"She actually made me wait? This little minx really knows how to build suspense," Lin Yu muttered with a smirk, unbuttoning his shirt as he did so. Normally, he kept his passions tightly leashed with ironclad self-discipline, but tonight's charged atmosphere had unearthed long-buried anticipation.

  The five-minute wait felt interminable. Eyes fixed on the wall clock, he counted each second before abruptly tearing off his clothes and bursting through the door.

  "Happy birthday, Mr. Lin!" A hundred voices chorused in unison as he stepped into the grand villa hall. His employees stood in neat rows, dressed to the nines, waving streamers and noisemakers. But the jubilation died instantly.

  Lin Yu froze, stark naked in front of the assembled crowd. Silence descended like a guillotine. Male staff shuffled awkwardly, while female employees blushed crimson and averted their eyes. Su Yao stood at the forefront, cake in hand, her carefully prepared speech evaporating into the void. In a reflexive panic, she hurled the dessert. The confection splattered across his chest, mercifully covering the most scandalous parts.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  "How... could this happen?" Lin Yu groaned inwardly, mortified. Before he could recover, the villa began shuddering violently. Crystal chandeliers swayed menacingly, emitting ominous creaks.

  "Earthquake! Take cover!" The crowd erupted into chaos.

  Amid the pandemonium, Lin Yu spotted a flaming meteorite hurtling through the shattered wall - straight toward Su Yao. She stood rooted, face ashen, eyes wide with terror.

  Reacting instinctively, Lin Yu sprinted forward like a wraith. There was no time to escape. Drawing on years of cultivation, he channeled qi into his calloused palm. At the last moment, he struck the meteorite with a thunderous palm strike.

  "BOOM!" A concussion wave rippled outward. Lin Yu's arm screamed in agony as he was flung backward like a broken doll. But his desperate gamble paid off - the meteorite veered off course, grazing Su Yao's cheek before embedding itself in the floor, kicking up a cloud of dust.