Chapter 9: Domineering CEO’s Fierce Love

“Have you thought it over?” Xia Lingyu asked.

Xiao Luo pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly. “Sounds good.”

The performance hall belonged to a friend of the original owner’s. Normally, it attracted artistic types who came to enjoy the shows—romance and art always had some connection to high society.

She had come here to perform with an ulterior motive: to put it bluntly, to build connections with the upper crust.

The power of the original plot would constantly pull the male and female leads toward each other. Ji Yao might appear to have shaken off Si Nanyan, but that was far from the truth. Before the quest progress was complete, they could still get tangled up again.

Ji Yao’s entanglements with the wealthy and powerful ran deep. So in order to complete the mission more effectively and alter the female lead’s miserable ending, Xiao Luo needed to swiftly enter elite circles and handle everything with ease.

She had performed here for several days, but Si Nanyan showed up every single day like a pest, hiring people to book the whole place just so he could pester her on stage.

Of course, she had considered staying by Si Nanyan’s side. Yet the thought of his lecherous, disgusting face made her feel nothing but revulsion.

Thankfully, at the critical moment, Xia Lingyu appeared.

Not only did Xia Lingyu drive Si Nanyan away for her, she also proactively extended an olive branch.

Hitching a ride on the coattails of this vicious supporting female character—Xia Lingyu—actually seemed pretty good. After all, Xiao Luo still had that quest to break off the engagement left unfinished.

Xiao Luo’s smile became even more sincere. She said to Xia Lingyu, “Miss Xia, compared to your fiancé, I much prefer dealing with someone like you.”

Xia Lingyu’s mind went a little fuzzy. Her brain automatically filtered the sentence down to: Compared to your fiancé, I much prefer someone like you.

A secret, furtive delight rose in her heart, but she knew Xiao Luo certainly hadn’t meant it that way.

At that thought, Xia Lingyu felt a surge of embarrassment and annoyance, secretly angry at herself for being so hopeless—worse yet, starting to fantasize about unrealistic things.

She forced herself to remain calm and said to Xiao Luo, “Under my watch, no one will dare to lay a finger on you. But you must follow my rules. Understood?”

“Understood, Boss~” Xiao Luo deliberately drawled the last word.

Xia Lingyu coughed and adopted a serious tone. “Then you’ll start tomorrow. As for the schedule, I have to work during the day, so we’ll set it from six to eight in the evening. No problem, right?”

“Of course not.” Xiao Luo beamed. “Even in the middle of the night, if Boss calls, I’ll appear before you in an instant.”

Xia Lingyu glanced at her charming smile and said coldly, “Honey-tongued. Why on earth would I call you in the middle of the night?”

“Maybe late at night you’ll feel lonely and want to see me.”

As Xiao Luo spoke, she turned around, took out a black trench coat from the cabinet and put it on, then lifted the hair at her nape and let it fall behind her shoulders.

Under the warm yellow light, every move she made was full of allure.

Lonely late at night?

Xia Lingyu’s ears flushed slightly. She cursed, “Shameless fox spirit.”

“Hmm? What did you call me… a fox spirit?” Xiao Luo turned her head, a cool yet bewitching smile on her face. She said gently, “But I wasn’t planning to seduce the Eldest Miss Xia. How does that make me a fox spirit in your eyes?”

Xiao Luo slowly approached, leaning close to Xia Lingyu’s ear. “Calling me over in the middle of the night will cost you overtime pay, you know~”

What Xiao Luo said seemed perfectly proper, yet Xia Lingyu felt that her words were steeped in flirtatious innuendo. Her whole body turned soft and tingly, her lips parched and dry.

She was already regretting hiring this bewitching creature.

Just as Xia Lingyu wanted to flee in panic, Xiao Luo’s expression suddenly shifted, immediately growing much more serious.

“Miss Xia, I’ll take my leave first.” Xiao Luo tossed out a single sentence and walked straight out.

Watching her hurried back, Xia Lingyu felt puzzled. What had happened?

To be slapped across the face in front of a crowd was the ultimate humiliation for a domineering CEO.

Si Nanyan felt unbearably aggrieved. He hated Xia Lingyu to death, yet he couldn’t touch a single hair on her head. So once again he went to the bar to vent with his fair-weather friends.

Plenty of beauties came to the private booth, but none caught his eye.

He drank a lot of alcohol, and somehow his thoughts drifted to the woman from the other day who somewhat resembled Xiao Luo—young and pure. The image of that girl’s tear-streaked little face refused to leave his mind, itching at his heart unbearably.

If he couldn’t chase Xiao Luo, he could at least play with a substitute for a while and toss her aside when he got bored.

Thus Si Nanyan summoned a bartender and said, “Call that new girl from last time.”

The bartender knew exactly who he meant, but his face clouded with difficulty. “President Si, that new girl resigned that very same day.”

She dared to resign?!

Si Nanyan’s brow furrowed deeply. He felt as though this woman was challenging his bottom line.

“I want her full file in three minutes. And figure out a way to drag her here. Right now.”

The bartender dared not offend this lord and could only nod in agreement. He went out and dispatched people to Ji Yao’s shop, forcibly hauling her to the bar.

Ji Yao struggled the entire way but to no avail. Once again she was brought to that same private booth, once again face to face with that devil of a man.

The man narrowed his eyes and scrutinized her from head to toe, the eager desire burning in his gaze making her shiver.

He lifted Ji Yao’s chin with one hand, looking down at her with overbearing arrogance. “Why did you resign? Hm~”

Ji Yao turned her head away, sobbing. “Whether I resign or not, what does it have to do with you? I’m no longer an employee here. Let me out.”

“No connection to me?” A wicked fire ignited in Si Nanyan’s heart. He smirked crookedly. “You’ve provoked me—did you think you could escape?”

Si Nanyan looked at Ji Yao’s face. The more he looked, the more satisfied he felt. Although she couldn’t compare to Luo’er in looks, she appeared delicate, innocent, and pure—exactly how a woman ought to be.

He had just skimmed through a basic profile of Ji Yao. Fresh out of university, father deceased early, mother hospitalized, only a small family restaurant left. She worked all sorts of jobs every day, constantly on the run—a pitiable girl from the dregs of society.

She was definitely starved for money. A rich man willing to help her—what could she possibly be dissatisfied with?

He smiled. “Spend one night with me, and I’ll give you a million.”

A million—a woman like her couldn’t earn that in ten years.

Ji Yao said, “I don’t want your filthy money! Let me go!”

A look of amusement grew on Si Nanyan’s face. It had been a long time since he’d met a woman so unswayed by vanity. “Daring to speak to me like this… Woman, you’ve thoroughly caught my attention.”

Ji Yao was starting to feel despair. Why had she run into such a freak? If she had known earlier, she would rather have died than ever set foot in this bar.

Would anyone save her again?

Just then, she once again thought of Xiao Luo.

Si Nanyan ordered his men to prepare a room, but at that moment his secretary suddenly called.

Frowning, he answered, “What is it? Make it quick.”

The secretary panicked. “It’s bad, President! Someone tipped off the press that you forced yourself on a minor at this bar. A swarm of reporters is headed for Star Shine Bar right now! Where are you, President?”

Si Nanyan sobered up instantly. He shoved aside the beauties on either side, grabbed his coat, and bolted out.

Many of Star Shine Bar’s operations operated in a gray area, even brushing against the criminal underworld. But they had powerful backers shielding them from exposure.

The establishment even had secret passages designated for VIPs, ensuring that honored guests could come and go safely without being photographed by paparazzi or reporters.

Si Nanyan was now taking exactly such a secret passage.

As he walked, he called his secretary. “What the hell is going on? Investigate! I want to know who leaked this!”

Those who opposed him generally came to no good end.

The moment he emerged from the secret passage, cameras with long-range lenses and flash muzzles were shoved in his face, snapping “click, click, click” without pause. His mind went blank as he instinctively shielded his face.

“President Si! President Si is indeed here!”

“President Si, it’s said you frequently spend the night at this bar. Does your fiancée know about this?”

“President Si, may I ask why you came out through a secret passage? Did you do something you can’t let others see?”

“We heard you coerced an underage girl here. Is that true?”

“President Si, President Si…”

A crowd of reporters besieged him with questions. The veins on Si Nanyan’s forehead throbbed violently.

How the hell did these damn reporters find out about the secret passage exit and specifically stalk him here?!

On the other side, the moment Si Nanyan fled, Ji Yao immediately scrambled up and left the bar as well.

The main entrance was blocked by a mob of reporters, completely impassable. Ji Yao started to panic.

At that moment, Xiao Luo appeared. She suddenly grabbed Ji Yao’s wrist and said, “Follow me.”

Seeing it was her, Ji Yao instinctively relied on and trusted her, following Xiao Luo out through another exit.

“Thank you, Xiao Luo,” Ji Yao said gratefully. Then something crossed her mind, and she asked with some confusion, “Why are you here too?”

Xiao Luo smiled. “I happened to see how lively it was over here. Got curious, so I came in.”

“Oh.” Ji Yao nodded.

Xiao Luo said, “It’s already so late. Let me escort you home.”

Ji Yao had been about to say there was no need to trouble her, but she hadn’t seen Xiao Luo in days and had only just managed to meet her again with great difficulty. So in a small voice she said, “Sorry for the trouble.”

“No trouble at all.”

When they reached the entrance to Ji Yao’s residential community, Xiao Luo instructed her, “Head on inside. If you run into any trouble, you can call me anytime.”

“Xiao Luo, you’re so good to me.” Ji Yao gazed at her, tears of gratitude glimmering in her eyes.

“Since we’re friends, helping you is only what I should do.” Xiao Luo patted her shoulder.

Beneath the moonlight, Xiao Luo’s fine features appeared even softer. Her peach-blossom eyes looked extremely affectionate.

Ji Yao couldn’t help but open her arms and embrace her, her voice thick with emotion. “Xiao Luo, you said we’re friends. I’m… I’m really happy today.”

But deep in her heart, a faint dissatisfaction still lingered. Just ordinary friends—couldn’t their relationship move a step closer?

What would a closer relationship be like? She didn’t quite dare to think further.

Ji Yao felt like a snail. She had tentatively extended her feelers, only to quickly withdraw head, feelers, and all, right back into her shell.

“Alright, go on back now,” Xiao Luo said with a smile.

“Mm.” Only then did Ji Yao reluctantly let go of her, turning back to look over her shoulder every few steps as she entered the complex.

Xiao Luo finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “System, what’s today’s mission progress?”

The System replied, “Trigger mission completed. Progress is at twenty percent.”

Xiao Luo smiled slightly. “With such a huge incident, that dog of a man Si Nanyan should pipe down for a bit, right?”

The power of the plot was indeed formidable. That dog male lead had only met Ji Yao once, yet he kept obsessing over her and had even dragged her to the bar yet again.

But she had gotten the System to hack into the bar’s surveillance system, copied the footage, and distributed it to every news agency. All those unsavory videos from the bar, as well as the secret passage—they were all exposed now.

This should be enough to make Si Nanyan sweat.

The System warned, “Host, you must remember that I can only help you three times. You’ve already used up one.”

Xiao Luo raised an eyebrow. “I know. You don’t have to keep reminding me.”

Just as her words faded, her phone rang.