Going home for Chinese New Year, I squeezed onto a bus with three energetic young women.

Jiang Ruyue sat there, her cheeks flushed slightly from the fruit wine.

Those clear eyes, which were usually praised by teachers and classmates, actually showed nothing upon closer inspection.

They lack the vibrancy that comes with their age, displaying only a dullness born from years of formulaic education.

Previously, Bai Liquan considered her a rich girl who was strictly controlled by her family, and those strange physiological and hygiene knowledge were just a rebound after being suppressed and searching online.

Who would have thought that her parents, who were both officials and businessmen, would go so far as to disregard her inner thoughts?

This is to personally strangle the independent thoughts of one's own daughter, turning her into a delicate puppet to be manipulated at will, solely for bringing honor to the family.

The only sound in the restaurant was Li Mengmeng's slightly heavy breathing. The girl had drunk too much vodka and was slumped on the edge of the table, still trying to process the bombshell that Jiang Ruyue had dropped.

Bai Li placed the chopsticks in her hand on the bone plate, making a crisp clinking sound.

"I have a question for you." Bai Li looked directly into Jiang Ruyue's eyes, without beating around the bush:

"If you run away to have fun now and get caught, the worst you'll get is a scolding. But if they force you to marry someone you don't want to marry, or force you to live a life you don't want to live, will you dare to resist?"

Jiang Ruyue was stumped by the question.

She stared at the tomato and beef brisket soup on the table, oil floating on the surface.

After a long time, she slowly shook her head.

"They even pay for my meals." Jiang Ruyue's voice trailed off. "The price of resistance is too high. I left home and don't even have a place to stay."

A very real dilemma.

In this deadlock where parents use economic power and influence to completely block a student's path, a student can't make any waves at all.

Bai Li took out a lighter from his coat pocket and tapped it twice on the table.

"Remember my house number, Yunding Tiangong No. 1."

Bai Li spoke at a steady pace, enunciating each word clearly:

"You had no way out before, but now you do. If one day you feel like you can't take it anymore, if you can't live this damn life any longer, then come here and find me."

Jiang Ruyue raised her head, her eyes somewhat dazed.

"I guarantee you won't end up homeless," Bai Li continued, offering another bargaining chip.

"I'll cover all your food, drinks, and lodging. With me, you don't need to pretend to be a good girl. You can swear if you want, and drink if you want."

"Even with that stupid thing you're doing, if you really want to take the civil service exam, I can spend money to get you a new identity."

For Bai Li, who has over ten million in cash, raising a little girl is just a matter of adding another pair of chopsticks.

This isn't even an investment; it's purely out of disgust for such a twisted family background.

Moreover, even if I support her, there's the Goddess Investment System. What she spends might not be as much as what I earn from her!

As Jiang Ruyue listened to these words, her fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of her clothes.

These words were like an oxygen tank being given to a girl who had been under constant mental stress.

"You won't lie to me, right?" Jiang Ruyue's voice trembled, and her eyes filled with tears again.

"Do I make money by lying to you?" Bai Li leaned back in his chair and spread his hands. "Besides, this promise is valid indefinitely. You can come and honor it anytime."

Tears finally fell, dripping onto the back of Jiang Ruyue's hand.

She wiped her face haphazardly, and a vibrant youthful light finally shone through her previously lifeless eyes.

Jiang Ruyue smiled.

It wasn't the standard smile you give to elders, but a completely unrestrained smile, tinged with a hint of slyness.

"Bai Li." Jiang Ruyue tilted her head, tears still wet at the corners of her eyes, and asked seriously, "Are you trying to win me over right now?"

Bai Li had just picked up her water glass to take a sip to moisten her throat when this straightforward question made her freeze in mid-air.

Before he could even think of a response, Jiang Ruyue gave him the answer directly.

"Then I'll tell you..." She leaned closer, her voice softening, her tone unabashedly direct: "This strategy works."

"According to the otaku, my popularity rating has increased~"

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

Bai Li choked on a mouthful of water and started coughing.

This girl doesn't play by the rules at all!

Who would immediately turn the tables and start a counterattack after receiving attention from others?

[Ding! Detected a dramatic fluctuation in the emotions of investment target "Jiang Ruyue".]

[Current Affection Points increased by 10, now totaling 40.]

The system notification sounded in my mind.

Bai Li clutched her chest to catch her breath; her heart was pounding rapidly.

This cool, white moonlight, with an innocent face that could fool anyone, uttered such seductive words, its power far surpassing Li Mengmeng's half-baked allure.

Li Mengmeng lay on the table, her cheeks flushed red, her eyes glazed over as she looked at the two of them.

"What...what kind of riddle are you playing..." Li Mengmeng protested, her tongue slurring, "Mengmeng is going to be won over too..."

The oppressive atmosphere completely dissipated.

With Bai Li's promise to cover everything, Jiang Ruyue felt relieved of a huge burden.

She stopped worrying about what would happen after she got home and started dealing with the sweet and sour pork ribs on the table.

"This meat is delicious, much better than what my housekeeper makes," Jiang Ruyue commented while gnawing on a bone.

Bai Li picked up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks and chatted idly with them.

The meal was quite lively.

The main problem was that Li Mengmeng was quite drunk and started acting crazy at the dinner table. She insisted on performing a set of otaku dances that she had just learned for Bai Li. As a result, she tripped over her own feet as soon as she stood up and fell directly into Bai Li's arms.

Jiang Ruyue sat opposite, watching this scene, laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight.

Time slipped away second by second.

The hands of the wall clock silently slid to 5:30 in the afternoon.

Jiang Ruyue finished the last piece of pork rib, wiped her hands with a napkin, and then took out her phone to look at the screen.

Her smiling face visibly fell apart.

"It's time to go," Jiang Ruyue muttered.

Six o'clock is the time her father gets off work.

If she hadn't been sitting properly at her desk at home by that time, she would definitely have been subjected to an interrogation.

Jiang Ruyue stood up, straightened the hem of her clothes, and glanced back and forth between Bai Li and Li Mengmeng, who was still squirming in his arms.

"I haven't had enough fun yet," Jiang Ruyue sighed, her voice full of reluctance.

She walked to the door, changed her shoes, put her hand on the doorknob, and suddenly turned around, letting go of that obsession.

"Actually, I just calculated the time." Jiang Ruyue held up two fingers, her expression as serious as could be:

"It's 5:30 now. It'll take me ten minutes to get back by taxi. I have twenty minutes left."

She pointed at Bai Li, then at Li Mengmeng.

"You guys are definitely going to do something outrageous later, right? I won't bother you, I'll just stand here and watch."

Jiang Ruyue swallowed hard, her eyes gleaming with a thirst for knowledge:

"The actual demonstration only takes fifteen minutes. I'll watch it before I leave, and the time will be just right, more than enough."

The air in the living room was still.

Li Mengmeng, who was still snuggling in Bai Li's arms, widened her eyes like copper bells upon hearing this, and even the effects of the alcohol were somewhat dispelled.

The veins on Bai Li's forehead throbbed; he finally broke down after holding back his吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical remarks) for half a day.

"What the hell are you looking at!" Bai Li sprang up from the sofa, shoved Jiang Ruyue's shoulder, and shoved her out the door.

"You're a top student, what kind of filthy nonsense is going on in your head all day long!"

"Get out of here! Now that you've put it this way, even if the King of Heaven himself came, this matter wouldn't get done today!"

Jiang Ruyue was pushed so hard she staggered, still protesting.

"Don't be afraid to seek medical help! Fifteen minutes is perfectly normal; that's what everyone online says!"

"Get lost! It's not fifteen minutes!" Bai Li completely lost his temper, his voice so loud that all the motion-activated lights in the entryway turned on.

Jiang Ruyue was pushed outside the door. When she turned around, her clear eyes were full of regret.

"I'm really happy today." Jiang Ruyue stood in the cold wind, her tone softening again:

"Bai Li, I feel free as long as I'm with you, even for just a second. I'm leaving now."

"Wait a minute." Bai Li sighed. This girl is so pretty, and she's been drinking. It's definitely not safe for her to take a taxi by herself.

He took out his phone and dialed the dedicated line for the property manager of Yunding Tiangong.

"Call a car to the side of Villa No. 1. It must be a female driver. I have a girl here. You are responsible for getting her home safely. The fee will be included in the property management fee."

The property management company is extremely efficient.

Less than three minutes later, a black Audi with the property management logo pulled up in front of the gate.

The female driver in uniform respectfully opened the car door.

Jiang Ruyue climbed into the back seat, rolled down the window, and waved to Bai Li.

The car started, drove out of the villa area, and merged into the dim yellow streetlights of Ping County.

Before the door was even closed, a warm, milky-scented breath pressed against Bai Li's back.

Li Mengmeng hugged Bai Li tightly from behind.

"Hehehe..."

The infatuated woman's laughter, which sent chills down one's spine, echoed in the corridor.

Li Mengmeng's face was flushed, and the smell of alcohol mixed with her unique body fragrance wafted into Bai Li's nose without restraint.

"Finally gone..."

Li Mengmeng's hands restlessly groped down his trench coat, muttering to herself.

"This girl definitely has feelings for you; I saw right through her. But it's okay..."

Then, she walked around to Bai Li's front, put her hands on her hips, and raised her small head with a full head of soft, short hair.

That white silk stockings paired with a pleated skirt, combined with the terrifying visual impact of the fifth level, is simply the ultimate weapon that incites crime.

She puffed out her chest, and with her short legs she took an extremely arrogant step forward, directly cornering Bai Li against the wall.

"Because it's Mengmeng's time next, and Mengmeng needs to eat too!"

"Finally, it's my turn to outshine others! Hahahaha! Little Ruyue, my energetic little sisters, even Mengmeng is about to stand up and outshine Brother Bai Li!"

Li Mengmeng tilted her head back, the alcohol taking effect, and her audacity reached its peak.

She extended her slender, pale finger and touched Bai Li's chest, her voice sickeningly sweet:

"Your next fifteen minutes... no, your next few hours, are coming."