Chapter 4

In the vast, boundless sea, a solitary boat drifted along.

Occasionally, fishermen who ventured out to sea would see it and marvel at how it resembled a work of art, but no one would recognize it as the British-built Saint Tide yacht, known as the Rolls-Royce of the seas.

The yacht was motionless, making no sound, with its bow deck facing east, rising and falling with the waves.

The sky over the sea was a deep blue, without a single cloud, except for the eastern horizon, which was gradually turning red.

On the deck, there were a man and a woman, one lying down and the other moving constantly, changing positions from time to time.

Don't get the wrong idea; the one lying down was Yang Huan, who was asleep, while the one moving was Zhang Ning.

She had never expected that once they boarded the yacht and set out to sea, Yang Huan would only say, "Wake me up when the sun rises," and then lie down on the deck, sleeping like a dead pig.

Perhaps, he had drunk too much and was feeling the effects.

Or maybe, he had been too excited earlier and was now feeling exhausted.

But whatever the reason, it was completely unexpected for Zhang Ning.

Although it was embarrassing, before boarding the yacht, she had indeed speculated that Yang Huan would act like the men who lusted after her beauty, pouncing on her like a wolf and ravaging her, perhaps even keeping her up all night.

Even when Yang Huan fell asleep, she suspected that he was just conserving his energy, after all, he had paid five million.

But none of what she had imagined happened.

Although she had only known Yang Huan for less than twelve hours, so many things had happened that she had never dared to imagine before.

For example, he lost five million in a bet, but then turned around and won nearly three hundred million in another.

Or, she was pulled by Yang Huan to become the focus of envy, jealousy, and hatred of all the women in the entire Languifang bar.

Or, she, who had never driven before, was driving a Lamborghini worth over seven million RMB on the busiest streets of Longhai City, and although there was no accident, the thrill of it left her with lingering fear.

All of this was something she had never experienced before.

It was too exciting, too thrilling!

"What kind of person are you?" she murmured, looking at Yang Huan's face.

Was it that she had no appeal to him? Or that he simply didn't like women? Or did he have another motive?

All of this was a mystery to Zhang Ning, making her uncomfortable whether lying or sitting, so she kept changing positions.

In the distant east, the horizon was already dyed red by the rising sun, like blood surging out of the sea.

Yang Huan suddenly opened his eyes, and his gaze met Zhang Ning's.

They were so close that they could almost see each other's reflections in their eyes.

"Beautiful, so beautiful!" Yang Huan said with a smile.

Zhang Ning thought he was complimenting her, remembering the passionate kiss from the night before, her face turned red all the way to her ears, and she turned away, not daring to look at him.

Yang Huan, however, stood up from the deck, rushed to the smooth railing, spread his arms wide, and took deep breaths of the sea air, shouting loudly, "Beautiful, so damn beautiful! The sunrise at sea is truly, truly beautiful!"

The life of the rich was different; they could go to sea whenever they wanted, do whatever they wanted, and there was nothing more enjoyable than that.

"Wow!" Yang Huan was as excited as if it were his first time watching the sunrise at sea.

Seeing him shout and yell, Zhang Ning's mood also lifted, and she smiled charmingly, though she felt a bit embarrassed, thinking that she had mistaken his praise for her beauty, when in fact, the rich playboy was praising the sunrise at sea.

Yang Huan saw Zhang Ning walk to his side, turned his head, and saw her beautiful hair gently blown by the sea breeze, revealing a flawless profile that could make any man drunk with admiration.

"The sunrise is beautiful, but you are even more beautiful!" Yang Huan couldn't help but praise.

Hearing this, Zhang Ning's face turned as red as the morning sky in the east, adding to her charm, and she even gripped the railing tighter, wondering what Yang Huan would do next.

"God, you are truly too good to me!"

Yang Huan shouted towards the vast, endless sea in the east.

"You have given me wealth and status, and even a beautiful woman by my side. I thank you, I damn well thank you!"

The sea was vast, and it was unknown how far his voice could carry.

"Rest assured, I won't waste this hard-earned opportunity. I will make everyone in the world know me, Yang Huan, and I will make the world different because of my presence!"

As he spoke, Yang Huan shouted out his heart's desire, expressing his ambition and determination.

Having been a nobody for over a decade, he felt that if he didn't achieve something great, it would be a waste of his reincarnation.

Zhang Ning looked at Yang Huan with some surprise; she didn't think his words were insincere, as she could feel the power in his words, a power that came from long-suppressed frustration.

She also felt suppressed and frustrated, but she couldn't express it like Yang Huan.

At that moment, she suddenly envied Yang Huan.

The sun gradually rose, and the golden sunlight spread over the boundless sea.

Yang Huan and Zhang Ning silently watched the entire process of the sunrise, feeling as if they were witnessing a baby being born from its mother's womb, slow and difficult, yet full of a magical and great sense.

"Zhang Ning."

When Yang Huan called her name, Zhang Ning's heart skipped a beat. At that moment, even if Yang Huan asked her to undress, she would have to comply.

Of course, she would request to go back to the cabin.

"I bought your virginity, and I can claim it whenever I want, right?"

Zhang Ning bit her lip and nodded heavily.

"But, I consider myself a man of taste, not a vulgar one, and I don't like forcing others, especially women I like. So, I don't plan to claim it for now. I'll keep it for later." He laughed heartily.

The feeling of being able to control someone's fate with a mere gesture was truly exhilarating, especially when that someone was a stunning beauty, making it even more satisfying.

"What did you say?" Zhang Ning was surprised.

Even if Yang Huan did anything to her now, she wouldn't be surprised, but his words shocked her.

"I mean, keep your virginity for me. Lock it in a safe, and when I want it, I'll come to claim it!"

Zhang Ning stared at Yang Huan in disbelief. She couldn't believe that he had spent five million just to take her virginity.

"But, to prevent you from reneging or me from losing out, I've decided to keep you. From today on, you are my woman, and you must always be by my side, available 24/7."

Ignoring Zhang Ning's shocked expression, Yang Huan continued, "Of course, since it's keeping you, I'll pay you. I'll cover your food and lodging, and give you ten thousand RMB a month as a maintenance fee. It's a bit low for your quality, but since I've already spent five million on you, I need to earn some interest, right?"

"You..." Zhang Ning was at a loss, unsure how to react.

Logically, she should be happy that Yang Huan wasn't taking her virginity for now, but being kept by him was like escaping from a tiger's den only to enter a wolf's lair.

"Don't thank me. Consider it a job. You just graduated and haven't found a job, right?" Yang Huan chuckled and walked towards the yacht, planning to return after watching the sunrise.

"Oh, and don't even think about reneging. You should know I'm not afraid of that!"

Watching Yang Huan enter the cabin, Zhang Ning felt a mix of emotions, unsure whether she was more happy or sad.

Although she didn't have to lose her virginity, she had become a mistress.

Or perhaps, she shouldn't call herself a mistress, as he had no wife or girlfriend.

But soon, she let it go.

No matter what, at least the current situation wasn't bad for her.

Being kept, so be it!

But she vaguely sensed that Yang Huan wanted more than just her body; he wanted her heart.

This made her a bit afraid.

...

...

After the yacht returned to the Longhai City yacht marina, the first thing Zhang Ning did was take a leave of absence.

Yang Huan gave her a day off and provided the address of the Yang family, asking her to report there, and then he went home.

The entire process was straightforward, and Zhang Ning felt a sense of being trusted.

The Yang family was a well-known wealthy family in Longhai City's upper class, not only because Yang Huan's grandfather had been a revolutionary and a retired high-ranking official, but also because Yang Huan's father had built a staggering fortune from scratch in less than thirty years, though he remained low-key and was not widely known.

Yang Huan, the playboy, was the most prominent member of the family, but strangely, his family let him do as he pleased, as long as he didn't cause any major problems. They didn't mind his extravagance.

It was said that when Yang Huan was born, his grandfather chose the name "Huan" to ensure he would live a happy and carefree life.

Returning home around nine in the morning, Yang Huan was surprised to find his father, Yang Wenfeng, who usually went to work, and his grandfather, Yang Baoping, who usually took his grandmother for a walk in the park, both at home.

It seemed they were waiting for him.

"Master Huan, Master and Young Master are waiting for you," the butler, Uncle Ming, said as soon as he entered the gate.

"Thank you, Uncle Ming," Yang Huan replied and walked to the living room.

The Yang family's low-key lifestyle was evident in their residence, which was just one of the many villas in the upscale residential area of Longhai City, with simple and unassuming decor.

"Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, good morning!" Yang Huan greeted the elders with a smile as he entered the living room.

"Good morning, Huan, have you had breakfast?" Grandma, who doted on her grandson, asked with concern.

"I think he hasn't. Let Sister Hao make you something to eat," Mom also showed concern.

Yang Huan smiled and shook his head, finding a seat, "No need, I had something outside."

"I heard you won money gambling last night?" Yang Wenfeng's brow was furrowed, his mind preoccupied, and his tone was heavy.

"Yes, with Liu Mingwei," Yang Huan didn't hide it.

"How much did you win?" Yang Baoping, who was in his seventies but still energetic, asked.

"Three hundred million!"

"Three hundred million?" Grandma and Mom were shocked. Even for a wealthy family, three hundred million was a lot.

Winning three hundred million in one night? Was this a joke?

"Huan, is this true? Did you get scammed?" Mom was the first to doubt, knowing her son well. She had never thought he had the ability to make such money.

"Unless Liu Mingwei wants to renege!" Yang Huan laughed, unconcerned, "But I don't think he has the guts. If he did, he might have killed me on the spot, right, Dad?"

Yang Baoping and Yang Wenfeng exchanged glances, both surprised.

Yang Huan liked to spend extravagantly, and while they didn't interfere openly, they secretly arranged for bodyguards to follow him every time. Last night, three bodyguards were mixed in with the bar patrons, so they had received the news.

But how did the playboy, who usually did nothing but spend, see through it today?

Moreover, although Yang Huan was doted on by his family, especially his grandmother and mother, he always appeared timid and fearful in front of his grandfather and father. Today, however, he was different, answering fluently and even probing them.

"What about that woman, Zhang Ning?" Yang Wenfeng asked again.

"I've kept her, but I gave her a day off to take care of some personal matters," Yang Huan said matter-of-factly.

"I've said before, you can play around, but your marriage is arranged."

Yang Huan thought for a moment. Was this what was known as a political marriage?

"We'll talk about that later," he deflected.

"As long as you understand," Yang Wenfeng said without further ado.

Yang Huan looked at his grandfather and father, making up his mind, "I want to go out and make some investments."

"Investments? What kind of investments?" Yang Wenfeng and Yang Baoping were both surprised.

"Right, Huan, you just won money. Do you still feel it's not enough?" Mom was also surprised.

Their son, who usually preferred lying down to sitting and sitting to standing, wanted to go out and work? Was the sun rising in the west?

They didn't know that their son had a new soul, no longer the lazy playboy he used to be.

He was now ambitious, wanting to do things he had dreamed of in his previous life but couldn't.

"I want to go to Europe and buy a football club to play with."

"Football club? To play with?" Yang Wenfeng was again surprised.

Their son was giving them too many surprises today.

"Yes, football!" Yang Huan said firmly.

"Do you know anything about football?" Yang Wenfeng laughed, knowing his son well. The boy claimed to be a football fan but couldn't even name all the teams. Could he run a football club with such knowledge?

Yang Huan also laughed, "I won three hundred million last night. Do you think I know football?"

Yang Wenfeng was speechless. He wanted to say it was just luck, but who could have such luck to win three hundred million from Liu Mingwei, known for his shrewdness in Longhai City? Could winning such a large sum be just luck?

Yang Baoping had been silent, listening to the conversation between his son and grandson. When Yang Huan mentioned investing in football, he was initially puzzled, but soon a realization dawned on him.

Could it be that Huan's interest in football was because...