In the female dorm of the Finance Department, Quinn stared anxiously at the campus forum post about Jason Carter's "bankruptcy."
She paced back and forth, biting her lip, hesitating countless times before opening Jason's WeChat.
She typed a message… deleted it.Typed again… deleted again.
He already has a girlfriend… or several…Would sending a message cause unnecessary misunderstandings?
But what if he truly was in trouble?
After several minutes of mental tug-of-war, Quinn finally sent a single encouraging emoji.
The system panel didn't move.
Quinn: Favorability unchanged.
At the School of Arts, inside the Music Department's practice hall…
Ava Summers overheard her classmates whispering about Jason.
Normally, she minded her own business, keeping an aloof, perfect-princess aura.But when she remembered how Jason protected her musical dreams during the last cultural showcase—her gaze softened.
After hesitating, she opened Jason's social and typed slowly:
"Have you been busy lately?You haven't come to the piano room."
No comforting tone. No emotional wording.Just a quiet message that carried her concern in her own way.
Ava Summers: Favorability unchanged.
Alice: Favorability stabilized.
Grace saw the post for three seconds… then closed the app.
She didn't care at all.
Instead, she opened Jason's WeChat:
"Jason, why haven't you come see me in so long?How are you spending New Year's?I learned a few new dishes. Want to come over and spend it with me?"
Her tone was relaxed, flirtatious, familiar.
Grace: Favorability unchanged.
Agela was still unpacking boxes when she received a message from a close friend.
She skimmed the rumor post—and her brows knitted instantly.
Then she went to her contacts and asked around.But her social circle wasn't well connected; no one actually knew the truth.
Her mind began spiraling:
What if everything he flaunted was just leverage?What if he's no different from those "fake tycoons" who collapse overnight?What if the apartment he gave me isn't truly mine? Will I end up paying a mortgage for decades?
Fear and distrust brewed rapidly.
Agela: Favorability -10. -10.
Her expression dimmed. Her hands trembled slightly.
From excitement about her new life…to fear she might be burdened with massive hidden debt.
She sat on the edge of the bed, dazed.
Meanwhile, high above the clouds on the Gulfstream G550…
Jason Carter watched each girl's favorability fluctuate in real time.
He didn't suppress the rumor.
He didn't clarify.
He simply watched—
Because this was the first time he could see so clearly…
Who would stand by him when he supposedly had nothing?And who would run the moment they smelled trouble?
And to Jason—
That insight was worth far more than the fake rumor itself.
Agela stared at the rumor thread a second time, her anxiety climbing higher.
She immediately called the movers:
"Stop moving my things. I'll… stay in my old apartment for now."
Her favorability didn't crash as dramatically as Emma's, but the uncertainty gnawed at her heart.
She needed clarity before she dared place her future on Jason again.
Just then, a wealthy livestream "patron" DM'd her—someone who used to chase her persistently.Before, after getting together with Jason Carter, Agela ignored such people completely.
But this time?
She replied.
Vague. Ambiguous.Not agreeing to meet, but not rejecting either.She decided to string him along until she confirmed whether Jason's fortune was real… or had evaporated.
Meanwhile, in a stylish rented loft…
Amelia was live on camera, her sweet smile unshakeable as she thanked a big gifter.
Then her phone buzzed.She glanced at the message—the rumor about Jason.
She froze for half a second… then smoothly resumed her stream as if nothing happened.
But inside her mind?
Countless thoughts flashed.
So the "new boss" everyone talked about… really wasn't that impressive. Just a flashy surface.
Compared to the wealthy patrons in her streaming circle, Jason suddenly felt insignificant.
And as she thought of Grace, Alice, and Agela, she couldn't help feeling smug.
They thought they'd found some miraculous golden goose. Turns out they'd be better off sticking with rich livestream patrons like I did.
She remembered how she had regretted not approaching Jason more boldly at the New Vision Media annual gala.
Now she felt relieved—even grateful—that she hadn't made that mistake.
Amelia: Favorability -30
Since the female streamers in New Vision Media shared gossip instantly, the news spread fast.
Victoria saw it and rolled her eyes.
Victoria: Favorability -40
Lia read it and came to the same conclusion.
Lia: Favorability -30
Even Sophia, who wasn't snobbish by nature, felt her heart sink a little.
Sophia: Favorability -10
At Villa No. 6
Mia received a message from another streamer:
"Mia, have you seen the news about Jason?You're still living in his villa… shouldn't you move out before things get messy?"
Mia didn't even open the rumor.
She replied instantly:
"No matter what happens to Jason, I'm with him for life."
Only after sending it did she open the forum thread.
She read the rumor carefully. It looked… plausible. She truly didn't know whether it was real or not.
But that didn't change her resolve.
Then she messaged Jason directly:
"Jason, are you really in trouble?If so, sell the villa and the cars.I can live in an ordinary apartment and drive a cheap car.I also have some savings—we can get through this."
Her favorability didn't drop.If anything, it glowed brighter.
At Crescent Harbor Bay, Villa No. 1
Holly had already blocked Emma the moment she saw who had added her.
Then she glanced at the rumor… and deleted the message immediately.
She didn't believe a word of it.
She only knew one thing:
She could no longer live without Jason.
At Silvercrest Lake Villa
Megan also got Emma's message.
She replied with a single "?" and then deleted her.
Then she opened the forum post properly and read it.
When she finished, she chuckled softly.
She wasn't a true heiress, but she'd grown up around wealth.She had witnessed what real rich families looked like.
Jason wasn't just rich—he was something else entirely.
She remembered the portrait and the map Jason bought for a few hundred thousand—now worth over 500 million—still sitting in his villa untouched.
If Jason were really broke, those would have been sold long ago.
Also, if the rumor were genuinely dangerous, there was no way the University leadership would have allowed it to spread for so long.
It only confirmed one thing:
Jason wanted it to spread.
A small grin formed on her lips as she messaged him:
"Junior, what's up with that rumor on the school forum? Normally, the Student Union and faculty would suppress something like that."
Jason replied quickly:
"It's fine. Don't worry."
Megan narrowed her eyes with a knowing smile.
"So you knew already—or planned it?Junior, what trick are you playing this time?Why haven't you returned yet?Should I come spend New Year's Day with you?"
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