Author: maikaelaaa

  • I’m Actually Really Rich Epilogue 2

    I’m Actually Really Rich Epilogue 2

    To put on a show

    When freshmen first arrived at college, they were full of curiosity about their new school. They’d heard about the BBS, a large on-campus entertainment phone application, from various sources, but as newcomers, they were still clueless about its allure. Just as they were trying to figure out why this BBS had everyone so obsessed, a post suddenly went viral and completely took over the forum.

    Netizens, always eager for juicy gossip, devoured the post with relish. The freshmen, caught up in the frenzy, finally got a taste of the BBS’s irresistible charm. The figures at the centre of this viral sensation were none other than Wen Le and Zhou Kao, the campus celebrities hailed as the most reliable “gossip farmers” in the history of the BBS.

    Experienced upperclassmen could immediately tell the post was from a newbie.

    #Today I Attended a Competition and Met Two Stunningly Beautiful People

    [Photo]

    The attached photo was a group picture taken at the end of a speech competition.

    1st Comment: Ahhh~! OMG! So handsome! So beautiful! What kind of divine looks are these? Is the quality of guys and girls at A University this high? This is amazing!

    2nd Comment: Ahhh! Can someone tell me who this handsome guy is?!

    9th Comment: I know the guy; I think he’s the president of our student council~ But I don’t know the girl. She’s so gorgeous though!

    13th Comment: The girl is the president of our social union.

    14th Comment: Do the student council and social union only recruit based on looks? Are unattractive people not allowed to join?

    15th Comment: Clearly, you don’t know that their looks are just a small part of it. Their awards and certificates could bury you. Do you really think a school like A University selects its leaders based on looks alone?

    21st Comment: Here he comes, bringing the gossip with him~

    22nd Comment: Tsk tsk, the OP must be a newbie. Don’t you know these two are not to be mentioned on the BBS? Because once you do, the BBS will explode! Hahaha.

    23rd Comment: The best gossip farmers in BBS history. Their speed and quality of gossip never disappoint us.

    24th Comment: Sitting at home, and the gossip just comes rolling in. Hands off our president, we don’t want any drama!

    25th Comment: No drama, hands off our president.

    26th Comment: Newbie here, just asking—what’s the deal with these two? They seem really mysterious…

    56th Comment: Who tf needs publicity? If the student union and student council plastered these two’s photos everywhere, they’d be swamped with eager freshmen.

    57th Comment: Just asking, is this handsome guy single?

    58th Comment: To the comment above – don’t even think about it, these two are a couple.

    59th Comment: Wow, two such outstanding people end up with each other? I guess only the best can match with the best.

    60th Comment: Can someone share the love story between the student council president and the social union president? They seem so shippable!

    89th Comment: Those two… probably broke up a while ago…? Haven’t seen them together in ages.

    90th Comment: Never saw them showing any PDA. They rarely appear together on campus, and even if they do, they don’t interact much. Is this how a couple behaves? They probably broke up already.

    91st Comment: They both seem really strong-willed. I doubt they could last long.

    92nd Comment: Definitely split up. Saw them at an event last time, no interaction at all, not even eye contact. Totally ignored each other. That’s a confirmed breakup.

    It’s no wonder these two were the BBS’s top topics. As soon as they appeared on the BBS, the forum’s traffic skyrocketed. This newbie’s post quickly became the hottest topic, and the discussion shifted from appreciating good looks to debating whether Zhou Kao and Wen Le had broken up.

    Unbeknownst to Wen Le and Zhou Kao, the BBS was buzzing with news of their supposed breakup. Freshmen on the BBS went through a rollercoaster of emotions—first astonished by the stunning campus prince and princess, then disappointed to learn they were a couple, and finally excited to hear rumours of their breakup.

    When these freshmen eventually became upperclassmen, they’d reminisce about that wild night of gossip during the new student orientation, and the legendary gossip farmers of A University’s BBS. But that’s a story for another time.

    While the BBS was in a frenzy, Wen Le was at her dorm room desk, handling social union business with a face mask on, oblivious to the online storm. 

    The dorm still housed the four of them together.

    Cheng Hui was sprawled on her bed playing with her phone, and Bao Xiaofan was sweet-talking endlessly with her male junior over the phone. Man Qingxuan was diligently working on a spreadsheet, having been recommended for a job by the parents of a child she used to tutor. She was told that if she performed well, she might receive an offer from the company in her senior year. Hence Man Qingxuan was very focused on making a good impression.

    The four roommates were each occupied with their own tasks, creating a harmonious atmosphere in the dorm.

    Just then, the dorm door opened, and in walked Sun Youmei. She looked completely different from her freshman and sophomore years. Once round-faced and doe-eyed, sweet and adorable, she now had double eyelids and a sharp chin—a total transformation.

    Back when her nose job failed and she sought compensation from the cosmetic clinic, the doctor refused to pay but offered her another procedure as a compromise. Sun Youmei eventually chose to get a free double eyelid surgery. Plastic surgery can indeed become addictive; she went on to get work done on her nose, eyes, chin, and forehead. Most of the money she earned as an internet celebrity was spent on these procedures. Her roommates advised her that she was already beautiful and didn’t need any more surgeries, but Sun Youmei admitted that she couldn’t stop herself. She always wanted to be even more perfect, though she still preferred her natural face before any surgeries, and even advised the rest against plastic surgery if they could.

    Sun Youmei had grown a lot through her experiences—breaking up with her boyfriend, dealing with failed surgeries, and becoming an internet celebrity. Now, she got along well with her roommates. As she pushed open the dorm door, still looking at her phone, she casually asked, “Wen Le, did you and Zhou Kao break up?”

    Wen Le’s hand shook, causing her to mistype a word. With a face mask on, she turned her head slowly and stiffly towards Sun Youmei, trying not to move her facial muscles too much. “No,” she said.

    Sun Youmei nodded. “I thought so. You never take off that ring.”

    Wen Le instinctively touched the ring on her finger, a soft look in her eyes. Then she said something that shocked everyone in the dorm: “I’m about to take it off soon.”

    The room fell silent. Cheng Hui put down her phone, Man Qingxuan turned away from her computer, and even Bao Xiaofan was so surprised she cut off her phone call with her boyfriend. They all stared at Wen Le with complex expressions.

    Cheng Hui cautiously asked, “Are you…having relationship problems?”

    Seeing their shocked faces, Wen Le quickly clarified, “No, no, we’ve decided to get engaged. Our families will be meeting soon, so I might need to change my ring.”

    ‘Thud!’

    Cheng Hui’s phone slipped and hit her face. The others looked even more stunned.

    A moment later, the dorm erupted in exclamations, “Engaged!” “Holy crap!”

    All four of them shouted in unison.

    Rubbing her face where the phone had hit, Cheng Hui found it hard to comprehend. “But you’re only in your third year of university. Isn’t it a bit too soon?”

    The other three looked at Wen Le with the same curiosity and eagerness for answers.

    Wen Le smiled, “It just feels right. It’s a natural progression. Besides, engagement isn’t marriage. In our families, early engagements are quite common. Our families are long-time friends. My father and Zhou Kao’s father grew up together, so we know each other well. This engagement is also beneficial for both families.”

    The roommates were still in shock.

    Just then, Bao Xiaofan stammered, “What… what kind of family do you come from?”

    Wen Le suddenly remembered that although she had once told her roommates that her family was wealthy, she hadn’t detailed their background. She had simply forgotten to mention it…

    Wen Le replied, “Tianyin Group is our family business.”

    Bao Xiaofan’s eyes widened, “You mean that super prestigious family? The old money? The incredibly powerful Wen family?”

    Man Qingxuan was also wide-eyed, “The Wen family whose big boss gave that lecture at our school?”

    Wen Le cleared her throat, “That’s my dad…”

    “Oh my gosh!”

    Bao Xiaofan and Man Qingxuan exclaimed simultaneously, looking at each other in disbelief before both screaming.

    #How does it feel when your supposedly poor roommate turns out to be the heiress of an old money family?

    It felt like an illusion of the world had collapsed. And now they can finally experience what it’s like to cling to a rich friend.

    After the initial shock, the dorm slowly returned to normal.

    Sun Youmei took a sip of water to calm herself, recalling her past disdain for Wen Le and feeling a stinging embarrassment. Fortunately, Wen Le never used her background to mock her.

    Wen Le turned back to her computer to continue her work, but after a while, she remembered something and turned to Sun Youmei, who was removing her makeup, “What were you going to tell me earlier?”

    Sun Youmei, using a cotton pad soaked with makeup remover, wiped her eye makeup and said, “Oh right, have you checked the BBS?”

    Cheng Hui asked casually, “What’s up?”

    Sun Youmei replied, “The BBS says Wen Le and Zhou Kao broke up.”

    ‘Plop.’

    Wen Le’s face mask fell to the floor.

    Wen Le: ……

    Wen Le blinked in confusion. She and Zhou Kao broke up? How come she didn’t know about it?

    Cheng Hui burst into laughter, “Hahaha! I’ve got to check the forum. What kind of nonsense are they imagining now?”

    Bao Xiaofan also laughed uncontrollably, “When Wen Le changes her engagement ring, will they say she found someone new? Hahaha, this is hilarious.”

    “The couple just about to get engaged is suddenly broken up by the forum, hahaha, they are so imaginative.”

    Wen Le picked up the face mask, wiped the wet spot on the floor with a tissue, and then logged into her BBS account. She intended to see how exactly she and Zhou Kao had broken up.

    Reading the comments about their apparent coldness, indifference, and lack of interaction, she felt speechless. She simply didn’t like to show affection in front of others.

    Wen Le thought for a moment and then took screenshots of the comments, sending them to Zhou Kao.

    Zhou Kao quickly replied.

    Zhou Kao: Got it.

    Zhou Kao: Let’s put on a show tomorrow.

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  • I’m Actually Really Rich Epilogue 1

    I’m Actually Really Rich Epilogue 1

    Epilogue 1: Committee Chairman

    Every September, as freshmen embark on their college journey, club recruitment was in full swing. The new students, curious and often bewildered, wandered between club promotional tents much like new players in a beginner’s village, while seniors from various clubs pulled out all the stops to recruit top talent.

    Wen Le was especially busy these days, usually not returning to her dorm until nearly 10 PM. Tonight, she arrived earlier, which surprised her roommates.

    “Why are you back so early today?”

    Wen Le took a suit out of her closet and hung it in a well-ventilated spot, replying, “I’m almost done with everything. I just need to hold a meeting with the new committee members tomorrow.” 

    Cheng Hui leaned against Wen Le’s closet, munching on a pack of nuts. “How does it feel to take office as the new president?”

    Wen Le snatched a raisin from Cheng Hui’s hand and laughed, “It’s insanely busy.”

    Bao Xiaofan, with a keen eye, spotted several card-like items on Wen Le’s desk and asked, “What are these?”

    Wen Le picked one up and handed it to Bao Xiaofan, saying, “Invitation cards.”

    Bao Xiaofan opened it and read aloud, “Dear Chairperson Wen Le, our faculty will host an English dubbing contest this Wednesday evening in the college’s main auditorium. We sincerely invite you to join us as a judge…”

    Bao Xiaofan didn’t finish reading before Wen Le took it back.

    Pointing to the other cards on the desk, Bao Xiaofan joked, “Don’t tell me all these cards are invitations too.”

    Wen Le nodded, “Exactly. So, you can see how busy I am. Between running the social union and attending these events, it’s a lot, but the previous seniors went through the same.”

    Suddenly, Cheng Hui approached, laughing, “So, there’s a chance you might bump into your esteemed student council president at one of these, right?”

    Wen Le shook her head, “It’s unlikely.”

    “I don’t attend all these invites, and he attends even fewer… so,” Wen Le shrugged, “it’s not impossible, but it’s not like I’ll meet him just by showing up at one.”

    Little did Wen Le know she would soon contradict her own words.

    On Friday, Wen Le attended a speech contest as an invited guest, seated in the front row of the audience. She arrived just in time, as the auditorium was already filled, though the contest hadn’t started yet. The staff was still tweaking the equipment onstage. Such contests were usually organised by a coalition of college clubs and weren’t attended by high-ranking faculty.

    After chatting with the contest organiser for a while, Wen Le was escorted to her seat. With less than ten minutes to the start, the audience and participants were all settled, and the host was discussing something with the technicians beside the stage, ready to begin as soon as the judges arrived.

    Wen Le, sitting in the front row, was browsing through the materials handed to her when she suddenly heard a stir behind her. Turning around, she saw Zhou Kao, dressed in a black shirt and trousers, speaking to a staff member while striding towards his seat.

    With his tall stature and handsome features, Zhou Kao caused a stir the moment he entered the room. This contest was attended mostly by freshmen who were new to the campus gossip and popular figures, and they were struck by the striking appearance of the campus heartthrob.

    Behind Wen Le sat a group of girls who gasped in surprise when Zhou Kao walked in. They seemed to be alerting their friends, excitedly whispering, “Oh my! Look at that hottie!”

    “Ah! Who is that? He’s too handsome!”

    Wen Le couldn’t help but give Zhou Kao a once-over. Yes, he was very handsome. However, he was her boyfriend.

    As soon as Zhou Kao entered, his eyes found Wen Le. He paused briefly, then smiled meaningfully at her before turning to whisper something to a staff member nearby.

    Meanwhile, the chatter among the girls behind Wen Le grew louder as they started inquiring about the identity of this handsome guy. They were freshmen, unaware of the famous campus heartthrob, but it was rare for the seniors not to know him.

    Unintentionally overhearing their conversation due to their proximity, Wen Le heard them clearly despite their hushed tones.

    “That’s Zhou Kao, our campus heartthrob.”

    “Ah, is he the famous one?”

    “Our campus has such high standards! How can he be so handsome?”

    “Is that senior single?”

    “That’s his girlfriend.”

    The noise behind her suddenly quieted, likely because the senior had pointed at Wen Le when mentioning ‘girlfriend’, leading to an oddly sudden silence.

    After a moment, a soft voice asked, “What’s the heartthrob doing here? Is he from your faculty?”

    “No, he’s the Student Council president, and she’s the head of the Social Union,” the senior whispered back.

    Wen Le thought she heard a small ‘wow’ from behind her.

    At that moment, Zhou Kao finished his conversation with the staff member and looked up at the audience. Wen Le caught his eye and saw a flicker of amusement in his gaze.

    Zhou Kao walked towards Wen Le. The guests were seated according to name tags, and Wen Le’s seat was on the outer edge, with empty seats mostly on her inside.

    Standing in the first row, Zhou Kao smiled and asked softly, “May I get through, please?”

    Wen Le was seated on the outside, with two people sitting next to her. Yet, Zhou Kao’s gaze was fixed straight on her. Wen Le glanced at Zhou Kao, thinking that he was about to pull one of his charming stunts again.

    As the girls beside her stood up to let Zhou Kao pass, Wen Le followed suit. Zhou Kao shot Wen Le a smile as he sidestepped into his seat. During this time, Wen Le could practically feel the burning gazes from the girls behind her and the two staff members sitting next to her.

    Having been with Zhou Kao for a while, Wen Le was used to his overt and covert flirtations in various situations. Her thick skin had been well-honed, and she was unbothered by the attention.

    Coincidentally, Zhou Kao’s seat was right next to hers. Wen Le glanced at the name tag in front of Zhou Kao’s seat, puzzled. She could have sworn it wasn’t his name there earlier. As she pondered this, a staff member came over and swapped the name tag with Zhou Kao’s.

    Wen Le: …

    She lowered her head and flipped through the materials in her hand, avoiding looking at Zhou Kao. Zhou Kao, too, didn’t speak to her and simply perused his own materials, giving the impression that they were strangers.

    Diaos Jiasi, a freshman this year, loved anime, idolized celebrities, and had a thing for handsome guys. Outgoing and lively, she was full of expectations for her university life. This included the fantasy of meeting an unbelievably handsome campus heartthrob. Today, she had finally seen such a heartthrob. Her heart fluttered, only to be cruelly informed by a senior that this incredibly handsome guy belonged to the stunningly beautiful President of the Social Union sitting in front of her.

    It was heartbreaking! But it makes sense. The two of them look so perfect together!

    Diaos Jiasi’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the two in front of her, eager to see how these ethereal beings interacted. However…

    The two of them sat down, each flipping through their own materials in silence. No interaction, not even a glance at each other…

    That’s it? That’s all?

    Are they really a couple?

    Diaos Jiasi felt deceived by her senior. Although the two were seated together, they might as well have had “strangers” written on their foreheads.

    Pouting, Diaos Jiasi looked at her senior and mouthed, “Couple?”

    The senior gave her a knowing smile as if to say, “You’re still too young and naive,” and gestured for her to look at their hands on the table.

    Diaos Jiasi glanced over but saw nothing unusual. Confused, she looked back at the senior, who then pointed to the ring finger on her own hand.

    Diao Jiasi took another look and finally noticed the rings on Wen Le’s right hand and Zhou Kao’s left hand. Wen Le’s ring was a dazzling row of diamonds, while Zhou Kao’s was a simple platinum band, understated and plain. Jiasi was puzzled, unable to figure out the significance as they did not look like matching rings.

    Just then, the senior pushed her phone over, showing a picture of the rings. It was an advertisement that revealed the two distinctly different rings could be combined to form a pair of couple rings. When Jiasi saw the price, she nearly rolled her eyes in disbelief. What kind of fairytale prince was Zhou Kao supposed to be?

    Jiasi finally understood: the two of them were pretending not to know each other, but the matching couple rings they wore said it all. She decided to keep an eye on them throughout the evening, convinced she would uncover something.

    However, an hour and a half passed, and the competition ended without Jiasi observing any interaction between Wen Le and Zhou Kao. Even during the award ceremony, when the guests, judges, and winners took a group photo, the two stood next to each other but acted like strangers.

    Jiasi was starting to doubt her own judgment. How can a couple sit together for an hour and a half without any interaction? Are they having relationship problems? Are they about to break up? But then why are they still wearing their couple rings?

    Still pondering these questions, Jiasi left the library with her roommates. It wasn’t until they had walked a good distance that she remembered she had left her keys in the library. She quickly told her roommates and rushed back to retrieve them. When she returned to the library’s main hall, everyone had left except for two students tidying up. Grateful, Jiasi grabbed her keys and headed out.

    The library was nearly empty now, and the quiet hallway brought back memories of horror films she’d seen, making her feel a bit scared. She clenched her fists and walked quietly, trying not to make any noise.

    As she turned a secluded corner, she suddenly saw two people kissing against the wall. It was none other than Zhou Kao and Wen Le, whom she had just suspected of having relationship issues….

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  • I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 78 – Finale

    I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 78 – Finale

    Finale

    The descent down the mountain wasn’t long, and Zhou Kao didn’t rush walking back.

    Wen Le felt secure nestled on Zhou Kao’s broad back, surrounded by the sounds of the forest – chirping insects and singing birds. The air carried a faint scent of fruit, and she could even detect a subtle hint of cologne from Zhou Kao. 

    Wen Le couldn’t help but feel at ease on Zhou Kao’s back.

    As they passed tree after tree, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting fragmented patterns on Zhou Kao’s face, creating an ever-changing mosaic of light and shadow, like peculiar artwork.

    Wen Le gently traced her fingers over the patch of skin illuminated by the dappled sunlight on Zhou Kao’s face, smiling softly as she leaned in to plant a light kiss.

    Zhou Kao’s voice, tinged with laziness in the afternoon, asked, “What are you doing?”

    Wen Le kissed his cheek again, “I like you.”

    Zhou Kao’s heart skipped a beat; he found it hard to resist Wen Le’s teasing. He coughed lightly.

    Wen Le thought that he got embarrassed.

    Then Zhou Kao said, “Continue liking me more.”

    Wen Le playfully tapped his head and asked with a hint of irritation, “This is me loving you. Do you like it?”

    Zhou Kao chuckled, “There’s a fine line between affection and annoyance. Sometimes less is more.”

    Wen Le flicked him again, “Fine, I’ll stop bothering you. It’s rare that I get to see you through rose-coloured glasses, and you ruin it.”

    After a brief moment of warmth, the two resumed their banter all the way down the mountain.

    Until they reached the foot of the mountain, the debate between the outstanding representative of the law school and the best debater from the debate team still hadn’t reached a conclusion.

    Then Wen Le’s phone rang, interrupting their nonsensical argument. It was a call from Xiao Yang. Finally having a signal, Xiao Yang saw her messages and called her.

    Wen Le complained inwardly about the phone signal, but she still answered the call.

    Xiao Yang had returned from the city’s procurement and heard about Wen Le twisting her ankle, so he wanted to come pick her up. However, since Zhou Kao was already carrying Wen Le back to her rented house, she declined Xiao Yang’s offer.

    “Where are you staying tonight?” Wen Le asked.

    Zhou Kao replied, “Not sure yet. We’ll see.”

    After speaking, Zhou Kao glanced at Wen Le.

    Feeling nervous under Zhou Kao’s gaze, Wen Le asked, “What’s up?”

    Zhou Kao said, “How about letting me stay with you?”

    Wen Le replied, “No way.”

    Zhou Kao said, “I travelled a long way to surprise you, and this is your attitude?”

    Wen Le replied, “If you don’t like something you buy online, you can return it. But surprises delivered in person can’t be returned, can they?”

    Zhou Kao clenched his teeth, “Fair point.”

    “Wen Le, you watch out.”

    With that, Zhou Kao began turning back, carrying Wen Le on his back.

    Wen Le was startled, wondering if Zhou Kao was really going to throw her back. What a jerk.

    Clutching Zhou Kao’s neck tightly, Wen Le angrily asked, “What are you gonna do?”

    Zhou Kao replied, “Since you won’t take me in, I don’t want to wander the streets alone. So, I’ll just drag you along. Tonight, we’ll camp out in the mountains. In such a vast mountain, just the two of us, it can be considered romantic.”

    Wen Le tightened her grip around Zhou Kao’s neck, “No way! Who wants to camp in the mountains with you!”

    “Are you planning to let mosquitoes eat your girlfriend so you can get a new one?”

    “Then are you taking me in or not?”

    Reluctantly, Wen Le muttered, “Fine, the most poisonous men’s hearts are the most accepting.”

    Zhou Kao frowned, “Sounds like you’re forcing yourself.”

    “Let’s just go camping.”

    Wen Le glared at him, “Zhou Kao!”

    Zhou Kao simply hummed in response.

    Wen Le’s eyes shifted, her voice pitiful, “Hurry up, my foot hurts.”

    Zhou Kao knew Wen Le was pretending, but he still couldn’t bear it. He turned around and obediently walked back.

    Seeing Zhou Kao falling for it, Wen Le couldn’t help but feel a bit triumphant.

    With a “smack,” Zhou Kao slapped Wen Le’s leg.

    Before Wen Le could get angry, Zhou Kao said, “I know you’re feeling proud, but do you have to flaunt it in front of me?”

    Wen Le instinctively looked at her foot, blushing. But the next moment, she retorted, “You should pay attention to where you are going, why look at my foot?”

    Zhou Kao said, “I didn’t want to, but it’s hard to ignore.”

    As they reached the village entrance, they saw Xiao Yang approaching.

    Xiao Yang saw Wen Le being carried by a guy and politely said, “You’ve had a tough journey. Let me take over from here.”

    But Zhou Kao sidestepped, directly rejecting him, “No need.”

    Xiao Yang was taken aback, and Zhou Kao continued, “What’s so tough about carrying your own girlfriend?”

    After Zhou Kao continued walking with Wen Le on his back, Xiao Yang realised what Zhou Kao had said. He looked over in surprise, only to see Wen Le, who was being carried by Zhou Kao, turn her head and make a gesture signalling for silence, then mouthed the words: “Don’t tell my dad he’s here.”

    Xiao Yang fell silent, pondering for a moment. He was Wen Le’s personal steward, and the one who paid him was the big boss, Wen Tianqi… Well, he’d better listen to Wen Le.

    Wen Le twisted her foot, though she didn’t actually feel much pain. However, Zhou Kao was worried and insisted on a thorough examination, saying her foot had been sprained twice before.

    But in this remote little county town, there were no good hospitals around, and they were far away and not very reliable. Wen Le didn’t want to bother.

    With both of them holding their ground, unable to reach a consensus, they eventually compromised. Zhou Kao took Wen Le to see a barefoot doctor* in the village.

    The barefoot doctor felt Wen Le’s ankle, asked a few questions about where it hurt, then handed them a bottle of safflower oil and was about to call the next patient.

    Zhou Kao quickly stopped him and asked how to apply the safflower oil. The barefoot doctor, an elderly man, lowered his head and glanced at Zhou Kao through his spectacles, “Just use your hands.”

    Zhou Kao: …

    The old man looked at Zhou Kao, then at Wen Le, as if suddenly understanding something, he exclaimed, “Ah, to apply this medicine, you need a special technique, coupled with massage for better effect. Young man, come here, let me teach you how to do it.”

    Zhou Kao: …

    Although he felt the old man might be overthinking things, Zhou Kao didn’t refuse.

    Wen Le stood by, bored, and yawned.

    After leaving the barefoot doctor’s house, Zhou Kao went straight back to the house Wen Le had rented in the area. It was a bungalow with two floors, somewhat simple inside but fortunately clean.

    Sister Li and Xiao Yang lived on the first floor, while Wen Le lived on the second floor. There were plenty of rooms on the second floor, so there was a room available for Zhou Kao as well.

    Coincidentally, Xiao Yang had just gone to buy some household items today. Although the landlord provided bedsheets and covers, Wen Le preferred to use her own, so she had Xiao Yang prepare a set for Zhou Kao too.

    Wen Le noticed Zhou Kao’s empty hands and asked, “Where’s your luggage?”

    Zhou Kao replied, “In the city. Someone will deliver it later.”

    Wen Le suddenly looked suspiciously at Zhou Kao, “Are you here for work and coincidentally see me?”

    Zhou Kao raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

    Wen Le couldn’t help but feel that it wasn’t entirely impossible.

    Zhou Kao said, “Maybe I came to work and coincidentally saw you.”

    Wen Le was shocked, “So, you really came for work?”

    Zhou Kao said, “More or less.”

    Wen Le remained silent for a moment before finally saying, “Oh.”

    Initially thrilled, Wen Le’s mood soured as she remembered how she had been both touched and irritated by Zhou Kao’s sudden appearance.

    What is wrong with this guy? He is so unpredictable. Doesn’t he know that behaving like this would only make him lose his girlfriend?

    Wen Le closed her mouth and turned away, not particularly interested in engaging with Zhou Kao.

    However, Zhou Kao sensed Wen Le’s displeasure and instead drew closer to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. “Why are you upset?” he asked with a smile.

    Wen Le huffed but didn’t look at Zhou Kao.

    Zhou Kao held Wen Le tighter and chuckled, “Didn’t I tell you from the beginning that I came to surprise you?”

    “But this surprise doesn’t refer to myself.”

    Is there really a surprise? Is it related to work? What exactly is it?

    Wen Le’s heart skipped a beat, feeling that Zhou Kao must have done something significant.

    “What… did you do?” she asked.

    Zhou Kao smiled but remained silent, only saying, “You’ll find out tonight.”

    Wen Le pondered this, unable to shake off the thought that Zhou Kao had suddenly become busy with something earlier in the day.

    Could it be… he was actually preparing this surprise at that time?

    As Wen Le’s mind wandered in confusion, Zhou Kao continued to tease her, keeping her on edge.

    Wen Le turned to him and embraced him, pleading softly, “Just tell me, don’t keep me in suspense.”

    Zhou Kao shook his head. “Nope.”

    Wen Le rarely acted so coquettishly, but she couldn’t resist trying. “Zhou Kao~”

    Still, Zhou Kao just smiled and said nothing.

    Wen Le sighed internally. This guy was so uncooperative. She had rarely shed her usual straightforwardness to be coquettish, but it seemed to have no effect on him.

    Was Zhou Kao the type who only responded to forceful approaches?

    As Wen Le pondered various possibilities, Zhou Kao suddenly tapped her on the head. “What are you thinking? Let’s go eat.”

    Wen Le, whose work mainly involved collecting materials, writing and editing, had decided to set time aside to spend some time with her boyfriend, who had been full of grievances lately.

    The ground floor was where Xiao Yang and Sister Li lived. Since they didn’t want to flaunt their affection in front of others, after dinner, Zhou Kao returned to his room for a while before knocking on Wen Le’s door.

    Wen Le opened the door to find Zhou Kao had changed into a new outfit. His hair was dry, but he carried the scent of post-shower moisture, with a hint of faint perfume lingering on his body. What shocked Wen Le even more was that Zhou Kao had a bottle of red wine and two glasses in his hand.

    Seeing Zhou Kao’s appearance, Wen Le couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Zhou Kao’s demeanour made it seem as though they weren’t in the countryside or a simple guesthouse, but rather in a star-rated hotel in the bustling city.

    Wen Le chuckled and stopped Zhou Kao at the door. “Wait a moment, you wait here.”

    Zhou Kao raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

    Wen Le said, “Since you’ve dressed up like this, I can’t be sloppy either.”

    Wen Le pushed Zhou Kao back, “Give me 10 minutes”, and closed the door without waiting for his objection.

    Zhou Kao checked his watch, and as soon as ten minutes passed, he knocked on the door.

    The door opened again, and Wen Le had changed into a new outfit. She wore a beautiful white dress, with exquisite makeup and her wavy hair cascading down her back. She stood at the door with a charming smile, teasingly flipping her hair. “How do I look?”

    Zhou Kao embraced Wen Le and kissed her affectionately. “You look stunning.”

    Wen Le laughed. “Of course.”

    Zhou Kao entered Wen Le’s room, and as soon as the door closed behind them, he pressed Wen Le against it, and they shared a passionate kiss.

    After the kiss, Zhou Kao lingered near Wen Le’s ear, gently sniffing the scent on her body. His voice was husky and ambiguous. “You smell so good.”

    Then, he planted a kiss on Wen Le’s neck.

    Zhou Kao’s breath was hot, causing Wen Le to tremble all over. She gasped lightly, feeling like things might escalate if they continued like this. So, she pushed Zhou Kao away. “That’s enough.”

    But Zhou Kao refused. “Not yet.”

    He continued to plant fiery kisses on Wen Le’s neck.

    Wen Le trembled from the heat, her breath quickening. Feeling like things were about to get out of hand, she pushed Zhou Kao away. “Stop it.”

    But Zhou Kao didn’t relent, continuing to kiss her neck passionately.

    Wen Le felt herself getting weak and dizzy. Just when she thought things might escalate further, Zhou Kao abruptly stopped and helped her sit on the sofa.

    Wen Le snapped out of her daze, blinked, and looked at Zhou Kao, who was clearly suppressing his emotions. She smiled knowingly.

    In this small county town, there wasn’t much entertainment at night. The TV had no set-top box and only a few channels. Fortunately, the landlord had left some old DVDs in the cabinet under the TV. They picked out an old zombie movie and sat on the sofa to watch.

    Zhou Kao opened the bottle of red wine and poured a glass for each of them. They clinked their glasses and drank.

    Wen Le put down her glass and asked, “Where did you get the red wine from?”

    Zhou Kao replied, “My assistant just delivered my suitcase and also brought a bottle of wine for me. Unfortunately, time was too tight, so I didn’t have a chance to prepare flowers and candles.”

    Wen Le chuckled, “Flowers and candles? When I opened the door and saw you like this, you startled me.”

    Zhou Kao said, “Shouldn’t your first reaction be tears of joy, deeply moved by the surprise?”

    Wen Le quickly responded, “Surprised, really pleasantly surprised. My boyfriend is so romantic.”

    Drinking wine while watching a zombie movie made for an odd combination.

    Wen Le’s phone vibrated with a message from Sister Li, asking if she wanted to go to the city tomorrow and if they should leave early. Wen Le figured they would stay up late tonight, so she told Lijie not to wake her up and that they would leave in the afternoon.

    After replying to the message, Wen Le opened Weibo and browsed for a while. Suddenly, she noticed a trending topic called #PenPointUpdate.

    Curious, Wen Le clicked on it and saw that there was going to be an update at 8 PM, introducing a new section, but it didn’t specify what it would be about.

    Wen Le checked the time—it was now 7:50 PM, meaning there were only ten minutes left until the update.

    She lightly nudged Zhou Kao with her elbow and casually asked, “Did your company buy this trending topic?”

    Zhou Kao glanced at it and replied, “Probably.”

    It was likely a way to generate hype for the new section’s launch and also serve as some publicity.

    Putting her wine glass down, Wen Le leaned against Zhou Kao’s chest and asked, “What section is it? What new feature did you develop?”

    Whenever Wen Le asked Zhou Kao about PenPoint, he never hid anything. He always told her whatever she wanted to know, and sometimes even proactively introduced upcoming features. Wen Le thought Zhou Kao would answer her question as usual, but unexpectedly, he said, “It’s confidential.”

    To be honest, Wen Le was surprised. The new section was about to launch in ten minutes, so why keep it a secret?

    Acting so mysterious…

    But suddenly, Wen Le realised something. A series of keywords flashed through her mind: work, surprise, confidentiality…

    Wen Le gasped, “Could the new section being launched tonight be the surprise you mentioned?”

    Zhou Kao raised an eyebrow but didn’t confirm or deny it.

    Seeing Zhou Kao still unwilling to tell her, Wen Le felt nervous. Without realising it, she downed the wine in her glass.

    Zhou Kao stopped her. “Don’t drink so quickly.”

    For the next seven or eight minutes, Wen Le was too nervous to focus on the movie, anxiously awaiting the arrival of 8 PM.

    As soon as it struck 8 PM, Wen Le opened the update page and refreshed the PenPoint app.

    Zhou Kao watched Wen Le with a smile on his face.

    Wen Le glared at him resentfully, feeling frustrated with the surprise he had planned.

    The internet speed here was extremely slow. It took more than ten minutes to download an app, making Wen Le impatient. So, she decided to check the comments on Weibo.

    Even though only ten minutes had passed since eight o’clock, the hashtag #PenPointUpdate had already risen to the top ten places in the trending list.

    Wen Le scrolled through the comments, seeing a few people speculating that PenPoint was just riding on Wen Yin’s popularity. However, most of the comments praised PenPoint’s team for their initiative and efforts.

    Curious, Wen Le found a screenshot of the PenPoint update page posted by a netizen. She discovered that PenPoint Mall had opened a new section dedicated to agricultural products from impoverished areas. Clicking on it, she read the tagline where PenPoint’s team explained their motivation for creating this section.

    The essence of the message was that PenPoint’s team was deeply moved and inspired by Wen Yin’s efforts to promote products from poverty-stricken regions. They appreciated Wen Yin’s positive social impact and believed that PenPoint, as a platform trusted by Wen Yin, should also contribute to expanding such positive influences.

    Wen Le read PenPoint’s team statement word by word, feeling deeply touched. Just then, her phone chimed, indicating that the PenPoint update was complete.

    Excitedly, Wen Le switched to the app and clicked on the update. The new section was prominently displayed at the top of the page.

    As she browsed through the products, including tea from Shanze County and other specialties from impoverished mountain areas, Wen Le’s heart swelled with a profound sweetness. Tears welled up in her eyes, overwhelmed by emotion.

    She couldn’t articulate the depth of her feelings but had never felt Zhou Kao’s love and support as profoundly as she did at that moment.

    The greatest happiness in the world might be finding direction in life because of someone you love, and having that person standing behind you, supporting you unconditionally.

    It turned out that Zhou Kao had been busy preparing this surprise all along.

    When she first embarked on this endeavour, her family supported her, viewing it as a positive endeavour. However, she sometimes felt lonely and lost, and the encouragement and support she received didn’t always alleviate those feelings as much as she had hoped.

    But Zhou Kao’s gesture felt like a tonic, providing reassurance and dispelling the loneliness she had been feeling.

    Wen Le looked at Zhou Kao with tears in her eyes. “Is this the surprise you prepared for me?”

    Zhou Kao smiled. “Do you like it?”

    Wen Le didn’t say anything for a while before finally managing, “Zhou Kao, you’re really showing off your affection in a big way…”

    Indeed, PenPoint’s statement didn’t just highlight the company’s response to Wen Yin’s influence to emphasise its social responsibility but seemed to lavish praise on Wen Yin. It almost seemed like the official update was tailored specifically to cater to Wen Yin.

    Zhou Kao chuckled at her words. “You caught me.”

    Wen Le wrapped her arms around Zhou Kao’s waist and leaned against his chest, gently rubbing against him. “How can I not know you?”

    Zhou Kao reached out and patted Wen Le’s head. “Actually, this is also to support my girlfriend’s career.”

    Wen Le called out softly, “Zhou Kao.”

    Zhou Kao responded softly, “Hmm.”

    Wen Le laughed and playfully tackled Zhou Kao, her excitement making her voice slightly high-pitched. “But I have to say, you’re showing off your affection so handsomely!”

    As she spoke, she leaned in and kissed him passionately.

    Zhou Kao’s hand caressed Wen Le’s hair, asserting his dominance as he deepened the kiss.

    Their breaths mingled, carrying the scent of wine, making them both slightly intoxicated and lost in each other’s tenderness and passion, unable to resist.

    Whether it was due to alcohol or some other reason, Wen Le felt hot, and she undid the two buttons that had just been fastened on her chest.

    Zhou Kao, already breathing heavily, felt his breath catch as he saw Wen Le’s full, white chest revealed.

    The slight intoxication emboldened Wen Le, and her breaths and soft moans were masked by the movie’s soundtrack, further fueling her boldness.

    Imitating Zhou Kao’s actions, Wen Le kissed his collarbone, leaving a row of marks as if unwilling to stop.

    Zhou Kao’s breathing became even heavier.

    Unable to proceed because of Zhou Kao’s shirt collar, Wen Le simply undid a few buttons of Zhou Kao’s shirt.

    Zhou Kao suddenly grasped Wen Le’s hand, his voice hoarse. “Are you sure you want to continue?”

    Perhaps confused by the atmosphere, Wen Le hesitated for a moment, pursing her lips provocatively by Zhou Kao’s ear. “Are you sure you can still hold it in?”

    As she spoke, she glanced at Zhou Kao’s lower body.

    Zhou Kao’s eyes darkened, and he released the hand restraining Wen Le. Wen Le slowly undid another button of Zhou Kao’s shirt.

    She seemed calm on the surface, but her heart was racing, her mouth dry. But since she had spoken boldly, she couldn’t back down now.

    Wen Le was both nervous and excited.

    With trembling hands, Wen Le undid another button of Zhou Kao’s shirt.

    In fact, Zhou Kao was controlling the rhythm under Wen Le. He gazed at her with fiery eyes and commanded, “Continue.”

    Wen Le’s heart was pounding, and the word “continue” made her hands tremble. She tried a few times but couldn’t undo the button.

    Zhou Kao didn’t help Wen Le but simply stared at her intently.

    Feeling increasingly flustered under Zhou Kao’s gaze, Wen Le reached out and covered Zhou Kao’s eyes with her hand. Then, taking a deep breath, she lowered her head and skillfully unbuttoned Zhou Kao’s shirt, her agile tongue rolling over the button to undo it.

    Zhou Kao felt something soft sweep across his chest, sending a tingling sensation through him. Unable to bear it any longer, he flipped over and pressed Wen Le down. “It’s better if I take over.”

    Zhou Kao brushed his lips over Wen Le’s eyes.

    Wen Le closed her eyes, feeling everything amplified— the sounds of their breaths, their kisses, and the fiery sensation of Zhou Kao’s touch.

    Her heart was still pounding, and she nervously gripped the arm of the sofa. 

    Wen Le felt like she was floating on cloud nine, and in a daze, she heard Zhou Kao whisper softly in her ear, “Wen Le, let’s get engaged.”

    The next morning, Wen Le woke up to find Zhou Kao sitting by the bedside, looking at his tablet. Memories of the previous night flooded her mind, and she blushed. Then, she felt a soreness all over her body, remembering the endless activities of the night before. She pinched Zhou Kao in annoyance.

    Zhou Kao let out a low groan, turning to look at Wen Le with a smile. “You’re so grumpy early in the morning. I thought you’d give me a good morning kiss.”

    Wen Le glared at him. “Dream on!”

    She realised her voice was hoarse and instinctively slapped Zhou Kao again, but she felt weak and powerless.

    Zhou Kao took Wen Le’s hand and planted a kiss on it. Wen Le checked her phone and saw it was already ten in the morning. Seeing the notifications from Weibo, she remembered the surprise Zhou Kao had prepared the day before. Opening the PenPoint app, she saw the new section and felt delighted, her annoyance towards Zhou Kao dissipating.

    She couldn’t help but ask Zhou Kao, “How did you come up with the idea for this section?”

    Zhou Kao replied, “Naturally, it’s to make it easier for my girlfriend to sell products.”

    “Is this what you’ve been busy with recently?”

    Zhou Kao explained, “Not just that. PenPoint has been paying attention to a logistics company recently. We plan to acquire this company to establish our own logistics for PenPoint. Transportation is still a critical issue for products from mountainous areas. When PenPoint has its own courier service, we’ll focus on developing solutions for transporting goods from these mountainous regions. Only then can we ensure that these products enter the market smoothly.”

    Wen Le was touched. Zhou Kao had thought of even more than she had. It was clear that Zhou Kao wasn’t just trying to give PenPoint a good reputation or show off their affection. He genuinely wanted to do this well.

    Zhou Kao truly understood her and endorsed her ideas. Wen Le suddenly felt grateful. In the vast sea of ​​people, she was fortunate to meet Zhou Kao. “Zhou Kao, I’m so glad to have met you.”

    Zhou Kao smiled. “Meeting you is my blessing.”

    Looking at Wen Le, Zhou Kao whispered softly, “You know, the men of the Zhou family often enter politics, and I won’t go against my father’s expectations. I will inherit the ambitions of the Zhou family, and perhaps you haven’t realised it, but many of your ideas align with my plans. I am so lucky to have met someone as outstanding as you.”

    Wen Le was stunned. Zhou Kao is really going into politics? But what about PenPoint?

    Seemingly able to read Wen Le’s thoughts, Zhou Kao continued, “PenPoint is my first project, like raising a child with my own hands. A child’s father can only entrust the child to the care of the mother, don’t you think?”

    Wen Le was somewhat shocked. “What did you say?”

    Is Zhou Kao saying he wants to entrust PenPoint to… her?

    Zhou Kao said, “Since the day we got together, I never thought we would part ways. Our values align, our abilities match, we’re well-matched in every aspect, and most importantly, we’re drawn to each other. Even after three years, we still feel the same attraction for each other.”

    “Our souls are in sync, and there’s no other soul mate like us in the world.”

    “From the moment I got together with you, I wanted to spend my life with you.”

    “I believe you can feel it too—our compatibility goes beyond the dopamine rush of the honeymoon phase. I understand you best, and you understand me best.”

    “If loneliness is a poison, then there’s only one antidote in the world, and only I can cure your loneliness. Likewise, only you can cure mine.”

    “I know you’ll love PenPoint, and I know you’ll enjoy the process of building it.”

    “PenPoint is probably my personally prepared betrothal gift to you.”

    Wen Le stared at Zhou Kao in disbelief.

    Zhou Kao looked back at her and suddenly said, “You haven’t forgotten what you promised me yesterday, have you?”

    Wen Le’s heart skipped a beat, feeling nervous but pretending to forget. “What promise?”

    Zhou Kao squinted suspiciously at Wen Le.

    Wen Le avoided eye contact with Zhou Kao.

    Zhou Kao lifted a strand of Wen Le’s hair and said, “You know our family has strict rules…”

    Wen Le thought: I didn’t know about that???

    Zhou Kao continued, “Since I broke the rules and took your innocence…”

    Wen Le: what?

    Zhou Kao: “I’ll have to marry you. It’s up to you.”

    Wen Le: It’s up to me?!!

    Wen Le coughed lightly. “My dad might want a son-in-law to marry into our family.”

    Zhou Kao’s voice carried a hint of danger. “So, do you agree to the engagement?”

    Wen Le coughed again. “It’s not out of the question, I guess?”

    Zhou Kao: “Hmm?”

    Wen Le said, “Okay, okay, I’ll take responsibility for you.”

    Zhou Kao smiled and kissed Wen Le. “I’ll get you a diamond ring when we get back.”

    Wen Le said, “But marrying into…”

    Zhou Kao shrugged. “I don’t mind. As long as I can marry you, let the older generation argue over it. Having an engaged fiancée is more important.”

    – End of the main novel –

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  • I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 77

    I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 77

    Arrival of a Surprise

    Wen Le’s article catapulted her to fame overnight. A few days later, she released another piece, once again showcasing the depth of her writing skills, her eloquent style, and her remarkable ability to drive sales. Her words always seemed to possess a unique charm, making everything she wrote about irresistibly attractive. No reader could resist the urge to experience the wonders she described. Seeing her ability to influence sales, businesses flooded her with promotional offers.

    However, this blogger didn’t accept a single commercial proposal and seemed to vanish, as if she had retreated into seclusion. It’s rare for someone to ignore lucrative advertising opportunities, leading to jokes that “Wen Yin” must be a writer who, after publishing an article, retreated back into the mountains, disconnecting from the internet and the world, explaining why no one could find any information about her online.

    In reality, Wen Le did retreat into the mountains, not completely cutting off contact with the outside world, but nearly so. During the summer vacation, she spent two months immersed in the mountains. After her articles went viral, many contacted her hoping for promotional support, but Wen Le showed little interest in these commercial offers. She believed that good writing depended not only on literary skill and her grandfather’s advice but also on fleeting, crucial inspiration.

    Wen Le’s heart-touching articles were the result of genuine emotion stirred by the landscapes and culture of ShanZe County and Lin County, areas she had thoroughly explored and lived in, infusing her writing with deep feeling, resulting in its stunning impact.

    Given a choice, Wen Le would still prefer similar projects. Among the many messages she received, one in particular caught her attention. It was from a “college student sent to the countryside” in Pei County, a poor area in the western part of the country. The message described how local villagers, with limited income and few livelihood options, cultivated a type of honey mandarin that was large, thin-skinned, juicy, and sweet—flavor-wise, on par with the well-known honey mandarins and ugly mandarins but less visually appealing and not as famous. With the region producing a high volume of various mandarins, the prices were suppressed by middlemen, making it hard for villagers to earn a fair price.

    The student had seen Wen Le’s successful promotions for ShanZe County and Lin County’s agricultural products, opening up new markets for them, and reached out with the hope that she would do the same for Pei County’s mandarins.

    Curious, Wen Le researched Pei County online but found little information beyond its status as a poor area in the West. Among the many proposals, this was the one that intrigued her. After exchanging contact information and several discussions, she formulated a plan. Less than a month into her vacation, Wen Le, along with her personal assistant Sister Li and Xiao Yang, flew to Pei County.

    Surrounded by mountains, Pei County’s terrain was complex, and Wen Le realised that the difficulty in selling the honey mandarins at a good price was also due to this challenging geography and transportation issues.

    During her stay in Pei County, Wen Le, along with her assistant Sister Li and Xiao Yang, treated it as a vacation, spending over half a month getting to know the local customs and culture through Yu Yang, the college graduate who had first reached out to her. Yu Yang had only graduated from college not long before and had started working in Heng Village in Pei County. He was only about 24, just a few years older than Wen Le.

    Yu Yang was shocked and speechless for a long time when he first met Wen Le. He had requested help from Wen Le, having been moved by the articles written by the blogger known as “Wen Yin”. In Yu Yang’s mind, Wen Yin was supposed to be a knowledgeable, low-profile writer in her forties, who preferred to live in seclusion. However, Yu Yang was completely taken aback to find that Wen Yin was actually a younger woman who had not even graduated from college yet – and to top it off, she was incredibly attractive.

    Upon their first meeting, Wen Le was dressed casually in a white T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, her long hair tied back in a ponytail, with two people who looked like assistants shielding her with umbrellas. Yu Yang was initially puzzled, wondering if a celebrity had come to their area to film a reality show. It wasn’t until Wen Le approached him with her assistants and asked if he was Yu Yang that he realised who she was. 

    It took him a moment to awkwardly shake her hand and accept that the young woman standing before him was the deeply insightful author he admired online.

    She stretched her hand out, “Nice to meet you, I am Wen Yin.”

    Yu Yang was so surprised that he even asked, “You’re really… Wen Yin?” 

    Wen Le nodded, “I don’t look like it?”

    “I had imagined you to be at least forty years old…”, Yu Yang admitted.

    Wen Le’s radiant smile in response to his admission struck Yu Yang profoundly, making him realise she was the epitome of someone who could rely on her looks but chose to excel through talent instead.

    During her half-month stay in Pei County, Wen Le had little contact with Zhou Kao, who seemed to be busy with his own matters, only mentioning he wanted to surprise her before she left for Pei County. Caught up in her work, Wen Le had almost forgotten about it.

    One day, Wen Le and her assistant Sister Li  went to the mountains to gather inspiration. Sister Li was there to take photos while Xiao Yang was in town buying supplies. The mountains, lush with vegetation in the peak of summer, presented a beautiful landscape. The landlord had mentioned a stream that flowed over a cliff to form a small waterfall with sweet water below, clear enough to see fish and surrounded by white flowers along the bank – a picturesque scene.

    After taking some landscape photos and having Sister Li capture her silhouette against the natural backdrop, Wen Le noticed a stain on Sister Li’s pants.

    She quietly reminded her, “Sister Li, I think…your period’s here.” 

    Sister Li, somewhat embarrassed, covered the spot with her hands, “The change in environment might have caused my cycle to become irregular. I hadn’t even noticed it.”

    Wen Le removed her jacket and tied it around Sister Li’s waist, saying, “Sister Li, you should head back first. The landlord auntie is here, I’ll stay a bit longer and then return.”

    Sister Li seemed worried, “Can you manage alone?”

    Wen Le chuckled, “It’s no trouble at all. I grew up in the mountains, and besides, my years of practising Taekwondo and Sanda weren’t for nothing.”

    Reassured, Sister Li finally felt at ease and, after reminding Wen Le to be careful, headed down the mountain.

    Wen Le truly wasn’t afraid. Having lived here for almost half a month, she had familiarised herself with the terrain. The villagers on the mountain knew she was there to help with buying oranges, so they were quite friendly towards her. Plus, with the landlord auntie not far away, Wen Le wasn’t alone and had nothing to fear.

    The scenery here was breathtaking. Wen Le took several photos with her camera, planning to select some to accompany her articles when she published them.

    Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of something furry dashing by, which filled her with excitement. She had heard from the villagers that there might be foxes or other small animals on the mountain. Unfortunately, she hadn’t seen it clearly and didn’t know exactly what it was.

    Curiosity piqued, Wen Le headed towards the spot where she’d seen the fleeting shadow.

    After taking a few steps, she heard a noise from another direction. Quickly turning around, she saw a chubby wild rabbit dart into the bushes.

    The sudden movement made Wen Le lose her footing. She stepped on a fist-sized rock, twisted her ankle, and lost her balance, tumbling down in one direction.

    She landed awkwardly, scraping her palms on the ground and twisting her ankle, causing intense pain.

    Wen Le gasped, shook the mud off her hands, and after waiting for the pain in her ankle to subside, tried to stand up.

    Thankfully, she could still walk, albeit with a limp. But the thought of having to walk such a long way back was daunting.

    Sitting on the ground, Wen Le took out her phone to call Xiao Yang, but the signal was poor, and she couldn’t get through.

    She tried calling Sister Li next, with no success.

    Sighing, Wen Le thought to herself, When it rains, it pours.

    Unable to contact anyone, she decided to soak her twisted ankle in the cool stream water as a form of cold compress, sent text messages to both, and then sat there, fiddling with her camera and occasionally trying to make a call, hoping for rescue.

    Checking her phone’s battery, Wen Le thought if no one answered in the next half hour, she’d have to make her way back on her own.

    “Wen Le!”

    She jumped, startled by the familiar voice. Was she hallucinating?

    Doubting herself, she heard the name again, “Wen Le!”

    Wen Le’s eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to look behind her.

    There stood Zhou Kao, his tall figure casting a shadow over her, looking down at her from a height.

    Wen Le was thrilled. “Zhou Kao?” she exclaimed. “How did you get here?”

    Zhou Kao squatted down, moved closer, and Wen Le, overwhelmed with joy, threw herself into his arms, her delight apparent.

    Zhou Kao hugged her back and kissed her on the side of her head, his voice almost a sigh, “I miss you so much.”

    Wen Le nuzzled into the crook of Zhou Kao’s neck, feeling a tender sweetness inside, “I miss you too.”

    Zhou Kao kissed her ear and temple, his hot breath on her face causing Wen Le’s cheeks to quickly blush.

    His kisses trailed down her cheek to her lips, nibbling gently at first, then deeply kissing her.

    After the kiss, they both tried to catch their breath, yet their gaze remained locked on each other.

    Wen Le stroked Zhou Kao’s neck, her eyes sparkling with stars, a smile playing on her lips, “Is this the surprise you mentioned?”

    Zhou Kao, smiling, tapped on Wen Le’s nose, “Isn’t it a surprise?”

    Wen Le kissed the corner of Zhou Kao’s mouth, “It is, you’re the biggest surprise.”

    Zhou Kao laughed softly, his nose brushing against hers, “Since you’re so sweet, I’ll tell you, there’s another surprise.”

    Wen Le kissed him again, “What surprise? Can you tell me, please?”

    Zhou Kao refused, “It wouldn’t be fun if I told you now.”

    Noticing Wen Le’s foot soaking in the water, he asked, “Does your foot feel cold in the water?”

    Wen Le glanced at her foot, “I twisted my ankle.”

    Hearing this, Zhou Kao raised an eyebrow and pulled her leg onto his lap to examine the injury, noting the swelling around Wen Le’s ankle.

    “Your ankle seems to attract trouble,” he commented.

    Wen Le shrugged, “Why does it feel like every time I twist my ankle, you’re there?”

    Zhou Kao tapped her head lightly, “You should say, ‘Luckily, every time I twist my ankle, my boyfriend is by my side.’”

    Wen Le rolled her eyes at him.

    Zhou Kao put her socks and shoes back on and then carried Wen Le on his back, making their way down the mountain.

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  • I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 76

    I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 76

    Coincidental Opportunities

    The style of the article seemed familiar…

    Suddenly, Zhou Kao looked up, realisation dawned on him!

    It was unmistakably……. the style of Wen Le.

    In an instant, numerous memories flooded Zhou Kao’s heart.

    Tea leaves, the mountainous areas, the southwestern region, the busy Wen Le who was said to be engrossed in her career and seldom seen… When these pieces were connected, everything seemed to have an answer.

    Was this article actually written by Wen Le?

    A week later, Wen Le finally returned. Zhou Kao drove to the airport to pick her up.

    At first, Wen Le didn’t recognize Zhou Kao’s car until he walked over to help her into the vehicle, then she realised that Zhou Kao had changed his license plate at some point.

    Zhou Kao touched Wen Le’s hair, then looked at her cheeks, “You’re tanner now.”

    Wen Le took out her phone and looked at her reflection, complaining, “Is it that obvious? I don’t think it’s very noticeable. They still say I’m quite fair.”

    Zhou Kao opened the passenger door for Wen Le, letting her get in before moving to the driver’s seat. As he closed the door, he said, “It’s different. Outsiders won’t observe you as closely as I do.”

    Wen Le sulkily responded, “I don’t think I’m that tanned.”

    She actually did care about this, as no girl doesn’t care about her looks.

    Zhou Kao turned to gaze intently at Wen Le.

    Feeling the intense heat of Zhou Kao’s gaze, Wen Le put down her phone, lifting her head to meet his eyes, filled with deep affection.

    Startled, Wen Le’s hand paused mid-air, her heart feeling as if it had been touched by a flame, warm, as if a spark had ignited her blood, stirring her emotions.

    Zhou Kao leaned in to capture Wen Le’s chin and kissed her.

    Wen Le let out a soft gasp, reaching up to wrap her arms around Zhou Kao’s shoulders, responding passionately, their longing communicated between their lips and teeth.

    They couldn’t linger long at the airport and soon ended their kiss.

    Zhou Kao started the car.

    Neither dared to look at the other too much, fearing they would get entangled again.

    As the car left the airport, they finally calmed down.

    Still concerned about her earlier question, Wen Le asked, “Am I really that tanned?”

    Hearing this, Zhou Kao laughed, “It seems you really have no awareness of your own skin tone. How much tanner could you possibly get with your complexion?”

    Indeed, although Wen Le’s skin seemed a bit tanner, it was only in comparison to her previous self; in reality, her naturally fair complexion still glowed brightly.

    “Why did you change your license plate? I almost didn’t recognize it at first,” Wen Le asked.

    Zhou Kao replied, “My dad thought the one I had wasn’t suitable, so he changed it.”

    “Your family really keeps a low profile,” she remarked.

    Zhou Kao responded, “Your family does too.”

    Suddenly, Zhou Kao turned to her and said, “Let’s go to my place.”

    Wen Le was puzzled, “Why go to your place?”

    “For a date,” Zhou Kao said.

    “A date at your house?” Wen Le laughed.

    Zhou Kao declared, “You come to my place, and I’ll cook for you personally.”

    Wen Le raised an eyebrow, “You can cook?”

    Zhou Kao smiled, “Today, you’ll see your boyfriend can do anything.”

    “Come on.”

    Wen Le refused, “I don’t want to, it’s too scary. Every time I go to your house, we bump into your mom.”

    Zhou Kao laughed heartily for a while. As the car stopped at a red light, he turned to Wen Le and whispered, “I’ve changed the password to the front gate.”

    Wen Le blinked, laughed for a bit, then suddenly asked, “Your mom doesn’t have a key or something, does she?”

    It seemed Wen Le was genuinely worried.

    Zhou Kao pinched Wen Le’s cheek with a smile, “No, don’t worry.”

    Wen Le was still not reassured, but Zhou Kao knew she was tempted by his suggestion.

    “What about your dad? Or brothers and sisters?” Wen Le asked.

    Zhou Kao said helplessly, “Looks like I have to take you to my place today, otherwise you’ll never overcome this fear.”

    Wen Le remained skeptical.

    Zhou Kao assured her, “Really, there’s no one.”

    Finally, Wen Le nodded, still half in doubt.

    The car journeyed all the way to Zhou Kao’s residential area.

    Zhou Kao led Wen Le inside, then changed the passcode of the lock in front of her, showing her the new combination.

    Wen Le couldn’t help but laugh as she felt like they were up to mischief.

    After changing the passcode, Zhou Kao hugged Wen Le from behind and gently nudged her forward.

    It was already 11 o’clock, as Wen Le’s flight had landed at 10.

    Zhou Kao went to the kitchen and asked, “What do you want to eat?”

    Leaning against the counter, Wen Le smiled and said, “I’ll eat whatever you make.”

    Zhou Kao approached her with a smile and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Since when did my girlfriend become so sweet?”

    Wen Le pushed Zhou Kao away playfully. “Go cook, I’m hungry.”

    “Alright,” Zhou Kao replied.

    Feeling a bit dirty from the trip, Wen Le said, “I’ll take a shower. Is there a bathroom in the guest room?”

    Exiting the kitchen, Zhou Kao replied, “Go to the master bedroom; there’s nothing in the guest room.”

    Wen Le nodded, not feeling shy at all. “Okay.”

    Zhou Kao escorted Wen Le to the master bedroom, provided her with a towel, and then went back to the kitchen.

    In Wen Le’s luggage, there were mostly clothes, some clean, some worn. She couldn’t remember which were washed and which weren’t.

    There was only one clean outfit left, a white bohemian sundress she brought for photoshoots, but she realised it wasn’t suitable after she arrived for the photoshoot.

    So, she grabbed that dress and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

    After showering, Wen Le emerged from the bathroom wearing the sundress with her hair still wet, and she went to the kitchen to see what Zhou Kao was cooking.

    Upon seeing Wen Le, Zhou Kao coughed awkwardly. “You were out like this?”

    Wen Le smirked at Zhou Kao. “Are you jealous?”

    “What do you think?” Zhou Kao replied.

    Wen Le chuckled, “I’ve never worn this. You’ve seen the photos; I always wear a white T-shirt and black pants.”

    Zhou Kao sighed in relief, “Girls need to stay safe outside.”

    Wen Le teased, “Looks like you’re the one feeling insecure.”

    Zhou Kao nodded helplessly, “Yeah, I’ll rely on my girlfriend for a sense of security then.”

    The mention of this incident made Zhou Kao feel uncomfortable. When the video of Wen Le wearing short shorts and fighting with him was posted on the forum, netizens were enamored with her long legs, and screenshots of Wen Le were circulated. It bothered Zhou Kao a lot.

    Wen Le approached Zhou Kao, kissed him on the cheek, and hugged his waist from behind. “What are you cooking?”

    She smoothly changed the subject.

    Zhou Kao said, “Just some home-cooked meals. It’s not ready yet; you can sit for a while.”

    Zhou Kao kept the dishes simple, mainly because it was getting late. He made a braised dish, boiled some noodles, cooked sweet and sour spare ribs, and stir-fried some light vegetables.

    Although the dishes weren’t overly complicated, they all smelled, looked, and tasted great.

    Wen Le looked at Zhou Kao with starry eyes, practically saying, “My boyfriend is so handsome,” with her twinkling gaze.

    Zhou Kao felt a bit smug under Wen Le’s admiring gaze. “Try it and see how it tastes.”

    Wen Le cautiously picked up a chopstick, tasted the food, and her eyes lit up immediately.

    It unexpectedly tasted delicious.

    Wen Le didn’t hesitate to shower Zhou Kao with praise, “Oh my god, Zhou Kao, you’re amazing! My boyfriend is truly talented.”

    “When did you learn to cook? You’re so good at it. What kind of amazing boyfriend…”

    Wen Le showered Zhou Kao with compliments, making him a bit embarrassed.

    Zhou Kao coughed lightly. “I learned during the summer vacation of my senior year.”

    Honestly, Wen Le was genuinely surprised. She had tried cooking before and confirmed she had no talent in this area.

    Zhou Kao said, “I asked Auntie to marinate the spare ribs before picking you up. Otherwise, how could you eat this dish in such a short time?”

    Wen Le looked at Zhou Kao with a smile. “So, you planned this in advance. Did you plan to bring me here?”

    Zhou Kao admitted directly, “You said you wanted to come and have a date with me. Are you thinking of backing out now?”

    “But I didn’t say it was today.”

    “But you didn’t say it wasn’t today either.”

    Bantering back and forth, after finishing the meal, Wen Le volunteered to do the dishes.

    However, Zhou Kao pushed her towards the bedroom. “I know you’re tired from your trip. Go take a nap.”

    Wen Le clicked her tongue a couple of times, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Look at this perfect boyfriend. You’re such a gentleman.”

    Zhou Kao pinched Wen Le’s nose. “Stop flattering me. There’s something you have to explain yourself about later. Go wait for me in bed.”

    Wen Le went to Zhou Kao’s bedroom. They had been together for so long that it wasn’t the first time Wen Le had been in Zhou Kao’s bed. Back then, not long after they got together, Wen Le came to take care of Zhou Kao when he was sick, and when they were lying in bed together, Zhou Kao’s mother came back home. At that time, Wen Le was so scared that she hid in the closet.

    Thinking about that incident, Wen Le’s face still felt a bit warm.

    Wen Le got into Zhou Kao’s bed, sinking into the soft blankets. The fabric of the bohemian sundress was as soft as silk, and after a few days of traveling, Wen Le felt drowsy as she smelled the scent of Zhou Kao’s body and a hint of his cologne.

    Wen Le, however, couldn’t sleep as she thought about what Zhou Kao wanted her to explain. She lay stiffly on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. After a while, she took out her phone and started playing with it.

    Zhou Kao finished tidying up and entered the master bedroom, where he found Wen Le lying on his bed, engrossed in her phone.

    Raising an eyebrow, Zhou Kao approached and leaned over the bed, trapping Wen Le between him and the mattress with the blanket. Wen Le put down her phone and pushed his face away, asking, “What are you doing?”

    Zhou Kao whispered in Wen Le’s ear, “Since you don’t want to sleep, let’s do something else.”

    Wen Le withdrew her hand from under the blanket, slowly and gracefully reaching for Zhou Kao’s neck. Her snow-white arm moved elegantly like a swan, and her slender fingers gently brushed Zhou Kao’s cheek, exuding charm and allure.

    Originally, Zhou Kao was just joking, but Wen Le’s teasing gaze darkened his mood, and he leaned in to kiss her.

    However, Wen Le chuckled and dodged his kiss, then pushed Zhou Kao onto the bed, rolling on top of him. With her arms supporting her on Zhou Kao’s chest, she looked down at him and asked, “What do you want?”

    Zhou Kao’s voice husky, he replied, “What do you think I want?”

    Wen Le’s fingers traced slowly from Zhou Kao’s cheek to his throat, her smile charming yet cold, “I’m not here for that. I’m tired.”

    Zhou Kao glanced at her irritably, but his gaze inadvertently caught sight of the snowy expanse peeking out from Wen Le’s low-cut sundress due to her prone position.

    Feeling a rush of heat, Zhou Kao cleared his throat and said hoarsely, “If you don’t want to do anything, then don’t tease.”

    Wen Le looked down and saw her half-bared chest, her face flushing red as she quickly climbed off Zhou Kao. However, in her haste, she accidentally tugged on her dress, causing her to lose her balance and fall back onto Zhou Kao.

    Zhou Kao grunted as he felt the softness pressing against him, driving him almost insane.

    Realising the situation, Wen Le blushed even deeper as she noticed the bulge against her waist, suddenly feeling timid.

    Zhou Kao helped Wen Le sit up, pinching her waist as he spoke in a husky voice, “Seems like you’ve lost your nerve now. I bet you won’t dare tease me recklessly again.”

    Wen Le didn’t say anything, but in her heart, she thought, “I still dare.”

    Getting up from the bed, Zhou Kao said to Wen Le, “You should go to sleep. I’m going to take a shower.”

    With that, he headed to the bathroom.

    Before, Wen Le had been feeling drowsy, but now she couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to find rest.

    After a while, Zhou Kao emerged from the bathroom with damp hair, wearing a black bathrobe that accentuated his sexiness.

    Wen Le couldn’t help but admire Zhou Kao’s neck and the exposed chest beneath the bathrobe, feeling both envious and self-deprecating as she stole glances.

    Seeing Wen Le still awake, Zhou Kao sat down beside her on the bed, his voice low and gentle, “Can’t sleep?”

    Wen Le’s ears tingled as she shrunk her neck and shook her head, “No, I can’t sleep.”

    “I’m thinking about what you asked me to confess to you earlier.”

    Zhou Kao saw Wen Le wasn’t sleepy, so he picked up his phone from the side and opened the PenPoint app to find that popular article. He handed it to Wen Le and asked, “Did you write this?”

    Wen Le glanced at the article and asked him in surprise, “Why would you think I wrote it?”

    Zhou Kao replied, “Just a feeling.”

    “So, was it you?”

    Wen Le smiled, “You guessed right.”

    “It was actually unexpected. I thought I needed to write another article to gain some attention, but I didn’t expect this one to take off first.”

    Although Zhou Kao had already guessed it, he was still somewhat surprised to hear her admit it.

    Seeing his surprised expression, Wen Le couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

    Zhou Kao shook his head, “I just didn’t expect your writing skills to be this good now.”

    Wen Le looked somewhat proud as she said, “Of course, I’ve never stopped writing all these years.”

    After feeling proud for a moment, Wen Le admitted, “Actually, I had my grandfather help me with this article. I followed his advice for revisions and only published it after he approved it. I couldn’t have written it to this level by myself.”

    Zhou Kao couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, thinking about how people were speculating about which famous author wrote this prose, only to be shocked when they found out it was a recommendation from an influencer.

    And those people couldn’t even dream that while it wasn’t written by a famous author, it was indeed reviewed by one.

    Zhou Kao asked her, “How did you come up with this idea? So, you’ve been busy with this the entire winter break?”

    At this, Wen Le became interested.

    She turned to face Zhou Kao, her eyes sparkling, “Actually, it’s a coincidence.”

    “Do you remember when you had acne during the final exams, and I gave you some detoxifying beauty tea?”

    Zhou Kao nodded, “I remember.”

    “That tea is an old family recipe passed down in our family. It’s said to have been prescribed by an old doctor during the Qing Dynasty, and it works wonders. After I gave you that tea, I impulsively shared the recipe on my account.”

    Wen Le’s account had already gained quite a few fans due to the popularity of the Le Yin Orchid series production line. After Wen Le shared the tea recipe, the response was quite good.

    There were often comments below asking where to buy this tea. Wen Le saw these comments, but since the tea was made at home and she had no place to buy it, she didn’t reply.

    But the next day after Wen Le posted the recipe for the beauty tea, Wen Le heard from Uncle Yu that although the tea harvest in the village this year was good, it couldn’t be sold due to problems with the middleman, resulting in a surplus of tea leaves. This year might be difficult for them.

    Wen Le knew about that kind of tea.

    Due to the unique growing environment, the quality of tea leaves was quite good, but they were heavily discounted by middlemen due to the lack of reputation, resulting in limited profits. Therefore, even if the neighboring village grew tea, it didn’t significantly improve their living standards. Though not a poverty-stricken village, the income was still not high.

    When Wen Le heard this, she had a sudden inspiration. She remembered people online asking where to buy the beauty tea she shared. So, she asked Uncle Yu to find the son of the neighboring village chief. This young man was one of the few villagers who had attended college and returned to work in the village. He was familiar with online matters.

    Wen Le told him if the tea didn’t sell well, they could try a different approach. The popular recipe she shared online could be a ready-made solution. Wen Le’s beauty tea recipe mainly consisted of tea leaves with added Chinese herbs for beauty and detoxification, which were inexpensive locally. By mixing them in proportion, the price could be increased several times.

    Although the young man was skeptical, he decided to give Wen Le’s idea a try. He opened an online shop on a popular e-commerce platform and followed Wen Le’s advice to set the search keywords as “PenPoint Influencer Beauty Tea”. Indeed, many people searched for and purchased the tea using these keywords, and sales were quite good.

    Seeing the good sales volume, Wen Le felt that this method was feasible. She used her main account to find a doctor with a large number of followers and paid him to help promote the tea.

    This doctor had a good reputation, but his reviews were also very strict. However, Wen Le was confident her beauty tea recipe would pass his review. After all, if this recipe had been passed down in her family for so long, it must have been reviewed by many competent doctors. How could it not pass the review of this internet-famous doctor?

    Sure enough, after the doctor received the recipe, he actively approached Wen Le and offered to help promote it. After the doctor promoted the recipe, it became extremely popular. The number of people buying the beauty tea skyrocketed. The small shop opened by the village chief’s son, which had set the keyword “PenPoint Influencer Beauty Tea” early on, had already appeared in the top ranks of sales on the e-commerce platform.

    As a result, the number of orders surged. Within a week, the original stockpile was almost emptied.

    The economic problems of the neighbouring village this year were thus solved by Wen Le’s beauty tea recipe.

    Wen Le still remembered the way the villagers looked at her and their warm attitude when she appeared in the neighboring village, which deeply touched her. She also remembered the tearful yet joyful expression of a dark-skinned auntie holding her son’s hand, thanking Wen Le.

    Her son had good grades, and the teacher said passing the entrance exam for a prestigious high school in the city in June would not be a problem. However, attending such a high school required a hefty tuition fee, which was a huge sum for their family. Unfortunately, this year, the tea leaves didn’t sell well, and even before the exams, their family was worried about their son’s tuition fees.

    They wanted to borrow money from the village, but the situation in the village was the same. They thought their son wouldn’t be able to gather enough tuition fees. Unexpectedly, Wen Le came up with this method, which solved the village’s entire problem and increased the income of all the villagers. They raised enough money to send their son to school and even bought him a new pair of sneakers.

    When Wen Le saw the tearful smile on the older sister’s face, she was moved.

    Suddenly, Wen Le thought that initially, she wanted to start a business just to compete with Zhou Kao. But now, she felt that she might have found a more worthwhile path.

    So, Wen Le opened a new account and wrote down an article like that.

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  • I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 75

    I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 75

    Setting Up An Enterprise

    Just two days after the Lantern Festival, the PenPoint app underwent a round of updates, unlocking the shopping mall section.

    After half a year of discussions within Zhou Kao’s company about PenPoint’s transformation, they finally reached a unanimous conclusion.

    PenPoint’s ambitions were clearly substantial. They didn’t limit their market solely to women but instead expanded to attract various types of users based on this foundation.

    Such a transformation, if not handled properly, would not only fail to retain existing users but also risk losing the original fan base. However, on the other hand, this transformation brought about a more diversified user base and expanded PenPoint’s market.

    After the mall was launched, PenPoint, in collaboration with merchants, vigorously conducted several major promotional activities to stabilise its user base and market.

    After school started, Wen Le often heard discussions about the PenPoint mall around her. Most people were initially attracted by the discounted prices offered by PenPoint’s collaborative merchants, but after their first purchase, they were drawn to PenPoint’s sharing model.

    Shopping in PenPoint’s mall was equivalent to publishing insightful notes. Not only could users shop, but they could also attract followers while sharing their experiences, which was truly eye-opening.

    This innovative model attracted a large number of users to PenPoint. Coupled with PenPoint’s team sparing no effort and investing a large amount of money in promotion, PenPoint’s transformation was on track in less than half a year.

    All the data from PenPoint indicated a highly successful transformation.

    During the six months since the launch of the PenPoint mall, Zhou Kao was extremely busy, which naturally reduced the time he spent with Wen Le.

    However, the main reason for the decreasing time they spent together was not Zhou Kao’s fault. On the contrary, Wen Le seemed even busier than Zhou Kao. Whenever Wen Le called Zhou Kao, he could always pick up, but when Zhou Kao called Wen Le, he could only get through about two out of five times, no matter what time it was.

    Zhou Kao didn’t know what Wen Le was so busy with. He had asked her, but Wen Le only said, “You’ll know soon enough. I’ll give you a surprise when the time comes.”

    Since Wen Le refused to say more, Zhou Kao stopped asking.

    But Zhou Kao never expected that Wen Le would be busy for even longer than he thought.

    Half a year later, the PenPoint mall had entered the right track. Zhou Kao finally had some free time and planned to invite his girlfriend out for dinner.

    But when he called, Zhou Kao found out that Wen Le had taken a week off and gone out of town.

    Zhou Kao made a video call, which surprisingly got through this time. He saw Wen Le wearing a straw hat, a white T-shirt, and black pants, holding a bunch of grapes, standing in a lush orchard, and smiling brightly. “Zhou Kao.”

    Zhou Kao raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “Wen Le, what are you up to?”

    Wen Le laughed. “Building my career.”

    Zhou Kao carefully examined Wen Le in the video, hesitating before asking, “Are you… tanned?”

    Wen Le subconsciously touched her face. “Really?” 

    Zhou Kao thought Wen Le, who cared so much about her appearance, would be very concerned, but he didn’t expect Wen Le to just casually touch her face and say, “Well, it’s normal.”

    Wen Le’s reaction made Zhou Kao even more curious about what she was up to.

    Zhou Kao asked, “When are you coming back?”

    Wen Le smiled and teased, “Missing me?”

    Zhou Kao really had no energy left for banter. He sighed, surrendering, “Yes, I miss you.”

    Wen Le said, “I’ll be back soon, but would the situation be I’ll have time then, but you won’t?”

    Zhou Kao replied, “The company is on track now, so I’ll have plenty of time to spend with you. But you still have to give me that chance.”

    Wen Le softened a bit. “How about we go on a date when I get back?”

    Zhou Kao murmured, his voice low, “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

    Wen Le’s ears tingled, and her heart trembled along with them. She couldn’t wait to fly back immediately and see how he was waiting for her.

    He would probably be wearing a white T-shirt and black pants, standing tall under the blooming cherry blossom tree outside the girls’ dormitory. He might be quietly contemplating thoughts unknown to others, with his profound and handsome features and his cold demeanor.

    And she would push open the door of the girls’ dormitory, calling his name with a smile. He would turn to look at her, and his eyes only focused on her…

    Wen Le covered her slightly blushing face, shook her head to stop herself from daydreaming further, and sighed. It had probably been too long since they had seen each other; even the sound of his voice made her lose control.

    Unbeknownst to both of them, that evening, an article went viral on Weibo. Along with it, the term #PenPoint also started trending.

    At that moment, Zhou Kao was studying in the library. When he received a notification about the trending topic #PenPoint on Weibo, he thought the company had paid for another promotion and didn’t bother to click on it.

    He felt somewhat puzzled because vice-president Lu had told him that the promotional work by the marketing team was basically completed, and there was no need to increase promotional expenses in the short term.

    However, Zhou Kao didn’t know that even vice-president Lu, who had just received the news the next day, was also puzzled.

    “Yeah, it wasn’t sponsored by the company. I checked it out. It seems that it was originally discussed on Zhihu*, where it gained a lot of attention. Later, it was reposted on Weibo and got even more traction from users. And I don’t know if vice-president Lu has checked your Moments**, but my Moments have been flooded with this article for the past few days.”

    Listening to the report from his employee over the phone, vice-president Lu raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked, “Is it that remarkable?”

    The employee’s voice sounded somewhat amazed, “Vice-president Lu, you probably haven’t read this article yet, have you? You should take a look; it’s really impressive. Even the reviews on Zhihu are highly positive.”

    Vice-president Lu picked up his phone and checked Weibo.

    It was a repost by a major influencer.

    Wen Bo: Unbelievable. I thought this was a piece of prose by some great writer, but damn, it turned out to be a recommendation by a product-promoting blogger. [Shocked.jpg]

    – This is the most unique product-promoting blogger I’ve ever seen online. While others promote products through live streams or short videos, this one is amazing, using articles and literary prowess.

    – The writing is delicate and highly aesthetic, wielding emotions as a weapon, evoking memories through imagery. Every word is like a gem, piercing straight into the heart. Just one word: incredible.

    – I don’t care, I’ve been convinced. I’m buying it.

    – Are all bloggers like this nowadays? With your level, why bother being a product promoter when you could be an author?

    – I read on Zhihu that this article was definitely written by a big shot. The quality is very high, although we can’t pinpoint exactly what makes it good, but professionals say it’s excellent.

    This blogger from PenPoint had gone viral, leading PenPoint to trend on social media.

    There had been discussions online about why this blogger became so popular. 

    Some said it was a coincidence; he happened to choose something deeply touching and engaged in a nostalgic battle, tapping into consumers’ memories. 

    Others said it was the author’s sincere and delicate descriptions that touched people’s hearts. 

    Some said the author found something that people genuinely wanted. 

    And others just loved his emotional storytelling and writing style.

    There had also been comments online about his writing, praising its delicacy, creativity, soulfulness, skillfulness, and depth. Some speculated behind this account was a writer over forty with some fame.

    In short, this blogger had become popular, breaking new ground in the world of product promotion with a stunning piece of writing that touched people’s hearts and showed the unlimited potential of product-promoting bloggers.

    After dominating social media and sparking discussions on Zhihu and trending topics, PenPoint had attracted a new wave of followers after six months, with some even downloading the PenPoint app just to follow this blogger.

    For PenPoint, this was an unexpected joy.

    When Lu Bohan called Zhou Kao about this matter, it was already half a month later, and Zhou Kao had only a rough idea about it.

    Lu Bohan said over the phone with a hint of pride, “It’s like divine intervention for us. PenPoint has been quite lucky. This author is amazing; I even want to recruit him to our company for planning. With just one person, he’s driving a huge increase in platform orders, surpassing the sales volume of previous campaigns with affiliated merchants. The tea recommended by this blogger sold out in just two days. From the time the author published this article until now, which is less than half a month, Shanzhe Tea has already made a name for itself. I reckon they won’t worry about sales volume in the future.”

    “Afterward, we also found out that the products promoted by this blogger were surplus agricultural products from impoverished areas with low incomes. The article that made her famous was written for free, with a more charitable purpose. It reminded us that we can also start from this aspect…”

    After hanging up the phone, Zhou Kao was still curious, so he took out his phone and checked the article on PenPoint. This was a new user, with less than six months of registration, but now already had 100,000 followers.

    After clicking on that note, Zhou Kao glanced at the article. This piece of promotional writing that made him famous was actually promoting a type of tea from the southwestern region of China.

    After all, it was a promotional piece, not very long, about a thousand words or so, almost completed in one go. The writing was fresh and delicate, with natural emotional expression, adept at creating atmosphere, blending emotion with scenery, and especially skilled at tapping into the most delicate and tender parts of the human heart.

    After reading the article, Zhou Kao felt moved, and he couldn’t help but want to try the tea mentioned by the author, to see if it was really as wonderful as described.

    The fact that it became popular wasn’t without reason; its absolute strength and sincere emotion led to extremely high praise for Zhihu. With such sincere and graceful writing, who wouldn’t be touched? Behind these words, there was probably a delicate heart burning with sincerity, making people curious about the author of this article.

    Zhou Kao looked at the author’s mere 100,000 followers and couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful. With such talent, she should be an excellent writer; it was too much of a waste for her to be just a blogger.

    But perhaps she was already a well-known writer herself, or maybe she, like Wen Le’s grandfather, secluded herself in the mountains for the sake of her writing, and thus encountered such good tea. Surely, this author had a soft and delicate heart, seeing the local farmers struggling to sell their tea leaves, and thus picked up her pen to write such moving words.

    Yet Zhou Kao couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity with the writing…

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  • I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 74

    I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 74

    Love It Yet Hate It Too

    Upon seeing the expression on Aunt Yu’s face, Wen Le knew that she had misunderstood. Looking around at the majority of balding and greasy men in the banquet hall, Wen Le also felt a headache coming on. Who knows how to explain this? But she also couldn’t not explain, could she?

    Wen Le gently took Aunt Yu’s hand and whispered, “It’s not… Auntie… he’s my classmate…”

    Upon hearing Wen Le’s response, Aunt Yu’s face changed another shade.

    At Aunt Yu’s change in expression, Wen Le realised the implication. Handing out such an expensive piece of jewelry… to a same-aged peer? From what she knew, most second-generation individuals wouldn’t casually spend such a large sum of money.

    “Lele, this is too valuable, we can’t accept it, can we?” Despite not agreeing with the idea, Aunt Yu still asked Wen Le for her opinion.

    Actually, Wen Le also felt it wasn’t appropriate. Previously, when she hadn’t realised the disparity in their financial abilities, it was fine to accept the blue sapphire ring. However, the price of this yellow sapphire had reached a different level. Now that Wen Le understood the difference in their financial standings, her pride and self-respect wouldn’t allow her to accept such an expensive gift until she achieved the same economic status as Zhou Kao.

    First, Wen Le reassured Aunt Yu, “Auntie, don’t worry, he has his own projects and company, the money for this yellow sapphire isn’t from his parents. Of course, I won’t accept this sapphire. I’ll talk to him about it later.”

    Aunt Yu nodded, “Go talk to him quickly then.”

    On the side, Xi Ya’an smiled and said, “Bring your little boyfriend over to show us.”

    Wen Le felt a bit embarrassed and glanced at Aunt Yu. Although Aunt Yu didn’t say anything, there was a curious expression on her face.

    Wen Le took out her phone and said, “Let me ask him, I don’t know if he’s still here.”

    Aunt Yu was still curious about this matter and asked Wen Le in a low voice, “Does your family know about this?”

    Wen Le nodded and sent Zhou Kao a message. She then nodded to Aunt Yu and whispered, “My dad and grandpa know, my dad… has even met him.”

    Aunt Yu was curious, “Has your father agreed?”

    Wen Le whispered, “Dad didn’t object.”

    This reaction was quite normal, and Aunt Yu couldn’t discern the attitude of Wen’s family towards this little boyfriend. This only made Aunt Yu more curious about Wen Le’s boyfriend.

    Xi Ya’an’s relationship with Aunt Yu didn’t seem like that of ordinary friends; instead, it seemed like they were close old friends. She didn’t avoid talking about this matter when bringing it up. 

    After sending the message, Wen Le didn’t receive a reply for a while. She put down her phone and said, “He probably has already left.”

    Aunt Yu, disappointed at not seeing Wen Le’s little boyfriend, looked a bit regretful.

    Xi Ya’an also seemed disappointed, “The banquet has just begun, why leave so early?”

    Wen Le explained, “He came to Hong Kong mainly for work this time, so he probably had something to attend to and left early.”

    Aunt Yu smiled and said, “Looks like we won’t be able to meet him this time, Lele. Go find an opportunity to return the necklace.”

    Wen Le nodded.

    The three of them chatted for a while about gossip in the entertainment industry. Xi Ya’an was a prominent figure in the entertainment industry while Aunt Yu was the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine, holding a vast amount of resources and half-immersed in the entertainment circle. Therefore, when these two chatted about gossip, it was practically equivalent to revealing insider information on the spot.

    As they discussed the recent secret romance between a top male star and an obscure actress, they saw Qu Manyu and the other from earlier, and another A-list actress, Qi Fu, walking over. The two were famous for being best friends in the spotlight, often seen together, but allegedly fierce competitors behind the scenes for resources.

    Qu Manyu had two people with her, while Qi Fu had a mixed-race model recently signed to her studio. The five of them walked over to the three.

    Qu Manyu smiled and said to Yu Wangshu, “Just now I was telling Fu Zi that I saw Sister Wangshu, and she didn’t believe me. Now, just as I turn around, here you are.”

    Qi Fu was pleasantly surprised and hugged Yu Wangshu, “It really is you, Sister Wangshu! I thought Qu Manyu was tricking me again.”

    Yu Wangshu smiled and exchanged pleasantries with them for a while, and even Xi Ya’an, who was standing nearby, had to join in.

    Xi Ya’an status was much higher than these few celebrities, and she was too lazy to engage in pleasantries with them. Just as she was thinking of finding an excuse to leave, she suddenly heard a male voice call out, “Wen Le.”

    She looked up and saw Wen Le turning around in surprise, so she followed suit. To her astonishment, she saw an exceedingly handsome young man with exceptional features and an overly perfect figure.

    To be honest, after spending so many years in the entertainment industry, Xi Ya’an had seen all kinds of faces. However, when she saw this young man, she was still amazed. Simply put, this young man was a top-tier beauty even in the entertainment circle.

    But…

    Why does this young man seem somewhat familiar…

    When Zhou Kao arrived, he attracted the attention of all the women around him. Just as Qu Manyu and Qi Fu were chatting with Wangshu, they fell silent. The young women by their side couldn’t take their eyes off Zhou Kao after seeing him, their eyes sparkling with admiration, never leaving Zhou Kao’s body.

    However, since arriving, this handsome young man’s gaze had been glued to Wen Le, not even sparing a glance at the various beautiful women around him.

    Aunt Yu was also stunned when she saw Zhou Kao, then glanced at Wen Le, recalling Wen Le’s previous mention of her boyfriend, guessing that this was probably him.

    Even with Aunt Yu’s discerning eye, a hint of satisfaction leaked into her gaze when she looked at Zhou Kao.

    Ignoring other aspects for now, Zhou Kao’s appearance and temperament alone didn’t lose out to Wen Le. Standing together, they looked like a match made in heaven, truly pleasing to the eye.

    Upon seeing Zhou Kao, Wen Le’s gaze was tightly locked onto his, and before she forgot the occasion, she quickly realised and introduced him to Auntie.

    “Auntie, this is Zhou Kao.”

    “Zhou Kao, this is Aunt Yu,” Wen Le introduced.

    Zhou Kao nodded and greeted Aunt Yu politely.

    Aunt Yu, who was still chatting with Qu Manyu and Qi Fu, said her goodbyes and excused herself so that she, Wen Le, and Zhou Kao could move to the side for a private conversation.

    Xi Ya’an, being tactful, didn’t approach them. She watched Zhou Kao, still racking her brain, feeling like she had seen this guy somewhere before.

    Suddenly, Qi Fu exclaimed, “I remember now! I’ve seen this person before.”

    Qu Manyu, who had just arrived and didn’t understand what was going on, asked, “Who is this guy? He looks quite young.”

    Qi Fu explained, “You know about the collaboration with Penpoint on my end, right? I happened to visit Penpoint’s company last time, and I saw this guy there.”

    Hearing Qi Fu mention the collaboration with Penpoint, Qu Manyu felt a pang of jealousy. Qi Fu had always been pressuring her in business matters. Reluctantly, she asked, “Oh, what’s his collaboration with Penpoint about?”

    Qi Fu seemed genuinely shocked as she said, “No, this guy is the big boss of Penpoint.”

    Qu Manyu sneered, “What? Isn’t the big boss of Penpoint a thirty-something elite man? Although he looks handsome too, isn’t this guy too young?”

    Qi Fu shook her head and said, “No, the one people talk about outside is actually the vice president. This young man is the real big boss. My assistant heard it from the employees of their company themselves.”

    Qu Manyu was also surprised by this revelation. “Wow, that’s impressive. A young man with a net worth of over a hundred million.”

    Listening to Qu Manyu’s casual understatement, Xi Ya’an couldn’t help but chuckle. She sipped her red wine elegantly and sighed softly, “The heir carefully cultivated by the Zhou family in Beijing, of course, is promising at such a young age.”

    Xi Ya’an married into a wealthy family at the age of thirty-two, which was considered a good match in the entertainment industry. However, her husband’s family was only a second-rate family in the upper class. The Zhou family was definitely the top-tier aristocracy in the upper class, and their influence and power couldn’t be summarised by surface-level data alone.

    She had occasionally glimpsed this young master at various events with her husband. Despite his young age, he was surrounded by compliments and flattery from the crowd, yet he remained unperturbed.

    After speaking, Xi Ya’an left on her own, leaving Qu Manyu and Qi Fu with wide eyes.

    How could they, who were ambitious and wanted to mingle in the upper class, not know about the Zhou family?

    Why did Qu Manyu, with so many suitors, remain single? It was because these suitors only hovered on the edge of the upper class, while Qu Manyu dreamed of climbing higher. Unfortunately, she had never been able to reach the higher echelons of society. And now, they were told that this young man was at the pinnacle of the pyramid they dreamed of squeezing into?

    Aunt Yu didn’t say much to the two of them and left, giving Wen Le and Zhou Kao plenty of space.

    Wen Le took off the necklace from her neck and handed it to Zhou Kao.

    Zhou Kao didn’t take it. He was a bit displeased and spoke coldly, “You don’t like it? Or do you want to return it to me?”

    Wen Le shook her head. “I like it, and I didn’t ask you to return it.”

    Zhou Kao raised an eyebrow, looking at Wen Le without saying anything.

    Wen Le cleared her throat and said, “Well, you see, my family’s safe is full, and there’s no place to put it. So, could you help me keep it for now? When I make enough money to buy a safe, you can give it back to me.”

    Zhou Kao chuckled, “That’s the most ridiculous reason I’ve ever heard.”

    Would anyone refuse jewelry because they didn’t have a safe?

    Wen Le grabbed Zhou Kao’s hand. “It’s not that I don’t want it. Could you please hold onto it for me for now? I’ll be checking on it regularly.”

    Zhou Kao understood Wen Le well. It was probably her competitive nature acting up again. She was such a determined person, probably still concerned about her financial status.

    Zhou Kao loved and hated Wen Le for being like this.

    But Zhou Kao didn’t insist. Instead, he took the necklace Wen Le handed over without urging her to take it back. He didn’t want to add any more pressure on Wen Le, so he could only indulge and helplessly flick Wen Le’s nose. “I really don’t know what to do with you .”

    Wen Le gently shook Zhou Kao’s hand, her smile bright and confident. “Trust me, I’ll be able to buy a safe soon and retrieve the yellow sapphire.”

    Zhou Kao chuckled helplessly. “Is my girlfriend a superhero? How can she be so amazing?”

    Wen Le blushed and lowered her head. “It’s mainly because my boyfriend is too outstanding.”

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  • I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 73

    I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 73

    Yellow Sapphire

    “Boyfriend?”

    Grandfather stared at Wen Le and blew out his beard, looking somewhat annoyed.

    Wen Le hesitated for a moment and whispered, “Am I…am I not allowed?”

    Grandfather stiffened his neck and didn’t say anything. It’s not that it isn’t allowed, but there is a sense of frustration like his precious cabbage has been snatched by a pig. It is hard for anyone to be happy about it.

    After a while, Grandfather snorted and asked with a touch of pride, “What… is he like?”

    Wen Le smiled, didn’t praise Zhou Kao much, just casually said, “He’s okay, we get along well.”

    Such a plain, rational, and restrained answer seemed to convince the elders more. Perhaps no elder wanted to see their beloved child being led astray by another child.

    Grandfather’s expression relaxed a bit at Wen Le’s words, not wanting to ask more, waved his hand. “Alright, go find your grandmother.”

    Wen Le smiled and ran off to talk to her grandmother.

    Turning around, Wen Bingqiu called Wen Tianqi to the study.

    “Dad, you wanted to see me?”

    Wen Bingqiu asked, “Lele has a boyfriend?”

    Wen Tianqi was first surprised, then nodded, “Did Lele tell you?”

    Wen Bingqiu snorted, sitting down on the sofa.

    Wen Tianqi said, “In our situation, I actually still think it’s a burden…”

    After the holidays, while Zhou Kao was not busy, Wen Le became busy. Zhou Kao called Wen Le, but she either answered the phone in a hurry or didn’t have time to pick it up.

    Zhou Kao didn’t understand what Wen Le was doing. Wen Le said, “I’m improving my economic status.”

    “What?”

    “You’ll see when school starts,” Wen Le said mysteriously, refusing to say more and abruptly changing the subject, “Was it your family that sent a New Year’s gift to ours the other day?”

    Zhou Kao smiled and said, “You saw it.”

    Wen Le laughed, “It wasn’t that I saw it, it’s mainly because of my dad…”

    Thinking about the scene that day, Wen Le couldn’t help but laugh.

    The butler brought the list of New Year’s gifts, Wen Tianqi took a look, suddenly furious, pointed to one item, and said, “Who allowed the Zhou family to send us a New Year’s gift?”

    Wen Tianqi became angrier as he spoke, then threw the list directly onto the table.

    Grandfather walked over from the side and asked, “What’s wrong?”

    Wen Tianqi said, “The Zhou family sent us a New Year’s gift.”

    The butler hesitated and asked, “Should we send one back?”

    Wen Tianqi didn’t say anything.

    Grandfather said, “If we send one back, it should be just a regular gift.”

    Father Wen was angry, “The matter with the child hasn’t even begun, and you’re so proactive.”

    Grandfather said, “Even if it’s not about the child, the two families have known each other for so many years. Sending a gift is not unreasonable. Besides, this year is different from previous years. In the past, not sending a New Year’s gift meant no contact. Now that you’re back in the capital, if they still don’t send one, it wouldn’t be appropriate.”

    Wen Tianqi snorted coldly, “That’s just what it seems like. But I don’t know Zhou Chengyun yet, he’s full of tricks. He might be thinking about Lele.”

    With a smirk, Wen Tianqi added, “It’s not so easy for the Zhou family’s child to enter our family.”

    Wen Le was busy with her own affairs, busy and happy, occasionally taking a break to think about her boyfriend. Life was enjoyable. Zhou Kao often couldn’t reach Wen Le and had a lot of complaints, which Wen Le teased him about, turning him into a nagging husband.

    After the New Year, during the early spring, Aunt Yu returned to the mountains to visit Grandpa and Grandma Wen. While chatting with Grandma Wen, she mentioned there was a private auction in Hong Kong recently, and Grandma Wen shared that she liked some of the jewelry items. She planned to have her agent bid for them.

    However, Aunt Yu said, “There’s no need to find an agent this time. I happen to have something to do in Hong Kong, so I’ll go bid.”

    After some thought, Grandma Wen said, “Then take Lele with you. Let her see if there’s anything she likes and let her bid for it herself. And while you’re in Hong Kong, let her have some fun. If there’s anything she needs, get it for her.”

    So, the matter was settled.

    Aunt Yu acted quickly. What she talked about in the morning was arranged by evening.

    When Wen Le mentioned it to Zhou Kao during their phone call that night, Zhou Kao sighed and said, “It’s a good thing school is starting soon.”

    Wen Le teased, “Missed me?”

    Zhou Kao sighed, “I’m afraid if school doesn’t start soon, someone will forget what her boyfriend looks like.”

    Wen Le couldn’t stop laughing. “Do you know you sound like a nagging husband right now?”

    Zhou Kao justified himself, “Is it my fault? Don’t you think you should reflect on yourself?”

    Wen Le felt guilty. “Is it my fault?”

    Zhou Kao sneered, “Isn’t it?”

    Wen Le chuckled, “Okay, okay, I promise to spend more time with you when school starts.”

    A couple of days later, Wen Le flew to Hong Kong with Aunt Yu.

    The Wen family had property in Hong Kong, so Aunt Yu lived in the main house to take care of Wen Le.

    Aunt Yu’s family, spanning several generations, was all part of the Wen family, unlike the typical boss-employee relationship. They had deep affection for each other, like family. Additionally, Aunt Yu was unmarried, so she regarded Wen Le as her own daughter.

    The highlight of this auction was a nearly forty-carat yellow sapphire necklace. Aunt Yu made several bids, but another buyer was determined and eventually won the bid at a price twenty percent higher than the market value.

    Although Aunt Yu regretted not winning the beautiful yellow sapphire, Wen Le didn’t mind. She had her eye on another necklace called “Tear of the Goddess.”

    This necklace was simple in design but extraordinarily beautiful. It was primarily made of a 192-carat tanzanite. The tanzanite, shaped like a teardrop, was three-dimensional, so there were no extensive diamond inlays. Instead, diamonds adorned the tip of the teardrop, fixed on a delicate silver chain. The chain was devoid of any other diamonds, emphasizing the beauty of the blue tanzanite.

    Wen Le was satisfied with winning this necklace.

    After the auction, there was a banquet where everyone dressed elegantly.

    This was a private auction, not open to the public. Everyone in attendance was invited by the organisers.

    Wen Le recognized many familiar faces at the auction. There were well-known actresses from the entertainment industry, rising stars, and a few B-list celebrities who came with their partners.

    Wen Le wore a white evening gown and attended the banquet with Aunt Yu.

    As they walked towards the banquet hall, Aunt Yu whispered to Wen Le about the necklace she had just won at the auction.

    “Lele, you have rather good taste. That Tanzanite necklace is quite impressive, both in colour and purity. While the raw stone itself may not be worth the price, its craftsmanship and design add considerable value to it. And the fact that it was made by a master jeweler…”

    Just as Aunt Yu was speaking, they were interrupted by someone calling out.

    “Editor Chief Yu!”

    Aunt Yu suddenly stopped walking, and Wen Le turned around to see the popular actress, Qu Manyu, standing behind them with a radiant smile. She was accompanied by two somewhat familiar individuals—one Wen Le recognized as Li Lexue, while the other seemed vaguely familiar, perhaps a newcomer signed by Qu Manyu’s studio.

    Li Lexue and Qu Manyu belonged to the same company, which explained why Li Lexue was by Qu Manyu’s side.

    Qu Manyu had been in the entertainment industry for many years and was still in her early thirties. Despite her age, she often caused a stir in the headlines. Over the years, she had tried to transition into the film industry, but without much success.

    Aunt Yu recognized Qu Manyu and smiled, “Ah, it’s Manyu.”

    Qu Manyu nodded with a smile and introduced the person next to her, “You know Lexue, and this is Yu Yan. We’ve recently collaborated with Director Wang…”

    Aunt Yu offered some polite compliments, and Qu Manyu continued, “I’ve been wanting to thank you for a long time since our last collaboration. If it weren’t for your help during that unexpected incident, I would have been embarrassed.”

    Aunt Yu smiled politely, “There’s no need for thanks, it was just a small gesture.”

    “You’re too modest,” Qu Manyu said, looking at Wen Le beside Aunt Yu. She felt a flash of admiration at the sight of Wen Le’s face, but then her heart sank.

    A face like Wen Le’s was highly sought after in the entertainment industry. If she could be signed to her studio… Unfortunately, she was snatched away by Yu Wangshu. But… she hadn’t heard that Yu Wangshu was bringing in new talent.

    Li Lexue also recognized Wen Le. She remembered Wen Le not just because of her stunning beauty but also because of the incident where Wen Le outshone her. Since that incident, whenever her company sent press releases praising her beauty, there were always people mocking her inability to hide the fact that she had been outshone by a stranger.

    Li Lexue felt aggrieved as well. Who wouldn’t feel wronged if they were overshadowed by a stranger for no reason? Therefore, Li Lexue harboured some hostility towards Wen Le.

    Qu Manyu had noticed Wen Le earlier and said with a smile, “You have a great new talent.”

    Aunt Yu’s smile faded slightly, “No, she’s my master’s young lady.”

    Qu Manyu didn’t immediately understand what “my master’s young lady” meant.

    At that moment, the film empress, Xi Ya’an, approached Aunt Yu and greeted her, “Wangshu.”

    Aunt Yu turned to Xi Ya’an, her expression visibly warmer, “You’re here too.”

    Xi Ya’an nodded, and the two seemed familiar, speaking more casually. “Just came to take a look, but unfortunately didn’t find anything I liked.”

    Xi Ya’an then looked at Wen Le, her eyes flickering slightly. She glanced at the clothes Wen Le was wearing and was surprised, “Isn’t this the outfit I saw in your house last time, the one you made yourself? I remember asking you for it, but you refused. So, it was meant for this little beauty. Who is she?”

    Wen Le smiled gracefully and extended her hand, “I’m Wen Le.”

    Her confident demeanour and grace were no less than that of the famous actress.

    Aunt Yu looked at Wen Le and said, “Most of Lele’s clothes are made by me.”

    The actress was even more surprised at Aunt Yu’s explanation.

    Aunt Yu continued, “Remember when you asked me about the difference between Lele’s Orchid series and other series? The biggest difference is that a vice president personally participates in the production line of the Orchid series.”

    Xi Ya’an was somewhat taken aback. It was well known that Yu Wangshu was not only an internationally renowned designer with her own brand but also the chief editor of one of China’s top three fashion magazines. She also served as the vice president of a clothing brand under the Wen Group, as well as the vice chairman of Le Yin. Each vice chairman of Le Yin had a resume similar to Yu Wangshu’s. Such a person was involved in the production line of the Orchid series?

    Xi Ya’an and the others couldn’t help but look at Wen Le. They all wondered: What is the background of this girl?

    They didn’t stay outside for long and soon left the banquet hall.

    When no one was paying attention, Aunt Yu whispered to Wen Le, “I noticed Li Lexue’s look towards you wasn’t quite right. Is there some grudge between you two?”

    Wen Le then recounted the incident with the video to Aunt Yu.

    Aunt Yu smiled and said, “She just happened to be the unlucky one. How about this, we’re not unreasonable people. Since she suffered because of you, let’s give her a resource as compensation. What do you think?”

    Wen Le nodded in agreement, “You’re right.”

    Although Aunt Yu didn’t say much about Wen Le’s identity, the people present could guess it more or less after the events. The treatment Wen Le received, such as being dressed by Yu Wangshu and having her own series in Le Yin, made her identity quite obvious. She was probably the young lady of the Wen family’s Tianyin Group.

    Xi Ya’an and Aunt Yu chatted as they made their way to the banquet hall. “That yellow sapphire was really beautiful. I wonder who managed to win it…”

    Throughout the banquet, many people approached Aunt Yu to chat.

    Feeling a bit bored by Aunt Yu’s side, Wen Le excused herself to get some fresh air on the balcony. However, she was surprised when a familiar voice called out her name, “Wen Le.” 

    She turned around in surprise. That familiar face…it’s clearly Zhou Kao!

    Wen Le was pleasantly surprised and couldn’t help but raise her voice, “What are you doing here?”

    Zhou Kao smiled and walked up to Wen Le, wrapping his arm around her waist. “To ease my heartache from missing you.”

    Wen Le was overjoyed, her heart filled with happiness. She wanted to throw herself into Zhou Kao’s arms right then and there, but with so many people around, it wasn’t convenient.

    As the saying goes, absence makes the heart fonder.

    Reunited after a long separation, the two lovers’ eyes sparkled with electricity as they gazed at each other. It felt as if they were drawn to each other, unable to tear their eyes away.

    Wen Le realized how much she missed Zhou Kao. At that moment, her love and longing surged within her, ready to burst out.

    Zhou Kao led Wen Le to a secluded little garden, where they hid behind a tree and whispered sweet nothings to each other.

    Pressing Wen Le against the tree, Zhou Kao buried his head in her neck, murmuring about how much he missed her.

    Wen Le couldn’t resist Zhou Kao’s tender words. Her chest swelled with emotion, her blood boiling. With the rough and cold tree trunk behind her and the hot body of Zhou Kao in front of her, she felt torn between two dimensions—passion and restraint, heat and cold, reason and loss of control.

    Like dry tinder meeting a fierce fire, the slightest touch ignited a blazing inferno.

    Starting with gentle caresses on the ears, their breaths gradually became heavier. Then came licking, biting, sucking, as electric currents ran rampant through their bodies, igniting sparks of passion.

    With her back against the tree trunk, Zhou Kao’s hand lifted her waist, pressing her closer. One of Wen Le’s legs was lifted and wrapped around Zhou Kao’s waist. Zhou Kao’s other hand was behind Wen Le’s head, bringing her even closer, allowing their fiery kisses to deepen.

    Both of them were getting carried away with emotions. Wen Le melted into a puddle, completely at Zhou Kao’s mercy.

    Behind the tree was an elegant evening banquet, and on the other side was a passionate kiss between the two, igniting a clandestine excitement that only fueled their desires, intensifying their emotions even more.

    After embracing each other for who knows how long, the sound of footsteps behind the tree finally made them separate.

    Wen Le’s legs were still a bit weak as she leaned on Zhou Kao, catching her breath for a moment.

    At that moment, Wen Le’s phone vibrated in her evening bag. She thought Aunt Yu was probably looking for her since she had been away for so long. Indeed, when she checked her phone, it was a message from Aunt Yu.

    Putting her phone back, Wen Le said to Zhou Kao, “I have to go back. Aunt Yu is looking for me.”

    As Wen Le turned to leave, Zhou Kao grabbed her arm. Confused, Wen Le looked back, and Zhou Kao pointed to his lips.

    Then it dawned on Wen Le what he meant. Blushing, she quickly took out her lipstick and mirror from her evening bag to touch up her lips. After applying the lipstick, Wen Le looked up at Zhou Kao and said, “Come here, let me wipe yours too.”

    After they both tidied up, the two of them reluctantly left.

    Wen Le made sure everything was in order before heading back to the banquet hall.

    Aunt Yu was still talking to Xi Ya’an, and when she saw Wen Le approaching, she suddenly froze, pointing at Wen Le’s neck, “Lele, what’s that on your neck? How did it end up there?”

    Wen Le was momentarily stunned, thinking Zhou Kao had left a mark again. But then she realised something was off. Zhou Kao hadn’t kissed her neck. So Wen Le subconsciously touched her neck, only then realising what Aunt Yu was referring to.

    There was a yellow sapphire necklace on her neck, the one Aunt Yu failed to win at the auction.

    It suddenly struck Wen Le that when they were kissing, Zhou Kao seemed to have done something to her neck. But she was too excited at the time and had forgotten about it.

    Wen Le was also a bit confused.

    Xi Ya’an looked at the sapphire necklace with regret and asked, “How did it end up with you?”

    Aunt Yu frowned. Her first reaction was unexpectedly suspicious. She couldn’t help but feel her heart sink. She asked Wen Le in a deep voice, “Who gave it to you, Lele? You can’t just accept something like this randomly.”

    Before Wen Le could answer, her phone vibrated again. She took out her phone and glanced at it. It was a WeChat message from Zhou Kao saying, “A New Year’s gift, it suits you well.”

    Wen Le awkwardly put away her phone and looked at Aunt Yu, who was on the verge of calling the security guards. She grabbed Aunt Yu’s hand and whispered softly, “Auntie, don’t get upset. It’s… it’s from my boyfriend.”

    Aunt Yu looked around and saw nothing but middle-aged balding and greasy men. Her expression darkened even more.

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  • I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 72

    I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 72

    My Boyfriend

    Zhou Kao stood up, shielding Wen Le behind him, and helplessly called out, “Mom!”

    Wen Le, hidden behind Zhou Kao, blushed and straightened her clothes, feeling so embarrassed that she wished she could find a hole to hide in.

    Li Hua chuckled warmly. “Oh, well, Mom’s just here to bring you some things.”

    By now, Wen Le had fixed her clothes and took a deep breath before stepping forward on her own initiative. Given the situation, there was no way for her to avoid it.

    Trying to make her smile look less awkward, Wen Le moved a couple of steps forward and greeted, “Hello, Auntie.”

    Zhou Kao glanced back at Wen Le, then squeezed her wrist comfortingly.

    However, Li Hua recognized Wen Le without Zhou Kao’s introduction. She greeted Wen Le warmly, “It’s Le Le, right? I’ve been telling Zhou Kao to bring you over for dinner. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while. Come here and let Auntie have a look.”

    Li Hua’s enthusiastic attitude immediately reduced Wen Le’s embarrassment by half. Wen Le glanced at Zhou Kao, who nodded reassuringly. Encouraged, Wen Le mustered a polite smile, walked up gracefully, and allowed Li Hua to inspect her.

    Li Hua smiled and took Wen Le’s hand. “What a good child.”

    Despite her warm demeanour, Li Hua was nothing like the typical elderly folks on the street. Li Hua was well-preserved, appearing to be in her thirties despite being over fifty. Moreover, she exuded a gentle and elegant aura, akin to a gentle rain or an ink painting, which made her easily likable.

    This was Zhou Kao’s mother, and she didn’t seem difficult to get along with.

    Li Hua led Wen Le into the living room, instructing Zhou Kao to put away the food and fruit she had brought.

    Zhou Kao carried the items to the kitchen while Li Hua chatted affectionately with Wen Le. Surprisingly, the atmosphere wasn’t awkward at all.

    Li Hua smiled and said, “You’re only a few months younger than Zhou Kao. Your family used to live near ours, and if it weren’t for that incident that made your family move out of Beijing, you and Zhou Kao would have grown up together. It’s amazing how despite not growing up together, you still ended up together. Fate works in mysterious ways.”

    “Zhou Kao’s dad and your dad have known each other for a long time. He mentioned that your dad didn’t get a proper welcome when he returned. After your exams are over, our families should get together and catch up.”

    After a brief chat and putting down the things she brought over, Zhou Kao’s mother left.

    As they escorted Zhou Kao’s mother to the elevator and watched the descending floors, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

    Wen Le lightly punched Zhou Kao. “It’s all your fault!”

    Zhou Kao rubbed the spot where Wen Le had hit him, looking innocent.

    Wen Le sighed. “I feel like I’m developing a psychological trauma towards your house.”

    Zhou Kao stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Wen Le from behind as they walked back to their room. His breath tickled Wen Le’s ear as he spoke in a low, deep voice, “Please don’t. If you’re afraid of it, I’ll have no choice but to sell it.”

    Wen Le was still puzzled. “How come we keep running into her? Does your mom come here every day?”

    Zhou Kao replied, “No, Madam Li Hua has only been here three times, and you’ve bumped into her twice.”

    Zhou Kao shrugged. “I guess that’s just the attraction between you and Madam Li Hua.”

    As they walked, still embracing and chatting, Zhou Kao’s neighbour suddenly opened his door. A man in his thirties or forties, dressed in a tie, suit, and leather shoes, stepped out. He looked sophisticated and elite. Seeing the couple embracing each other in front of him, he froze for a moment, seemingly caught off guard by this unexpected display of affection.

    Their eyes met, and the couple, equally shocked, hesitated for a moment before quickly separating and rushing into their respective homes.

    The man: …

    After Li Hua got into the car, she called Zhou Chengyun. “Old Zhou, why don’t we arrange a meeting with Wen Tianqi sometime? Let’s discuss the kids…”

    ….

    Wen Le finished her last exam, and the students in Room 307 were busy packing their bags, preparing to leave either on the same day or the next.

    Wen Le packed her bags, planning to go home right after finishing her exams. Xiao Yang wanted to pick her up, but Wen Le declined.

    As the exams were over, the atmosphere in the girls’ dormitory building was lively. Drivers were driving up to pick up students, and boyfriends were coming to see their girlfriends.

    Standing amidst the bustling crowd, Zhou Kao stood out like a crane among chickens, drawing frequent glances from those around him.

    Since the villa had been renovated, Wen Le often went home. Therefore, she didn’t have much stuff in the dormitory, and she only packed a small suitcase.

    Carrying her luggage down from the third floor, Wen Le saw Zhou Kao approaching from afar. With long strides, he walked towards the girls’ dormitory entrance. His exceptionally long legs stirred up a breeze as he reached the door and pulled it open. Then he came out holding a white suitcase. Following him, a girl stepped out from the dormitory.

    It was none other than the famous BBS goddess Wen Le. The combination of the handsome guy and the beautiful girl was incredibly harmonious.

    Zhou Kao pushed Wen Le’s suitcase, and the two of them affectionately chatted as Zhou Kao placed Wen Le’s luggage in the car. Then they drove away together.

    Zhou Kao’s car went straight to Wen Le’s villa area. The two of them cuddled in the car for a while, reluctant to part at the thought of not seeing each other for over a month.

    The car stopped outside the gate, and they hugged and kissed for a while longer, becoming increasingly reluctant to leave.

    Wen Le whispered softly, “How about we go inside and sit for a while? My dad isn’t home.”

    It was daytime, and Wen Tianqi was usually working outside at this time.

    Zhou Kao kissed Wen Le’s earlobe, feeling tempted, but he still refused. “No, I won’t visit your house empty-handed. Let’s go in next time when your dad’s home.”

    Wen Le blushed slightly.

    The two of them were still lingering in the car when suddenly the gate opened.

    They were taken aback, then remembered there was a surveillance camera outside.

    Wen Le blinked. “It… It should be… the butler, right?”

    “We can’t stay in the car any longer. If we don’t get out, the butler might come out,” Zhou Kao said.

    They quickly got out of the car. Zhou Kao took Wen Le’s luggage from the trunk and pushed it towards her. “I’m leaving.”

    Wen Le grabbed Zhou Kao’s hand, and the two of them looked at each other reluctantly for a moment before Wen Le let go and nodded.

    Zhou Kao’s car drove away, and Wen Le turned back, intending to go inside. As she turned, she saw the butler standing behind her.

    Startled, Wen Le patted her chest and complained, “Uncle He, why are you here? You scared me.”

    The butler, Uncle He, smiled and stepped forward to take Wen Le’s luggage. “The master saw that Miss Wen was reluctant to come in, so he asked me to come out and welcome Miss Wen.”

    Wen Le’s heart skipped a beat, feeling somewhat guilty. “Is… Is my dad at home?”

    The butler smiled. “Yes, the master cleared his schedule recently and planned to accompany Miss Wen back to visit the Elder Master Wen and Madam Wen.”

    Wen Le felt extremely nervous, afraid that the sudden opening of the gate was intentional, perhaps her dad saw them lingering in the car and opened the gate to remind them?

    Luckily, Zhou Kao didn’t come in, or it would have been even more embarrassing.

    When Wen Le returned home, Wen Tianqi’s expression was somewhat gloomy, but he didn’t say anything. He just asked Wen Le to pack her things and informed her of the time to return home.

    After traveling for several hours, they arrived back at the villa nestled at the foot of the mountain. It was a simple two-story villa, with modest decorations that couldn’t compare to the luxury of the villa in the capital. However, it was where Wen Le grew up, so she felt a stronger sense of belonging here.

    Having not been home for several months, Wen Le was excited to see the familiar villa again. She shouted for her grandparents and ran into the house.

    Her grandmother, in her seventies, was watering flowers in the yard, while her grandfather was standing beside her, directing her. He only stopped nagging when her grandmother scolded him a few times.

    Wen Le rushed into the yard and happily threw herself into her grandmother’s arms. “Grandma! I’m back.”

    Her grandmother took a step back from Wen Le’s sudden embrace, laughing as she patted Wen Le. “You scared me to death! Why are you still acting like a little monkey at your age?”

    Wen Le laughed and kissed her grandmother on the cheek. “Because I missed you, Grandma.”

    Her grandmother couldn’t help but laugh at Wen Le’s antics.

    At this moment, her grandfather coughed discontentedly beside them.

    Wen Le quickly let go of her grandmother and ran to her grandfather, playfully tapping his shoulder. “I missed Grandpa too!”

    Her grandfather snorted, displeased. “I didn’t see any signs of you missing me. You hardly ever called.”

    Wen Le protested, “But every time I called, Grandpa always made Grandma answer!”

    Her grandfather snorted again. “I was busy at the time! Didn’t have time for idle chatter!”

    Wen Le imitated her grandfather’s actions and hummed a couple of times. “Every time I call, you’re always busy. Grandpa, you’re even busier than Dad.”

    Her grandfather couldn’t argue with Wen Le and pretended to threaten to knock her on the head. Wen Le quickly dodged behind her grandmother and stuck her tongue out at her grandfather.

    At this moment, Wen Tianqi also walked into the house. “Dad, Mom.”

    The whole family entered the house happily.

    Grandpa Wen was a quirky and adorable old man. Every time Wen Le called him, he would eavesdrop on her conversations with her grandmother but wouldn’t actively participate. However, Grandpa Wen genuinely loved Wen Le. Whenever Wen Le came home, her grandfather would call her to his study to check if she had fallen behind in her studies, but in reality, he just wanted to show off his recent masterpieces to Wen Le.

    Wen Le had always been a little flatterer to her grandfather, praising him from the paintings on the walls of his study to the new inkstone on his desk.

    Her grandfather was delighted by Wen Le’s flattery and gave her an ancient painting from who knew which era.

    Wen Le happily accepted it but suddenly remembered something as she looked at the painting. “Grandpa, where’s the Song Plum Blossom painting you made years ago?”

    “It’s in the safe. Why do you suddenly ask about it?” her grandfather replied casually.

    Wen Le smiled. “I just heard that the Dragon painting… is in the hands of a classmate of mine.”

    Her grandfather shrugged indifferently. “That’s a coincidence. Ask your classmate if they can return it. I don’t mind, but your grandmother believes in these things. Back then, one of my old friends wanted the Dragon painting, but your grandmother disagreed and complained to me for years, saying that this thing had a great destiny with you. Since you know who has it, it’s better to get it back. In the future, you and your partner should each have one, then it’ll be complete.”

    He added, “This way, your grandmother won’t have any reason to complain to me anymore.”

    In fact, Wen Le had a better relationship with her grandfather. Their relationship was more like that of old friends. Sometimes Wen Le wouldn’t tell her grandmother or father certain things, but she liked to confide in this quirky and adorable grandfather.

    Wen Le hesitated for a moment before reluctantly saying, “The Dragon painting… is in the hands of my boyfriend.”

    The brush in her grandfather’s hand paused abruptly on his sleeve: …

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  • I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 71

    I’m Actually Really Rich Chapter 71

    Second Accidental Meeting

    Su Zhenzhen’s pupils trembled, staring at Wen Le in disbelief. “You… You…”

    Su Zhenzhen’s eyes reddened with shock, her words faltering. “You… You’re from the Wen family of Tianyin Group?”

    Wen Le looked at Su Zhenzhen, lips pressed into a faint smile. “That’s right.”

    Wen Le smiled gently. “So, tell me, among the Wen, Zhou, and Su families, which families are wealthy? And who is aiming to marry into a wealthy family, hmm?”

    Su Zhenzhen was overwhelmed with shame.

    She knew deep down that the Su family was not on the same level as the Zhou family and the Wen family of Tianyin Group. In front of such super-elite families, the Su family was nothing but a lowly, insignificant clan.

    The wealthy families were naturally the Zhou and Wen families, and it was the lowly Su family that aspired to marry into wealth.

    But how could Su Zhenzhen bring herself to admit it?

    Clearly, she was the epitome of a wealthy, beautiful girl from a prestigious family, while Wen Le was just a pauper from an ordinary family…

    Su Zhenzhen muttered to herself, “Impossible, impossible… Sun Youmei clearly said you were a pauper! It’s impossible…”

    “You must be lying to me. Are your clothes fake? Did Zhou Kao get them for you? I don’t believe it… I don’t believe it!”

    Wen Le shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee nonchalantly. “Maybe, maybe not. It’s up to you to believe.”

    But the more indifferent and unconcerned Wen Le appeared the more Su Zhenzhen became suspicious.

    While Su Zhenzhen sat there, restless with various speculations, Wen Le remained unperturbed, delicately nibbling on a dessert with a small fork, enjoying herself with narrowed eyes, using a napkin to dab at the corner of her mouth, elegant and charming.

    This exacerbated Su Zhenzhen’s jealousy.

    Several tables nearby couldn’t help but discreetly glance at Wen Le, but no one spared a glance at Su Zhenzhen. Su Zhenzhen had initially thought that what mattered was the contrast in wealth between their families, but now she realised that Wen Le’s true superiority wasn’t in the stark contrast between the wealth of the Wen family and the Su family, but rather in Wen Le’s aura and charm.

    With every gesture and expression, Wen Le exuded an elegance and allure as if it were a carefully choreographed scene from a movie. Such elegance and refined relaxation couldn’t be cultivated by just any family.

    One couldn’t flaunt a family’s wealth everywhere, and even if one did, it would only seem base. The truly prestigious families had a smarter way—nurturing descendants with profound backgrounds and upbringing, carrying a unique aura and charm that was imbued in every gesture and expression.

    When Su Zhenzhen failed to realise this, she didn’t consider it particularly important. But at this moment, under the backdrop of Wen Le’s aura that seemed to radiate its own halo, Su Zhenzhen, clad in her metaphorical armour, appeared like a naive daughter from a local mining family, mundane and faded in comparison.

    The reactions of those present confirmed this. No one paid attention to her.

    Wen Le was in a rather good mood, even complimenting, “This place is well chosen.”

    Look at that—she could sincerely and openly praise her impolite adversary. She was graceful, tolerant, and mature.

    Su Zhenzhen felt like a villain in decline, pitiful and laughable.

    Su Zhenzhen’s eyes reddened with anger. She thought, so what if Wen Le was elegant? 

    She had also learned table manners, she could be graceful too, and she could be even more charming than Wen Le.

    So, Su Zhenzhen picked up her knife and fork, trying her best to display the etiquette she had once learned. But perhaps due to the pressure in her heart or perhaps because she had been startled by Wen Le just now and had lost in momentum, the result of exerting too much force was an inadvertent slip, and the utensils made a grating noise against the plate.

    People around turned to look at the sound. Su Zhenzhen’s face flushed, and she simply put down her knife and fork, using a napkin to dab at the corner of her mouth. But this dabbing caused her lipstick to smudge and smear outside her lips. Su Zhenzhen looked at the lipstick stains on the napkin, on the verge of tears.

    Everyone knows the story of imitating others in vain.

    Su Zhenzhen sadly realised that she was not only imitating others in vain but also blindly following others. Clearly, she used to excel in things she could do well, but now she seemed to have forgotten everything, behaving like a fool who didn’t know where to put her hands.

    With red eyes, Su Zhenzhen angrily put down the napkin and reached for the red wine. But in her impatience, she accidentally knocked over the red wine, and with a clang, the wine glass overturned, spilling red wine all over the table and onto Su Zhenzhen’s skirt.

    Wen Le looked somewhat surprised but said nothing. Instead, she kindly handed a tissue to Su Zhenzhen.

    But seeing Wen Le’s actions only made Su Zhenzhen more furious. She didn’t take it and ran out of the restaurant in tears.

    People around looked at her in surprise, but Wen Le ignored them, not bothering to chase after Su Zhenzhen.

    Of course, Wen Le wouldn’t chase after her.

    Ignoring the surrounding gazes, Wen Le took out her phone and sent a WeChat message.

    A waiter came over to ask if she needed any help. Wen Le declined politely in fluent English and then, as if she hadn’t noticed the chaotic table, leisurely finished the dessert in front of her. At that moment, her phone vibrated, and Wen Le glanced at it before calling the waiter to pay the bill.

    The waiter who came to collect the payment was a foreigner, and his English was quite broken. Wen Le found it uncomfortable to listen to, so she simply spoke a few words to him in Spanish. The waiter looked pleasantly surprised and even praised Wen Le for her beautiful pronunciation and appearance.

    Meanwhile, the eyes of the men around lingered on Wen Le, but she felt no discomfort under their scrutiny. With her confident and beautiful demeanour, one might mistake her for a celebrity.

    That’s just how Wen Le was—radiating wherever she went.

    The total bill came to three thousand four hundred and twenty-seven yuan. Wen Le clicked her tongue softly and handed over the card her father had given her.

    It was somewhat regrettable that she was using this card from her father for the first time in such a situation.

    After paying the bill, Wen Le got up, and the waiter brought her coat. Some men’s gazes followed Wen Le as she made her way to the door and continued to track the beautiful woman as she walked out of the restaurant.

    So, in the parking lot filled with luxury cars like Porsche and BMW, there was a Volkswagen that stood out. But it wasn’t the understated luxury of a Passat; it was just an ordinary Magotan.

    In the midst of their surprise, a handsome man got out of the car. Young, handsome, tall, and straight-backed, he was more handsome than a celebrity, exuding a radiant aura.

    And in the next moment, just as the beautiful woman walked out, she approached the handsome man. The man lowered his head and smiled gently, pulling the woman into his embrace and kissing her forehead.

    The woman then took off the scarf around her neck, carefully draping it around the man’s neck. She lovingly touched the man’s cheek and leaned in to kiss him on the chin. 

    After kissing him, she touched the man’s chin as if saying something, and the man chuckled, touching his own chin in response.

    Then, the two got into the car and drove off.

    As the men around wondered how a guy who drove such a car could afford to take out a girl who was dining in such a high-end restaurant, they noticed the license plate on the departing Magotan—a Beijing A plate, and everything suddenly made sense.

    It was a low-key N-generation Magotan, and most importantly, the guy was incredibly handsome.

    After the provocation incident with Su Zhenzhen, Wen Le plunged into a busy exam week. She left early and returned late every day, spending her days buried in the library.

    During this time, nothing much happened, except that Sun Youmei seemed to look at Wen Le differently, probably because Su Zhenzhen had said something to her. But Wen Le didn’t pay much attention; all she cared about was maintaining her position as the top student—no one could take that away from her.

    In the evening, she had a phone call with Zhou Kao. He sounded a bit tired. “So, you’ll be on break in three days after finishing your last exam?”

    Wen Le, wearing Bluetooth earphones and still reading, nodded as she flipped a page. “Yes.”

    Zhou Kao sounded a bit unhappy. “Oh, I still have two more exams, finishing one week after yours.”

    Wen Le replied with a couple of “hmms.” “Then, you should work hard.”

    Zhou Kao, displeased, said, “Are you just going to brush me off like that?”

    Wen Le looked up from her book with a smile. “What else do you want me to do?”

    Zhou Kao softened his voice and coaxed, “Come to my place and study with me. We’ll review together.”

    Wen Le raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

    Zhou Kao quickly came up with a compelling reason, “You’ll be going back to the mountains for the break, and we won’t see each other for a month and a half…”

    Wen Le couldn’t resist Zhou Kao’s cajoling and was picked up by him at home the next day.

    As Wen Le sat in Zhou Kao’s car with her backpack, she couldn’t help but think, I’m just going to study, just going to study…

    The two were sitting on the sofa in Zhou Kao’s living room studying when suddenly, Wen Le noticed a pimple on Zhou Kao’s face. Unable to resist, she leaned forward, touching Zhou Kao’s face and examining it carefully.

    Zhou Kao’s gaze remained on the book. “What’s wrong? Did your boyfriend charm you?”

    Wen Le rolled her eyes at him. “You have a pimple on your face?”

    Zhou Kao had always had good skin; it was rare to see him with a pimple. It was the first time Wen Le saw Zhou Kao with a pimple.

    Wen Le couldn’t help but touch Zhou Kao’s skin in the unaffected areas. His skin was really good.

    Zhou Kao chuckled. “Yeah, noticed it when I washed my face this morning.”

    Wen Le chuckled. “Feeling a bit stressed lately? Is it because you’re busy and your schedule’s irregular?”

    Zhou Kao whispered, “Yeah, feeling a bit stressed. But not because of my irregular schedule, it’s because I haven’t seen my girlfriend for too long.”

    Wen Le scolded him teasingly, “Smooth talker.”

    With that, Wen Le reached out and touched Zhou Kao’s face, then slowly traced down his face and neck.

    Zhou Kao looked at her coldly. “What are you doing?”

    Wen Le replied, “You’ve been busy lately, and your schedule’s irregular. You probably haven’t had time to work out. I’m checking to see if your muscles have disappeared.”

    Zhou Kao raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

    Wen Le met his gaze confidently. “Your muscles are part of my benefits. Can’t I check on my own benefits?”

    After a moment of thought, Zhou Kao nodded. “Makes sense.”

    With that, Zhou Kao lifted his shirt hem, revealing his toned abs. His physique hadn’t changed at all. “How do you think I’m managing my assets?”

    Wen Le coughed lightly. “Not bad.”

    Zhou Kao glanced at Wen Le. “Can I check on what belongs to me?”

    Wen Le blushed. “N-no, you can’t.”

    Putting down his book, Zhou Kao chuckled softly and pushed Wen Le onto the sofa, leaning in to kiss her. His voice was low and sexy as he whispered in her ear, “Nowadays, we believe in gender equality. You can’t be unfair to me like this.”

    With that, he leaned in and kissed her passionately.

    Wen Le was lost in the kiss, her hand finding its way into Zhou Kao’s hair as she responded fervently. Meanwhile, Zhou Kao’s hand explored Wen Le’s waist, tracing the beautiful curve.

    The intensity of their intimacy left Wen Le breathless and weak, and Zhou Kao finally pulled away from her lips, trailing kisses along her neck. He then proceeded to unbutton Wen Le’s collar, continuing his exploration.

    Wen Le closed her eyes, breathing heavily, her toes curling slightly. She glanced at Zhou Kao’s Adam’s apple before opening her eyes, the colour deepening in her gaze.

    Then, she deftly flipped over and straddled Zhou Kao’s lap.

    Zhou Kao took a sharp breath, watching Wen Le, her clothes slightly disheveled, raise an eyebrow.

    That simple raise of her eyebrow was incredibly seductive.

    Wen Le bit her lip and delicately traced her fingers along Zhou Kao’s cheek, leaning down to place a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth, then tenderly trailing kisses down to his Adam’s apple.

    Zhou Kao’s Adam’s apple was particularly enticing, something Wen Le had been longing for. She couldn’t resist; she leaned in and took a nip.

    Zhou Kao rubbed Wen Le’s back, keeping her close to him. After lingering at Zhou Kao’s neck for a while, Wen Le planted a kiss near his lips and moved to get up.

    However, Zhou Kao refused to let her go, pressing her down.

    Wen Le, trying to catch her breath, pushed Zhou Kao away slightly, her voice hoarse. “Stop playing around, things might get out of hand.”

    Zhou Kao refused to budge, holding onto Wen Le tightly.

    “I want to eat some fruit, go peel it,” Wen Le said.

    Zhou Kao stared at her, reluctant to move, clearly wanting to continue their intimate moment.

    “Go on, quick!” Wen Le urged.

    Zhou Kao sighed and finally released Wen Le, getting up to prepare some fruit in the kitchen.

    He peeled apples, peaches, dragon fruits, and bananas, washed cherries and grapes, and even provided two delicate silver forks. Zhou Kao’s service was exceptionally considerate.

    After preparing the fruits, Zhou Kao brought them to Wen Le sitting on the sofa, studying her textbooks.

    Zhou Kao placed the fruit beside Wen Le and used a fork to feed her a piece of banana. Wen Le opened her mouth and accepted it. Zhou Kao then put down the fork and grabbed a book, lying down next to Wen Le on the sofa, using her legs as a pillow.

    Wen Le instinctively moved her book to the side, not wanting to obstruct Zhou Kao’s view.

    With Zhou Kao resting his head on her legs, Wen Le continued to flip through her book, lightly tracing her fingers along Zhou Kao’s cheek.

    To Zhou Kao, Wen Le’s actions were deeply cherished, signs of her affection.

    As Wen Le’s hand roamed Zhou Kao’s face, her fingers unintentionally brushed against his lips. Zhou Kao responded by gently taking Wen Le’s fingers into his mouth.

    Realising her mistake, Wen Le withdrew her hand and playfully tapped Zhou Kao on the head.

    Zhou Kao winced and rubbed his head, pretending to be hurt.

    Wen Le, feeling guilty, gently massaged the spot she had tapped on Zhou Kao’s head, although he wasn’t actually in pain. He simply enjoyed Wen Le’s attention.

    Wen Le gently touched Zhou Kao’s forehead and remembered the pimple she had noticed earlier. “I have some herbal tea to reduce internal heat*. I’ll bring you some tomorrow.”

    She then pinched Zhou Kao’s cheek and smiled. “You rely on your face to maintain my affection. You have to protect this face, you know, boyfriend?”

    Zhou Kao chuckled. “Oh, and what about you? Do you rely on your impressive assets, girlfriend?”

    Wen Le lightly tapped Zhou Kao’s chest. “I’m different. I rely on my boyfriend’s unwavering love.”

    Zhou Kao laughed, pulled Wen Le’s hand, and kissed the couple’s ring she always wore. “You’re right.”

    Wen Le’s gaze remained glued to her book as she turned a page and used a small silver fork to feed herself a piece of dragon fruit. Then, she absentmindedly fed Zhou Kao a piece of apple.

    Just then, there was a sound from the entrance, and Li Hua walked in, only to find the couple on the sofa.

    The couple froze upon seeing Li Hua, still in the same position as when she entered: Wen Le holding a silver fork, feeding Zhou Kao a piece of apple, and Zhou Kao with his mouth open.

    For a moment, the air seemed strangely quiet and tense.

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