Half an hour earlier—
Although everyone had agreed to climb the hill, they had barely walked a short distance before people started complaining about being tired.
Seeing that everyone’s enthusiasm was fading, the red-haired boy’s eyes darted around. He took out his phone and started a livestream.
“Guys, take a look at where I am!”
He turned the camera toward the surrounding scenery and the villas in the distance.
“Today, I’m going to broaden your horizons! I’m at the Palm Bay villa district. What do you think? The view’s pretty nice, isn’t it?”
When he started the livestream, he deliberately enabled his location and added tags for several nearby universities.
Sure enough, within minutes, university students began entering the livestream.
Damn, that’s Palm Bay! The streamer must be rich!
That’s a top-tier wealthy neighborhood. I’m definitely staying to watch!
Naturally, the livestream had been Ye Qiaoqiao’s idea.
Exposing Zhong Suian in front of the class alone wasn’t enough.
This time, she wanted Zhong Suian to lose face in front of everyone.
The red-haired boy slowly panned the camera across the scenery.
Finding it entertaining, the other students laughed, joked around, and eagerly crowded into the frame.
“Everyone, look over here! I heard this single Buddhist pine tree costs six figures!”
“And look at this lawn. It looks softer than my mattress!”
The atmosphere grew livelier, and more viewers entered the livestream.
The red-haired boy even paid to boost the stream.
Once the audience had grown large enough, he finally revealed his true purpose.
“To be honest, I’m not rich at all.”
“The only reason I got the chance to visit Palm Bay today is because of one of my classmates.”
“I heard this female classmate owns a mansion here!”
“We’re on our way there now!”
“Do you want to see a genuine young, beautiful heiress?”
“Send some gifts and tap the like button. I’ll reveal her immediately!”
…
Zhong Suian walked at the front of the group.
The constant laughter and shouting behind her made her frown unconsciously.
She had assumed the “young, beautiful heiress” the red-haired boy mentioned was Ye Qiaoqiao, so she paid no attention.
Unexpectedly, he suddenly hurried forward and shoved the camera directly in front of her face.
“Everyone, look carefully!”
“This is today’s leading lady!”
At the same time, inside a locker room at X Sports University—
“Damn, her aura is incredible!”
A boy holding his phone sprang up from the bench.
“I thought wealthy women were all in their forties. This girl looks younger than us!”
A teammate who had just changed clothes immediately leaned over to look.
“Wait… she looks familiar.”
“Isn’t she the girl who came to our university looking for Zhong Yaoran last time?”
As soon as he said that, everyone gathered around.
“That’s definitely her!”
“No wonder she casually bought things worth tens of thousands. So she really is rich—and she’s a top student at A University too!”
Someone whistled teasingly.
“Is she Zhong Yaoran’s girlfriend?”
“She’s beautiful, talented, and wealthy. What kind of unbelievable luck does that guy have?”
As everyone discussed the matter excitedly, Shen Jibai, who was changing nearby, suddenly paused.
The girl who had come looking for Zhong Yaoran…
Was she the same girl who had bumped into him in the hallway?
He had left immediately after the match that day, so he did not know what happened afterward.
So she already had a boyfriend?
Then why had she…
Shen Jibai was still lost in thought when someone suddenly exclaimed,
“White God! Why is your skin so red?”
“Did you get sunburned?”
“It looks like it’s getting even redder. I heard people with pale skin burn easily.”
“Why don’t you rest today and skip training?”
Only then did Shen Jibai return to his senses.
He glanced toward the nearby mirror, his gaze darkening.
A conspicuous patch of pink spread across his cold, pale skin, extending from his neck downward.
“I’m fine.”
He pressed his lips together, quickly pulled on his team uniform, grabbed his racket, and walked out.
Back on Zhong Suian’s side—
The moment she saw the red-haired boy pointing his phone at her, her gaze turned cold.
“Turn it off.”
Her voice was not loud, but it sent a chill through him.
Still, remembering Ye Qiaoqiao’s instructions, he forced himself to continue.
“Everyone, hurry and look—”
Before he could finish, Zhong Suian swept her hand outward.
The phone flew from his grasp and smashed heavily onto the ground.
The livestream instantly went black.
“What are you doing?”
“That was my new phone!”
The red-haired boy rushed over in distress, but the screen had already shattered into pieces.
Zhong Suian gave him a cold glance.
“Recording someone without permission is illegal.”
“If you do it again, I’ll contact the police directly.”
The red-haired boy gritted his teeth but said nothing.
Although he felt humiliated, the footage had already been broadcast.
His goal had essentially been achieved.
The group continued walking for another two or three minutes.
Then the view ahead suddenly opened up.
After rounding a bend, they saw a magnificent wrought-iron gate standing before them.
Two lifelike bronze dragons coiled around the gateposts.
Above them, four gilded words gleamed brilliantly:
Dongxing Royal Residence
Everyone immediately stopped.
Why did this gate look even more luxurious than Palm Bay’s main entrance?
It was not only equipped with a sophisticated access system.
There were also six uniformed security officers stationed in the guard booth.
Two of them wore white gloves, with professional communication devices fastened to their waists.
They looked far more competent than the guard at the main entrance.
“W-Why are there actually people here?”
Before anyone could recover from their shock, one of the security officers quickly approached.
“Good morning.”
“This is the private residential district of Dongxing Royal Residence.”
“Have you made an appointment with one of the homeowners?”
“If not, please contact the homeowner first. You may only enter after receiving permission.”
Everyone was too stunned to respond.
Zhong Suian shook her head.
“There’s no need for an appointment.”
“I’m the homeowner.”
The security officer frowned slightly.
There were only ten villas in Dongxing Royal Residence.
He recognized every homeowner who had already moved in, but this was his first time seeing this young woman.
Still, he remained professional and nodded.
“Understood, miss.”
“Please follow me so we can verify your identity.”
The access system at Dongxing Royal Residence was extremely strict.
It required both fingerprint verification and password authentication.
Verification successful!
The green indicator light came on.
The security officer’s guarded expression immediately turned respectful.
“So you’re Ms. Zhong.”
“Welcome home.”
“Please accept our apologies. We only received notice of your ownership yesterday, so we failed to recognize you immediately.”
Zhong Suian waved dismissively.
“It’s fine.”
“The house hasn’t been renovated yet, so it’ll be some time before I move in.”
Now this was what security personnel in a high-end community should be like.
Once she finished everything today, she would contact property management and have that foul-smelling guard at the main entrance dismissed.
The heavy gates slowly opened to both sides.
The six uniformed security officers stood in two neat rows and bowed in perfect unison.
Their white-gloved right hands rested against the left side of their chests.
Their voices were steady and powerful.
“Welcome home, Ms. Zhong!”
Zhong Suian naturally walked forward a few steps.
Then she turned toward her classmates, who stood frozen like statues.
Raising an eyebrow, she spoke with a faint, mocking smile.
“Why isn’t anyone moving?”
“Weren’t you the ones clamoring for a tour?”