2025-06-19 11:56:45Chapter 2: Billion Beneath the Beats
The entrance to KIMI was a glowing wound in the side of the East Sea’s neon-lit nightlife. A blast of rhythmic bass shook the glass doors, and every flicker of the sign above seemed to mock those who didn’t belong. Beneath that pulsing sign stood Leo Xu and his three dorm mates, all layered in the uncertain armor of youth: excitement, anxiety, and just enough confidence to make the first step. Amber-hued lights danced over velvet ropes as luxury vehicles—sleek Lamborghinis, roaring Ferraris, and matte-black G-Class beasts—occupied every inch of the elite parking bay. Bai Zheli, adjusting his glasses with trembling fingers, gazed at the opulence and subconsciously stepped closer to Luo Peng. “Brother Peng,” he whispered through the thick hum of music, “maybe we should find another place?” Luo Peng, draped in confident charm and casual wealth, gave a wide grin and draped a reassuring arm over Bai’s shoulders. “You’re thinking too small, Little Bai. Tonight’s on Leo. This is your first time at KIMI, yeah? Look around, man. This place is paradise—if paradise served vodka with a side of heartbreak.” Inside, the nightclub’s interior unfolded like a dream rendered in smoke and strobes. Crimson and sapphire beams sliced through darkness, bouncing off crystalline chandeliers that spun in time with the music. The smell of imported perfume mingled with liquor-laced air. A soft velvet scent clung to every corner of the lounge. And at the core of it all, the promise of reckless memory-making. KIMI was not merely famous—it was a cultural axis around which the elite youth of East Sea spun their decadent nights. Rumors whispered of a once-famous actress who had quietly invested in the club. Whether true or not, the mystery only made KIMI more desirable. Bai Zheli had heard tales. Tales of gold-leafed whiskey, of VIP lounges hidden behind mirrored walls, and of a threshold so steep that most students could only dream of crossing it. With a monthly allowance just brushing a thousand yuan, KIMI was as distant as the stars. His stomach twisted as he passed a Rolls Royce Phantom idling outside, its chauffeur standing still as a statue. “Relax,” Luo Peng said, sensing his discomfort. “Leo’s treating us tonight.” The dorm’s senior, Li Shao, added, “But maybe tone it down. This place isn’t exactly budget-friendly.” They entered the chaos. Synchronized dancers rippled across a raised stage while DJ K-Phaze spun auditory magic, bending reality with basslines that made ribs throb. Each table glimmered under halos of light like shrines to temporary ecstasy. Luo Peng waved at a sharply dressed hostess who guided them to their reserved booth. It sat halfway between the dance floor and the balcony lounge—a perfect vantage for both spectacle and escape. “Leo, pick what you want to drink,” Luo Peng said with a carefree grin, pushing the drink menu across the sleek black marble table. The gold inlays on the menu shimmered ominously. Leo opened it, and his heart skipped a beat. Dozens per bottle—for beer. Champagne flirted with four digits. Even basic mixers had price tags worthy of tuition payments. Li Shao noticed his hesitation. “Let’s just go Dutch, yeah?” Bai Zheli’s gaze flicked to Luo Peng, silently asking why they hadn’t just gone somewhere normal. Even a street bar would’ve done the job. Instead, this looked suspiciously like a ritual sacrifice—Leo being the goat. But Luo Peng leaned back, his voice light. “Leo, you’re hosting, but I’ve got the bill. Don’t worry.” Leo’s jaw tightened. “I said I’d host, so I’m hosting. Drink until the past becomes irrelevant.” They exchanged a look, one that said everything. Leo was stubborn, especially when it came to Bella Zhao, the ex who still haunted his silences. Luo Peng raised his hands. “All right. Fine. But don’t blame me when your wallet cries.” Leo didn’t answer. He ordered two combo packages with mixed drinks, a fruit platter, and some light snacks—just enough to satisfy expectations without financial collapse. Three thousand vanished in a blink, but he had prepared for this. Years of tutoring and part-time gigs had built a small buffer, even after the expenses poured into Bella Zhao’s abyss. “Cheers!” They raised their glasses—glinting against the disco lights like crystal talismans warding off regret—and clinked them together with reckless joy. “This,” Bai Zheli said, slightly buzzed, “this is what youth should be. Messy. Loud. Unapologetic.” Leo smiled faintly. “It is.” “Forget Ai Qian,” Bai added. “You deserve better.” Luo Peng chuckled, his cheeks rosy from drink. “Exactly. Look around. Every girl here is a goddess next to her. You’re handsome, Leo. Smart too. Let her regret walking away.” The compliments felt theatrical, but beneath them lay genuine affection. Leo knew his looks weren’t groundbreaking, but he had that clean, dignified kind of appeal. The kind that grew on people. He stood at 176 centimeters, his posture disciplined from years of silent determination. His features weren’t model-perfect, but they radiated quiet pride. And academically? He didn’t just survive. He excelled. Scholarship after scholarship. But none of that had mattered to Bella in the end. Because love, like luxury clubs, required more than merit. It demanded background. Family. Inherited strength. Leo raised his glass again. “Enough nostalgia. Drink.” The sound of glass on glass, clear and resolute, echoed through the table. Then came a tone that didn’t belong to the music. A sound sharp and sterile. Ding. [Detecting suitable host. Binding in progress...] Leo blinked. [Ultimate Simping Protocol recognized. Syncing life path... Complete.] [Balance updated: 10 trillion Simping Credits available.] Time slowed. The room blurred. Every drop of sweat, every pulse of bass, every flicker of neon seemed to wait for him to react. And Leo Xu—no longer merely a student, no longer merely a boy scorned—tightened his grip on the glass, as the foundation of his reality shifted beneath his feet.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 28: Claiming What’s Lost
Chapter 28: Claiming What’s Lost The air in the campus café smelled of roasted beans, cinnamon, and faintly of damp paper from the rain that had passed earlier in the morning. Large windows framed a sky the color of slate, the kind that seemed to promise another downpour at any moment. Inside, the hum of quiet conversations blended with the occasional hiss of the espresso machine, forming an insulated cocoon away from the open quadrangle beyond. Li Shuru sat by the far wall, one hand lightly curled around a porcelain cup whose thin gold rim caught the pale light. Steam still rose in lazy spirals from the coffee, but she hadn’t touched it yet. Across from her sat Ai Qian, her posture straight but her eyes shadowed, like a painting whose varnish had dulled over time. The remnants of the storm from that fateful weekend still seemed to cling to her. Her hair, though combed, lacked its usual gloss, and her makeup could not entirely
Chapter 27 — Gossip Like Fire
Chapter 27 — Gossip Like FireAt East Sea University, there were certain combinations that could ignite the student body’s imagination as quickly as dry tinder meeting a torch. One such combination was the school’s renowned art department beauty, and a luxury sports car so polished it looked as though it had rolled straight out of a high-end commercial. Alone, each was enough to stir up campus conversation, but together, the effect was explosive, a spectacle that could not be ignored and would inevitably spill into every whispered corridor conversation and every scrolling finger on the student forum boards.The revelation that Li Shuru had purchased a gleaming Panamera was like a psychic detonation across the campus’ invisible social web, the kind of news that bypassed any logical filter and simply embedded itself in every mind with a force all its own. Within hours, speculation metastasized into rumor, and rumor hardened into the sort of narrative that d
Chapter 26: Steering the Fate of Your Own Ride
Chapter 26: Steering the Fate of Your Own RideThe rain outside was a restless sea of silver, each drop ricocheting off the Panamera’s polished shell like impatient drummers demanding attention. The luxury car idled at the curb, purring with the low growl of an apex predator biding its time.Leo Xu finally stepped inside, water trailing from his hair in rivulets that glimmered under the cabin’s ambient glow. The moment he sank into the passenger seat, a subtle tension curled through him, though it was unclear whether it came from the vehicle’s intimidating elegance or the presence of the women inside. The leather upholstery beneath him was buttery soft but already dampening under the intrusion of rainwater.From the back seat, Amber Lin extended a sleek white packet toward him, the faint aroma of lavender clinging to its paper wrapping."Here. Wipe yourself before you ruin Shu Rui’s investment," she said with a half-smirk."Thanks."The tissues, soft but absurdly inadequate against th
Chapter 25: Rainbound Fates
Chapter 25: Rainbound FatesThe storm did not arrive politely.It tore across the city as though the heavens themselves had thrown open some ancient floodgate, spilling a relentless wall of water that hammered asphalt, glass, and flesh alike.Water surged in dark rivulets along the curbs, swirling with oily rainbows from leaking engines, while streetlamps cast molten halos into the mist, their light refracted into a thousand trembling shards. In that blurred silver haze, cars hissed and roared, tires slicing through puddles with a sound like tearing silk.From the covered entrance of the V Club, Ai Qian stood unmoving, her figure haloed in that false warmth of golden doorway light. Only moments earlier, she had watched Liang Zhenlun’s crimson Maserati disappear, its taillights twin drops of blood vanishing into the vaporous night. He had not looked back, not even once, his passenger seat occupied by Zhao Ning’er, the woman who had been l
Chapter 24: Rain, Steel, and Quiet Faces
Chapter 24: Rain, Steel, and Quiet Faces“Let’s keep drinking!” someone called, the words ringing hollow in the sudden emptiness left behind after Leo Xu stepped out.The private room’s air still carried the residue of his presence — not in scent or sound, but in the way everyone’s posture had subtly shifted during his earlier exchange with Liang Zhenlun. The music, the chatter, even the clinking of glassware seemed just a shade too loud now, as if compensating for a momentary vacuum.It was supposed to be Liang Zhenlun’s triumphant night. His birthday, his circle, his stage. The V Party venue had been chosen with precision, not just for its prestige but because he knew Leo had once worked part-time here. He had even made quiet arrangements with the manager, greasing the wheels to ensure that the evening would include a public, humiliating cameo from his old rival.On paper, everything had gone according to plan. The audience was perfect
Chapter 23: Silent Resilience
Chapter 23: Silent ResilienceThe atmosphere in the private room was thick with an uneasy stillness, the usual lively buzz of the club replaced by a tense quiet that clung like a heavy fog. The faint flicker of neon lights from the hallway outside cast shifting shadows against the glossy surfaces, and the faint scent of lingering perfume and spilled drinks mingled with the stale, smoky air, wrapping around everyone present like an invisible shroud.Ai Qian’s fingers gripped the microphone with such force that her knuckles turned pale, betraying the storm of emotions she desperately tried to suppress within her. Her gaze, however, was firmly averted, refusing to meet Leo Xu’s steady eyes as if by ignoring him she might erase the tangled history they shared.Liang Zhenlun sat back, cool and unmoved, choosing silence over confrontation as he studied the scene with calculated indifference. The tension between the two former acquaintances was palpable, yet
You may also like
The Almighty Dominance
Sunshine666.6K viewsThe Ultimate Husband
Skykissing Wolf7.6M viewsRevenge Of The Rejected Son-in-law
Teddy151.3K viewsThe Heir of the Family
Rytir87.8K viewsAN UNDERSTATED POWER
Calendula8.8K viewsIron Revenant: Blood Of The Marked
Anthony Favour419 viewsFrom Prison to Greatness
BOSSSESamaaaa456 viewsMy Poor Son-in-law is Tycoon
Jusuf Morris 774 views