After the Strategy Mission Was Exposed, the Childhood Friend Became a Sinister Male Ghost - Chapter 10

Ling Luo maintained a professional smile. “I am President Lin’s Executive Assistant. I have often heard him mention you, saying that you are well-traveled and have a unique eye for art. Seeing you today, I can see you are indeed very elegant.”

Zhou Wangxing was delighted by the compliment. He turned to Lin Zhouci and said, “Come, let us walk over here. Those two paintings are my own work. What do you think of them?”

Lin Zhouci maintained a flawless smile and followed beside Zhou Wangxing. Ling Luo followed behind them and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

There were many wealthy socialites and heirs at the art exhibition. When they saw Ling Luo, they found her face familiar, but they could not recall exactly where they had seen her. Too many inquisitive gazes fell upon her, so she turned and headed for the restroom to avoid the scrutiny. Finally, she felt a bit more comfortable.

In the spacious and bright exhibition hall, two oil portraits stood two meters high on the wall. Lin Zhouci and Zhou Wangxing discussed the aesthetic beauty of the pieces. Afterward, Zhou Wangxing led him to a table outside. He poured a cup of tea for Lin Zhouci and asked playfully, “Are you and your assistant always inseparable?”

“I need her to attend a banquet with me later, so I simply brought her along to see the art exhibition. I hope you do not mind, Young Master Zhou.”

“I do not mind. It is just that she looks very familiar. I cannot quite place where I have seen her,” Zhou Wangxing said as he took a sip of tea.

Other young heirs and socialites gathered around them. Qi Zheng asked tentatively, “Lin Zhouci, is there still an opportunity to invest in Xincheng Technology?”

Ai Jie added, “You have certainly made a name for yourself in the field of new energy, Lin Zhouci. You are quite a remarkable figure.”

One by one, they began to praise Lin Zhouci. He was extremely eloquent and managed to secure new projects from them. By opening a door through Zhou Wangxing, he could exchange for even more resources. The smile in Lin Zhouci’s eyes deepened.

One of the women brought up Ling Luo. “I remember now, President Lin. Your assistant looks very much like the mysterious girlfriend of the Di family’s crown prince,” Peng Mo said thoughtfully.

Zhou Wangxing’s eyes lit up. “Yes! I thought she looked familiar at first glance! Now that you mention it, she really does seem like that mysterious girlfriend!”

The corners of Lin Zhouci’s mouth stiffened for an instant, but he regained his composure quickly. He asked politely, “The Di family? Rumor has it that he is very disciplined and keeps his distance from women. How could he have a mysterious girlfriend?”

His question ignited everyone’s passion for gossip.

“The Di family’s crown prince has a childhood sweetheart who studied abroad. The information is kept very secret. We do not even know when she returned to the country. He rarely attends banquets and never brings her out in public.”

“That childhood sweetheart is his mysterious girlfriend and his first love! He protects her so well that no matter how curious we are, we cannot dig up any information.”

“We saw them once from a distance at a banquet. It seemed Di Yu was drunk, and when his mysterious girlfriend arrived, he collapsed right into her arms. Because of the viewing angle, I could not see her face clearly. I only saw a blurry silhouette, but that silhouette is very similar to your assistant, President Lin.”

“Exactly! It is the silhouette! The resemblance is striking!”

“I did some quiet investigating. Word is that this mysterious girlfriend’s surname is Ling. As for her specific background, no one knows yet.”

“I suppose we will only find out what she looks like when he gets married.”

They spoke one after another, completely treating Lin Zhouci as one of their own. Zhou Wangxing looked behind them. “Has your assistant been in the restroom that long?”

“This place is huge. She probably got lost. I will send someone to find her,” Peng Mo said as she walked away.

Outside the Qingyun Art Museum, a top-tier Lykan Hypersport stopped at the main entrance. When the security guard saw the license plate, he respectfully opened the gate and bowed to welcome the guest. The supercar drove into the museum parking lot. The white door slid upward, and a pair of long legs stepped out. The man’s black leather shoes with red soles were polished to a shine, radiating a noble aura.

The man stepped out of the car and checked his rose gold Swiss watch. His peripheral vision caught an Audi. Di Yu walked over and looked closely at the license plate. He had seen this car before in the parking lot of Ling Luo’s apartment complex. That night, she had claimed she was driving a friend’s car home after dropping off some drunk friends.

That friend, Di Yu thought, his eyes darkening.

Zhou Wangxing received a phone call and froze. He asked in disbelief, “The crown prince of the Di family is here? Are you serious?”

The crowd surrounding him looked on with excitement. Zhou Wangxing hung up and told everyone, “I sent an email invitation to him, but I never expected him to actually come to our exhibition. Everyone, stand properly. He will be here momentarily.”

Whenever there was an event in the Beijing social circle, an invitation was always sent to the Di family. Even though they knew he would likely not attend, they always held onto a shred of hope. Di Yu’s appearance at this small exhibition was truly beyond everyone’s expectations.

When Ling Luo exited the restroom, she overheard them mentioning the Di family’s crown prince and immediately felt that something was wrong. Lin Zhouci saw her and beckoned her over.

“President Lin,” Ling Luo said as she walked quickly to him.

The number above Lin Zhouci’s head was now 35. Ling Luo was shocked. She had only been gone for a moment; why had his affection level dropped?

The system spoke up timidly. 【They were just talking about you.】

Goodness! What were they saying? Did they recognize me as Di Yu’s follower? I kept my identity so well hidden during the five years I pursued him. Who leaked the news?

【Remember that banquet where you slept with Di Yu? They saw you there and thought you looked familiar.】

Ling Luo broke into a cold sweat. So, the reason Lin Zhouci’s affection level dropped was because of this.

“Master Di!” Zhou Wangxing’s voice rang out from behind.

Ling Luo’s body tensed, and her heart rate accelerated. The system was anxious. 【Di Yu is here. You will see him the moment you turn around. I am worried he might move against the male lead now. Since you deceived him, you might be in trouble.】

“Does he want to kill me?”

【The villain’s anger level has reached the top, and there are signs of him turning dark. Be careful.】

“How am I supposed to be careful?!”

The system did not answer her question, playing the coward at the most critical moment. Ling Luo glanced at Lin Zhouci. In the early stages of the story, the male lead was no match for the villain. He would only be able to fight back in the middle and later stages. Currently, even his protagonist’s halo could not protect her.

Lin Zhouci noticed her tension and asked in a low voice, “What is wrong?”

“I feel a bit unwell. I might have eaten something bad this morning. I need to go to the restroom again.”

Ling Luo dropped those words and ran. Someone kindly reminded her, “Ms. Ling, that direction leads to the lounge.”

Ling Luo’s expression twitched unnaturally. She lowered her head, turned back, and hurried toward the restroom. Di Yu was surrounded by a group of people, but he happened to see her panicked figure walking away.

Lin Zhouci silently observed Di Yu’s expression. When Di Yu looked at Ling Luo, his deep dark eyes beneath his high brow bones revealed an aggressive gaze. Lin Zhouci had met Di Yu twice before. The man had always been cold and concealed his emotions perfectly, radiating a sense of calm control. Now, his emotions were leaking out, and they had changed because of Ling Luo.

The mysterious girlfriend of the Di family, the surname Ling, and Ling Luo herself had finally all clicked together in Lin Zhouci’s mind.