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It seems like a lot has changed, but being close to him feels like he’s still the same as before.

Xue Zhongming’s thoughts also shifted slightly; he added a bit more sincerity into his actions.

There were quite a few people around, some unfamiliar faces, and a few wealthy individuals. Chi Yao had a casual relationship with most of them, hanging out occasionally. A large group of people was invited, both men and women.

One person didn’t seem to know Chi Yao’s status. Since Chi Yao wasn’t saying much, just sitting there enjoying the view, someone approached and asked him which company he worked for. They probably assumed, given how stunning Chi Yao looked—far more beautiful than anyone else there—that he was aloof and not the type to make the first move.

The male influencer put his arm around Chi Yao’s shoulder, trying to get closer. In an instant, Chi Yao grabbed his arm and the next moment, tossed him into the water.

The Influencer knew how to swim, but being thrown in without warning made him choke on water, sputtering and coughing.

Chi Yao stood up, his eyelids lowered, glaring at the Actor as if he were trash.

The Influencer immediately cursed, “Are you crazy? I was just trying to help you, what’s your problem?”

In truth, the Influencer was a bit jealous of Chi Yao—looking so gorgeous and stealing attention.

Chi Yao chuckled and turned to Xue Zhongming. “Let him soak in there for an hour.”

Xue Zhongming glanced down at the influencer with pity. This guy was clueless, daring to provoke Chi Yao. On this yacht, no one would dare mess with him.

Xue Zhongming handed a life buoy to the Influencer below.

“One hour. Get out your phone and time it. If you cut even a minute, you’re going in too,” he instructed one of his companions.

The person nodded quickly, not daring to argue.

At this point, the Influencer realized he’d messed with the wrong person. He tried to apologize, but Xue Zhongming whispered a warning, “Keep quiet. If you annoy him further, an hour won’t be enough to fix this.”

The Influencer immediately shut his mouth, realizing he had no choice but to endure it.

Chi Yao wasn’t particularly targeting Influencers in general—it’s just that this one was too much.

Chi Yao had overheard him bragging earlier. This guy was scum, exploiting his fame to seduce female fans and leaving several of them pregnant. When confronted, he’d coldly offer some money to get the problem “solved.” Sometimes he even denied the child was his, accusing the women of sleeping around.

Disgusted by the influencer’s arrogance, Chi Yao felt throwing him in the water for just one hour was letting him off easy. Ten hours would’ve been better—maybe that would ruin the guy’s ability to keep behaving this way.

Chi Yao sipped some fresh juice, but after a few sips, his stomach started to feel uncomfortable.

Suddenly, he rushed to the bathroom, standing over the sink as he retched, throwing up the juice he’d just had.

Staring at his reflection in the mirror, it was still his face, but it looked a little different than before. Chi Yao touched his face and slowly smiled.

Then he placed his hand on his stomach. “Be good, don’t trouble Daddy.”

Of course, the baby couldn’t hear him, but Chi Yao just wanted to talk to his child.

This was his child, a new life he had created—his little prince, or maybe princess.

After rinsing his mouth, Chi Yao returned to his seat and grabbed some crackers to eat. Occasionally, he experienced pregnancy nausea, but it wasn’t too bad. A few crackers usually helped.

Seeing Chi Yao munching on the crackers, Xue Zhongming came over and tried one, only to spit it out immediately. “These have no taste. They’re terrible.”

Chi Yao laughed, giving him a playful kick. “Get lost.”

Among the people there was someone named Chang Feng. He and Chi Yao had some past interactions, though he was more closely associated with Fu Rong.

Lately, with Fu Rong out of the country, Chang Feng had encountered some trouble. It wasn’t anything money couldn’t solve, but the other party was so arrogant that it infuriated Chang Feng. He didn’t want to keep paying, especially since the other side was abusing their small bit of authority to bully small business owners.

Chang Feng approached Chi Yao, who raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a piercing gaze, as if he already knew what Chang Feng wanted.

“Master Chi!” Chang Feng smiled obsequiously.

“If you’ve got something to say, say it. Don’t beat around the bush,” Chi Yao said, disliking pretense.

“Well, to be direct, I opened a coffee shop over at Qide Plaza. It’s only been open for a couple of days, but I’m bleeding money every day. I can afford it, but this constant extortion—how am I supposed to make a profit?”

Chang Feng didn’t get into the details, but Chi Yao understood the situation instantly. He had passed by that plaza before and knew it was a prime location.

“I can help you,” Chi Yao said, “but what can you offer me in return?”

Chang Feng froze. Truthfully, he realized he didn’t have much to offer Chi Yao.