At night, on Jingzhou's highest astronomical observation deck.
Lin Ruoxuan leaned against the railing, first looking up at the sparse yet bright stars above the city, then looking down at the myriad twinkling lights and brilliant neon of Jingzhou City beneath her feet.
She suddenly turned her head back, found Xu Yunzhou's "position," her expression unprecedentedly serious, carrying a solemn promise:
"Tyrant, just you wait. Once my business empire is built, I will buy the tallest, most expensive building in Jingzhou! Then on the very top floor, I'll build a palace just for you! So you can look out at the entire cityscape like this every day."
Xu Yunzhou laughed softly, amused by her childish ambition of "squandering thousands of gold for a male confidant," yet his heart softened into a complete mess:
(TL: "Squandering thousands of gold for a male confidant" is a playful gender-flipped twist on the traditional Chinese idiom "squandering thousands of gold for a beautiful woman" [一掷千金为红颜].)
"Your ambition isn't small. You'd better manage those milk tea shops of yours well first and develop them into a national chain before talking like that."
However, looking at her smile, which grew even more radiant under the contrast of the city's lights and shadows with her hair blowing in the night wind, he moved the mouse again and clicked [Reward].
That hand of radiant energy appeared again, gently and cherishingly tucking a stray strand of windblown hair behind her ear. The movement was cautious, as if treating a rare treasure.
Lin Ruoxuan enjoyed this invisible intimacy, requesting softly:"Tyrant... can you sing me a song? I haven't heard you sing for a long, long time."
Xu Yunzhou was silent for a moment, but ultimately still hummed softly, his voice low and carrying a trace of hoarseness:
"...I once was lost, disappointed, and lost all direction, until I saw that being ordinary is the only answer..."
(TL: These are lyrics from the famous 2014 Chinese song "The Ordinary Road" [平凡之路] by Pu Shu, which deals with themes of disillusionment and finding peace in an ordinary life.)
As he sang, Xu Yunzhou suddenly wondered: had he always been too harsh on Lin Ruoxuan?
For that so-called goal of becoming a "Goddess," he had deprived her of the right to enjoy an ordinary life: no friends, no normal social interactions, and even... no real "embraces."
For a moment, an impulse surged in his heart, and he wanted to say to her:
"From now on, just do whatever you want. You don't have to work so hard. I... I will accompany you."
However, as soon as this thought arose, he shook his head helplessly and smiled self-mockingly.
This was a game; weren't all her behaviors and preferences pre-set by the program?
Moreover, letting her step onto the peak of the world and enjoy the attention of the masses, didn't that fit her persona as the "Chosen Daughter of Heaven" and the ultimate goal of this game even better?
This entire day, there was no harsh training, no tasks that had to be completed; there were only two lonely souls, one with a heart like dead ashes in reality, the other blooming vividly in the virtual world.
Separated by a screen, at the blurry boundary between reality and illusion, they clumsily yet sincerely approached each other, drawing warmth from one another, as if embracing.
Midnight, Jingcheng Hotel, inside a luxurious suite with a century of history.
Under the dazzling crystal chandelier, Lin Ruoxuan lay alone on a four-poster bed that was so large it felt somewhat empty.
She turned on her side, her slender arms tightly hugging the soft yet empty pillow beside her.
She buried her warm face, carrying the fresh fragrance of her bath, deep into the fabric, breathing heavily as if there truly were a warm and solid embrace waiting there.
"Tyrant..."
"Like this... it counts as us sharing the same bed, right? Goodnight."
Outside the screen, Xu Yunzhou gazed for a long time at her tranquil profile as she slept peacefully, his heart filled with an indescribable sense of fullness.
He couldn't help but click that [Reward] button over and over again, almost paranoidly, letting the soft radiance gently envelop her time and time again, as if wanting to use this method to make up for all the regrets of being unable to truly touch her.
Right at this moment, the screen of the phone beside his computer suddenly lit up abruptly, shattering the tranquil warmth.
It was a friend request verification message sent by Su Qianran:
"Yunzhou, why did you delete me? Is there a need to be so petty? Didn't I already explain to you, my mom is really sick! Can't you be a little considerate of me?"
Staring at that line of text, he smiled.
The reality that had once made his heart ache so thoroughly now, when contrasted against the illusory warmth inside the screen, seemed incredibly pale and ridiculous.
He replied directly:
"When you come back, pack your things immediately. I've already prepared to hand this house over to an agency and list it for an urgent sale at a reduced price; it should sell very quickly."
Then he directly blacklisted her, his action clean and neat.
...
The eighth branch of "Xuanxuan's Tea" grandly opened in Jingzhou's most prosperous CBD business district.
Lin Ruoxuan, the founder and soul figure of the brand, was eagerly sought after for coverage by financial media and fashion magazines, crowned with dazzling titles such as "Most Beautiful Milk Tea Queen" and "Rising Star of the Business World."
Invitation letters from venture capital institutions and interview requests from the media came flying in like snowflakes.
But after a crucial investment negotiation meeting, Xu Yunzhou saw her return to that familiar apartment.
She didn't even have time to take off her exquisite high heels before she, like a little cat with its bones removed, collapsed limply onto the sofa, burying her face in a soft pillow.
"Tyrant..."
Her voice was muffled, carrying an exhaustion so thick it couldn't be dissolved,
"I'm really tired today... I feel like my soul has been drained by those tedious clauses and endless reviews... Tonight, can you... grant me a special pardon and exempt me from tonight's physical training? Just one night, I'm begging you..."
She turned her head slightly, revealing half of her exhausted, pretty face, her eyes glistening.
"Or... you can just shock me a bit to refresh me, that works too..."
Looking at that slender figure curled up on the screen, for the first time, a trace of pity uncontrollably welled up in Xu Yunzhou's heart.
Perhaps the meaning of nurturing wasn't necessarily about that cold ultimate score. Silently guarding her through every stage of growth and sharing every bit of her exhaustion like this, wasn't that also wonderful?
"Go eat the soup warming up in the kitchen, then take a good hot bath. Tonight, you are specially permitted to rest."
"Thank you, Tyrant..."
Lin Ruoxuan's voice still carried exhaustion, but it had an extra trace of relief and subtle teasing,
"You seem... to be getting better and better at 'pitying the fragrance and cherishing the jade,' very different from that cold and ruthless electroshock devil at the very beginning..."
(TL: "Pitying the fragrance and cherishing the jade" [怜香惜玉] is a Chinese idiom that means to show tenderness, care, and protective affection toward a woman.)
Dragging her exhausted body, she obediently ate the soup, then immersed herself in the steaming Jacuzzi sprinkled with rose petals.
The warm water currents wrapped around her sore limbs, making her let out a comfortable sigh.
The steam flushed her cheeks crimson, her eyes gradually growing blurry, her voice lazy and hoarse:
"Tyrant, Tyrant... have you noticed... my figure has really improved so much..."
Half-squinting her eyes, she looked down at the proud curves faintly discernible underwater, her tone carrying a bit of smugness and an undetectable temptation:
"I think... I've reached an E... my skin has gotten so much smoother too, like the finest silk... Hehe, I really want... to let you touch it yourself and verify it..."
Her voice gradually lowered, and extreme exhaustion finally conquered her.
She actually just rested her head on the edge of the bathtub like that and fell deeply asleep in the warm water currents, the fullness of her chest faintly discernible amid the ripples.
Xu Yunzhou took a deep breath and helplessly chugged another large mouthful of cold beer, suppressing the inexplicable restlessness in his heart.
He skillfully pulled up the latest attribute panel:
[Appearance: 93/100 (Settled by life experience, confident and composed, initial charm present in the flow of her glances, every frown and smile is picturesque)]
[Figure: 90/100 (Golden ratio tending towards perfection, curves as graceful as a gift from the Creator; a bit more would be plump, a bit less would be thin)]
[Knowledge: 65/100 (Fierce business warfare practice has birthed a deep thirst for theory; strategic and management cognition far exceeds peers)]
[Temperament: 75/100 (Basically completed the metamorphosis from a green young girl to a mature business woman; steadiness and sharpness coexist, aura initially showing)]
[Influence: 55/100 (Successfully advanced from a campus star to an emerging business talent watched by the industry; right to speak gradually increasing)]
[Comprehensive Charm Value: 75.6/100 (Significant metamorphosis, the posture of a goddess initially blooming with radiance, dazzling and eye-catching)]
[Hidden Talent: Business Tycoon (Activation degree 40%: Showing outstanding industry insight and leadership boldness in key decisions)]
[Currently Controllable Assets: Approx. 500 million Yuan (Brand valuation and diversified investment portfolio rising simultaneously, capital territory initially taking shape)]
And right at this moment, on the screen, Lin Ruoxuan, soaking in the gradually cooling water, seemed to jolt awake. She violently shook her head and struggled to stand up from the bathtub, splashing water everywhere.
She didn't even have time to dry her body; she just haphazardly wrapped herself in a bathrobe and stubbornly walked to the desk, picking up a heavy tome on "Corporate Finance":
"No... I can't sleep. I need to become better and more perfect sooner, only then will you appear..."
Xu Yunzhou's heart tightened, and he immediately spoke up, his tone unquestionable:
"Immediately! Go to bed and sleep! Otherwise, I don't mind accompanying you until dawn with continuous, low-intensity electric current!"
His threat was still effective.
Lin Ruoxuan's shoulders slumped, and pouting, she ultimately obediently climbed into bed. Almost as soon as her head touched the pillow, she was dragged into a deep sleep by extreme fatigue.