The middle-aged man who appeared before Gao Yuan was none other than President Qiao, whom Zhang Ke had met through him.
This President Qiao's name was Qiao Qing. He wasn't a partner of Gao Yuan's, but a competitor in the same industry.
They had met and exchanged a few words at an e-commerce industry networking event organized by Xuanyin. He just never expected Qiao Qing would be the man Zhang Ke left him for.
Right in front of Gao Yuan, Qiao Qing wrapped his arm around Zhang Ke's slender waist and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Darling, what took you so long?"
Zhang Ke turned, pointed at Gao Yuan, and said affectionately to Qiao Qing, "I ran into my boss—and ex-boyfriend. We were just catching up."
Only then did Qiao Qing give Gao Yuan a proper look.
Of course, he knew Zhang Ke used to be Gao Yuan's girlfriend. He had ignored Gao Yuan from the start purely to set the stage for what was to come: a chance to show off.
"President Gao, long time no see!"
A sleazy grin spread across Qiao Qing's face, making the fat on his cheeks jiggle. He offered the greeting but didn't move an inch from where he stood.
Gao Yuan didn't mind. In fact, a brilliant smile lit up his face.
He took two steps closer and gave Qiao Qing a look that said it all—a look every man would understand. "So, how is she?"
Qiao Qing hadn't expected Gao Yuan to be so nonchalant. He was stunned for a second, then glanced at Zhang Ke in his arms. The sleazy look on his face grew even more pronounced. "Hahaha, top-tier!"
However, when he saw the ugly expression on Zhang Ke's face, his smile vanished. He turned to Gao Yuan with a sneer. "Zhang Ke is perfect. You should stop being a toad lusting after a swan."
"You're just a wage slave who's about to be out of a job. Get a grip on reality and stop fantasizing about things you can't have..."
Before Qiao Qing could finish his taunt, the roar of an engine cut him off as a car pulled up smoothly beside them.
The three of them turned in unison to look. A Porsche 718 Boxster in Frozen Berry Metallic was parked quietly beside them. The door swung open, and a tall, slender figure stepped out.
It was none other than Lin Wanyu.
She was wearing the same clothes from when she and Gao Yuan had left the house that morning, but her car had somehow changed from a NIO ET5 to a Porsche 718.
'This little vixen really is a rich girl.'
Lin Wanyu leaned against the car door, waving at Gao Yuan with a dazzling smile. "Honey, are you all done? Didn't you promise last night you'd take me out to have some fun?"
'She and that damn cutesy voice!'
'Such a schemer!'
'The genuine article!'
'And prime-grade stuff, at that!'
'Last night, her voice was all cool and commanding, like an empress, but now it's this delicate, girly tone.'
It didn't just send a shiver down Gao Yuan's spine; even Qiao Qing, standing nearby, was completely mesmerized. He'd let go of Zhang Ke without even realizing it.
Qiao Qing's expression instantly stiffened. His earlier words felt like a vicious slap across his own face.
Zhang Ke was also stunned, biting her lip as she glared at Gao Yuan. "You... You actually..."
'I didn't expect Lin Wanyu to be this much of a pro,' Gao Yuan thought. 'It was one thing for her to completely outshine Zhang Ke in looks and figure, but I can't believe she brought her own prop for showing off—a Porsche.'
'This is a complete and utter beatdown!'
"Hold on a second," Gao Yuan said. "I'm just having a word with my ex-girlfriend's new man."
"Wow, so that's your ex-girlfriend, honey? I thought you were meeting her father! I almost got jealous!"
Now it was Gao Yuan's turn to be stunned. Lin Wanyu's finishing blow was completely unexpected—and utterly vicious.
He watched Qiao Qing's face turn ashen. Zhang Ke shot a furious glare at Lin Wanyu, but Lin Wanyu just looked back at them with a sweet, innocent expression.
Gao Yuan secretly gave Lin Wanyu a thumbs-up. He turned to Qiao Qing, his face a mask of hesitation. He opened his mouth to speak several times before finally letting out a heavy sigh. "The hospital called yesterday... I might have accidentally caught something. You should probably find time to get yourself checked, too."
After saying his piece, Gao Yuan gave Qiao Qing a few pointed looks before walking over to Lin Wanyu.
Qiao Qing's face instantly drained of color. He flinched as if electrocuted, trembling as he shoved Zhang Ke away and stumbled back a few steps. His voice cracking, he yelled at Gao Yuan, "Bro, you can't be serious!"
Seeing Lin Wanyu slide obediently into the passenger seat, Gao Yuan opened the driver's door and got in.
Before driving off, he glanced through the window and saw Qiao Qing, in a fit of rage, slap Zhang Ke across the face. Ignoring her attempts to stop him and explain, Qiao Qing stormed off in his Mercedes-Benz S400, leaving Zhang Ke crying by herself on the curb.
Seeing this, Gao Yuan finally felt avenged. He turned his head and found Lin Wanyu resting her chin in her hands, watching him quietly.
"Is there something on my face?"
"You're a little handsome."
'It was such a cheesy line. Coming from a guy, it would sound cringey and gross. But coming from a woman, especially a beautiful one like Lin Wanyu, how did it sound so refreshing and pleasant?'
It was Gao Yuan's first time driving a Porsche, so he didn't dare to burst out laughing. Instead, he just gave Lin Wanyu a fond smile.
'He was well aware that his looks hadn't actually changed.'
'The new clothes had given him a small confidence boost. That, combined with his new "money power" which had erased the pressures of life, lent him a certain air of calm.'
'Back in the office, he had already mapped out his next steps.'
'Since the company was already pushing him out, he might as well take the severance package and leave. That would give him more time to complete his missions.'
'As for going back to his hometown, he had tossed that idea to the back of his mind the moment his money power awakened.'
'What a joke. He was going to be a tycoon. Could his small, fourth-tier hometown even handle his spending sprees?'
'Besides, with such an interesting and beautiful young woman by his side, how could he bear to leave?'
'As the saying goes: a young man doesn't appreciate a mature woman, mistaking a young girl for a treasure. He had now seen the error of his ways, and it wasn't too late to turn back.'
'His goal was like the Long March—a monumental journey, but not an impossible one. If the older generation could do it, he could too, even if it took him twice as long.'
'He had already made a plan: five kilometers in the morning and five in the evening, for a total of ten kilometers a day. Once his body got used to it, he could add more distance.'
'He might even be able to complete the mission in under three years.'
So, while the current Gao Yuan's appearance and physique hadn't changed, inwardly, he had already undergone a complete metamorphosis.
"I thought you were going home to be with your parents today. How do you have time to be out and about?"
The moment Gao Yuan brought it up, Lin Wanyu, in the passenger seat, launched into an angry rant.
Apparently, after she got home, her mother had brought up her divorce again, hoping she would give her ex-husband another chance and find a time to remarry him.
On top of that, her sister-in-law, who was no saint herself, was also egging her on to get back with him.
Lin Wanyu knew that her mother, having come from a scholarly family, held old-fashioned views on marriage and was more concerned with the Lin Family's reputation.
Her sister-in-law, on the other hand, was just afraid that Lin Wanyu would get a share of the family inheritance. If she remarried, her parents wouldn't worry about her so much, and all the family assets would go to her brother and his wife.
Listening to Lin Wanyu's rant, Gao Yuan understood. Every family has its own problems, regardless of whether they're rich or poor.
'All I can do is try to comfort her from her perspective,' he thought. 'Since we're going shopping later, I'll just buy her a handbag!'
'Maybe a new bag really could cure all ills. Here's hoping it'll make her happy and satisfied!'
The moment this thought formed in Gao Yuan's mind, a notification sound chimed in his head.