to smear him.

But unexpectedly, his response actually diffused the situation. Netizens all started feeling sorry for him.

[I really feel so bad for Brother Ye. These reporters are disgusting!!]

[Why keep tearing open Brother Ye’s wounds again and again, why!]

[I’m just a passerby, but after watching the video I feel a bit sorry for Shao Yuye. Stars are people too. Reporters, please chill!]

Brother Li wore a face of utter incredulity and, astonished, said: “How did you think to say that? So cool!”

Self-deprecating.

That’s something many people can’t do.

Moreover, Shao Yuye is a top idol; his public image is crucial.

One has to admit, it was a risky move.

But Shao Yuye played it right!

Sincerity is the trait most missing in this era.

And Shao Yuye happened to perfectly hit that chord in the public’s heart.

“I didn’t think too hard about it, I was just stating the facts.”

Shao Youye leaned back into the car seat, his gaze casually fixed out the window, and summarized:

“It’s also because I found my sister.”

Because he’d found his sister, he could speak to the public so calmly about everything.

How wonderful.

Online, the long-unused hashtag #Shao Yuye’s Little Sister# was bumped back to the top.

The ‘Yu Yu’s, while feeling sorry for Brother Ye, also started paying attention to his sister’s situation.

Someone summarized the current situation and clearly laid out the full chronology.

[Brother Ye has a biological younger sister. The parents divorced, the mother took the sister away (?), this part is still unknown. Then the scumbag Dad couldn’t wait to bring the mistress home and gave birth to Shao Jia. Right?]

[So Shao Jia never knew the truth, and thought Shao Yuye was her real brother? Emmm, looking at it this way she’s actually kind of innocent.]

[Innocent?? Someone is actually defending her?! Wasn’t Brother Ye’s disgust toward her obvious enough? He left the Shao family at 18, and Shao Jia was already 9 at that time. What, did her brain not grow properly? And I don’t think she’s any good either. Isn’t this whole mess something Shao Jia exposed? For her petty vanity she didn’t care whether Brother Ye lived or died, and she even had the nerve to say that if he couldn’t survive in the entertainment industry he’d just go home and inherit the family estate. Blergh!]

[Am I the only one who wants to know whether Brother Ye has found his sister yet?]

[Wuwuwu, wishing Brother Ye finds his sister soon and reunites with her!]

[It’s obvious Brother Ye had a deep bond with his sister, otherwise he wouldn’t have been threatened by Shao Hongyuan for so many years, and it worked every time. I’m so jealous of the sister!]

Shao Yuye looked at the heartwarming comments and posted a Weibo.

@ShaoYuye : [Found her. (photo.jpg)]

It was the very photo Shao Jia desperately wanted to cut Shen Wanwan out of, wanting to replace her own face in it.

A beautiful little girl wearing a white crown, holding a diamond scepter in one hand, the other hand being held by young Shao Yuye.

The ‘Yu Yu’s exploded.

[Aaaaa Brother Ye looked so handsome even as a kid!]

[The sister is so cute!!!]

[Her aura is amazing! One look and you can tell she was raised like a little princess in a rich family. Compared to her, that Shao Jia really looks cheap and petty!]

[Real sister, real blessings! Gimme some good luck!]

[Wuuu, Brother Ye looked so happy back then… I hate the scumbag Dad, I hate the mistress, wuwuwu…]

As online public opinion turned overwhelmingly positive, the reporters sent out all returned in defeat.

Somewhere in the Imperial Capital, a man was so angry he swept everything off the table. The LCD monitor crashed to the ground and shattered.

Brother Li finished scrolling and found another trending tag rising just as quickly as #Shao Yuye’s Little Sister#, named #WanZhou#.

He opened it casually, and realized it was the CP name for Shen Wanwan and Qi Luozhou. He was so shocked he immediately glanced at Shao Yuye.

Fortunately, Shao Yuye was still looking out the window and didn’t notice.

Brother Li quietly sighed in relief and tapped on the top video.

Logically, Shen Wanwan and Qi Luozhou barely interacted on the show, basically zero moments.

But that didn’t stop a god-tier editor from creating a CP video.

[#WanZhou# I won’t look at the moon, nor say I miss you, so both you and the moon remain blissfully unaware.

[Tags: Double A, strong x strong

[Foreword : ‘WanZhou’ CP, for fun within the fandom, solo stans do not enter

[Inspiration: In <Extreme Challenge> third stop, Shen Wanwan and God Zhou schemed together against the production team. A beauty and a handsome man, simply the perfect match!]

The video opened with a lazy female voice paired with heavy beats.

In the background, the vast mountains. The director’s voice opened the video:

“Let’s reveal the third team pairing today—
“Shen Wanwan, Qi Luozhou!”

“Let’s officially get to know each other.
“I’m Shen Wanwan.”

Her gaze was cold and distant, her brows carrying natural pride.

Qi Luozhou smiled gently, though his eyes had a detached coolness.

“Qi Luozhou.”

The video used their team-up as the pivot: the two began to secretly develop feelings, both silently waiting for the other to speak first.

When she looked at him, she often had a subtle smile.

And he, though he looked careless, would always let his gaze fall on her unconsciously, eyes absolutely not pure.

[Ahhh this is strangely shippable!]

[OMG this editor is amazing! They had almost zero interaction yet they made this? There’s something here!]

[Their visuals are killing me!!! Now I really want them to team up for real!]

Once the video was posted, CP fans flocked in.

Many started with the usual disclaimers.

[Video is fictional, please ship rationally, don’t project onto real people!]

But by the end of the video.

[‘WanZhou’ is real! Please get married immediately!!!]

Over the years, many editors had made CP videos with Qi Luozhou, but none had ever made one this shippable.

Brother Li quickly closed the video. He decided it was better not to tell Shao Yuye that fans were now shipping his sister with his archnemesis…

Elsewhere, Xiao Le had also seen the video and excitedly called Shen Wanwan.

“Wanwan! You and God Zhou actually have a CP Super Topics now!
“OMG the edit is amazing! The Super Topics is gaining followers like a rocket!”

Shen Wanwan’s phone was powerful, but Xiao Le’s excited screaming nearly burst through the speaker.

She moved her phone slightly away and glanced at Qi Luozhou, who was quietly sitting beside her.

They were currently on the way to the Shen family home.

“Mm.”

Clearly Xiao Le wasn’t satisfied with such a lukewarm reaction. She shrieked even louder—

“God Zhou!! God Zhou!!
“That’s THE God Zhou!
“So many women desperately want to fake-CP with him but can’t. Wanwan, do you know how lucky you are?!”

Qi Luozhou had been watching her the whole time.

Hearing Xiao Le’s words, he suddenly let out a low laugh.

Obviously her praise pleased him. His laughter was deep and delighted.

Shen Wanwan hung up, gave him a slight sideways look, and said unhappily:

“Qi Luozhou, a lot of people are trying to fake a CP with you?”

Qi Luozhou raised his lips. “Hm?”

“Answer properly.”

Her fingers tapped impatiently on the car seat twice.

His posture was lazy, his tone light: “Never paid attention.”

Shen Wanwan poked his leg, arrogant and demanding:

“Then remember, you’ll be a married man from now on. If I ever see a scandal about you, you’re dead.”

Qi Luozhou pressed his lips together as if he hadn’t heard clearly:

“What did you just say?”

Shen Wanwan: “I said, you’re a married man from now on—”

She hadn’t even finished speaking when her fingertip suddenly felt a warm touch, followed by a cool one.

He held her hand, and something hard slid from her middle fingertip all the way down, the size just right, encircling her middle finger.

The brilliant diamond atop it shone dazzlingly under the light.

Qi Luozhou repeated her own words back to her:

“From now on, you’re a married woman.”

Shen Wanwan lifted her hand and admired the ring.

A very simple design. The diamond’s lines were smooth and elegant, yet it didn’t look plain at all.

She quite liked it.

For the ring’s sake, she decided not to fuss anymore, giving a light little “Hmph.”

---

The guests’ expressions varied greatly.

There would be no more eliminations after this episode, but that also meant—

Being paired with someone not so competent would be a total disaster.

Like Su Tingxuan, for example. Basically no one wanted to team up with him.

Of course, the mutual-selection segment still had to be carried out.

They called it, euphemistically: providing ‘reference’ for the guests.

As the last-place duo, Jin Xiaoyu and Su Tingxuan were overwhelmed when they heard the production team wouldn’t eliminate them. On one hand, it felt great to survive another round; on the other, the thought of being teamed with Su Tingxuan again felt worse than death, pure torture…

Meanwhile, Bai Ling was quietly looking forward to it.

She wanted to team up with either Qi Luozhou or Shao Yuye.

Zhang Yiran was the comedic type. He’d throw out a cold joke every now and then during teamwork, but she wasn’t very good at picking up jokes, so their chemistry just wasn’t great. Their livestream views were always on the low side, mostly only fans watching.

This time, it wasn’t by text message anymore. Instead, they would enter a small room and write down their preferred partner on a card.

There were no cameras inside, so the audience in the livestream had no way of knowing who chose whom.

Great. It was once again time for the highly anticipated ‘Guess the Team-Up’ segment.

[Jin Xiaoyu and Su Tingxuan should be the easiest to guess. One will pick Zhang Yiran, the other will pick Bai Ling—no doubt!]

[Hiss… Bai Ling will probably pick Zhang Yiran too, right? She was praising him all morning, calling him ‘China’s Best Teammate.’]

[I feel like Zhang Yiran will pick Jin Xiaoyu. Their bickering is more fun to watch…]

[God Zhou and Jiang Yuan will probably still pick each other.]

[What about Brother Ye and Shen Wanwan?]

[I declare: ‘Petty Revenge Duo’ is always mutual! They’re definitely going to pick each other!! If they don’t, I’ll do a handstand and wash my hair live!!]

[But picking each other is useless! The final teams still depend on the chosen ‘lucky guest.’]

[So who will the lucky guest be?]

Once all the guests finished filling in their choices, the camera cut to the giant spinning wheel.

The names of the four guests were written on it.

The director spun the wheel. It clattered around once and finally stopped on Lin Kexin’s name.

Shao Yuye gave her an unexpected glance. “Your luck’s pretty good, huh?”

Lin Kexin giggled, jogged forward, and bowed to all four sides. Cheerfully, she said, “To be able to stand here today, the first person I want to thank is CCTV, and then my parents…”

Everyone was amused by her hyperactive display.

Zhang Yiran was already begging.

“Kexin, Kexin, please follow your heart.
“Don’t you dare mess me up!”

Lin Kexin made an 👌 gesture at him. “We’ll see, we’ll see!”

Then she entered the small room. The production team showed her everyone’s partner choices.

The camera zoomed in on Lin Kexin’s face. She looked like she had just seen something shocking, her eyes flew wide open.

The livestream chat erupted.

[Ahhhh! What did Lin Kexin just see??]

[That expression is way too suggestive…]

[Director, don’t make us beg—show the card she’s holding!!]

But no matter how the viewers screamed, the livestream didn’t reveal a single detail of the guests’ choices.

In fact, the production team very evilly cut the camera altogether.

A giant message popped up.

[Please look forward to the full version of <Extreme Challenge>]

The viewers were collectively devastated.

[Unbelievable!! They always cut at the most crucial moment!!]

[So what did Lin Kexin see?? That expression contained so much information!!]

[Director team, please be decent for once! I’m gonna cry!!]

Meanwhile, at the recording site, after Lin Kexin put down the choice cards, she began making the adjustments.

She quickly rearranged everyone else.

Finally, her gaze landed on Shen Wanwan and Shao Yuye’s row.

Thinking of Brother Ye’s double standards these past few days, a sudden mischievous boldness rose in her chest—

Silently chanting to herself: “Brother Ye don’t hate me don’t hate me don’t hate me… This is the price of your double standards.”

She quietly picked up Shen Wanwan’s name tag and swapped it with someone from another group…

And thus, the third stop ended perfectly.

---

This time, Xiao Le received even more invitations.

Times were different now. The invitations being handed toward Shen Wanwan were nothing like before.

Even StarShow magazine sent an invitation, sincerely inviting her to attend a charity gala one month later.

Because of her outstanding performance on <Extreme Challenge>, Shen Wanwan had gained a lot of fans.

Her online fan count had already shot up to the level of a second-tier female artist. Not only was she personally charismatic, but her being teammates with top star Shao Yuye was wildly popular and constantly trending.

StarShow was known for chasing heat. It invited whoever was hottest.

There was an unspoken rule in the industry: if you want to know whether your artist is currently hot, just check whether StarShow invited them to their charity gala.

And the red carpet before the gala was always a major spectacle.

Xiao Le held the invitation, practically drooling with envy.

“This is StarShow, you know…”

The red invitation card with gold embossing had a tacky color scheme, yet it didn’t look tacky at all. It felt weighty in the hand, high-quality, and even carried a faint pleasant scent.

If any other female celebrity received an invitation from this place, she would probably be too excited to sleep for an entire night.

But Shen Wanwan only glanced at it lightly before looking away.

Xiao Le’s mouth twitched. “You’re rejecting this one too?”

In her heart she screamed again : This is StarShow!!

Shen Wanwan was reading the comments on Weibo.

When fans previously learned that she was thinking about quitting the industry, they all wailed, begging her not to leave.

Especially the long-time fans.

[Wanwan, please don’t quit! Or I’ll seriously cry for you!]

[Don’t quit don’t quit don’t quit! Ugh, the show has already recorded three stops. If Wanwan really quits, we’ll have fewer and fewer episodes to watch… I can’t bear it…]

[If you really must quit, maybe consider doing some livestreams T_AT]

Shen Wanwan turned off her phone and said calmly:

“No. Why wouldn’t I go?”

Other actresses would rack their brains trying to borrow haute couture gowns from luxury brands, while she had piles and piles of couture dresses she could pick from at will.

“These kinds of events that don’t require much effort can be considered.”

Xiao Le: “…”

Only Wanwan would think a red-carpet event is effortless.

Any other star would start preparing right now for that red carpet…

On the other side, Shao Yuye and the nine boys who had formed a group recently were recording <Friday Fun>.

This was his first appearance since going through that scandalous exposé.

Once the variety show ended, he was immediately surrounded by swarms of reporters.

These past few days, news about his background had been trending nonstop. Everyone wanted to dig deeper, hoping to find something new.

The first reporter held out a microphone: “May I ask if you know about Hongyuan Group’s bankruptcy?”

Shao Yuye raised a brow. “I know now.”

The reporter asked again, “How do you feel about it?”

“No feelings.” Shao Yuye countered, “Some stranger went bankrupt, how do you feel?”

The reporter choked and couldn’t answer.

At this moment, a second reporter squeezed forward.

The moment he opened his mouth, Shao Yuye knew he didn’t come with good intentions.

“As a public figure, you’re so careless about your image that you defame people around you and make them suffer from cyberbullying. Do you think that’s the right thing to do?”

The reporter was a man in his early thirties, wearing black-rimmed glasses. His expression was stern, and his tone was aggressive and accusatory.

Shao Yuye lifted his chin arrogantly.

“Defamation?
“Come on, tell me, which of my words was defamatory? I’ll listen.”

The man grew more intense. “Do you know that your stepsister, Shao Jia, has already been ostracized by her classmates to the point of dropping out? She’s only sixteen. She posted those photos because of vanity, yes, but what she said was true. No one can deny that she is your sister. Don’t you think the punishment she’s facing now is too heavy?”

Shao Yuye’s temper ignited instantly.

Countless cameras were aimed at him, waiting for his reply.

If he slipped even a little, black PR articles about him would flood the entire internet.

The reporter even tried to shove the microphone closer.

Shao Yuye looked at him with a blank expression, his voice filled with irritation.

“Did I post the photos?
“Did I hold her head down and force her to post them?”

The reporter’s heart leapt with delight.

It looked like Shao Yuye was on the verge of exploding…

He would erupt any second—rage, lose control, go wild—

But Shao Yuye suddenly reined in his emotions and spoke calmly:

“Everyone is responsible for their own actions.
“The outcome now is something she brought upon herself. It has nothing to do with me.”

The reporter froze, not expecting this kind of answer.

But no matter.

He still had an even more explosive question.

“Since you already severed ties with the Shao family long ago, then why did you take that family portrait with them?”

---