Mike stood rooted to the ground, as if he had been turned to stone. He refused to believe it. His reason screamed that it was impossible—but his legs moved anyway. Almost unconsciously, he rushed into Starline Luxury Cruises.
From a distance, the scene struck him like a hammer. The former owner of Starline was shaking hands with Jason, both men wearing broad, satisfied smiles. Their body language was relaxed, familiar—clearly the posture of people who had just concluded a mutually profitable deal.
At that moment, Mike understood. The acquisition was real.
Beside Jason, Megan held his arm lightly, her posture elegant, her smile radiant. She looked every bit like a high-society socialite, perfectly at ease in this world of capital and power.
What hurt even more was what followed. Several influential figures—people whose status clearly surpassed even Mike's father—spoke to Megan with courtesy and respect. Not because of who she was. But because she stood beside Jason.
Mike froze. In that instant, everything became painfully clear. He finally understood why Megan had chosen Jason. What Jason could give her was something he could never reach—no matter how hard he tried.
He could only afford to buy her a round-the-world cruise ticket. Jason, on the other hand, casually bought a cruise ship worth six or seven billion. A superyacht worth hundreds of millions was nothing more than an accessory.
The gap between them wasn't money anymore. It was class. An unbridgeable chasm.
Just then, Megan caught sight of him from the corner of her eye. Mike saw it clearly—her gaze paused for a brief moment before she instinctively turned back to Jason, her expression tightening with faint worry. She wasn't thinking about him. She was worried about what Jason might misunderstand.
At most, there was a trace of guilt. A trace of pity. As if she feared Jason might be displeased—or worse, retaliate.
That look pierced Mike's chest. Even though the pity was not malicious, it felt humiliating. Because it meant she no longer saw him as an equal. She saw him as someone fragile. Someone who needed protection.
And she wasn't wrong. Jason had casually acquired a company worth seven or eight billion. If a man like that decided to retaliate, what could Mike possibly do? His own family business could be erased overnight.
At that moment, Mike truly faced reality. He took one last look at Megan. Then he turned around and left. No matter how unwilling he felt, he couldn't gamble his life—or his family's—by trying to challenge a mountain.
What Mike didn't know was that Jason had already noticed him from the corner of his eye. Jason simply didn't care. Mike left immediately, so Jason had no intention of doing anything further. Strictly speaking, the man was just a victim of circumstance. If he had continued pushing forward, Jason wouldn't have minded crushing him like an ant. But now that he knew his limits? That was for the best.
Over the next two days, Jason completed the handover procedures with Starline Luxury Cruises. After that, he spent two more days with Megan before returning to New York. With the New Year over, Jason had been traveling continuously across the region. It was time for school to resume.
The next morning, Jason and Megan returned to Riverport City aboard a Gulfstream G550. A Maybach picked them up at the airport and drove straight to the university.
Holly was already waiting at the school gate. Several male students standing nearby saw Jason and Megan step out of the car together. Then they saw Holly walk over immediately. Their eyes reddened. The rumors from before were confirmed. Jason really was seeing multiple women.
What made it even harder to accept was what happened next. Holly walked up naturally and took Jason's other arm. Megan on his left. Holly on his right.
The boys at the gate were completely stunned. Was this… even allowed? Both Megan and Holly were the most beautiful girls in the department. Dream girls. For most of these students, just exchanging a few words with one of them would be enough to make their entire week.
And yet Jason walked between them calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Leaving behind a group of young men who could only stare in disbelief. Jason wasn't satisfied with just one woman. He had two—both of them willingly holding onto him.
Watching that scene, several boys felt their hearts crack. Why was the world so unfair?
Just then, another figure hurried out from the campus building. In that instant, the boys' eyes lit up again. Even the girls nearby couldn't help but pause.
At first glance, she was beautiful. At second glance, it was breathtaking. Her brows were soft like distant hills, her eyes bright like starlight. Her nose was straight and delicate, her lips naturally rosy, and her skin fair and flawless—so pure it seemed untouched by the mundane world. She looked almost unreal. Like someone who didn't belong here.
Someone whispered her name. "Isn't that… Julia?"
But that only deepened the shock. The photos of Julia on the campus forum had never looked like this. Today, Julia was clearly dressed with care. A white shirt under a knitted vest, a fitted white skirt, and her long hair half-tied in a low ponytail, secured with a ribbon that rested gently against her neck.
Simple. Clean. Yet her pure and flawless beauty was revealed effortlessly. In many boys' minds, the same phrase appeared at once: white moonlight. The kind of girl you fall in love with at first sight.
Someone muttered under their breath. "Who posted those old photos on the forum? Starting today, the campus belle rankings need a new manager. I'm opening a new poll as soon as I get back."
Then someone noticed something horrifying. "Wait—look who Julia is walking toward. No… no way."
After stepping out of the building, Julia didn't slow down. She practically skipped forward, light and cheerful, like a butterfly drawn to flowers. The boys prayed they were imagining it. Jason already had Holly and Megan. How could there be another girl like this? They refused to believe it.
But as Julia drew closer, every other possibility was eliminated. When she looked at Jason, her gaze was gentle and affectionate, without the slightest hesitation. Hope died instantly.
Then came the final blow. Julia stopped in front of Jason and handed him a small insulated bag, smiling softly. "Things have been pretty stable at home lately. I mentioned craving Tibetan lamb, so Grandma made an extra batch this year. I kept it frozen at the convenience store—it didn't spoil."
Jason smiled. He released Megan's hand with his left, let go of Holly's with his right, took the bag—and then casually took Julia's hand. Her fingers were smooth and delicate. It was clear she hadn't been working part-time recently—her skin had regained a natural softness and glow. She was truly born with exceptional beauty.
Megan and Holly felt a sharp sense of crisis the moment they saw Julia up close. And Jason's reaction confirmed it. This girl wasn't ordinary. She clearly held a higher position in his heart.
They had always known Jason wasn't exclusive. Before this, other women were at most on equal footing. Only now did they realize there was someone above them. It would be impossible not to feel jealous. But neither of them showed it.
First, they knew Jason hated unnecessary drama. One wrong move could cost them everything they had. Second, there were too many eyes watching. Neither wanted to become a joke.
Almost simultaneously, the same thought surfaced in their minds: how do we move higher? What does Julia have that we don't—besides beauty?
Jason glanced at Megan and Holly from the corner of his eye. Seeing that neither of them made a scene, he was satisfied. He smiled calmly. "Let's go."
Then he led Julia forward into the campus, with Megan and Holly following obediently at his sides. The boys who witnessed the scene felt their heads throbbing. Some looked like they were about to faint.
As the four of them walked deeper into campus, every student who saw them froze in place—their expressions identical. As if they had just seen a ghost walking in broad daylight.
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