Wen Runan’s arrival surprised Li Beichen, but he quickly adjusted his expression, greeting the two with a smile as they entered.
Li Beichen’s gaze darted across Wen Runan. Upon seeing the faint marks on her collarbone that hadn’t completely faded, he clenched his teeth. “Sister, why didn’t you inform me you were bringing a female companion? It’s hard to arrange seating now at the last minute.”
Li Mo let out an “Oh“, and countered righteously, “I have a girlfriend; you already know that. I thought you would have guessed.”
Li Beichen’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch. Thinking of his upcoming plan, he quickly conceded. “My oversight. I’ll arrange a seat nearby for Miss Wen… How does that sound, Sister?”
Li Mo nodded, leading Wen Runan into the old house. “Then I’ll trouble you, little brother.”
While the two exchanged barbs, Wen Runan was frantically raging in her mind, wishing she could pull her System out and beat it.
“Didn’t you say that as long as I successfully attended the birthday banquet, the task would be completed? Why are you changing your mind now!”
“Host, please calm down. Because you have arrived at a special location, and the World Consciousness has determined that you are in a passionate relationship with the Male Lead, a special mission has been triggered,” 066 explained unhurriedly. “Completing the mission will reward one hundred points.”
“Fine. What special mission do you need me to complete this time?” Wen Runan consoled herself. One hundred points was a lot; she only earned three to five hundred points for completing a small world’s mission.
“It’s actually very simple. Just follow the original plot…”
Hearing 066’s words, Wen Runan’s expression froze, and she forgot to move her feet.
“What’s wrong?” Sensing the resistance on her hand, Li Mo turned back to look in confusion.
Wen Runan looked distressed, speaking awkwardly. “I have a bit of a stomach ache. Is there a restroom here?”
Li Mo’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Without asking further, she said, “Yes. I’ll take you.”
“Shit, what are you saying? Are you serious?” After locking the restroom door, Wen Runan couldn’t control the expression on her face, looking at her distorted reflection in the mirror.
“Didn’t you tell me! Li Mo and Li Beichen are both the ‘Male Lead’! I could complete the plot with either of them!”
“The System did inform the Host of this, but that was based on key plot points. For special missions, the Host can only proceed with the designated Male Lead,” 066 explained.
“A friendly reminder: once a special mission is accepted, it must be completed. Failure will result in the entire world mission being considered a failure.”
I’ve been completely set up by the System!
Wen Runan turned on the faucet, scooped up a handful of water, and splashed it directly onto her face. Ignoring whether she was wearing makeup, she scrubbed with the cold water.
“066, is this special mission really a triggered one? You didn’t deliberately set a trap for me, did you?” Wen Runan quickly calmed down and began to scrutinize the details. “If I recall correctly, you were the one who first told me I needed to come here to complete a key plot point, right?”
“The System does not have the authority, nor will it actively create difficulties for the Host. The System is merely acting according to regulations,” 066 replied formally.
“Not actively? Does that mean you received a relevant order?” Wen Runan quickly caught the loophole. “Who in the Administration Bureau gave you the instruction?”
066 remained silent, which was clearly an admission by default.
Wen Runan slowly exhaled, staring intently at herself in the mirror, letting the water droplets slide down her stray hair and disappear into the depths of her collar.
“066, for this mission, as long as Li Beichen believes I’ve been drugged and that he had relations with me, it will be judged as complete, right?”
Although phrased as a question, Wen Runan used a calm, assertive tone, full of certainty.
066 was silent for a while before answering. “Theoretically, it is feasible, but the Host should note that once the Male Lead discovers the truth, the mission will be immediately re-judged as a failure.”
“That is enough,” Wen Runan pulled out several paper towels and carefully wiped all the water droplets from her face. “Also, I want to file a complaint with the Main System.”
“Article 129 of the Administration Bureau regulations states that once a Host enters a mission world, no one has the right to delete or add to the mission, including the System itself.”
“I’m sorry, there is a bug present in this world. The triggering of the special mission is conducive to bug repair, so the Host’s complaint is invalid,” 066 replied immediately, as if it had anticipated Wen Runan’s question.
“Heh, so this really is aimed at me,” Wen Runan tsked, crumpled the paper towels in her hand, and tossed them into the trash can. “Then we’ll see about that.”
Wen Runan spent a considerable amount of time in the restroom. By the time she emerged, the banquet had reached the dining segment.
Finding Li Mo sitting at the head table, Wen Runan beamed a sun-like smile, waved at her, and then took her seat.
Wen Runan was seated in a slightly out-of-the-way spot, about ten meters from the head table. The people around her seemed to be secretaries and assistants.
After several rounds of toasts, Li Mo was still surrounded by people who had come to network and talk business.
Most of the attendees clearly understood that the power of Jiaheng was firmly grasped by Li Mo, and neither Li Father nor Li Beichen could shake it.
Those qualified to be invited were mostly famous entrepreneurs, and for the future development of Jiaheng, Li Mo naturally had to rally her spirits and socialize.
“Nannan, I was wrong about the previous matter. I apologize to you,” Li Beichen quickly approached Wen Runan while Li Mo was occupied, speaking with a look of sincerity.
“No need. President Li, you already apologized, and I accepted it,” Wen Runan said with a cheerful smile, her eyes briefly glancing at the wine glass in his hand.
The drug must be in this wine, right? How will Li Beichen get me to drink it?
“In that case, why don’t we have a drink? Once this glass is emptied, all past issues will be completely forgiven,” Li Beichen said with a smile.
He then turned and grabbed a glass of wine from a servant’s tray, using his body to block Wen Runan’s view and quickly swapping the wine glasses.
“From another perspective, we’re still family, right?” Li Beichen reached out, presenting the spiked wine glass to Wen Runan.
“Since President Li said so, I must certainly oblige,” Wen Runan reached out and took the red wine glass, her gaze sweeping past Li Beichen to look behind him.
Is there something behind me? Li Beichen slightly frowned, subconsciously turning his head to glance back. Finding Li Mo still unable to break away from the crowd, he quickly turned back.
“However, President Li, if I drink this wine, you’ll have to arrange a designated driver for me,” the smile on Wen Runan’s face seemed slightly distant. If one looked closely, it felt guarded.
Li Beichen also noticed this, but the smile on his face deepened. “Don’t worry. I’ll personally arrange the best driver to take you home.”
They raised their glasses to touch. To show his sincerity, Li Beichen downed all the red wine in one gulp.
Wen Runan knew her tolerance for alcohol was poor, so she only took a sip—about one-tenth of the wine in the glass—as a courtesy.
The curve of Li Beichen’s lips deepened another degree. To ensure success, he had procured a highly potent sedative this time, which only required a very small dose to take effect.
I never thought I’d be using it on Wen Runan first instead of Li Mo.
“Sister will probably be busy for a long time. If you need any help, you can come find me,” Li Beichen’s tone conveyed clear delight.
In his mind, Wen Runan was already his trophy.
Tonight, he would get the person he desired, and at the same time, the person he loathed would completely disappear from this world.