Guan Xing couldn't help but sigh in frustration. First, it had been Cheng Yunya, now it was Qin Yunluo. Why did all these women always seem to turn to him as their shield? Was he some kind of human barrier?
"Miss Qin, this is...?" A young man around twenty-five or twenty-six years old walked up. His figure was tall and slender, with a delicate and somewhat handsome face, though he lacked the usual masculinity. Instead, he appeared gentle and almost like a shy girl.
Before Guan Xing could speak, intending to explain that he had no relationship with this woman, Qin Yunluo moved closer and interrupted, happily introducing, "Guan Xing, my boyfriend. He's a doctor."
Guan Xing's mouth hung open in disbelief, but before he could protest, she continued, "Guan Xing, this is General Manager Song Tianming from Tianhao Group. We were just discussing business, and he had planned to take me to dinner, but I'll have to apologize to him now."
Her tone sounded forced. In truth, Qin Yunluo was well aware of what Song Tianming's intentions were. His reason for inviting her to dinner under the guise of business talks was just a way to get closer to her. If it weren't for the deal, she would have left long ago.
Such was the way women worked—especially beautiful ones—when negotiating business. It was impossible to avoid these small favors being extracted from them. Women often gave more than men to keep things afloat in life.
Song Tianming, however, seemed to be a man inexperienced in romance. While he clearly liked Qin Yunluo, his approach was naive and innocent. He wasn't like the despicable Xia Ziliang, who would have shamelessly tried to take advantage of her.
When he heard Qin Yunluo's words, Song Tianming's face turned a shade of red, realizing the awkwardness of the situation. He quickly added, "Since Manager Qin has something to attend to, we can always arrange it for another time. Dr. Guan, I must say, you're quite lucky to have such a beautiful girlfriend."
Guan Xing stood there, speechless. He hadn't even said a word, yet these two had already cleared everything up for him.
Looking at the young man's shy and earnest demeanor, offering a handshake, Guan Xing felt a strange sensation of helplessness. He couldn't think of anything else to say, except, "Well... my girlfriend may not be that beautiful, but once you have one, it's hard to get rid of her."
It was meant as a playful remark from Guan Xing, one driven by his irritation, but it instantly turned Song Tianming's face even redder. In this modern world, it was rare to meet such an innocent young man, and honestly, he wasn't suited for Qin Yunluo. He simply couldn't hold his ground with her.
Qin Yunluo, however, was both embarrassed and angry upon hearing Guan Xing's words. She leaned closer to him, speaking in a teasing voice, "Guan Xing, are you crazy? You can't say things like that to General Manager Song. Now, he's probably losing face."
Her delicate hand quickly moved to his waist, pinching him hard. Guan Xing, still holding his composure, waited until Song Tianming finally turned away and left before he could finally rub the sore spot.
"Hey, Manager Qin, I'm helping you out here. You're treating me like this? Isn't this a case of gratitude turned into resentment?" Guan Xing grumbled.
"You idiot," Qin Yunluo retorted, with a playful, almost angry edge. "What did you say earlier? I'm still a good girl, and you run your mouth, saying I'm some kind of promiscuous woman? What's a few pinches? I'll even bite you!"
She flashed a wicked smile and playfully threatened, pretending to move toward him to nibble at his ear.
Just as their banter reached its peak, a familiar voice interrupted from a short distance away.
"Guan Xing!"
It was Sun Yiran. She had grown impatient waiting for him and decided to come down herself, but what she saw made her feel distinctly uncomfortable.
Guan Xing had a woman with him—she already knew that. She had told herself not to feel jealous, after all, a man like him would naturally attract many women. But when she actually saw them together, it became impossible to suppress the ache in her heart. Though she had seen it all, she hadn't come over earlier.
She hadn't intended to come down, but seeing how close they were getting, her jealousy flared. Guan Xing was her husband, and she would never lose to anyone. She, Sun Yiran, was someone who never accepted defeat.
"Iran, you came in person. How's the company going?" Guan Xing's mood shifted when he saw her, warmth and comfort filling his heart.
Though Qin Yunluo was a beauty—youthful, radiant, and charming—she couldn't provide the sense of peace and comfort that Sun Yiran did.
Sun Yiran glanced at Guan Xing, then locked eyes with Qin Yunluo.
Qin Yunluo was a little surprised, studying Sun Yiran for a moment. She suddenly exclaimed, "You're Sun Yiran, the public relations manager from Huaxia Group?"
In the city, Sun Yiran was somewhat of a public figure. Her aura was magnetic, like a siren, drawing the attention of every man when she entered a room. In business circles, when she appeared, all eyes were on her, and the other women were often left ignored.
Qin Yunluo had only seen Sun Yiran once, but she remembered her clearly. As the PR manager of the giant Huaxia Group, Sun Yiran was a force to be reckoned with, standing side by side with figures like Xi Hengsheng in the upper echelons of society.
"Are you the Miss Hua Ruyin?" Sun Yiran didn't recognize the woman before her but assumed, from the close proximity she had to her husband, that it could only be Hua Ruyin.
Realizing her mistake, Sun Yiran felt a wave of embarrassment and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Miss Qin. I made a mistake. I'm Sun Yiran, but I'm no longer with Huaxia. I've started my own company."
Her attitude changed swiftly, leaving Qin Yunluo somewhat baffled. The woman who had been glaring at her just moments ago was now treating her like an old friend, soft as a spring breeze.
"Ah, so Miss Sun has started her own company?" Qin Yunluo was still somewhat puzzled. "By the way, you mentioned Hua Ruyin. She's a friend of mine. She works at Feiyang, does Miss Sun know her?"
In her mind, Hua Ruyin didn't have any friends like Sun Yiran, something Qin Yunluo was certain of, since they were rivals in business.
"I don't know her." Sun Yiran quickly denied the connection, not wanting to acknowledge the mistake.
"Oh!" Qin Yunluo seemed to have sensed something and let out a playful laugh. "I see. Miss Sun also knows Dr. Guan, right? Dr. Guan just returned from overseas. When did you meet?"
She turned to Guan Xing with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Dr. Guan, you know such a beautiful woman and didn't say anything? Are you planning something bad?"
Her eyes, laced with mischief, showed that she had picked up on something, sensing a hint of tension.
Guan Xing ignored her on purpose. She was really something. He had helped her out, and yet she couldn't even be bothered to thank him. Instead, she just clung on, causing trouble.
"Yes, I've known Guan Xing for a while now. I was just planning to ask him to take a look at my company and give me some advice," Sun Yiran said with a composed smile, her tone casual yet friendly.
"Would it be okay if I also took a look? After all, starting a business is a huge dream for me. Even if I can't make it happen, I'd like to fantasize about it," Qin Yunluo quickly added, eager to tag along.
Guan Xing didn't want her to insert herself into this, especially since he hadn't told Hua Ruyin the truth yet. There was a chance Qin Yunluo might pick up on something unusual.
"Now that it's getting late, Miss Qin, you should head home soon. It'll be dark if you stay any longer," Guan Xing suggested, trying to deflect.
Sun Yiran, on the other hand, was more straightforward. "Of course, Miss Qin. I'd love for you to come. Please, feel free to give me some advice."
With that, the two women began conversing in a manner that made it seem as though they were long-lost friends. Guan Xing could only watch in silent disbelief as they continued chatting. If not for the occasional sly glance in his direction, he might have believed that they were truly best friends.