Meanwhile, on the other side of the banquet hall.
Li Yanran walked up to a woman and pointed toward Lin Xiu, who was currently chatting with Liu Yun, and spoke coldly.
“What do you think? Once this is over, you’ll not only receive a massive payout, but you might even be set for life.”
Hearing this, the woman was clearly tempted, but she still had lingering concerns.
“But… what if the Lin family seeks revenge on me afterward?”
A flash of coldness flickered in Li Yanran’s eyes upon hearing those words, but her expression remained calm.
“Don’t worry. With my Li family protecting you, even if the Lin family is truly that heartless, my family can still ensure your safety.”
Of course, there would be no need for that once the deed was done. Since Li Yanran wanted to utterly ruin Lin Xiu’s reputation, she would naturally choose to eliminate any witnesses to leave no trace behind.
Having heard this, the woman’s worries finally vanished. She nodded and said, “Alright. Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll do it.”
A smile finally appeared on Li Yanran’s face.
“Smart. This is a golden opportunity for a crow to turn into a phoenix. Just follow the plan when the time comes.”
***
On the other side, Liu Yun had been talking to those so-called “successful elites” for so long that her throat felt parched.
She turned her head and saw that Lin Xiu was in a similar predicament. Seeing this, she finally felt a sense of balance in her heart.
After all, his status as the heir to the Lin family was right there. Even if many people knew Lin Xiu was just a decorative playboy, they still had to suck up to him.
However, Liu Yun felt she had every reason not to be there. At the end of the day, she was just a secretary. Next time there was a cocktail party like this, she would definitely refuse…
Just as Liu Yun was thinking this, a waiter approached carrying a tray of wine.
Seeing this, Liu Yun took a glass of red wine and took two small sips.
Lin Xiu leaned in at that moment and said to the waiter, “Give me one too, thank you.”
The waiter’s eyes darkened for a split second before he respectfully replied, “Certainly, sir.”
Saying that, he quickly handed a glass of dark red wine to Lin Xiu. Lin Xiu originally intended to drain it in one gulp.
But seeing the cute way the little woman beside him was sipping from her glass, a wicked idea suddenly popped into his head.
The youth reached out and tapped Liu Yun on the shoulder opposite to where he was standing. Liu Yun instinctively turned her head to look.
Taking advantage of that split-second opening, Lin Xiu’s hands were quick as lightning as he snatched the wine from Liu Yun’s hand and shoved his own glass into hers.
Liu Yun froze for a moment before saying with some annoyance, “What are you doing? There are so many people here…”
Lin Xiu raised an eyebrow, took a sip of the wine he had just taken from her, and said, “Mmm, this glass of wine really does taste better. Secretary Yun, based on what you said, does that mean I can do this when no one is around?”
Liu Yun was so angered by the youth’s shameless words that she glared at him before saying helplessly, “Give me back my wine.”
Lin Xiu raised his arm and said leisurely, “I’ve already drunk from this glass. Are you sure you still want it, Secretary Yun? Don’t worry, I haven’t touched the one in your hand yet.”
Hearing him say that, Liu Yun glanced at the wine in her hand. Ultimately, she didn’t try to snatch her original glass back, only giving him a white-eyed look.
“Young Master Lin, there are a lot of people watching right now. If you don’t want to be mistaken for being gay, you’d better stop acting out.”
Fortunately, the youth’s mischief hadn’t attracted much attention. Otherwise, Liu Yun would have truly suffered a social death. Even if he didn’t care about his dignity, she still cared about hers.
Hearing Liu Yun say that, Lin Xiu thought for a moment before snapping his fingers.
“That’s simple. If we’re misunderstood, I’ll just reveal your identity as a woman and then propose to you in front of everyone. Thinking about it, that sounds pretty romantic.”
Liu Yun was so exasperated she nearly threw the wine at him.
“Romantic my foot! Can you be any more shameless?”
Lin Xiu chuckled, then patted her fragrant shoulder.
“Relax. Generally speaking, I wouldn’t do that. Because I know that if I proposed like that, Secretary Yun definitely wouldn’t agree. So…”
The youth paused for a moment before continuing.
“I’d at least have to prepare a diamond ring first.”
Liu Yun was now completely exhausted by him. She decided she didn’t want to talk nonsense with this guy anymore. She drained the glass of wine in one go and walked away in another direction.
However, while others hadn’t noticed this little interlude between the two, someone with ill intentions certainly had.
Li Yanran watched Liu Yun’s departing back, her gaze incredibly complex.
The little starlet beside her, who wanted to become a phoenix, said in shock, “Just now, Young Master Lin and that man…”
Li Yanran snapped back to her senses and couldn’t help but clench her fists, her expression turning quite ugly.
“Damn it, I didn’t expect such a perfect plan to be ruined like this! However…”
At this point, she glanced at Lin Xiu and Liu Yun, and another wicked idea formed. She immediately picked up her phone and made a call.
“Hello, keep an eye on two people for me…”
As the little starlet listened to Li Yanran’s instructions, she couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.
“Miss Li, what do we do next?”
Li Yanran glanced at her and said coldly, “What do you mean ‘what do we do’? I’ll still give you the money, but as for today’s events…”
The little starlet immediately beamed with joy and said hurriedly, “Don’t worry, Miss Li. I don’t know anything, and I didn’t see a thing.”
Li Yanran nodded with satisfaction and waved her hand to dismiss her…
***
After three rounds of drinks, the music in the banquet hall flowed, and the atmosphere of the party had reached its peak.
Liu Yun had originally intended to find Lin Xiu so they could leave early, but after scanning the room, she couldn’t find the youth anywhere.
Right then, she suddenly felt her throat go dry, and a wave of heat washed over her.
At first, Liu Yun didn’t think much of it, but the burning sensation grew more intense, forcing her to change direction and head toward the restrooms…
Halfway there, Liu Yun tugged at the tie around her collar, instantly revealing her collarbones and fair skin dusted with a light sheen of sweat…
What Liu Yun hadn’t expected was that in her dazed state, she suddenly bumped into someone passing by.
Liu Yun instinctively wanted to apologize, but she ended up being caught in the other person’s arms. She was so startled she thought she had run into a pervert.
“Mmph… you, let go of me…”
Just then, a familiar voice reached her ears.
“Sister Yun, what’s wrong with you?”
Liu Yun froze. She looked up at the face of the person in front of her, and it took a good moment for it to register.
“Lin Xiu?”
Lin Xiu frowned as he looked at Liu Yun, whose face was flushed a clearly abnormal red.
However, once Liu Yun realized who it was, she began to struggle even more fiercely, leaving Lin Xiu completely bewildered.
“You… don’t come any closer…”
Having survived in this circle for so many years, Liu Yun now realized there was something wrong with the wine she just drank!
But it was too late for regrets. Therefore, she absolutely could not get close to this dangerous guy in front of her!
***
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