When Lin Tian drove to the foot of the Five Pure Ones Temple mountain, there were already many people gathered there. Men, women, old and young alike, all dressed in festive clothing, had bought candles, incense, spirit money, and firecrackers to make their way up the layered mountain steps in hopes of seeking peace and having their wishes granted.

In ordinary times, Kanyue City was just a capital, but during the New Year’s Happy Festival, it truly became festive.

Because many of those who had gone to seek opportunities in the north would return home for the New Year, making the usually crowded Kanyue City seem much quieter during this time.

However, there were fewer people coming to burn incense compared to usual. It wasn’t that crowded either.

Lin Tian, carrying a backpack, walked in front; these steps, though many, were no different to him than flat ground.

Liou Zhengming, after his morning exercises over the past few days, had become much leaner. Although climbing these steps was a bit strenuous, it was still manageable for him.

Five Pure Mountains was very tall; just how tall, he didn’t know. But besides him, everyone else was panting when they reached the top. Nonetheless, everyone was enthusiastic, and climbing had its own joys. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The Five Pure Ones Temple was very large, but it was also quite crowded.

"This place is so large, where should we go first?" Liou Qingcheng wiped the sweat from her forehead and asked.

It was evident from sweating even in this weather how much exercise they were getting.

"Let’s go to..." Lin Tian looked around and noticed that there were many grand halls with high roofs covered in snow, forming a white expanse, which actually seemed quite serene.

But the number of halls here was overwhelming, making it hard to decide where to go first.

"Let’s head to the main hall first, and then take our time strolling around," suggested Lin Hao.

His suggestion was quickly agreed upon by everyone.

"Shishi!"

Just as they were about to set off, suddenly, a stranger’s voice rang out.

Everyone turned around and saw a stylish man, wearing a black coat, with a side-parted hairstyle and a thin face.

Such a fit and handsome man was bound to be the object of many women’s pursuits.

"This guy must be very wealthy," Lin Tian thought to himself.

Why did he think so?

Because... they were wearing the same clothes.

Lin Tian was also wearing a similar black coat, which probably cost tens of thousands at the boutique.

Wearing the same clothes isn’t scary; it’s only awkward for the less attractive one.

Lin Tian didn’t think he was the unattractive one. But the guy in front of him wasn’t bad either; at least his physique and looks weren’t much different from his own,

Not only did it not feel awkward, but they also looked quite eye-catching. No wonder many young girls seeking love were looking over at them, their eyes sparkling.

The man walked over and smiled, "Shishi, it really is you. Just now I thought I mistook someone else."

After speaking, he extended his hand, intending to shake hands with Bai Shishi.

"A handshake is unnecessary. We’re not that close," Bai Shishi replied bluntly.

Not feeling awkward, the man retracted his hand and laughed, "You’ve taken control of the entire Bai Family now, yet you still have this temper? Maybe we’ll have business cooperation in the future, right?"

Bai Shishi nodded, "Perhaps. Then when we cooperate, we can shake hands."

"Haha." The man laughed twice, then sighed and said, "Alright, being rejected on the first day of the year... I guess I’ll have to pay more respect to the Buddhas later."

Bai Shishi didn’t respond, thinking that she really had nothing to say to this person. Not before, not now, and not in the future.

The man shifted his gaze to Lin Tian and chuckled, "Lin Tian?"

Lin Tian nodded, not finding it strange that the other party knew him.

Isn’t there a lot of people who know him? After all, he’s quite a celebrity, big or small.

"Let me introduce myself. I’m Zhou Chenghang." Zhou Chenghang wore a gentle smile and handed Lin Tian a business card, then said, "I’m Shishi’s... former fiancé."

At that moment, the atmosphere was filled with tension.

Though Bai Shishi and Lin Tian’s relationship hadn’t been explicitly stated, everyone present was aware. This guy specifically added that sentence—was it to stir up trouble?

"Zhou Chenghang, is this really necessary?" Bai Shishi’s gaze turned hostile, "It was just a family engagement. Former fiancé? You have the nerve to introduce yourself like that with a straight face."

Lin Tian suddenly realized, so Shishi was supposed to marry this guy. Apart from being good-looking, he sure seemed like a useless pretty face.

He looked at the card he was holding, which identified Zhou Chenghang as the Executive President of ’Zhou Civilization.’

’Zhou Civilization’ was a southern enterprise that moved north fifty years ago, transitioning from agricultural products to a tech company.

One could say that their transformation was highly successful, even iconic.

Zhou Civilization quickly became one of the prominent families in Kanyue City, from a previously obscure small enterprise.

The Bai Family, compared to the Zhou Family, still had some gaps to fill; otherwise, they wouldn’t have opted for a marriage alliance with them.

And the cornerstone of Zhou Civilization was Zhou Chenghang’s grandfather. As long as that old man was around, the Zhou Family wouldn’t decline because he had created too many miracles in the business world. One idea could revive the entire Zhou Family from the brink, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

In these past fifty years, the Zhou Family had gone through many ups and downs. Each time, it was the family patriarch who turned the tide, and each rebirth made the Zhou Family stronger.

This was also the source of their family’s pride.

Zhou Chenghang seemed oblivious to Bai Shishi’s words and kept chatting with Lin Tian, "We seem to have a connection, wearing the same clothes. This coat was probably bought by Shishi, wasn’t it?"

"..."

Lin Tian suddenly felt the man’s smile was quite irritating, like asking for a beating, full of ’hit me’ vibes.

"If there’s nothing else, we’ll be off. We have other things to do, too busy to chat with you." Bai Shishi said calmly.

"Ah, we haven’t seen each other in so long. I just got back from abroad. Catching up would be nice; we might find business opportunities to cooperate on. Why be at odds with money?"

Zhou Chenghang smiled, "We all came to worship, how about we chat while we walk?"

Before Bai Shishi could speak, Lin Tian chuckled, "You said you recently came back from abroad? How many years were you away?"

Zhou Chenghang, unsure why Lin Tian asked that, replied honestly, "Two years, for further studies."

Lin Tian smiled, "But how come I saw you about six months ago? Hmm, with Bai Jiaming."

Zhou Chenghang’s eyes flashed with a hint of malice, then he calmly replied, "You must be mistaken. I’m not very familiar with Bai Jiaming."

"Really? Then are you familiar with Xiaogang?" Lin Tian laughed as he asked.

"Xiaogang? Shishi’s little sidekick from the past, right? Not really."