Shang Xinglu looked at Yin Yao with a face full of horror.

She was so shocked that Yin Yao couldn’t help but touch her own face, wondering if there was something on her face, or if she had said something wrong just now.

Yin Yao asked, “Isn’t that right?”

Shang Xinglu’s eyes widened even further.

She really just wanted to curse.

Can the female protagonist please use her brain?!

What does Lin Heng have to do with me? I’m just doing my job, promoting him to you!

Shang Xinglu suddenly realized something was off.

She, as the representative of the “seductive and wicked” group, and Yin Yao, the representative of the “fresh and pure” beauty group, were always on opposing sides.

Even if the female protagonist was inherently innocent and kind, she was old enough to read the atmosphere.

Shang Xinglu thought things were like this:

First, let’s assume…

If a couple, whom you thought didn’t have a strong relationship, suddenly have the wife talking about how excellent her husband is, even if you’re secretly attracted to how excellent he is, you wouldn’t openly admit it. You’d only say something like, “Your husband is so nice. You two have such a good relationship!”

And then there’s this type of feeling in the world:

The man, who isn’t your type, may still make you feel jealous when you see him deeply in love with another woman, and you naturally have thoughts like, “I wish I could have that kind of love too!”

So, focusing on this point, Shang Xinglu realized that simply promoting Lin Heng with words wouldn’t be enough to make Yin Yao fall for him, especially since Lin Heng was married. She needed to make the female protagonist feel like, “I wish I could have this kind of love.”

Shang Xinglu figured out the correct approach.

She simply didn’t explain herself and said, “I didn’t realize this before you pointed it out.”

Sure enough, Yin Yao said, “I didn’t realize Mr. Lin was so considerate. I really envy you.”

Shang Xinglu blushed dramatically, putting on an act of a shy little girl.

Quick! Keep envying me!

And then hurry up and take him away from me!

Little sister, I’m watching you!

But she knew she should shut up now.

Because Lin Heng was already very close to them.

She would rather die than compliment Lin Heng in front of him!

That guy was so dense and clueless, so disappointing to the female protagonist, how could she praise him?!

Lin Heng walked over, saw the two of them chatting, and noticed Shang Xinglu’s expression…

Lin Heng: …

Something’s wrong.

He observed more carefully.

Lin Heng: …

Definitely something’s off.

What the hell is she thinking?!

Naturally, Lin Heng interrupted, “What are you two talking about?”

Yin Yao, completely unguarded, said, “Edmond, Louise was so cute just now. After she gave the compliment, she didn’t even realize it. When I pointed it out, she was stunned.”

Lin Heng asked, “Complimenting who?”

Shang Xinglu: !!!

Shut up!!!

My scheme hasn’t even succeeded yet, and you’re already exposing it. Do I have no dignity?!

She rushed over and grabbed Yin Yao, quickly saying before she could answer, “I was complimenting Yin Yao. Before, I misunderstood her, but now I realize how great she is.”

Yin Yao was momentarily stunned.

She didn’t understand why Shang Xinglu was lying.

She wasn’t insulting anyone, just complimenting them.

But everyone at the party was really good at reading the atmosphere.

Yin Yao thought Shang Xinglu must be embarrassed, so she followed her lead and agreed.

Shang Xinglu also went along with it, quickly changing the subject.

They chatted a bit more, and Yin Yao went downstairs, winking at Shang Xinglu as she left.

Shang Xinglu fake-smiled and waved her goodbye. She watched Yin Yao’s figure get farther and farther, then looked around…

Everyone was gone.

Where did the others go?!

Only Lin Heng was still there.

Shang Xinglu was even more frustrated.

Where is everyone besides Lin Heng?

Lin Heng was standing right in front of her, still wearing that expression.

No, wait. On closer inspection, his gaze was sharp—he now looked like he was interrogating her!!!

Shang Xinglu relaxed her facial expression.

No need to be nervous, Lin Heng is just an ignorant, love-idiot CEO. What’s there to be worried about?

Then Lin Heng spoke, “I heard my name. Weren’t you just complimenting Yin Yao?”

Shang Xinglu froze.

She immediately retorted, “I didn’t ask what you and Yin Yao were talking about, so don’t ask me what we were talking about.”

This is **! Everyone is equal! Long live equality!

Lin Heng crossed his arms and leaned against the wall casually.

“Yin Yao first complimented the garden view, then mentioned she liked the violinist we invited today. I told her the balcony was windy and suggested she go back inside.”

After pausing, Lin Heng added, “I thought you could hear everything from the reception room.”

“I was inside the reception room. It’s so far away, how could I hear anything?” Shang Xinglu played dumb.

After all, if she didn’t say she heard it, no one would know she did.

…Oh, there was Xiao Zai.

It’s fine, she could silence him!

Seeing Shang Xinglu try to cover up, Lin Heng didn’t mind.

After all, he was telling the truth. He raised his hand, making a gesture as if saying, “I’m done, it’s your turn now.”

Shang Xinglu, who had just been celebrating equality, was now silent.

Lin Heng continued, “Although the conversation was interrupted, during my chat with Mr. Xiao, I roughly heard you talking about me with Yin Yao. I just wanted to confirm the details, not that I misunderstood, right?”

Shang Xinglu: …

She was mentally exhausted.

… Start over.

Her heart was bleak…

She had lost all face, inside and out.

Shang Xinglu wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.

She almost wanted to say: While I was increasing the female lead’s favorability towards you, why did you automatically raise your favorability towards me!?

What in the world is going on today?

But when she carefully looked at Lin Heng’s expression…

His gaze was probing, with a hint of “you’d better come clean.”

It felt like…

Was Lin Heng thinking she was scheming something?!

After all, she had never praised Lin Heng, and often secretly mocked him. It was normal for Lin Heng to be paranoid.

Also, who would be so weird as to ask someone if they had just complimented them?

Shang Xinglu felt a flicker of joy.

She casually explained, “Just a little commercial mutual flattery, so outsiders won’t think there’s some family crisis at our house.”

She looked up and found Lin Heng’s hand reaching toward her face.

Shang Xinglu first froze.

This gesture…

She had seen it in dramas before.

There were two choices.

She glanced around.

Was Lin Heng going to hit her, kiss her, or hit her again?!

None of those, please!!!

At this point, Lin Heng’s hand was already cupping half of her face.

Shang Xinglu was so shocked, she almost lost color.

Lin Heng turned her face to the side, looked at it, then quickly took her arm and looked at it again, frowning.

Shang Xinglu’s heart was in turmoil.

Could it be that I’ve accidentally got some other woman’s perfume on me?!

No, no, no!

I haven’t cheated!!!

Lin Heng said, “You scraped your skin, didn’t you feel it?”

Shang Xinglu tilted her head, “Huh?”

Lin Heng frowned and started lecturing her like a parent: “You were so focused on Xiao Zai’s injury earlier, why didn’t you check if you were hurt first? Your elbow’s scraped, and there’s a bit on your face. I haven’t checked your legs, it’s a small injury, but what if it gets infected? Don’t you understand these things, as an adult?”

Shang Xinglu stood there, like a little schoolgirl, mentally grumbling.

Mr. Lin… this character doesn’t match! He looks like a typical domineering CEO, hasn’t even said a word to Yin Yao, no wall-pushing, and here he is, fussing over these trivial matters like a mother! Where’s the CEO attitude?!

Lin Heng directly called the doctor.

Even though the doctor had just left.

At this point, Marilyn came to ask, “Sir, madam, it’s getting late, the first dance is about to begin.”

Shang Xinglu replied, “I’ll go right away!”

Finally, she was done being “lectured,” it was just a scraped skin…

But Lin Heng said, “Cancel it.”

Marilyn looked at him.

Shang Xinglu also looked… glaring at him.

Lin Heng was, after all, a legitimate CEO, especially good at issuing orders.

So as soon as he spoke, even though Marilyn was Shang Xinglu’s personal assistant and usually listened only to her at home, she couldn’t help but obey him now.

Lin Heng said, “Please ask my parents to take our place. Tell them Louise just had a fall.”

Marilyn: “Understood, sir.”

What do you mean “understood”?!

Shang Xinglu ran out, saying, “It’s just a scrape, a little disinfectant and bandage will do. Don’t cancel the opening dance, I’m fine.”

What would happen to the plot if she didn’t dance?

What would happen to her embarrassing fall?

What about the embarrassment for the servants again?

So many things—if she didn’t get to complete them, how would the favorability drop?!

Shang Xinglu immediately felt this wasn’t okay, canceling the dance was definitely not okay.

She added, “It’s a big birthday banquet, the first dance shouldn’t be canceled at the last minute, right?”

But Lin Heng said, “It’s just a birthday party. It’s his birthday, so he should dance the first one himself, wouldn’t that be more meaningful?”

Lin Heng decisively made the call: “Cancel.”

No!

I have objections!

Let me dance! Please let me dance! Going to the hospital is worse than dancing!!!

Shang Xinglu was so eager she almost rushed downstairs.

But since Lin Heng wasn’t going to dance, she couldn’t just hold a gun to his head and make him go, could she?

She regretted it, regretted it so much!

If only she knew, she would’ve stayed in a room practicing the script.

She didn’t know Lin Heng was upstairs, with Yin Yao also on the same floor, and didn’t know their conversation was so awkward!

If she had stayed downstairs, maybe Lin Heng and Yin Yao would have connected better, she wouldn’t have fallen, and more importantly, the dance would’ve continued without all this mess!

Shang Xinglu immediately proved with action that it was just a small scrape, not a big deal.

She moved her arms and legs, showing off some dance steps, spins, a few rounds back and forth, then jumped a few times in place.

“See, I’m fine! I can dance, no problem!”

“No problem!”

“No problem!”

“No…”

But her words trailed off, and before she could finish, there was a crack sound.

Shang Xinglu lost her balance and fell against Lin Heng.

Lin Heng hurried to support her, panicking so much that his glasses nearly slipped off. She saw her left foot turn inward, her ankle hitting the ground.

She twisted it.

… Yep, twisted it.

She twisted it!!! Ah!!!

“Ah!!!” Shang Xinglu screamed, tears filling her eyes.

She wasn’t trying to be dramatic, it really hurt!!! Ah!!!

And Lin Heng looked at her with a blank expression.

It was as if he was saying, “See?”