Finally, I can showcase my skills!

Silencing the Emperor's Group Messages

The clock struck noon. Chen Yuan, along with his roommates Lao Cao, Lao Zhou, and Lao Xiong, headed to the cafeteria for lunch.

The campus cafeteria offered meals at a very affordable price—around seven or eight yuan per meal.

It was hard to believe that just moments ago, Chen Yuan had splurged a whopping ten thousand yuan on an extravagant live-streamed event, yet now he was content with a modest cafeteria lunch, unwilling even to splurge on a meat dish.

"Xiao Rui Rui, what should I do now? Chen Yuan seems to be ignoring me," Lin Shitong lamented, clutching her phone that had been unresponsive for hours. Her frustration was palpable.

"Shitong, what's going on with you? Wasn't Chen Yuan always under your thumb before? Now that you know he's wealthy, you've lost your confidence in front of him? You can't let this get to you. Remember, men are naturally a bit vain. The more you pamper them, the more they ignore you. Just use the same tactics as before. If he's ignoring you, you can ignore him too!" advised her friend, Sun Rui.

"But I feel like that approach isn't going to work anymore. Chen Yuan now has several other admirers—Xu Lele from the Art Academy and Zhao Yuqi from the Student Union.

If I keep treating him hot and cold like before, he might just be swayed by these other women!" Lin Shitong shook her head, clearly disheartened.

Times had changed. Previously, Chen Yuan only pursued her. Now, he had two competitors, both of whom were just as attractive as she was.

Moreover, she had previously insulted Chen Yuan and said many hurtful things. If she continued with her old ways, Chen Yuan would likely stop trying to win her over.

"Well, it makes sense. It's not just us who know about Chen Yuan's wealth; others do too. Clearly, you can't view him through the old lens anymore. But Shitong, you still have an advantage. Chen Yuan pursued you for three years without giving up, which shows your unique place in his heart. Men often have a soft spot for their first love, and you are his. No other woman can compare to that.

I suspect Chen Yuan's coldness towards you is just a way for him to express his grievances since you treated him that way before. Once he's had a chance to vent his frustrations and cool down, he'll probably be willing to forgive you. That's when your chance will come!" Sun Rui offered a rational analysis.

Lin Shitong found this perspective quite reasonable. Switching places with Chen Yuan, she would probably feel the same way and need to vent her own frustrations. Understanding his feelings helped her grasp why Chen Yuan was ignoring her.

"I get it now, Xiao Rui Rui. To win Chen Yuan back, I first need to let him cool off. I won't give up!" Lin Shitong resolved.

"Go for it, Shitong! I'm sure you'll succeed!" Sun Rui cheered, raising her fist in support. On the surface, she appeared supportive of her friend, but internally, she was quite disdainful.

Lin Shitong had once dismissed Chen Yuan and treated him as an afterthought. Now that he was wealthy, she remembered his virtues and wanted to win him back? Was she dreaming?

However, Lin Shitong was out of options. Could Sun Rui seize the opportunity for herself? Directly flirting with Chen Yuan might seem a bit too obvious. Luckily, Chen Yuan's roommate, Zhou Haiquan, was pursuing her. This connection could be utilized.

After Lunch

After lunch, Lao Cao, Lao Zhou, and Lao Xiong dragged Chen Yuan to an internet café for a game of League of Legends.

Chen Yuan wasn't keen on playing, but he couldn't refuse his friends' collective demand. With no classes in the afternoon, and as students with few other entertainment options, hanging out at an internet café and playing games was a common pastime.

"Hey, do you have any machines with four seats?" Lao Cao asked the café manager as they entered.

"Yes, we do. Business has been slow recently, so there are plenty of computers available!" The girl at the counter smiled, and she looked quite pleasant.

"Xu Lele, what are you doing here? Are you working part-time as a café manager?" Chen Yuan asked in surprise when he noticed Xu Lele among the counter staff.

"I'm not a manager. This café is actually owned by my family. Didn't you know, Chen Yuan?" Xu Lele replied excitedly. She hadn't expected to run into Chen Yuan at the café.

Her family owned seventeen internet cafés. Due to the pandemic, their business had yet to recover.

The café had six or seven employees, and they hadn't been paid for three or four months. Rent was also due soon.

The rent for the café, located near the school in a prime location, was a staggering two hundred thousand yuan per year. Xu Lele was there to pay the employees and cover the rent. With the five million yuan Chen Yuan had lent her, she could keep her family's cafés running and repay the loan.

"I had no idea your family was so wealthy and owned internet cafés!" Chen Yuan marveled. Each of their cafés had nearly two hundred high-spec computers. With renovations and rent, starting such a café would cost at least two million yuan.

"Wow, I remember 'Da Luo Internet Café' is a chain with dozens of stores. Is the whole chain owned by your family?" Lao Xiong asked, astonished.

"Yes, but right now, all the cafés are struggling and losing money. My family is close to bankruptcy!" Xu Lele admitted candidly. She glanced at Chen Yuan, subtly acknowledging that without his financial help, her family's business would have collapsed.

"Impressive! Xu Lele, you're actually from a wealthy family?" Zhou Haiquan exclaimed.

"Previously, there were many rumors at school about you being a gold-digger, but it seems they were just envious!" Lao Cao remarked with a knowing look at Chen Yuan, as if to say Chen Yuan's luck with women was just too good.

"Well, they're not entirely wrong. I am a gold-digger, but don't think that means you can get freebies just because we know each other. Hmph!

Of course, Chen Yuan, you're the exception. You can always get free internet at my family's café!" Xu Lele joked, skillfully defusing any awkwardness and boosting Chen Yuan's ego.

"Damn, Lao Si, why don't you just go for her?" "I can't take it anymore!" "Why don't I have any girls pursuing me? Am I not handsome enough?" Lao Xiong grumbled with jealousy.

Chen Yuan's roommates were increasingly baffled. Why had Chen Yuan suddenly become popular with women?

It didn't make sense. Lao Xiong, known for his charm and good looks, had dated several girls over the past three years. Yet now, Chen Yuan was attracting high-quality admirers, which seemed totally illogical.

"Let's book five seats; Sun Rui is coming over later!" Zhou Haiquan suddenly said.

"Sun Rui? Isn't she Lin Shitong's roommate? Lao Zhou, when did you start pursuing her?"

"I've been pursuing her for a few months now. I think she has a good impression of me. When I mentioned our dorm was going to the café, she offered to be our support. Perfect timing for a five-man game. Haha, I finally get to show off my skills in front of her!" Zhou Haiquan said excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

Feel free to let me know if you need any adjustments or further expansions!