19: A battleground?

The two of them talked for a long time about Lin Shuyi's future direction and decided on a multi-channel development plan, with the focus naturally still being a beauty Streamer.

Jiang Chuan raised his arm to check the time and said, "It's getting late. Let's go, I'll treat you to dinner. Welcome to my company!"

Lin Shuyi noticed that he didn't reach out with any 'devilish hands' and became lively again. She stood up full of energy and said:

"Alright, then thank you, Boss!"

Jiang Chuan booked a restaurant; it was a BBQ shop he used to frequent during university.

In his past life, there was a time he really wanted to eat there, but unfortunately, many years had passed, and by the time he went, it had already turned into a supermarket.

Taking Lin Shuyi into the Mercedes-Benz business van, they headed to the BBQ shop. All along the way, Lin Shuyi was chattering away, clearly returning to her true nature once they left the hotel.

The BBQ shop was near Luocheng University. Since it was during the holidays, there weren't many people around, and the parking lot had plenty of spaces.

Jiang Chuan said with a smile, "Uncle Li, you should come in and have some too. I'll reimburse you later!"

He originally wanted to poach Uncle Li, so he didn't care about the cost of a meal. After all, one who eats another's food is beholden to them; why not do a small favor that costs nothing?

Uncle Li was a man of few words, a very honest middle-aged man.

Naturally, he couldn't refuse Jiang Chuan's persistence, so he had to agree and followed the two of them into the BBQ shop.

Jiang Chuan only booked one table for the two of them; he wasn't so pretentious as to demand a private room.

Lin Shuyi was previously just a small Streamer. Even though she was very popular now, she hadn't reached the point where she would run into fans every time she stepped out.

Fortunately, there was still one empty seat. After settling Uncle Li and telling him to order whatever he wanted, the two of them sat down at a table near the entrance.

Jiang Chuan handed her the menu and said, "Here, you order. I used to love eating at this shop, but it's really been a long time since I've been here."

Lin Shuyi didn't stand on ceremony with him, taking the menu to choose what she liked before handing it back to him.

Jiang Chuan noticed that she had only ordered vegetarian dishes and just one plate of meat, so he added two more plates of meat before handing the menu to the waiter.

Unexpectedly, before the waiter arrived, an unexpected person did.

--- -

Ever since Zhang Linlin saw Jiang Chuan on the hot search, her mood had been very complicated. However, since they had already broken up and she had been so heartless about it, she didn't go looking for him.

Today's live stream was still unsatisfactory, and Zhang Linlin was already starting to regret being with Sun Kai.

Small success depends on promotion, but great success depends on fate; Sunset was not as powerful as she had imagined.

If it weren't for the situation with Jiang Chuan, she wouldn't have felt this way; she would have just thought that maybe she wasn't suited to be a Streamer.

There are too many handsome men and beautiful women in the Streamer industry because the beauty filters are so powerful.

So without something special, wanting to become a top Streamer based on looks alone was simply wishful thinking.

But seeing Jiang Chuan so successful, she naturally began to make comparisons.

The dissatisfaction in her heart grew larger and larger, but there was no way to turn back, so she had to suppress it.

After finally making it to the end of the workday, Sun Kai had work to handle, so she went out for dinner with a colleague from the company. The two of them thought for a long time but couldn't decide what to eat.

Zhang Linlin suddenly thought of the BBQ shop Jiang Chuan used to take her to. After getting her colleague's consent, the two of them took a taxi from the company to the BBQ shop.

The girl clearly knew Zhang Linlin's background and spent the whole way flattering her in conversation.

Zhang Linlin's mood improved a lot, and before long, they had become "besties."

The two of them pushed open the door of the BBQ shop, laughing and talking, but as soon as she entered, Zhang Linlin froze on the spot.

"Why is he here? Is the one opposite him that girl called Xiao Yi? How is that possible! She's even better looking than in her photos?"

Zhang Linlin's good mood instantly dropped to its lowest point. She wasn't as pretty as the other woman, and it seemed her fame wasn't as great either.

Feeling dejected, she pulled her colleague and said, "Let's change shops. This one doesn't seem to have any seats left."

"True, this shop is quite crowded. Let's change then!"

Zhang Linlin turned to walk out, her mood sinking further as she thought about how meticulous Jiang Chuan used to be with her.

Thinking about how this was clearly a shop they used to come to together, the more she thought about it, the more unwilling she became. As she walked, she took a deep breath and said:

"I'm sorry, I'm feeling a bit unwell, so I won't be eating with you. I'll treat you another day."

The girl naturally didn't mind. She nodded and said, "Then go back and get some rest. You can call me if you need anything."

Zhang Linlin nodded, having no mood for further pleasantries, and turned around to stride back toward the BBQ shop.

"He's mine! The fact that he still comes here to eat means he definitely hasn't forgotten me! Even if you are prettier and more famous, I am his first love!"

She brainwashed herself over and over, growing more confident and emboldened with every step.

Reaching the entrance of the BBQ shop, she pushed the door open forcefully and walked straight toward Jiang Chuan's table.

Seeing her fierce expression, the waiter didn't dare to stop her.

With a monthly salary of just over a thousand yuan, it wasn't worth risking one's life. The waiter kept a safe distance from her.

Zhang Linlin walked up to Jiang Chuan. Looking at his appearance, she felt a sense of strangeness.

Although his looks were the same, his entire aura was too strong. She didn't dare lose her temper at him, so she turned to Lin Shuyi and questioned loudly:

"Jiang Chuan is mine! Who do you think you are? You think you're worthy of stealing my man?"

Never mind Lin Shuyi, even Jiang Chuan was stunned. His chopsticks, holding a piece of meat, stopped mid-air. He didn't react for a moment, not knowing what kind of drama was being staged.

Lin Shuyi didn't understand the situation either. Still eating, she whispered to Jiang Chuan:

"Is this your girlfriend?"

Jiang Chuan shook his head and said, "Ex-girlfriend. I was dumped. She has nothing to do with me now."

"Oh, an ex-girlfriend! Do you still like her?"

Jiang Chuan said irritably, "Do you think I would like a woman like this?"

Lin Shuyi nodded, understanding the situation before her.

The two of them communicated in low voices face-to-face. Let alone the other customers watching the drama, even Zhang Linlin couldn't hear what they were saying.

Seeing the two of them still whispering and completely ignoring her, Zhang Linlin clenched her fists and said indignantly:

"Why don't you dare speak? You have a guilty conscience, don't you? Then stay away from him from now on. You're not good enough for him!"

Jiang Chuan thought her words were too unpleasant and stood up, intending to speak up for Little Shuyi.

Lin Shuyi pulled his arm and said calmly:

"Men shouldn't get involved in women's business. Leave it to me."

Jiang Chuan had just seen Lin Shuyi's withdrawn appearance at noon; how could he feel at ease letting her face this alone?

But when he saw the look in her eyes, he didn't stop her and sat down to wait for her performance.

Lin Shuyi stood up, not fearing the other woman at all. Her gaze was direct, making her seem like a completely different person from who she was at noon. She spoke each word with power and conviction.

"Whether I'm good enough for him or not, I don't know. But you! You definitely don't deserve him!"

"Looking at your regretful face now, you don't even have the courage to face him. What? You think I'm an easy target? You want to win him back?"

"You're quite ugly, but your imagination is quite beautiful! I'm telling you, as long as I, Lin Shuyi, am by his side for one day, he can never belong to you!"

The surrounding customers couldn't even focus on eating, their eyes fixed on the scene without blinking.

Uncle Li was also watching, but since this was the boss's private matter, he stood there not knowing what to do.

"Holy crap! This girl looks so cute, yet she's so fierce!"

"That guy is the one who really deserves to be cursed, right? Having two such beautiful girls fighting over him!"

"He really deserves to die!"