Liu Chuan and the girl stared blankly at the car, their eyes wide. The girl's gaze was filled with intense envy and greed, while Liu Chuan chuckled, "Who... who is that woman?"

The girl said sourly, "Must be some kept woman..." As she spoke, she completely forgot that she herself could be considered a prospective kept woman.

Cao Kefei stepped out of the car and asked a nearby male student, "Excuse me, is Li Yundong at this school?" She hadn't taken off her sunglasses, but the oversized frames only accentuated her sexy, full red lips.

This young man, a pure student sheltered within the ivory tower, had never encountered such a stunning siren. He just stared, mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time.

Cao Kefei frowned slightly and turned to ask another girl. This girl, overwhelmed by Cao Kefei's glamour, took a step back before pointing toward where Li Yundong was standing.

Cao Kefei turned her head and indeed saw Li Yundong standing about thirty meters away. Overjoyed, she immediately got back into her car and drove toward him.

But Liu Chuan's car was parked in the road, blocking her path. Cao Kefei had no choice but to lean out and shout, "Hey, car up front, could you please move aside!"

Seeing the woman driving toward him, Liu Chuan's heart began to race. He instinctively smoothed his hair, then started his engine and edged the car forward a little.

When he finally stopped and was about to get out to try and strike up a conversation, he saw Cao Kefei gracefully descend from her vehicle. She rushed towards Li Yundong and pouted playfully, like a wife who hadn't seen her husband in ages, "Why are you skipping work on your second day? You made me look everywhere!"

Cao Kefei's loud exclamation instantly drew all eyes towards Li Yundong, leaving Liu Chuan and the girl beside him utterly dumbfounded.

Li Yundong felt profoundly awkward. With a dry cough, he addressed Su Chan, who looked at him with confusion, "This is President Cao I mentioned to you. She's... well, my superior, I suppose?"

As he spoke, Li Yundong silently added to himself: Though not my direct supervisor.

Yin Mengfan had been frantic after Li Yundong's silent disappearance for several days. She had never encountered someone who skipped work on the second day, but Cao Kefei was even more beside herself.

Cao Kefei, who had looked forward to further teasing the young man on his second day, waited a full day only to see Li Yundong fail to show up. Panic set in, and she began to spiral into worries: Had she been too aggressive during their last meal and scared him off? Had she said or done something wrong?

After enduring a few more days, Cao Kefei could wait no longer. She obtained Li Yundong's detailed information from Yin Mengfan and drove straight to the university where he studied.

Cao Kefei was ecstatic when she spotted Li Yundong, so much so that she barely noticed the other people around him. It was only when the crowd turned to look at her that she snapped back to reality, her smile becoming much more composed. She nodded toward the few female friends beside Li Yundong. "You must all be Li Yundong's friends, right?"

As she spoke, Cao Kefei’s gaze unexpectedly landed on Zhou Qin. She gasped slightly and asked tentatively, "Zhou Qin?"

Zhou Qin politely nodded at her. "Yes, you must be President Cao Kefei?"

Cao Kefei smiled and extended her hand to shake Zhou Qin's. "We met briefly at the last banquet; it's kind of you to remember me."

Zhou Qin returned a faint smile. "President Cao, as a celebrity in Tiannan City's film and television circle, and being so beautiful, you are certainly memorable. What brings you here to see Li Yundong today...?"

Cao Kefei laughed. "My company has been swamped lately, so I swallowed my pride and borrowed Li Yundong from President Yin for a few days. You won't hold it against me, will you, Zhou Qin?"

Zhou Qin deeply disliked Li Yundong associating with women like Cao Kefei, who carried the air of a socialite. She felt a pang of displeasure but politely maintained her smile. "Not at all, President Cao, you are too kind."

Su Chan’s large eyes darted between Zhou Qin and Cao Kefei. She leaned toward Li Yundong and whispered, "Yundong, I'm hungry. Can we talk while we eat?"

Li Yundong smiled and pinched her nose, showing unmistakable affection openly before everyone.

Cao Kefei had been watching Li Yundong's every move. She noted that while he was surrounded by beautiful women, he showed unique intimacy only toward Su Chan, keeping a certain distance from the others. She thought to herself with a start: This must be Li Yundong's girlfriend. And she is beautiful. I’ve traveled all over the country for years and have never seen a girl so pure yet alluring. No wonder Li Yundong loves her so much.

Though jealousy pricked at Cao Kefei, Su Chan was so incredibly innocent and sweet that she couldn't muster any real resentment. She offered Su Chan an apologetic smile. "You must be Li Yundong's girlfriend."

Even though Su Chan noticed the familiar affection between Cao Kefei and Li Yundong, she sensed a faint aura around Cao Kefei that wasn't repulsive; rather, she felt an unconscious urge to be close to her. She beamed and replied openly, "Yes, hello!"

Cao Kefei shook Su Chan's hand and praised her, "What a stunning beauty. If you went into film, you'd be a massive star!"

Li Yundong secretly found this amusing. Su Chan is a cultivator; asking her to act in movies is ridiculous! Besides, this industry is so corrupt; I wouldn't let my little darling wade into those murky waters!

Li Yundong then asked Cao Kefei, "President Cao, what did you need me for today?"

Cao Kefei had only come because she couldn't resist her yearning for Li Yundong; she had no actual business. But if she couldn't come up with an excuse now, she feared being ridiculed by these girls—the CEO of a major film company chasing a young man to his university gates. The rumor alone would destroy her reputation.

Cao Kefei had a sudden flash of inspiration and managed a wry smile. "Ah, don't even ask. We have two major stars visiting the company today, but I don't trust the security department. After thinking it over, I realized I had to call you..."

She then looked at Li Yundong with pleading, sorrowful eyes. "You wouldn't just leave me hanging, would you?"

Li Yundong couldn't bear that look and immediately felt a headache coming on. "But I have an exam this afternoon!"

"An exam?" Cao Kefei paused, then immediately pulled out her phone, dialed Principal Feng Yubin directly, whispered a few words, and turned back with a triumphant smile. "There, it’s settled. You don't have to take the exam. The school teachers will transfer your credits into your social internship scores."

"That's allowed?" Li Yundong’s eyes widened. He forced a bitter smile. "You should have made that call two days ago!"

Cao Kefei had no idea Li Yundong had been dizzy from cramming for days. She assumed he was chiding her for not contacting him sooner, and a mix of surprise and joy made her heart flutter like a trapped bird.

Cao Kefei couldn't hide her delight. "You agreed?" she then added quietly, "This kind of short-notice external job pays quite well, you know!"

Li Yundong was moved and fell silent for a moment. Considering the previous incident where Ruan Hongling attacked Su Chan, he truly hesitated to leave the girl alone. Yet, he knew he was desperately short of cash right now, and turning down a chance to earn a substantial sum was hard.

After much thought, Li Yundong sighed inwardly: Damn poverty making one short-sighted. If I had money, why would I worry about all these trivialities?

After a moment, Li Yundong looked up and asked Cao Kefei, "Shall we go now?"

Cao Kefei nodded eagerly. "Right now."

Li Yundong said, "Wait a moment, I need to discuss this with my girlfriend."

He took Su Chan's hand and walked aside, whispering softly, "I need to help President Cao with something..." His expression was troubled, and he didn't know how to finish. But Su Chan was clever and perceptive; she guessed his difficulty and said softly, "It's inconvenient to bring me along, isn't it?"

Li Yundong looked at the young girl. He saw understanding and gentle consideration in her eyes. He was both moved and guilty. Holding her hand, he said, "Su Chan, I..."

Su Chan didn't wait for him to finish; she laughed. "Yundong, no need to say it, I understand. We're really short on money right now, aren't we? You’ve been hiding it from me, but how could I not notice? A good man's ambition lies in traveling far, Yundong. Don't worry about me!"

Li Yundong pulled her close into a tight embrace, filled with affection and adoration. "Why are you so good? I love you to death! Little one, aren't you afraid I'll run off with some rich woman?"

Su Chan giggled, her face showing both innocent radiance and the slyness unique to a fox spirit. She teased, "If this little one is so good, would the master ever dare to discard me?"

"Of course not!" Li Yundong loved Su Chan fiercely. Ignoring everyone else, he became affectionate with the girl. "But what if you encounter an enemy while I'm gone?"

The little girl thought for a moment, then carefully took two talisman papers from her pocket. She kept one and handed the other to Li Yundong.

In a voice only Li Yundong could hear, she whispered, "These are two Thunder God Talismans from the Five Thunders Orthodox Art, given to me by my master for life-saving purposes. You keep one, and I'll keep one. If you face mortal danger, use it. When I see the thunder strike, I will come find you. And if you see the wind gathering and thunder brewing somewhere, hurry and find me. Wouldn't that work?"

Li Yundong took the talisman paper. It was entirely yellowed, like an old almanac page, thin and brittle; a little too much force, and it would crumble.

He unfolded the talisman and saw strange, incomprehensible symbols drawn on it. In the center were four ancient seal script characters radiating intense killing intent: Heavenly Thunder Smites Evil!

As these four characters entered his sight, Li Yundong felt a bone-chilling wave of power and pressure rush towards him, making the hair on his body stand straight up!

Startled, Li Yundong flinched, and the talisman nearly slipped from his grasp.

Su Chan's eyes were quick; she pressed the paper firmly into Li Yundong's palm and lowered her voice. "This is a Divine Thunder Talisman from the Five Thunders Orthodox Art. You can summon heavenly lightning by channeling the Yuanyang Qi within you into this talisman, but..."

Su Chan tightened her grip on Li Yundong's hand, her expression surprisingly serious and tense. "...you absolutely must not use this Divine Thunder Talisman against ordinary mortals, nor use it lightly. Heaven's might is unpredictable; be careful not to fail in vanquishing the enemy only to draw the lightning onto yourself and invite disaster!"

Li Yundong was influenced by Su Chan's gravity and grew solemn. He carefully tucked the paper talisman away and said, "I understand. You must be careful too. Also, home isn't safe; don't go back alone. Why don't you find a place outside to wait for me?"

He paused, a gentle smile forming on his face. "Why don't you wait for me at the amusement park we visited last time, near the Space Shuttle ride?"

Saying this, Li Yundong pulled out all the large bills he had and stuffed them into the little girl's pocket.

After concluding their urgent business, Su Chan looked at Li Yundong with longing. "Then I'll wait for you there..."

Li Yundong smiled. "You can enjoy yourself inside, but remember not to wander off. Keep your phone on so I can find you."

Su Chan shook her head. "I don't want to play anything without you."

Li Yundong affectionately stroked her hair. "Then I'll take you next time!"

Su Chan immediately beamed, holding out her pinky finger. "You promised! Don't go back on your word, and don't quit halfway through like last time!"

Li Yundong chuckled and hooked his pinky with hers. After one last reluctant look at Su Chan, he walked over to where Zhou Qin, Ding Nan, and the others were standing, apologizing profusely. "I'm sorry, I won't be able to join you for lunch."

Seeing that Li Yundong was even leaving his official girlfriend behind, the girls realized something important must have come up. They all responded understandingly. "Go take care of your business!"

Li Yundong smiled. "I'll treat you next time; my apologies for today!"

After saying goodbye to Zhou Qin, Feng Na, and the others, Li Yundong nodded to Cao Kefei. "President Cao, sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go now."

Cao Kefei laughed. "Why does this feel like a tearful farewell?" With that, she climbed into the undeniably flashy Lamborghini.

Li Yundong followed her into the passenger seat, and the two sped away amidst the roaring engines.

Only the boys and girls left by the school gate began whispering among themselves: "Who was that just now?"

"I don't know, but she was gorgeous!"

"Probably some rich mistress?"

"Hey, is Li Yundong being kept?"

"No way! He wouldn't be that kind of person, right?"

"Hmph, you think people still refuse money these days? Please, even if a guy is handsome, can his face be used to swipe a credit card?"

"Sigh, why can't I be the rich woman driving the luxury sports car?"

The inexperienced students murmured, seemingly concluding that love was fragile against the power of worldly wealth.

Liu Chuan watched the retreating backs of Li Yundong and Cao Kefei, his heart burning with hatred. He couldn't fathom: Why was it that even though he was handsomer and richer than Li Yundong, all the beautiful women gravitated towards the latter?

The girl beside him huffed resentfully, "Hmph, thought he was such a big shot, turns out he's just kept trash."

Liu Chuan whipped around and roared, "Get in the car! Stop flapping your gums!"

The girl jumped, muttered, and got in, but once inside the BMW 5 Series, which had previously seemed supremely luxurious, it now felt like riding in a rickety cart.

Ding Nan stood next to Zhou Qin. These two sisters, usually inseparable, now seemed disconnected. Ding Nan watched the direction the Lamborghini had vanished and let out a cold laugh. "Zhou Qin, did you see? An excellent, unmarried man is like unclaimed treasure that every ambitious woman wants to possess. This is a war!"

Zhou Qin’s already somber expression darkened further. She shot Ding Nan a sidelong glance and said coolly, "What are you trying to say?"

Ding Nan smiled faintly. "You know perfectly well what I mean." Saying this, she turned and left without saying goodbye to Feng Na or Cheng Cheng, or mentioning lunch at all.

Li Yundong’s departure left Feng Na and the others feeling deflated, while Su Chan gazed blankly in the direction he left, suddenly feeling an empty, unsupported hollowness in her heart.