My roommate's online boyfriend won't spend any coins, but he'll give me tons of gold

The dim spotlight fell on the man, revealing his short, misty pink hair, pale profile, and indifferent, sharp features.

That face was both so familiar and so unfamiliar.

She looks a lot like Lin Zhaoting.

The photo that Yiqiong hid looks almost exactly like her.

It's him!

It was his eldest son, whom he had sold without hesitation to raise money to return home.

Lin Jiangfang seemed to have grasped at the only straw, his eyes flashing with a desperate glint of survival. With his last ounce of strength, he struggled to lift his head and roared.

"Kobayashi!!"

"Help me!"

His tiny voice was quickly drowned out by deafening cheers, and no one could hear it.

But Lin Jiangfang saw that Chen Zhi also glanced at him casually, his eyes too indifferent, too cold, too icy, as if he were looking at a stranger on the roadside.

He quickly withdrew his gaze, turned around, and calmly walked away.

Wei Heng followed eagerly behind.

Lin Jiang lay frozen in the pool of blood, the excruciating pain replaced by a bone-chilling cold.

He seemed to understand everything all at once.

Why was I inexplicably kidnapped, thrown into this place, and subjected to torture worse than death?

It wasn't that I offended anyone, nor was it the Lin family that caused the trouble.

It's retribution.

It was the bitter fruit of his own actions twenty years ago, when he sold his son, that had come back to haunt him.

Step out of the underground boxing ring.

Chen Zhi, who said he was going to quit smoking, suddenly asked Wei Heng for a cigarette.

Wei Heng didn't ask any further questions and gave him the whole pack of cigarettes.

Chen Zhiye took it, pulled out a cigarette, and tossed it back to Wei Heng. Seeing that he hadn't lit it, Wei Heng took out a lighter from his pocket, lit it, and leaned forward.

Chen Zhi also declined: "No need."

He held the cigarette in his hand, sniffed it twice, and then threw it away.

Chen Zhiye: "Let them go in half a month. Don't let them get killed."

"Okay."

Wei Heng watched as his boss drove away.

He scratched his head. Of the three, Lin Jiangfang was the most miserable. Although Lin Zhaoting also went to the ring, he was young and could take a beating. After fighting a lot, he figured out his own way to protect himself.

I heard they won the first game last night.

The easiest one was Yiqiong. She wasn't allowed to go to the ring, but she was tortured and tormented by others and couldn't get a full meal.

The G-Wagon sped along the highway.

The man in the driver's seat remained silent.

In fact, Chen Zhi already knew about Yi Qiong, Lin Jiangfang, and Lin Zhaoting.

When he was a teenager.

At the age of 13, his first mission was one he asked for himself. If he completed the mission, he could return to his country once. He didn't want to do anything; he just wanted to take a look.

He wanted to see how his parents, who had sold him off without ever looking back, were doing.

Then 13-year-old Chen Zhi, with injuries and blood on his face, saw that family of three.

They were doing well. Lin Jiangfang made money, realized his dream of getting rich, and even had a son again.

Yiqiong cherished him dearly.

Lin Jiang would accompany him when he played ball, and would carry him on his shoulders to comfort him when he injured his leg.

He watched the entire game from the sidelines before turning to leave.

Just like tonight, he didn't turn around.

-

Shen Sui'an rehearsed every day as usual. During this time, Chen Zhi also sent her a message saying that he had to go back to New York and would be back soon.

She didn't react much.

Anyway, I can't get out.

I often fall asleep while video chatting with him, and when I wake up, my phone automatically runs out of battery and shuts down.

There's only one day left until the New Year's Eve gala.

These past two days, everyone has changed into their official dance costumes and started rehearsing.

The last day is for practicing on stage.

Because there are many programs, and each program has a limited time.

It was Shen Sui'an's first time on such a big stage, and she was a little nervous, but when she actually stood on the stage, that nervousness turned into excitement and exhilaration.

Ye Qingyin stood behind the director and looked at the camera.

The director glanced at the lead dancer on screen and chatted with her briefly, "Teacher Ye, is this your new student?"

Ye Qingyin hummed in agreement. "How was it?"

The director gave a thumbs up, "That would be great! Your judgment is always right. How about having her make a cameo appearance in my film? That face is perfect for art-house movies."

Ye Qingyin refused without hesitation, saying, "She is still a student and should focus on her studies."

"Alright."

The director persisted: "If you change your mind later, feel free to contact me. I'll definitely give you face as your student."

Ye Qingyin: "We'll see."

The rehearsals went on until the wee hours of the morning.

Although they kept dancing, everyone was in good spirits and looking forward to the evening's program.

Shen Sui'an went back to her dorm, took a shower, lay on her bed, and made a video call to Chen Zhiye. It was afternoon in New York, so she didn't mind disturbing him.

"I'm so tired, second brother."

As soon as the call connected, she muttered that she didn't even have the energy to open her eyes to look at Chen Zhiye's handsome face on the screen.

Chen Zhiye: "If you're tired, go to bed early."

Before Shen Sui'an could finish speaking, she added, "Don't forget to let my mom watch the gala tonight!"

"Um."

Shen Sui'an: You want to see it too.

Chen Zhi chuckled, "Okay, good girl, go to sleep."

Shen Sui'an listened to his words and fell asleep without realizing it.

On the day of the party.

The entire backstage area was packed with people.

Even the corridor lights were bright, so bright that there wasn't a single shadow, and the air was filled with the smell of hairspray and setting powder.

The staff walked briskly.

With only a few tens of minutes left before the live broadcast started, the backstage area was already a scene of bustling activity.

Shen Sui'an's program was neither too early nor too late, but in the middle.

There was a live TV broadcast in the background.

Everyone couldn't help but look up.

The opening dance, as the first performance, is meant to create a festive atmosphere and draw the audience into the rhythm of the evening. It serves as the face of the entire show, captivating everyone's attention.

Suddenly, Shen Sui'an saw a familiar figure in the audience's camera lens.

Chen Zhiye had dyed his hair back to black, and was wearing a suit without a tie. He sat comfortably in the front row. He seemed to keenly notice the camera zooming in and glanced at it.

He made eye contact with the viewers in front of the television.

Shen Sui'an heard someone backstage exclaim, "Who is that? A newly debuted star? He's so handsome!"

"He's even more handsome than a celebrity."

"That look he gave the camera just now was absolutely stunning; I held my breath for a second."

Shen Sui'an pursed her lips.

He was internally complaining.

A show-off man.

He came to the scene without even telling her.

The director was in control of the entire scene, giving instructions over the walkie-talkie. He was thinking about the shot he had just taken; the man was really handsome, and he and Ye Qingyin, a novice student, were perfect for making an art film about a bad boy and a good girl.

Time passed second by second.

It was Shen Sui'an's turn to perform.

Instructions from the directing team kept coming through the walkie-talkie.

"Attention Group B, the lifting platform will complete its self-check in thirty seconds."

"Lead dancers, remember to gather in the center of the stage immediately after the first group dance to transition into the main verse."

"The dance footage from all four branch venues is now synchronized and ready for simultaneous viewing..."

Shen Sui'an stood at the very front of the team, her posture upright. Her red and gold shimmering dance dress made her look bright and dignified. A single spotlight pierced through the darkness, and the eyes of the entire nation fell precisely on her.

On the vast stage, amidst countless lights, at this moment, only her light shines.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Some readers want to read about Zhou and Meng. Should we really read it? The age difference between them is set to be 12 years. Meng is a deputy provincial-level official, and someone of that position can't be younger. The story probably won't be too long, maybe one or two chapters.

The side story about Xia Zhiyue will explain this, but she won't appear in the main story.

Dad will wake up too.