[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-idle-tycoon-system":3,"chapter-idle-tycoon-system-idle-tycoon-system-chapter-49":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Idle Tycoon System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1828045,2431,"Chapter 49: Face Slapping Amy","idle-tycoon-system-chapter-49",49,"\u003Cp>\"Ethan, wait!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group parted like the Red Sea as she rushed after him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her designer shoes, probably another gift from Jason, clicked against the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here comes the crocodile tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan paused at the store entrance. The exit stood there in front of him, like salvation, but something in Amy’s voice made him hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t turn around. Keep walking. Don’t give her the chance, Ethan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But sixteen-year-old hearts rarely listened to logic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amy caught up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you being so cold to me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers found his free hand, intertwining with intimacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did I do something wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The touch. She knows exactly what that does to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan’s resolve wavered like a candle in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warmth of her skin, the familiar scent of her perfume, the way she looked at him with those wide, innocent eyes, it all crashed over him in waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe I misunderstood. Maybe Jason really is just a friend. Maybe—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve been texting you all week,\" she continued, voice soft as silk. \"You barely responded. And now you’re acting like... like I’m a stranger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thumb traced gentle circles across his knuckles. The same gesture that used to make his heart race during their three perfect weeks together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s good. Really good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan’s mouth opened, an apology forming on his lips. The expensive shopping bags suddenly felt heavy with guilt rather than triumph.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Amy, I—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah’s elbow found his ribs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A subtle nudge, barely perceptible, but enough to shatter the spell that Amy had cast on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right. Remember why we’re here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve been busy,\" Ethan said finally, his voice steadier than he felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Busy with what?\" Amy stepped closer, closing the distance between them. \"Your family business that you never told me about? Do you not take me seriously?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’There it is. The real question. How much money does hehave?’ Noah thought, with a wry smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl was a very good gold digger, despite her young age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Among other things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan gently extracted his hand from hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Important things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amy’s perfect mask slipped for just a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s not asking because she missed me. She’s asking because she smells money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe we could talk?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just the two of us? Like we used to?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group watched from inside the store, faces pressed against the glass like spectators at a zoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jason’s expression had shifted from smug confidence to genuine concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His territory is being threatened. Ethan had somehow managed to steal her from him. This had never happened to him before. Once he stole a girl, she would stay with him until he dumped her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t think that’s a good idea,\" Ethan said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why not?\" Amy’s voice rose slightly. \"Ethan, we’re good together. We’ve always been good together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah almost laughed at her absurdity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Since when did three weeks count as always?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have we, though?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amy’s eyes widened, sensing danger in waters that had seemed so safe moments before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\" She frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan looked at her—really looked—for the first time since discovering her betrayal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s performing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean, maybe we want different things,\" he said finally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Different things?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She laughed ironically between her words. \"Like what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan hefted the shopping bags, feeling their weight like armour against every doubt he had about returning to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like loyalty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bulls-eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amy’s face went pale. The word hit her like a physical blow, carrying hidden meanings she couldn’t deflect or deny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"L-Loyalty?\" Her voice came out strangled. \"W-What are you talking about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knows. She knows exactly what I’m talking about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enjoy your dinner last Friday,\" Ethan said quietly. \"I heard the restaurant was... expensive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Checkmate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The colour drained from Amy’s face completely. Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly, caught between denial and confession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the store, whispers erupted like wildfire. Even from this distance, the group could sense blood in the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ethan, I can explain—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hope you and Jason are very happy together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There. I said it. There is no going back now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amy’s carefully constructed world collapsed in real time. The secret she’d thought safely hidden lay exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not what you think—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s exactly what I think.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan turned toward the exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Goodbye, Amy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they left, Noah glanced from the corner of his eye and caught the aftermath through the store windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amy stood frozen for a heartbeat. Then desperation kicked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spun toward Jason, reaching for his arm with the same innocent gesture she’d used on Ethan moments before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Round two. Let’s see how the playboy handles damaged goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jason’s reaction was immediate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped back, shaking his head with visible disgust. His lips moved in words Noah couldn’t hear, but the body language spoke volumes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nobody likes a double-crosser. Even other cheaters have standards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amy’s face crumpled as Jason walked away, leaving her alone in the centre of their friend group. The girls whispered among themselves, phones already out to document the social carnage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From queen to pariah in under ten minutes. New record.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the mall, Ethan walked in silence before he finally broke it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, cousin. I appreciate this a lot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice carried gratitude mixed with something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relief, maybe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kid’s finally standing up straight. About time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They reached the taxi that Noah had ordered. Ethan paused beside the passenger door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, when do we return these?\" He pointed at the bags awkwardly. \"I mean, the receipt’s probably still good for exchanges, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Return them? Oh, sweet summer child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rich, genuine amusement that made several passing shoppers turn and stare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Return them?\" He wiped his eyes, still chuckling. \"Ethan, that phone is yours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teenager’s face cycled through confusion, disbelief, and finally shock. \"Mine? But that’s...so much money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah pulled out one of the phone boxes, pressing it into Ethan’s trembling hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here, take it. That’s a gift. You can’t claim to have bought these, then show up to school without one, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is insane,\" Ethan whispered. \"You can’t just... buy me a thousand-dollar phone!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just did.\" Noah’s grin could have powered the entire mall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan stared at the box like it might explode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because watching that was worth every penny. Because seeing you find your spine was priceless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because that’s what family does,\" Noah said simply. \"We show up when it matters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan’s grip tightened on the phone box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Young Master has officially been born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello? Sorry to break your moment, but we are causing traffic. Can you get in already?\" The taxi driver peeked through the rolled window.\u003C\u002Fp>",1094,"2026-06-09T06:05:14.055Z",1,"novelbin.me","5bb80726de739eed082e0730dcd5d325b1fe69c63b09bb3a8556dad2bf9ce334","idle-tycoon-system-chapter-50","idle-tycoon-system-chapter-48",438,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fidle-tycoon-system-cover.jpg"]