Can't... Can't Drink It! The Protagonist's Aesthetic

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes behind Mu Qingcheng's back.

Fate? Bullshit!

"Brother Cheng, your eyes bothering you?"

Lu Ming blurted out bluntly.

Jiang Cheng: "..."

This kid talks too much!

One of these days, I'll sew his mouth shut.

Hearing this, Mu Qingcheng grew anxious and quickly asked with concern, "Jiang Cheng, are your eyes uncomfortable? Did a bug fly in? Let me blow on them for you."

Stay away from me, don't come any closer!

Jiang Cheng turned his head, saw Mu Qingcheng already leaning in, and hurriedly scooted his butt backward.

"I'm fine. CEO Mu, you should drink some water and sit down to rest."

Is Jiang Cheng worried about me?

He really is such a gentle person!

Mu Qingcheng felt a sweet warmth in her heart, like she'd drunk honey.

"Thank you, Jiang Cheng."

What's she thanking me for?

Could it be because I saved her last time, so she came to thank me specially?

The more Jiang Cheng thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Other than that, he couldn't imagine any reason for Mu Qingcheng to thank him.

But hearing her shy tone still made him uncomfortable—goosebumps all over.

Mu Qingcheng, you're the Ice Queen CEO. Can't you stay aloof?

Just then, Mu Qingcheng naturally sat down beside Jiang Cheng, picked up the teacup from the table, and took a drink.

Jiang Cheng's pupils contracted. Wasn't that his cup?

"Don't... don't drink that!"

Watching Mu Qingcheng's red lips touch the rim, Jiang Cheng unconsciously licked his own lips.

"What's wrong, Jiang Cheng?"

"Cough~ Nothing."

Seeing this, Mu Qingcheng curled the corner of her mouth. Of course she knew it was Jiang Cheng's cup.

Cards on the table!

No more pretending. She did it on purpose.

This way, it counted as an indirect kiss with Jiang Cheng, right?

Lu Ming watched the two of them resentfully, feeling like a giant lightbulb.

Damn.

Someone, come put down this dog.

Lu Ming sighed, made an excuse, and left.

Before Jiang Cheng could recover, Li Shiyao sat straight down on his other side, forming a pincer with Mu Qingcheng, trapping him in the middle with no room to move.

The wealthy young men in the hall watched with envy, stamping their feet in frustration.

If it were them, they'd probably be laughing in their dreams.

Before long, the Birthday Banquet began. An old man with a slightly hunched back, dressed in a white cloth robe, walked out.

His temples were gray, his gaze sharp and deep, unruffled.

Seeing him, the crowd parted a path, not daring to act rashly.

"Cough, cough."

Lin Chongwu cleared his throat twice and smiled at the crowd in the hall.

"Thank you all for gracing the Lin Family with your presence to celebrate this old man's birthday. Cough."

"Old Master Lin, you're too kind. Please take good care of your health."

Everyone exchanged pleasantries.

Jiang Cheng watched Lin Chongwu, who coughed after every few words on stage, and silently cursed the old fox.

This old bastard is wicked to the core!

He's clearly a Peak Inner Strength Ancient Martial Artist, fit as a fiddle and eating everything with gusto, yet he puts on a sickly act.

All of it is to fool the Lin Family's enemies—if anyone actually believes it and comes for revenge, they won't even know how they died.

"Young Friend Ye, come on out."

The moment Lin Chongwu finished speaking, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

Who could be worthy of being called "Young Friend" by the Lin Family's old patriarch?

The next second, a familiar figure appeared at the doorway.

Mu Qingcheng and the other woman both clenched their fists, their beautiful eyes fixed on Ye Bufan.

What a show-off!

Jiang Cheng barely held back his laughter as he sized up Ye Bufan.

An ill-fitting suit, hair slicked with gel, head tilted at a forty-five-degree angle to the ground.

A mysterious smile curled at the corner of his mouth, and to top it off, the bastard was wearing slippers.

Bro, who taught you to dress like this?

The Protagonist is the Protagonist—his sense of style isn't something us mere mortals can understand.

The moment Ye Bufan appeared, the whole hall fell silent.

Lin Chongwu instantly felt his old face burn with embarrassment, his gaze shifting to Lin Pengwen.

Lin Pengwen spread his hands, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

As expected, he never should have trusted this kid.

I told you to dress formally, and you give me a suit with slippers?

Your damn head is practically gleaming!

Everyone present wanted to laugh but didn't dare.

Ye Bufan was quite satisfied with their reactions—his careful grooming hadn't been in vain.

Hahaha!

Bask in my unparalleled charm, all of you.

Jiang Cheng could still hold it together, but Li Shiyao and Mu Qingcheng were about to lose it.

In a panic, Jiang Cheng clamped one hand over each woman's mouth.

If those two actually laughed, his position would be exposed.

He absolutely couldn't let that happen!

In an instant, both women's faces flushed red, their brows filled with shyness, their eyes fixed only on Jiang Cheng.

"Elder Lin."

Ye Bufan smiled at Lin Chongwu, his slippers going "tap-tap" as he entered the hall.

Lin Chongwu wished he could find a crack in the floor to crawl into—his old face was utterly disgraced.

To be fair, it wasn't entirely Ye Bufan's fault; having grown up on Tianshan, he dressed however was comfortable and casual.

Since things had come to this, Lin Chongwu had no choice but to grit his teeth and introduce him to the crowd.

"Everyone, don't let Young Friend Ye's youth fool you—he's a master of both medicine and martial arts, and moreover, he's my lifesaver...'s disciple."

"Haha! A young prodigy—I think Young Master Ye is quite dashing and handsome!"

At those words, everyone turned to stare at the wealthy merchant who had spoken.

Ask yourself, doesn't your conscience ache?

But soon, the hall filled with a "colorful" chorus of flattery.

Anyone with eyes could see the Lin Family patriarch's attitude toward Ye Bufan—a few words could win the Lin Family's favor, so why not?

Listening to the crowd's praise, Ye Bufan's tail was practically wagging to the sky.

Lin Chongwu shot him a sidelong glance. Damn it, does this kid have no self-awareness at all?

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with the crowd, he signaled Ye Bufan to follow him away.

The hall returned to its lively atmosphere.

Hmm?

Just then, Jiang Cheng felt a damp, ticklish sensation on his palm.

He turned his head and saw Li Shiyao, eyes closed, sticking out her tongue like a little cat.

What the hell are you doing?

Ahem!

Jiang Cheng quickly lowered his hands, and the two women finally snapped back to their senses.

Li Shiyao's gaze darted away, her pretty face as red as a boiled prawn.

A Long was full of admiration—no wonder he was the Young Master, his charm was simply unmatched!

Before long, Ye Bufan returned to the hall in a fresh set of clothes.

With the backing of the Lin Family's old patriarch, many people took the initiative to approach and befriend him.

That gave Ye Bufan a secret thrill of satisfaction!

Jiang Cheng looked left and right, but for the life of him, he couldn't spot Lin Chongwu anywhere.

A bizarre thought crept into his mind—could that old bastard have been so pissed off by Ye Bufan that he passed out?

"Jiang Cheng, I'm stepping out for a bit."

Mu Qingcheng suddenly spoke up.

"Go ahead, go ahead."

Jiang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't wait for this woman to leave.

But he regretted it soon after, because Mu Qingcheng was actually heading in Ye Bufan's direction.

Was this woman going to rat out his location?

So they really were in cahoots!

No rush. Let's see what happens first.