Taoyuan Village wasn't far from the County City, only a dozen or so kilometers away.

And it was only about twenty kilometers from the provincial capital.

He planned to go to the County City.

He just needed to buy some fish and shrimp fry; there was no need to go all the way to the provincial capital.

Besides, his younger sister, Ye Xiaoxiao, was a senior at County No. 1 High School. With the College Entrance Examination just around the corner, her schedule was so tight that she hadn't been home in three weeks. Ye Fan planned to visit her.

Ye Fan went to the village entrance to wait for the bus.

A bus passed through the village every two hours.

But instead of the bus, he ended up waiting for Jiang Xinyan to arrive.

With her was a young man.

Dressed in a suit and leather shoes, he looked very much like a gentleman.

Ye Fan recognized him. Wasn't it his middle school classmate, Qin Shou?

"Well, well, if it isn't Ye Fan, the talented student from County No. 1 High School. It really is you, huh?"

"Where are you headed?"

"Waiting for the bus? Going to the County City, right? We happen to be going there too. It's on the way. You can ride in my BMW. I'll let you experience the style of a BMW."

To read the uncut version, go to [p𝘢wread.com].

As he spoke, the guy pulled out his car key and pressed a button.

*Beep! Beep!*

The BMW X3 parked by the roadside at the village entrance successfully unlocked.

Seeing the look on his face, Ye Fan knew the guy was just showing off.

To be honest, in the past, Ye Fan would definitely have been envious and jealous of him.

After all, not many people in the real world could afford to drive a BMW.

If you don't believe it, just take a look around your own village. Aren't the vast majority of cars people buy in the tens of thousands or hundred-thousand-yuan range?

What's the percentage of people who buy a Mercedes or a BMW?

Not very many, right?

Ye Fan had also fantasized about driving a luxury car like a BMW or a Mercedes, taking Jiang Xinyan for a ride.

But now? Envy and jealousy?

Not anymore.

He had the Portable Space, he was cultivating the Chaos Art, and he had one foot in the world of cultivation.

Wouldn't making money be easy?

Give him some time, and even the world's richest man would have to bow at his feet.

Why the hell would he be jealous of the son of the richest man from the next village over?

Ye Fan looked at him as if he were watching a buffoon.

The people around, who were cooling off in the shade, had a different reaction from Ye Fan; their faces were all filled with envy.

Although the countryside was no longer as backward as it was in the 80s and 90s, not many people could afford, or were willing to buy, a BMW.

And among those with daughters, who wouldn't hope for their daughter to marry a rich man?

"Is that the son of Qin Tycoon from the next village?"

"So he's Jiang Xinyan's blind date?"

"That Jiang Xinyan is so lucky. She just broke off her engagement with Ye Fan and has already hooked up with the Qin Tycoon's son. It really pays for a woman to be beautiful."

"Right, as long as you're good-looking, you'll never lack for rich boyfriends."

"Ahem, that Ye Fan is so pitiful. His parents are gone, and now his fiancée has run off with someone else. Why is his life so bitter?"

"His fate is indeed a bit bitter."

"I wonder if he'll ever have a chance to turn his life around."

"Turn his life around? My ass! He took over the Farm Stay Old Ye left him and ran it for two years. Not only did he not make any money, but he ended up deep in debt. If he had any chance of a comeback, would Jiang Xinyan have broken off the engagement with him?"

"You're right."

A wave of gossip spread through the crowd.

This made Qin Shou even more smug.

*Have I completely crushed him?*

Back in their school days, Qin Shou had been genuinely envious of Ye Fan.

In terms of looks, he wasn't as handsome as Ye Fan.

In terms of grades, Ye Fan was first in the entire school every year.

Even his family, which he was so proud of, couldn't hold a candle to Ye Fan's.

Back when Ye Fan's parents were alive, they were the richest family in Taoyuan Village. Their family's financial situation was no worse than his own.

But now, things were different.

Besides being handsome, what else did Ye Fan have that could compare to him?

Even his fiancée was about to become his woman.

"Qin Shou, long time no see."

Ye Fan was composed and gracious.

He glanced over at Jiang Xinyan. She was still wearing the same outfit she had on at his house yesterday.

She had planned to change after getting home.

But Qin Shou arrived early, so she had no choice but to come out and greet him.

*Qin Shou, you're so proud to be with her? Little do you know how deep she is. I explored her seven times last night; I know her inside and out.*

*What the hell do you have to be so proud of!*

Qin Shou had originally wanted to use Jiang Xinyan to provoke Ye Fan, but he found that not only was Ye Fan not angry, he even seemed to be looking down on him.

This made him even more annoyed.

As for Jiang Xinyan, the glare she shot Ye Fan could practically set things on fire.

Just thinking about how he had tormented her seven times in less than twenty-four hours made her want to slap him to death.

And he was so rough.

He didn't have a shred of tenderness for a woman.

After getting home that morning, Jiang Xinyan felt like her whole body was about to fall apart.

Right now, she really didn't want to look at Ye Fan for even a second longer.

"Oh, right, Ye Fan. I heard your Farm Stay has been losing money. Why don't you just close it down? For old times' sake, as classmates, you can come work at my orchard. I'll give you a salary of five thousand a month."

To be frank.

In this poor, remote area, a salary of five thousand was already quite high.

As soon as he said this, the surrounding villagers immediately became a little envious.

Five thousand yuan a month.

My husband doesn't even make that much.

How could Ye Fan not tell that he was deliberately showing off his superiority and trying to elevate his own status?

*Hilarious!*

Ye Fan smiled. "No, thanks. It's a mere five thousand. I'm not interested."

"Ye Fan, I was just trying to help you out for old times' sake, but you're so ungrateful..."

Before Qin Shou could finish, Ye Fan shot back directly: "Idiot!"

After saying that, Ye Fan couldn't be bothered with him anymore.

*Five thousand to hire me?*

*You think you're worthy?*

*I'm a cultivator, you get it?*

A Land Rover slowly drove over and stopped beside the crowd.

The window rolled down, revealing a devastatingly beautiful face that could topple cities.

The moment Qin Shou saw her, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

*Does Taoyuan Village have such a gorgeous woman?*

Compared to her, Jiang Xinyan, who was right beside him, suddenly didn't seem so appealing anymore.

*"If she were my wife, I'd be willing to break my own ribs to make soup for her."*

If Jiang Xinyan hadn't been there, Qin Shou would have definitely gone over to hit on her.

The car door opened, and Zhou Lin stepped out.

Even though she was still dressed in simple casual wear, her stunning figure was impossible to miss.

"Ye Fan, have you been waiting long? Sorry, I got held up by something."

"Get in!"

Zhou Lin walked straight to Ye Fan's side and, in front of everyone, took his arm in a very intimate gesture.

Ye Fan looked at Zhou Lin in surprise.

*Since when were we this close?*

Although Ye Fan and Zhou Lin had known each other for over two years, their relationship was merely that of a guest and a landlord. Zhou Lin would stay here for a few days every few months.

That was the extent of their relationship.

*It's nowhere near the level where you'd be clinging to my arm so ambiguously in public, right?*

However, Ye Fan wasn't an idiot.

A second thought was all it took for him to realize Zhou Lin was helping him. Without any hesitation, the two of them got into the Land Rover and drove off, leaving everyone behind to stare with envy.

After the two of them left, Qin Shou's face turned completely black.

"Is that his girlfriend?"

"How can his girlfriend be so beautiful? And she has such a unique and elegant aura."

"She looks pure, but with a hint of allure."

"A total knockout!"

"No wonder Ye Fan was so quick to break the engagement with Jiang Xinyan. Turns out he had someone better lined up?"

Qin Shou was green with envy.

But it was a kind of envy he couldn't even aspire to.

A woman like Zhou Lin was not someone that the son of a village tycoon like him could ever hope to touch.

Just the fact that she drove a Land Rover worth over two or three million yuan...

...made it clear that her background was anything but simple.

"Damn Ye Fan, stinking Ye Fan, rotten Ye Fan! How did you hook up with Zhou Lin so quickly?"

"I knew it! Why else would Zhou Lin come all the way from the provincial capital to stay here every so often? So you two were hooking up all along?"

"Shameless bastard!"

"No wonder you were so decisive about breaking the engagement today. You already had a new flame, didn't you?"

Logically speaking, they had already broken off their engagement.

What Ye Fan did should have been none of Jiang Xinyan's business.

But when she found out that Ye Fan had found such a beautiful and wealthy woman, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

She deliberately spat on the ground. "Pah! Gigolo! What's so great about that?"

Some of the other young people also chimed in mockingly:

"Yeah, what's so skillful about relying on a woman?"

"In this world, women are the most unreliable."

"Rely on a mountain, and the mountain will collapse. Rely on a tree, and the tree will fall. Relying on anything is not as good as relying on yourself. Only what you gain through your own hard work is truly precious."

They all cursed and grumbled.

Though they wouldn't admit it out loud, their true inner thought was: *Damn it, I'm so freaking envious of him!*

---

Proofreader: Peter Pan