Buzz!
Chi Yue felt like her head was about to explode.
Revenge.
This was naked revenge.
In front of countless people in the auditorium, and under the watchful eyes of the cameras, Qiao Dongyang handed her the fake phallus.
That thing, under the lights, emitted a sinister glow similar to the evil in Qiao Dongyang's eyes, pushing the limits of decency to an extreme.
Chi Yue felt she was going crazy.
"Mr. Qiao, I think you must be mistaken," she said.
"No mistake!" Qiao Dongyang slowly pulled out the business card she had personally given him from his pocket and handed it to her along with a derisive smile, "Miss Chi, take this. It's better not to throw such things away willy-nilly. Don't you agree?"
"..."
The gazes from all around made Chi Yue feel a sense of despair.
Qiao Dongyang!
Too damn evil.
Denial was clearly not an option anymore.
Gritting her teeth, Chi Yue slowly took the business card and the plastic object, squeezing out two words through clenched teeth.
"Thanks!"
She shoved the items into her bag and dragged Wang Xueya away to escape the scene.
"Little raven, I take back what I said."
Wang Xueya's heartbeat was faster than hers at this point, panting as she spoke, "What? What did you say?"
Chi Yue: "He's not dim-witted. He's a pervert."
A vindictive pervert at that.
With a minor trick, she had gone from "campus belle" to "campus joke."
...
The "Starwalker" launch event was very successful, and with the high-spirited generosity of Qiao Dongyang's reposting effect, the promotion created a national buzz. Every beauty who thought she was fit enough enrolled, especially those from the aviation school with a relevant background, each dreaming of wandering through space hand in hand with Mr. Qiao...
A bunch of media came out to report.
Some said Qiao Dongyang was ahead of his time, with Dongyang Technology always at the forefront of aerospace technology,
Others said the prodigal son of the Qiao was just good at burning money without sense, always coming up with outrageous ideas.
There were also talks that the show was merely a way for Qiao Dongyang to pick women, and without much effort, he had achieved fame, fortune, and girls all in one go, surpassing even Old Mr. Qiao's business abilities...
At the same time, two more rumors about Chi Yue began to circulate.
One was that she had tried to seduce Qiao Dongyang but ended up being publicly humiliated.
The other was about why she never dated—she had a peculiar predilection.
"What a pity for such a beautiful woman, not to love real men, but to love fake dongs."
This phrase, source unknown, somehow became a popular saying on campus. The guys said that the pressure on modern men was too great, the competition not only included other men but also countless female product manufacturers and non-human tools...
The incident became the subject of much amusement.
Chi Yue turned a deaf ear, pretending to be unaware.
But Wang Xueya, having heard some of the gossip, cried twice out of anger.
"All these people must be full of envy, jealousy, and hate, right? What do they mean by failing to seduce and then getting slapped? Ha, even if they threw themselves at him, Qiao Dongyang wouldn't care to lay a hand on their faces!"
"And what's wrong with sex toys? They've solved so many people's private issues, improved countless marital relationships, and reduced so many criminal offenses in society, right?"
"..."
Chi Yue almost laughed at her friend's words.
"Yeah! So why are you crying so miserably?"
"I'm just annoyed! Really hate those people, they also say you... have issues in that area."
"Uh-huh." Chi Yue, focused on what she was doing, responded lazily, "Not exactly wrong. I do have issues."
"Holy crap!" Wang Xueya suddenly looked up at her, eyes brimming with tears, "Don't tell me... you actually like me?"
Chi Yue paused.
One second later, she burst into uncontrollable laughter.
She grabbed Wang Xueya's face, drew an "X" on it with a pen, and added two small strokes for a mustache on her pouting lips.
"Yes, little raven, I do like you."
"...What a coincidence, so do I! Shall we get together?"
"Hahaha!"
The two women dissolved into laughter.
Soon enough, Wang Xueya calmed down.
Wiping away her tears, she was back to being her tough self.
She began analyzing the "grudge" Chi Yue had incurred with Qiao Dongyang, her curiosity piqued.
"Moonlight, are you caught up in a love triangle? Look, Beast Fighter likes you, and Elder Brother Qiao... the person he actually likes is Beast Fighter? So, Beast Fighter intentionally had you deliver that thing to him to make him give up hope, telling him that you're the woman he actually likes... And then, Elder Brother Qiao, out of love turned sour, waits for an opportunity to get revenge, humiliating you in public..."
"Pfft!"
Chi Yue was utterly amused by her.
"You're wasting your talent not being a screenwriter."
Wang Xueya pouted, "Beast Fighter obviously likes you. Otherwise, why would he buy things and donate trees? What's he after?"
"Even playboys occasionally do charity work, don't make a fuss over it!"
"I think you're just simple-minded..."
Chi Yue ignored her constant chattering, focusing only on organizing the products for her online store.
"Hey honey." Wang Xueya, with her head in the clouds, suddenly elbowed her, "Are you really not going to enter the competition?"
"Not going!" Chi Yue's fingers flew over the keyboard, her eyes not shifting.
"Don't say that! I can't even trust money now. A whole billion, my dear sister!"
"If you get it, it's a billion; if you don't, it's just wasting life."
...
Chi Yue valued practicality in her endeavors.
She saw this kind of talent show with a prize of a billion yuan as nothing more than a commercial stunt by the Qiao Family, essentially a packaging activity that spared them the cost of advertising—how cost-efficient. She simply didn't believe there weren't any shady dealings or pre-determined spots involved.
She wanted to make money, not waste time.
She stayed busy until the evening without even logging off to eat.
That night, while responding to customer inquiries, she suddenly received a call from her mother.
"Honey, do you still have any money there?"
Chi Yue's hand froze as it held the mouse, "Didn't I just transfer fifty thousand to you?"
Her mother's voice was a bit gentle, her tone very difficult, "Honey, your sister... has done something foolish again."
"..."
"She drank the pesticide from the forest shed; I wasn't watching her for a moment..."
Chi Yue's complexion changed drastically.
"Luckily we found her in time, and her life was saved..."
As Chi Yue listened, the lurid images bouncing on her computer screen reflected against her pale face. The air chilled in an instant, as if in one second, she was yanked from the sweltering summer back to that bone-chilling winter.
Struggle.
Roar.
Agony.
The woman's snowy body,
The man's sinful face, flickering with the fire of lust—
Chi Yue stood up, poured herself a glass of ice water, and also pushed open the window.
The night had deepened, and the city was already deserted.
Chi Yue felt that her reflection in the glass window,
At that moment, seemed like a death mask.
"Hello! Honey, are you listening?"
"Yes," Chi Yue grunted, "You said."
Her mother sighed, "The rent for the lands you leased is almost due. Everyone is pressing for payment; it's hard for the folks in the village. I can put them off today but not tomorrow... Why don't we stop leasing? You should just find a good man, get a job, and live your own life, don't worry about these things..."
"Mom!" Chi Yue interrupted her decisively, "I'll send you the money right away."
...
Chi Yue was a bit sensitive to notifications on her phone.
Especially these two.
The first one: "Your savings account ending in 1324... Available balance: 3.63 yuan."
After transferring money.
So poor she could eat dirt.
The second: "Shopkeeper Yue, Beast Fighter, send some stuff over. I've sent you the list—"
1919?
The person messaging was Zheng Xiyuan.
But the room number was the one Qiao Dongyang had stayed in that day.
Chi Yue's eyelid twitched, too tired to deal with it.
"Got a class tomorrow morning, don't want to go out. I'll send you a local express delivery tomorrow morning, okay?"
Zheng Xiyuan replied quickly: "Can't wait. Need it tonight!"
Chi Yue: "..."