Chapter 4

Yu Xuan knew that certain opportunities were fleeting.

Her fingers tapped away, immediately posting a follow-up comment under Zhou Zhenyao’s reply. She calibrated her tone perfectly:

“Hehe, so Zhao Zhao’s boyfriend actually reads the comments~ I’ll have to praise Zhao Zhao even more from now on!”

The subtext: I like you, and I want you to reply to me more often.

In an instant, the comment section became even more chaotic. But Yu Xuan didn’t have time to dwell on it; she quickly opened her camera, walked back to the full-length mirror, and rapidly adjusted her pose.

Today, she was wearing a nude-pink lace short-sleeved shirt paired with a light camel, high-waisted bodycon mini skirt. Her long, dark brown hair was draped over her shoulders. She was still leaning into the “pure yet alluring” aesthetic.

She raised her phone and took a waist-up shot in the mirror, showcasing her slender midriff while using the phone to obscure most of her face, creating a heavy sense of “atmosphere.”

On the wall in the background next to her, a canvas bag was hanging.

The front of the bag clearly displayed the A-University logo—it was one of the gifts included in the freshman admission package.

She clicked “post.”

The atmosphere photos she had posted earlier had somehow been favored by the Little Green Book algorithm. They had already accumulated over ten thousand likes and thousands of comments, giving her previously unknown account a significant amount of traction.

After finishing this, Yu Xuan opened the private message window for “Z.Y.”

This was the most critical step: direct contact.

“Xuan: [Cat Peeking] Hello, sorry for the sudden intrusion! I found out about you through Sister Zhao Zhao. I heard you’re at A-University—that’s really impressive~”

After sending the message, Yu Xuan’s heart beat a little faster. She was prepared for him to ignore her; after all, he didn’t seem like the type to reply to DMs easily.

However, almost the moment her message showed as “read,” a reply popped up.

“Z.Y.: Aren’t you from A-University too?”

Yu Xuan’s heart leaped.

He had looked. Not only had he replied to her comment, but he had also checked her profile and seen her photos.

Yu Xuan calmed herself and reacted quickly.

“Xuan: I’ve been caught by my senior… [Blushing] Yes, I’m an incoming freshman this year. That’s why I really admire such an excellent upperclassman.”

“Z.Y.: Mm. You’re impressive too.”

Yu Xuan had a feeling that he wasn’t entirely indifferent.

And reality was exactly as she expected.

In his study, Zhou Zhenyao leaned back in his chair, tapping on his phone. He responded to every message—and while his replies were brief, his patience was unprecedented.

He knew exactly what was happening. This girl’s intentions weren’t pure.

He had seen far too many ulterior motives; the girl in front of him didn’t even rank among the most sophisticated. But as for whether he “liked” her? It hadn’t reached that point yet.

Perhaps he had grown too accustomed to Jin Zhaolu’s noisy companionship. Or perhaps, after being restrained for so long, he wanted to find some excitement in his tedious life.

Everyone said Zhou Zhenyao was like a snow-capped peak—cold and inaccessible. Only he knew that was total bullshit.

To his core, he was a man of intense desires: desire for control, desire for conquest, and carnal desire. It was just that his standards were too high, his threshold too steep. Ordinary beauty and flattery couldn’t touch his numb nerves.

But this “Xuan”…

Zhou Zhenyao’s gaze fell on the photos on her homepage once more.

The lace shirt was a tight-fitting, waist-cinching style that hugged her full curves. The straight, slender legs beneath her skirt looked so tender they could almost bruise at a touch.

Clumsy, but effective.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, his eyes darkening.

The two of them chatted about various random things, currently discussing which cafeteria window at A-University had the best food—a topic he would usually find excruciatingly boring.

And yet, he still typed out a reply and sent it.

In the blink of an eye, the start of the semester approached.

This was Yu Xuan’s first time leaving home to study at the distant A-University, so buying a new wardrobe was essential.

That day, clutching the thousand-plus yuan her parents had just transferred to her (t/n: approx. $140-$150 USD), she walked into the largest shopping center in the county.

The small county town had long since been renovated; high-rise buildings stood tall, the roads were wide, and the shopping center was brightly lit with plenty of brand-name stores. While it couldn’t compare to the top-tier business districts in major cities, it was still full of variety and bustling with people.

Yu Xuan had a clear goal and headed straight for the women’s clothing section.

Various autumn outfits hung on the racks in different styles. She picked up a cream knit cardigan and held it against a small dress. She knit her brows, unable to decide.

At that moment, she thought of Zhou Zhenyao.

They had only added each other on WeChat a few days ago.

Ever since she became “somewhat famous” on Little Green Book, her DMs had become exceptionally lively. Most were genuine compliments, but occasionally, hostile voices mixed in.

Some were clearly “CP fans” of Zhao Zhao and her boyfriend, accusing her of being a “stinking Green Tea” and telling her “not to be a toad wishing for swan meat.” (t/n: A Chinese idiom meaning someone “low” attempting to obtain someone “high” or out of their league.)

Others were seemingly gentle in tone but actually sarcastic, their words revealing a familiarity with Zhao Zhao’s life. Yu Xuan guessed they were likely Zhao Zhao’s real-life friends, stepping in to put her in her place.

These private messages didn’t make Yu Xuan angry. If the “original wife’s” friends were so agitated they had to step in personally, didn’t that prove she was genuinely affecting them? It meant Zhao Zhao felt threatened.

She screenshotted those mocking comments one by one, then opened her chat with “Z.Y.” on Little Green Book and sent them over.

“Xuan: Senior… I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve been getting these strange private messages lately. [Sad] Did I say something wrong? I just really admire you and Sister Zhao Zhao… I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

As “tea-like” as always.

A moment after she sent the message, she received a reply.

“Z.Y.: Don’t pay them any mind.”

Furthermore, he followed her back.

Yu Xuan suppressed the urge to smirk. She screenshotted the “mutual follow” status and posted it as an update:

“[Mutual follows with the senior I’ve always admired!]”

Imagining the people on the other side of the screen potentially exploding with rage, Yu Xuan felt great. After that, she requested to add him on WeChat. Z.Y. agreed, and they exchanged names.

Her thoughts snapped back to the clothing store in front of her.

Yu Xuan didn’t hesitate anymore. She went into the fitting room and took a few photos of herself in the outfits.

“Xuan: Senior, are you busy? [Kitten Peeking] School is starting soon and I’m buying clothes, but I’m so conflicted… Which one do you think looks better?”

She sent the two photos.

Zhou Zhenyao’s reply wasn’t instant, but he didn’t make her wait long.

“Z.Y.: Both are fine.”

Just as Yu Xuan was thinking of how to follow up, the next message arrived.

“Z.Y.: If you like them, buy both.”

This suggestion aligned with his own spending habits; he said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She looked down at the price tags in her hand. Together, the two items already exceeded a third of her budget. And on her shopping list, she still had shoes, bags, makeup…

“Xuan: But I’m a little over budget. [Crying]”

This was a bold, face-to-face test of his reaction.

This time, Zhou Zhenyao did not reply immediately.

If it were anyone else with a thin skin, they would probably be dying of embarrassment by now. No, someone with thin skin wouldn’t have dared to test him like this in the first place.

But Yu Xuan wasn’t in a hurry. To her, this was only natural.

If this test failed, she would just move on to the next man. If a man she picked couldn’t be of greater use or spend money on her, she would drop him in a heartbeat.

Of course, there are no free lunches in this world. She would have to give up something of hers in exchange. For example, her exquisite, beautiful body.

But, she was still a virgin. If Zhou Zhenyao actually made that kind of demand…

Just thinking about it made her wet.