Chapter 151: She is afraid; keep her company.

Glancing at Guan Yiqiu, Cheng Yao had to admit that she possessed beauty, capability, and a fair share of cunning. Judging by her speech and methods, she was not particularly off-putting.

For Cheng Yao, if an opportunity could be seized, he would take it; if it couldn’t, he would simply throw money at it. It was just a matter of getting things done with cash—that was how society worked these days. Publicity, after all, was just a matter of who had more money to spend.

Since Guan Yiqiu had already arranged the program, he accepted the favor and asked with a smile, "Senior, when is the program scheduled for?"

"The program is set for next Monday at 8:00 PM, and we’ll start at 10:00..."

"Late-night slot, then."

Guan Yiqiu teased, "Don't look down on the late-night slot. There are plenty of night owls out there, just like how some elderly people enjoy playing video games..."

"Is that so?"

Cheng Yao wasn't entirely sure. He rarely stayed up late for fear of sudden death, but he figured he could probably handle a few late nights now.

"Well, does that mean my junior has agreed?"

"Do I have a choice? The school leadership has already spoken to me..."

Guan Yiqiu retorted playfully, "You make it sound like I’m forcing you. You’re getting the better end of the deal and still acting coy. Go ahead and prepare; we’ll handle the promotion on our end. Consider it a free advertisement for you..."

"Alright, I'll treat you to a meal when I have time."

Guan Yiqiu asked with a smile, "Junior, you’re young and talented—do you have a girlfriend?"

"I do."

Cheng Yao smiled, not bothering to mince words. He had no interest in being a backup, nor did he want to get overly entangled with a woman who had a boyfriend. Had it not been for the department head’s intervention, he wouldn't have even considered coming.

"I see..."

A flash of disappointment crossed Guan Yiqiu's eyes, but she instantly composed herself, smoothed her hair, and said, "I heard from Wang Yuting that you didn't have a girlfriend. I wondered how that could be possible..."

"Actually, I’m not really that close with Senior Wang Yuting."

"...I suppose so."

After sitting in the cafe for half an hour, Cheng Yao received a call from Lin Ketong and settled the bill before leaving, leaving Guan Yiqiu alone to finish her now-cold coffee.

It had been a while since he’d been intimate with Lin Ketong; she was, for the most part, quite shy... Lu Mengyao, on the other hand, was not like that at all; she fulfilled every one of his fantasies.

Today, Lin Ketong didn't drive her own AMG. Cheng Yao drove a long way to the Poly Spring residential complex and pulled up to the entrance, where gazes from all around converged on the car.

A few minutes later, Lin Ketong walked out with her bag. Seeing the Ferrari LaFerrari by the roadside, her eyes were still filled with shock. She walked over, opened the door, and slipped inside.

Cheng Yao wrinkled his nose. "What perfume is that? So charming."

"It's a limited edition from Givenchy..." Lin Ketong said, looking pleased with herself. She then examined the car's interior; having worked as a car model, she naturally had some knowledge of vehicles. This was her first time up close with a LaFerrari.

"This car, I hear it costs fifty million, right?"

"That was before. Not anymore. Thirty-five million with eight hundred kilometers on it."

"That’s still incredibly expensive. I heard you bought a villa for Lu Mengyao."

Lin Ketong felt a pang of envy. Both she and Lu Mengyao were Cheng Yao’s "little sweethearts," so why didn't she have one? She wondered if she had done something wrong. Was it because Lu Mengyao had asked her to come over and she hadn't?

Yes, and it wasn't just one villa. Cheng Yao only kept that thought to himself. He knew Lu Mengyao had Lin Ketong as a friend; the girl had probably posted it on her social media moments again. Lu Mengyao was relatively low-key with her showing off, to the point where others thought she was just in sales... but Lin Ketong knew it was bought by Cheng Yao.

The corners of Cheng Yao’s mouth curled upward; he had been waiting for this exact moment. After all, the company needed more and more money, and he wouldn't miss a prime opportunity to "spend" his way to more.

Lin Ketong didn't demand a villa, but asked with curiosity and a hint of trepidation, "She... she didn't get pregnant with your child, did she!?"

In truth, Lin Ketong was startled by her own thought. When she stopped to think about it, it seemed a bit absurd—how old was Cheng Yao, anyway?

But some wealthy people did reward villas and luxury cars for having children, not to mention huge sums of money... so she had jumped to conclusions. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't guess the real reason.

"You're overthinking it. I'm still just a baby myself. Keep feeding me tonight..."

After Cheng Yao’s half-joking, half-flirtatious reply, Lin Ketong blushed. She didn't want to engage with such explicit talk, so she asked out of curiosity, "Then why did you buy her a villa?"

"She's my woman. If I don't buy it for her, who would I buy it for?"

"Then I..."

A surge of frustration rose in Lin Ketong's heart. She was, too—she was his woman as well... Seeing her turn her head to look out the window, Cheng Yao knew she was agitated.

"You what?"

"Nothing. You were just joking, right..."

Lin Ketong wasn't even confident in herself anymore. After all, Cheng Yao had already spent over ten million on her. This man seemed to have no concept of money; he spent it so freely, as if his funds were inexhaustible, almost wishing they would spend more.

Lin Ketong didn't know it, but she had subconsciously stumbled near the truth, only to let it slip by.

"I wasn't joking. I bought one for the other two as well. They live right next door."

"Scumbag!"

Lin Ketong stared at Cheng Yao with utter disdain. Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion as she asked, "Just how many women do you have out there!"

"Just the four of you."

"I really pity your girlfriend."

Cheng Yao smiled, his expression turning slightly serious. "You are my life, she is my sanctuary."

"..."

Lin Ketong rummaged through her bag and pulled out a lipstick. "Coming from your mouth, that sounds completely abnormal."

"Want some late-night snacks?"

"Yeah."

Cheng Yao thought for a moment and added, "There’s a villa for everyone. It just depends on your performance tonight."

"..."

Lin Ketong glared at him with feigned annoyance, pursed her lips, and felt a secret thrill inside.

The car was parked in the underground garage, and the two headed to Longmian. Cheng Yao wore a mask so no one could recognize him. They bought nearly a hundred yuan worth of snacks at a stall, then drove back to the High-Tech Ziweitang district.

Looking at the entrance to the Ziweitang villas, Lin Ketong felt a bit panicked.

"Where are you taking me?"

"We aren't going back to your place. Lu Mengyao said she was scared living in such a big villa all by herself; it was too lonely. She wanted some company, and I thought you were just the right person."

"I..."

She swallowed the words "I want to go back." Looking at the lush greenery of the villa area, the magnificent mansion with its own swimming pool and back garden, she suppressed her flickering anger... Some people were born in Rome, while others were born as beasts of burden. She had chosen the shortcut to Rome, so she naturally had to bear the consequences of walking that path. It was easy to get used to the humiliation; after all, one couldn't let money pass them by.

Lin Ketong asked curiously, "How much is a villa here?"

"Over forty million each."

"..."

Cheng Yao parked the car. Once inside the villa area, the privacy was extremely high; outsiders couldn't get in, and every villa was separated by green belts. As soon as the car pulled into the garage, Lu Mengyao opened the back door, leaning against the frame, watching as Lin Ketong stepped out of the vehicle.

In a sense, this was the first time the two women had met inside the house. Looking at Lin Ketong, Lu Mengyao had to admit that the girl was indeed beautiful, her appearance and temperament not losing out to her own, but her flaws were also significant...

Since she had already made her choice, why pretend to be reserved, acting as if she wouldn't compromise her values? Wasn't it disgusting to act that way? Look, hadn't she come anyway? Did she think she could run?

When Cheng Yao got lustful, he was completely shameless; Lu Mengyao was well aware of that. She had already guessed that it would be Lin Ketong—after all, even with ten times the courage, Cheng Yao wouldn't dare bring his "primary" wife here. Ouyang Aili and Ouyang Zhenli had already gone back, and she hadn't heard of any other women.

"Good evening."

"Yeah. Want some snacks?" Lin Ketong sighed inwardly and took the initiative to accommodate the situation.

"Sure, come on in."

Cheng Yao parked the car and walked into the villa. It was decorated quite beautifully. Lu Mengyao smiled and said, "I felt it was a pity to keep the piano at the hillside mansion, so I had movers bring it over. It’s perfect as decor here, and we can play it occasionally..."

"Do as you please. It’s your house, anyway."

Lin Ketong sat on the Chanel sofa, feeling incredibly comfortable. This place was far more luxurious than her home at Poly Spring; even the coffee table was a top-tier brand. Just the furniture alone, she calculated silently, was worth over a million—and that was just the living room.

Lu Mengyao handed Lin Ketong a drink and started doing yoga on the side.

Cheng Yao said, "Lin Ketong is a dance student and knows a bit of yoga, too. You can learn from her. Don't you want to maintain your figure?"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot. Speaking of which, I should call you 'Senior' as well. I’m from the Music Performance department..."

"Indeed, we have quite a connection."

"A twisted one."

Lu Mengyao cast a glance at Cheng Yao; Lin Ketong felt this deeply. After a bit of conversation, Lin Ketong realized she and Lu Mengyao could actually talk quite well. They both loved luxury goods—or rather, all women did. Lu Mengyao was particularly adept at conversation, quickly grasping Lin Ketong’s interests.

"Are you two eating?"

"Yes."

Cheng Yao peeled a shrimp and popped it into his mouth. "You don't have to be scared anymore. From now on, you can visit each other every day..."

"True. The privacy here is great. Are you planning to buy them all and have all your women live here?"

Lu Mengyao had a terrifying thought: an entire villa complex filled with nothing but Cheng Yao’s women, all playing cards and mahjong together. What kind of scene would that be? Regardless of anything else, this man had the audacity to pull off such an absurd thing. At the very least, that was what she felt right now.

Cheng Yao didn't answer. Lin Ketong changed the subject, "How is your company doing now?"

"It's number one in Jinling. Don't you even follow that?" Lu Mengyao teased.

Lin Ketong shook her head. "He gave me a script, and I've been studying that. It's not my company, so why would I follow it?"

"Shenxia Entertainment is quite famous in Jinling now."

Lin Ketong checked—Cheng Yao was the chairman, but the legal representative was actually Wang Yiming... This was the ultimate scapegoat, position number one.

...

...

PS: I'm so tired lately. One chapter at dawn, one now, and one more on the way. Let me rest for a night, then I'll continue with 12,000 words. Don't worry. I also need to work on the outline; without one, the direction tends to drift. 7017k