Le Pre Lenotre is a pretty good French restaurant in the city.

The food… isn’t the focus; the important part is the ambiance.

And with French cuisine, you eat slowly, savor every bite, and chat casually.

In the elegant setting, surrounded by exquisite plating, it always gives off a refined and atmospheric vibe.

This location is perfect for a romantic date.

Shang Xinglu and Yin Yao had their own plan, so they arrived earlier than Ye Songtao.

Although Ye Songtao hadn’t arrived yet, the reservation was made in advance, and the waiter led Yin Yao to their table.

Shang Xinglu chose a table slightly behind and to the left, directly behind Ye Songtao’s seat.

This way, Yin Yao could see her, but Ye Songtao couldn’t. It also made it easier for Yin Yao to give her signals when needed.

Although they planned to sneak out halfway through, they couldn’t leave immediately when Ye Songtao arrived—it would seem too fake, too insincere.

For now, Yin Yao’s mother was supportive, and Yin Yao wouldn’t defy her mother, so at this moment, they needed to act as though, “Actually, I really wanted to go on a blind date with you, but you see, I just couldn’t help it. It’s such bad luck, I guess we’ll have to schedule again next time” with a helpless tone, and then quickly leave.

Timing was key.

Shang Xinglu decided to make the call after the appetizer and soup were finished and just as the main course was about to be served.

The lighting in the restaurant wasn’t very bright, designed to create a romantic atmosphere. Shang Xinglu couldn’t keep watching them, so when she ordered, she said, “Please serve my food in the same rhythm as the table over there.”

She handed the waiter a tip.

The waiter didn’t ask many questions. After all, there were plenty of customers with odd requests, and asking them one by one would be endless. He just had to get the job done.

The waiter took the tip and acknowledged it.

Soon after, Ye Songtao arrived.

He was wearing a semi-formal suit, had taken off his tie, and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, making him look less stiff and serious.

To be honest, although there are many good-looking women in this circle, it’s not as common to see a good-looking CEO.

The higher up you go in society, the more power is concentrated and the social classes become more rigid. Those in power often believe that beautiful appearances are a valuable resource, and with money and power, they don’t have to worry about access to these resources.

Therefore, they are less concerned with the looks of men compared to women.

But under these unspoken rules, Shang Xinglu thought that, by normal standards, Ye Songtao wasn’t bad-looking at all.

Of course, compared to the young idols in the entertainment industry who rely on their looks, he couldn’t catch up.

And compared to President Lin, even if you tried to chase him on horseback, you still couldn’t catch up.

But Ye Songtao had a well-proportioned face, a well-maintained physique, and a good sense of style. When he smiled and showed his well-maintained white teeth, he could definitely be called a camera-ready CEO.

With this kind of power and such looks, it wasn’t hard to understand why Yin Yao’s mother wanted her to at least give Ye Songtao a chance.

Not to mention, in Shang Xinglu’s case, after her divorce with Ye Songtao, she had already been “sentenced to death” after looking at the bowl and the pot.

As for Yin Yao, Shang Xinglu hadn’t discussed much about her feelings, but it was probably already a “death sentence” too.

…Just think about it, what a great girl Yin Yao was, having been single for so many years. Why?

Many people have pursued her, but she still chose to stay single, which meant she had her own standards that weren’t easily satisfied by her suitors. She wasn’t someone who would easily compromise.

Shang Xinglu didn’t dare sit too close, afraid Ye Songtao would notice her, so she couldn’t hear what was being said at their table.

After they started eating and chatting, Shang Xinglu’s food began to arrive, and just as she requested, the timing was synchronized with Yin Yao’s table.

The appetizer was cleared, and the creamy lobster soup came up.

Shang Xinglu took a sip—wow, this was delicious! The fresh taste that blossomed on her taste buds instantly, the smooth texture as it went down… She almost forgot why she came here.

As for Yin Yao…

Shang Xinglu looked up.

Shang Xinglu: facepalm.jpg, amen.jpg.

Yin Yao was still smiling, but those who knew her well would notice that her eyes were lifeless! She was eating, but it felt like chewing wax.

Ye Songtao wasn’t bad-looking from an external perspective, but once he started talking… he was so greasy! And his attitude towards working women was very dismissive.

Yin Yao knew that the vice president of Kaihua International was a woman, and she was Ye Songtao’s aunt. She had a very strong personality. It seemed that Ye Songtao wasn’t dismissive of women in general but feared losing some of his power to them.

This made Yin Yao look down on Ye Songtao even more.

The original plan was to get through the soup course, but Yin Yao couldn’t help it. Under the table, she secretly texted Shang Xinglu, urging her to leave earlier.

Shang Xinglu hadn’t finished her soup when she received Yin Yao’s SOS message. She quickly put her spoon down and went out to the hallway to make the call.

Perhaps because she had been filming so many commercials recently and had often interacted with directors, Shang Xinglu had developed quite a bit of expertise in “acting.”

She found a quiet spot in the hallway, even putting in eye drops to bring herself to the emotional state of someone who had already cried her heart out.

Then, she made the call.

Yin Yao picked up the phone in the shop, looking apologetic. From the speaker, a heart-wrenching female voice—loud yet gasping for breath—came through:

“Yao… Yao Yao… I… I can’t live anymore… I’m going to jump right now… Wuuu wuuu wuuu!”

Even though Yin Yao knew the script, she was still momentarily stunned.

Worried, Yin Yao asked, “Where are you? Don’t cry, okay? Why are you suddenly like this?”

In her mind, she thought: …Louise is acting way too realistically!

At this moment, Shang Xinglu was actually crying—for authenticity’s sake.

If Ye Songtao didn’t hear her desperate sobs, how would he willingly let her go?

Wiping her tears, Shang Xinglu sobbed, “I’m heartbroken… I feel like I can’t live without him… I just want to die… Wuuu wuuu wuuu… Yao Yao, why doesn’t he want me?”

Yin Yao, internally: Emmmm, this old-school tragic dialogue from ten years ago… This script… I feel bad just playing along.

On the surface, she looked anxious. “Don’t act impulsively, please! There’s no problem that can’t be overcome!”

Shang Xinglu: “I ignored all the gossip just to be with him, yet he broke up with me so easily? Without him, what’s the point of living… Uh, I mean, I might as well jump.”

The latter half of her sentence suddenly lost all emotion, completely breaking the immersion. It was as if two different people were speaking. Fortunately, her voice lowered, and since Yin Yao hadn’t put the call on speaker, Ye Songtao didn’t hear the discrepancy.

Yin Yao quickly said, “Wait for me to come and talk to you. Don’t do anything rash!”

Then, she hung up.

Shang Xinglu awkwardly stuffed her phone back into her pocket.

She then sheepishly looked at Lin Heng…

Lin Heng stood with his arms crossed, leaning casually against the wall, his expression intriguing.

He raised an eyebrow. “Breakup?”

Shang Xinglu: “Uh…”

Lin Heng: “Your boyfriend doesn’t want you anymore?”

Shang Xinglu: “…”

Lin Heng: “You ignored all the gossip to be with ‘him’? Funny, I recall legally marrying you back then.”

Shang Xinglu: “…No, that’s not…”

Lin Heng continued, “So, who exactly is this person?”

Shang Xinglu’s face was completely flushed.

She covered her face with both hands, too embarrassed to look at anyone—especially Lin Heng.

After finishing his call with Xiao Ke, Lin Heng had rushed over.

He knew Shang Xinglu would never actually go on a blind date.

But… just in case.

Even if she didn’t, Yin Yao might. And from what he knew, there had been plenty of times when the person acting as a stand-in ended up being chosen instead.

The worst part? Yin Yao might actually end up on a blind date with Louise…

Divorce had already gone against Lin Heng’s wishes.

If the wife he had finally reclaimed slipped away again…

No. Impossible.

So, Lin Heng came over.

Just now, while Shang Xinglu was secretly observing Yin Yao and Ye Songtao, Lin Heng was secretly observing Shang Xinglu.

And now, he had followed her out—like a praying mantis stalking its prey, only to be caught by the oriole behind.

Shang Xinglu felt extremely uncomfortable.

She was acting, but this script was way too trashy!!!

Awkwardly, she muttered, “…It’s just a script.”

Lin Heng’s tone was cool. “Of course it’s a script. Otherwise, when did I ever break up with you? When did I ever not want you?”

“That’s true,” Shang Xinglu said as she walked over and tugged at Lin Heng’s sleeve, trying to appease him. “You would never break up with me.”

Lin Heng pulled her into his arms, saying nothing, seemingly satisfied for now.

But Shang Xinglu added, “…You’d just divorce me instead.”

Lin Heng: “……”

Someone was pushing their luck.

…

Yin Yao hurriedly got up to leave. But before going, she still “apologetically” explained to Ye Songtao.

Ye Songtao’s first reaction was not concern for the girl on the phone, but suspicion about whether it was real.

Of course, he couldn’t say that outright, so he just remarked, “…She’s an adult now, and she still can’t handle her emotions?”

Even though the situation was fake, his response made Yin Yao’s face drop.

She said, “Everyone faces hardships sometimes. For some, it’s love. For others, it’s something else.”

Ye Songtao couldn’t insist further.

Switching gears, he asked, “Miss Yin, since you have an emergency today, when should we reschedule?”

After ten failed attempts to set up a date, finally meeting only to have it cut short, Ye Songtao was clearly displeased.

Yin Yao couldn’t be bothered.

She said, “I’m not sure about my schedule. I’ll contact you later.”

“Contact you later” essentially meant “never contact you.”

Both parties understood that.

Ye Songtao was dissatisfied with Yin Yao’s indifference. Regarding Li Xinyue, he had already shown enough sincerity, yet this woman was still playing hard to get…

Annoyed, he muttered, “Miss Yin, I don’t understand your attitude. I thought we were a good match. If there’s an issue, shouldn’t we communicate properly?”

Saying this, he reached out to grab Yin Yao’s hand.

The moment his fingers brushed against her, she felt nauseous. On reflex, she jerked away.

Ye Songtao’s expression changed dramatically.

He said in a low voice, “Don’t act like you’re too good for me.”

Saying this, he actually tried to prevent Yin Yao from pulling away.

Yin Yao’s face also turned cold. Since Ye Songtao had dropped all pretenses, there was no need for her to keep up appearances either.

Just then, a hand clamped down on Ye Songtao’s shoulder, forcefully making him let go.

An impatient voice said, “Ye, I think you’re the one who’s shameless here. Can’t you see she’s not interested? She doesn’t want to talk to you, and yet you keep pushing? Who do you think you are, someone who can’t be rejected?”

“Heh,” the voice sneered. “I never realized you were this disgusting before.”

Yin Yao looked up to see Shen Wang, his face burning with rage.

His eyes were full of impatience, staring at Ye Songtao as if he were looking at a disgusting cockroach.