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

Shen Yao's birthday party, ostensibly a celebration for her birthday, had secretly evolved into an unspoken scheme among top-tier capital players.

This was a rare opportunity. Many people had done their homework beforehand, circling off the names on the list of people they wanted to contact that evening.

No matter how much preparation young people make, they can only truly feel the cruelty and coldness of this world when they first step into its vortex.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, everyone was exchanging pleasantries, chatting, and toasting each other, their smiles plastered on their faces like tightly pressed masks.

If Grandpa Huo and the others hadn't hidden in a corner early on, they probably would have been surrounded by three layers of people by now.

Shen Yao did not miss this opportunity.

No one else will miss her either.

So throughout the entire birthday party, despite the lively atmosphere and the overwhelming compliments, she didn't get to have much of a proper conversation with those men.

I have no idea where they all went.

"I know I look beautiful today, why are you looking at me like that?" Shen Yao turned her head strangely, looking at Zhao Tang's face with a subtle expression.

"I'm trying to see if I even know you."

Zhao Tang spoke in a serious tone.

How could she not know that Shen Yao had such unbelievable relationships with so many men? Judging from their conversation, it wasn't just ordinary jealousy and rivalry.

Shen Yao raised an eyebrow: "If you don't know them, who are you talking to right now?"

Before she could finish speaking, she subconsciously tilted her head and, without even realizing it, met a familiar gaze.

Lu Xiuting stood not far away, talking to someone with a glass of wine in his hand.

Those dark eyes gleamed with a cold, eerie light amidst the elegant attire and swaying hair, their expression nonchalant, as if they had only just noticed the commotion and glanced over.

Shen Yao met his gaze, her eyebrows curved, and she gave him a sweet smile.

And here it is, isn't it?

As the main character, she was dressed to the most eye-catching tonight, and her smile, bathed in the room's shimmering light, was exceptionally captivating.

But Lu Xiuting did not reciprocate with the same warmth.

He quickly looked away.

He's fickle and unreliable; his credibility with Shen Yao is practically worthless, yet he still stubbornly comes along.

A clear anger surged within Lu Xiuting.

He had already made an exception by showing his goodwill in advance, so surely she should take the initiative to come to him, right?

If I don't give her a good cold shoulder, she'll be trampling on my head every day from now on.

But how could Shen Yao feel lonely and lost just because someone ignored her? She wouldn't take the initiative to go to him.

What could she do? She was just a girl who didn't want to hurt any man... She believed her ex-boyfriend would understand.

Rather than rushing into the line of fire now, it's better to remain still.

It's been so long, Lu Xiuting should have calmed down by now.

Now that you've calmed down... come find her quickly.

However, until night fell completely and the banquet came to an end, Shen Yao had no substantial contact with Lu Xiuting.

Lu Xiuting stood at a distance, gazing intently at her, disappointment welling up layer by layer in the depths of his pupils.

She doesn't come looking for him. He doesn't look for her, so she forgets he even exists in her mind and heart.

Shen Yao is beautiful and attractive, so naturally countless men line up to get into her bed, including some she herself is willing to agree to.

He was just one of them, and he just happened to have sat in the "boyfriend" position.

It can't explain anything, it can't represent anything.

He thought it was incredibly important, but to her, it was just a label that could be changed at any time.

The man lowered his head and drank the remaining wine in his glass in one gulp.

Shen Yao was completely unaware of Lu Xiuting's turbulent emotions.

At this moment, she was bypassing the hall full of elegant ladies and beautiful women, and sneaking into the manor's lounge to steal a moment of peace.

The door closed behind her, shutting out the noise of the revelry. She had just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Zhou Jingyan sitting on the sofa.

The man, dressed in a suit and tie, casually crossed his long legs, his posture relaxed yet still exuding a refined manner.

He looked up and saw her, a tenderness he had anticipated appearing in his eyes: "Yaoyao, are you tired?"

He had noticed it during the banquet.

When Shen Yao put on her high heels, her ankle twisted slightly, and the heel tapped the ground twice. She always made these little movements when she was uncomfortable, especially when her feet hurt.

He knew she would come to rest, so he left the others behind and sat here to wait for her.

Shen Yao walked over in that halter-neck dress, kicked off her high heels, and nestled barefoot into the sofa next to him, her legs slightly curled up, the hem of her dress sliding up a bit with her movement.

"Yeah, thank goodness I have my Jingyan brother. Just looking at your handsome face makes me feel like I can instantly recover my energy."

Standing for too long, the heels of my shoes rubbed against my skin, leaving a faint red ring on the heels, which stood out against my fair skin.

Zhou Jingyan's gaze inadvertently fell on the red mark. Before he could say anything, Shen Yao mischievously raised her foot and gave him a light kick.

A low groan escaped the man's throat, and then he gripped her ankle tightly with his large hand, his warm palm holding the delicate white bone.

Shen Yao leaned forward, tilted her head slightly, and kissed him.

Her tongue pried open his lips like a small animal's, slowly licking from top to bottom, holding his lip pearl in her mouth, occasionally sucking gently, her tongue gliding between his neat rows of teeth, through a thin layer of teeth, it seemed that even his nerves could be teased and tremble slightly.

Zhou Jingyan's breathing quickened for a moment, but he quickly took the initiative and pulled her onto his lap.

Shen Yao sat sideways in his lap, her skirt spread out over his suit trousers, her ear close to his:

"I really like your birthday present. Do you remember I said earlier today that I had a present for you?"

Zhou Jingyan's fingers pinched her waist: "I remember."

Shen Yao's dress featured a halter neck design, with a bow tied behind her slender white neck.

She reached out and, under Zhou Jingyan's surprised gaze, slowly and deliberately untied the knot.

The silk slipped off.

The skirt, losing its supporting weight, began to sag.

Zhou Jingyan subconsciously raised his hand to press down on the fabric that had slipped off her shoulder, but his palm happened to cover the soft, snow-white area below her collarbone.

Shen Yao didn't dodge. Instead, she pressed his hand down and guided his fingertips an inch inward through the gap in her skirt.

"Jingyan," she said softly, "the birthday present I want most is you."

She looked up at him, her gaze playful yet earnest. "I'll give myself to you, and you give yourself to me. Okay?"

After Shen Yao finished speaking, she pressed the man's slightly hot palm and pushed her skirt down a little further.

The fabric slipped down, revealing snow-white shoulders and deeper curves, with red plum blossoms falling on the first snow, serene yet dazzling.

Zhou Jingyan's usually gentle and serious gaze became strangely focused when it fell on her.

He lowered his head, looking at her upturned face, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice slightly hoarse: "Are you sure?"

Today is her birthday. He is naturally overjoyed that this day marks their first time together.

There were so many guests in the banquet hall, even her grandparents were there, and yet they were hiding in this lounge doing this kind of thing...

Zhou Jingyan, who has always been a gentleman, felt quite embarrassed and thought he hadn't treated her well enough.

Shen Yao wanted exactly what he thought was bad.

Don't you think it's fun to lure and bully Jingyan?

Don't you find it incredibly stimulating to watch his dignified and composed face crumble inch by inch?

Anyway, she found it really exciting.

She enjoys seeing upright gentlemen act vulgarly.

The gentleness that was usually so smooth and without wrinkles was crumpled by her own hands, like a straight piece of paper soaked in water, every texture becoming clear and ambiguous.

The process of peeling away the layers little by little, dismantling the structure bit by bit, fascinated her more than the result itself.

"Don't worry." Shen Yao smiled and reached for the bottle of red wine on the table.

The bottle was tilted, and the amber-colored liquid dripped down his fingers. She turned slightly to the side, drawing the cool liquid toward herself.

A deep red wet stain appeared on the skirt, and the soft fabric underneath was also soaked with wine, clinging to the skin and revealing a faint outline.

She looked up at him, her voice soft and gentle: "Just say my dress is dirty and I need to stay here for a while."

"...You won't let them in, right?"