The villa district was built along the lake.
In Haicheng, where land was worth its weight in gold, this area might not be in the city center, but the houses here weren’t cheap either—let alone lake-view villas.
Dozens of students from Class Twenty arrived together.
"This house is seriously impressive."
"Renting it for a day must cost a fortune."
"I’ve seen Ji Zhouye coming here every day after school. It’s definitely not just a one-day rental."
"Wait, isn’t he an orphan?"
Ahem! Ji Zhouye stepped out to greet them. "I don’t have parents, but I do have a grandfather. This house was a gift from him."
The students gasped in awe as they followed him inside.
An enormous eighteen-tier cake stood by the pool, flanked by tables laden with all kinds of delicacies—mini cakes, sushi, desserts, drinks, fruits…
None of the attendees had ever been to a birthday party this extravagant, and they were beyond excited.
Everyone presented their small gifts, sang "Happy Birthday," and shared the cake…
"Rong Yu, I never expected Ji Zhouye to be this rich," the class monitor said between bites of cake. "He’s so low-key at school—you’d never guess he’s a rich second-generation heir."
The class secretary sipped champagne. "Ji Zhouye is my only window into the lives of the wealthy. This champagne is amazing."
The academic officer asked curiously, "Can we swim in the pool?"
Ji Zhouye waved a hand grandly. "Eat, drink, and play as much as you want. There are swimsuits on the first floor—go change if you want. Hey, Chen Nian, grab a few more people. Let’s play some games."
With the money he’d swindled from his second brother, he’d bought the latest ultra-large-screen gaming console. A group of boys huddled around it, playing games and having the time of their lives.
The girls changed into swimsuits and splashed around in the pool, laughing and joking.
Rong Yu sat on a lounge chair by the poolside, sipping her drink as she watched the youthful energy around her. A faint smile tugged at her lips.
Then, several cars suddenly pulled up at the entrance.
A few young men with brightly dyed hair swaggered in.
"Ji Zhouye, you’ve got some nerve throwing a birthday bash without inviting us—your childhood buddies. What, new friends, old friends forgotten?"
Ji Zhouye looked up from his game.
The newcomers were the third young master of the Hai family, the second young master of the Si family, and a few other spoiled rich kids.
They ran in the same circles and usually partied together.
But now, with his great-grandmother keeping an eye on him, he didn’t dare get too close to them—this crowd was wild.
They raced cars, gambled recklessly, and openly fooled around with women…
Hai Chang’an clicked his tongue. "Seriously, Ji Zhouye, what kind of guests did you invite? Don’t they know you’re supposed to wear formal attire to a party?"
The students from Class Twenty flushed with embarrassment.
They were all ordinary kids—some from decent but modest families, none with ties to high society. They’d never attended a formal event and had no idea about dress codes.
Most of them were still in their school uniforms.
Under Hai Chang’an’s disdainful gaze, the students lowered their heads, cheeks burning with humiliation.
Rong Yu swirled her glass. "It’s just a casual birthday party. Did you dress up because you’ve never been to one before?"
"Exactly!" Ji Zhouye snorted. "Besides, I didn’t invite you guys in the first place."
Hai Chang’an’s gaze landed on Rong Yu.
His eyes lit up with admiration.
Such striking features.
Such an extraordinary aura.
He asked, "Zhouye, is this your girlfriend?"
"No," Ji Zhouye said quickly, then added, "And don’t even think about hitting on her, or you’ll regret it."
Hai Chang’an smirked and handed over a gift. "For your eighteenth—a belt. May all women fall for your… ahem… well-defined waistline."
Ji Zhouye: "…"
He shot a nervous glance at Rong Yu, relieved when she showed no reaction.
Afraid these guys might produce even more outrageous gifts, he quickly herded them into the game room.
The students, feeling out of place among the elite crowd, quietly retreated to the villa’s front lawn, chatting and snacking in small groups.
After a while, Rong Yu excused herself to the restroom. On the way, she was intercepted by one of Hai Chang’an’s companions—Si Lin, the second young master of the Si family.
Tall and confident, Si Lin flashed what he thought was a charming smile. "I recognize you. Rong Yu, the popular contestant from that talent show, right?"
Rong Yu frowned. "What do you want?"
"Mind giving me your number?" Si Lin struck a gentlemanly pose. "There’s a concert tomorrow. I’d love to take you. Afterward, we could grab dinner at Riverside Restaurant, enjoy the night view. What do you say?"
Rong Yu’s frown deepened. "Cut to the chase. What’s your point?"
Si Lin’s smile turned smug. "Give me a chance to pursue you."
Rong Yu: "…"
Mentally, she was a thirty-year-old—or, by the normal timeline, a centenarian. To her, this guy was just a brat with peach fuzz.
"Pursue this."
Ji Zhouye kicked Si Lin square in the rear.
Caught mid-pose, Si Lin lost his balance and tumbled into the pool.
Not satisfied, Ji Zhouye grabbed a pool float and started whacking him with it.
"Stop! Quit it!" Si Lin sputtered, furious. "She’s not your girlfriend! Why can’t I shoot my shot? What’s it to you? I came to celebrate your damn birthday, and you kick me into the water? I’m telling Old Man Ji—see how he deals with you!"
Ji Zhouye grinned. "Go ahead. I’ll be waiting."
If the old man found out this punk was hitting on his great-grandmother, he’d probably storm the Si family estate for a showdown.
Hai Chang’an hauled Si Lin out of the pool and glared at Ji Zhouye. "We’re all brothers here. No need to make a scene over some girl. Have some class."
"Sure, you have class. Call me ‘Daddy’ then," Ji Zhouye retorted, shoving them toward the exit. "You’ve ruined the mood. Get out!"
He slammed the iron gate shut behind them.
Turning back to the wide-eyed students, he grinned. "Ignore those idiots. Let’s keep the party going!"
The celebration lasted until past nine in the evening—just as the first high school’s night classes ended.
Rong Ruoyao walked out of campus with Song Huai.
Casually, she remarked, "My dad’s been super busy lately, always running to Hai's Group. I haven’t seen him in days."
Song Huai blinked. "The Rong family partnered with Hai's Group?"
"Yeah," Rong Ruoyao said sweetly. "They just signed the contract. It’s not public yet."
For the Rong family, this deal wasn’t just about profit—it was about riding Hai's Group’s coattails to smoother business dealings in the future.
Before this, the Song family had held slightly higher status in their circles.
By aligning with Hai's Group, the Rong family would soon ascend into the ranks of the elite. In front of Song Huai, Rong Ruoyao would no longer have to feel inferior.
Song Huai nodded. "Congratulations."
Rong Ruoyao bid him farewell and stepped into the Rong family's private car. Out of habit, she pulled out her phone to scroll through her social feed.
As soon as she opened it, several classmates had posted videos from a birthday party.
Being a public figure, she had accepted friend requests from many classmates and had even added a few girls from Class Twenty. The birthday party videos were posted by those very classmates.
It turned out to be Ji Zhouye's birthday celebration.
Since when do people with no money throw birthday parties?
