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When Jin Zhao arrived at the restaurant, she realized she was early—the drama hadn’t started yet. So she decided to take a private room to eat.
“This must be how the leads in novels live—entwined until the middle of the night and not getting up until noon,” Jin Zhao complained to Suisui. “It’s all Wei Ting’s fault, dragging me out so early in the morning. Just looking at him makes me want to give up.”
“But according to the novel, Wei Ting is way more powerful in business than Lu Sichen. So wouldn’t he be just as impressive in bed… Could you help me find out how impressive?” Jin Zhao teased.
Suisui whispered back, “Not suitable for kids. Don’t tell me!”
From downstairs, the lobby suddenly grew noisy. Jin Zhao stepped out of her room.
As expected, the showdown was underway. Su Yi was caught in the middle, clearly uncomfortable, while Lu Sichen wore that typical domineering CEO expression.
“Su Yi, how dare you flirt with another man right under my nose!”
Jin Zhao felt a headache coming on. “Suisui, I’m following the story in a different way than before. That’s okay, right?”
“As long as you don’t break up the leads, you have complete freedom. Suisui won’t interfere much in the host’s life.”
Jin Zhao had just taken a few steps forward when the gazes of the others automatically fixed on her.
“What are you doing here?” Lu Sichen’s eyes flickered slightly as he took in Jin Zhao’s outfit today. How had he ever thought this woman looked as ugly as a ghost?
Now, it seemed…
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m here to cause trouble,” Jin Zhao replied with some disbelief.
Was this the bond between the male lead and the female rival? Wei Ting didn’t even recognize her, thinking she must have had plastic surgery.
“Sichen, I know I’m not worthy of you.” Seeing how close Jin Zhao was to not being recognized, Su Yi—who hadn’t seen a normal Jin Zhao since arriving in this world—spoke up.
“Only Miss Jin matches your status,” Su Yi said through tears, already collapsing into Lu Sichen’s arms.
The hesitation in Lu Sichen’s eyes vanished instantly, his gaze sharpening toward the woman in the red dress before him. “Aren’t you going to get lost already?”
Jin Zhao remembered there was supposed to be a scene with wine being splashed in the original story. She had come today hoping to enjoy that moment, but Su Yi had gone and ruined it.
“I’m the one who should leave?” Jin Zhao saw the waiter just bringing over a glass of red wine. Clearly, this part of the plot was prepared for her. She lifted the glass and aimed it at the two in front of her.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Lu Sichen stepped in front of Su Yi.
“Of course—” Jin Zhao poured the crimson wine over Lu Sichen, “bullying people.”
“You think that’ll get my attention? Impossible!”
Jin Zhao looked at the man suddenly furious, and at Su Yi standing behind him looking stunned. “If you say we’re well-matched families again, next time I’ll splash wine on you. You’d better get clear on the difference between aristocrats and little bourgeoisie.”
She lifted the glass again to scare Su Yi, who actually started to sob.
Sharing hardships together—well, that counted as bonding, too.
Lu Sichen showed no hint of embarrassment over his lowered status. Instead, he challenged Jin Zhao, “So you know you’re obsessed with me. Saying it’s about family background—do you expect me to marry into your family? Absolutely impossible!”
Jin Zhao felt like she had been slandered.
“Why don’t you enter the palace first? I think being a eunuch would suit you well.”
Just as she finished speaking, a low laugh echoed from upstairs. Jin Zhao looked up and saw a man leaning on the railing, his face wearing a look of carefree mockery.
“Who are you? Did you pay to watch the show?” Jin Zhao asked bluntly.
Her life principle was simple: one slap for a woman, two slaps for a man, and the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms for anyone she hated.
“You don’t know me? I’m Gu Jue.”
Jin Zhao shook her head decisively. “Who? Never heard of you.”
“You must know this one, right?” Gu Jue shook the car keys in his hand a few times. The reflected light sparkled and dazzled.
Jin Zhao recognized the limited-edition Rolls-Royce Phantom she had ridden this morning in just 0.00001 seconds—only ten of these exist worldwide. She immediately lifted her skirt and headed upstairs.
“My dream car!”
“If you’d shown it earlier, I’d have recognized it,”
Upstairs in the private room, Gu Jue was chatting with the man in the main seat while Jin Zhao hadn’t come up yet.
“Third Brother, didn’t you say your wife—no, Miss Jin—liked that Lu Sichen? So why did she splash wine on him?”
Beside him, Cheng Wang, looking gloomy, played with a lighter in his hand as if watching a fool.
“Have you never had your secretary or subordinate spill coffee on you? Who’s gone through ten pairs of pants this month?”
“Getting attention? That’s so childish.” Gu Jue had just finished speaking when Jin Zhao appeared at the door of the room, pushing it open to peek inside.
“Childish?” she asked curiously. “Who has a secret child? It can’t be my husband!”
She definitely didn’t want to share any inheritance!
The three in the room instantly fell silent.
Wei Ting looked up. “So this is what you meant by having something to do outside today?”
Jin Zhao sensibly sat down beside him. “I came out to eat. Someone was so cold and ruthless, making me get up early to do my makeup and change clothes, then go to the company myself. So, I could only have the Valentine’s Day set meal alone—two servings, by the way.”
“I even opened a bottle of very fine vintage red wine. Want to smell it?” Jin Zhao leaned closer to him.
“Just eating?” Wei Ting ordered someone to keep an eye on her. Sure enough, she obediently stayed in the restaurant all morning, which was puzzling.
All tests confirmed she was indeed Jin Zhao, but her body was clearly not that of the previous fool. He hadn’t heard of any technology that advanced.
His curiosity grew. Whether she was truly Jin Zhao or not, she couldn’t be eliminated so easily now.
“I also bullied someone a little…” Jin Zhao admitted sheepishly. “Husband, don’t worry, I guarantee I didn’t cheat on you!”
She glanced at the other two in the room. “How come you’re eating here too? Isn’t this private room reserved for couples today?”
Could this really be allowed?
“Is this your good friend?” Jin Zhao looked toward the two.
Her gaze met Gu Jue’s raised eyebrows as he studied her.
O.o
So this is the infamous Wei Ting—the friend who kills without batting an eye? What kind of fool just wandered out?
“Talk too much?” A cold voice suddenly came from the shadows. Jin Zhao’s eyes were dazzled by the glint of the dining knife in the man’s hand.
The man’s voice was icy, lacking Wei Ting’s calm steadiness. When Jin Zhao met his gaze, it was like a venomous snake staring down its prey; the knife in his hand was stained with steak blood.
Startled, she shrank back against the person beside her.
“Sorry, I’ll shut up immediately.” Jin Zhao turned into a scared little kitten. This had to be Wei Ting’s assassin from the underworld, sent to eliminate his enemies.
Wei Ting lowered his eyes and saw her clutching his shirt tightly, the fabric wrinkled where her fingers dug in. He frowned slightly.
But when he saw the genuinely frightened look in her eyes, he found it amusing. Who was this spy who didn’t even know his close friends but showed up here to do business?
Wei Ting shifted his gaze away.
“Just met him,” he leaned forward. “This is Cheng Wang. He doesn’t like noisy people.”
“Sorry.” Jin Zhao nodded cautiously to Cheng Wang, then immediately ducked back to Wei Ting’s side.
Compared to Wei Ting choking her yesterday, this man was even scarier—making Wei Ting seem almost gentle.
She poked the arm beside her.
“Didn’t I say don’t touch me?” Wei Ting gave her a cold look. “Did you wash your hand after spilling the wine just now?”
“I don’t know anyone else but you. I can’t exactly hide behind others.” Jin Zhao piteously pointed at his shirt. “Besides, there’s a shirt in between, right? Can I go back now?”
If she stayed any longer, Cheng Wang would scare her to death. The only way to keep quiet was if she suddenly turned mute.
“I’ll send someone to take you home.” Wei Ting said, his purpose in calling her up already fulfilled.
Jin Zhao pointed at his car keys. “I can drive myself back. You gave me the keys to call me up—I thought you meant to give me the car.”
She stared at Wei Ting expectantly. “Husband, that’s what you meant, right?”
Wei Ting hadn’t wanted to respond, but somehow the way she looked at the car keys was more like how one looks at their husband.
Her gaze was like looking at— a bank.