Jason sat in the back of his sleek black car, fingers tapping lightly against the window as the city lights streaked by. For a brief moment, Shenna's face — her bright eyes, that shy smile, the warmth of her scarf — lingered in his mind.
But only for a moment.
He took a deep breath, his eyes sharpening again.No, he told himself. Don't get soft. The mission is to gather favorability, stack simp funds, and hit the trillion mark. No woman — not even Shenna — is worth losing focus over.
At most, Shenna could be one of many, maybe even his official girlfriend if she was willing. But that was it. No strings. No attachments.
Still, the thought of her innocence and the way she'd looked at him stirred something uncomfortable in his chest. He frowned and muttered, "Too pure. I need to clear my head."
Unlocking his phone, he opened WhatsApp. The screen instantly filled with unread messages — dozens of them.
Quinn: "Jason, where are you? The cherry blossoms in Central Park are in full bloom. You promised to take photos with your Leica, remember?"
Megan: "Hey, junior, don't forget to dress warm. It's getting cold. I bought you a scarf and gloves — I'll drop them off when you're back on campus."
Holly: "I'll be back in New York the day after tomorrow. Missed me? Too bad it's too cold for another beach trip, huh?"
Grace: "Jason, I got a few new potted plants for my studio. Come check if they match the space when you're free."
Mia: "Jason, you never showed up to my stream like you promised! Are you avoiding me again? 😢"
Lweis: "Mr. Carter, the company's annual event is in two days. Would you like to make an appearance? Major influencers and streamers will be there — lots of beautiful women too."
Jason sighed, rubbing his temples. "Too many women are exhausting."
Still, it wasn't without perks. Grace— or rather Grace — had favorability over 80. It was hard to push higher, though. Girls like them were too rational; they knew what they wanted and kept emotional distance.
But they were fun. Loyal enough to be lovers, independent enough not to cling.
Scrolling down, he tapped open Jinny's chat.
Jason: "Can't sleep?"
Grace: "Hehe, no. My apartment feels too big and cold tonight. Maybe it'd be warmer if someone joined me."
Jason: "Would two people be warm enough?"
She replied instantly: Grace: "Then I'll keep the bed warm for you. Come quickly — I'm not wearing anything."
Jason's lips curled into a smirk. Still bold as ever.
He switched to Grace's chat.
Twenty minutes later, his car pulled up to Graces Residences, one of his private luxury complexes.
Warm lights, soft music, and an all-too-familiar scent greeted him.
They talked for a bit, shared a drink, and then talked no more.
The night blurred quickly into heat and motion.
A couple of hours later, he slipped back into his car, hair slightly messy but his mind clearer — colder.
The warmth from Shenna's scarf was gone, replaced by the heat of other women and the satisfaction of control — emotional, financial, and physical.
As he lay back against the bed, eyes half-open, he smirked to himself.
"Yeah… the pure ones make you forget your purpose," he murmured. "But the others? They remind you who you are."
Just as Jason Carter was about to sleep, the familiar system notification chimed softly in his mind:
"Julia: Favorability +10."
Jason blinked. Huh? Julia again?
Julia—the most beautiful girl at University. On the surface, Mia was known as the campus sweetheart, but in Jason's eyes, Julia was the real deal.
After his generous donation last semester, her favorability had soared by thirty points. Then, after he dealt with that scumbag, she gained another ten. Later, she even sent him homemade seafood risotto and slow-roasted lamb.
Jason remembered thinking back then that this girl was something special.
Her father had gone bankrupt years ago after spending his savings to support underprivileged students, yet they never complained or asked for favors. Their kindness and humility made Jason, a man already surrounded by stunning women, hesitate to get involved.
But now—without doing anything—her favorability had increased again.
Junior, I'll take this as you making the first move, Jason thought with a faint grin.
The next morning, Jason drove back to campus. He planned to finally meet Julia, the quiet sophomore he hadn't spoken to in person yet.
Since he was already there, he decided to drop by his dorm first. When he was about twenty meters away, he spotted a girl standing near the dorm entrance, speaking softly to the dorm supervisor.
She wore a simple faded blue cardigan and a modest skirt, with old but spotless white sneakers. Despite the plain outfit, her posture was graceful, her long brown hair cascading over her shoulders like silk.
As she handed a paper bag to the supervisor and turned to leave, Jason caught a glimpse of her face—and even though he had just been with Shenna last night, his heart still skipped a beat.
No makeup. No jewelry. Yet her features were so delicate that they seemed unreal—soft eyes like twilight stars, a slender nose, gentle lips, and skin that looked like porcelain touched by moonlight.
If Shenna was an alluring beauty from high society, then Julia was the kind of beauty that stirred a quiet warmth in your chest—the kind you instinctively wanted to protect.
That has to be her, Jason thought. Her favorability rose last night, and now she's here bringing me food? Junior, you really are making the first move.
He walked toward her.
Julia noticed and hesitated slightly before approaching. Her voice was soft but steady:"Hi, Jason. I'm Julia, sophomore in the Engineering Department."
"Nice to meet you, Julia." Jason smiled lightly. A poetic line flashed through his mind—something about moonlight on water, serene and unreachable. So that's where her name comes from, he thought.
Julia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She was quiet, but there was no fear in her tone."You probably don't know me. I was one of the students who benefited from your two-hundred-thousand-dollar scholarship fund last semester. And later, when you exposed Walter's corruption and my family's construction company was restored, we were once again helped by you."
"Thanks to that, my family managed to survive. Then, with the tourism boom, our paint and plaster business picked up again. My father can finally sleep peacefully."
"I didn't want to disturb you," she continued with a faint, embarrassed smile. "But since I happened to see you today, I wanted to thank you personally. My grandmother sent me some homemade dumplings this morning. I can't finish them all, so I gave some to the dorm supervisor for you. I hope you'll like them."
Jason's lips curved upward. So that's why her favorability jumped. She actually thought the tourism revival was my doing? Junior, you're too sincere for your own good.
"It was really nothing," Jason replied with a chuckle. "You don't have to be so formal. Just call me Jason. And… those dumplings sound amazing. The risotto and lamb you sent before were incredible. I can't wait to try these."
At his words, Julia blinked in surprise—then, seeing the slightly hungry look in his eyes, she couldn't help but laugh softly.
It was a tiny smile, lips curving without showing her teeth, gentle and fleeting—but in that moment, the morning sunlight seemed to bend around her, and every flower on campus might as well have bowed its head.
Jason stared for a second, then smiled to himself.
Yeah, he thought. Junior, you've completely caught my attention now.
Olivia(not his assistent) change to Julia [the girl from chapter 66]
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