Everything was beyond Meng Suihuan’s expectations.

Originally, she had arranged this dinner to help build a connection between Lu Linshen and Song Mian. But now, it seemed she had successfully inserted herself into the mix instead.

She ended up chatting with Song Mian a lot, sharing some modern perspectives in hopes of helping her. Song Mian gazed at her with starry eyes, showering her with compliments. “President Meng, you’re amazing! You’ve never even worked on smartphone exterior design, yet your ideas make me feel inadequate.”

Meng Suihuan felt a little guilty and brushed it off vaguely. “These weren’t my ideas; I just happened to hear someone mention them once.” After all, these insights were the result of countless people in the future painstakingly figuring things out step by step.

“President Meng, you have such a great memory. If it were me, I’d have forgotten it ages ago.”

Meng Suihuan: “…”
Why did it feel like this person was viewing her through an overly flattering lens? Even this deserved praise?

“Well, now that we’ve gotten to know each other, we’re friends. Calling me ‘President Meng’ feels strange. You can call me Meng Jie, like everyone else.”

Song Mian obediently nodded. “Alright, Meng Jie.”

After they had talked about everything they needed to, Meng Suihuan finally noticed her empty stomach demanding attention. Looking at the cold dishes on the table, she regretted not eating something before diving into the conversation. Song Mian had kept her so occupied that she completely forgot about the actual purpose of the dinner—eating.

Just as she was feeling regretful, Lu Linshen thoughtfully stood up and refilled her glass with water. In a warm voice, he said, “Have a sip of water first. I asked the kitchen to make some fresh dishes—they’ll be here shortly.”

Instantly, Meng Suihuan felt satisfied. Considering how attentive he was, she decided to temporarily let go of her earlier irritation toward him.

No sooner had she taken a sip of tea than there was a knock at the door. Steaming hot dishes were brought in one after another, their tantalizing aroma making her even hungrier.

Perhaps because she was so hungry, everything tasted particularly delicious. Without realizing it, she ate a little too quickly and ended up choking. Clutching her chest with her hand, she couldn’t stop coughing. She hurriedly picked up her tea to take a sip, but the small amount of liquid didn’t help. Her coughing only got worse.

“Meng Jie, are you okay?!” Song Mian asked anxiously, patting her on the back.

The next moment, a slender hand reached in front of Meng Suihuan, and a voice urged urgently, “Drink some soup, quickly.”

Half a bowl of soup later, Meng Suihuan finally felt better. She waved her hand at them. “I’m fine now. Don’t worry about me—just go ahead and eat. I’ll rest for a bit.”

Because of this small mishap, Meng Suihuan lost her appetite and didn’t eat much more.

After the meal, the group finished up, and Meng Suihuan saw to it that both of them got home. When Song Mian got out of the car, she noticed Lu Linshen stepping out as well.

“Wait for me—I need to grab something,” he said.

Meng Suihuan sighed inwardly at how much trouble he seemed to cause but didn’t say much. She only reminded him, “Be quick.”

She parked the car by the roadside, which attracted quite a few stares. But Meng Suihuan was long used to such attention and paid it no mind.

Just then, she heard a whistle from behind her. Moments later, a young man with a bright red rooster hairstyle sauntered over and tried to strike up a conversation.

“Hey there, pretty girl. All alone? Want to hang out with your Gege?”

Meng Suihuan raised her eyes to look at him and said coldly, “None of your damn business.”

The red-haired man wasn’t angered by the insult. Instead, his smile grew even brighter. “Feisty, aren’t you? I like that. Judging by your accent, you’re not from Ning City, are you? Where are you from, Xiao Jie?”

“You’re really pretty. How about we become friends and get to know each other?”

This guy was shameless and utterly disgusting. Not only did he remain unbothered by being insulted, but he also leaned against her car door, calling her “Xiao Jie” with unwarranted familiarity.

Meng Suihuan shuddered, goosebumps spreading across her skin. Barely suppressing her disgust, she glanced at him again and spoke slowly, “Hey, did you forget to brush your teeth?”

“What did you say?” The red-haired man was confused.

Meng Suihuan elaborated, “Otherwise, why does your mouth stink like that?” She even covered her nose for added effect.

The red-haired man couldn’t keep his cool anymore. “You’re insulting me? You nasty woman! Just because you’re pretty, you think you can act all high and mighty? Watch how I teach you a lesson today—”

Before he could finish, a cold voice rang out from nearby, as sharp as ice. “Who are you planning to teach a lesson to?”

The red-haired man turned toward the voice and saw a trendy-looking but seemingly frail man. He didn’t take him seriously at all and sneered. “Oh, look at you! Playing the hero in front of Ninth Lord, are you? Not bad!”

“But sorry to disappoint you. Ninth Lord doesn’t fall for that kind of thing.”

Lu Linshen calmly took out his phone and snapped a quick photo with a click. He then said in an unhurried tone, “I’ve already taken your picture. If you continue causing trouble, I’ll report you to the police.”

Instead of being intimidated, the red-haired man looked even more smug. “Oh, calling the police? I’m so scared! Do you think that’s going to work on Ninth Lord? Hah! I’ll stay right here and see what the police can do to me.”

Meng Suihuan could tell that this man wasn’t just shameless—he was completely unbothered by consequences. Not wanting to waste her time, she turned to Lu Linshen and said, “Get in the car. There’s no need to argue with this kind of scoundrel. It’s a waste of time.”

The red-haired man was visibly displeased upon hearing this. He spread his arms to block the car and shouted, “Who are you calling a scoundrel, huh? You think you can just insult Ninth Lord and leave? Not a chance!”

Meng Suihuan glanced at Lu Linshen and said coolly, “Buckle your seatbelt.”

With that, she quickly shifted the car into reverse. Then, just as the red-haired man stood there cursing and smirking triumphantly, she suddenly slammed on the accelerator and sped toward him.

At first, the red-haired man was still gloating, but as the car closed in on him without slowing down, he grew pale with fear, his legs going weak.

In the next instant, the car came to an abrupt stop, mere inches away from him.

As the vehicle steadied, the red-haired man collapsed to the ground in terror. “You crazy woman! I’ll sue you! You were going to kill me!”

Before Meng Suihuan could respond, a figure in a police uniform appeared before them. “What’s going on here? Who’s causing trouble?”