At this moment, Lu Linwei had already walked in.
He stood before Shen Ying, his expression icy as he said, "Didn’t I tell you not to entertain him?"
Before Shen Ying could respond, Gao Yingli spoke first: "Mr. Lu, barging into someone else’s dining table isn’t appropriate, is it?"
"Miss Shen and I still have unfinished business. If you need her, could you wait outside?"
Lu Linwei didn’t even spare him a glance. Seeing Shen Ying’s surprised expression—as if she hadn’t expected him to be here—he assumed she was guilty.
A cold smirk curled on his lips as he demanded, "You claimed you couldn’t remember my number, yet the very next day, you couldn’t wait to call *him*?"
Gao Yingli, catching the misunderstanding in Lu Linwei’s words, felt a surge of satisfaction.
Far from clarifying, he deliberately misled: "That’s my honor."
"Though perhaps my number is just easier to remember? Mr. Lu, you can’t blame Miss Shen for favoring one over the other."
"I’ve always said your private number is too complicated. You used to scoff at that—now you can’t fault Miss Shen for her poor memory."
Lu Linwei barely restrained himself from lashing out at Gao Yingli; the urge to kill the man simmered beneath his skin.
Suppressing his fury, he said to Shen Ying, "Come with me."
Gao Yingli rose to his feet. "As I said, Miss Shen and I still have matters to discuss."
Lu Linwei’s glare was sharp enough to carve flesh. "What matters?"
"Topics concerning a woman’s *future*."
House. Home. Future. No ambiguity there.
Lu Linwei shot Shen Ying a disbelieving look. She merely shrugged, indifferent.
Classic angst novel trope—the male lead trusts everyone’s words except the female lead’s.
Without misunderstandings, where’s the suffering?
Something inside Lu Linwei snapped. Instead of exploding, he grew eerily calm, the fire in his eyes replaced by a chilling depth.
A woman with stronger survival instincts might have bolted for the door by now. Even Gao Yingli sensed the dangerous shift in Lu Linwei’s demeanor.
But Shen Ying acted oblivious.
*Is she truly this stupid?* Yet her earlier words—
Gao Yingli’s thoughts trailed off as Lu Linwei cut in with a mocking tone: "Since when do you discuss such topics with women?"
"Should I gift you a set of lipsticks? Would make touch-ups easier during your little tea parties."
Gao Yingli’s expression darkened. His delicate, androgynous beauty was his greatest sore spot.
Those who mocked him usually ended up six feet under. Yet Lu Linwei, the worst offender, remained unscathed.
Still, the man’s rage was deeply satisfying. Gao Yingli let the insult slide with a smirk.
"Seems you’re eager to join us. But sorry—this is a conversation for two."
"No room for a *third wheel*."
Lu Linwei smirked back, slow and loaded. "You’ve tolerated one before."
Gao Yingli’s stepmother was rumored to have been the other woman.
Ignoring Gao Yingli’s sudden stormy expression, Lu Linwei looked down at Shen Ying. "Get up."
Shen Ying refused. "I haven’t finished eating."
Lu Linwei’s disbelief deepened. "*You still have an appetite?*"
Even Gao Yingli was mildly impressed.
The two men were leaders of rival factions. Though their families had feuded for decades, their paths crossed often.
Whenever they clashed, those around them treaded on eggshells, afraid to even breathe too loudly.
Who’d dare think about *food* in their presence?
Yet Shen Ying picked up a crisp cucumber stick, watching them idly before taking a bite.
"Why wouldn’t I? Back home, banquets always had old ladies brawling over dishes."
"You two are nowhere near that level. Relax, I’m great at dodging fights while holding a bowl."
Lu Linwei: "..."
Gao Yingli: "..."
She even took the chance to flag down a waitress, asking the silent qipao-clad beauty, "Could you check on the food? Sitting here alone is awkward."
*Doesn’t look awkward at all*, the waitress thought but gratefully slipped out.
Shen Ying made one last attempt to stay for the meal.
Lu Linwei didn’t give her the chance. He hauled her up, dragging her away without resistance.
Regret plain on her face, Shen Ying called over his shoulder to Gao Yingli: "You owe me a meal!"
Gao Yingli smiled as she disappeared. "Anytime."
Only when they were gone did his grin turn calculating.
After a moment, he spoke. "What did Lu Linwei’s lackeys say last night?"
Lu Linwei’s inner circle was tight-lipped, but his underlings were easier to crack. Minor details weren’t hard to uncover.
The anomalies Gao Yingli sensed in Shen Ying hinted at major oversights in his intel.
Now, confirmation.
"At first, we thought the woman with Old Lu was his."
"Turns out it’s one-sided—she barely acknowledged him while doing her own thing."
"Old Lu strutted like a peacock, all but spelling out *‘with me, you’ll want for nothing.’*"
"Yet he’d snap about her *‘not qualifying.’*"
"No idea what that’s about."
Gao Yingli seized the keyword—*qualification*.
From what he knew, Lu Linwei had been busy purging traitors since his return.
Yesterday was his first reunion with the woman who’d saved him.
Given the man’s transparent possessiveness, it made no sense to declare her *‘unqualified’* on day one.
Unless he genuinely felt *betrayed*.
How?
*"I got paid."*
The woman’s blunt answer surfaced.
Gao Yingli laughed, delighted—
So she wanted Lu Linwei’s wealth *and* refused to play along, greedily taking all.
Yet Lu Linwei still pined.
And yet, given his pride, they’d be stuck in this dance for ages.
Impatient, the woman used *him* to provoke a reaction.
*I’ve been played*, Gao Yingli mused, sipping water.
Softly, he corrected: "*You* owe *me* a meal."
While Gao Yingli tallied scores, the mood elsewhere was far grimmer.
The black sedan left downtown, winding into unfamiliar roads.
Shen Ying spoke up: "This isn’t the way to my place."
Only then did Lu Linwei break his silence. "Why him?"
"I didn’t seek him out. *He* came to me, bought my building on the spot, became my landlord, and threatened to raise rent."
Lu Linwei choked. His accusations dissolved midair.
But he was still angry: "So you just left with him like that? You couldn’t call me?"
"Why should I call you? Aren’t we past that point? You told me yourself to remember your number but never to call you."
Lu Linwei never expected the words he’d spoken the night before would come back to bite him so soon.
He had been the one insisting on drawing boundaries, yet he couldn’t stand Shen Ying treating their relationship so coldly.
He made an excuse: "If it were anyone else, it wouldn’t matter. But Gao Yingli is different."
"Do you even know why he sought you out?"
"Of course." Shen Ying replied nonchalantly, "He thinks I’m your girlfriend."
Her bluntness left Lu Linwei speechless.
Then she continued, "Mr. Gao clearly holds a strong grudge against you. His whole joy comes from making you miserable."
"Isn’t that written all over his face? It’s obvious. Didn’t I already say that yesterday?"
Ah, right—but back then, his attention had been fixated on that single word: "adorable."
Lu Linwei hadn’t expected Shen Ying to see through Gao Yingli’s motives after just one meeting.
That only made him angrier: "You knew, and you still went with him?"
Shen Ying had an even better defense: "Isn’t that perfect? He had ill intentions, so I took the chance to scam a free meal. And when he comes gloating to you, you can drop the truth about our real relationship and humiliate him."
"This benefits you too, so why couldn’t you at least wait until after I finished eating?"
Lu Linwei scoffed. "You’re playing with fire. Do you really think Gao Yingli is someone you can fool?"
"Don’t expect another man to forgive you like I do. Gao Yingli doesn’t go easy on women."
"No way, really?" Shen Ying hesitated, a flicker of doubt crossing her face. "It’s just a meal. He came looking for trouble himself. Surely he’s not petty enough to hold a grudge over that?"
Talking about "petty" with them? A joke.
Lu Linwei noticed the faint trace of fear in her expression and was about to warn her further about Gao Yingli’s ruthlessness—
when, in the next second, that look vanished. Only then did he realize how forced and exaggerated her earlier fear had been.
Now, an unfamiliar glint flashed in Shen Ying’s eyes.
She said, "If he really doesn’t hold back… well, I’ll just have to deal with it."
It sounded like resignation, but Lu Linwei’s instincts told him otherwise.
Yet he had no evidence, so he brushed the thought aside.
As they spoke, the car pulled into a breathtakingly luxurious estate.
The original novel had spent pages describing the opulence of this gilded cage, but no words could truly capture its grandeur.
"Where is this?" Shen Ying asked.
"My home." Lu Linwei opened the door for her, his expression uncharacteristically pleasant. "You missed your meal, didn’t you?"
"My chefs are just as skilled. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied."
Shen Ying feigned surprise. "You’re being so nice today? No more lectures before bribing me with lunch?"
Lu Linwei’s smile didn’t waver. "Those words are pointless. You wouldn’t listen anyway."
"Come. Try the food. It might make you never want to leave."
And even if she did want to—she wouldn’t have a choice.
Lu Linwei had made up his mind. As reckless, greedy, and foolish as she was, she still stirred something in him.
Rather than leaving her out there for Gao Yingli to manipulate, or letting her stumble into trouble, he’d keep her close.
After all, she had saved his life. He wouldn’t allow anyone to use her against him.
So when, after lunch, Shen Ying announced she was leaving, Lu Linwei said, "No rush. Dinner’s already being prepared."
"It’d be a shame to waste the chefs’ efforts."
But after dinner, when Shen Ying again insisted on going home, Lu Linwei countered, "The driver’s off duty. We’ll arrange it tomorrow."
Shen Ying, having indulged all day, was in high spirits.
She smirked at him. "Can’t you drive?"
Lu Linwei: "I’m tired today."
"Then lend me a car?"
"All the cars are broken."
"I saw at least a hundred in your garage earlier. All of them?"
"Every last one."
"I don’t believe you."
Lu Linwei gestured to someone behind him. "Go smash all the cars."
Then he turned back to Shen Ying with a smile. "Now they’re broken."
Seeing he’d dropped all pretense, Shen Ying got straight to the point. "What’s this about? I’m your savior, remember?"
"Which is why I’d like to host you for a while—to repay that debt."
Shen Ying shook her head. "Luxury is nice, but life goes on."
"I have work tomorrow."
Lu Linwei cut through her lie effortlessly. "From what I know, you’ve been doing nothing since the day you picked me up."
"Exactly. My savings won’t last forever. I need a job."
"There are plenty of jobs here. Take your pick."
He said it just to shut her up, assuming she’d be desperate to leave. He wouldn’t give her the chance.
Yet to his surprise, Shen Ying brightened and nodded eagerly. "Deal!"
