Chapter Ninety: I... rather know quite a lot.

The first shoot went smoothly; Liu Hanyue showed no signs of resistance. Filming a solo video was fine—she seemed quite natural, and there were no awkward expressions, thanks to the mask and Wang Churuo’s comedic chatter beside her, which added a lively element to the video.

After the first video was released, it received an overwhelming number of likes. In just one afternoon, it had over a hundred thousand likes. Cheng Yao was stunned; two million followers weren’t just a number, and they kept increasing. The comments were sincere and adorable.

Clearly, Liu Hanyue's sweet debut excited the fans greatly, even attracting some internet oddballs, the so-called “copper refiners.” Some old fans also asked with concern whether Liu Hanyue was planning to change her style.

Cheng Yao wasn’t a professional. He could handle filming, but for operations, he had to leave it to experts. Whether it would succeed or not depended on Saturday.

Zheng Yuechan’s recommendation was simply a matter of spending money. The results were good, so Cheng Yao gave her a contract. Liu Hanyue attended a lesson, confirmed there were no issues, and then signed her name.

Cheng Yao grumbled, “Do you think I’d trick you?”

“Who knows? Hmph. I’ll give you my bank card number tomorrow—I never remember it...” Liu Hanyue turned away, her twin ponytails swaying.

“Fine, no problem.”

At worst, I’m just attracted to you; tricking you isn’t my style, Cheng Yao thought privately.

Wang Churuo came over and said, “I’ll give mine tomorrow, too. Want to go eat noodles? We found a fantastic ramen place.”

“I’ve got plans tonight; you two go ahead.”

“Boss Cheng, you’re really busy, huh.”

“That’s right. There’ll be plenty of time to enjoy life later—right now, making money comes first.”

Wang Churuo smiled and asked, “And what about dating?”

Cheng Yao ignored her, leaving Wang Churuo feeling gloomy.

After turning down the noodle offer, he left the campus and drove straight to Xinjiekou.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

There’s never a time when the roads of Jinling aren’t congested—from Monday to Sunday, especially during rush hour, and rainy days make it worse. Anyone could develop road rage in such a jam.

As he drove, he unconsciously muttered curses under his breath.

Cheng Yao didn’t mean to rant, but it was like blood rushing to his head—sometimes it just happened, and if you could control it, it wouldn’t be called blood rush, would it?

So, all the way, he became a keyboard warrior in his car.

Fortunately, his car was good, and others kept their distance. Even though the elevated roads were jammed, he drove comfortably enough.

Ten minutes later, he finally arrived at Xinjiekou.

Following the GPS, he reached Qilin Road, near the Holiland bakery, which was close to the beef restaurant he’d visited before.

Soon, he saw a row of 90s-style European buildings, with several sports cars parked at the spacious entrance—a Porsche, a Lamborghini, and a Ferrari.

Inside the lounge bar, Qin Haoran smiled when he saw Cheng Yao’s car, raised his hand, and pointed toward the parking spot.

After parking, Cheng Yao said, “So this is the place. I’ve been here a few times. Is it yours?”

“Yeah. Making money isn’t the point—it’s mainly for fun, a place for friends to gather.” Qin Haoran patted Cheng Yao’s shoulder and led him inside.

Cheng Yao laughed, “The rent must be high here.”

“No need. It’s my own property.”

“….”

He nearly forgot—this guy owned over twenty properties. Could they all be in Xinjiekou?

Inside the lounge bar, there were several people, both men and women. The space was quite large, with a stage for live music, a bar opposite, and a pool table to the side.

Qin Haoran grinned, “Let me introduce you. This is Cheng Yao, Boss Cheng, the new wave, ha ha ha…”

“Hello.”

“Good evening.”

“Isn’t he handsome? I told you, this guy’s good-looking.”

A few beauties sized up Cheng Yao, smiling and nodding.

Qin Haoran leaned in and whispered, “More girls are coming tonight—some are university students, some are working. Lots of girls here.”

“You live it up here.”

To Cheng Yao, Qin Haoran sounded like a madam. He thought this silently.

Qin Haoran winked, “Of course…”

“I’m ordering takeout—haven’t had dinner yet.”

After ordering, they sat and chatted. Cheng Yao realized these girls weren’t wealthy second-generation; he understood immediately, but kept it to himself. Everyone was friends.

Zhou Qing glanced at Cheng Yao, “Do you play?”

“I played in high school—not great.”

“Want a game?”

“Sure.”

They played a round of pool, then the takeout arrived.

The entrance was especially lively at night, with cars and crowds bustling, people coming and going.

More girls showed up as the evening wore on, along with plenty of guys and couples. Business wasn’t booming, but it was decent.

Compared to bars and pubs, this place was much quieter—almost like a spacious, upscale KTV, with singing, drinks, and games.

Of course, the girls here were also quite attractive.

Among the dozen or so girls, Cheng Yao spotted two who could easily score eighty out of a hundred.

He liked places like this—quiet, with an air of sophistication.

Seeing Qin Haoran at the entrance, Cheng Yao walked over. “Waiting for someone?”

“A friend.”

“A girl?”

“Yeah, ha ha, she’s on her way.”

No sooner had he spoken than a big G-class Mercedes arrived. Cheng Yao’s interest faded—until a pair of long legs stepped out, and he realized even a G-class could be so stylish.

Name: Chen Xingyan

Appearance: 89

Figure: 81

Special: 95

“Xingyan.”

“Mm, good evening.”

The girl in the black jacket stood tall—at least one meter seventy—with short hair and sunglasses, exuding a cool, rebellious vibe.

Unlike Zhang Ya’s elegance, Lu Mengyao’s purity, or Liu Hanyue’s charming cuteness, she carried an air of brisk confidence, not quite like Lin Ketong’s heroic aura, but more like a tomboy—only, she was strikingly beautiful.

Chen Xingyan glanced at Cheng Yao, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

“Everyone’s here, time to have some fun. Just finished practice?”

“Yeah.”

Cheng Yao followed, noticing Qin Haoran’s obvious interest in Chen Xingyan, acting like a lovesick puppy.

“Oh, right, forgot to introduce you—Cheng Yao, met yesterday.”

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

They gathered around a table: four girls, three guys, with drinks, snacks, dice, and playing cards.

Lin Sujiao and Chen Xingyan sat together, sizing up Cheng Yao. Lin Sujiao smiled, “You guys are so skinny—bet you all together couldn’t beat Xingyan.”

Qin Haoran and Zhou Qing chuckled awkwardly. Cheng Yao glanced at Chen Xingyan…

A fight?

Chen Xingyan retorted, “Don’t flatter me. Let’s play a game.”

“Cheng Yao, you know how to play dice, right?”

“I do.”

“Alright, let’s guess numbers. Who’s first?”

“I’ll go first.”

Cheng Yao volunteered.

Chen Xingyan pushed the dice toward him. He shook them and covered them on the table. In the first round, it was almost impossible to lose—unless luck failed completely, with eight dice, at least one should match.

“No way I could miss, right?”

He uncovered the dice. Qin Haoran’s eyes widened.

Chen Xingyan couldn’t help but laugh, “Ha ha ha, your luck is really bad. Truth or dare!”

“Dare.”

“What can you do?”

“Me?”

Qin Haoran hesitated. Chen Xingyan rolled her eyes, “Just drink.”

“No, no, that’s too easy. Let me, let me,” Lin Sujiao called out.

“Alright, your turn.”

“Stand up and shout loudly, ‘Between me and this guy, who’s more handsome!’”

Qin Haoran instinctively glanced at Cheng Yao’s handsome face. “That’s pointless.”

“No way.”

“Just wait…”

Qin Haoran shouted, and everyone in the lounge bar turned their attention to him and Cheng Yao. The girl beside them pointed at Cheng Yao, “He… he’s a bit more handsome, I guess…”

“No need for ‘I guess’—where’s the confidence?”

“I…”

Qin Haoran glared at Lin Sujiao and sat down. “Keep going.”

Cheng Yao was a bit bewildered, but it felt good. His looks weren’t world-class, but he was definitely the top campus heartthrob.

In the second round, Cheng Yao’s face darkened.

Chen Xingyan said, “Show us a talent, otherwise it’s boring. What can you do?”

“Me?”

Cheng Yao thought for a moment. “I know quite a few—piano, guitar, singing, dancing. I’m best at singing, jazz, and Latin dance.”

“?”

…