"Hurry, hurry, hurry, that's all you do! Are you even a man? I'll be down in a moment, just wait for me at the community entrance." On the other end of the phone, Chu Yan huffed in mock protest.

Honestly, she was Miss Chu, a universally adored, drop-dead gorgeous beauty. How could he have the nerve to rush her after making her wait just a few minutes? Goodness, was that jerk even a man?!

Despite complaining to herself, she probably didn't even realize that she was getting ready at a speed far faster than her usual dawdling pace. Then, after artfully applying some light makeup, she casually grabbed her pink purse from the sofa and happily bounced downstairs.

After waiting for about twenty minutes with a long-suffering expression, Chen Fei finally saw the 'fashionably late' Miss Chu arrive, his face a mask of resentment.

"Hey, Chatterbox, don't tell me this is what you call 'in a moment'? I've been waiting down here for a full twenty minutes! I've lost count of how many damned couples have passed by, staring at me like I'm an idiot!" In all fairness, twenty minutes was hardly any time at all for a girl to get ready and do her makeup, but Chen Fei couldn't help but grumble, clearly annoyed.

"'Damned couples'? PFFT!"

Chu Yan was stunned by Chen Fei's bizarre choice of words. It took her a moment to process what he'd said before she snorted with laughter and rolled her eyes. "I swear, a dog's mouth can't spit out ivory. They're just coming and going from their own homes. What's it to you?"

"I don't care, I'm still annoyed. The way those idiots looked at me was an insult to my dignity," Chen Fei huffed earnestly.

"I can't be bothered with you. My birthday present, did you bring it?" Chu Yan shot him a look, holding out a fair, delicate hand, palm up.

"Present? Chatterbox, let me tell you, I'm giving you my absolute best treasure. Look! Ta-da! This is a Dao Talisman, personally crafted by this grandmaster. It's guaranteed to attract good fortune, ward off disasters, prolong your life, and even has beautifying proper—" Chen Fei boasted, proudly taking out his already-wrapped 'treasure' and hawking it like a street-corner charlatan.

"A... a Dao Talisman?"

Chu Yan froze, her beautiful jaw almost dropping to the ground. Her lovely eyes visibly dimmed. She considered herself worldly and well-traveled, but this... A wrinkled, shabby piece of Ghostly Talisman Script? Is this jerk an actual charlatan?

The thought sent a wave of exasperation through her. She clutched the lapel of her long, waist-cinched overcoat, snatched the 'treasure' from Chen Fei's hand, and rolled her eyes. "You big jerk, Chen, you are so dead tonight! This is what you give me for my birthday? I... I... Ugh, you're making me furious!"

As expected, Miss Chu had her feathers ruffled again. Still, she carefully placed the 'treasure' into her coat pocket. Then, she huffed at Chen Fei, "Listen up, you big jerk. We need to wait a bit. I have two friends who live in this community, too. I told them I was on my way down, so they should be here any second."

"Ah, we have to wait again...? Uh, alright, fine. We'll wait. You're the boss today, Miss Chu." Chen Fei had reflexively started to complain, but a cold glare fixed on him sent a shiver down his spine, forcing him to quickly adopt a more fawning tone.

"Hmph!"

Chu Yan tilted her head up triumphantly and shot him a look that said, *'That's more like it.'* Then, she said earnestly, "I wasn't going to waste money on a birthday party, but my colleagues kept insisting, so I had to splurge. Just so you know, some so-called successful members of society will be there later. You're not going to feel pressured, are you, big jerk?"

After speaking, she couldn't help but peek at Chen Fei, feeling a little guilty for only telling him now and worrying he might be upset.

"Pressured? Why would I feel pressured? So what if I just lost my job? A small affair like this is nothing," Chen Fei said with breezy confidence.

After all, even the richest man in Jiangnan Province follows me around like a fly drawn to meat. What makes these small-timers even worth my notice? It's nothing. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

"You lost your job? What happened? Weren't you doing well at the hospital? Ah, forget it. Some of my friends are coming later, and they're all so-called social elites. If it comes to it, I'll swallow my pride and put in a good word for you. It shouldn't be hard for them to find you a new job," Chu Yan said, first surprised, then consoling.

"Alright, that's enough. Please don't do that." A wave of warmth spread through Chen Fei's heart. He reached out, ruffled her messy hair, and laughed. "Come on, who am I? Do I look like I need them to find me a job? Relax, relax. It's fine. I quit on my own. I have other plans."

"You... you quit on your own? Oh. Then never mind." Chu Yan's voice suddenly softened. Her cheeks flushed as she turned her head away and looked down. What is that big jerk doing? How dare he pat my head! Hmph, the nerve...

"Little Yan, over here!"

Just then, a voice called out from nearby. A black Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan pulled up beside them.

Behind the wheel was a man who looked to be in his thirties, smartly dressed in a suit and tie. He wore a flashy watch that was clearly expensive, though the brand wasn't visible. He had the distinct charm of a successful man.

In the passenger seat was the woman who had called out. She looked to be in her vibrant twenties, tall and stylishly dressed. While not as breathtakingly beautiful as Chu Yan, she would easily be considered an eight or nine out of ten. The moment the car stopped, she rolled down the window and called out, "Little Yan, get in—"

She stopped mid-sentence, having just noticed the person standing beside Chu Yan. She asked, puzzled, "Little Yan, who's this?"

"Sister Yan, he's a friend of mine, of course. What are you spacing out for, you big idiot? Get in the car!" Chu Yan said with a giggle, grabbing Chen Fei's hand and pulling him into the back of the Mercedes.

"Little Yan, you... aren't you going to introduce us?" Sister Yan's eyes lit up. She studied Chen Fei curiously, a playful grin on her face. As Miss Chu's colleague and best friend, she knew exactly how high her friend's standards were. Countless sons of powerful officials and wealthy young masters had tried to woo her, only to be rebuffed without so much as a smile. But now, she was actively pulling a man into a car? This is breaking news!

"Alright, alright. Let me introduce everyone. This is Chen Fei; you can all call him Xiaofei. This is my colleague and super-duper bestie, Zheng Yan. And in the driver's seat is her boyfriend, Ge Qiuning, Director Ge." Chu Yan introduced them breezily.

Chen Fei shot Chu Yan a look. Xiaofei? Really? He then smiled and greeted the others. "Director Ge, Miss Zheng, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Chen Fei."

"Chen Fei, huh? Such a plain name for someone so impressive. Do you have any idea that our Little Yan never spends time alone with a strange man? Fess up. What's the relationship? And when did it start?" Zheng Yan was now in full-on gossip mode, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Though her words sounded like a joke, Chen Fei's brow furrowed slightly. In the rearview mirror, he caught a fleeting glint of contempt in her eyes as she spoke. Clearly, this woman looks down on me. And it was true. Zheng Yan had likely noticed his clothes—cheap, generic brands that probably cost less than a few hundred yuan in total. Wearing something like that to an important event like this was enough to earn her disdain.

"Hey! Zheng Yan, what nonsense are you spouting?" Chu Yan pinched her friend in annoyance, then turned to the driver. "Director Ge, why aren't we moving?" She found it odd that the Mercedes hadn't budged since they'd gotten in.

Director Ge shot a disdainful glance at Chen Fei before answering slowly. "Uh, well... Miss Chu, when I spoke to Director Zhang this afternoon, I accidentally let it slip that today was your birthday. He was in a meeting out of town, but when he heard, he immediately started rushing back. He just called and asked if we could swing by the Health Bureau to pick him up."

The rear seat of the Mercedes E-Class was already quite small, with only enough room for two people. He had originally planned to give Director Zhang a chance to sit with Chu Yan in the back to help them connect. With Chen Fei showing up out of nowhere, he couldn't just drive off. How would I explain that to Director Zhang?

"Director Zhang? Zhang Fuquan? Sister Yan, didn't I specifically tell you not to tell him it was my birthday?" A look of undisguised annoyance crossed Chu Yan's face.

"Ah, Little Yan, that's our fault. This guy here just can't keep his mouth shut, and now you're in a tough spot. But what can you do? You've got Director Zhang completely infatuated. He calls Qiuning all the time now just to ask about you."

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