"Brother Li, I've realized that I don't like Lin Xuan anymore. It's you I like. I don't want to have anything to do with Lin Xuan now," Qin Ruoyao said in a sweet, coquettish tone.
"Brother Li, I only want to be your woman from now on."
Lin Li's expression darkened instantly.
Lin Xuan had already latched onto that wealthy woman and was living a comfortable life.
If Lin Xuan were to cheat, that woman would undoubtedly abandon him! Lin Li wanted to see Lin Xuan fall into misery and poverty.
Lin Xuan had always been deeply in love with Qin Ruoyao, and she was the perfect candidate to lure him into infidelity. How could Qin Ruoyao give up on Lin Xuan now?
"Brother Li, what's wrong? You seem upset," Qin Ruoyao asked with a frown.
"Nothing," Lin Li shook his head. "I was just thinking about the company. There's been a tricky issue lately."
"Brother Li, you've joined the company?" Qin Ruoyao asked in surprise.
"Yes, Dad asked me to come and learn the ropes for a while," Lin Li nodded.
"Brother Li, you're amazing," Qin Ruoyao's eyes sparkled.
Lin Li hadn't even graduated yet, and he was already interning at the company. It was clear that he was being groomed as the successor. He would one day become the CEO of Starlight Group, and she would be the CEO's wife.
"Yao Yao, you don't have to sacrifice yourself for me. If you like him, go ahead and be with him," Lin Li said gently.
"Brother Li, let's not talk about Lin Xuan right now," Qin Ruoyao said, her hand slipping into Lin Li's shirt.
Lin Li recalled Qin Ruoyao's seductive demeanor in bed, and his throat went dry. Before long, they were tumbling onto the bed.
Lin Li left first. As he stepped out of the elevator, the front desk staff cast him strange looks.
When Lin Li exited the hotel, "click, click"—Luo Yuan snapped several photos with his phone.
Three minutes later, Qin Ruoyao also appeared.
Luo Yuan took more photos, then casually put his phone away and walked over, carrying a shopping bag.
"Yao Yao, didn't you go home?" Luo Yuan feigned surprise.
When Qin Ruoyao saw Luo Yuan, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes.
Luo Yuan... why is he here?
"I, I..." Qin Ruoyao stammered, unsure how to explain herself.
Luo Yuan pursed his lips. "Yao Yao, do you have a boyfriend? A friend of mine and his girlfriend looked just like you do now after they... well, you know. And you just came out of a hotel. Did you and your boyfriend...?"
"Luo Yuan, don't misunderstand. It's not like that," Qin Ruoyao hurriedly explained.
"Yao Yao," Luo Yuan sighed. "You don't have to hide it from me. I've told you before, I only see you as a friend now, and as someone I want to protect. As long as you're happy, Yao Yao, that's all that matters to me."
Luo Yuan opened the shopping bag he was carrying and took out its contents.
"This, this is..." Qin Ruoyao's eyes widened as she stared at the box. It was a bottle of French perfume! This tiny bottle cost 60,000!
"Yao Yao, I picked this out for you at the mall. Do you like it?" Luo Yuan asked softly, his gaze fixed on Qin Ruoyao as if she were his entire world.
"Yes, I love it," Qin Ruoyao nodded emphatically. "Thank you, Luo Yuan. But this must have cost you a fortune."
Luo Yuan replied, "A man spending money on a woman is only natural. Besides, I'm not short on cash these days."
Luo Yuan had Qin Ruoyao completely fooled.
She couldn't help but think that Luo Yuan, knowing she was with someone else, still gave her such an expensive gift. He must truly not care...
Luo Yuan must love her to the extreme.
"Luo Yuan, I do have someone I like now. Before, Lin Xuan didn't like me, and I was so heartbroken that I went to a bar to drown my sorrows. Then Lin Li showed up and saved me, and I started falling for him," Qin Ruoyao began to confess her relationship with Lin Li.
Luo Yuan sneered inwardly. Qin Ruoyao's lies came so easily.
"Luo Yuan, I just decided to give up on Lin Xuan, and now I've fallen for Lin Li. Am I a terrible person?" Qin Ruoyao asked, her eyes red as if she couldn't accept her own actions.
"Yao Yao, no, in my eyes, whatever you do is right," Luo Yuan comforted her gently. "Besides, it was Lin Xuan who rejected you. There's nothing wrong with choosing someone else."
"Luo Yuan, you're so kind," Qin Ruoyao said emotionally, throwing herself into Luo Yuan's arms.
Disgust flashed across Luo Yuan's face.
What was wrong with this dirty woman? Did she have no sense of boundaries?
Luo Yuan didn't want to be touched by Qin Ruoyao. He pushed her away gently. "Yao Yao, let's keep some physical distance. Now that you're with Lin Li, I don't want him to misunderstand our relationship."
"Okay," Qin Ruoyao nodded heavily.
A dark glint appeared in Luo Yuan's eyes.
He believed he would soon have evidence of Qin Ruoyao and Lin Li's affair. Once he did, it would be time to close the net, ruining Qin Ruoyao's reputation and possibly even taking her family's house.
Soon, it was the day of Wang Ping's birthday party.
"Butler Wang, have you finished the investigation?" Lin Xuan asked.
"Master Lin, it's done," Butler Wang replied respectfully.
"Ye Li has a distant relative named Wang Li who works as a small supervisor at the Paper Drunk Gold Club. His family owns a construction company, while Ye Li's family runs Ye Real Estate, a much larger property firm. Wang Li's family has been trying to collaborate with Ye Real Estate for a long time."
Lin Xuan smirked.
Just as he had guessed, Ye Li couldn't resist making a move against him.
If Ye Li was using Wang Li to target him, there was only one possibility... drugging him, either with a sedative or an aphrodisiac. Most likely, it was an aphrodisiac.
Perhaps Ye Li had even prepared a woman for him.
"Butler Wang, are they planning to drug me together?" Lin Xuan leaned back on the sofa, his tone calm.
Butler Wang looked surprised.
Master Lin had figured it all out. His strategic thinking was reminiscent of the young mistress.
Butler Wang nodded. "Master Lin, that's correct. They've acquired a substance from overseas called 'Passion Powder.' It's colorless and odorless, and when mixed into a drink, it's almost undetectable."
Coincidentally, the drug was produced by the young mistress's organization.
Butler Wang took out a small vial. "This is the antidote."
This time, it was Lin Xuan's turn to be surprised. "Butler Wang, you managed to find the antidote so quickly?" That was impressive.
Usually, such antidotes were well-hidden.
Butler Wang had obtained it in just two or three days.
"Just a coincidence, really. I got lucky," Butler Wang said with a smile.
Lin Xuan didn't dwell on it and took the vial, examining it closely.