Chapter 181: Is it heartfelt?

At 4:30 pm, the sun finally softened.

The sea breeze blows from afar, gradually sweeping away the sweltering heat that has lingered all day.

Ding Heng lay on a beach chair, holding a half-cold glass of beer, squinting as he gazed at the horizon.

Zhao Yanxi's voice came from the entrance of the slide on the second floor of the villa.

"Me first! Me first!"

Ding Heng turned around to look.

Zhao Yanxi had already changed into that milky white one-piece swimsuit, her long pinkish-blue hair tied into a bun at the back of her head. She stood at the top of the slide, waved to Ding Heng, and then plopped down on the slide.

"ah……!"

With a long, drawn-out scream, Zhao Yanxi slid rapidly down the spiral slide, finally crashing into the sea with a "plop," sending water splashing high into the air.

A few seconds later she emerged from the water, wiped the water off her face, and called out: "Little Jingjing, come quick!"

Wenjing stood at the entrance of the slide, wearing a conservative dark blue one-piece swimsuit. She glanced down and then shrank back, her round face full of nervousness.

"I...I'm scared..."

"What's there to be afraid of! It's not that tall!"

Zhao Yanxi waved from the sea.

Wenjing gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and sat down, but her body slipped.

"ah!"

With another "plop," water splashed everywhere.

When she surfaced, Zhao Yanxi chuckled and swam over to Wenjing, brushing her hair aside: "How was it? Exciting, right?"

Wenjing choked on some water and coughed twice: "That scared me to death..."

Lin Man, wearing a burgundy bikini, was the last to slide down.

The moment she fell into the water, she moved with composure, diving into the water like a fish, and when she floated up again, she had already swum to the embankment, throwing Ding Heng a flirtatious glance.

"Boss, aren't you coming down to play?"

Ding Heng raised his glass and gestured from afar, saying, "Just watch you guys have fun."

Lin Man didn't force herself and swam back into the sea.

The three girls were frolicking in the water.

Zhao Yanxi splashed water, Lin Man dodged, and Wen Jing was caught in the middle and suffered the consequences innocently, screaming repeatedly.

Ding Heng leaned back in his recliner, his gaze slowly sweeping over them.

Zhao Yanxi's swimsuit became almost transparent after it got wet, clinging to her body and outlining her well-proportioned curves.

Lin Man's bikini could barely cover anything, and her cleavage was faintly visible as she moved.

Although Wenjing was dressed the most conservatively, her figure was so exaggerated that the fabric was stretched taut, and her curves were so captivating that it was hard to look away.

As the sun began to set, the horizon turned a fiery orange-red.

"Boss..."

Lin Man swam back to the embankment, half of her body above the water, her arms resting on the shore, her chin on the back of her hand, water droplets trickling down her delicate collarbone.

"Aren't you really going to come down and play with us?"

"No need, you guys do your thing."

Ding Heng refused, and Lin Man took the opportunity to climb ashore.

She took a bottle of beer from the insulated box, sat down next to Ding Heng, and crossed her long legs.

"Shall I have a drink with the boss?"

"Um!"

Ding Heng responded softly, taking a sip of wine.

Lin Man's foxy eyes reflected the shimmering gold of the sea: "Is the boss in a bad mood?"

"fine."

Ding Heng shook the wine bottle: "What are the plans for the next few days?"

"Of course, do whatever makes you happy."

Lin Man said ambiguously, feigning mystery, "They even prepared a little surprise for the boss."

Ding Heng didn't ask what the surprise was.

He patted his thigh, and Lin Man immediately sat down obediently, letting the man pull her into his arms.

"You've been with me for almost a month now..."

"Oh, did the boss prepare a gift?"

Do you regret it?

"How could that be...? It was entirely of my own free will!"

"Yeah?"

After Ding Heng rewarded the vixen with a sweet treat in Hong Kong, she became even more obedient than before.

They served him more and more attentively, with more and more elaborate methods. Sometimes, their excessive attentiveness made Ding Heng feel a little uncomfortable.

Lin Man was taking small sips of beer, just about to say something nice to brush off the question, when her gaze inadvertently met Ding Heng's eyes.

That feeling of being completely seen through, inside and out, washed over me again...

All her lingering hope vanished, and her tone became serious.

"Boss."

She softened her voice: "You know, my grandfather and mother made their fortunes through various businesses. I grew up seeing princesses in shopping malls, and later I opened a companion service shop with a bunch of voice-acting companions working for me, and they were all pretty much the same."

Ultimately, it's all the same—as long as the price is right, it can provide emotional value!

"So, boss, since you've offered such a high price, of course I have to perform well."

After speaking, Lin Man smiled again, but she was no longer as charming and alluring as usual.

"You really think you're Princess K?"

Ding Heng slapped her thigh hard with his palm.

Lin Man blinked, her tone returning to its usual charming coquettishness: "So, boss~ are you going to have a romantic relationship with a princess from the K-class?"

"Smack."

Another slap landed on Lin Man's buttocks, with considerable force.

"It hurts~"

Lin Man winced in pain and pleaded pitifully, "Boss, be gentle! Even Princess Shang K doesn't treat people like this!"

The two were interacting when they suddenly heard a sound.

"Sister Man! Didn't we agree to go swimming? What are you doing again?"

Zhao Yanxi discovered that the fox spirit had secretly come ashore to steal food and expressed strong dissatisfaction!

Lin Man had no choice but to step back from Ding Heng's embrace: "Coming, coming."

She jumped back into the sea, swam to Zhao Yanxi's side, and reached out to tickle her waist.

Zhao Yanxi was tickled by her teasing, and while dodging, she laughed and then pulled Wen Jing to be her shield.

Wenjing was caught off guard and dragged into the fray. She screamed and tried to dodge to the side, and the two of them started making a ruckus.

Ding Heng sat on the shore, downed his beer in one gulp, and brought up the system interface in his mind.

Crown of Thorns: Lin Man

[Current Status: A Princess Defiled by Worldly Affairs]

[Penalty Value: 41%]

Atonement Value: 0%

[Refuge Value: 3%]

The tasks got harder with each one.

At first, he thought it was just a matter of adding a progress bar, but now he realizes that Lin Man's task is far more difficult than Wen Jing's and Hua Qing's.

Wenjing is starved for love, so just give her special attention. Huaqing is aloof, so just make her fall in love.

In short, feelings will warm up as the task progresses.

But Linman is different.

With her punishment value already exceeding 40%, her relationship with him is essentially still a transaction.

From what I can see, Lin Man is a person who absolutely adheres to business ethics.

She was attentive to her service, never spoke too much, and never overstepped her bounds...

After receiving sufficient benefits, they became even more dedicated and loyal, with no ulterior motives.

Even at this rate, the quest progress still isn't enough.

Especially the value of atonement...

What exactly is it?

Once the sun had completely sunk below the horizon, the four returned to the villa, took turns showering with fresh water, and put on clean clothes.

Zhao Yanxi changed into a loose white shirt dress, with the belt loosely tied at the waist, revealing a section of her fair calves.

Wenjing is dressed simply in a T-shirt and shorts, with a bare face, looking fresh and clean.

Lin Man wore a light gray spaghetti strap dress, her long hair flowing freely, exuding a relaxed and casual vibe.

The group drove along the coastal highway and eventually arrived at a bustling food stall market.

The signs around were lit up with colorful lights, and the seafood stalls were lined up one after another.

According to Lin Man, the group had been staying at the Chujiang Hotel every day and were tired of eating high-end seafood, so they decided to come and experience the local atmosphere.

Zhao Yanxi was the first to rush over: "This one first, then this one!"

Wenjing followed behind her, muttering softly, "Yanxi! That's enough, that's enough, you can't finish it all."

"It's alright, come to the beach and try some fresh seafood..."

Lin Man picked up a plastic basket, occasionally reaching into the tank to scoop out a fish, weighing it in her hand before putting it back.

Ding Heng walked at the back, his gaze sweeping over the colorful signs, when he suddenly heard a quarrel coming from the side.

"That's clearly not the price! You just said eighty-one jin!"

The familiar Northeastern accent, quite loud.

Ding Heng turned around and saw Liu Chiwang standing in front of a stall, holding a crab in his hand, his face flushed red.

The vendor was a local man with dark skin, speaking Mandarin with a heavy accent. He gestured wildly, implying that the vendor had misheard him and that he had said 120.

There were seven or eight people beside Liu Chiwang, men and women, all of whom looked tired.

Bai Zhiya stood at the back of the crowd, wearing a white dress, her expression blank.

"Old Ding?"

Liu Chiwang also spotted Ding Heng and quickly walked over.

"What a coincidence, Lao Liu."

Ding Heng went up to him: "What's wrong?"

"Don't even mention it."

Liu Chiwang threw the crabs into the basket: "It was supposed to be 81 jin, but it's 120 after I took them out. Isn't this blatant ripping off customers?"

Ding Heng glanced at the vendors, then at the crowd behind Liu Chiwang.

"Where is Qian Pu?"

"I'm hiding at home."

Liu Chiwang's tone was displeased.

"His cousin stood him up completely, downgrading his hotel and car, and throwing his itinerary into chaos. He felt too ashamed to face anyone, so he simply retreated and refused to come out, leaving behind a mess..."

He sighed and said helplessly, "Anyway, everyone didn't have much fun, so I'm thinking of heading back the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll just wander around somewhere, and use the rest of the money to treat myself to something nice today, so the trip won't be a complete waste."

The vendor started yelling from behind, implying that the customer should either take the crab or not, and not take up space if they didn't.

Liu Chiwang then suggested, "Old Ding, how many of you are there? Why don't you share a table? It'll be more lively with more people, and we can order more dishes."

Before Ding Heng could answer, Lin Man stepped forward.

"Boss, this basket of crabs is on us."

Lin Manchong and Liu Chiwang smiled politely: "Perfect! Let's calculate it together, so you don't have to haggle with the boss."

Liu Chiwang was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Ding Heng.

Seeing Ding Heng nod slightly, Lin Man immediately ordered a few more seafood dishes, plus the basket of crabs from Liu Chiwang, and the total came to an end.

The vendors announced the number.

Lin Man scanned the QR code to pay, her movements swift and efficient.

Liu Chiwang leaned over to glance at the price, and his lips twitched.

The ten or so people on their side spent a long time picking and choosing, and the total price they paid was still less than that of Ding Heng and his group of four.

Lin Man put away her phone, neither offering to treat nor suggesting splitting the bill, and obediently stepped back to Ding Heng's side.

Paying the bill is her business; how to define it is the boss's business...

Ding Heng then took the initiative to say, "Old Liu, this meal is on me. Please invite everyone to sit down."

Liu Chiwang glanced at Lin Man, then at Ding Heng, his expression subtle.

He certainly knew Lin Man, and never thought she would work at the KTV, but what was her relationship with Ding Heng?

The vendors delivered the ingredients to the kitchen, and the two groups of people pushed the two tables together.

Liu Chiwang sat down to Ding Heng's left, and the others followed suit.

Bai Zhiya sat at the other end of the table, several people away, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards Ding Heng.

Because there were outsiders present, and they were all from Hubei University, Zhao Yanxi didn't dare to be too presumptuous. She could only obediently pretend to be a "friend" and give the status of girlfriend to Wenjing.

Liu Chiwang finally asked out of curiosity, "Ding Heng, what's your relationship with Senior Lin Man?"

Lin Man told the truth: "I work for a boss."

Lin Man told the truth: "I work for a boss."

"The boss?"

Everyone's gaze shifted between Ding Heng and Lin Man.

"right."

Lin Man picked up a peanut and popped it into her mouth, saying casually, "Personal secretary."

There was a moment of silence on the table.

Liu Chiwang was the first to react, slapping his thigh and exclaiming in a thick Northeastern accent, "Goodness, Lao Ding, you're quite the actor! You eat in our canteen every day, I thought you came from an ordinary family, but it turns out you have a private secretary even when you're traveling..."

The crowd burst into laughter.

Ding Heng put down his chopsticks, looking completely innocent: "Was I pretending?"

Liu Chiwang continued to joke, "You haven't installed it yet? You drive a car worth around 100,000 yuan, but you're buying your girlfriend one worth over 500,000 yuan..."

Another burst of laughter

It has to be said that Liu Chiwang is very clever. In just one round trip, he immediately figured out that Wenjing's car was bought by Ding Heng, and took the opportunity to praise Ding Heng.

As for Ding Heng, of his three roommates, Qian Pu was a clown, and Chen Mo was an honest man...

Liu Chiwang was the only one who was quick-witted, knew how to get along with people, and had high emotional intelligence... He was able to thrive in the student union during his freshman year.

The student council's team-building activity turned out like this; anyone else would have given up long ago.

He was able to step up and stabilize the situation, cutting costs where necessary and saving money where appropriate, minimizing the losses.

This demonstrates their competence and sense of responsibility...

A little interaction is no problem; it might even become a connection in the future.

Ding Heng raised his beer glass, his tone relaxed: "Stop joking! Come on, we're all classmates from the same school. It's fate that we bumped into each other in another city. Let's have a drink."

Let's have a drink!

Everyone raised their glasses, and the atmosphere became lively.

Bai Zhiya sat in the crowd, her gaze occasionally drifting towards Ding Heng.

Suddenly, she noticed someone was looking at her, and when she looked up, she met Lin Man's foxy eyes.

Bai Zhiya's heart tightened, and she quickly lowered her head, pretending to eat.

Lin Man, however, became increasingly brazen in her scrutiny.

I didn't look closely at the barbecue restaurant last time.

Bai Zhiya's features are indeed quite good; she has a pure and innocent look and would definitely have no shortage of suitors in college.

Posted online, she'd be more than qualified to be a popular internet celebrity or a campus beauty.

But compared to the three women beside Ding Heng, they still fall short.

These vain and beautiful female college students are often the least aware of their own worth.

Back in the day, on this bright planet, there were many female college students doing similar part-time jobs, and no amount of persuasion could dissuade them...

Bai Zhiya felt uncomfortable under Lin Man's gaze, so she mustered up her courage, poured herself a full glass of baijiu, and stood up.

"Ding Heng, thank you for treating us today. I'd like to propose a toast to you."

There was a moment of silence on the table.

We're all classmates, is it really necessary to toast each other?

Someone whispered, "Zhiya, don't you not drink?"

It would have been better not to ask, because this question only made it seem like Bai Zhiya's sudden toast was too purposeful.

The atmosphere became a little awkward for a moment...

Lin Man reached out and gently took the wine glass from Bai Zhiya's hand, then picked up another glass of water and put it back into her hand.

"You took the wrong one; this glass of plain water is yours."

Drinking when you can't drink is considered servile and obsequious.

Using tea instead of wine is a way for classmates to express their gratitude.

Lin Man was essentially giving Bai Zhiya a way out.

Ding Heng raised his glass at the opportune moment and replied, "We're all classmates, no need to be so polite."

Bai Zhiya lowered her eyes, tilted her head back to drink the water in the cup, and sat down again.

Lin Man suddenly asked, "By the way, what are your plans for tomorrow?"

Liu Chiwang nodded: "I plan to go for a stroll along the coast tomorrow. Since we're already here, we should at least leave a good impression."

"That's perfect."

Lin Man suggested, "Why don't you stop by our place on your way and have a BBQ together? I'll have the chef prepare extra ingredients."

After speaking, she turned her head to look at Ding Heng, her eyes questioning whether her arrangement was appropriate.

I ran into Ding Heng today. He's already quite prominent in public, so I might as well put on an even more convincing act.

Liu Chiwang hesitated and asked, "Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

"It's lively with lots of people."

Ding Heng continued, "Also, inform Qian Pu to come as well."

Liu Chiwang's face immediately darkened.

"Come on."

He picked up his beer and took a big gulp, his anger barely contained: "Come on, why call him? I called him two hours ago, and he said he had some family matters to attend to!"

It's clear that Liu Chiwang is really angry this time, and he probably won't give Qian Pu a pleasant look when he gets back to the dormitory.

There was a moment of silence at the table; no one spoke.

Ding Heng patted him on the shoulder and didn't try to persuade him any further.

After the meal, everyone gradually dispersed.

Lin Man, who was at the back, called out to Bai Zhiya.

"Student Bai."

Bai Zhiya stopped and turned around with a polite smile: "Is there something you need, senior?"

Lin Man jokingly asked, "You're not still holding a grudge about what happened at the barbecue restaurant last time, are you?"

Bai Zhiya remained silent.

Lin Man smiled and softened her tone: "Are you envious of us?"

Bai Zhiya feigned ignorance: "What are you envious of? I don't understand what you mean, senior."

"It's best if you don't understand."

Lin Man cut to the chase: "You're a local from Xingcheng, you should know Shen Yu, right?"

Ten years ago, she was the most beautiful girl at Hunan Normal University, majoring in Chinese Literature. She was not only beautiful but also had excellent grades, making her the most popular girl on campus.

Later, rumors spread that she was working part-time on Brilliant Planet and earning 300,000 yuan a month, which caused a sensation. As a local of Star City, Bai Zhiya had naturally heard about it.

Lin Man continued, "Do you know what happened to her afterwards?"

Bai Zhiya remained silent.

Lin Man began her story: "She was tricked into being kept by a boss and dropped out of college in her junior year. The boss bought her a house and a car and gave her pocket money every month, making her think that she had transformed from a sparrow into a phoenix."

Later, the boss's business failed, and he took back the house and car to pay off debts. Shen Yu was already in her early thirties and knew nothing except how to spend money. She wanted to find a decent job, but her resume was not presentable. She wanted to find a new man, but she was too old.

Finally, I heard he went back to his hometown. Because he couldn't change his spending habits, he got married three or four times. Now he's single and works as a foot masseur at a third-rate foot massage parlor in the county town.

Bai Zhiya gripped the bag strap tightly in her hand.

"Senior, what do you mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything, I'm just sharing my experience to give you some advice."

Bai Zhiya's face turned pale, and she spoke irritably.

"Why don't you try to persuade those two around Ding Heng?"

Do you know what the biggest difference is between you and them?

"They're not as pretty as them!"

"It has nothing to do with looks or body shape..."

Lin Man shook her head: "I hope you understand that Ding Heng is genuinely emotionally invested in them! But a man's emotions are always limited. If you throw yourself at him now, let's not even talk about whether Ding Heng will want you. Even if he does, all you'll get in the end are a few clothes, a few bags, a few meals... What will you do when his novelty wears off? Move on to the next one?"

In Lin Man's view, Zhao Yanxi and Wen Jing were both Ding Heng's first loves, so Ding Heng would never abandon them no matter what.

It was precisely because Lin Man understood this that she always treated her relationship with Ding Heng as a transaction, and did not expect the man to devote a lot of emotion to her.

A night breeze blew by, and Bai Zhiya turned and left without a word, her steps quickening as she had come...

Lin Man returned to the car and sat in the driver's seat.

The man had been drinking, and Wenjing and Zhao Yanxi weren't good drivers, so only she was able to drive.

Ding Heng, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at her: "Where did you go?"

Lin Man shifted into reverse and glanced at the rearview mirror.

"Solve a problem for the boss."

She stepped on the gas, and the car slowly pulled out of the parking space. "There's nothing I can do. Boss, you're just too charming. You attract attention wherever you go. As your secretary, I have to share your burdens, right?"

Ding Heng reached out and pinched Lin Man's cheek, gently tugging at it.

"You have such a sweet tongue."

"They're just telling the truth."

"Thank you, Lin Man!"

Ding Heng released his grip, his tone utterly sincere.

Perhaps sensing the sincerity in Ding Heng's words, Lin Man was momentarily stunned.

The next second, a smile spread across her face.

"You're welcome, boss!"

As the car drove forward, a prompt popped into Ding Heng's mind.

Atonement Value: 1%

[Refuge Value: 4%]

It also rose by one percent.