At this moment, Lin Yuan was caught between two women.
He vaguely felt like there was a furious Azure Dragon glaring behind Gu Qingyi, and a fierce White Tiger baring its fangs behind Ye Ling’er. And he, in the middle, was just a shivering little lamb.
“Where did it all go wrong? Wasn’t I supposed to be the infamous scoundrel of North City? Shouldn’t these two female leads hate me? Why are they both coming after me now?”
Lin Yuan truly couldn’t figure it out. Since when had a notorious villain like him become so popular?
Could it be that saying really was true—women love bad men?
“Ladies, how about this? I’ll leave the room and let the two of you have dinner alone in peace. What do you think?” Lin Yuan suggested.
This cursed place was unbearable. He didn’t want to stay a second longer.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he spoke, both Ye Ling’er and Gu Qingyi replied in unison, “No!”
Lin Yuan, who was already preparing to leave, froze on the spot. What kind of drama was this?
“Miss Ye, if you want to have dinner with Lin Yuan, any other day is fine. How about another time? I’ll even treat you both to dinner myself,” Gu Qingyi said.
But today, Lin Yuan had to stay by her side. There was absolutely no way she would give in to Ye Ling’er.
Ye Ling’er smiled and said, “No, it has to be today, and only today.”
Normally, she might have compromised, but not today. No matter what, she needed to complete the system mission and claim the reward for the Primordial Divine Acupuncture Technique.
“Miss Ye, are you doing this on purpose?” Gu Qingyi frowned. It was obvious Ye Ling’er was being deliberate. That girl had always disliked Lin Yuan the most.
Whenever the Four Great Families attended the same events, they inevitably ran into each other, and every single time, Ye Ling’er would harshly criticize Lin Yuan without fail.
So how could she suddenly have a change of heart toward him? And even want to have dinner alone with him? It was clearly aimed at provoking her.
“CEO Gu, how could I be doing this on purpose? I just want to thank Lin Yuan. He gave my grandfather a thousand-year-old wild ginseng. It was genuine and very helpful for his condition. Isn’t it only right that I express my gratitude?”
That ginseng indeed had some benefit to her grandfather’s health, but it wasn’t as critical as she made it sound. She just needed a proper excuse for a private dinner with Lin Yuan.
“If it’s just to thank him, you can do that now, Miss Ye. Then please leave,” Gu Qingyi said flatly.
Had this been before they entered the room, she might have agreed. But now that they were already in the room, if Lin Yuan suddenly left, she couldn’t guarantee the system wouldn’t deem the mission a failure.
That was a risk she couldn’t take.
“A verbal thank-you isn’t enough to express my gratitude to Lin Yuan, so I must have dinner with him alone. Don’t worry, CEO Gu. It’s just a meal. I’m not going to steal Lin Yuan from you. I’ll return him to you afterward. How about that?”
Gu Qingyi glanced at her and gave a cold hum. “Miss Ye, and if I say no?”
“Then I won’t leave, not until you agree.”
Ye Ling’er stepped into the room and sat directly across from Gu Qingyi. The two women locked eyes, neither backing down.
Right now, both of them had only one thought in their minds.
“I don’t believe you’ll stay here forever without leaving.”
“I don’t believe you can hold out without giving in.”
Time slowly passed. 8:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m…
Hours went by, and none of the three in the room spoke a word.
Every time Lin Yuan tried to speak, both women would glare at him in unison, silencing him immediately. In the end, he simply lay down on the bed and scrolled through his phone.
As midnight approached, both Gu Qingyi and Ye Ling’er grew more anxious. The system’s deadline was almost here, yet their missions remained incomplete.
“CEO Gu, is it really that hard for you to let me have dinner with Lin Yuan?” Ye Ling’er asked with a frown.
Since when was Gu Qingyi so protective of Lin Yuan? Her possessiveness was ridiculous. She wouldn’t even allow someone else to have a meal with him?
“You…” Ye Ling’er clenched her fists. Another day meant nothing to her.
Minute by minute, second by second, time ticked on. As the clock struck midnight, the system announced the outcome.
[Unfortunately, the host did not complete the system task. The reward of Plot No. 1 in North City’s suburbs is now invalid.]
[Unfortunately, the host did not complete the system task. The reward of the Primordial Divine Acupuncture Technique is now invalid.]
Hearing the strange voices in their minds, Gu Qingyi and Ye Ling’er both glared at each other.
It was all this woman’s fault. Because of her, they missed out on their rewards. This grudge was now set in stone.
“CEO Gu, it’s late. I won’t interrupt your ‘fun’ with Lin Yuan any longer. Goodbye,” Ye Ling’er said as she stood up.
Gu Qingyi also rose and said, “Miss Ye, thanks to you, I’ve lost all interest. You can have dinner alone with Lin Yuan now, as a token of appreciation.”
They were both furious, but neither showed it. With one final glare at each other, they left the room together.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan quickly got dressed and followed them out.
The three of them exited Haiyue Restaurant together. The staff who witnessed the scene were practically bursting with curiosity and gossip.
“Lin Yuan, come to my office tomorrow,” Gu Qingyi said directly.
“Huh? Me? CEO Gu, is it really appropriate for me to go to your office?” Lin Yuan chuckled. He really didn’t want to get further involved with either of these women.
“This isn’t a request. It’s a notification. Got it? If I don’t see you in my office tomorrow, you’re dead,” Gu Qingyi said, then drove off.
Ye Ling’er glanced at Lin Yuan without saying anything. She was still surprised at how close he and Gu Qingyi had become.
She got in her car and left as well, leaving Lin Yuan alone, standing in the wind, completely baffled.