Everything was going so smoothly that Chen Yan was a bit astonished.

After all, he had become used to things going through twists and turns. Now that there wasn't a single wave in sight, it was no wonder he felt uncertain.

Yet, no matter how much he sensed that something might be off, the developments continued to progress incredibly smoothly.

At the dinner table, Director Cao's attitude was not only enthusiastic but also carried a hint of humility, and his subordinates were all very eager, one by one coming forward to offer toasts.

Even the etiquette was spot on: they drained their glasses, while Chen Yan could drink as little or as much as he liked.

Chen Yan wasn't really fond of drinking, but seeing their enthusiasm, he didn't put on airs and joined in the toasts, earning rounds of enthusiastic applause from the whole table.

By the end of the meal, Chen Yan felt a bit lightheaded.

It wasn't that he had drunk too much: after all, his constitution was at +9, and such a small amount of alcohol didn't affect him much. Rather... it was the whole evening of flattery that left him feeling a bit dizzy.

After dinner, everyone went outside. This time, Director Cao did not insist on letting Chen Yan leave first.

Clearly, as the host of the banquet, it was only proper for Chen Yan to see off Director Cao, the guest.

So, Director Cao's motorcade arrived to pick up several executives first.

And before departing, Director Cao even patted Chen Yan on the back, saying he would notify a few shareholders tomorrow and give Chen Yan a precise response.

He didn't think there would be any problem and told Chen Yan to be at ease.

What could Chen Yan say? He could only respond with a smile.

After seeing off Director Cao, only Chen Yan, Song Chuang, and He Mengxue were left standing at the hotel entrance.

Jiang Xiaoyun, who hadn't received any notice, was still waiting in the car.

Chen Yan, watching the tail lights of the cars fade into the distance, turned to Song Chuang with a puzzled expression, "Are you and Director Cao relatives?"

Song Chuang laughed at Chen Yan's question, "Do you see any resemblance between us?"

Chen Yan pondered, "Distant relatives?"

Perhaps because of the alcohol, Song Chuang let loose a bit and rolled his eyes, retorting, "You might as well say I'm his illegitimate child."

Chen Yan was taken aback for a moment, "Then between you two, who's the son?"

Song Chuang: .....

Seeing he couldn't outtalk Chen Yan, Song Chuang dropped the joking, "I have no relations with him."

"Today was also the first time we met. When I contacted him the day before yesterday, it was through a friend."

Chen Yan, "Then your friend......"

Song Chuang cut off Chen Yan's joke with annoyance, "Also has nothing to do with him!"

Infuriated, Song Chuang thumped Chen Yan lightly and said, "President Chen, you might have had too much to drink. You're joking too much."

Chen Yan couldn't help but laugh heartily, "I'm just trying to liven up the atmosphere."

After speaking, he turned serious, "Then what's with his attitude?"

Seeing that they had finally come around to discussing serious matters, Song Chuang's expression also became more solemn. He furrowed his brow and said, "I'm not sure either."

"But I think... it's not a bad thing."

Chen Yan asked, "Not a bad thing?"

"Could it be possible he's just humoring me?"

"And will find some excuse to reject me later?"

Song Chuang thought for a bit, then shook his head slightly, "If that was the case, he didn't need to come at all. After all, not coming would clearly communicate his stance."

"This is business. There are no personal feelings involved."

"But if he did come, made promises, and then played you, it would just antagonize you."

"It doesn't make sense for him to do that."

Chen Yan too was perplexed, "Indeed..."

He also knitted his brows.

Could it be... everything really was going this smoothly?

Meanwhile, He Mengxue, who had been listening to the two men talk the whole time, chuckled and looped her arm through Chen Yan's, saying, "Ah, what's done is done. Worrying about it now is pointless."

"Let's just see what happens tomorrow, shall we?"

After speaking, she added, "Xiao Yun has been waiting for us all this time. She hasn't even eaten. Let's give her a call."

Reminded by He Mengxue, Chen Yan and Song Chuang then remembered Jiang Xiaoyun.

So they stopped pondering the matter and contacted Jiang Xiaoyun to come and pick up the three of them.

Once in the car, although Jiang Xiaoyun kept insisting she had already bought and eaten dinner while waiting, Chen Yan insisted she take them to a barbecue restaurant for a midnight snack.

Thus, in the middle of the night, the four of them enjoyed a feast of barbecued food.

By the time Chen Yan and He Mengxue returned to the hotel, it was already past midnight.

At this time, Qin Island had fallen into a deep slumber, with all its creatures in the embrace of dreams, but for a major international metropolis like Tiandu, the nightlife was just beginning.

Back at the hotel, Chen Yan and He Mengxue chatted for a few moments before heading inside.

Halfway through, He Mengxue's voice suddenly called out from behind him, "Chen Yan~~ do you want to know why everything went so smoothly tonight, why that Director Cao was so cooperative?"

Upon hearing He Mengxue's words, Chen Yan stopped in his tracks, turning around to look at her in confusion.

He Mengxue stood there in her cocktail dress, leaning on the table, her figure shapely and looking incredibly beautiful.

At that moment, she gazed at Chen Yan with a seductive look in her eyes, a mix of triumph and challenge, as though she truly held a secret Chen Yan did not know.

Chen Yan loosened his tie and then asked, "You know?"

He Mengxue nodded proudly, her eyes gleaming.

Chen Yan said, "Let's hear it?"

He Mengxue stretched out her hand, gesturing Chen Yan over with a curl of her finger, "Then you... come here first."

For some reason, Chen Yan felt that at that moment, He Mengxue's aura was immense, as if she was a fairy queen dressed for a ball, crowned and holding a scepter, looking down at him and summoning him with a "Come and kneel before me."

Chen Yan: ....

Shaking his head to dispel the wild imagination in his mind, Chen Yan walked over and said, "Go on, tell me."

He Mengxue's soft hand gently rested on Chen Yan's shoulder, and she leaned in close, whispering, "Actually, it's quite simple."

"Headline Technology is on the decline, and Weibo is their only remaining asset."

"Thanks to their use of A and B shares, they hold absolute voting power in Weibo, without fear of losing control of the company."

"Yet they possess an oversized share of stock, so diluting it and selling off a portion to allow the management to cash out some liquidity is a very sensible move."

"And you have been recognized as a rising rich entrepreneur in recent years. Your main playing field is the entertainment industry, which has a direct correlation with Weibo."

"Betting on you and winning your favor in advance to prevent you from leading your celebrities to competitors, weakening their competitive edge, seems prudent."

"So, for them, inviting you as an investor is an ideal solution."

Hearing He Mengxue's guidance, Chen Yan's eyes lit up, "You mean... Headline Technology?"

He Mengxue nodded with a smile, adding, "More precisely, Douyin."

"You are a major shareholder of Douyin, which is currently vying for the short video market. And this market is deeply intertwined with media, social networking, celebrities, and so forth."

"They are, in effect, preemptively strategizing."

Pleased with He Mengxue's analysis, Chen Yan nodded in agreement, "You make a good point."

"I had no idea you had done so much homework in advance."

He Mengxue lifted her nose with pride, "Of course, that's right."

She looked at Chen Yan, her eyes filled with deep affection, "After all, your matters are my most important concern."

As she spoke, whether by coincidence or not, the strap of her evening dress casually slipped down, revealing her fair and delicate shoulder and half of her soft, moon-like bosom.

Coupled with her slightly flushed face, her beauty was like that of a bashful beauty partially hidden by a pipa, truly causing the blood in Chen Yan's body to surge upwards.

He tried his best to restrain the turmoil inside him, yet his hand uncontrollably caressed He Mengxue's fragrant shoulder, "Don't be like this."

His touch was soft and smooth, causing Chen Yan to jerk his hand away as if shocked by electricity.

At first, when Chen Yan touched her, He Mengxue's eyes gleamed with triumph, but seeing Chen Yan move away immediately, her eyes dimmed.

She looked at Chen Yan and asked, "Why... why did you do that?"

Chen Yan fell silent.

After a while, he said, "There's just too much going on around me. You are a good girl. I..."

But He Mengxue asked a question that struck right at the heart of Chen Yan, "So is Lu Man not a good girl? Isn't Yu Qiao Qiao a good girl?"

"And that girl from the Zhao Family isn't a good girl?"

Chen Yan involuntarily fell silent again.

He Mengxue looked at Chen Yan with cold, slightly angry brows, "Do you think I'm not a good girl just because I smoke, drink, and hang out at clubs?"

"That's just my way of relieving stress. The clubs are mine, and there's nothing messy going on."

"I am just as pure as Yu Qiao Qiao and the others."

Chen Yan hurriedly waved his hands, "Not at all."

He said, "While I think that other girls like that are probably not good girls, you... you're different."

He Mengxue stared at Chen Yan, "Is it because of my dad? Are you afraid that if you let me down, my dad won't let you get away with it?"

Chen Yan coughed lightly, "A little, but actually, it's not a big deal. After all, my current net worth is actually higher than his, and we're not in the same industry; he can't really affect me."

He Mengxue was puzzled now, "So what is the reason, exactly?"

Chen Yan wasn't sure what to say.

He actually liked He Mengxue very much. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen her as his Virtual Girlfriend.

But perhaps because of this, he always felt that He Mengxue would definitely be his.

Therefore, before he had sorted out the matters around him, he didn't want things to become more complicated.

Chen Yan was combing through his own thoughts, but to He Mengxue, it seemed that Chen Yan had fallen silent.

For a moment, the grievances of this period surged in her heart.

Every day, she watched Chen Yan and Yu Qiao Qiao together, watched Chen Yan flirt with Lu Man, watched Chen Yan sneak around with Zhao Ying...

Yet she, despite everything, couldn't obtain him.

Could it really be that a licking dog doesn't get the house?!

But, she had asked her girlfriends; men and women are not the same, lick them long enough, and they would eventually soften...

Why was Chen Yan so different?!

For a moment, He Mengxue felt a bit bold.

Maybe the alcohol had given her more courage.

So, she looked at Chen Yan and suddenly pushed forward with her hand.

Chen Yan didn't expect He Mengxue to suddenly strike, and he wasn't able to stabilize himself, falling to the ground.

Thankfully, the room was carpeted, and he fell softly without getting hurt.

But then he felt a weight on him, as He Mengxue directly pounced onto him.

At that moment, there was only one thought in Chen Yan's mind: Damn. The tiger's going to eat me.

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