Inside a luxury apartment near Beijing's Second Ring Road, the bedroom lights glowed softly against the dark night outside. The curtains were only half-drawn, allowing faint traces of neon to spill into the room. The air still carried the warmth of steam from the bathroom, mixed with the delicate fragrance of body wash and perfume.
Gao Yuanyuan had barely stepped out after drying her hair when Luo Zheng pulled her back onto the bed.
She let out a startled gasp before his lips captured hers completely.
The kiss was intense, almost domineering. Gao Yuanyuan's fingers instinctively gripped the sheets as she felt herself losing strength beneath him. His hand pressed lightly against the back of her neck, not allowing her even the slightest chance to escape.
Only after a long while did he finally release her enough to breathe.
Her cheeks were already flushed red. Breathing unevenly, she pushed weakly against his chest.
"Wait… my hair still isn't dry yet…"
Her voice was soft and slightly trembling.
Luo Zheng looked at her disheveled appearance and laughed quietly. Instead of letting go, he tightened his arms around her waist.
"I can't wait that long."
His gaze slowly swept across her face.
"Besides… even if it dries now, it'll just get wet again later."
"You…"
Before Gao Yuanyuan could finish speaking, the world spun around her.
Luo Zheng flipped her beneath him effortlessly.
The mattress sank deeply.
The faint scent of shampoo spread through the room as their breaths intertwined again.
Outside the window, the city lights flickered endlessly.
Inside, the atmosphere became hotter and hotter.
An hour later.
The room had finally quieted down.
Luo Zheng leaned against the headboard lazily, one arm resting behind his head while the other lightly traced circles across Gao Yuanyuan's smooth shoulder.
The +1 Constitution reward from the system truly deserved its reputation.
At first, Luo Zheng had thought it was just a simple enhancement.
Now he realized how terrifyingly practical it actually was.
His physical strength, endurance, recovery speed, even overall vitality had improved far beyond ordinary people.
Most importantly…
It was unbelievably useful in situations like this.
Thinking about it carefully, Luo Zheng suddenly felt that among all the rewards he had obtained so far, this might actually be the most cost-effective one.
He silently hoped the system would give him more similar rewards in the future.
Beside him, Gao Yuanyuan curled against his chest like a lazy cat, completely unwilling to move.
At this moment, she felt as though every bone in her body had melted.
There was a strange sense of fulfillment and happiness she had never experienced before.
Compared to this…
Her previous relationship with Zhang Yadong suddenly felt pale and distant.
It was as if all those years had merely been preparation for meeting Luo Zheng.
She raised her head slightly and noticed Luo Zheng staring blankly into space.
"What are you thinking about?"
Her voice was gentle and slightly hoarse.
Luo Zheng lowered his gaze toward her beautiful face and smiled faintly.
"I'm thinking about when we can meet again."
Hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan's heart softened instantly.
She hugged him tighter.
"Then stay one more day."
Her tone carried obvious reluctance.
She already knew Luo Zheng would fly to America tomorrow for the premiere of Saw. Just thinking about being separated made her feel strangely empty inside.
Unfortunately, Luo Zheng shook his head.
"I can't. The premiere is the day after tomorrow."
He paused before adding seriously:
"No matter what, work comes first."
Gao Yuanyuan pouted slightly.
Then suddenly, as though she had made up her mind, she lifted her head and looked directly at him.
"Then I'll go to America with you."
Luo Zheng froze for a moment.
He genuinely hadn't expected her attachment to deepen this quickly.
But after thinking for less than two seconds, alarms immediately rang inside his head.
If Gao Yuanyuan really followed him to America…
Then what about Angelina Jolie?
What about Cate Blanchett?
And the other Hollywood actresses currently eyeing him openly or secretly?
Wouldn't the entire situation explode on the spot?
Naturally, Luo Zheng couldn't allow that to happen.
So his brain rapidly shifted gears.
"Of course you can come," he said calmly. "But didn't you recently accept a new advertisement endorsement?"
Gao Yuanyuan blinked.
"The commercial should start filming soon, right?"
Instantly, her expression stiffened.
Only now did she remember.
The advertisement shoot began the day after tomorrow.
And the endorsement itself had actually been arranged through Luo Zheng's connections.
Seeing her conflicted expression, Luo Zheng secretly sighed in relief.
Sure enough.
Career was still more important than romance for a star in this period.
Gao Yuanyuan buried her face against his chest with grievance.
"I really can't go…"
Luo Zheng gently stroked her hair.
"It's fine. I'll return soon."
"Then you have to call me every day."
She raised her head again, eyes fixed firmly on him.
"And stay away from those flirtatious Hollywood women."
Hearing that, Luo Zheng almost laughed.
But his expression remained perfectly sincere.
"Don't worry."
"At least right now…"
"You're the only one in my heart."
The moment those words entered her ears, Gao Yuanyuan's eyes softened completely.
Women in love were often like this.
Even knowing a man might be dangerous…
They still willingly believed him.
Meanwhile.
Inside the car downstairs.
Liu Yan sat in the driver's seat holding a detailed map of Beijing.
She calmly picked up a red marker and drew another circle on it.
If someone looked closely, they would notice that five separate red marks already existed across the map.
At first glance, the locations seemed random.
But if connected carefully…
They formed a perfect semicircle surrounding Blue Whale Entertainment at the center.
The distances between each location were also surprisingly reasonable.
No matter where Luo Zheng started from, it would be extremely convenient to "visit" the next destination.
Liu Yan stared at the map silently for several seconds before finally putting the cap back on the marker.
Her expression remained emotionless.
Clearly, she had already become completely numb to her boss's lifestyle.
Fifteen minutes later.
At the Ocean Landscape luxury residential complex.
Luo Zheng stepped out of the car after changing into fresh clothes. After confirming there was no lingering trace of Gao Yuanyuan's perfume on him except Liu Yan's familiar scent, he finally headed upstairs.
The moment he opened the apartment door—
Ah Sa immediately ran over.
"You're finally back!"
She wrapped her arms around him naturally.
Her voice carried obvious joy.
Luo Zheng smiled and hugged her back gently.
Inside the living room, Ah Jiao was sitting quietly on the sofa watching television. Seeing him return, she also stood up immediately.
Unlike Ah Sa's outgoing personality, Ah Jiao was far more reserved.
But the happiness in her eyes couldn't be hidden at all.
Since Liu Yan had no relatives in Beijing, Luo Zheng simply had her stay for dinner too.
The atmosphere at the dining table was warm and peaceful.
Ah Sa kept talking about random little things from Hong Kong while occasionally helping Luo Zheng pick food.
Ah Jiao sat quietly beside them, occasionally smiling softly.
However, beneath the cheerful atmosphere, Luo Zheng could still sense their disappointment.
Tomorrow, he would leave for America again.
And they wouldn't know when he'd return.
Even so, neither girl complained.
Instead, they tried their best to keep the mood lively.
Looking at them, Luo Zheng felt an unusual warmth in his chest.
Sometimes he truly believed—
Keeping them by his side had been the correct decision.
The next day.
Luo Zheng boarded a flight to America with only his bodyguards accompanying him.
After more than ten hours in the air, the plane finally landed.
The moment he switched his phone back on, dozens of unread messages flooded the screen.
Without hesitation, Luo Zheng immediately sent a mass text reporting his safe arrival.
At this point, he genuinely missed smartphones.
Managing relationships manually like this was exhausting.
Especially with so many women involved.
Previously, this kind of work had usually been handled by Liu Yan.
Now that she wasn't here, Luo Zheng suddenly realized how troublesome it actually was.
This time, Angelina Jolie couldn't come pick him up due to filming obligations.
So the person waiting outside became Cate Blanchett instead.
The moment Luo Zheng entered the car, Cate practically pounced on him.
Her enthusiasm was so intense it startled even him.
"Cate, wait—"
Luo Zheng grabbed her wrist helplessly.
"This is the airport."
Cate only licked her lips lightly and smiled.
"That's your fault for being too attractive."
Her hand had already begun tugging impatiently at her own clothing.
Luo Zheng almost lost control on the spot.
Still, he forced himself to remain rational.
"This really isn't the right place."
Cate stared at him for two seconds before suddenly stepping hard on the accelerator.
The sports car roared forward instantly.
Five minutes later.
Inside the chairman's office at Marvel headquarters.
Cate finally left with slightly unsteady steps and a satisfied expression.
Luo Zheng stood by the window adjusting his clothes while allowing fresh air to circulate through the room.
Soon afterward, Kevin Feige knocked and entered.
After reporting Marvel Studios' recent progress, he suddenly added:
"Steve Jobs will attend the Saw premiere."
Luo Zheng frowned slightly.
"Why didn't he contact me personally?"
Kevin shrugged.
"We happened to meet at Disney. He asked me to pass the message along."
That answer made Luo Zheng thoughtful.
He knew Jobs wasn't the type to make meaningless moves.
Ever since Luo Zheng had invested in both Apple and Pixar, many things had subtly changed already.
This butterfly effect was growing larger.
Still, Luo Zheng wasn't overly worried.
Perhaps in technical expertise, he couldn't compare to Jobs.
But in terms of future vision?
No one alive could surpass him.
After all…
He already knew how the next twenty years would unfold.
The following day.
After adjusting to the time difference, Luo Zheng finally met Steve Jobs at Disney headquarters.
The iconic black turtleneck.
The familiar beard.
The moment they shook hands, Jobs skipped all pleasantries entirely.
He looked directly into Luo Zheng's eyes and spoke calmly:
"William."
"Are you interested in Pixar's shares?"