A long, long moment later, their lips finally parted.
Lu Chen gazed at the girl in his arms—she was still trembling like a startled fawn—and couldn't help but smile.
This was the first time in years that he had truly looked at this silly little fool up close.
In terms of looks, she far outshone Fang Zixuan. Her figure was even more breathtaking. In the past, though, they had simply been "good friends," and their respective positions had kept a line between them.
But over the years, Anqi had quietly helped him in countless ways.
Now that the window paper had been torn, and since he had always admired her, why not let nature take its course?
"You… you're so bad," Anqi mumbled, face burning crimson. She lightly pounded his chest with her soft little fist and buried her head as if trying to dig a hole in the floor.
Yet inside, sweetness overflowed.
They cuddled for a while longer before happily sitting down to the dinner Anqi had prepared long ago. Just three dishes and a soup—simple home cooking—but every single one was something Lu Chen used to love.
Laughter filled the air; they talked as they ate, and the meal somehow stretched nearly two hours.
Everything that needed to be said was finally laid bare, bringing their hearts even closer. When Anqi heard that Lu Chen had not only acquired the entire Tai Fu Plaza but also bought a whole building in the neighboring Hongyang Grand Mansion, she was stunned speechless for a long, long time.
She didn't pry into how he had done it. To Anqi, as long as Lu Chen was happy, she was happy.
After dinner, Lu Chen took Anqi's hand and brought her to see his new home. The moment they stepped inside, even he—let alone Anqi—was floored.
This was true luxury. The 280 m² penthouse had an intelligent starry-sky ceiling and a wrap-around balcony that offered a panoramic view of the city from inside the living room.
"Tonight… why don't you just stay?"
Standing on the balcony with Anqi in his arms, gazing at the distant lights, Lu Chen leaned close to her ear and whispered.
He felt her instantly tense, but then—she gave the tiniest nod.
The corner of Lu Chen's mouth curled upward. With a sweep of his right arm and a startled squeak from Anqi, he scooped her up in a princess carry and strode inside.
The warm summer-night breeze caressed two swaying silhouettes, painting an intoxicating scene.
Early morning…
[Ding. The mall has refreshed. New items are now available.]
[Host may purchase at will.]
Lu Chen groggily opened his eyes and opened the system panel.
[Item: Villa No.1, Zirui Grand Mansion – Price: 1 yuan]
The moment he saw it, huge waves crashed in his heart.
Having worked in real estate sales before, he knew exactly what Zirui Grand Mansion represented.
If today's Hongyang Grand Mansion was luxury, then Zirui was the pinnacle of luxury. The entire 36-unit Building No.1 at Hongyang had been worth just over 300 million, yet even the cheapest villa in Zirui started above that price.
The better the location and the lower the villa number, the higher the price. A No.3 villa had once sold for a billion. As for No.1? Money alone couldn't buy it. Lu Chen had heard someone once offered 3 billion and was still turned away.
You could imagine just how insane this No.1 villa was.
Before the shock had even faded, another notification rang out.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Yao Anqi's favorability has reached 100%. Reward: Ten Consecutive Surprise Draws!]
"Holy—there's a bonus like this?"
[All prizes from the draw can be redeemed for 1 yuan each. Begin drawing?]
"Start!"
A giant roulette wheel appeared in his mind, every slot marked with a question mark.
Below were two buttons: Single Draw and Ten Consecutive.
"Ten consecutive!"
The wheel spun wildly.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have obtained one case of Gujing Gong vintage liquor – Redemption: 1 yuan]
[Ding! Another case of Gujing Gong – 1 yuan]
[Ding! One case of Moutai – 1 yuan]
[Ding! Another case of Moutai – 1 yuan]
[Ding! One case of Wuliangye – 1 yuan]
[Ding! Another case of Wuliangye – 1 yuan]
"Did I offend the alcohol gods or something?"
Six straight cases of booze—Lu Chen was speechless.
[Ding! Congratulations! Pagani Zonda "Yazi" (one-of-one globally) – 1 yuan]
[Ding! 1 billion Sound Waves – 1 yuan]
[Ding! Instant Mastery Skill Card ×1 – 1 yuan]
[Ding! Super Muscle Enhancement Pill ×1 – 1 yuan]
"Hiss—"
The last four made Lu Chen suck in a sharp breath.
Each one more ridiculous than the last.
Take the Pagani Yazi: a quick search showed it was worth over 40 million USD, one of the "Three Mythical Beasts" of Hua Xia supercars, and literally the only one in existence.
Drive that thing out and the streets would explode; the turn-head rate would be 3000%.
But… 1 billion Sound Waves? That's not cash—he couldn't withdraw it. Was the system telling him to start streaming on Douyin?
The Instant Mastery Skill Card sounded broken just from the name.
And the Super Muscle Enhancement Pill…?
Curious, he redeemed everything and tapped the pill's description.
[Super Muscle Enhancement Pill: Upon consumption, performs marrow-cleansing and bone-reforging, increasing all physical attributes by 10×.]
"Ten times everything?!"
That would put him above even the most elite special forces soldiers in every single aspect.
Lu Chen quietly slipped into the bathroom, locked the door, and examined the pill.
It looked more like an immortal dan than modern medicine—thumb-sized, fiery red, with swirling cloud-like white patterns and a faint, indescribable fragrance.
"System-produced, must be a masterpiece."
Without hesitation, he swallowed it.
"Hsss~~"
Contrary to the agonizing marrow-cleansing scenes in novels, it felt incredibly pleasant—like soaking in a hot spring.
The pill melted into countless warm currents that spread through his body. Black impurities beaded on his skin, giving off a foul smell. His bones and muscles began to wriggle and reform. He knew: he was evolving.
About ten minutes later, the heat dissipated.
Lu Chen rinsed off, stood in front of the mirror, and nearly didn't recognize himself.
His original 178 cm frame had shot up to at least 185 cm. His face was still handsome, but now sharper, more chiseled, radiating a steely aura.
Every muscle was perfectly sculpted, brimming with explosive power.
He had the distinct feeling that one punch right now could punch straight through a wall.
And when he glanced downward… satisfaction level: max.
Grinning, he walked back to the bedroom.
"Anqi~ Time for morning exercise!"