Yun Zhen, Shu Yue, and Yuxi Xi were classmates in high school and have remained best friends till now. Although their personalities and values are vastly different, this hasn’t hindered their close relationship.

Yuxi Xi believes that money is everything and that wealth cures all ailments. As soon as she got into university, she actively started dating, specifically targeting young, wealthy men. Her goal was to marry into a rich family and live the life of a housewife, counting money and spending it at home.

Shu Yue dated a boyfriend during university, but after four years of being together, he cheated on her. The heartbreak from her first love hit her hard, causing her to close herself off to love and become a workaholic, committed to staying single.

Yun Zhen, on the other hand, is different from both of them. She’s someone who goes with the flow. Whether or not she dates is unimportant; the most important thing is living happily. However, she’s quite reclusive, rarely leaving the house or going out for entertainment. She has few opportunities to meet new people, and even when she does, it’s difficult to convince her to go out. And so, she’s been single for 26 years, living a leisurely and oblivious life.

Their classmates are often amazed by this trio—a serial dater, a career-focused woman scarred by love, and a quirky homebody. They can’t quite understand how these three ended up so close.

But the truth is, the three of them have a strong bond. They are not just best friends but also partners in mischief.

Back when Shu Yue was betrayed by her scumbag boyfriend right before graduation, Yun Zhen and Yuxi Xi took three days off, flew to Shu Yue’s university, and publicly humiliated the guy, making sure he was disgraced.

Yun Zhen’s college life wasn’t very pleasant; the friends she made were more like good acquaintances. After graduation, everyone went their separate ways, and now they’ve completely lost touch. Yuxi Xi and Shu Yue are the friends she treasures the most. Their ironclad trio has weathered many storms, and their friendship is rock solid.

Meeting up for the first time in a year, the three had endless things to talk about.

Yuxi Xi looked at Yun Zhen and, as usual, asked about her love life:

“Do you want to date? Do you prefer handsome or rich? I can introduce you.”

Yun Zhen waved her hand, “I’ll leave it to fate. Being set up feels like a blind date, and that makes me uncomfortable.”

Even her neighbors had been eager to set her up with someone, but she declined.

Two strangers meeting for the first time and having to disclose their family background, income, hobbies, and so on, while trying to gauge each other’s character and compatibility—it feels too much like a business transaction, emphasizing interests over emotions, which makes her uncomfortable.

Shu Yue knew she had recently quit her job, so she asked her about becoming a full-time writer:

“I heard a lot of screenwriters use people and events around them as material for their work. Do novelists do the same?”

Yun Zhen nodded affirmatively, laughing, “We’re such good friends; I wouldn’t make you the first victim.”

Shu Yue gasped, “Being placed further down the list is supposed to be a privilege? Then I want to be the ambitious, career-driven heroine. Just make me an empress with a harem of three thousand handsome men.”

Yuxi Xi seized the chance to tease her, “Your no-marriage stance is about to collapse.”

The three laughed and chatted away, almost forgetting their original purpose for meeting up.

It wasn’t until there was a commotion at the restaurant entrance that they remembered the other reason for their get-together.

A dozen well-dressed, dashing young men entered the restaurant and strode confidently towards the banquet hall.

The women in the restaurant started whispering excitedly:

“Why are there so many of them? Which one is the rumored one?”
“Each one of them is surrounded by elite society members, all so handsome and wealthy. I’m going to have a hard time choosing. Which one should I pick?”

Yun Zhen listened to their chatter, curious about which of these men Yuxi Xi was waiting for.

Yuxi Xi raised an eyebrow, “Any one of these guys is a treasure. Just pick with your eyes closed. Wish me luck, ladies.”

With that, she grabbed a glass of red wine and sashayed toward the banquet hall.

The other women in the restaurant quickly followed suit, and within ten minutes, the place was almost empty.

Only Yun Zhen and Shu Yue were left, sitting in the now deserted restaurant, eating and watching the scene unfold.

Yun Zhen thought back to the faces she had seen earlier and muttered, somewhat doubtful:

“Why do I feel like none of those guys look like big shots? Is it really okay to take such a risk?”

A real big shot should be like the ones you see on the news, right? Their mere presence should be intimidating.

Sure, those young men were well-dressed and polished, but in terms of presence, they were far from the big-shot standard.

Shu Yue, still focused on the three dishes in front of her, said:

“I didn’t pay attention. Were those guys really that bad? Could they be worse than these three disappointing dishes? Should I call and complain? How can dishes that cost over ten thousand taste so bland?”

As it turned out, there was indeed an issue.

Just as Yun Zhen and Shu Yue finished their meal and were about to stroll around and check things out, they stumbled upon Yuxi Xi being confessed to at the stairwell leading to the banquet hall.

The guy confessing was reasonably good-looking, with a decent face, tall stature, and attire that matched the image of a corporate executive. He was polite and respectful, not at all sleazy, leaving a good first impression.

But Yuxi Xi, facing this proposal, pulled out a familiar strategy—her go-to combination for politely rejecting unwanted advances.

“You’re a really good person.”

Ding! The good person card.

“To be honest, I appreciate you, but my parents don’t agree with me dating someone younger. Plus, my dad is getting old and isn’t in great health. I don’t want to upset him, so I can’t accept your feelings.”

Ding! The parental excuse card.

“I hope you find someone more suitable in the future and start a happy relationship. Maybe next time we meet, we can still smile and say hello.”

Ding! The cordial farewell card.

Yuxi Xi’s smile was poised, her tone gentle, and she spoke with enough tact to preserve the other’s dignity. Even in rejection, she didn’t make the guy feel embarrassed or awkward.

The man left, looking somewhat disappointed, casting a few lingering glances at her before walking away.

Yun Zhen and Shu Yue, who had witnessed the whole thing: “…”

The three friends gathered again and found a quiet corner to sit down and rest.

Yun Zhen and Shu Yue quickly asked what had happened.

Yuxi Xi looked frustrated: “The real big shot didn’t show up. The ones who came were just his cronies, the little lackeys tagging along. They heard there were beauties here, so they came to hit on girls, all dressed to the nines. They might fool an inexperienced girl, but they can’t fool me!”

Yun Zhen had suspected as much, so this only confirmed her thoughts.

Shu Yue, however, felt it might not have been all bad:

“That guy just now wasn’t too bad, was he? He seemed as decent as your ex. If he’s working for a big shot’s company, he must be somewhat capable.”

Yuxi Xi shook her head, “My target is the truly rich and powerful, and these guys who come here to flirt aren’t serious. Let’s go before we get entangled with a pack of greedy wolves.”