98: Playing the role of my girlfriend!

Ye Chen left the store without looking back.

Then.

He glanced left and right.

He unhesitatingly turned into a nearby, sparsely populated alley, his figure flashing before disappearing into the depths of the alley.

The few people who chased him out ran to the alley entrance, only to find it empty. Where was Ye Chen's shadow?

"He ran, ran so fast?"

"As expected of a Expert, appearing and disappearing like a divine dragon..."

...The few people were panting, looking at each other, their faces filled with regret. But then they excitedly huddled together, reviewing the video they just recorded, discussing how to edit and post it, certain it would go viral again.

Inside the store.

Yi Yue walked to the door, looked at the empty alley entrance, and then at the excited bystanders discussing, unable to help but sigh softly, a shallow, helpless smile spreading across her lips.

He always manages to stir up “trouble,” yet always slips away so quickly.

She turned and returned behind the counter, looking at the fruit knife on the ground that Ye Chen had bent with a punch, and the discarded Hu Jing face-skin prop. Her eyes gradually filled with worry.

This matter today, she feared... was not yet over.

That mysterious killer named Night Owl, and the Black Prison behind her... Could Ye Chen truly handle them?

Yi Yue gripped her slightly cold fingers. The thread of worry in her heart quietly spread, like the twilight outside the window... Night Owl made a few leaps and bounds, her figure gliding like a phantom into her hotel room.

"Click."

She bolted the door and leaned against the cold door panel before gently letting out a breath.

She shook him off.

She finally managed to ditch that monster-like guy.

She raised her hand to wipe away the remaining bloodstain at the corner of her mouth, a trace of lingering fear flashing in her eyes.

Damn it... The intelligence was severely flawed!

That brat wasn't just “a little something”?

That stacking punch force was simply wicked!

And that ghost-like movement technique... In a head-on confrontation, she was absolutely no match.

No wonder the Thirteen Death Zodiacs failed so completely.

Night Owl breathed slightly, calming her turbulent Qi and blood and her somewhat disordered internal energy.

However, the very next second after her mind had settled slightly—

A sudden, inexplicable heat, without any warning, surged violently from her energy center!

Like a spark falling into an oil slick, it instantly swept through her limbs and bones!

"Ngh..."

Night Owl let out a muffled groan, her body involuntarily tensing up.

She subconsciously pressed her lower abdomen, a look of shock flashing across her face.

What was going on?

This heat came on suddenly and fiercely, definitely not caused by injury. Instead, it felt like... a potent drug taking effect?

But as a top assassin of the Black Prison, her resistance to all kinds of poisons, sedatives, and even aphrodisiacs had long been tempered to the extreme. Ordinary drugs couldn't possibly affect her!

Could it be... Ye Chen?

Did he secretly administer a drug during their exchange just now?

This thought sent a chill through Night Owl's heart. Her killer instinct immediately prompted her to retrieve a thumb-sized flat metal box from a secret pocket close to her body.

The box was divided into three compartments, containing the Black Prison's specialized universal antidote, powerful tranquilizers, and adrenaline.

She unhesitatingly swallowed the specialized detox pill, rumored to cure a hundred poisons, and then injected herself with a powerful tranquilizer.

The cold liquid spread through her veins, bringing a moment of clarity.

However, just a few seconds later—

Not only did the heat not subside, but it intensified!

Like a prairie fire, it burned her skin hot, made her heart pound like a drum, and a flush rapidly spread across her earlobes and neck.

What was more terrifying was... Ye Chen's calm yet unsettling face, his sharp gaze when he threw a punch, the slight curve of his lips when he spoke... They were! They were! They were! Appearing uncontrollably in her mind!

"Damn it!"

Night Owl cursed softly, her breathing becoming rapid.

It wasn't poison!

The detox pill didn't work!

Nor was it an ordinary aphrodisiac!

The tranquilizer was like pouring oil on fire!

What the hell was this thing?!

Her calm and self-control began to crumble under the impact of this bizarre heat flow.

A heart-pounding desire, like a vine, sprouted from the depths of her heart and coiled around her... Night Owl violently bit the tip of her tongue; the sharp pain brought her momentary clarity.

No!

She couldn't stay here!

She had to leave!

Find an absolutely safe place!

She staggered toward the bathroom in the suite, twisted the cold water faucet, and a cold stream of water rushed down with a “whoosh.”

Night Owl didn't hesitate, not even bothering to take off her clothes, and stepped directly into the bathtub, submerging herself completely in the icy torrent.

The cold water made her shiver violently, and a layer of goosebumps rose on her skin.

"Ye Chen!"

"Ye Chen!!"

"Ye Chen!!!"

"You wait for me, bastard!!!"

...After exiting the alley, Ye Chen went straight to the Shuyue Group.

Before going upstairs, he sent Yi Yue a WeChat message to report he was safe.

[Ye Chen: I shook her off. I'm heading back to The Group for a bit. You be careful. Call me anytime if anything happens. That woman is after me, she won't look for you.]

A few seconds later, Yi Yue replied.

[Yi Yue: Okay, you too.]

Putting away his phone, Ye Chen took the elevator straight to the top floor.

It wasn't lunchtime yet. The assistant's desk outside the CEO's office was empty. Li Qin had probably slipped off somewhere to slack off again.

Ye Chen was happy for the quiet, found a comfortable spot on the sofa by the window, and planned to take a nap.

Just as he closed his eyes, his phone vibrated again.

He pulled it out and was stunned by the contact name flashing on the screen—

Mom.

Ye Chen blinked, confirming he hadn't misread it.

It really was his mother.

He wasn't an orphan; he had both a father and a mother.

It was just that his hometown was a small third or fourth-tier city, not too far from Xiamen City.

Back then, he had a big falling out with his family over marrying Hu Jing, especially since his mother strongly opposed him taking out loans for the wedding and subsequently helping his mother-in-law's family fill their financial holes. The mother and son had a huge fight over this, and contact became sparse afterward.

After getting married, he would still call and send some money back during holidays, but his mother's tone on the phone was always distant, and she would hang up after just a few words.

This was the first time she had proactively called him like this.

Ye Chen hesitated for two seconds, then swiped to answer and put the phone to his ear.

"Mom."

There was silence on the other end for a moment before his mother's indifferent voice came through.

"Xiao Chen, are you free tomorrow? Come back home."

Ye Chen sat up straight: "Is something wrong?"

"Your Younger Male Cousin Ye Hao is getting married and hosting a banquet. All the relatives will be there." Ye Chen's mother paused, "Your father thinks you should come back and show your face."

Ye Hao?

Ye Chen's mind instantly conjured the image of that face that always looked down on people with a raised chin and spoke sarcastically.

This Younger Male Cousin of his was two years younger than him. His family ran a construction materials store, and relying on the county development in recent years, he made a little money, which made him arrogant.

He used to frequently mock Ye Chen both openly and subtly, saying things like... "What's the use of reading so many books? You might as well start screwing screws earlier!"

"Studying medicine won't save your wallet; only an idiot would study it!"

A few years ago, the two families even had a dispute over the boundary of their residential land, nearly coming to blows.

Asking him to go back for the wedding banquet?

Ye Chen could almost picture how that brat Ye Hao would put on a show of returning home in glory, boasting about his new house and car, and incidentally “caring” about his older cousin who was just scraping by in the city.

He rubbed his glabella: "Fine, I understand. I'll be back tomorrow."

Ye Chen's mother seemed relieved, but then spoke with hesitation.

"Well, about that..."

"When you come back, bring Hu Jing with you!"

"She's your wife, after all. Show up together, so those gossips don't wag their tongues."

Ye Chen was silent for two seconds before explaining: "Mom, Hu Jing and I are divorced."

"What?!"

Ye Chen's mother froze for a moment, then burst into anger. He could hear the fury even through the phone.

"Divorced?"

"When did this happen? Why didn't you tell the family?!"

"You insisted on marrying her, took out loans and debt, and almost used up your dad's burial money, and now you just divorce her?!"

"Ye Chen! Won't you be satisfied until you've driven your dad and me to death???"

Ye Chen held the phone away slightly, and waited for the anger on the other end to subside before speaking helplessly: "It's a long story. I'll explain it in detail to you and Dad when I get back."

"Enough, enough! I don't want to hear it now!"

His mother interrupted angrily, "You handle tomorrow yourself! Come back or don't come back, I don't care!"

"Snap!"

The call was hung up, and the busy signal hummed.

Ye Chen looked at the darkened phone screen and gave a wry smile.

His mom still had that temper, easily ignited.

But it was no wonder she was angry.

Back then, for the sake of marrying Hu Jing, he didn't just take out loans and debt.

He practically emptied out the entire family savings and accumulated a huge amount of external debt.

If he hadn't accidentally acquired that ring and gained the inheritance later, he would probably still be struggling to repay his debts like a dog in some dark corner.

Fortunately, all that was in the past.

Ye Chen tossed his phone back into his pocket, leaned back into the sofa, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

At this moment, the office door was gently pushed open.

Bing Lan entered, accompanied by the Secretary-General. Seeing Ye Chen spacing out, she dismissed the Secretary-General.

Then.

She walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ye Chen sat up, giving a wry smile.

"I need to take a day off tomorrow. My Younger Male Cousin is getting married, and my mom called me back."

Bing Lan settled her curvaceous hips onto the single sofa opposite him: "Do you need any help?"

Seeing her serious expression, Ye Chen suddenly felt like teasing her and deliberately sighed.

"The wedding gift money isn't the main issue. It's mainly that my mom just found out I got divorced, and she's furious!"

"When I go back, I'll probably be nagged to death, and I'll have to face the 'concern' of a bunch of relatives..."

He paused, looked up at Bing Lan, and said, half-jokingly, half-seriously.

"Hey, Miss Bing Lan, why don't you do me a favor and come back with me for a trip, just to guest-star as my girlfriend temporarily?"

"I guarantee you'll hold the fort, calm my mom down, and suppress the arrogance of that brat Ye Hao."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ye Chen felt it was a bit outrageous himself.

Asking the Iceberg Female CEO of the Shuyue Group to pretend to be his girlfriend and go back to his hometown to deal with relatives?

This joke went too far.

He was about to laugh it off and smooth things over, but then he saw Bing Lan's red lips part slightly, and she uttered a single word: "Okay."

Ye Chen: "??"