Chapter 22: A Second-Generation Heir Who Fails to Impress

"I like it! You really went all out..." Qiao Xin Xin feigned bashfulness, nodding with satisfaction. Lin Fan's willingness to spend money on her gave her a sense of prestige.

"It's only right. You're my girlfriend—a campus beauty, not someone those random nobodies can pursue." Lin Fan replied pointedly.

Everyone could tell he was mocking Ling Feng.

Qiao Xin Xin cast a fleeting glance at Ling Feng. She had never felt anything for him, and Lin Fan's constant flattery only made her feel more proud.

Yet, Lin Fan noticed that Qiao Xin Xin's favorability toward him remained at fifty—it hadn't increased. Clearly, she was only playing along. In contrast, the other girls' favorability had soared.

Yang Na, especially, whose initial favorability was zero, now had jumped to fifty.

The rest hovered around ten.

But Lin Fan noticed a woman in the corner whose favorability toward him was negative.

[Name: Su Yan Mo]
[Age: 29]
[Attractiveness: 9.1]
[Purity: 99]
[Favorability (Intimacy): -50 (Man-hater)]

"Man-hater? She actually dislikes me this much? Could she be...?"

Lin Fan felt utterly frustrated.

Out of the twenty-plus girls present, only Su Yan Mo had a negative favorability toward him!

Tonight, only two women were slightly older. One was Su Yan Mo, the other Ouyang Qi.

Ouyang Qi was the homeroom teacher, twenty-seven years old, her looks not quite as stunning as Su Yan Mo or Qiao Xin Xin—an eight-point-five.

Su Yan Mo was Ouyang Qi's cousin, dragged along for the gathering.

Only Su Yan Mo and Qiao Xin Xin boasted attractiveness scores above nine. The rest were either internet celebrity types or reasonably photogenic, but none could be called goddesses.

A score above nine meant goddess status.

"You really put on a show! Twenty-nine gold medals, each weighing one hundred grams, plus the necklace and watch—that’s at least tens of millions! Do you even have that kind of money?" Ling Feng couldn’t help but question.

Yang Na chimed in, "Ling, maybe he’s a hidden rich kid. He drove a BMW worth a million here. Maybe the company Xin signed with is his family’s."

Qiao Xin Xin raised her brows at that. She had never told Yang Na that Lin Fan was the real boss of her company—how could she guess?

Yang Na, of course, was just speculating, but happened to guess right.

Lin Fan felt Yang Na’s emotional intelligence was exceptional. She seemed sharp, but in truth, she went whichever way the wind blew. Moments ago, she was fawning over Ling Feng, treating Lin Fan with sarcasm. Now, the roles had reversed.

"Oh? So which family are you from? I know all the major families in Hangzhou. If you're really the son of a wealthy family, I'll disappear automatically." Ling Feng looked Lin Fan over with disdain.

He believed he could spot a hidden tycoon instantly. No matter how low-key, a wealthy person’s demeanor always betrayed a clue. Yet, he had never seen a supposed rich kid as ordinary as Lin Fan.

Everyone sensed that Ling Feng thought Lin Fan was just pretending.

"I'm not local! Besides, there are plenty of wealthy people out there—there’s always someone better." Lin Fan didn't want to waste words.

This guy thought being a rich kid made him worldly enough to pass judgment.

The five young men in the corner, seeing Ling Feng losing ground, stepped in to defend him.

"Do you know who Ling is? Heard of Fengxing Real Estate? That’s his family’s company—assets over a billion!"

"What about your family? Let's hear it, don’t just talk big!"

"I bet he was pretending to make a phone call earlier, just to show off, claiming he’d buy everyone gold. He’ll probably find an excuse to leave soon..."

The other girls agreed, casting scornful looks at Lin Fan.

Lin Fan simply smiled and stayed silent.

"We'll know soon enough if I’m bluffing. Tonight’s Li Rong’s birthday—I don’t want to spoil the mood..."

With that, Lin Fan pulled Qiao Xin Xin to sit aside.

"Exactly, everyone, don’t take it seriously. Eat, drink, and have fun..." Yang Na, ever the lively one, quickly dissolved the awkward atmosphere.

Lin Fan didn’t force himself into the limelight—he preferred being a quiet gentleman.

But Su Yan Mo, sitting nearby, couldn't help but comment on his behavior.

"These boys are so childish nowadays. They flaunt their wealth just to woo girls, wasting their parents' money. Their family fortunes will be squandered one day—they’ll be left with nothing! Brainless, honestly!"

"Brainless?!" Lin Fan was instantly offended.

The money he spent came from the system’s special funds—not his parents'.

He glanced at Su Yan Mo, and their eyes met.

[Favorability (Intimacy): -51]

Damn! Is it possible? Does one glance make her hate me even more?

Lin Fan was speechless.

Su Yan Mo pursed her lips in disgust, turned away impatiently, not wanting to look at him.

Lin Fan, feeling snubbed, also looked away.

Still, he noticed that Su Yan Mo seemed to be a wealthy beauty herself. Her outfit was all designer brands, worth at least fifty thousand.

"Xin, who is that woman? She seems like a hidden tycoon."

He couldn’t help but ask Qiao Xin Xin about Su Yan Mo.

"She’s Teacher Ouyang’s cousin. Her family owns hotels, way richer than Ling Feng’s clan. I hear her background is quite impressive—her grandfather is a provincial secretary or some bureau chief. The family are officials in Hangzhou, very influential—even the principal calls her 'President Su.'"

Lin Fan was stunned.

He hadn’t expected her to be such a privileged heiress!

"Teacher Ouyang said she recently broke up, and her company isn’t doing well, so she brought her here to relax..."

After some inquiries, Lin Fan finally understood why Su Yan Mo’s mood was so off.

A bold idea began to form in his mind.

He must befriend Su Yan Mo!

A woman with such connections could be a tremendous asset on his path to becoming a billionaire. If his company grew and his business expanded, he’d need powerful allies.

He knew money alone wasn’t enough—he needed influence.

He aspired not just to be a billionaire, but to wield real power.

With that in mind, Lin Fan turned to Su Yan Mo, speaking with sincere humility.

"Miss Su, may I have a private conversation with you?"

"I don’t have time!"

Su Yan Mo rolled her eyes, utterly uninterested.

Seeing this, the others began to whisper.

"Lin Fan actually wants to hit on Teacher Ouyang’s cousin? Outrageous! He already has Qiao Xin Xin, and now he wants to play both sides!"

"President Su is not someone he can flatter. She’s the real deal—a third-generation heiress with sky-high connections. Lin Fan’s just a second-rate rich kid, not in her league!"