The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

The next day, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

Shen Yao carefully wiped the expensive umbrella clean and neatly folded it together with the thin blanket that had been washed and dried.

She didn't contact Yuchuan immediately, but waited until the afternoon before sending a carefully worded WeChat message:

[Thank you for yesterday, senior. I've packed the umbrella and blanket. When is a convenient time for me to bring them to you?]

Xiang Yuchuan replied quickly, his tone much warmer than before: [Leave it for now, no rush. Are you free tonight? Let's have dinner together.]

Shen Yao looked at the screen and smiled slightly. She didn't immediately agree, but instead replied indirectly: "I have an elective class tonight, so it's better to return the umbrella to you sooner rather than later. I'm afraid I'll lose it."

Xiang Yuchuan called directly: "I'll wait for you downstairs in the teaching building after class."

In the evening, Shen Yao appeared at the agreed location carrying a neatly folded umbrella and blanket.

Xiang Yuchuan leaned against his conspicuous sports car and saw her approaching, his gaze lingering on her for a moment.

She wore a simple off-white dress today, which made her skin look even whiter and gave her a clean and gentle demeanor.

"Senior." Shen Yao walked up to him and handed him the things. "Thank you so much for yesterday."

Xiang Yuchuan took the items, casually tossed them into the car, then took out a small, exquisite velvet box from his pocket and handed it to Shen Yao.

"Here you go." He said casually, as if he were just giving someone a piece of candy.

Shen Yao paused for a moment, then didn't take it, her face showing confusion and unease: "Senior, what's this?"

"Open it and take a look." Xiang Yuchuan gestured with his chin.

Shen Yao hesitantly opened the box. Inside lay a slender platinum necklace with a pendant that was a simple yet dazzling diamond. It wasn't large, but its color and cut were excellent, and it was clearly very valuable.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, the necklace reflected a dazzling light.

Shen Yao's heart skipped a beat, not because of the necklace's value, but because of the meaning behind the gift.

It is much more formal and expensive than previous skin care products and lipsticks.

She immediately closed the box, trying to hand it back, her face showing obvious panic: "Senior, this is too valuable! I can't accept it."

Xiang Yuchuan pressed her hand down, looking intently at her, and said seriously, "Shen Yao, I'm serious when I say I've fallen for you. Be with me."

This is not an inquiry, but a declaration.

Shen Yao lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes: "Senior, you're joking. We're not a good match."

"What's wrong with it?" Xiang Yuchuan took a step closer, his breath brushing against the top of her head. "I think it suits you perfectly."

"Before," Shen Yao raised her head, her eyes slightly red, as if she had suffered a great injustice, "I was afraid."

That phrase again. Xiang Yuchuan felt a surge of irritation, but even more so, an urge to prove something.

He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound gentle: "The past is the past, and you are you. Shen Yao, I really like you."

Shen Yao looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears, filled with struggle and uncertainty.

She remained silent for a long time, so long that Xiang Yuchuan was almost losing patience, before she said in a very soft voice, "I need time to think about it."

The fact that she didn't directly refuse was already a huge step forward.

Xiang Yuchuan felt relieved, and his tone softened: "Okay, I'll give you time. But you keep this chain."

This time, Shen Yao didn't refuse outright. She looked at the velvet box as if it were a hot potato, but ultimately hesitated before accepting it: "Then I'll keep it safe for now."

Seeing her expression—a mixture of wanting to get closer and fearing getting hurt—Xiang Yuchuan felt a surge of intense desire to conquer her. He was determined to make her completely lower her guard.

In the days that followed, Xiang Yuchuan's offensive towards Shen Yao became even more intensive and focused.

He no longer just took her to upscale restaurants, but also accompanied her to the library, even though he spent most of his time playing games on the sidelines.

He would remember the book she casually mentioned wanting to read, and buy it for her the next time they met;

He even started paying attention to her class schedule, "accidentally" appearing after her classes to escort her back to her dorm.

Shen Yao's attitude softened little by little during this process.

She would start to show him a genuine, slightly shy smile, and when he walked her to her dormitory, she would whisper "Be careful on your way." Her eyes would sparkle with gratitude when he did small things for her.

The time has come.

He meticulously planned a dinner at a rooftop restaurant known for its romantic atmosphere and requiring reservations months in advance.

Outside the window is a dazzling city night view, and on the table are beautiful roses.

The atmosphere at dinner was very pleasant.

Xiang Yuchuan looked at Shen Yao, who appeared even more beautiful under the soft lighting, and put down his knife and fork.

"Shen Yao." He called her name, his voice lower than usual.

Shen Yao raised her head, as if she had a premonition of something, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

Xiang Yuchuan took out a smaller, more exquisite box from his pocket.

It's not a necklace, but a beautiful bracelet.

He looked at her, his gaze focused and earnest, even carrying a hint of nervousness that he himself was unaware of:

"Be my girlfriend, the real kind. From now on, I'll take care of you."

This time, it's no longer the flippant declaration of "I've got my eye on you."

Shen Yao looked at the bracelet that shimmered in the candlelight, then at Xiang Yuchuan's eyes, which rarely showed such sincerity, and fell silent.

After a long silence, as if she had gone through a fierce internal struggle, she finally nodded slowly and very slightly. Her voice clearly reached Xiang Yuchuan's ears:

"it is good."

After officially establishing a relationship with Xiang Yuchuan, Shen Yao's life underwent a dramatic transformation.

The way to express affection to the young master is simple and direct—spend money.

He first glanced disdainfully at Shen Yao's old phone with its cracked screen, then the next day he shoved a brand-new, top-of-the-line phone into her hands: "Take this, don't use that piece of junk anymore, it affects the viewing experience when making videos."

Then, without further ado, he transferred several four-figure sums of pocket money to her via WeChat, leaving a concise message: "Go buy some decent clothes."

Shen Yao looked at the amount that had suddenly appeared in her account—an amount she couldn't earn in the past year of part-time jobs—and felt calm, even a little amused.

Sure enough, money is still the most practical thing.

She didn't feign refusal, because she was too lazy to pretend. Under Xiang Yuchuan's domineering attitude of "you can have it if you want," she "reluctantly" accepted it, and whispered a promise: "I will use it well, thank you, senior."

The news of their relationship spread like wildfire throughout the campus.

Shen Yao's name used to be just a small-scale legend of beauty, but now it is completely associated with the heavyweight title of "Xiang Yuchuan's current girlfriend," and her popularity has skyrocketed.

Wherever she went, she could feel all kinds of gazes—envy, jealousy, curiosity, and those waiting to see her make a fool of herself.

"Tsk, Young Master Xiang has changed again? I think this one is really beautiful, the most beautiful one, right?"

"What's the use of being pretty? Look at all his ex-girlfriends, weren't they all pretty? Let's see if he can last three months."

"I heard this girl comes from a very ordinary family; she's probably just after his money..."

Shen Yao occasionally heard snippets of such discussions, but she never took them to heart.

She didn't care what others thought.

All she knew was that she was now rich.