That night, Su Youtian leaned against the window. The evening breeze brushed gently against her face as she narrowed her eyes and sighed softly.
【Host, does your leg still hurt?】
“My leg doesn’t hurt, my balls hurt.”
【You don’t even have balls.】
Su Youtian reached down and tugged at her pants.
“What, wanna take a look?”
The system decided it did not want its eyes assaulted and hurriedly tried to comfort her.
“Come on, don’t be like this. Didn’t I already give you a whole day off?”
Su Youtian snorted while leaning on the windowsill.
“That only makes me feel like you’re fattening me up before slaughtering me.”
【That really hurts my feelings.】
“Do you even have feelings?”
【……】
Sigh, looks like the host was genuinely angry this time.
Puffing out her cheeks, Su Youtian silently stared at the dark green lake in the distance.
The night breeze drifted gently by, making the bangs on her forehead dance before her eyes.
The moonlight spread across the lake in a shimmering silver line, rippling softly over the emerald water. Su Youtian tilted her head back. The moon hung quietly in the night sky, its glow spreading around it like the flowing hem of a fairy’s dress, hazy and gently swaying.
She softly let out a breath.
“The moon is beautiful tonight.”
【Rejected.】
“Huh?”
【I reject your confession.】
Su Youtian snapped, “Get lost!”
Suddenly, the lake rippled. A dark figure burst through the silvery water, carving an arc across the surface.
Su Youtian’s eyes widened as she quickly leaned farther out the window.
In the distance, the dark figure shot through the water like an arrow, moving as freely as a fish. The lake parted and closed around him over and over, the crisp sound of water echoing through the quiet night. The stillness of the lake was abruptly shattered. Hearing the commotion, the little dog came bouncing out, wagging its tail and barking excitedly at the shore. In an instant, the small world around them became lively.
“Yuan Wei…”
She recognized him from his back alone. Even Su Youtian was surprised by her own eyesight, she had identified him immediately in such darkness.
Yuan Wei moved through the lake like a fish returning to the sea. Under the moonlight, his protruding shoulder blades glimmered silver, and the smooth line of his waist flashed across Su Youtian’s vision.
The hand gripping the window frame unconsciously tightened.
Yuan Wei’s figure continuously rose and dipped through the water. Streams of water slid down his smooth back, and the splashes sparkled like strings of pearls beneath the moonlight, sending ripples spreading across the lake. Su Youtian stared without blinking at those droplets. Somehow, they seemed to carry warmth, splashing one after another against the tip of her heart, making her breathing tighten.
【Yooooo～～】
“Get lost!”
【Sorry for interrupting.】
Yuan Wei seemed to grow tired after a while and slowly swam back toward shore. Gradually, the water receded gently down from his chest, revealing glimpses of his long legs.
Su Youtian’s breathing grew hurried. Sticking her butt out as she leaned farther forward, she squinted so hard her eyes nearly became slits.
Yuan Wei swept his wet hair back with one hand. His brows and eyes looked like blades soaked in water, incredibly sharp beneath the night sky. He slowly waded through the water, the lake curling suggestively around his waist.
Su Youtian could not help clenching her fists, wishing she could plunge her own head into the water.
Finally, Yuan Wei took a long step and forcefully strode out of the lake.
Su Youtian: “……”
【He’s actually wearing underwear.】
“Get lost!”
Bang!
Su Youtian slammed the window shut.
Yuan Wei wiped the water from his face while Tuotuo barked excitedly and pounced at his legs.
Picking the little fellow up, he glanced upward and smiled faintly.
Early the next morning, Su Youtian was woken up by Shen Haolin.
Since her identity had already been exposed in front of Yuan Wei, Su Youtian no longer bothered hiding herself so carefully.
After finishing her makeup, she pulled a light blue dress out of her luggage. The neckline dipped slightly low. Looking at herself in the mirror, she could not resist wanting to put her hands there.
【Even taking advantage of yourself now?】
Su Youtian coughed lightly and lowered her hands.
“I still haven’t forgiven you, don’t talk to me.”
System: 【…..】
Right after changing clothes, Su Youtian heard someone knocking on the door.
She straightened her clothes and opened it.
Outside, Shen Haolin was still holding his hand up mid-knock. The moment he saw her, his eyes lit up.
As the saying went, clothes made the man. Besides, Sheng Xia already had excellent features to begin with. With just a little makeup, she looked dazzlingly beautiful. Her appearance was naturally aggressive and striking, but with Su Youtian’s personality underneath, it instead gave her a sweet and charming air.
Unable to stop himself, Shen Haolin said,
“Sheng Xia, you look really beautiful today…”
Su Youtian flicked her hair.
“I think so too.”
Shen Haolin choked for a moment.
“…… Everyone else is already waiting downstairs. Let’s go.”
After the two of them went downstairs, the people below fell silent for three whole seconds.
Fang Cheng was the first to recover. Wiggling his brows, he sidled up to Shen Haolin.
“You had a treasure like this and never told us?”
Shen Haolin smiled with deliberate restraint.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Fang Cheng said, “No wonder you wrapped her up so tightly yesterday, you didn’t want us seeing her.”
Shen Haolin waved him off.
“You’re talking nonsense.”
But the smugness in the corner of his eyes was impossible to hide.
【Host, please share your thoughts.】
“Get lost!”
……
“Heh, men.”
The group spent some time touring the nearby area. In the end, Fang Cheng made the decision to take a sightseeing boat around the island.
Su Youtian sat on a bench by the shore, watching staff members carry things back and forth onto the boat. Bored out of her mind, she propped her chin up with one hand.
Yin Shan had changed her outfit today. Her beautiful hair was tied high up, revealing her slender neck. Wearing a tank top and shorts, her long pale legs stood out strikingly as she walked over to Su Youtian in just a few steps.
“Sheng Xia, did you put on makeup today? You look really pretty.”
Resting her chin in her hand, Su Youtian did not even lift her head.
“I’m pretty even without makeup.”
Yin Shan choked for a moment. She seemed long accustomed to Sheng Xia never playing by the rules. Sitting beside her, she sighed softly.
“You haven’t really been talking to me these past two days. Is there some misunderstanding?”
Misunderstanding?
Su Youtian looked at her blankly.
Yin Shan sniffed lightly.
“Are you upset because you think Shen Haolin and I have been getting too close?”
Su Youtian scratched her head.
“I’m not misunderstanding anything. Yesterday you two were still making eyes at each other.”
Yin Shan nearly lost her train of thought from the response she had prepared.
“And you still say you’re not misunderstanding? You’re my best friend, how could I possibly do something to hurt you? Besides, I think Shen Haolin and I get along really well, we’re just friends.”
Su Youtian replied, “You’re lying.”
Yin Shan’s eyes widened.
“Lying? Where am I lying?”
Su Youtian blinked.
“Whenever you lie, your eyes unconsciously widen and you stare at people seriously, like you’re trying to show you have a clear conscience. You haven’t even noticed it yourself.”
Yin Shan instinctively blinked a few times.
“What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I lie to you?”
Su Youtian smiled.
“I was just talking nonsense. But you started blinking rapidly just now, which means you feel guilty, so you really were lying.”
Yin Shan’s face instantly flushed red.
“…You’re insane!”
After saying that, she stood up and walked away.
Su Youtian raised a brow.
【Host, nicely done!】
“Backseat commentary, get lost!”
Actually, Yin Shan was still not that difficult to deal with right now. She only truly became a scheming woman after entering the entertainment industry.
In the novel, the reason Yin Shan managed to make it all the way to the end was definitely not because of these obvious little tricks anyone could see through at a glance.
After entering the entertainment industry, she had no money and no backing. After repeated failures, she relied on sheer perseverance to climb step by step to the top. Looks, wealth, none of it mattered to her.
She only wanted fame. She only wanted to sit on the throne of Best Actress and win the heart of the male lead, Yuan Wei.
Although she currently did not think much of Yuan Wei, once she learned about his background and realized she could gain even greater benefits through him, she became even more determined than Sheng Xia to obtain him. Unlike Sheng Xia, who charged forward recklessly and caused chaos everywhere, Yin Shan excelled at plotting and advancing step by step. For a period of time, she even became close sisters with the heroine Ni Qiuyu, all just to get near the male lead.
It could be said that the scheming Yin Shan of the future was far beyond what the current Yin Shan could compare to.
Su Youtian was still worrying when she suddenly heard Shen Haolin calling her.
“Sheng Xia, get on the boat!”
Su Youtian lifted her head and saw Shen Haolin waving at her.
She quickly composed herself and hurried over.
As she approached, she saw Fang Cheng pulling Shen Haolin aside to whisper something, his face wearing a strange expression.
Su Youtian’s heart skipped a beat. The moment she walked closer, the two of them separated.
Looking at them suspiciously, she suddenly had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, when she saw Yuan Wei approaching, her heart tightened.
She had actually forgotten that this scene existed in the novel.
The scene where Yuan Wei was tricked by Shen Haolin and kicked into the lake.
She hurriedly said, “Why did you call him over?”
Putting on his sunglasses, Shen Haolin replied matter-of-factly:
“There should at least be someone on the boat to serve us.”
Are you some kind of emperor that you need people serving you?!
Just as she was about to speak, Shen Haolin grabbed her shoulder.
“Why are you so worried about him? Don’t tell me you knew him before?”
Su Youtian reflexively shook her head.
Shen Haolin smiled faintly.
After boarding the boat, Su Youtian found a place to sit and then saw Yuan Wei bending slightly as he walked in.
He was tall, wearing the newly issued staff uniform. An ordinary short-sleeved shirt somehow looked like a high-end runway piece on him.
The expressions on Shen Haolin and the others’ faces subtly changed.
Su Youtian looked at them in utter despair.
She could practically foresee a tragedy about to unfold. Yuan Wei sat diagonally across from her with his head slightly lowered, as though even the air beneath his feet looked better than this bunch of idiots.
What should she do? Yuan Wei was about to get kicked into the lake, so what was she supposed to do?
Pretend not to see it? Or stop it in advance?
If she pretended not to see it, wouldn’t that be playing right into the system’s hands?
Would anyone believe her if she suddenly lay on the ground pretending to be blind?
And if she stopped it ahead of time, how exactly was she supposed to stop it?
Should she kick Shen Haolin into the lake first, or overturn the boat entirely?
Or maybe pretend to have a stomachache?
If all else failed, maybe she should just drag Shen Haolin down with her and perish together.
【Host, that idea is too dangerous. Without cannon fodder characters like you contributing your light and heat, how will the plot progress?】
“I’m the author, I make the rules! I’m practically dying here already, who cares about the plot?!”
【That has nothing to do with me. I already gave you a vacation day.】
Su Youtian sighed.
“I knew this vacation wasn’t going to be that easy.”
Shen Haolin leaned closer.
“What’s wrong, not happy?”
Su Youtian grinned broadly.
“I’m happy.”
Shen Haolin said, “What’s been up with you lately? It’s like you’ve become a completely different person.”
Su Youtian let out an “Ah.” Although she had mentally prepared herself for questions like this long ago, now that someone was genuinely questioning her change, she still felt a little guilty and nervous.
“More beautiful?”
Shen Haolin glanced at her and nodded.
“You have gotten prettier.”
Su Youtian finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Sheng Xia…”
Shen Haolin’s voice suddenly turned gentle as he leaned closer and closer. One of his hands also started creeping upward restlessly.
Su Youtian stiffened instantly. Goosebumps spread densely across her back.
She quickly sat up straight and quietly moved away from Shen Haolin’s hand.
Fang Cheng and a few of the others burst out laughing like they were watching a good show. Shen Haolin glared at them, and only then did they turn away together, snickering among themselves.
Shen Haolin leaned in closer again, his breath brushing entirely against her ear.
“Sheng Xia, after all these days, you should be able to feel how sincere I am. I’ve spent over half a year trying to win your favor. I’m not forcing you to give me an answer today, I just want you to know that I can accept everything about you, even your… ex-boyfriend.”
The corner of Su Youtian’s eye twitched as she reflexively looked toward Yin Shan.
Yin Shan sat across from her, smiling sweetly back at her.
Can I pin her to the ground and rub her face into the dirt right now?
Su Youtian thought bitterly.
“I can tell you still have lingering feelings for him, but you should think carefully. Are you choosing me, a rich second-generation heir who’s wholeheartedly devoted to you, or that penniless pretty boy?”
This was a fatal question!
Su Youtian had just opened her mouth when a dull thud sounded from the other side.
It turned out Fang Cheng had slammed a fist into Yuan Wei’s chest. A loud bang rang out from the impact.
“I told you to get down there, did you hear me?”
Yuan Wei’s expression did not change. Taller than Fang Cheng, he lowered his head slightly as his body swayed faintly.
Fang Cheng secretly shook his numbed hand. Tilting his head up at Yuan Wei, he met Yuan Wei’s gaze and inexplicably lost some confidence.
“What are you staring at? Don’t you understand Chinese? I told you to jump into the lake!”
At that moment, the resort owner, one of Shen Haolin’s friends, sat at the bow of the boat and laughed.
“He’s just a small employee, why make things difficult for him?”
Fang Cheng glanced at Shen Haolin and sneered.
“I just don’t like the look of him!”
Shen Haolin wore a faint smile as he also walked over.
“This brat is a toad dreaming of eating swan meat. Giving him a lesson isn’t a bad idea.”
A toad?
You probably have no idea he’ll become a golden toad in the future.
Su Youtian grew increasingly anxious. She watched as the owner rummaged through a bag beside him, pulled out a thick stack of cash, and flung it toward Yuan Wei.
“You’re still technically my employee, so I can’t let you suffer for nothing. How about this, jump into the lake and all this money is yours.”
Damn it!
How could people like this exist?
Su Youtian gritted her teeth.
Even she felt humiliated hearing that, let alone Yuan Wei.
For the first time, Su Youtian regretted writing such a tragic background for the male lead. Wouldn’t it have been fine to make him an overpowered CEO right from the start?
Just to squeeze tears from readers, why did he have to suffer all this humiliation?!
At this moment, she wanted nothing more than to slap her past self.
Red banknotes fluttered everywhere, scattering all over the deck. Some landed on Yuan Wei’s shoulders while others drifted with the wind onto the lake.
The other employees were too frightened to say a word, but some could not stop their eyes from drifting toward the money on the ground.
Some of them were even thinking that if they were Yuan Wei, they could probably make the boss go bankrupt from all the jumping.
Yuan Wei’s body paused. Slowly, he raised his head. His bangs fell across his brows, and his pale eyes turned icy cold. The rims of his eyes looked scorched by flames, crimson red.
That’s it, I can’t take it anymore!
Su Youtian’s heart ached terribly. Rolling up her sleeves, she was just about to charge forward when Yin Shan suddenly grabbed her arm.
“What, your ex-boyfriend’s getting bullied and now your heart hurts for him?”
Su Youtian: “……”
Splash!
Yin Shan was shoved violently off the boat by Su Youtian.