Fang Yingying was in a particularly good mood today. Yes, exceedingly good!
Since her little triumph over a certain wealthy young man at noon, her spirits had remained high, and they continued to soar as the day wore on. Thus, when a man—one whom she usually paid little mind to—invited her to dinner after work, she graciously accepted.
Of course, it was merely dinner, nothing more. If the man thought for a second that he could push for more—such as a stroll, or a movie date—that would be utterly impossible!
"Miss Fang, how do you find the steak today?" The man across from her asked with a charming smile. Though he wondered why she had so unusually accepted his invitation, he simply assumed it was because she had been moved by his relentless, sincere pursuit, not considering her own cheerful mood.
"The taste is quite good," Fang Yingying replied indifferently, cutting a small piece of steak and placing it in her mouth.
"That's good to hear..." Seeing that she showed no particular sign of excitement, the man hesitated to continue the conversation and, feeling deflated, resorted to quietly sipping his wine.
After a long pause, perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere, Fang Yingying, feeling a bit guilty for her silence, casually asked, "Mr. Liu, what do you usually do for fun after work?"
Mr. Liu's heart leaped, convinced that she was expressing a budding interest in him. After all, why else would she ask about his personal life?
Suppressing his excitement, he answered with an air of calm, "Oh, I don't really have many hobbies. I tend to stay home. You know, with a job like mine, there's not much time for leisure. I usually work until midnight before I can rest." Mr. Liu crafted this narrative to portray himself as a dedicated workaholic, hoping to impress the woman across from him, whom he assumed shared similar work-driven tendencies.
But his strategy clearly failed, as Fang Yingying simply remarked, "It seems Mr. Liu is quite the busy man."
It was like throwing a powerful punch into a pile of cotton—his effort was absorbed without any impact, leaving him frustrated and disillusioned.
Mr. Liu, after a brief pause, misinterpreted her indifference. He assumed that she, like him, was a workaholic with little time for relaxation, which perhaps explained her lack of enthusiasm for his lifestyle. Determined to salvage the conversation, he quickly added, "Actually, I get up around five every morning to go jogging. I exercise for about two hours before having breakfast and heading to the office. Sometimes, in the evenings, I play a game of ping pong or basketball." Mr. Liu painted a picture of himself as an athletic, robust man, a prerequisite, he believed, to attracting a mature woman's attention.
But once again, his hopes were dashed, as Fang Yingying, unmoved, simply offered a bland compliment, "Mr. Liu's schedule seems very well-organized. No wonder you always look so radiant."
"You're too kind," Mr. Liu said, trying to maintain his composure. Both of his attempts at self-promotion had failed, leaving him deeply disappointed. To avoid further embarrassment, he decided to turn the question on her: "So, Miss Fang, what do you do for fun?"
"Me?" Fang Yingying feigned surprise, before a hint of self-mockery flashed across her face. "It's probably just work... and more work."
"Oh," Mr. Liu drawled, his mind quickly formulating a response before he continued, "Well, I've heard that the East Street cinema is showing a new film tonight. It stars the two most popular celebrities, Luo Fei Zi and Si Ma Yu. It's said to be deeply moving. Perhaps we could..."
Before he could finish, Fang Yingying interjected, "I think Mr. Liu will have to go alone tonight. I've already made other plans."
"Oh? I see." Disappointment was evident on Mr. Liu's face. "Well, no matter. Your work must come first. There will be other opportunities. We can arrange something another time when you're free."
"Sorry, I don't think I'll ever be free," came a deep, firm voice, cutting off Mr. Liu's words with precise clarity.
"Who are you?" Mr. Liu's expression darkened, his glare directed at the newcomer. He despised being interrupted while speaking, except of course, when it was a woman. But this young man, clearly lacking in any substantial physique and with a noticeable injury to his right hand, was certainly no woman—let alone a beautiful one.
"You don't need to worry about who I am," Xiang Ri replied dismissively, his gaze dripping with contempt. He moved to the side of the clearly startled Fang Yingying, pulled out a chair, and casually sat down.
"You..." Mr. Liu was on the verge of losing his temper, his finger pointing accusingly at the intruder. "If you don't leave right now, I'll have someone remove you."
"Have someone?" Xiang Ri snorted derisively. "Is it illegal for me to sit with my own wife?"
"Wife?" Mr. Liu's face contorted into a grotesque grimace as his voice trembled. "You're saying that Miss Fang is your..."
"Obviously!" Xiang Ri's smirk widened, his hand casually draping over Fang Yingying's shoulder to emphasize their "closeness."
Mr. Liu's body trembled along with his voice, as he noticed that Fang Yingying had not resisted the gesture, and in fact, seemed to be rather "enjoying" it?
From what he knew of Fang Yingying, she had never allowed any man to touch her so intimately. But this man, with such audacity, had completely overturned his assumptions. It seemed that this man was indeed her husband, and all of his previous efforts had been in vain.
"Still don't believe me?" Xiang Ri leaned even closer to Fang Yingying, further asserting his point.
At that moment, Fang Yingying snapped out of her daze. Her momentary distraction, caused by the sudden intrusion of a certain playboy, had quickly dissipated. Seeing him touch her without permission now stirred a surge of anger within her. "Old..."
Xiang Ri, already anticipating her reaction, quickly interrupted her, his voice dripping with disdain. "Old what? Sure, I'm your husband, but I'm not your babysitter. If you want to make male friends, I couldn't care less. But someone like this, who looks like neither man nor beast, I have a problem with. No matter how you spin it, how could you possibly associate with an animal like him?"
The man across from her, General Liu, was nearly overcome with fury, his face pale as if he were about to spew blood: "You... you dare insult me?"
"Insult you? What of it? Who do you think you are?" Xiang Ri retorted sharply, his words laced with contempt. "Don't even consider yourself worthy to approach my wife. Let me be perfectly clear—get as far away as you can!"
General Liu's face drained of color. He had never before been so humiliated, and yet, he was unable to counter. The word "husband" had been unmistakable, and he understood then that the man was indeed her spouse, while he was merely the dishonorable third party. Unable to bear it any longer, he rose to leave.
"Do you believe him?" Fang Yingying asked calmly, her voice eerily serene, her face devoid of any sign of agitation.
"What do you mean, Miss Fang?" Liu's voice deepened, but a trace of hope flickered in his eyes.
"What if I told you that he's not at all related to me?" Fang Yingying smiled faintly.
"Really?" Liu's face brightened.
However, Xiang Ri began to complain, "Yingying, you can't be like this. You can't deny me in front of others..."
"Boss, haven't you had enough of this game?" Though the appearance of the flirt had caught her by surprise, Fang Yingying, with her sharp mind, quickly deduced his intentions. He was attempting to take revenge on her for what had happened earlier that afternoon. How laughable, though—this so-called playboy clearly lacked any real intelligence, as he had mistaken this man for someone close to her. Little did he know, she was trying to find ways to distance herself from him. His sudden interference had been a godsend, truly a "good Samaritan" in disguise!
But in the blink of an eye, Fang Yingying grew discontented. Was she really going to let him manipulate her like this? Would she simply bow to his whims? Certainly not! If he sought to "tear them apart," she would do everything in her power to thwart him. While Liu might be loathsome, he was a far cry from this incoming playboy. If given the choice between the two, she would unhesitatingly choose the former.
"Play? What play?" Xiang Ri feigned ignorance. "Wife, you really don't recognize me..."
"Boss, if you ever went into acting, you'd undoubtedly win all the awards!" Fang Yingying responded, her face serious as she turned to Liu. "As you've seen, he's actually my boss. He just enjoys playing pranks."
"Your boss?" Liu looked at her in confusion, but that explained the "husband" comment earlier, as well as how this young man had interrupted her. It became clear that he was nothing but an imposter, trying to push Liu, his most "formidable rival," out of the picture.
Could Fang Yingying's deliberate hints be her way of suggesting that Liu was her "true match"? Realizing this, Liu grew excited, momentarily losing himself in the thought. It was only natural that he would forget why the man had been called "boss."
Xiang Ri inwardly sighed as he saw the thrilled expression on the pretty boy's face. He knew at once that the plan had failed.
But he had anticipated this outcome. Without displaying any sign of worry, he made a subtle gesture with his left hand behind his back toward the glass wall. The two girls outside, who must have been waiting impatiently, would surely understand: Plan failed. Please proceed with Plan B.
Despite the momentary setback, Xiang Ri remained resolute, continuing to gaze at Fang Yingying with feigned intensity. "Wife, why must you say such things in front of others? It really hurts my feelings."
Fang Yingying scoffed and turned her head away, utterly repulsed by the expression the playboy had given her. It was incomprehensible how such shameless people existed in the world.
"If you continue causing a scene, I'll have to call security," Liu threatened coldly, his patience long exhausted.
"Call them," Xiang Ri said resolutely, his expression defiant. "Whoever comes, she is still my wife."
"Then don't blame me for being rude!" General Liu declared, rising to summon the security guards at the door. However, before he could act, two charming girls dashed over and threw themselves into Miss Fang's arms, shouting, "Sister-in-law!"
The unexpected turn of events caught General Liu off guard, halting his attempt to call for security. He stood dumbfounded, staring at the two girls who had suddenly appeared.
Fang Yingying, equally stunned, quickly realized that this was undoubtedly another of the playboy's schemes. She feigned surprise, though there was no need for pretense. "Who are you? I don't know you at all!"
"Sister-in-law, how can you be like this?" Hao Meng, rubbing her reddened eyes, peered through her fingers at the crowd of onlookers drawn by their dramatic outburst. "Sister-in-law, don't leave us. I know... my brother can't find a good job, and he has no money for a house or a car, so you don't like him. You've always wanted to divorce him, but..."
At this point, Hao Meng faltered and, unable to continue, replaced her words with a soft sob. This only served to gain the sympathy and understanding of most of the crowd, while one insensitive onlooker silently gave her a thumbs-up.
Fang Yingying's face darkened immediately. She hadn't expected the playboy, whom she had underestimated, to have such a cunning move up his sleeve. The damage to her reputation in front of so many people was palpable; the disdain in the eyes of the bystanders told her all she needed to know—she had become the object of their scorn, now branded as a "gold digger."
But the worst was yet to come. Another girl's words further dragged her into an abyss of condemnation, turning her from a "gold digger" into a "cruel woman capable of abandoning her own flesh and blood."
"Sister-in-law, even if you don't care about us, you must think of Little Bao. Poor thing, he's only one year old and has lost his mother. How will he live without a mother? It's the greatest sorrow for a child to grow up without one. When he gets older, he'll be laughed at. Oh, my poor little nephew..." Zeng Nan's performance was equally dramatic.
Her words stirred a great uproar, and soon the crowd joined in, condemning the "heartless" woman.
"This woman is ruthless! They say even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs, but she—she would abandon her own child for money. She doesn't deserve to be called a woman."
"She'll be struck down by heaven for this!"
"She's beautiful, but with a heart as venomous as a snake's. Women like her would be better off dead; they're a waste of food."
"..."
Xiang Ri listened to the increasingly venomous comments around him, worried that his secretary might truly be upset. He quickly signaled to the two girls and glanced at the man, who was still standing in a daze to the side.
Zeng Nan was the first to react. She pointed accusingly at General Liu, shouting, "It's all your fault! You seduced my sister-in-law! If you hadn't been harassing her every day, she would never have left us to be with you! You bad man! Do you know how pitiful Little Bao is? He cries every day, calling for his mother until he can't even make a sound anymore!"
As expected, the crowd's attention shifted, and all eyes turned to the previously overlooked third party.
"This man is despicable! Always trying to seduce other people's wives. He deserves to be shot!"
"Damn, he's ruined the reputation of all men!"
"If this weren't in public, I'd be punching him right now!"
"Really a beast! A dog of a man!"
"...."
Once the crowd had finished their tirade and General Liu had fled in embarrassment, Xiang Ri stepped forward, gathering the two girls into his arms. With a downcast tone, he said, "Sigh, Third, Fourth, don't cry anymore. Your sister-in-law doesn't want us anymore. Let's go home. It's all because Big Brother couldn't find a good job and had to support your education. Let's go home."
Then, in a voice so low only the two girls could hear, he added, "You did well. If you want KFC, come find me anytime!"
Amid their soft exclamations, Xiang Ri continued, "Mission complete. Prepare to leave!" With that, he led the girls toward the door.
Suddenly, an unexpected voice rang out from behind them: "Husband, I'm coming home with you!"