But deep down, Zhang Xiaoya's heart was blooming like a goddamn flower, her mind racing with sweet, uncontrollable daydreams.
She pictured today's client as a tall, hot, loaded stud—a perfect rich boy!
In her head, he'd see her and bam—love at first sight. He'd go all out, chasing her with grand gestures. Maybe even some drama where she's in danger, and he risks his life to save her~~ Naturally, she'd play it cool, tossing out some bullshit like, "I don't wanna be seen as a gold digger—I wanna fight for my own happiness through hard work."
TV dramas were full of that crap, and Zhang Xiaoya was already slotting herself into the lead role of the sappy romance flick on the screen.
Of course, in the end, she'd say yes to the rich hunk.
Who doesn't love a hot, rich guy who's head-over-heels for you? What chick could resist that?
Her roommates chirped away like it was nothing, but inside, they were seething with envy and jealousy.
One was even plotting to snag that tycoon's WeChat and hook him herself!
On the surface, these girls were all buddy-buddy, but underneath, it was a cutthroat competition.
None of them wanted anyone to outshine the rest. That way, they stayed on the same level—no imbalance. But if one shot ahead? The others would stew in resentment and hate.
Li Bin—the loser-turned-fantasy-stud—had no fucking clue about any of this.
With the car locked in, next up was figuring out how to give his mother-in-law Shen Han a romantic vibe and a jaw-dropping surprise.
Just buying the Mercedes wasn't enough.
Li Bin wanted this gift to drown her in romance and emotion, sweep her off her feet in a cheesy-ass atmosphere—and then, bam, seal the deal!
Tomorrow was the golden shot to bag his mother-in-law!
He started picturing tomorrow's setup, already dialing numbers to make it happen.
"Oh, right! Can't forget those show-off pricks from the family!" Li Bin muttered to himself, hyped as hell, and dialed again. Flexing on them was Shen Han's G-spot for sure!
"Hey, bro-in-law, what's up?" Du Bin picked up, sounding annoyed.
"Hey, so, tomorrow's your aunt—my mother-in-law's—birthday. I wanna invite you, your mom, dad, and your girlfriend to join us for dinner at a hotel."
"Oh! I'll check with my folks, but we might be busy." Worried Du Bin might ditch him after last time, Li Bin piled on the flattery.
"Oh, and tomorrow, we'd love to ride in your Benz! Tell your dad to bring his BMW X1 too—we wanna mooch off your sweet rides!"
"Huh? Haha! Bro-in-law, no offense, but didn't you brag last time about making 100k a month? Writing books pays that good, huh? Why not buy your own Benz? I know your deal—you borrowed that cash to fake it, right?" Du Bin's tone flipped from pissy to smug as fuck.
"Bin Bin! We're brothers, right? Keep it on the down-low—save me some face, yeah?" Li Bin played it up, acting all nervous like his bluff got called.
"Hahaha! I fucking knew you were full of shit! Alright, I got you! We'll be there tomorrow—me driving. I'll pick you, sis, and auntie up myself! Show you what a real Benz feels like, heh!" Du Bin ate it up, practically gloating. He was already planning to humiliate Li Bin in front of everyone tomorrow.
Time to settle the score from last time and shine in front of auntie's family!
"Sweet, sweet! Good cousin! Thanks a ton—pick us up before 4 PM tomorrow, alright? We'll head to the Fanhai Diaoyutai Hotel together! Don't forget to swing by!" Li Bin laid it on thick, scared Du Bin might flake.
"Got it, got it! Hanging up—see ya tomorrow!" Du Bin barked excitedly and cut the call.
Li Bin smirked, satisfied. Bet tomorrow Du Bin's crew would show up eager as hell, ready to dunk on him at the party.
Perfect setup! After they'd ripped into him, he'd drop the gift on Shen Han and blow the fucking room away!