Chapter 61
“Where are you going?”
“I urgently need the restroom.”
“Lin Qingyue came to find you; why are you avoiding her?”
“She’s not here for me; I’ve always understood that she’ll never like me. She’s only afraid of my family, and the closer she gets to me, the more disgusted I feel. I’ve been so proactive, yet I can’t touch her heart.”
Anna froze on the spot, thinking, “Damn, your logic is a loop.”
Incredible. Truly impressive. No wonder you’re able to steer the plot so smoothly.
Anna glanced over at Jin Lan, thought for a moment, and then approached her.
“Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Anna.”
“Jin Lan.”
“I’ve heard you’re very intelligent. I have a question to ask you.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“If I don’t want to marry someone, what should I do?”
Before Jin Lan could answer, Ye Aotian sat down.
See? Isn’t this the answer?
Chen Fan was now resolute in not interacting with the female leads. Damn it, as a villain, how could I engage with the female leads in a public setting? I need to have some self-awareness.
With Ye Aotian’s arrival, Chen Fan found his excuse to leave.
“How unpleasant. Even the air stinks.”
“Haha, with you gone, the air does feel fresher.”
Neither of them backed down.
Then, after sitting down, Ye Aotian asked, “Princess Anna, I wonder if there’s some misunderstanding between us. If I’ve offended you in any way, I apologize.”
Truly a protagonist—to win a girl over, he even apologizes to a woman.
Anna responded, “It’s nothing to do with you. We’re not familiar with each other. For unfamiliar people, I’m always like this. If you can’t handle it, you’re welcome to leave.”
She shut him down once again.
Clearly, although Anna didn’t know where her future lay or what choices to make, she understood one thing—she did not like Ye Aotian. All the plot stemmed from Ye Aotian. As long as she avoided interacting with him, everything would flow naturally.
Ye Aotian raised his glass for a toast.
Anna took a sip since Ye Aotian was, after all, one of the rescuers and deserved proper hospitality.
Meanwhile, Chen Fan watched the scene intently. Are you two going to have any story development or not?
Chen Fan felt a bit anxious.
He worried that the early appearance of these women might impact the plot’s progression, altering their original character arcs.
After some thought, Chen Fan called his father.
“Dad, can you get in touch with the Grand Duke?”
“Yes, I can. What’s your plan? Why do you want to contact the Grand Duke?”
“With Anna’s arrival, I think this woman could be useful. If I create a scandal involving Ye Aotian and Anna, I believe the Grand Duke would be happy to take care of him.”
Chen Tianqiang paused, then praised, “You’re improving. I’m pleased—you’ve even learned to use a ‘borrowed knife to kill’ strategy. Excellent, excellent.”
“Well, I learned from you, Father.”
“Spare me the flattery. What’s your plan?”
Chen Fan thought for a moment and replied, “I think just a picture of them talking would be enough. Since rumors rely on the thoughts of those who hear them.”
This time, Chen Tianqiang wasn’t just surprised; he was astonished. His son was this sharp now?
This tactic was one Chen Tianqiang had once used himself. Back when he was competing for a position, he had spread rumors that his competitor was involved with a woman in the office. Though the rumor was false, it didn’t matter. Even when the truth came out, his competitor lost the position.
Who knew his son could comprehend this level of strategy?
“Send me the photo, and I’ll forward it.”
Chen Fan casually snapped a picture, which Chen Tianqiang then sent over.
Soon, overseas, a man about to go to bed was startled when his phone rang. This was his private number, and few familiar people would call him so late.
Seeing that it was the Chen family, his irritation lessened; after all, the Chen family in China was well-known. The photo and the message prompted Ross to get up.
The photo was simple, showing Ye Aotian initiating a conversation with Anna. There was nothing else, but with this photo, paired with the rumor, Ross felt a bit uneasy.
“Thank you for informing me; I’ll handle it personally.”
Ross was confident; he firmly believed that if the Chen family had made contact first, they wouldn’t touch Anna.
But what about others?
Ross picked up his computer and sent a message to No. 7.
“Can I see a live video of the scene?”
“It’s about Anna, isn’t it? If others knew the Grand Duke was such a romantic, imagine how many young women would be heartbroken.”
“No. 7, you seem very gossipy lately.”
No. 7 chuckled, sending over the video.
The live footage was simple—everyone was chatting and enjoying themselves.
Jin Lan and Anna’s interaction was normal, especially considering Jin Lan’s status as a leading figure; interacting with Anna was expected. But besides Anna, the only other person approaching her was Ye Aotian.
No one else had tried. It was clear that everyone understood her engagement to him.
Except for one, named Ye Aotian, who initiated the approach.
“I want to know Ye Aotian’s identity—who is he?”
“Dragon King—this information will cost a million dollars.”
“Fair enough. So, it’s him. That explains it. I had no idea he’d come to China.”
No. 7 added, “Want more info? I have something better.”
“Go ahead.”
“It’s simple—Ye Aotian has interacted with many beautiful women so far, but almost all of them have caught his interest. Typical of his style—known for his prowess in both combat and flirtation.”
“Well, I understand now. I’ll wait and see. If he crosses the line, I still don’t consider him a threat.”
After a pause, the Grand Duke asked, “By the way, what kind of person is Chen Fan? How much for this information?”
“There are two versions—the fake version is free; the real one comes with a fee.”
“You think I, Ross, am short on money?”
No. 7 typed back, “To the public, Chen Fan is a good-for-nothing heir, entirely reliant on his family, pining over his goddess Lin Qingyue, who doesn’t even like him and has even gone out with Ye Aotian, only for Chen Fan to stumble upon them.”
“And the real version?”
“The real version is the same. However, Chen Fan is not the spoiled second-generation heir people think. Since meeting Anna, he has kept his distance, understanding Anna’s personality well. You know Anna likes to toy with people.”
The Grand Duke replied, “I don’t believe it. My Anna is a true goddess—no man could resist her flirtations.”