Chapter 28: A Wonderful Life, Dreaming of the Future

Nearly eight million—a staggering sum. In truth, Cheng Yao had already made up his mind about how to spend it. First, he would purchase a luxury apartment near the university. He wasn’t aiming for a villa; those were too large and lonely, and even if he wanted one, eight million wouldn’t suffice. The priority was to buy it for Cheng Cheng. The chances of Cheng Yao living there himself were slim. Of course, this was partly an excuse for himself. If Cheng Cheng couldn’t enjoy a good life, how could he set his mind at ease to chase his own wild ambitions?

Abandoning his only sister, leaving her to fend for herself while he pursued his own pleasures—Cheng Yao simply couldn’t do it. At the very least, she should finish her studies well and find her other half in life.

Hands folded behind his head, Cheng Yao lay on his bed, contemplating his future.

Just then, Zhang Ya sent him a photo—a playful shot highlighting a pair of Van Cleef & Arpels millennial earrings. They suited her perfectly. It wasn’t that the accessories enhanced her beauty, but rather that her beauty gave meaning to the jewelry. She was lovely and elegant.

Cheng Yao replied with a picture of his hotel room and started scrolling through TikTok.

Unexpectedly, he spotted Lu Mengyao among the suggested accounts. He clicked to follow her; most of her videos were about food, fun, and nightlife at bars. Once the music started, parental guidance was useless. Watching a few of her videos and photos, Cheng Yao had to admit she was the master of subtle allure—expressing innocence and desire to perfection. In some respects, men truly weren’t to blame for falling for her charms.

Cheng Yao messaged: “Babe, what are you up to?”

Lu Mengyao replied: “… Just washed up and going to sleep.”

Cheng Yao: “Hey, come to the city and find me now. Take tomorrow off, I’ll take you to pick up a Porsche.”

Lu Mengyao: “Now!? Do you know what time it is? The trains have stopped running. Unless… I catch a flight?”

Cheng Yao: “… Go to sleep.”

He had only been teasing, but to his surprise, she genuinely seemed ready to travel across the country to see him. At present, Lu Mengyao’s personality and behavior were impeccable—she was a remarkably skilled companion and third party. In this way, Cheng Yao needn’t worry about her angling to become his primary partner or causing trouble.

Ignoring her for the time being, Cheng Yao browsed listings for apartments in Jinling’s QX district, focusing on luxury complexes closest to the university town.

Emerald City, Qilin Mansion, Cloud Heights—there were plenty of options. He narrowed down the locations and finally settled on Cloud Heights. It was near Xianlin Lake Park and very close to the university town. Both the location and the surrounding amenities were ideal.

Prices started at four million; a fully furnished apartment was best. Cheng Yao had no interest in buying an unfinished property—he wasn’t about to believe his own taste surpassed that of professionals.

Besides, for a home worth five or six million, what was there to complain about? Could it possibly be worse than the student apartment Cheng Cheng lived in now?

“I’ll find time to check it out when I get back,” he thought.

After closing his chat app, Cheng Yao bought a train ticket for the earliest departure the next morning. He’d have to get up very early to catch a cab to the station. He said goodnight and buried his head under the covers.

But sleep would not come easily tonight. The piano music drifted through the conservatory dormitory, lingering until dawn.

In Jinling, at the arts college dormitory, Lu Mengyao tossed and turned in bed, her hair disheveled. The image of a Porsche kept flashing through her mind. Her eyes were empty and tired, yet she felt unusually restless.

“Lu Mengyao, what are you thinking?”

“I can’t sleep. Someone is deliberately tormenting me…”

“You didn’t drink coffee again, did you?”

Lu Mengyao gritted her teeth. “No, I’ve just had too much toxic positivity forced down my throat!”

“That book on the table—The Self-Cultivation of a Mistress—is that yours?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lu Mengyao rolled her eyes and laughed. “As if I’d read something like that! Someone probably brought it back by accident.”

…

The next morning, at five o’clock, the sky was still dark.

Cheng Yao had already packed his bag. After checking out of the hotel, he hailed a cab. As a five-star hotel, The Peninsula’s facilities were undeniably luxurious, though Cheng Yao hadn’t really had the chance to enjoy them. Next time, he’d make the most of it—preferably with a girl in tow. Otherwise, how could you judge if the bed was as soft and springy as advertised?

The taxi soon arrived. A hotel staff member opened the door for him. “Have a safe trip, sir.”

“Goodbye.” Cheng Yao slid into the passenger seat. “To Hongqiao, please.”

“So early, catching a train?” the driver asked.

“Yeah, got a train at six-thirty.”

“No worries, you’ll make it,” the driver replied confidently, stepping on the gas.

There were already some cars on the road, a testament to the relentless pace of city life. People getting up before dawn to make a living—it wasn’t easy. Cheng Yao gazed at the city’s skyscrapers, half-shrouded in morning mist.

He reached Hongqiao Station with half an hour to spare. At McDonald’s, he bought a bowl of century egg congee, two fried dough sticks, and a fried egg. Only after eating did he head to the ticket gate.

At last, the bullet train thundered in.

Like many others racing to catch their trains, Cheng Yao found his seat, put on his headphones, and listened to music. In truth, everything had been so rushed, he hadn’t had much time to really connect with Zhang Ya. If she hadn’t said she wasn’t ready, Cheng Yao would have insisted on bringing her to the hotel, to discuss matters of depth and length, as well as dreams for the future and the names of their children.

Beep beep beep—

Zhang Ya messaged: “Are you on the train?”

Cheng Yao: “I’m on board. Don’t forget to miss me.”

Zhang Ya: “I’ll come find you during National Day. We’ll have more time together then.”

Cheng Yao: “Shall I make plans?”

Zhang Ya: “Sure.”

Cheng Yao pondered—was this her way of hinting she’d be ready by the holiday?

Cheng Yao: “Let’s go somewhere fun.”

Zhang Ya: “Do you have enough money?”

Cheng Yao: “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Zhang Ya: “Alright, bring the little one along so we can have a good time.”

Cheng Yao: “Why bring her? She’ll just be a third wheel.”

Zhang Ya: “…”

Scenery flashed past the window, and Cheng Yao felt that life was suddenly wonderful; he was already planning a National Day holiday. It was time to give it some thought.

He checked TikTok. His followers hadn’t increased much, but there were still a few new ones. Clearly, there was a market for this kind of video, but it wasn’t lavish enough. Anyone could grit their teeth and splurge on a five- or six-thousand-yuan hotel room, but a presidential suite costing tens of thousands was an entirely different league.

Cheng Yao had analyzed the videos and knew his next steps. He just wondered when those black-market technologies would finally show up in the game’s support store. If he had access to those, he wouldn’t need to follow his current path—he’d head straight into business.

But from what he understood of the game’s temperament, only after he’d accumulated enough reputation and social standing would such things become available.

So for now, Cheng Yao didn’t expect too much. Even if he did get them, he couldn’t make use of them yet. It would be like having blueprints for a plane without the means or resources to build one.

Worse, he’d fall into the trap where making money was easy, but keeping it was hard.

Capitalists, after all, devour everything without mercy. Cheng Yao didn’t think he was ready to wrestle with that crowd just yet.

…