...

Han Lie, heartless as ever, started chatting with Chen Yanfei again. He hit the sack at 11 o'clock sharp and slept until the break of dawn.

Today was Sunday, so there was no need to bother with the stock market. He spent the quiet morning typing away.

By noon, he had almost finalized the ending of "The Goddess CEO." He stretched lazily and strolled down to the cafeteria.

Pan Ge and Xi Luting? Whatever! Some things are funny—only by not caring do you get the best outcome.

Just as Han Lie reached the cafeteria entrance, Pan Ge took the initiative to call.

"What are you up to?"

"About to hit the cafeteria for lunch. How did you guys sleep?"

"Us? Ask again."

Ha, she really knows how to mess with me!

Han Lie snorted coldly and asked again, "How did you two sleep?"

Pan Ge had no choice but to reply, her voice thick with resentment, "She slept like a log, totally blissful, and woke up glowing. I, on the other hand, didn't sleep well. I'm a bit sore, and now I have dark circles."

"Ouch! Little submissive Pan, you wanna die? Your weak spot is in my hands!"

Xi Luting's chagrined squeal came through the phone, followed by a round of passionate tussling.

Han Lie quickly conjured up an image in his mind.

No, it wasn't just an image, it was practically a short video…

"AHEM!"

He coughed twice to remind them and once again felt a stirring down below.

These two temptresses! Could they really have done something sneaky behind my back yesterday? Why are they suddenly so chummy, practically radiating couple vibes? Not only am I not upset, but I also feel quite thrilled. Most men would probably like to wear this kind of 'hat', right?! If someone can't accept it… something's wrong with you!

"Okay, okay, stop it. Darling, what's the plan?" Han Lie promptly stopped them because he couldn't take it anymore.

"Come out for lunch. Aren't we going to pick up the bracelet this afternoon?"

"Anklet!" Han Lie patiently corrected, then turned and walked towards the school gate.

"Where to? You drive over from your place. I'll take a taxi and meet you."

"Utsusemi. It's the closest Japanese restaurant to our place. After eating, we can walk a couple of steps to the Mandarin Oriental. It's perfect for taking Sister Ting to see the exhibition."

There was nothing to complain about the reason for eating at Utsusemi, but Pan Ge's way of addressing Xi Luting… I felt a bit queasy. Good heavens, she acts like she wants Xi Luting dead and done with, yet she calls her 'Sister' so affectionately… This girl is so fake, she has no bottom line. But… I really like it! Seriously, I genuinely admire Pan Ge. Beautiful and rich, she's destined to be the target of various men's elaborate hunts. If she were a naïve and sweet girl, whoever married her would suffer endlessly. It wouldn't be reassuring to have her out there! She might be easily deceived. Losing money would be one thing, but what if she were taken advantage of? How unjust would that be? Plus, if some scoundrel sowed discord in the marriage… well, you'd have the perfect female lead for a soap opera. A beautiful and rich young lady from a prominent family must know how to protect herself; the craftier, the better. Otherwise, she's a burden, not an asset. Someone like Pan Ge is ideal—low-maintenance and entertaining.

"Alright, I reckon you two will dawdle a while longer. I'll book a private room."

"Mmm-hmm, see you in a bit."

Han Lie hung up. Just as he nearly reached the school gate, he suddenly smacked his forehead, turned, and headed toward the dormitory.

I need to bring the necklace I bought for Xi Luting. This afternoon, Pan Ge will definitely provoke Xi Luting with her gift—that 2.88 million yuan present will scare the life out of her. In this regard, I certainly can't be entirely fair, but at least I need to make some gesture, right? Crafty little submissive Pan, always stirring up trouble for me...

Han Lie sighed, took out the Cartier necklace with its box, packed them into his backpack, and then called the Marriott ambassador.

"Esteemed Mr. Han, how may I assist you today?"

Han Lie's Marriott Ambassador membership had come through. Although his physical lifetime card would take some time to arrive, it didn't stop him from enjoying the status.

The ambassador assigned to Han Lie by the Marriott Group was the Deputy Manager of their domestic major customer service department.

Since the department manager held an administrative, non-service role, the highest rank for an ambassador was deputy manager. There were only four such positions: three women and one man.

These four exclusive ambassadors serviced top-tier guests across all domestic hotels under the group, including the Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, JW, Sheraton, and others.

Their clientele included celebrities like Zhou Dong, Wang Fei, He Youjun, and similar big shots who frequently traveled around mainland China but hadn't purchased many luxury properties there.

Zhou Dong, in particular, mainly stayed in Ritz-Carlton suites when in the mainland.

Han Lie's exclusive ambassador, who also serviced Zhou Dong, was a woman named Liya. They hadn't met yet, but she had repeatedly requested to visit Han Lie.

He hadn't agreed, as he was too lazy to meet her, but he already considered her his most useful tool.

"Liya, could you please book a tatami private room for me at Utsusemi Kaiseki Cuisine? For three people, arriving in half an hour."

"Certainly, Mr. Han. Is there anything else you need?"

"That's all for now."

Five minutes later, Liya called back.

"Mr. Han, all the private rooms at Utsusemi are currently booked. Would you like me to book another nearby Michelin three-star restaurant or a different Japanese restaurant?"

Han Lie frowned, thinking, Oh, right. Utsusemi only has four or five private rooms. It's peak lunchtime, so getting a spot last minute is probably quite difficult…

"When is the earliest a room will be available?"

"At 1:30 PM."

"Then wait while I check with someone."

Han Lie asked Pan Ge again, "We can only get a spot at 1:30 PM. Still want to go?"

Pan Ge was firm. "Of course! Let's do 1:30 PM. I'll take Sister Ting shopping. All her clothes are at the dorm. Meet me and her at Nanjing Road."

"Okay."

After further communication, Liya booked the 1:30 PM private room at Utsusemi for Han Lie and also conveniently made a dinner reservation at BOMBANA.

Liya is indeed very capable at handling things.

BOMBANA's full name is 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA, with the Chinese name "Eight and a Half."

It was quite famous in the Magic Capital's stylish, affluent circles.

The original branch was on Hong Kong Island, the only Michelin three-star Italian restaurant there. The Magic Capital's branch, however, was two-starred, outrageously expensive, and incredibly hard to book.

Typically, reservations could be full for half a month.

In my past life, I had a stroke of luck helping a female client make a fortune. The wealthy lady specially arranged a meal for me here. Good heavens, it was the epitome of extravagance, like literally eating money. Back then, I almost couldn't stop myself from saying, "Auntie, I don't want to work hard anymore." But at that time, whether in physique or looks, I was far inferior to my present self. Despite the 'auntie' being rather plump and plain, she still didn't fancy me... I didn't lose out, but she certainly did. Judging by appearances was her mistake; my special charm has been potent across two lifetimes...

This time, he was the one treating, and his guests were the peerless duo, Pan Ge and Xi Luting. The first restaurant that came to his mind was Eight and a Half.

Hmm, Pan Ge probably wouldn't care much, but Xi Luting might not be able to resist. Probably...

After finalizing the candlelight dinner arrangements, the incredibly carefree Han Lie hailed a taxi and headed straight for Nanjing Road.

Why carefree? Inviting two women to a candlelight dinner at the same time—who does that? That's just how I roll.

Arriving at Nanjing Road, Han Lie sat down on a bench in the middle of the pedestrian street. With nothing better to do, he started girl-watching.

There was never a shortage of beautiful women here.

Among the passing girls, at least one in every hundred could be considered beautiful.

It wasn't the right season now, though. In summer, you'd see plenty of fair thighs and slim waists, sometimes even trendy girls hitting the streets wearing just a skimpy halter top, their smooth, bare backs enough to make anyone hot and bothered.

Just as he spotted the twelfth beautiful girl, two fairy-like figures approached from afar.

Pan Ge wore a white coat, still eye-catching.

But Xi Luting beside her shone even brighter. Her long legs were so striking that the top of her thighs seemed to reach Pan Ge's waist.

Good heavens, wherever they passed, men were struck silent and women were moved to tears by their beauty.

It wasn't an exaggeration; every single passerby turned their heads as they walked, their eyes practically glued to them.

Suddenly, Han Lie felt a surge of pride.

See that? Both of these stunners are mine!

He greeted them with a grin, but the two girls gave a simultaneous, cold snort and walked past him, heads held high.

Sigh, the thought is nice, but the dream of enjoying the company of both is still a long way off...

*****

Chapters keep getting stealthy edits; nothing can be done.

I try to control it, to make a fresh and wholesome loaf of bread...

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