Only Shang Xinglu was interested in the “date.”

The main characters, Shen Wang and Yin Yao, were both disinterested and repeatedly stated that they were very busy with work lately and didn’t have time for dates.

Shang Xinglu’s enthusiasm was crushed by these two, so she could only dejectedly eat her meal.

In the end, Lin Heng suggested a compromise.

Shen Wang could send flowers to Yin Yao’s home and company in his name, and if there were any public events, he could make time to be a partner, just to make it look like something was going on. It wouldn’t take much time.

After the meal, they all left.

Before getting into her car, Yin Yao glanced at Shen Wang and hesitated.

Shen Wang asked, “What’s on your mind? Just say it.”

Yin Yao stopped holding back. She said, “I’m the only one benefiting from this. Shen Wang, I just don’t get it. This is such a hassle, why would you be willing to help?”

Yin Yao really needed a “boyfriend.”

Ye Songtao’s character was terrible. True, if she talked to her mother, her family wouldn’t force her to be with him, but without Ye Songtao, there would still be other people. It would never come to a conclusion.

Right now, she was in the middle of a career rise, and Yin Yao was honestly too lazy to deal with one “other person” after another.

Having a convenient “boyfriend” would make things much easier for her.

However, Shen Wang didn’t have the same pressure. They weren’t exactly close. His help was genuinely troublesome.

Shen Wang suddenly sighed.

Then he said, “Not everything people do has an ulterior motive or is calculated for return on investment.”

“I just want to. Is that so wrong?”

Yin Yao froze for a moment, then lowered her head and smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed.

After they left, Lin Heng couldn’t quite understand Shang Xinglu’s push for Yin Yao and Shen Wang to get together.

Although he was happy to see them handle things privately—it would make things much easier for him.

Lin Heng asked, “What made you try to matchmake them? Before this, I remember they were always at odds with each other.”

It was like that time on the mountain, where they were both so sharp with their words, making it very tense.

Sometimes, Lin Heng really didn’t understand what was going on in Louise’s mind.

Shang Xinglu was looking at the stars in the yard.

But due to the severe air pollution and light pollution in the city, it was nearly impossible to see anything with the naked eye.

Hearing Lin Heng’s question, she mysteriously pointed upward.

“Because I looked at the stars tonight, did some calculations, and I say they’re destined for each other. Do you believe it?”

Forget about reading the stars; just the phrase “destiny” alone was something Lin Heng, the surrealist, didn’t believe in.

He snorted and flicked Shang Xinglu on the forehead.

“Superstitious.”

Shang Xinglu covered her head and pouted, “You flicked my forehead, and in the end, you’ll still come and blow my ear. Why bother?”

Lin Heng was speechless.

Shang Xinglu continued, “There are always things that science can’t explain. If you don’t believe it, then fine.”

Lin Heng couldn’t help but ask, “Then what about us? What’s our fate?”

Shang Xinglu stopped looking at the stars.

She said, “Oh, that doesn’t need to be calculated.”

Lin Heng raised an eyebrow, a question mark on his face.

Shang Xinglu replied, “We’re destined to get a divorce, and we’ve already been divorced. Hahahahahaha!”

Lin Heng: “……..”

One day, Louise was probably going to be the death of him.

Ye Songtao had already been publicly humiliated at the golf course, and it wasn’t over.

After returning to the company, he found out that the plot of land had still been rented to Bichen, which made him even more displeased.

It didn’t end there; during the morning meeting, his aunt, Luo Ruihua, subtly criticized him for mixing personal feelings into his decisions and not prioritizing the company’s interests. She singled out the land issue as a topic.

Ye Songtao couldn’t refute her because he had indeed made that decision to suppress Bichen.

Although he sat in the position of executive CEO, the company’s internal factional struggles never ceased. Now that this matter had come to light, it would probably be brought up again and again in the future.

Ye Songtao felt a heavy weight on his chest, not knowing how to move forward—it was frustrating.

It didn’t stop there.

Two solid cooperative development projects, which had been nearing the signing stage, suddenly had the other party change their minds and say they needed to reconsider.

At such a critical point, saying “we need to reconsider” sent a very bad signal to Kaihua International. They might as well have directly said they weren’t signing.

Because all the matters that needed reconsideration had already been thoroughly discussed during the negotiations.

Ye Songtao found out that one of the deals had been stopped by Lin Heng, and the other by Shen Wang.

Compared to the petty internal struggles in the company, these were real losses.

He still didn’t know how Luo Ruihua was going to make a big deal out of this!

Before, Ye Songtao had thought Yin Yao was ungrateful, and he had looked down on her a little.

But now, with Lin Heng, he couldn’t provoke him; with Shen Wang, he didn’t dare.

He was clearly angry, but this debt was squarely on Yin Yao’s head.

At this point, Ye Songtao couldn’t do anything without being watched. He didn’t dare make a move and could only bear it in silence, keeping a low profile for a while.

Shang Xinglu heard about the development project being halted and asked Lin Heng, “Will this affect your company in any way?”

Lin Heng replied, “Not at all. Everything will proceed as planned. If the project were to be completely terminated, all the preliminary work and human resources would go to waste.”

“I stopped it just to warn him—not to mess with the wrong person.”

As he spoke, Lin Heng looked up from his book, and the sharp glint in his eyes behind his glasses was strikingly intense.

Shang Xinglu: Whoa.

President Lin, that was A-tier dominance.

Meanwhile, Yin Yao continued with her own plans.

Shen Wang had an upcoming banquet where bringing a female companion was optional. After some thought, he decided to invite Yin Yao.

Like a gentleman, he even went to her house to pick her up.

When the two appeared arm-in-arm at the event, the social circle wasn’t exactly shocked, but it certainly stirred up quite a bit of gossip.

For example, Shang Xinglu’s group of girlfriends started blowing up their chat group:

“Holy crap, Shen Wang and Yin Yao are really together?!”

“No way! I knew Yin Yao had ulterior motives. Does this mean poor Lulu got played?”

Shang Xinglu righteously replied, “Shen Wang and I broke up ages ago. He can be with whoever he wants—why shouldn’t it be Yin Yao?”

Some of them hesitated. “But… historical grudges…”

“Yeah, we’re just surprised, that’s all.”

Shi Rui and the others read the conversation in silence, thinking to themselves: How is Yin Yao not a little homewrecker? Shen Wang is nothing—she stole Louise’s man, didn’t she?!

Fuming.

Yin Yao, meanwhile, was struggling with her high heels. They were thin, uncomfortable, and had already given her a blister on her heel. After a while, the blister broke, and the raw skin stung with every step.

But every woman who wears heels has been through this. Other than putting on a band-aid, the only option is to endure it.

After making her rounds greeting people, Yin Yao was planning to slip away to the restroom to take care of her heel.

To her surprise, Shen Wang led her to a quiet corner, pulled out a chair, and gestured for her to sit.

As soon as she sat down, she winced in pain but quickly masked it.

Shen Wang stood in front of her, blocking her from view. “Did your heel get scraped? Take care of it now.”

Then, he added with a scoff, “You women are such a hassle.”

Yin Yao was already immune to his remarks.

She pulled an alcohol wipe and a band-aid from her handbag. “You sound like you have experience.”

Shen Wang said, “Louise used to always ask me to carry her when her heels hurt. She was so damn heavy, like a pig.”

Yin Yao teased, “Louise is so light, and you still called her a pig? Second Young Master Shen, I think you need to hit the gym.”

Shen Wang: “……”

In no time, Yin Yao stood up again. “Let’s go.”

“That was fast.”

“Of course. Since Second Young Master Shen is being so considerate, I should cooperate.”

Then, she suddenly changed the subject, joking, “Aren’t you afraid I might take this act too seriously?”

Shen Wang snorted. “If something this minor could make you actually fall for me, then your feelings must be pretty cheap.”

Yin Yao wasn’t offended. “Feelings aren’t about being cheap or expensive—they’re just about whether or not your heart is moved.”

Shen Wang: “!”

His heart clenched for a moment.

Then Yin Yao burst out laughing. “I’m just messing with you.”

Shen Wang: “…………”

Unbeknownst to them, a waiter overheard their conversation.

That waiter then relayed everything to Ye Songtao.

Ye Songtao had always found their relationship strange.

But as their act continued—sending flowers, having meals, attending public events—he was beginning to believe it himself.

Still, he wasn’t entirely convinced.

When he saw them walk off to a secluded spot, he got suspicious and paid a waiter to eavesdrop.

…And sure enough, their relationship was fake!

Although he didn’t understand why Shen Wang was willing to play along, Ye Songtao had originally planned to wait for their “breakup” before making his move. Now, he realized he didn’t need to wait at all.

From afar, Ye Songtao watched Yin Yao and sneered.

The next day, Yin Yao received a call from Ye Songtao.

Since their last unpleasant encounter at the restaurant, he hadn’t contacted her at all.

Yin Yao had assumed this little act of hers wouldn’t have to go on much longer.

But now, Ye Songtao was calling.

She answered calmly.

To her surprise, Ye Songtao was calling to apologize.

He said, “Miss Yin, I was in the wrong that day at the restaurant. I’ve regretted it ever since and wanted to apologize to you in person.”

His tone was sincere—so convincing it almost sounded real.

But she knew he hadn’t regretted a thing. If anything, he’d doubled down and spread even more rumors.

Yin Yao simply replied, “It was nothing, and it’s in the past. No need to dwell on it.”

Ye Songtao said, “That won’t do. If I don’t at least make it up to you in some way, I won’t feel at ease. How about this—if you’re free tomorrow night, let’s have dinner together?”

Yin Yao: “That really isn’t necessary.”

Ye Songtao countered, “Then I’ll have to come to Bichen to apologize in person.”

Having him cause a scene at her company was the last thing Yin Yao wanted, so dinner was the lesser evil.

Still, she wasn’t about to let him off easy.

She said firmly, “Mr. Ye, an apology shouldn’t come at the cost of making things harder for me. If you’re sincerely apologizing, I sincerely accept. But whether I forgive you—that’s another matter entirely.”

With a response like that, Ye Songtao had no choice but to let it go.

But after hanging up, his resentment toward Yin Yao only deepened.

A week later, Yin Yao attended a gathering with friends at a summer retreat on the outskirts of the city.

When she arrived, to her surprise—Ye Songtao was there.

Ye Songtao greeted her casually, as if nothing had happened. “Miss Yin, what a coincidence.”

Yin Yao: “……”

After rejecting him twice and with so much history between them, Ye Songtao was acting way too magnanimous.

Yin Yao suddenly had a feeling—this was no coincidence.