As soon as Lin Qingyan spoke, everyone present fell silent. Su Chen and Zhang Li, in particular, couldn't quite grasp what had just happened. Lin Qingyan didn't seem to feel for Qin Yu the way Su Chen had speculated.
Even a woman's intuition told Zhang Li that Lin Qingyan didn't like Qin Yu; the look of disdain in her eyes was too obvious to hide. It seemed like Qin Yu was just fantasizing.
Zhang Li even noticed that Lin Qingyan seemed to have a soft spot for Su Chen. Otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed him to take such liberties with her. Even after Qin Yu appeared, Lin Qingyan still seemed somewhat reluctant to part with Su Chen, a detail that Su Chen seemed completely oblivious to, which surprised Zhang Li.
Zhang Li also found it amusing that while Su Chen was trying hard to bring the future back on track, unexpected things kept happening. Qin Yu then stated, "Don't worry, this money doesn't mean much to me. Once given, I won't take it back. As for the Su family, I'll make sure they have no good days ahead."
He didn't care if Su Chen heard him or not; the Su family was already in dire straits, so it wouldn't matter. After leaving these words, Qin Yu turned and walked away.
He didn't ponder why Lin Qingyan had said what she did. In his view, Lin Qingyan was probably just worried about the Su family causing trouble for her family.
The reason he chose to leave without confronting Su Chen was that Qin Yu was somewhat scared. Every time he had a conflict with Su Chen, major problems seemed to arise.
Although Qin Yu didn't believe that Su Chen had the capabilities to pull strings behind the scenes, he did sense that there was a hidden hand manipulating everything. Qin Yu wasn't scared; he simply thought it prudent to avoid clashing with Su Chen when unprepared.
Lin Qingyan was also at a loss. She had seen how much money Qin Yu had left behind: a whopping 5 billion yuan. And he had announced it publicly, practically sealing the deal and leaving her fearless, even if this matter were to go to court.
Lin Qingyan didn't dwell on it; since he wanted to give her money, there was no reason to refuse. She was not so naive as to be moved by this amount, especially when she knew what kind of person Qin Yu was. She could use this opportunity to help her company overcome difficulties while significantly weakening Qin Yu's power.
The truth is, it's not that Qin Yu wasn't heartbroken over the money; it's just that he hadn't gained much from it. But in front of Su Chen, he couldn't lose face even if he had given 50 billion, let alone 100 billion.
Lin Qingyan turned to Su Chen and said, "Our family is rich now." Su Chen was struck by how awkward this sentence sounded.
They soon finished their meal, and Lin Qingyan left first, citing work. Su Chen looked at the dazzlingly beautiful Zhang Li next to him and said, "Could you please take me home? Nothing big is happening anymore."
Zhang Li nodded. She also knew that there was really no big issue for Su Chen.
Sitting in the car, Su Chen leaned back in his seat, his mind racing. He was pondering,
[What on earth is going on? Has Lin Qingyan gone mad?]
[Qin Yu gave her such a big gift, and she didn't even have a shred of good feelings towards him?]
[Normally, given Lin Qingyan's previous bad impression of Qin Yu, seeing him produce so much money should stir some different emotions in her!]
[Qin Yu is also useless, where exactly are my hands placed? He actually just turned and left.]
[Oh well, it doesn't matter. Lin Qingyan got through the tough times thanks to Qin Yu's money. At least they won't end up like Zhang Li, completely unrelated to each other.]
Hahahaha!
Zhang Li couldn't hold back any longer and burst into loud laughter.
Su Chen said, "Hey, hey, hey, what's so funny? That Qin Yu is nothing compared to me."
"I know that, of course," the beautiful sister flicked her hair back. "I was just thinking of something very amusing."
Zhang Li continued, "Don't you think Qin Yu's behavior now is similar to how you used to be?"
Holy crap, it really seems that way.
The more Su Chen thought about it, the more it seemed true.
The main character has become a supporting character? No, Zhang Li must be talking nonsense; they're the male and female leads. Even if there's no emotional connection now, they'll have to develop one.
Just as Su Chen was wallowing in his thoughts, he suddenly received a text message.
Lin Qingyan: "Rascal, you're not allowed to touch me without my permission from now on."
Upon reading the message, Su Chen felt relieved.
Indeed, Lin Qingyan still really dislikes me.
Hasn't she already issued a warning?
However, if Zhang Li saw this message, she would be even more convinced that Lin Qingyan must have fallen for Su Chen.
Because any woman would think that this statement is anything but a rejection.
It's an outright invitation! Please go on.
Most importantly, Lin Qingyan had previously blocked Su Chen on WeChat, but now she's actively messaging him. However, Su Chen didn't notice, because he has never paid attention to Lin Qingyan's affairs.
"It seems like you're not really into Lin Qingyan. You had intimate conversations with me, but with Lin Qingyan, it's just a touch of the hand," Zhang Li said righteously.
"Thanks for the reminder," Su Chen retorted. "Good dishes are always saved for last, don't you know?"
Zhang Li, with her heaving chest, steered the wheel, and with a light turn, they arrived at their destination. Su Chen quickly got out of the car, knowing that staying near Zhang Li would not be a good idea. He could clearly feel that Zhang Li's affection for him was on the rise, evident from her candid speech. In other words, Zhang Li didn't consider him a stranger anymore. He always saw Zhang Li as a sister; although he had thought of crossing that boundary before, now wasn't the time.
However, just as he was about to leave, "If you don't want to savor the good dishes right now, why don't you catch up on old times with me?" Zhang Li, who was an untouchable older sister figure a moment ago, had now transformed into a tempting young woman.
"Lin Qingyan already said she doesn't mind your actions," she added.
"Don't you dare?"
"Or are you saying you're not interested in me and lied before?"
Damn, has this woman gone mad? I've never seen anyone rush someone like this, daring to tempt a man so openly. Su Chen was at his wits' end.
"Su Chen, you're finally back; I've been waiting for you for so long," came the coquettish voice of Chen Yuxin.
This immediately snapped Su Chen back to his senses. That was close; he had almost made a big mistake.
"So it's Miss Chen; I didn't expect to run into you here," said Zhang Li, her tone turning somewhat cold. Clearly, she was not pleased with Chen Yuxin's sudden appearance, which had disrupted her plans.
"I'm not like someone else here, old enough to be craving young grass," retorted Chen Yuxin, who had been waiting for Su Chen. She had heard what Zhang Li said earlier and knew that the woman harbored ill intentions, so she didn't mince her words and responded coldly.
Su Chen was speechless watching the two jealous women. It's not that he hadn't seen this kind of conflict between beautiful women before; but of course, he didn't think they were fighting over him. It was simply because they were both female leads in this story, and naturally didn't see eye to eye. However, for Su Chen, this was not a problem.
The best way to resolve the tension between two women was to shift their anger onto himself. "What's all the fuss about? Are you even considering me in this?" Su Chen said as he stared blankly at the two. "I think you both haven't grasped the situation; it's about time someone taught you a lesson." As he spoke, he found himself staring at both women, not because he was enamored by their looks, but because this kind of behavior was in line with their character roles.