Chapter 66: Gossip
Wu Yifan, Ding Shihan, and Liu Wei lingered at Fude Yuan Hotel for over an hour, with Liu Wei drilling Wu on every detail of tomorrow's charade—how to act, what to say, even how to hold her hand "convincingly." Only when she was satisfied did she finally let them go.
Standing outside the hotel, Wu rubbed his temples, still reeling. "Did that really happen? Or was I hallucinating?"
Ding Shihan, now wearing a borrowed baseball cap and oversized sunglasses to hide her features, giggled. "Pretty sure it's real. Ms. Liu wants you to play her boyfriend and ruin her blind date." Her laughter was like wind chimes, drawing glances from passersby. Even in disguise, there was something magnetic about her—poise, grace, a star quality that couldn't be masked.
Wu found himself staring again, captivated. Ye Xiwen was sharp, Fu Junyao fiery, Mu Xiaoyao mischievous, Liu Wei bold—but Ding Shihan… she was like a dream. *Snap out of it*, he told himself. *She's a stranger. Probably a spoiled celebrity, even if she's pretending not to be.*
Ding Shihan noticed his gaze and blushed, playfully slapping his arm. "Stop staring! I'll call the cops for harassment. Is this how you treat all girls you rescue? Creepy."
Wu held up his hands, grinning. "Just admiring beauty. A man's prerogative. Besides, you're safer with me than wandering alone. Qian's men are everywhere." He pulled out his beat-up phone—a cheap model he'd bought last week—and scribbled his number on a napkin. "Call if you need help. No strings attached."
Ding Shihan raised an eyebrow. "No 'you owe me a favor'? No 'let's go to my place'?"
"Hey, I'm a gentleman." Wu clutched his chest, feigning offense. "Besides, I'd never take advantage of a lady in distress. That's low, even for me."
Ding Shihan studied him, then smiled, tucking the napkin into her pocket. "I'll remember that. Good luck with Liu Wei's date. And… thanks. For everything."
With that, she turned and walked away, her posture straightening as she blended into the crowd. Wu watched her go, wondering if he'd ever see her again.
Back at Infinity, Wu retreated to the security booth, his mind still on Ding Shihan—and Liu Wei's insane request. *Fake boyfriend? What is my life?*
The booth door flew open, and Ye Xiwen stepped in, arms crossed. "Skipping out early? And here I thought you were a model employee."
Wu looked up, surprised. "Ye Zong? What are you doing here?"
"Checking on my best security guard. You've been moping all afternoon. Qian Baoqing got you spooked?" She softened, pulling up a chair. "Relax. Business is booming. No more 'accidents.' He's lying low."
Wu snorted. "Qian doesn't 'lie low.' He's planning something." But beneath the bravado, he was touched by her concern.
Ye rolled her eyes. "Always the pessimist. C'mon. I owe you dinner. Remember?"
Wu perked up. "Free food? Lead the way."
As they left Infinity, arm in arm (much to Wu's surprise), the hostesses whispered behind their backs:
"Did you see that? Ye Zong and Brother Fan, leaving together!"
"Bet they're going to her place! Ooh la la!"
"I heard he 'seduced' her with some trick. Spiked her drink, maybe?"
"Scandalous! But good for him—moving up in the world!"
Wu sneezed violently, rubbing his nose. "Someone's talking about me."
"Deservedly so," Ye said, smirking. "You *are* a troublemaker."
Wu mock-gasped. "Me? I'm a saint! Saving damsels, fighting bad guys, keeping Infinity safe. I should get a medal."
Ye laughed, a genuine, warm sound that made Wu's heart skip a beat. *Maybe this fake dating thing with Liu Wei isn't the worst problem*, he thought. *Maybe…*
But as they climbed into Ye's car, Wu's mind wandered back to Ding Shihan, to her smile, to the way she'd laughed at his jokes. *Focus*, he told himself. *One disaster at a time.*
For now, though, dinner with Ye Xiwen sounded pretty good. Even if the gossip mill was already spinning.