Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Lin Yuan Becomes Class Monitor, Triggering a Choice

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Yuan takes Gu Lianyin’s hand in the classroom, making her blush and briefly pull away out of embarrassment. He takes her hand again, reassuring her.
• Gu Lianyin asks whether Lin Yuan has forgiven her for a previous incident. He confirms that he has, bringing her great happiness.
• Lin Yuan privately considers confessing his love and asking Gu Lianyin to become his girlfriend, but decides to wait for a more romantic opportunity.
• Their affectionate behavior attracts the attention of classmates, who cannot understand why Lin Yuan prefers Gu Lianyin despite his popularity and many admirers.
• During math class, Lin Yuan effortlessly solves several difficult problems. Impressed by his intelligence and reputation, Teacher Wang nominates him for class monitor.
• Nearly the entire class votes for Lin Yuan, making him the new monitor of Class Six.
• Gu Lianyin playfully congratulates him, while Lin Yuan jokingly threatens to make her sweep the floor. He instead offers to tutor her if she ranks in the top ten on the next exam, and she accepts.
• On his way home, a woman claiming to be Gu Lianyin’s second sister-in-law confronts Lin Yuan. She reveals that Lianyin deliberately makes herself look unattractive at school.
• The woman offers Lin Yuan money to continue dating Lianyin while secretly photographing them kissing or embracing. She promises even more money if he can trick Lianyin into sleeping with him and obtain compromising pictures.
• The system activates and presents Lin Yuan with four choices: accept or reject the bribe, with rewards increasing depending on whether he satisfies or angers the woman.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan: Demonstrates affection and patience toward Lianyin, confirms that he has forgiven her, and considers seriously protecting her and making her his girlfriend. His intelligence and ability earn him the position of class monitor. He also faces a moral test when offered money to betray Lianyin.
• Gu Lianyin: Shows her shyness and deep affection for Lin Yuan. She is relieved when he forgives her and becomes openly delighted by their renewed closeness. She also trusts his tutoring and encouragement.
• The unnamed woman: Is revealed to be manipulative and hostile toward Lianyin’s family. She wants to obtain scandalous evidence to damage Lianyin and punish her relatives.
• Teacher Wang: Recognizes Lin Yuan’s academic ability, leadership qualities, and popularity, selecting him as the most suitable class monitor.
• Classmates: Remain puzzled by Lin Yuan’s devotion to Lianyin, judging her appearance and failing to understand their emotional connection.

Significant Themes

• Trust and forgiveness: Lin Yuan and Lianyin’s hand-holding symbolizes reconciliation and the strengthening of their relationship.
• Love versus social judgment: Their classmates focus on beauty, popularity, and status, while Lin Yuan values Lianyin personally.
• Integrity and temptation: The bribe creates a direct conflict between financial gain and loyalty to someone Lin Yuan cares about.
• Hidden identity and deception: Lianyin’s unattractive appearance is revealed to be intentional, suggesting deeper family or social pressures.
• Responsibility and leadership: Lin Yuan’s appointment as monitor reflects his academic excellence, authority, and growing role among his peers.

Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan and Lianyin share a tender reconciliation, flirt playfully, and encourage each other academically.
• Teacher Wang evaluates Lin Yuan’s mathematical ability before recommending him as monitor.
• Classmates react with disbelief and jealousy to Lin Yuan and Lianyin’s intimacy.
• The woman confronts Lin Yuan privately, attempting to manipulate him into betraying Lianyin.
• The chapter ends before Lin Yuan chooses among the system’s four options, creating a moral and strategic cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Yuan rejects the option of accepting ten thousand yuan from Gu Lianyin’s second sister-in-law, recognizing that the money is being used to humiliate him.
• He kicks the money into the road and verbally attacks her appearance, arrogance, and malicious behavior.
• He reveals that he recorded their conversation and threatens to send it to Gu Lianyin, frightening the woman because the recording could expose her scheming.
• When she attempts to slap him, Lin Yuan catches her wrist and retaliates with a slap.
• She attacks him again, but Lin Yuan’s Grandmaster Combat Skill allows him to overpower her easily. He trips her and pins her face-first to the ground in front of numerous pedestrians.
• The confrontation is photographed and shared online with the caption that a student beat up a BMW-driving woman.
• Lin Yuan releases her and tells her she can call the police, confident that surveillance footage will prove he acted in self-defense.
• Humiliated and unable to regain control of the situation, the woman leaves in her BMW, abandoning the money.
• After the system confirms that he completed his chosen option, Lin Yuan retrieves the money and returns to his villa.
• He claims three mystery physical rewards:
  1. A high-end Huawei Mate 40 RS Porsche Design phone.
  2. A Porsche 911, already parked in his garage and registered in his name.
  3. A powerful facial-mask formula capable of restoring skin to its condition from ten years earlier.
• Lin Yuan realizes the formula could provide the foundation for a profitable cosmetics company. He also reflects on his growing wealth from Soaring Holdings and his future-news abilities.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Yuan: Demonstrates increasing confidence, fearlessness, and physical ability. He refuses to be manipulated, retaliates against humiliation, and uses the system rewards strategically. His interest in commercializing the face-mask formula suggests he is beginning to think like an entrepreneur.
• Gu Lianyin’s second sister-in-law: Her cruelty, arrogance, and obsession with family wealth become clear. Her attempt to humiliate Lin Yuan backfires, exposing her emotional instability and leaving her publicly disgraced.
• Gu Lianyin: Although absent from the scene, her negative feelings toward her relatives motivate Lin Yuan’s decision to resist and record the confrontation.

3. Significant Themes

• Justice and retaliation: Lin Yuan responds to deliberate humiliation and physical aggression, framing his actions as self-defense.
• Pride and public humiliation: The second sister-in-law’s arrogance collapses when she is defeated and embarrassed before a crowd.
• Power and social status: Wealth, luxury possessions, and family influence fail to intimidate Lin Yuan, whose system-enhanced abilities give him greater power.
• Opportunity and ambition: The facial-mask formula represents a major business opportunity and signals Lin Yuan’s transition from merely receiving wealth to creating an enterprise.
• Consequences of malicious behavior: The woman’s schemes ultimately damage her own reputation more than Lin Yuan’s.

4. Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan and the second sister-in-law engage in a hostile verbal confrontation over the money and her attempt to demean him.
• When she attacks physically, Lin Yuan blocks her, slaps her, and pins her to the ground.
• She threatens to involve the police, but Lin Yuan confidently challenges her to do so, emphasizing the surveillance evidence and her role as the initial aggressor.
• Their conflict ends with her fleeing in humiliation while Lin Yuan retains both his dignity and the abandoned money.
• Afterward, Lin Yuan interacts with the system, which rewards him with luxury goods, a sports car, and a valuable cosmetics formula.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After reviewing several Future News Events, Lin Yuan finds no immediate business opportunities but gains inspiration from a face-mask formula reward.
• He decides to acquire a struggling company that is close to bankruptcy. To fund the purchase, he sells 0.2% of his shares in Soaring Holdings, completing the complicated process during the morning.
• Lin Yuan arranges to meet the company’s representative, Su Yan, that evening.
• After school, he drives his white Porsche to the company, attracting attention from onlookers and astonishing the employees waiting outside.
• Su Yan reveals that the company needs at least 50 million yuan to avoid bankruptcy.
• Instead of negotiating, Lin Yuan immediately offers 100 million yuan to acquire the company.
• He asks Su Yan to remain as the company’s manager and continue running it as before, promising not to interfere in its operations.
• Impatient because he has dinner plans with Gu Lianyin and Ling Wanqing, Lin Yuan gives Su Yan a bank card containing the full 100 million before the contract is finalized.
• After confirming the balance, Su Yan is left stunned by the young student’s immense wealth and unconventional behavior.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan demonstrates increasing confidence, decisiveness, and financial power. He treats the acquisition as a simple transaction and shows little concern about spending a large sum, focusing instead on obtaining the company for his future business plans.
• He also appears considerate toward the existing management, allowing Su Yan to retain control of daily operations.
• Su Yan is portrayed as a capable but exhausted businesswoman who has struggled for years to build her company. Facing bankruptcy has left her emotionally worn down, but Lin Yuan’s offer gives her renewed hope.
• Her initial skepticism toward Lin Yuan gradually changes into shock and acceptance as he proves that he can provide the promised funds.

Significant Themes

• Wealth and power: Lin Yuan’s enormous resources allow him to resolve a major business crisis almost effortlessly.
• Appearances versus reality: Su Yan and her employees initially see Lin Yuan as merely a student because of his school uniform, but his luxury car and 100-million-yuan payment reveal his true status.
• Opportunity and risk: Lin Yuan turns a failing company into a potential investment opportunity, showing his willingness to act boldly.
• Desperation and redemption: Su Yan’s company is on the verge of collapse, while Lin Yuan’s intervention offers it a chance to survive.
• Unconventional leadership: Lin Yuan becomes an owner who provides capital but intends to leave the company’s experienced manager in charge.

Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan speaks with the company’s representative by phone and arranges the meeting.
• At the company, Su Yan and her core employees are shocked to see the prospective buyer arrive in a school uniform.
• During their negotiation, Lin Yuan directly asks how much money is needed, then surprises Su Yan by offering twice the required amount.
• He asks her to continue working for him, and she agrees because the investment saves the company from bankruptcy.
• Lin Yuan’s rushed departure and decision to hand over the money before signing the contract leave Su Yan utterly bewildered, culminating in her question: “What kind of boss was this?”

Chapter Summary: Lin Yuan Held Ling Wanqing’s Hand

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Yuan returns to meet Gu Lianyin and Ling Wanqing at an elegant restaurant. He intends to evaluate Su Yan before entrusting her with the face-mask formula, hoping to become a hands-off business owner.
• At dinner, Lin Yuan secretly holds Gu Lianyin’s hand beneath the table. Lianyin becomes shy and pleased, while Ling Wanqing teases her about previously not wanting Lin Yuan to participate in Song and Youth because she wanted him to stay with her.
• After dinner, Ling Wanqing suggests watching a movie. Since Lin Yuan cannot yet explain how he obtained his car, the three take a taxi to the cinema.
• During the film, Lin Yuan tries to hold Gu Lianyin’s hand, but accidentally grabs Ling Wanqing’s hand instead. He initially mistakes it for Lianyin’s because Ling’s hand is resting near Lianyin.
• Once the misunderstanding is discovered, Lin Yuan quickly lets go. Ling Wanqing realizes he was the one holding her hand and becomes deeply embarrassed, while Gu Lianyin remains unaware of what happened.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan: Shows affection toward Gu Lianyin but remains cautious about revealing his wealth and circumstances. His accidental hand-holding of Ling Wanqing creates an awkward romantic complication.
• Gu Lianyin: Displays strong affection for Lin Yuan, becoming shy when he holds her hand and inwardly frustrated that he does not initiate physical contact during the movie. She is playful, innocent, and unaware of the mistake involving Ling Wanqing.
• Ling Wanqing: Acts as a teasing friend and instigator of the movie outing. Her accidental first hand-holding experience with Lin Yuan leaves her flustered and conflicted, especially because she believes he is Gu Lianyin’s boyfriend.

Significant Themes

• Romantic tension and misunderstandings: The accidental hand-holding creates a potentially important emotional complication between Lin Yuan and Ling Wanqing.
• Hidden feelings: Gu Lianyin’s inner thoughts reveal her desire for greater intimacy, while Ling Wanqing’s embarrassment hints at a new awareness of Lin Yuan.
• Secrecy and caution: Lin Yuan continues concealing the source of his wealth and avoids drawing attention to his car or business plans.
• Comedy through mistaken identity: The dark theater and hand-placement mix-up produce an awkward but humorous situation.

Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin share a subtly affectionate moment when he holds her hand at dinner.
• Ling Wanqing openly teases Gu Lianyin about her attachment to Lin Yuan, exposing feelings Lianyin would rather keep private.
• During the movie, Lin Yuan unknowingly holds Ling Wanqing’s hand, while she mistakes his action for an intentional romantic gesture before realizing the truth.
• The chapter ends with Ling Wanqing and Lin Yuan silently hiding their embarrassment, while Gu Lianyin happily watches the film, unaware of the incident.

Chapter Summary: “Lin Yuan Steps In, Lianyin Slaps Her Second Sister-in-Law”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After watching a movie together, Lin Yuan, Gu Lianyin, and Ling Wanqing return home awkwardly. Ling Wanqing remains embarrassed after the romantic atmosphere of the movie, while Lin Yuan pretends nothing unusual happened.
• Over the following days, Lin Yuan finalizes a business contract with Su Yan. After deciding she is trustworthy, he gives her his face-mask formula and entrusts her with the entire production, testing, marketing, and sales process.
• Lin Yuan later accompanies Gu Lianyin home after her exam results reveal that her grades have slipped slightly. Although she remains second in the class, Lin Yuan plans to tutor her.
• Lianyin repeatedly tries to avoid studying by suggesting food and street markets, but Lin Yuan agrees to let her eat first before tutoring.
• On the way, several tattooed thugs confront them. They reveal that someone paid them to injure Lin Yuan and take his phone.
• Lianyin bravely offers to pay the thugs twice their fee to protect Lin Yuan. The thugs mock and insult her, but Lin Yuan steps in when it becomes clear they intend to attack him regardless.
• Using his Grandmaster Combat Skill, Lin Yuan defeats all the thugs with ease. When one pulls a knife, Lianyin rushes to warn him, but Lin Yuan calmly disarms the attacker and dislocates his wrist.
• Lin Yuan forces the leader to reveal who hired them. The culprit turns out to be Gu Lianyin’s second sister-in-law.
• Lin Yuan and Lianyin confront her at a nearby restaurant. The woman attempts to intimidate them by invoking her husband’s position in the Gu Corporation.
• Before Lin Yuan can respond, Lianyin angrily steps forward and slaps her second sister-in-law across the face.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan: Demonstrates both emotional restraint and overwhelming combat ability. He protects Lianyin without hesitation, remains calm under threat, and takes responsibility for uncovering the person behind the attack. He also shows growing trust in Su Yan by giving her control of his business formula.
• Gu Lianyin: Becomes increasingly affectionate and emotionally attached to Lin Yuan. Though frightened by the thugs, she courageously tries to protect him with money and later rushes toward him when a knife appears. Her fear turns into anger when she discovers that her own family member betrayed them, leading her to slap her second sister-in-law.
• Ling Wanqing: Remains shy and embarrassed after the movie, suggesting that her feelings or awareness of the romantic tension with Lin Yuan are deepening.
• Su Yan: Gains Lin Yuan’s trust and is given major responsibility for developing and commercializing the face-mask business.
• Gu Lianyin’s second sister-in-law: Is revealed as vindictive and manipulative. She uses her connection to a Gu Corporation director to threaten others and hires thugs to attack Lin Yuan.

Significant Themes

• Protection and loyalty: Lianyin’s willingness to spend her own money and place herself in danger shows her devotion to Lin Yuan, while Lin Yuan responds by protecting her decisively.
• Romantic development: Their playful walk, hand-holding, Lianyin’s happiness at feeling in love, and her intense concern during the fight strengthen their relationship.
• Betrayal within family: The attack is especially shocking because it was ordered by Lianyin’s own second sister-in-law, emphasizing the danger of internal family conflict.
• Power versus intimidation: The second sister-in-law relies on status and threats, while Lin Yuan’s competence and Lianyin’s courage render those threats ineffective.
• Emerging independence: Lianyin moves from hiding behind Lin Yuan to standing beside him and confronting the person responsible herself.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan and Lianyin share affectionate, teasing moments while walking and planning their meal and tutoring session.
• Lianyin seeks refuge behind Lin Yuan when confronted, then reverses roles by attempting to protect him and later warning him about the knife.
• Lin Yuan comforts Lianyin after the fight by wiping away her tears and assuring her that he is unharmed.
• Lin Yuan confronts the thugs to identify their employer, while Lianyin confronts her second sister-in-law directly.
• The chapter ends with Lianyin asserting herself through a decisive slap, marking a strong emotional and familial confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “The Frightened Second Sister-in-Law Gu Lianyin”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Lianyin discovers that her second sister-in-law was behind the gang of punks who attacked Lin Yuan.
• Furious, Lianyin slaps her sister-in-law and confronts her. The woman tries to threaten Lianyin by exposing her relationship with Lin Yuan to the Gu Family, but Lianyin remains unconcerned.
• Lin Yuan reveals that he has a recording connected to the woman’s scheme. Using it as leverage, he demands one million in compensation for the attack.
• Terrified that the recording will be exposed, the second sister-in-law quickly transfers the money to Lianyin.
• Even after agreeing to the compensation, the woman is frightened into hiding upstairs while Lianyin and Lin Yuan deliberately remain in the restaurant. Lianyin later ambushes and slaps her again on the staircase.
• Lianyin and Lin Yuan eat dinner while the woman remains trapped upstairs, unable to leave without encountering them.
• After learning the full details of the recording and realizing that her sister-in-law had plotted something especially malicious against Lin Yuan, Lianyin becomes furious again and threatens to beat her.
• Lin Yuan and Lianyin eventually leave, tricking the woman into believing they are still waiting downstairs. Once outside, Lianyin happily celebrates having intimidated her sister-in-law.

Character Development

• Gu Lianyin: Displays a fierce, protective side when Lin Yuan is attacked, confronting her sister-in-law without hesitation. Afterward, she worries that her anger may have made her seem unladylike, but Lin Yuan reassures her that she acted appropriately. Her admiration and affection for Lin Yuan deepen after witnessing his fighting ability.
• Lin Yuan: Remains calm and practical amid Lianyin’s anger. He restrains her when necessary, uses the recording to secure compensation, and comforts her afterward. His ability to defeat the attackers impresses Lianyin and strengthens her sense of security around him.
• Second sister-in-law: Changes from a scheming and arrogant instigator into a frightened, submissive woman. Once threatened with exposure and confronted by Lianyin, she repeatedly begs for mercy, hides in a private room, and avoids leaving the restaurant.

Significant Themes

• Protection and loyalty: Lianyin’s anger stems from her determination to defend Lin Yuan, while Lin Yuan protects her from acting too recklessly.
• Justice and revenge: The sister-in-law is forced to pay financially and is humiliated after orchestrating the attack.
• Power reversal: The woman initially believes she has control through threats and hired thugs, but Lin Yuan and Lianyin quickly reverse the situation.
• Growing affection: Lianyin’s admiration for Lin Yuan increases as she sees his strength, composure, and ability to make her feel safe.
• Comic intimidation: The chapter uses the sister-in-law’s repeated attempts to escape and hiding upstairs for humorous effect.

Character Interactions

• Lianyin aggressively confronts and slaps her second sister-in-law, while the latter alternates between threats, apologies, and pleas for mercy.
• Lin Yuan restrains Lianyin, negotiates the one-million compensation, and reassures her that her fierce behavior was justified.
• The couple shares a relaxed meal while deliberately keeping the frightened woman trapped upstairs.
• After dinner, Lianyin confronts the locked door and threatens her sister-in-law again, then playfully praises Lin Yuan for defeating the punks and tries to inspect whether he has abdominal muscles.

Chapter Summary: “Transfer Student, Lianyin’s Suitor Appears”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Lianyin playfully lifts Lin Yuan’s shirt and discovers his developing abs, creating a teasing and intimate moment between them.
• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin return home, where Lin Yuan tutors her. Ling Wanqing joins them and realizes that Lin Yuan’s clear teaching is the reason Lianyin’s grades have improved so quickly.
• After tutoring, Gu Lianyin gives Lin Yuan clothes she bought for him. She also tries to repay the one million yuan compensation she received, but Lin Yuan refuses, saying he does not need the money.
• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin share a romantic moment. He nearly kisses her but instead kisses her forehead, honoring his promise to her mother not to enter a romantic relationship with her.
• Su Yan informs Lin Yuan that the facial-mask formula is difficult and expensive to produce because some ingredients are rare. She is already working to obtain them, after which the product will undergo testing.
• A squirrel repeatedly bothers Lin Yuan at his window. Eventually, Xiao Ke brings a cage, allowing Lin Yuan to capture the squirrel and send it away to be raised.
• Lin Yuan gives his mother tens of thousands of yuan, claiming that he earned it through stock investments made with help from his girlfriend. His mother worries about the girl’s wealthy family but encourages him not to disappoint her and asks to meet her.
• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin continue communicating affectionately over the weekend. Lianyin becomes nervous when she learns that Lin Yuan has told his mother about her.
• On Monday, a handsome transfer student, Li Mao, joins the class. He is revealed to be one of Gu Lianyin’s former suitors and appears to have transferred specifically to pursue her again.
• Li Mao publicly asks to sit beside Gu Lianyin, setting up a new source of conflict.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan: Shows growing confidence and physical improvement. He remains considerate toward Lianyin, balancing his feelings for her with his promise to her mother. He is also becoming more financially capable and responsible, supporting both his family and business projects.
• Gu Lianyin: Becomes increasingly affectionate toward Lin Yuan and is clearly disappointed when he stops at a forehead kiss. Her improving academic performance reflects Lin Yuan’s influence. Despite her romantic feelings, she remains uncomfortable with aggressive attention from Li Mao.
• Lin Xianglan: Learns that her son has a wealthy girlfriend and worries about the social gap between them. Her main concern is that Lin Yuan treat the girl sincerely.
• Su Yan: Continues helping develop Lin Yuan’s facial-mask product, demonstrating resourcefulness by locating rare ingredients.
• Li Mao: Is introduced as handsome, persistent, and confident, but his past pursuit of Lianyin suggests he may disregard her boundaries.

Significant Themes

• Romantic restraint and emotional tension: Lin Yuan and Lianyin clearly care for each other, but their relationship is constrained by her mother’s rules.
• Growing independence and success: Lin Yuan is becoming stronger, wealthier, and more capable through exercise, investing, tutoring, and business development.
• Family approval and social differences: Lin Yuan’s mother worries whether Lianyin’s wealthy family will accept him.
• Respect versus unwanted pursuit: Lianyin dislikes Li Mao’s extravagant and persistent courtship, contrasting with Lin Yuan’s more restrained and considerate behavior.
• Youthful affection: Teasing, gifts, texting, and nervousness about meeting parents show the relationship becoming more serious.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin: Share playful intimacy, tutoring sessions, gifts, and an almost-kiss that confirms their mutual attraction.
• Lin Yuan and Ling Wanqing: Ling Wanqing observes and joins Lin Yuan’s tutoring, recognizing his academic ability.
• Lin Yuan and Su Yan: Discuss practical obstacles in producing the facial-mask formula.
• Lin Yuan and Lin Xianglan: Discuss his supposed stock profits and girlfriend, with his mother offering cautious support.
• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin by phone: Exchange affectionate messages about meeting each other’s parents.
• Gu Lianyin and Li Mao: Their reunion immediately creates tension, as Lianyin is annoyed by his unwanted pursuit while he openly seeks to sit beside her.

Chapter Summary: Teaching Li Mao How to Pursue His Own Girlfriend

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mao, a wealthy transfer student who entered the school through his family’s influence, deliberately arranges to sit near Gu Lianyin.
• Gu Lianyin strongly rejects sitting with him, so Li Mao takes the seat behind her instead.
• It becomes clear that Li Mao transferred specifically to pursue Gu Lianyin, who is already Lin Yuan’s girlfriend.
• When Lin Yuan holds Gu Lianyin’s hand in front of him, Li Mao realizes that their relationship is genuine and becomes jealous and hostile.
• After school, Li Mao waits outside with a flashy sports car, a bouquet, and an exaggerated confession. He publicly declares that he intends to pursue Gu Lianyin and asks her to ride home with him.
• Gu Lianyin angrily rejects him, takes Lin Yuan’s hand, and leaves with him. Li Mao is humiliated and crushes the bouquet, unable to understand why Lin Yuan is preferred over him.
• The following day, Li Mao offers Lin Yuan money to abandon Gu Lianyin. Lin Yuan rejects the offer, explaining that he would not leave her even for one hundred million yuan.
• Lin Yuan criticizes Li Mao’s approach, pointing out that wealth, appearance, and grand gestures cannot win over everyone—especially someone like Gu Lianyin.
• Li Mao changes tactics, becoming more restrained and using casual conversations instead of openly declaring his love. This slightly reduces Gu Lianyin’s dislike of him.
• However, he continues intruding on Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin’s time, following them to meals and after school and pretending not to notice their intimacy.
• Believing this strategy is damaging their relationship, Li Mao smugly pays an acquaintance who advised him.
• The chapter ends by revealing that this supposed adviser is actually Lin Yuan using an alternate account, secretly teaching Li Mao how to pursue his own girlfriend.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan: Demonstrates confidence, emotional maturity, and protectiveness toward Gu Lianyin. He refuses Li Mao’s bribe without hesitation and cleverly manipulates Li Mao by posing as a dating adviser.
• Gu Lianyin: Shows strong resistance to Li Mao and deep trust in Lin Yuan. Her affection becomes clear through her physical closeness and willingness to take Lin Yuan’s hand publicly.
• Li Mao: Begins as an arrogant, entitled rival who assumes money, status, and appearance will guarantee success. After rejection, he becomes jealous and experiments with subtler methods, though he remains intrusive and immature.
• Teacher Wang: Is pressured into accommodating Li Mao because of the student’s family connections, highlighting the influence of wealth and privilege within the school.
• The unnamed adviser/friend: Secretly acts as Lin Yuan’s alternate identity, exploiting Li Mao’s arrogance and lack of romantic understanding.

Significant Themes

• Love versus wealth and status: Li Mao believes money, family power, and attractiveness can purchase affection, but Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin’s relationship demonstrates that genuine emotional connection cannot be bought.
• Maturity versus entitlement: Lin Yuan’s calm judgment contrasts with Li Mao’s childish, possessive behavior.
• Respecting personal choice: Gu Lianyin repeatedly makes her refusal clear, while Li Mao continues pursuing her and disregarding her wishes.
• Manipulation and irony: Lin Yuan turns Li Mao’s own desire to learn romantic tactics against him, creating dramatic irony because the “advice” is secretly coming from his rival.
• Jealousy and possessiveness: Li Mao treats Gu Lianyin as something already meant for him, revealing his inability to accept her autonomy or relationship with Lin Yuan.

Character Interactions

• Teacher Wang accommodates Li Mao’s demands because of his family’s influence, while Gu Lianyin openly resists being forced into proximity with him.
• Lin Yuan silently asserts his relationship with Gu Lianyin by holding her hand, provoking Li Mao’s jealousy.
• Gu Lianyin reassures Lin Yuan through her affectionate response when he promises not to let Li Mao take her away.
• Li Mao confronts Lin Yuan with a monetary offer, but Lin Yuan rejects the idea and lectures him about pursuing the right person in the right way.
• Li Mao repeatedly inserts himself into Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin’s activities, attempting to undermine their closeness.
• In the final twist, Lin Yuan secretly interacts with Li Mao as a false adviser, guiding his rival’s pursuit while preserving his own relationship.

Chapter Summary: “Li Mao Was Dumbfounded”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Yuan agrees to help Li Mao pursue Gu Lianyin, but secretly turns the situation into a prank.
• He first advises Li Mao to ignore Gu Lianyin for two days, making Li Mao believe that “playing hard to get” is working.
• Lin Yuan then tells Li Mao that Gu Lianyin likes arrogant “bad boys” and persuades him to become the leader of the school delinquents.
• Using his superhuman abilities, Li Mao gathers a group of delinquents and begins confronting students who bully weaker classmates.
• Lin Yuan pushes him to personally participate in fights and act more aggressively. Li Mao is repeatedly beaten, suffers a swollen face, bruises, and loses a tooth.
• Believing Gu Lianyin will be impressed by his toughness, Li Mao continues fighting even when school authorities intervene. The principal warns him, and his mother is eventually summoned.
• Lin Yuan continues manipulating Li Mao through messages, convincing him that Gu Lianyin secretly cares about his injuries.
• When Gu Lianyin leaves for the restroom, Lin Yuan sends Li Mao a false message claiming that she is being attacked by several girls.
• Li Mao rushes into the girls’ restroom to “save” her, only to be driven out and confronted by a female teacher.
• The chapter ends with Li Mao being sent to the principal’s office, completely confused and unable to understand how his heroic rescue attempt went wrong.

Character Developments

• Li Mao: Becomes increasingly gullible and devoted to Lin Yuan’s advice. He transforms from a persistent admirer into an overly aggressive “hero,” enduring repeated injuries and disciplinary trouble in pursuit of Gu Lianyin. His confidence collapses when his supposed rescue mission backfires.
• Lin Yuan: Reveals a mischievous and manipulative side. He cleverly exploits Li Mao’s romantic obsession, giving advice that appears helpful but actually causes Li Mao embarrassment and trouble.
• Gu Lianyin: Enjoys watching Lin Yuan deceive Li Mao and becomes more aware of Lin Yuan’s cunning nature. She shows little sympathy for Li Mao and even suggests that Lin Yuan’s scheme has not gone far enough.
• The principal and teachers: Act as authorities attempting to restrain Li Mao’s increasingly disruptive behavior.

Significant Themes

• Romantic foolishness and gullibility: Li Mao blindly follows advice because he desperately wants Gu Lianyin’s affection.
• Manipulation and deception: Lin Yuan turns ordinary dating advice into an elaborate prank, demonstrating how easily Li Mao can be controlled.
• Misguided heroism: Li Mao believes violence and dramatic rescues will make him attractive, but his actions only create injuries and disciplinary consequences.
• Comedy through misunderstanding: The humor comes from Li Mao interpreting every event as evidence that Lin Yuan’s plan is succeeding, even when everything is clearly going wrong.

Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin share the joke, with Gu Lianyin laughing at Li Mao’s behavior and encouraging Lin Yuan’s prank.
• Li Mao repeatedly messages Lin Yuan for advice, thanking him with money and treating him as a brilliant romantic strategist.
• Li Mao attempts to impress Gu Lianyin through fighting and exaggerated confidence, while she observes him mainly with amusement.
• Lin Yuan’s false warning about Gu Lianyin being attacked prompts Li Mao to invade the girls’ restroom, leading directly to his confrontation with the teacher and the chapter’s comic ending.

Chapter Summary: “Gu Lianyin’s Confession, a Date”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Mao is summoned to the principal’s office after entering the girls’ restroom under false pretenses. He claims he was told a girl was being bullied, but the principal learns that Gu Lianyin was never there and gives him another chance.
• The prankster, Wang Hongming, reveals his identity and taunts Li Mao. Seeking revenge, Li Mao has his lackeys ambush and beat up a student he mistakenly believes is Wang Hongming.
• Li Mao realizes he attacked the wrong person and demands that the victim return money he supposedly took, exposing his confusion and manipulation.
• A video of the assault is posted on the school forum, causing widespread outrage among students and parents. Under pressure, the school forces Li Mao to withdraw.
• Gu Lianyin realizes that Lin Yuan orchestrated the situation and admires his intelligence, strategic thinking, and many other abilities.
• After exchanging affectionate looks, Gu Lianyin directly confesses her feelings to Lin Yuan and asks him to be her boyfriend.
• Lin Yuan does not reject her; instead, he says her confession is taking place in the wrong setting and invites her to admire the moon with him that evening, implying that he intends to confess properly.
• Gu Lianyin prepares carefully for their first real date, choosing a beautiful white dress and presenting herself at her most attractive.
• Ling Wanqing notices Gu Lianyin’s preparations and becomes jealous. After describing how classmates have isolated and mocked her for her appearance, she declares that she will stop pretending to be ugly.

Character Developments

• Li Mao: His impulsiveness, aggression, and lack of judgment lead directly to his downfall. Easily manipulated, he attacks the wrong person and is ultimately expelled or withdrawn from school.
• Wang Hongming: Revealed as a school delinquent who enjoys provoking others and manipulating Li Mao for amusement.
• Lin Yuan: Demonstrates himself to be clever, calculating, composed, and protective of Gu Lianyin, while also showing romantic sensitivity.
• Gu Lianyin: Becomes fully aware of her feelings for Lin Yuan and takes the unusual step of confessing first. Her admiration deepens as she recognizes his intelligence and varied talents.
• Ling Wanqing: Experiences increasing alienation and resentment at school. Her jealousy of Gu Lianyin’s date and frustration with being mocked push her toward abandoning her “ugly” disguise.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and consequences: Li Mao’s rash behavior makes him easy to exploit, and his violence brings severe consequences.
• Intelligence versus brute force: Lin Yuan’s quiet planning contrasts sharply with Li Mao’s impulsive use of violence.
• Young love and confession: Gu Lianyin’s feelings are portrayed through nervousness, anticipation, eye contact, and the desire to be together.
• Appearance and identity: Gu Lianyin carefully enhances her beauty for the date, while Ling Wanqing considers revealing her true appearance and rejecting the identity imposed on her by classmates.
• Social exclusion and school hierarchy: The chapter highlights bullying, cliques, public judgment, and the effects of ostracism.

Character Interactions

• The principal confronts Li Mao and later informs him and his family that he must leave the school.
• Li Mao and Wang Hongming interact through mutual provocation, but Li Mao’s revenge ends in a mistaken assault.
• Gu Lianyin and Lin Yuan share an affectionate exchange in class, culminating in her confession and his invitation to a moonlit date.
• Gu Lianyin and Ling Wanqing discuss the date, revealing Ling Wanqing’s jealousy and growing frustration with her treatment at school.

Chapter Summary: “Be My Girlfriend!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Wanqing decides to stop pretending to be unattractive. Inspired by jealousy and a desire to impress her classmates, she plans to reveal her true appearance at school the next day.
• Gu Lianyin prepares for her date with Lin Yuan, while Wanqing remains envious of their relationship.
• Lin Yuan takes Gu Lianyin to Riverside Park and confirms that he made an agreement with her mother: he must prove himself worthy before being allowed to continue dating Gu Lianyin.
• Worried that her mother’s standards are too high, Gu Lianyin offers Lin Yuan more than a million yuan to help him start a business. He refuses, insisting that he will prove himself independently.
• Lin Yuan asks Gu Lianyin to be his girlfriend. She accepts tearfully and happily.
• Fireworks arranged by Lin Yuan’s former roommates, Wang Ping and Li Wencai, celebrate the confession.
• Lin Yuan introduces Gu Lianyin to his roommates and explains that her apparent transformation is due to removing her “ugly disguise.”
• The four go out for beef hotpot, where Wang Ping and Li Wencai endure the couple’s obvious affection.
• Li Wencai begins considering how to pursue a girl who recently befriended him, setting up a possible secondary romance.

Character Developments

• Gu Lianyin: Becomes more emotionally open and accepts Lin Yuan as her official boyfriend. Though fearful of being separated from him, she chooses to trust his determination.
• Lin Yuan: Demonstrates confidence, romantic initiative, and a strong desire to prove himself. He refuses financial assistance from Gu Lianyin and commits to earning her mother’s approval on his own.
• Ling Wanqing: Decides to abandon her unattractive disguise and reveal her beauty, motivated by jealousy and a desire for recognition.
• Wang Ping and Li Wencai: Learn Gu Lianyin’s true identity and react with shock and envy. Li Wencai, in particular, begins seeking advice about pursuing a girl he likes.

Significant Themes

• Love and trust: Gu Lianyin’s fear of losing Lin Yuan is eased when she chooses to believe in his promise.
• Self-worth and independence: Lin Yuan insists on proving himself without relying on Gu Lianyin’s wealth.
• Transformation and identity: Wanqing and Lianyin both challenge the way others perceive them, especially through physical appearance and hidden identities.
• Romance and youthful happiness: The moonlit walk, confession, fireworks, and dinner create an idealized, celebratory atmosphere.
• Jealousy and comparison: Wanqing’s envy highlights how comparisons with others can fuel personal change.

Character Interactions

• Wanqing and Gu Lianyin discuss beauty, jealousy, and Wanqing’s decision to reveal herself.
• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin share a romantic date and openly discuss the obstacle posed by her mother.
• Lin Yuan confesses his love, and Gu Lianyin accepts, officially beginning their relationship.
• Wang Ping and Li Wencai congratulate the couple but are confused by Gu Lianyin’s transformed appearance.
• During dinner, the new couple’s affection leaves their single friends feeling awkward and envious, while Li Wencai seeks Wang Ping’s advice about dating.

Chapter Summary: “Willing to Bet, Willing to Lose—Kiss Me”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Wencai asks Wang Ping for advice about a girl who sold him expensive tea. Wang Ping realizes she is part of a common “tea-selling girl” scam and shows Li evidence online.
• After discovering he has been deceived, Li Wencai angrily demands a refund, only to be blocked. Miserable and embarrassed, he leaves the meal early.
• Wang Ping also departs, leaving Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin alone. The couple eat together and stroll through the streets while holding hands.
• At a ring-toss stall, Lin Yuan promises to win Gu Lianyin a large teddy bear. She challenges him: if he wins it with his first ring, she will kiss him; if he fails, he must buy her twenty yuan of phone credit.
• Using his Complete Life Skills ability, Lin Yuan makes a perfect throw and wins the difficult teddy bear immediately.
• Gu Lianyin, embarrassed by losing the bet, runs away. Lin Yuan catches her and playfully confronts her about the promised kiss.
• Gu Lianyin ultimately kisses him on the lips. It is the first kiss for both of them.
• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin leave to return home, but when they later go back for the teddy bear, the stall owner has packed up and disappeared with it.

Character Developments

• Li Wencai is revealed to be academically capable but socially inexperienced and naïve. His trust in the tea-selling girl leaves him humiliated and angry, teaching him a painful lesson about online scams.
• Wang Ping acts as Li Wencai’s practical and protective friend, warning him about scams and offering to screen future romantic prospects.
• Lin Yuan shows confidence, playfulness, and technical ability. He enjoys teasing Gu Lianyin but respects her boundaries, immediately backing off when he thinks she may not want to kiss him.
• Gu Lianyin becomes more openly affectionate and emotionally vulnerable. Although initially embarrassed and intent on getting revenge through the wager, she willingly gives Lin Yuan their first kiss and privately enjoys the romantic tension.
• Their relationship advances from a new romance to greater physical and emotional intimacy.

Significant Themes

• Naïveté and learning from mistakes: Li Wencai’s scam demonstrates that intelligence in one area does not guarantee practical or emotional awareness.
• Trust and deception: The tea scam contrasts with the sincere, playful trust developing between Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin.
• Romance and mutual consent: The bet creates romantic tension, but the kiss occurs only after Gu Lianyin chooses to accept the challenge.
• Luck versus ability: Lin Yuan claims his perfect throw was luck, but his hidden skill makes the victory inevitable.
• Humor and reversals: Li Wencai’s disastrous encounter, Gu Lianyin’s failed revenge, and the stall owner fleeing with the teddy bear provide comic twists.

Character Interactions

• Wang Ping counsels and consoles Li Wencai after exposing the scam.
• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin flirt through the ring-toss wager, with Gu Lianyin teasing him and Lin Yuan confidently accepting the challenge.
• After winning, Lin Yuan playfully corners Gu Lianyin, but their interaction remains affectionate rather than coercive.
• Gu Lianyin initiates their first kiss, deepening their relationship.
• The couple’s return to the stall ends in a humorous disappointment when the owner escapes with the prize.

Chapter Summary: Ling Wanqing Stops Pretending to Be Ugly

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin officially become a couple after he confesses to her. They part affectionately, both clearly reluctant to leave.
• Gu Lianyin returns home and tells Ling Wanqing about the confession. Although happy for her friend, Wanqing worries that Lianyin’s new relationship may affect their time together.
• Ling Wanqing decides to stop disguising herself as unattractive at school. She removes her mole-like makeup, restores her natural complexion, applies subtle makeup, and reveals her true beauty.
• Her classmates are shocked when the beautiful girl entering the classroom turns out to be the previously mocked “ugly” Ling Wanqing.
• The boys stop teasing her and begin showing interest, while the girls continue excluding her. Although Wanqing expected her transformation to make everyone regret mistreating her, she instead becomes even more socially isolated.
• Upset by the result, Wanqing tells Gu Lianyin about her disappointment. Lianyin asks Lin Yuan for advice.
• Lin Yuan consults Su Yan, who explains that Wanqing cannot expect instant acceptance and suggests rebuilding friendships gradually by acting approachable and offering small favors.
• Rather than advising Wanqing to use those methods, Lin Yuan bluntly tells Lianyin to have her transfer schools, ending the chapter on a humorous note.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan becomes openly devoted to Gu Lianyin, viewing her as someone he will protect for life. He also shows concern for Wanqing, though his solution to her problem is direct and impractical.
• Gu Lianyin embraces her relationship with Lin Yuan and remains deeply attached to Ling Wanqing. She acts as Wanqing’s emotional support and seeks outside help when her friend struggles.
• Ling Wanqing gains confidence and courage by revealing her true appearance, but she is forced to confront the gap between her expectations and reality. Her beauty attracts attention but does not automatically bring friendship or acceptance.
• Su Yan demonstrates social insight, recognizing that relationships require gradual trust-building rather than sudden transformation.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus social acceptance: Beauty changes how the boys view Wanqing, but it does not erase the girls’ resentment or improve her social skills.
• The danger of idealized revenge: Wanqing expects her classmates to regret mistreating her, but the dramatic reveal fails to produce the satisfaction she imagined.
• Friendship and emotional support: Gu Lianyin remains loyal to Wanqing even while beginning a romantic relationship.
• Relationships require effort: Su Yan’s advice emphasizes humility, approachability, and small acts of kindness as the basis for making friends.
• Humor through contrast: Su Yan offers a practical, nuanced solution, while Lin Yuan responds with the exaggerated simplicity of “transfer schools.”

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin: Their affectionate farewell confirms their new relationship and establishes Lin Yuan’s protective feelings.
• Gu Lianyin and Ling Wanqing: They celebrate Lianyin’s new romance, discuss Wanqing’s decision, and later comfort each other when Wanqing’s plan fails.
• Ling Wanqing and her classmates: Her transformation shocks the class, silences former bullies, and attracts male attention, but the girls continue excluding her.
• Lin Yuan and Su Yan: Lin Yuan seeks Su Yan’s advice about Wanqing’s social difficulties, leading to the chapter’s final comedic recommendation.

Chapter Summary: “A Second Grandpa Falls from the Sky”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Yuan advises Gu Lianyin about how her friend, Ling Wanqing, should respond to Su Yan’s proposal. He believes Ling Wanqing is principled and would not flatter classmates or act against her values, so he leaves the final decision to her.
• Lin Yuan and Su Yan continue discussing the development of their new face mask. Most ingredients have been gathered, but the product still requires safety checks and human skin testing.
• Su Yan reveals that the final ingredient, the rare Blood Orchid, is extremely expensive and difficult to obtain because it grows deep in overseas tropical rainforests. She asks Lin Yuan to use his connections to find one.
• Lin Yuan considers asking the well-connected celebrity Lin Qingyue for help, though he is unsure whether she can obtain the flower.
• He also reflects on the mysterious Porsche, phone, villa, and other possessions given to him by the system. His investigation into the car reveals no useful evidence, reinforcing the mystery surrounding their origins.
• Lin Yuan’s mother calls to say that a lawyer claiming to represent Lin Yuan’s previously unknown “second grandpa” has arrived at their home.
• The lawyer, Ji Ming, explains that Lin Yuan’s grandfather had a younger brother who became wealthy after selling his inherited farmland and starting a successful business. Because he had no children and disliked Lin Yuan’s estranged father, the second grandpa chose Lin Yuan as his heir.
• The inheritance includes 10% of Tengfei Company, a villa in Jiangbin worth fifty million, and other assets. These are the same possessions Lin Yuan had already received through the system.
• Lin Yuan signs the inheritance documents, realizing that this mysterious inheritance conveniently provides a legitimate explanation for his wealth and property.
• After Ji Ming leaves, Lin Yuan tells his mother that she can quit her job and move with him to the villa. She agrees to do so after finishing her remaining responsibilities.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan continues acting cautiously and rationally. He investigates the origins of his mysterious possessions but ultimately accepts the “second grandpa” explanation because it resolves the danger of exposing the system’s existence.
• Su Yan demonstrates competence and initiative in developing the face mask, but she is troubled by the difficulty of obtaining the Blood Orchid and turns to Lin Yuan for assistance.
• Ling Wanqing is characterized indirectly as principled, self-respecting, and unlikely to compromise her values for social advantage.
• Lin Xianglan experiences a major emotional shift. After years of hardship, she finally believes her family’s circumstances are improving and looks forward to leaving her difficult life behind.
• Ji Ming acts as the formal messenger who legitimizes Lin Yuan’s sudden inheritance, though his connection to the mysterious second grandpa remains part of the larger unexplained plot.

Significant Themes

• Mystery and artificial destiny: The system’s gifts are being retroactively explained through an apparently fabricated family inheritance, suggesting that Lin Yuan’s life is being carefully arranged.
• Wealth and legitimacy: Lin Yuan already possesses immense assets, but the inheritance gives him a believable public explanation for them.
• Family hardship and reversal of fortune: Lin Xianglan’s years of struggle appear to be ending as Lin Yuan gains the means to support her.
• Science versus legend: The Blood Orchid is associated with preserving youth, blending the face-mask project’s scientific development with mysterious and almost mythical elements.
• Integrity and personal principles: Ling Wanqing’s characterization emphasizes the importance of remaining true to one’s values rather than seeking benefits through flattery or compromise.

Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan and Su Yan discuss the face mask’s ingredients and the difficulty of acquiring the Blood Orchid, with Su Yan relying on Lin Yuan’s supposed connections.
• Lin Yuan relays Su Yan’s suggestion to Gu Lianyin, who is expected to pass it on to Ling Wanqing.
• Ji Ming formally explains the inheritance to Lin Yuan and Lin Xianglan, providing documents for Lin Yuan to sign.
• Lin Xianglan supports the inheritance and urges Lin Yuan to accept it, while Lin Yuan privately realizes that it solves the problem of explaining his system-provided assets.
• Lin Yuan reassures his mother that she no longer needs to endure her current circumstances and offers to let her enjoy the wealth he has acquired.

Plot points

• Lin Yuan asks Lin Qingyue to help find Blood Orchid for an important cosmetic-product ingredient. She agrees to ask her contacts and also asks whether filming for his show has begun; he says he has not heard anything yet.
• Ling Wanqing decides to stop disguising her looks at school, despite other students’ jealous remarks. She rejects an apology from a boy who once mocked her, writing that she would not forgive someone who had hurt her.
• After school, several girls from other classes block Wanqing and one slaps her. Wanqing fights back, but the group joins in, leaving her bruised and her uniform torn.
• Gu Lianyin tends to Wanqing’s injuries. Wanqing decides to transfer schools and jokes about hiring someone to retaliate. Worried she might act rashly, Lianyin tells Lin Yuan what happened.
• Lin Yuan says he will handle it and arranges for gangsters he previously defeated to wait near the school, intending to confront the bullies. He also plans to skip his last class to go there. Before that, he quizzes Lianyin on math; she guesses incorrectly and sulks after he taps her on the head.

Character developments and interactions

• Wanqing remains proud and refuses to appease her classmates or accept a hollow apology. When physically attacked, she fights back, though the incident pushes her toward leaving the school.
• Lianyin is deeply protective of Wanqing, helps treat her injuries, and turns to Lin Yuan out of concern for her friend.
• Lin Yuan responds decisively to the bullying, while also keeping up his teasing, affectionate tutoring dynamic with Lianyin.
• The school bullies target Wanqing out of jealousy and hostility; their attack escalates the conflict beyond the earlier verbal harassment.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and bullying: Wanqing’s changed appearance draws envy that becomes public mockery and violence.
• Dignity and forgiveness: Wanqing refuses to accept an apology simply because the offender now regrets his actions.
• Loyalty and protection: Lianyin and Lin Yuan both step in to support Wanqing, though Lin Yuan’s planned response risks escalating matters.
• Consequences of standing out: Wanqing’s refusal to hide herself leaves her exposed to hostility, but she remains unwilling to change herself to satisfy others.

Chapter Summary: Borrowing a Boyfriend

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin share a playful, affectionate moment at school, teasing each other about food, weight, and their relationship.
• During the final class, Lin Yuan secretly leaves school with a group of former street-fighting acquaintances after accepting a job to confront someone on another school’s campus.
• He discovers Ling Wanqing being bullied and physically restrained by several girls. Angered, Lin Yuan intervenes, slapping and kicking the main aggressor and intimidating the others with the help of the hoodlums.
• Lin Yuan allows Ling Wanqing to retaliate. She slaps each of the girls before gathering her belongings and deciding to leave the school permanently.
• Afterward, Ling Wanqing breaks down in tears but gradually regains her composure. She admits that Lin Yuan’s rescue impressed her and jokes that she would like him as her boyfriend if he were not already dating Gu Lianyin.
• Gu Lianyin feels distressed by Ling Wanqing’s experience and worries that she too might be bullied if she revealed her true appearance instead of pretending to be unattractive. She resolves to maintain her disguise through high school.
• Ling Wanqing decides to transfer to Gu Lianyin’s school so they can remain together.
• The three go out for hotpot. During the ride, Ling Wanqing becomes jealous of Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin’s affection and jokingly asks to “borrow” Lin Yuan for a few days. Gu Lianyin immediately refuses, ending the chapter with a risqué misunderstanding.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan: Shows himself to be protective, decisive, and physically capable. Though he is involved in a questionable paid beating, he uses his influence to defend Ling Wanqing and gives her the chance to stand up for herself.
• Gu Lianyin: Displays a playful, affectionate personality but also reveals deep insecurity about her hidden beauty and fear of becoming a bullying target. Her relationship with Lin Yuan is openly sweet and intimate.
• Ling Wanqing: Moves from victimhood and despair toward confidence and independence. After confronting her bullies, she chooses to transfer schools and becomes increasingly aware of her attraction to Lin Yuan.
• The bullies: Their cruelty and cowardice are exposed; they quickly lose their confidence once Lin Yuan and the hoodlums appear.

Significant Themes

• Protection and empowerment: Lin Yuan’s intervention protects Ling Wanqing, but allowing her to strike back gives her a sense of agency.
• Bullying and appearance: Ling Wanqing’s mistreatment and Gu Lianyin’s fear of revealing her beauty highlight the dangers of superficial judgment and social cruelty.
• Romantic jealousy and friendship: Ling Wanqing’s admiration for Lin Yuan creates playful tension with Gu Lianyin, though her friendship with Gu remains important.
• Hidden identities and insecurity: Gu Lianyin’s disguise reflects her anxiety about being judged, while Ling Wanqing’s experience makes her question how people respond to beauty.
• Lighthearted romance amid darker events: The chapter contrasts the serious bullying incident with affectionate teasing, food-centered humor, and the comedic “borrowing a boyfriend” exchange.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin flirt and tease each other about food, weight, and commitment.
• Lin Yuan confronts Ling Wanqing’s bullies and supports her retaliation.
• Ling Wanqing confides in Lin Yuan after breaking down and openly praises him, revealing romantic interest.
• Gu Lianyin and Ling Wanqing reaffirm their close friendship when Ling decides to transfer schools.
• During the car ride, Ling Wanqing’s jealousy surfaces as she asks to borrow Lin Yuan, while Gu Lianyin reacts possessively and comically refuses.

Chapter Summary: “Triggering a Choice”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Wanqing jokes about wanting to “rent” a boyfriend, offering Gu Lianyin 2,000 yuan a day to borrow Lin Yuan. Gu refuses, proudly insisting that her boyfriend is too good to give away.
• At a hotpot restaurant, Ling Wanqing reveals that her parents have agreed to let her transfer schools. She will attend the same school as Gu Lianyin and hopes they will be placed in the same class.
• Ling decides to stop hiding her beauty at the new school because she enjoys attention and does not want her appearance to go to waste.
• Su Yan unexpectedly encounters Lin Yuan at the restaurant and addresses him as “President Lin.” Lin introduces her as the owner of Su Yan Cosmetics and explains that they are only business partners. He introduces Gu Lianyin as his girlfriend.
• Emboldened by the accidental revelation, Lin Yuan tells the girls that he is a billionaire who inherited his second granduncle’s estate. Neither girl believes him, comparing his claim to the absurd plot of Wang Duoyu.
• A few days later, Ling Wanqing joins Gu Lianyin’s class as a transfer student. Her beauty immediately attracts the attention of the boys and even students from neighboring classes.
• Ling quickly becomes known as the prettiest girl in school. She receives many gifts, love letters, and requests for contact information, causing Lin Yuan to worry about the attention she may receive in college.
• Ling tells Gu Lianyin and Lin Yuan that a handsome, polite boy has asked her to dinner. Gu agrees to accompany her and help judge his character.
• The system then appears and presents Lin Yuan with three choices concerning the boy, who is identified as a potential scumbag:
  1. Help expose him and receive two future news events.
  2. Help him become Ling Wanqing’s boyfriend so she can experience the relationship and recognize his faults, earning one million yuan.
  3. Let Ling Wanqing discover his true nature and receive two mysterious physical items.

2. Character Developments

• Ling Wanqing becomes more confident and openly embraces her beauty and popularity. She is curious about romance and appears interested in testing whether the boy who contacted her is genuinely decent.
• Gu Lianyin remains protective of her relationship with Lin Yuan and suspicious of women or situations that might threaten it. She also acts as Ling Wanqing’s trusted friend and adviser.
• Lin Yuan is forced to reveal more about his wealth and identity after Su Yan’s appearance exposes his connection to the business world. He also shows concern over the risks of Ling Wanqing’s popularity and must decide how to intervene in her possible relationship.
• Su Yan maintains a professional relationship with Lin Yuan and behaves tactfully during their encounter, leaving after greeting him and meeting Gu Lianyin.

3. Significant Themes

• Truth versus disbelief: Lin Yuan finally confesses that he is wealthy, but the girls dismiss his claim, creating irony and highlighting how unbelievable his hidden identity seems.
• Beauty and social attention: Ling Wanqing’s decision to reveal her appearance demonstrates how physical attractiveness can bring popularity, admiration, pressure, and unwanted scrutiny.
• Friendship and protection: Gu Lianyin supports Ling Wanqing’s school transfer and offers to accompany her on the date, showing loyalty and concern for her friend’s safety.
• Choice and consequences: The system’s three options force Lin Yuan to choose between exposing the boy, manipulating the situation for a financial reward, or allowing Ling Wanqing to learn through experience.
• Romantic uncertainty: Ling Wanqing’s interest in dating contrasts with Gu Lianyin’s established relationship and Lin Yuan’s protective anxiety.

4. Character Interactions

• Ling Wanqing and Gu Lianyin tease each other over Lin Yuan, revealing their close, playful friendship.
• Su Yan’s formal greeting exposes Lin Yuan’s status and prompts him to introduce her and explain their business relationship.
• Lin Yuan attempts to convince the girls that he is a billionaire, but their lack of belief leaves him embarrassed and frustrated.
• Ling Wanqing and Gu Lianyin are delighted to become classmates, while Gu immediately pulls her friend into conversation.
• Ling Wanqing discusses her potential date with both friends, and Gu offers to accompany her. This conversation directly triggers the system’s new choice and sets up the next conflict.

Chapter Summary: Scumbag God Wang Ziqi

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Yuan learns that Ling Wanqing has been talking to a handsome boy from Class Nine who is pursuing her.
• After asking Class Nine’s monitor, Li Wencai, Lin Yuan identifies the boy as Wang Ziqi, a charming and popular student known for attracting many girls.
• Suspecting Wang Ziqi is unfaithful, Lin Yuan uses his life skills to steal Wang’s phone and later has it unlocked.
• The phone reveals extensive conversations with numerous girls. Wang flirts with several of them simultaneously, dates multiple girls, and even receives money from an older working woman.
• Lin Yuan discovers that Wang has arranged to meet this woman at a hotel that evening.
• Rather than expose himself, Lin Yuan returns Wang’s phone through the school’s lost-and-found and records the incriminating messages on his own phone.
• He shows the evidence to Ling Wanqing. Although initially shocked and disappointed, she realizes Wang is a genuine womanizer and is grateful that Lin Yuan exposed him before she became emotionally involved.
• Ling Wanqing decides to punish Wang and accepts Lin Yuan’s help.
• That night, Lin Yuan, Ling Wanqing, and Gu Lianyin wait outside the hotel and secretly record Wang entering with the older woman.
• Gu Lianyin sends the evidence to Wang’s other girlfriends. Three of them arrive angrily, determined to confront him.
• The chapter ends with Ling Wanqing directing the women to Wang’s room, 305, setting up his public exposure and downfall.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan: Demonstrates his resourcefulness, investigative ability, and willingness to manipulate events carefully. He acts protectively toward Ling Wanqing while also enjoying the opportunity to orchestrate Wang’s humiliation.
• Ling Wanqing: Moves from excitement about a promising relationship to anger and betrayal after discovering Wang’s deception. Her independent and vengeful nature emerges as she resolves to make him regret deceiving her.
• Gu Lianyin: Remains observant and amused by Lin Yuan’s schemes. She actively participates by recording Wang and notifying his girlfriends, revealing her enjoyment of the impending confrontation.
• Wang Ziqi: Is exposed as a skilled but unscrupulous flirt who maintains multiple relationships, deceives several girlfriends, and exploits at least one older woman financially and romantically.

Significant Themes

• Deception and exposure: Wang’s polished image contrasts sharply with his dishonest private behavior, while Lin Yuan uses evidence to reveal the truth.
• Justice and revenge: Ling Wanqing seeks to retaliate against Wang after realizing he intended to manipulate her.
• Appearance versus reality: Wang appears charming and considerate in public but is revealed to be a serial womanizer.
• Loyalty and protection: Lin Yuan intervenes before Ling Wanqing can become more deeply involved, strengthening their relationship.
• Strategic manipulation: Lin Yuan carefully plans the confrontation, returning Wang’s phone to avoid suspicion and arranging for his girlfriends to discover him together.

Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan questions Li Wencai about Wang and later collaborates with Ling Wanqing and Gu Lianyin to expose him.
• Lin Yuan warns Ling Wanqing by showing her Wang’s messages; she initially questions the source but quickly accepts the evidence.
• Ling Wanqing and Lin Yuan agree to work together against Wang, while Gu Lianyin supports the plan with enthusiasm.
• The three protagonists wait outside the hotel, where Wang unknowingly arrives with another woman.
• Gu Lianyin contacts Wang’s girlfriends, and Ling Wanqing personally receives them before sending them to confront Wang in room 305.

Chapter Summary: The Scumbag He Truly Was

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Wanqing, Gu Lianyin, and Lin Yuan go to a hotel to confront Wang Ziqi, who has been secretly dating all three women.
• Hotel security initially refuses them entry, so Lin Yuan cleverly suggests reporting an alleged illegal transaction, bringing the police to the scene.
• With the officers’ help, the group reaches Wang Ziqi’s room and tricks him into opening the door.
• Wang Ziqi is exposed when his three girlfriends confront him. A fourth woman, found in the room with him, realizes she has also been deceived.
• The women angrily denounce Wang Ziqi, and the newly exposed woman attacks him. Everyone is later taken to the police station, while Wang Ziqi’s parents are summoned. He subsequently drops out of school.
• The following day, Li Wencai asks Lin Yuan for a 2,000-yuan loan after an extravagant date leaves him unable to afford his planned computer. Lin Yuan lends him the money and warns him that the girl may be exploiting him.
• Lin Yuan tells Gu Lianyin he must return home that night. Although she briefly becomes suspicious, he reassures her of his devotion.
• The real reason for his trip is to claim two mysterious physical rewards from the system. He had already learned that the rewards cannot be claimed in a cramped space and require an open, unoccupied environment.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan demonstrates resourcefulness, composure, generosity, and loyalty. He orchestrates the hotel confrontation without exaggerating the truth, helps expose Wang Ziqi, lends Li Wencai money, and reassures Gu Lianyin about their relationship.
• Ling Wanqing gains emotional relief after confronting Wang Ziqi and resolves to be more careful when choosing a future partner.
• Gu Lianyin remains affectionate and proud of Lin Yuan, though the events make her more suspicious and prone to imagining romantic rivals. She is embarrassed but secretly pleased when Lin Yuan jokingly discusses having children with her.
• Wang Ziqi is publicly exposed as an unfaithful manipulator. His silence and inability to escape confirm the accusations, and he ultimately leaves school.
• Li Wencai is shown to be inexperienced in relationships and financially careless, but he is willing to seek Lin Yuan’s help and advice.

Significant Themes

• Exposure of deception: Wang Ziqi’s lies are revealed publicly, showing the consequences of betrayal and dishonesty.
• Justice and emotional catharsis: The women regain a sense of control by confronting Wang Ziqi, while the police presence prevents the confrontation from escalating completely.
• Trust and loyalty: Lin Yuan’s relationship with Gu Lianyin is contrasted with Wang Ziqi’s deceit. Lin Yuan’s reassurance strengthens Gu Lianyin’s confidence in him.
• Romantic maturity: Ling Wanqing learns from her failed relationship, while Li Wencai begins discovering the risks of unhealthy or financially exploitative dating.
• System-related mystery: The chapter closes by emphasizing Lin Yuan’s hidden supernatural advantages and building anticipation for the rewards he is about to claim.

Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan works closely with Ling Wanqing and Gu Lianyin to expose Wang Ziqi, while quietly enjoying their admiration.
• The three girlfriends confront Wang Ziqi together, and the fourth woman learns the truth from them.
• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin exchange playful romantic teasing about marriage and future children, with Ling Wanqing adding to the joke.
• Lin Yuan advises and financially assists Li Wencai, acting as both a friend and a practical mentor.
• Gu Lianyin’s brief jealousy is resolved when Lin Yuan assures her that no other woman compares to her.

Chapter Summary: Mysterious Physical Item, Old Tea Tree, Life Potion

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Yuan chooses his abandoned family land in a remote mountain village as the location to retrieve his next mysterious physical item, suspecting it may be a tree.
• After clearing the overgrown land, he summons the item. The earth splits open, and a three-meter-tall ancient tea tree suddenly emerges, rooting itself into the soil and drawing water from a nearby stream.
• The tree has emerald leaves and an unusually refreshing tea fragrance. Lin Yuan picks a leaf, brews it, and discovers that the tea is extraordinarily invigorating and likely worth an enormous amount of money.
• Realizing the tree must remain secret, Lin Yuan hides the cleared path, plans to purchase the mountain, and later installs wire around the tree to protect it from animals and intruders.
• He gathers a small number of leaves to give as gifts, including to Su Yan, Lin Qingyue, and Gu Lianyin’s parents.
• Lin Yuan examines another mysterious item: a vial of “Life Potion.” The potion can revive someone dead for less than twelve hours with a 50% success rate and extend their life by five or six years, or restore an elderly person to the condition they had ten years earlier.
• Because the potion cannot be reproduced and is potentially priceless, Lin Yuan decides to keep it as an emergency safeguard rather than sell it.
• He also buys supplies for the elderly villagers, strengthening his connection with the isolated community.
• The chapter ends when Lin Yuan visits Gu Lianyin. She rushes downstairs in her pajamas and clings tightly to him, creating an intimate and slightly provocative moment.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuan becomes more cautious and strategic. Rather than publicizing the miraculous tea tree, he immediately considers secrecy, ownership, and protection.
• His growing wealth and access to supernatural items make him increasingly aware of the value—and danger—of what he possesses.
• He also demonstrates generosity by helping the elderly villagers and sharing tea leaves with people important to him.
• Gu Lianyin is shown as affectionate, playful, and physically demonstrative. Her reluctance to meet Lin Yuan’s mother reflects her shyness and the newness of their relationship.
• Su Yan is portrayed as hardworking and exhausted, making Lin Yuan’s gift especially meaningful, though she is bewildered by receiving only three tea leaves.
• Lin Qingyue’s earlier assistance is reinforced as important to Lin Yuan, who wants to repay her kindness.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy and protection: Extraordinary resources must be concealed because others would exploit or steal them.
• The value of life and youth: The Life Potion highlights humanity’s desire to reverse aging and escape death, something even immense wealth cannot normally achieve.
• Wealth and responsibility: Lin Yuan’s discoveries could make him unimaginably rich, but he must manage them carefully and ethically.
• Generosity and relationships: Despite possessing rare treasures, Lin Yuan uses them to help villagers and show appreciation to friends and loved ones.
• Nature and the miraculous: The ancient tea tree represents the arrival of something impossible and otherworldly within an ordinary rural setting.

Character Interactions

• Lin Yuan and Gu Lianyin tease each other about visiting his mother, revealing both their affection and her nervousness about meeting his family.
• Lin Yuan quietly assists the elderly villagers by delivering essential supplies and spending time talking with them.
• He gives Su Yan rare tea leaves as a gift, though she is confused by their presentation.
• He sends tea leaves to Lin Qingyue to thank her for helping him.
• His final encounter with Gu Lianyin is playful and physically affectionate, ending the chapter with romantic tension.