At night, the traffic on Binhai Avenue was sparse, and the streetlights illuminated the road like a golden ribbon stretching into the distance.
Tang Song gripped the steering wheel tightly, eyes fixed ahead, his mind echoing with what Wen Ruan had said.
In the ga Heartthrob Growth Plan, “Secretary Jin” was more than just a codena.
Her existence was far more complex than what appeared on the surface.
From asset allocation to the tiniest details of daily life, from travel arrangents to managing private space, she was involved in nearly all of his important decisions and daily affairs.
That’s why Tang Song had poured half of his emotional investnt in the ga into this character.
Converted to real life, for these past few years, she was the closest person to him.
The clothes and everyday items in that apartnt at Yanjing Tiancheng were probably all carefully selected and arranged by her.
At this mont, a surge of uncontrollable longing filled Tang Song’s heart.
He really wanted to see her right away, hold her in his arms, and feel her real, warm body.
However, reason told him—he couldn’t.
The rules of the 【Dream Instance System】 had already been set. He didn’t know what consequences breaking them might bring, but he definitely didn’t want to take the risk.
And—there was sothing else that worried him even more.
Until now, what Secretary Jin had interacted with was the “perfect” version of himself with all the cheat codes activated.
That Tang Song, who was at the peak in both career and personal developnt.
But the real him—would she be disappointed?
With her intelligence and sharpness, had Secretary Jin already picked up on so clues?
How did she really view the current him?
At that thought, Tang Song actually started to feel a little insecure.
“l——" the soft sound of braking echoed.
The Bentley Mulsanne slowly pulled over and stopped, hazard lights flashing.
Tang Song picked up his phone again and dialed the number for the property service departnt at Yanjing Tiancheng—Housekeeper Xiao Li.
“Hello, Mr. Tang, how can I help you?”
Tang Song pressed his lips together, and softly said, “Help order a bouquet of 99 roses tomorrow morning and have it delivered to my place. I’ll send you the ssage for the greeting card on WeChat in a bit.”
“Got it, understood.”
“Mm, thanks.”
After hanging up, Tang Song closed his eyes, leaned back in his seat, and rolled the window down just a little.
The salty humidity mixed with the stillness of the night breeze drifted in, slowly calming his thoughts.
He opened WeChat, pondered for a mont, and sent over the greeting card ssage.
The car started up again, slowly rging back into the night.
At Fuxing Seafood BBQ, the scent of grilled skewers and the faint bitterness of beer mixed in the air.
Hou Feifei peeled a shrimp, her tone curious, “Right, Tingting, you said your new company’s doing pretty well. Coming to Wushan for a team-building trip this ti—must an you guys made so money, right?”
“Mm, overall it’s been smooth. But we’re still in the early developnt phase. All the money we make gets reinvested. No dividends yet. And I only own 20%—I’m a minor shareholder.”
“I don’t really get this stuff.” Hou Feifei tilted her head, a bit of envy in her voice. “So what’s your salary now? Still ten thousand?”
Gao ngting said a bit sheepishly, “It just went up a little last month.”
“Co on, spill it. How much now?”
“Ahem~" Gao ngting cleared her throat and lowered her voice, “Around forty to fifty... mostly because the performance bonus varies. It’s based on the company’s profits.”
“Holy sht! What the hll?” Hou Feifei smacked the table with both hands, her face instantly turning into an exaggerated reaction . “Dmn... that’s wild! You’re heading straight for rich-lady territory!”
“Shh, shh, keep it down. Don’t scare people.” Gao ngting chuckled quietly.
Truth was, Tang Song had always been generous with her compensation.
Her base salary was 40K, and with profit-sharing from the company, her actual inco had already passed 60K.
On top of that, there were all sorts of perks and subsidies.
For a shareholder, salary paynts were more tax-efficient than dividends—they helped reduce personal inco tax.
Of course, all this ca after He Yiyi’s account went viral, and she had only been earning at this rate for a month.
“Dmn girl, you’re amazing!” Hou Feifei sucked in a cold breath, chest heaving. She suddenly grabbed her bestie’s hand, genuinely saying, “Tingting, we’ve been friends for so many years—if I ever fall on hard tis, you have to look out for !”
“Okay, okay, I got you.”
The two burst into laughter again, the mood turning light and cheerful once more.
Gao ngting peeled off her disposable gloves and patted her belly in satisfaction. “I’m pretty full. Let’s go take a walk? I haven’t been here in over a year, and I really wanna buy so of those cheese durian pastries to bring ho.”
Hou Feifei checked the ti and stood up with a smile.
It had been over 20 minutes since Tang Song called—he should be arriving soon.
If they wandered around nearby, they might even bump into him early.
She was super curious about Gao ngting’s boyfriend.
...
The two walked about ten ters toward the street corner and stopped at a small stall.
Rich-lady Gao ngting declared boldly, “Boss, give two full-durian ones! 50, right? Paid!”
“Alright, just a sec.” The vendor responded and got busy.
While they waited, the two kept chatting and laughing.
Just then, a familiar voice rang out behind them: “Yo, isn’t this Feifei? What a coincidence.”
Hou Feifei’s hand tensed up suddenly, fingertips digging into her palm, the smile on her face freezing, her expression turning awkward and complicated.
Gao ngting turned around in surprise and saw a man and woman standing together.
Chen Zhengyu looked the sa as she rembered, just with a bit more of that mature-man vibe.
He wore a light gray casual outfit, his features handso and refined, with a scholarly elegance between his brows.
But the woman clinging to his arm—Lu Qian—was the complete opposite.
Dressed in a black autumn outfit and wearing heavy, glamorous makeup, she looked bold and attention-grabbing.
Her face had probably gone under the knife—definitely looked prettier than before.
Their eyes t, and both Chen Zhengyu and Lu Qian froze.
“ngting! It’s you! When did you get back to Wushan?”
Chen Zhengyu’s gaze swept across Gao ngting, a flicker of sothing flashing in his eyes.
Lu Qian frowned slightly, suddenly feeling a sense of danger rise up inside.
Back in high school, Gao ngting had been an outstanding student—smart and pretty—super popular with the boys in class.
Even Chen Zhengyu used to treat her a little differently.
Seeing her now, Gao ngting was even more stunning than she had been in mory.
A clean, natural makeup look, thick and voluminous hair, a chic and mature outfit, an upright and graceful posture—
She was the very definition of an “aura beauty,” with a confident, elite urban professional vibe.
Gao ngting said calmly, “Just got back not long ago. Long ti no see, Zhengyu, Lu Qian.”
Chen Zhengyu smiled and quickly turned to look at Hou Feifei beside her. “Feifei, you two out shopping? Have you eaten?”
Hou Feifei pressed her lips together and gave a muffled “Mm,” eyes wide as she looked to the side.
Even though she’d acted all cool and nonchalant in front of her bestie, when she saw the two of them strolling intimately together, a sharp pain still jabbed at her chest. This text is hosted at Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
After all, she had really liked Chen Zhengyu for a long, long ti. At one point, she even thought she was this close to winning him over, and had imagined more than once what it would be like to hold hands with him, strolling around, eating and drinking together.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Chen Zhengyu smiled and quickly changed the subject.
“ngting, I heard from Feifei that you’ve started your own company? How’s it going? Smooth sailing?”
“It’s going pretty well—getting on track now.”
Chen Zhengyu nodded. “That’s impressive. The livestream selling space is super competitive these days. Anyone who can make a na for themselves isn’t ordinary. You’re still just as outstanding as ever.”
As the two chatted, Lu Qian’s expression turned a little sour. She subtly pinched Chen Zhengyu’s arm.
He flinched slightly and quickly adjusted his expression.
He did care about this rich-girl girlfriend, after all.
Lu Qian looked up at Gao ngting and said coolly, “ngting, I’m currently working as a marketing manager at my family’s logistics company. Feifei ntioned you’re in the clothing business now—our Qinhang International has logistics services in Yancheng too. Once your business grows, maybe we could work together. For old classmates’ sake, I can offer you a discounted rate.”
“We’ll talk if the opportunity cos up.”
“Right, our company doesn’t take small orders anyway. Livestream e-comrce may have a low entry barrier, but it’s not easy to scale. Let’s talk once your business expands.”
Gao ngting smiled. “Heh, Manager Lu sure knows how to speak grandly!”
Lu Qian’s face changed slightly but she still forced a casual smile. “You flatter .”
Gao ngting shifted her gaze to Chen Zhengyu, her eyes burning. “Zhengyu, Feifei just ntioned you and Lu Qian are together now—quite the surprise.”
Lu Qian’s lips curved in a slightly arrogant smile. “Heh, what’s so surprising about that? We’re a perfect match—talented man, beautiful woman. Isn’t that right, darling?”
As she spoke, she leaned in and planted a kiss on Chen Zhengyu’s cheek like she was staking a claim.
Chen Zhengyu pressed his lips together and nodded. “It’s only been a little while, guess it’s just fate.”
Next to them, Hou Feifei’s face turned pale. Her lips trembled as if she wanted to say sothing.
“Oh? Really?” Gao ngting raised an eyebrow, the corners of her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile. “Didn’t expect you to think that way before, heh.”
Chen Zhengyu’s eye twitched, his expression suddenly awkward.
Because of Hou Feifei, he’d interacted quite a bit with Gao ngting—they were pretty good friends.
Now, though, this situation was undeniably awkward.
Lu Qian glanced between them, then suddenly laughed. “ngting, you seem awfully interested in our relationship. Don’t tell you’ve got a thing for our Zhengyu? But it’s too late now~”
Chen Zhengyu instinctively looked at Gao ngting, a flicker of hope flashing in his eyes.
Compared to Hou Feifei, this bestie of hers was clearly on a whole other level.
Back in high school, Gao ngting had been bright, independent, and full of youthful energy, with a sleek shoulder-length cut that made her stand out.
He’d had a soft spot for her back then too. Honestly, his initial interest in Feifei was partly because of ngting.
Now, seeing her again, transford into the perfect modern urban woman, he couldn’t help the little fantasy that ford in his heart.
Gao ngting raised her brows. “Didn’t expect that, huh? Lu Qian, you’ve got quite the imagination.”
“Heh, is that so?”
Just then, the vendor called out cheerfully, “Here you go, two lovely ladies—your cheese durian pastries!”
“Thanks.”
Gao ngting turned to take the bag, casually handing one to Hou Feifei.
She looked up. “We’re heading off. You two carry on.”
She’d only said those things because her bestie had just taken a major emotional hit. She couldn’t help wanting to clap back a bit.
Seeing Lu Qian acting the way she did, she had no interest in sticking around and arguing pointlessly.
Lu Qian smiled and tightly gripped Chen Zhengyu’s hand, cooing, “Darling, I’m tired of walking around. It’s too crowded here—let’s go, okay?”
She tugged Chen Zhengyu along behind the other two, still acting all lovey-dovey.
Gao ngting held her bestie’s hand, a little worried. “Feifei, you okay?”
“I’m fine!” Hou Feifei glared at the couple ahead, eyes filled with rage—she wanted to shoot laser beams at them.
In a daze, sothing in her peripheral vision caught her attention.
A tall, upright figure stole her focus in an instant.
He was wearing a white turtleneck sweater on top, paired with black casual pants, phone in hand, eyes scanning the shop signs along the street as if looking for sothing.
Though it was late, the food street was still buzzing.
The orange glow of street lamps and the neon lights weaved together a glowing, shifting tapestry.
His figure moved through the crowd, light and shadow flickering across his sharp features and clear, brilliant eyes.
He looked stunningly handso, completely out of the ordinary—like the male lead of a manga who had stepped into reality, radiating a magnetic aura that no one could ignore.
People nearby were soon drawn to his presence.
Hou Feifei’s recently bruised heart instantly felt comforted—like life was beautiful again.
Yes! When you’re heartbroken, you need to look at gorgeous n!
Though honestly, she had never seen a real-life guy on this level before.
Even most celebrities couldn’t compete.
His body, his face—flawless.
Especially those eyes—black and white with such striking contrast, clear yet deep—absolutely stunning!
Without realizing it, Hou Feifei’s steps slowed.
Behind her, Lu Qian also noticed sothing. She looked up, wanting to say sothing, but her eyes were instantly drawn to the sa scene.
Her gaze sparkled, a blush creeping onto her cheeks, heart suddenly racing.
Noticing the change in atmosphere, Chen Zhengyu stiffened and followed their line of sight, a flash of displeasure in his eyes.
Hou Feifei suddenly tugged her bestie’s hand and threw a quick glance back at Chen Zhengyu. She looked a little shy as she said, “Tingting, I think love is all about… adapting on the fly.”
“Huh?” Gao ngting blinked in confusion. She had no idea what she was talking about.
Hou Feifei grinned. “Rember this brave version of , girl—I’m going to get that guy’s WeChat!”
With that, she let go of Gao ngting’s hand, pulled out her phone, and practically skipped over toward the guy.
Of course, she wasn’t doing this just for romance. She didn’t really expect anything to co of it.
This was mainly just to gross out Chen Zhengyu.
Right in front of him—going after soone taller, hotter, and with way better vibes—it was pure satisfaction.
Watching Hou Feifei walk off, Chen Zhengyu’s brow furrowed tighter and tighter. A wave of frustration and discomfort welled up in his chest.
Gao ngting’s eyes followed her bestie—and landed on a figure she instantly recognized. She froze on the spot.
Lu Qian noticed her reaction and couldn’t help but sneer. “What? You want to go hit on him too, ngting?”
But Gao ngting wasn’t in the mood to respond.
She stared at Tang Song in shock, her heart full of confusion.
Why was he here?
At this ti, wasn’t he supposed to be at the bonfire party?
Then she saw her bestie, Hou Feifei, standing in front of Tang Song, directly holding out her phone, shy but bold.
“Hi, can I add you on WeChat? I know it’s our first ti eting, but I feel like we really have a connection.”
Hearing her voice, Tang Song paused slightly.
He looked at Hou Feifei in front of him, then glanced toward the nearby crowd—and saw Gao ngting.
A clean, bright smile appeared on his face.
Hou Feifei felt a little dizzy from the shock.
“Of course you can. I think we’re really fated too.”
Tang Song’s voice was clear, warm, and full of magnetism.
Hou Feifei thought it sounded familiar, but after several cans of beer and the emotional rollercoaster thanks to Chen Zhengyu and Lu Qian, her whole body was running hot and she didn’t stop to think.
The fact that the male god actually agreed to give his WeChat, and even said they were “fated”—it made her feel like she was floating.
Now that she was up close, the charm of this guy hit even harder.
He was hands down the most outstanding guy she’d ever seen—looks, build, aura—totally unbeatable.
Scan, send request, accepted—smooth and flawless.
Hou Feifei quickly typed in the chat:
“Hi, I’m Hou Feifei. So nice to et you~”
Then, with her cheeks flushed red, she turned around, proudly waved her phone at Gao ngting, shot a smug glance at Chen Zhengyu and Lu Qian, and flashed a radiant smile.
In that mont, she was full of triumph and swagger.
“Ting! What a joke!” Lu Qian huffed coldly, clearly annoyed.
Chen Zhengyu’s expression wasn’t great either.
Just then, that warm voice rang in Hou Feifei’s ears again.
“Hello, Feifei. I’m Tang Song. Nice to et you.”
“...Tang Song? Tang Song...”
Hou Feifei repeated the na in a daze. Her pupils shrank, and she froze like she’d just been struck by lightning. She stiffly looked up.
Their eyes t, and Tang Song blinked at her playfully.
Hou Feifei instinctively took a step back, her face turning bright red, eyes full of disbelief.
Tang Song?! Tang Song?!
That’s Tingting’s boyfriend?!
No way. No freaking way...
While her mind spiraled, Tang Song had already walked over.
He gently ruffled Gao ngting’s hair and spoke with a pampering tone:
“I heard from your friend that you were drunk, so I ca to take care of you. But it looks like you’re doing fine.”
Gao ngting glanced at Hou Feifei and instantly understood what had happened. Her cheeks turned pink.
“Feifei... she’s exaggerating. I only had two cans of beer.”
Tang Song leaned in, bent forward, and kissed her lips softly.
“Mmm—” Gao ngting trembled slightly and instinctively wanted to dodge, but she held still.
BOOM—
Watching that scene, it was like thunder exploded in Hou Feifei’s world.
Ga over.
A full-blown public social death.
Hou Feifei would never be able to lift her head again in this lifeti.
AHHHHHHHH!!!
A mont later, Tang Song pulled back, lips curled in a smile.
“Mm. The alcohol content really wasn’t that high.”
“Hey! Public display of indecency, much?!”
Gao ngting slapped his chest with a glare, her tone playful.
Watching the couple being all lovey-dovey, Lu Qian stood frozen, fists clenched, emotions all tangled.
Chen Zhengyu might be considered excellent, but in front of this guy, he completely faded into the background.
In every aspect, it was like the gap was enormous.
And the worst part—he was Gao ngting’s boyfriend?!
Just then, Tang Song glanced over at the two of them.
His expression was still gentle, but he gave off an unshakable sense of confidence and composure that even made Lu Qian’s heart skip a beat.
She took a deep breath and gave a flirtatious smile.
“Hi, I’m Lu Qian, ngting’s high school classmate.”
Chen Zhengyu saw his girlfriend’s reaction and his face tensed. His gaze flickered, but he didn’t introduce himself.
“Hello, I’m Tang Song.”
Tang Song nodded slightly, voice calm.
Gao ngting furrowed her brows slightly and said quietly,
“We just bumped into them on the street. I only made plans with Feifei today.”
She’d said earlier she was only eting up with the girls. Now that Chen Zhengyu showed up, she was worried Tang Song might misunderstand.
Tang Song smiled and gently took her hand.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you ho.”
Gao ngting bit her lip and said softly,
“You didn’t have to go through all this trouble. Feifei and I live in the sa neighborhood—we can just take a cab.”
She was afraid if Tang Song took her ho himself, they might run into so old neighbors—and then the whole secret would be exposed.
“I ca all the way from Shangri-La to the developnt zone, and you’re gonna just let go back like that?”
Tang Song lightly traced a finger along her palm.
Gao ngting gasped and her face turned even redder.
“Ugh…”
“Co on, I drove over. I’ll take you both ho.”
“…Okay then.”
As the two walked over to the car, Hou Feifei was dying inside, wishing she could crawl into a hole.
“Tingting… I…”
Tang Song’s lips curled into a aningful smile as he turned to Gao ngting and said casually,
“Your friend is… pretty enthusiastic.”
Gao ngting rolled her eyes at her bestie.
Hou Feifei’s face was burning red, arms and legs stiff as boards. She could only awkwardly follow behind.
Then she noticed the awkward expressions on Chen Zhengyu and Lu Qian’s faces—and suddenly felt a lot better.
As they walked out of the pedestrian street, Hou Feifei quickly noticed sothing strange by the road.
A few young guys were huddled there, phones out, excitedly discussing a car.
Amid the noise of the night market, their voices were a bit fuzzy, but a few keywords still caught her attention:
“Bentley Mulsanne,” “over 8 million,” “capital license plate.”
Hou Feifei’s gaze snapped over.
There it was—an elegant and imposing black-and-gold Bentley Mulsanne, quietly parked by the street, exuding unmatched class.
The iconic “Flying B” hood ornant glead under the night sky. The chro grille reflected the streetlights like it was dusted with starlight.
The polished finish gave off a soft glow that seed to absorb all the surrounding noise and clutter.
So cool!
Hou Feifei didn’t know much about cars, but she did know this was one of the top luxury cars out there.
As she stood there dazed, Tang Song calmly walked over to the Bentley, casually reached for the handle.
A crisp unlocking sound rang out as the lights flashed gently.
“Parking’s tough around here, so I just stopped by the roadside. Luckily, it wasn’t too long—I probably won’t get a ticket.”
As he spoke, Tang Song opened the back door.
The warm amber interior lighting flicked on, casting a soft glow that made his already elegant posture seem even more graceful.
Tang Song turned slightly and smiled.
“President Gao, your chauffeur is at your service tonight.”
Under the night sky, standing beside the Bentley Mulsanne, his presence radiated an unmatched nobility—like he lit up the whole street.
Gao ngting’s face lit up with joy as she stepped inside.
Lu Qian watched the scene unfold and felt her throat go dry.
Her eyes brimd with jealousy, fists clenched so tight her nails dug into her palms.
Hou Feifei gasped sharply, feeling like her brain was about to explode.
Holy sh*t—what kind of god-tier boyfriend did Tingting find?
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