"Chu Han, look over there—isn't that Zhou Yi sitting in the corner?"
"Yes, wasn't he your devoted follower before? Haven't seen him around you lately."
"With Young Master Gao in her life now, Chu Han obviously wouldn't care for someone like him—a poor boy with nothing to offer."
Not far away in the cafeteria, Chu Han was having lunch with a few of her friends.
To Chu Han's group, Zhou Yi had always been just another one of her admirers—someone beneath their notice.
"Who would've thought he'd turn out so handsome. Any regrets, Chu Han? Hehe."
"If you're not interested anymore, maybe you can pass him along to me. Do you have his WeChat? Hook me up?"
The thought of Zhou Yi already being involved with a wealthy and beautiful woman—and worse, blocking her on WeChat—dimmed the playful smile in Chu Han's eyes.
Stirring the soup in her bowl absentmindedly, she said coolly, "Why would I bother adding someone like that? If you want his contact, go find him yourself."
"Sigh… I heard he's tough to get close to these days. Otherwise, I'd have asked ages ago."
"But why is he hanging out with Su Ning and those girls? She's known as the ice queen!"
It was hard to miss the presence of Su Ning and Wang Yixin among other stunning beauties who had gathered near Zhou Yi.
Chu Han usually dined out with Gao Wenhao, but today, perhaps sensing her shifting attitude toward Zhou Yi, he seemed displeased and left her behind this time.
She didn't mind. Used to his occasional tantrums, she had no intention of chasing after him or catering to his whims.
When she heard whispers about Zhou Yi being here, surrounded by Su Ning and others, curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced over discreetly.
Propping her chin up, Chu Han studied them carefully. "Is that Wang Yixin next to him?"
A curly-haired girl beside her scoffed indignantly. "Hmph, it's that manipulative witch again. Looks like Zhou Yi's going to get played—just like everyone else she toys with."
Wang Yixin was infamous for playing with people's emotions; even her ex had fallen victim to her schemes.
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Chu Han smirked. "Maybe she's just saying hello. It doesn't mean anything serious. After all, even if Zhou Yi's gotten more attractive, deep down, he's still the same desperate guy chasing scraps of attention."
For some reason, the idea of Zhou Yi improving unsettled her.
She kept trying to convince herself that despite his new looks, he was still the same pathetic admirer from before.
Perhaps, deep inside, she hoped his feelings for her hadn't changed.
But that possibility felt slim. Ever since he blocked her on WeChat, things between them were irreparably broken.
"Chu Han, you're picky, so you think no one would give Zhou Yi the time of day. But do you know how many people are dying to add him on WeChat? The forums are blowing up with posts about him—thousands of comments piling up!"
"Yeah, I just heard something unbelievable too."
"What is it?"
"They say Zhou Yi scored full marks in both Chinese and Math today—and snagged the only spot in their department for the math modeling competition!"
Chu Han burst into laughter. "Impossible! Last year alone, he failed so many subjects. Full marks? That's ridiculous—it must be fake news."
Her friend immediately pulled out her phone and showed her the forum thread.
"Look, this is what a girl from Class 3 Visual Communication posted. Apparently, Zhou Yi got the only spot for the math modeling competition in their entire program."
Seeing the post, Chu Han froze.
How could this be? Zhou Yi scoring full marks? Competing in math modeling?
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"I heard an even crazier rumor. Want to know what it is?"
"What?"
"All the classes in Visual Communication are speculating why Zhou Yi's changed so much. They concluded he was hiding his true potential all along—like he has some powerful background waiting to surface."
As the rumor spread, it grew wilder and wilder. By the time it reached Chu Han's circle, the narrative had morphed into Zhou Yi having an extraordinary hidden identity.
Chu Han was starting to feel shaken.
Rolling her eyes, she muttered sarcastically, "An orphan like him? What kind of 'background' could he possibly have? Leave it to the advertising majors to come up with such imaginative theories."
The curly-haired girl shot back, "Exactly! That's why it's suspicious! Rumor has it he found his biological parents recently, and that's when everything started changing for him. Can't you see where this is going? There's definitely something bigger at play."
Chu Han eyed her skeptically. "Do a lot of people believe this?"
"Absolutely. Otherwise, why are people like Wang Yang suddenly eating with him? Back then, Zhou Yi never got this kind of treatment."
"Right. Even Su Ning, who used to despise him, is sitting at the same table. She must know something we don't."
Chu Han stared at Zhou Yi, torn between disbelief and suspicion.
If their guesses were true, did that mean Zhou Yi might actually be a rich second-generation heir?
Not just a loser—but a top student?
Had everything he'd done for her in the past been nothing but an act?
Chu Han impulsively stood up, intending to confront him directly. But seeing the crowd surrounding him, her rationality kicked back in, and she sat down again.
She couldn't approach him recklessly—not without risking Gao Wenhao finding out, which would spell disaster.
But she needed answers. If Zhou Yi truly came from a better background than Gao Wenhao, didn't that mean she'd made a grave mistake?
[Chu Han Regret Value +20, Affection Level +20.]
Zhou Yi paused momentarily upon hearing the system's announcement.
He scanned the room and spotted Chu Han instantly.
Among the women the original owner once obsessed over, Chu Han was the most pragmatic.
Her favorability and regret values should rise quickly because, at her core, she valued wealth above all else.
Yet, such women became increasingly difficult to win over as time passed—they lacked genuine emotion.
Zhou Yi knew she must've heard the rumors swirling around.
Otherwise, why would her heart waver so visibly?
"System, tell me—what benefits do I gain from increasing the Affection Level of the women I need to take revenge on?"
"Certainly. While they aren't ranked individually, the higher their Affection Level for you, the more rewards you can unlock in the System Mall. Their contributions convert into Red Coins, which you can use for exchanges. You can check the System Mall anytime."
"Has my System Mall unlocked yet?"
"Yes, just now. You've reached Level 10."
Zhou Yi promptly accessed his stats panel.
Character Attributes:
[Name: Zhou Yi]
[Level: lv10 (Silver)]
[Wealth: $8,739,380 (Wealthy)]
[Appearance: 100 (Unmatched)]
[Combat Power: 100 (Dominant)]
[IQ: 200 (Genius)]
[Reputation: 37 (Noteworthy)]
[Attribute Points: 9,685]
Mission Progress Panel:
[Xia Qiuzhi Regret Value: 10]
[Chu Han Regret Value: 20]
[Su Ning Regret Value: 10]
[Comeback Progress: 37]
[Affection Level Earned: 7,605]
[Admirers: 0]
[Achievements Unlocked: None]
[Items/Skills Acquired: Photographic Memory, Exceptional Recall]
[Current Ranking: 60,652]
[Congratulations, Host! Level increased. System Store Unlocked]
