The CEO's office was decorated in a minimalist style, with a gray and white color scheme. Even though it was the peak of a scorching summer, Secretary Wen felt a chill run down his back.

Yet, he saw his boss looking indifferently at the photo of the lunch date, which had been captured by the media.

It was as if he wasn't the one suspected of being cheated on.

In the photo, Qin Fan and Fang Yuze sat opposite each other. You could faintly see her lips curved into a smile, while the handsome man across from her also had a gentle look in his eyes.

Xie Yanli's gaze inadvertently fell upon the popular comments:

Ahhh, the bombshell actress x the highly acclaimed Film Emperor, I'm shipping this pair to death!

Although I don't think Qin Fan's status is a match for Film Emperor Fang, just in terms of looks, they're a perfect match.

Many netizens felt they were a great match visually, and some had even started imagining what their children would look like.

One out-of-place comment was particularly eye-catching: Am I the only one who thinks Qin Fan's face makes Fang Yuze look like a passerby?

This comment was quickly reported and deleted by Fang Yuze's fans.

Xie Yanli only paused for a few seconds before calmly averting his gaze.

Secretary Wen peeked at his boss, cleared his throat, and took back the tablet with a serious expression, saying, "These netizens have terrible taste. Clearly, a fairy like the Madam and you are the ultimate pairing. Those random men out there aren't worthy."

"Tsk, and some are even more clueless. They actually say that for an otherworldly fairy like the Madam, no man is worthy. That's only because they've never met you, President Xie. They would be absolutely stunned!"

"..."

The grip of Xie Yanli's long fingers on the fountain pen loosened, and he picked up the coffee cup beside the documents, handing it over.

Secretary Wen, who was in the middle of praising his boss at the film emperor's expense, suddenly felt a weight in his hands. After meeting Xie Yanli's eyes, which were as cold as winter stars, he immediately shut his mouth.

Just as Secretary Wen was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and asked cautiously, "Then, should we reschedule this evening's flight to Zhou City?"

'Not going home to discipline his wife?'

The afternoon sun was less harsh, shining through the glass onto the man's handsome and refined profile. In the interplay of light and shadow, his expression was indistinct.

His voice was calm and unwavering: "Proceed as planned."

When Qin Fan learned that she and Fang Yuze were a trending topic, she was lying on a bed at a beauty salon getting a treatment.

During lunch, she had learned that Film Emperor Fang had already been personally chosen by Pei Feng to be the male lead for Feng Hua.

He had also revealed to Qin Fan that there was a role for a peerless beauty in the drama. Previously, Pei Feng had mentioned that among all the A-list and B-list actresses in the industry, none met his requirement of being stunning at first sight.

He said he was thinking of recommending Qin Fan.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Rong immediately brought Qin Fan to the beauty salon as soon as the meal ended.

Wasn't that a perfect description of their Qin Fan! She would bet that there was absolutely no actress in the entertainment industry more beautiful than Qin Fan.

She could be a dazzling beauty with striking, strong features, or an otherworldly fairy with a cool, distant aura. She could be cool, sweet, assertive, or ethereal—her versatility was unmatched.

No matter what kind of stunning beauty Director Pei was looking for, their Fairy Qin could deliver!

Qin Fan listened with her eyes closed as Jiang Rong lavished her with praise.

Suddenly, the voice beside her stopped, making Qin Fan feel a bit unsettled. "Why did you stop talking?"

After all, Jiang Rong's over-the-top flattery was quite hypnotic.

Jiang Rong said, "Your romance has been exposed!"

Qin Fan's eyes flew open. After asking the staff member who was massaging her neck to leave, she sat up on the bed, wrapped in a silk robe:

"What's going on?"

Remembering the mosaic-filled scene from last night when Xie Yanli had pinned her against the penthouse's floor-to-ceiling window, Qin Fan's languid expression grew heavier.

"You were photographed having lunch with Film Emperor Fang. A paparazzo was following us." And they had even managed to get a picture of Fang Yuze.

Seeing the short video released by the media, they had even gloated on Weibo—

We originally just wanted to snap some pretty pictures of the 'worldly fairy' who hasn't been very active lately, but we never expected to break such big news.

Although Qin Fan was a newcomer in the acting world, she had become a viral sensation in the classical dance circle with a single performance, accumulating tens of millions of fans for her dancing and her looks. Despite keeping a low profile, she was still very popular.

Like idol, like fan. Qin Fan maintained a serene and detached fairy-like image on Weibo, and her fans followed suit. They never fought for chart rankings or engaged in fan wars, keeping to themselves.

Therefore, under the trending topic of her suspected romance, the comments were divided into three main camps: casual observers shipping the CP and praising their visual compatibility; Fang Yuze's fans, who refused to believe it and were refuting the rumors everywhere, arguing that friends can eat together and that the media was making something out of nothing; and rivals who were taking the opportunity to stir up trouble and slander them.

Only a handful of Qin Fan's fans commented that no man was worthy of Fairy Fanfan; the majority of her fanbase remained silent.

After reading it, Qin Fan's first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, it wasn't a short video of her and Xie Yanli's floor-to-ceiling window play that had been exposed.

However... Film Emperor Fang had kindly offered to introduce her to a director, and in return, she had dragged the typically low-profile actor into a trending topic. Qin Fan felt a pang of guilt.

This kind of baseless, speculative news didn't really need a response. The more you tried to clarify, the guiltier you would appear.

After Jiang Rong discussed the matter with Fang Yuze's manager, they unanimously decided to let the buzz die down on its own.

After all, they had clear consciences and nothing to hide.

Qin Fan looked at Jiang Rong doubtfully. "If we don't clarify, won't it have a negative impact on Film Emperor Fang?" 'Isn't this just clout-chasing?'

"It's not clout-chasing, it's a win-win situation. Although you're a newcomer in the industry, there's always a lot of online buzz about you. Plus, Film Emperor Fang has a new project releasing soon."

Jiang Rong continued, "As for you, it's been a while since your last project. This trending topic will generate some buzz, so audiences don't forget who you are."

Alright then.

'I'll listen to the professional.'

Qin Fan lay back down on the treatment bed, her voice languid. "Sister Jiang, could you please call the masseuse back for me?"

Seeing her so readily accepting the situation, Jiang Rong was silent for a few seconds. "..."

'This attitude of hers is something else.'

'If Qin Fan doesn't become famous, it would be a heavenly injustice.'

Fang Yuze was highly efficient. He had just offered to make an introduction for Qin Fan, and a time was set less than two days later.

The venue was the Yuge Club, the most private establishment in Bei Cheng.

Because of Pei Feng's eccentric personality, only Qin Fan was allowed to come.

The entire afternoon Jiang Rong had her spend in the styling room was not wasted. Everywhere Qin Fan went, she drew stunned gazes.

After all, Qin Fan had previously moved in a niche circle, and today she wore uncharacteristically heavy, glamorous makeup. The clientele of the Yuge Club rarely paid attention to entertainment news, so surprisingly, no one on the way recognized her as Qin Fan, the 'worldly fairy' of the classical dance world.

Wearing pearl-strapped high heels, Qin Fan walked with a graceful and slender figure toward the private room Fang Yuze had mentioned.

Who would have known that just as she reached the second floor, as she casually tucked a wavy lock of hair that had fallen onto her shoulder behind her ear and looked up, her eyes would suddenly narrow.

By the wall in the dimly, ambiguously lit corridor.

She saw a familiar man.

Under the lights, Xie Yanli stood tall and handsome by a window, with a young girl in a fiery red dress chasing after him.

Qin Fan paused, unhurried, crossing her slender arms. From where she stood, she could clearly hear the young girl ask breathlessly, "Brother Xie, I thought you had left. Could I have your business card? It was a pleasure to meet you today."

Xie Yanli's reaction was indifferent. Before speaking, he glanced slightly to the side—not at the girl, but his gaze landed on a radiant woman a short distance away, who was smiling at him with curled lips.

"Brother Xie?"

......

Qin Fan tutted softly. 'Another poor girl deceived by Xie Yanli's appearance.'

Back when her family pushed her into an arranged marriage with Xie Yanli, she too had been deceived by his noble and elegant facade for a time, thinking that even without love, they could at least maintain a respectful relationship after marriage. How naive she had been.

Unable to stand watching Xie Yanli deceive the young girl, Qin Fan finally made her move.

The sharp points of her high heels still made distinct clicks on the carpeted floor as she walked over, step by methodical step. She spoke slowly,

"Our President Xie never gives his business card to women."

Her eyes flashed with a seductive charm as her red lips parted slightly, as if whispering the next words, "He only gives women room keys."

The sudden voice startled Pei Yanyan in the red dress.

She subconsciously looked over.

"You are..."

When she got a clear look at Qin Fan's face, Pei Yanyan's heart sank.

Qin Fan wore a dark green, thin silk qipao. Under the lights, her skin looked fair and delicate. With her red lips and black hair, she was flawlessly beautiful.

She was clearly a great beauty with a powerful, assertive aura—radiant, bold, and dazzling.

When one woman sizes up another, the victor is decided at a glance.

In the face of such ultimate beauty, even Pei Yanyan's red dress seemed to lose its luster.

Pei Yanyan stole a glance at Xie Yanli, curious to see his reaction to this beautiful woman who had appeared out of nowhere.

She saw that the expression in Xie Yanli's eyes hadn't changed in the slightest.

Pei Yanyan breathed a sigh of relief. Assuming Xie Yanli didn't know the woman, she grew bold and snorted, "Who are you? Don't you have any manners? What right do you have to interrupt us?"

Just as she was about to ask Qin Fan to leave, she saw the beautiful woman intimately loop her arm through Xie Yanli's and give her a cool, glamorous smile. "On the grounds that I'm a bed buddy who's been handed a room key by President Xie."

As she spoke, Qin Fan's slender fingers, adorned with grape-pink nail polish, slowly trailed up Xie Yanli's chest, moving over his thin white shirt toward his prominent Adam's apple.

Watching Qin Fan coil around the cool and aloof man—who seemed as impervious to temptation as a Bodhisattva—like a beautiful serpent, Pei Yanyan sucked in a sharp breath.

What shocked her even more was that Brother Xie, who was famously aloof with women, didn't push this beautiful serpent away.

So, is this really Brother Xie's bed buddy?

Qin Fan smiled faintly. "If you want to move up the ranks, you'll have to get in line. After all, the number of ladies holding a ticket for your Brother Xie's affection is roughly..."

She paused for two seconds, casually tapped her finger on the man's shoulder, and then whispered, "You're number 3,456 in line."

"You..." Pei Yanyan pointed at Qin Fan, biting her lower lip as she asked Xie Yanli, "Is she really your bed buddy?"

Xie Yanli, who had been silent the entire time, first cast an emotionless glance at his friend's sister.

Whatever the situation was, it was none of her business, and Xie Yanli had no obligation to explain himself to her.