Chapter 5: Ambiguous at the Beginning

By the time the delicious seafood dinner ended, it was already nine o'clock in the evening. There were no cliché moments of being looked down upon by the waiters, nor did he run into an ex-girlfriend or any other dramatic figures. It was just a simple, straightforward farewell dinner. They just casually ate their way through 4,186 yuan. A day ago, such a price would have been prohibitive. A day later, it was a piece of cake.

The extra expense came from when they arrived just past six o'clock. The group felt that the main dining hall of the Japanese restaurant was a bit too noisy, so with a grand wave of his hand, Su Yunzhou opted for a private room. Although this incurred a surcharge of one hundred yuan per person for the service fee, the private room came with a dedicated server and access to special dishes not available in the main hall.

For instance, there was a mixed rice dish infused with the essence of eighteen hairy crabs. And glucan rice, among other things. Su Yunzhou had even specifically asked the waitress about this weirdly named rice.

The young waitress had explained, "This is a magical kind of rice that won't make you gain weight, and it even lowers blood sugar."

Skeptical, Su Yunzhou had eaten a small bowl. The taste was indeed quite good; it tasted even more like rice than regular rice.

During the evening gathering, he clearly noticed the shift in his status brought about by his wealth. His formerly somewhat arrogant colleagues had all become sycophantic, frequently raising their glasses in toasts and offering disingenuous flattery. There was even a female colleague who, when others weren't looking, deliberately flashed the sheer stockings she was wearing under her trousers. This made Su Yunzhou—who was still not used to being the center of attention at a banquet—a little uncomfortable. But undeniably, the feeling was incredibly satisfying.

At the entrance of Qinda Plaza, Su Yunzhou declined his colleagues' invitations for a second round of drinks. He hopped into a luxury private car and waved goodbye to the crowd. After all, once they parted ways here, they would likely only ever see each other in their Friends Circle. Society was just that realistic. It was hard for colleagues to become true friends, because relationships built on mutual benefit could never last forever.

The driver was a middle-aged man with deep wrinkles around his eyes. Seeing Su Yunzhou's flushed face, he gently reminded him, "Sir, there is bottled water in the backseat. If you feel unwell at any point, please let me know."

"Alright, thank you."

Su Yunzhou sat in the spacious backseat with his legs crossed. The pristine leather interior, the faint scent of aromatherapy in the cabin, and the bottle of Evian water stood in stark contrast to the standard ride-hailing cars he used to take. Especially those rides where the cabin reeked of smoke, or the driver was too stingy to turn on the air conditioning; those were truly a headache. Having money was so damn good.

It didn't take long to reach his destination: Wanhe District. Just from the name alone, one could guess the age and caliber of the residential compound. The driver didn't show any disdain just because his passenger wasn't dropped off at a high-end neighborhood. After parking the car smoothly, he asked politely, "Sir, is it alright if I park here?"

"Yes, this is fine."

"Please make sure you have all your personal belongings."

Su Yunzhou thanked him, got out of the car, and returned to his rented apartment. By the time he finished washing up and lay down in bed, it was exactly ten o'clock.

He opened the Little Blue Book. There was an update notification from his followed accounts on the homepage. He clicked on it. Yang Liu Yiyi had published a new post.

[Haven't worn these in a while~]

The accompanying photo was in her usual style. No face was shown—just a head of silky, jet-black hair and an alluring view of her back. The hem of her pants was deliberately pulled up to reveal her slender calves and a pair of pink-and-white collaborative edition Air Jordans.

Su Yunzhou's lips curled up. He smiled like a cat that had just spotted a mouse. She had sent out an extremely interesting signal. This was a small step, but a giant leap for their relationship.

He sent her a private message.

[You have great taste, those shoes look amazing!]

A moment later, a reply popped up in the chat.

[Your gathering ended this early?]

Su Yunzhou had previously mentioned that he was going out with his colleagues, so Liu Yiyi had suggested they chat later that night. She hadn't expected him to be back so soon.

Gatherings among urban white-collar workers were one of the few places where they could freely vent their emotions. Since it was the weekend, such parties usually dragged on until very late. After all, the wage slaves surviving in the concrete jungle had far too many frustrations to let out. That was why so many men and women loved getting drunk to release their pent-up feelings. Every family had its own problems, and everyone faced different pressures. Conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. The ever-increasing cost of their children's tutoring classes. Or the jealousy of seeing someone who clearly wasn't as pretty as them end up marrying a wealthy husband.

But ultimately, most of these problems boiled down to a single point: money. Money truly could solve the vast majority of problems. This was an eternal truth. And now, Su Yunzhou finally had a legitimate way to make a fortune. So, he replied earnestly.

[Yeah! I actually really dislike these gatherings. Most of the time, I only go out of obligation.]

[Oh~ I thought you were someone who liked lively crowds.]

[By the way! What are you planning to do this weekend?]

Yang Liu Yiyi hesitated for a moment before replying.

[I haven't decided yet! I was planning to go hiking, but my best friend ended up being busy!]

Su Yunzhou sent out a probing message.

[If you invite me to go hiking, I might just reluctantly agree~]

[Hehe! I don't meet up with internet friends ⊙_⊙]

Seeing this message, Su Yunzhou pursed his lips and thought, "Sister Liu is really determined to keep this act up till the bitter end!"

At the same time, he typed back.

[I haven't tried it before either. It was my first time asking, and I got rejected right away.]

First, he made it clear that this was also his first time doing this. Then, he changed the subject.

[Do you know which hospital is good for a medical checkup?]

Meanwhile, at Yujing Bay.

Liu Yiyi looked at the message, her heart skipping a beat. She sat up in bed. Her sudden, large movement caused the curves hidden beneath her silk pajamas to bounce heavily a few times before settling. She crossed her long, beautiful legs, inadvertently revealing a girlish pattern on her sleepwear, and asked seriously,

[What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?]

[Hmm? No, not really! I just want to get a comprehensive physical checkup.]

"Phew~" Liu Yiyi's fair hand patted her ample, soft assets. "So that's it! He scared me to death!

"Wait! Why do I care so much about his well-being?

"Even if he really resigned because of me, that was only one of the reasons. His family's eight hundred acres of fertile land was the decisive factor.

"We're just online friends. Yes, right now, we're nothing more than that."

Liu Yiyi murmured to herself, successfully convincing herself before she typed back.

[The physical examination center at the Provincial Hospital is pretty good!]

[Then I'll go make an appointment tomorrow.]

[...]

The two of them chatted late into the night, and her Affinity slowly increased by five points in fits and starts. Liu Yiyi's Affinity had now reached 38 points.

Carrying a yearning for a beautiful life, Su Yunzhou took the initiative to end the conversation. First off, he was simply too exhausted. Secondly, when conversing with a woman, a man had to learn how to seize the initiative.

Liu Yiyi only realized in hindsight that they had been chatting for quite a long time. However, it had been a long while since she felt this way chatting with the opposite sex. It was as if she had reverted back to her hormone-filled youth. When it came to romance between men and women, the most interesting phase was undeniably the ambiguous, unspoken tension at the very beginning.

She put down her phone and went to the bathroom. When she turned on the light, a slender, graceful silhouette appeared in the mirror. Liu Yiyi had a fantastic figure. Years of consistent exercise gave her perfect proportions. Her skin, well-maintained by the power of money, was fair, tender, and smooth. With a slender waist and elegant, rounded curves, she exuded the alluring charm of a mature woman.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Although time had left its mark, wasn't she still capable of capturing the heart of a young man?

At this thought, Liu Yiyi suddenly felt her body grow hot. She reached up and touched her cheek, feeling its warmth as a trace of yearning and desire welled up within her. She lay back down in bed, but she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Her mind was filled with chaotic, messy thoughts.

Eventually, she opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out the Little Fairy she hadn't used in a long time...