Give Her a Chance to Flirt! - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“AWSL (I’m dying of cuteness)”

“D*mn, this scene makes me want to fall in love.”

“I ship it, I ship it, I ship it so hard!”

“CEO Yu’s expression is way too doting!”

“The cold, proud business queen doting exclusively on the pampered socialite—they match so well! LISTEN! TO! ME!”

The banquet had not yet officially begun, and the ushers led everyone into the side hall.

Upon entering, the Lin family entourage attracted significant attention. In the past, Lin Wu would have assumed it was because of the Lin family’s prestige. But today, she saw everyone’s gaze skip right over the rest of them and land squarely on Lin Jiu. Standing slightly behind Lin Jiu, she had a full view of her cousin’s enchanting silhouette, and her heart felt particularly bitter.

The other younger generation members were away from Wucheng year-round; usually, it was just her and Lin Jiu by the Old Lady’s side. She had always been the obedient, sensible one. Lin Jiu, on the other hand, was disagreeable, willful, and pampered—a constant headache for the family.

But at some point, Lin Jiu had changed. She had become… well, her words were still annoying, the kind that could irritate someone to death, but how did she become this beautiful? Beautiful enough to make Lin Wu’s heart surge with waves of envy.

Lin Wu couldn’t help herself and whispered in a cautionary tone: “Cousin, this is Hongran’s opening ceremony. Even though you have the title of person-in-charge, you didn’t actually do anything. Isn’t it a bit much to be this flashy?”

Lin Jiu glanced at her: “Hmm?”

Not only Lin Jiu, but the Old Lady and Lin Wu’s parents also looked over. Lin Wu clenched her palms. Recalling Lin Jiu’s recent streak of gaining the upper hand at home, she said softly: “I mean, I don’t want people to think of you as just a ‘vase’ (eye candy). We should be more low-key.”

“Besides, you and Sister Yu had that unpleasantness before… I don’t mean anything else, I just remembered it.”

Lin Jiu narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Lin Wu who was subtly trying to badmouth her in front of the Old Lady. She suddenly smiled. Acting like a “Green Tea” (manipulative innocent) in front of her? Fine, she’d just have to pull out her degree in “Sarcastic Passive-Aggression.”

Lin Jiu lowered her eyes, tucked her long hair behind her ear, twirled a strand around her finger, and then lightly brushed it away, revealing an elegant neckline. “A vase? Sigh, I didn’t want this either.”

Lin Jiu looked at Lin Wu with an envious gaze: “I wish I could be like you, Cousin. Even with a makeup team working on you for two hours, even with Eldest Aunt giving you jewelry from the safe, and wearing a million-dollar gown… you can still manage to look so plain and so unnoticeable.”

“You!” Lin Wu was so angry she couldn’t speak, tugging at her mother’s sleeve. “Mom, look at her!” “I was only thinking of our family’s good, but the moment I said a word to her, she mocked me.”

“Enough,” the Old Lady spoke.

The Eldest Uncle knew the Old Lady was displeased. Pointing toward a father and daughter in the distance, he immediately changed the subject: “Mom, look. Over there is Ruan He and his daughter Ruan Meng. His family joined this collaboration at the last minute.”

“Because Hongran No. 77 performed so well when used in cooking, this market is much easier to navigate than expected. It’s saved us so much trouble!”

The Old Lady asked: “Is that so?” “Absolutely. Little Yu really shouldn’t be underestimated; she managed to come up with a new positioning and sales channel right before the launch.” Eldest Uncle grew more excited as he spoke: “The Ruan family’s tea restaurants are second to none. I think our family should get on good terms with them. In the future…”

Seeing the Old Lady nodding in agreement, Eldest Aunt glanced at Lin Jiu—who was busy eating cherries—and curled her lip in disdain. She pulled Lin Wu aside and whispered: “That Ruan Meng is about your age. Stop bickering with your cousin and go introduce yourself to her, okay?”

Lin Wu nodded, looking toward Ruan Meng: “Okay, I’ll go—wait, Mom, they seem to be coming over?”

In Lin Wu’s line of sight, the very person her mother had just urged her to befriend was currently dragging Ruan He toward them. Had they had the same idea? Clearly, Lin Wu wasn’t the only one thinking this. Eldest Uncle quickly said to the Old Lady: “Mom, it seems the Ruan family shares our intent.”

As they drew closer, their gaze fixed straight on the Lin family. Eldest Uncle immediately put on a warm yet dignified smile to greet them: “Mr. Ruan, haha, good evening.” “Old Lady Lin, President Lin.” Ruan He smiled genially. “This is my daughter, Ruan Meng.” “I’ve worked with President Lin before, but today is the first time I’ve had the honor of meeting the Old Lady and your family.”

These words were very pleasing to the ear. The Old Lady beamed: “Oh, Mr. Ruan, you are too polite.”

“No, no, no.” Ruan He became quite serious. “I am not being polite.”

Old Lady & Eldest Uncle: “?”

Ruan He’s gaze bypassed them and asked: “I wonder which one is the Second Miss Lin?”

Ruan Meng leaned into her father’s ear and whispered: “The pretty one, it’s the pretty one.” After saying that, she stood up straight and shouted: “Lin Jiu, we meet again!”

Ruan He’s smile became much more sincere: “Second Miss Lin, meeting you in person is even better than hearing about you. I am Meng’s father.”

Lin Jiu wiped her fingers clean and offered a polite greeting: “Hello, Uncle Ruan.”

Ruan Meng: “No need for formalities. My father has wanted to meet you for a long time. If my mom didn’t have work today, she would have come too.” Ruan He took over: “That’s right. In my heart, we are already friends across generations.” Ruan Meng looked at him with disdain: “Old man, you’re trying to claim connections again.” Ruan He just smiled and didn’t speak.

That day, his daughter had brought home two tea eggs like they were treasures. After he and his wife tasted them, they became very curious about this young girl, Lin Jiu. The system of tea-based cuisine had been through generations and was difficult to adjust. Lin Jiu’s modification wasn’t huge, but in a fixed landscape where dishes had become “classics,” her touch was the most precious thing.

Later, through negotiations with Yu Yihan and producing the five major dishes according to the recipes Lin Jiu provided, the Ruan family was completely conquered. They could imagine what kind of trend would hit the market once these new dishes were launched by their restaurants. The incredible thing was that all of this came from a girl in her early twenties, not a seasoned master chef!

Lin Jiu’s talent in the matter of tea was breathtaking. Consequently, Ruan He had wanted to meet her for a long time. Coupled with his habit of making younger friends, he intended to befriend this creative peer. His conversation was extremely gentle and friendly.

Ruan Meng also liked Lin Jiu very much—after all, Lin Jiu had praised her so much before—so she crowded around Lin Jiu, talking excitedly. In the end, the Ruan father and daughter even invited Lin Jiu to their home for a meal, saying it was Ruan Meng’s mother’s wish. Only after Lin Jiu agreed did they leave satisfied.

As their figures disappeared, the rest of the Lin family stared at Lin Jiu in unison. Lin Jiu looked back calmly, thought for a moment, and offered an explanation: “I met Ruan Meng once before in CEO Yu’s office.” “You’ve never met Mr. Ruan?” “Never.” Lin Jiu answered truthfully, but Mr. Ruan had certainly “met” her tea eggs.

“Why does their family like you so much?” Lin Jiu pondered, but before she could give an answer, the Old Lady waved her hand: “Forget it, don’t say anything. It probably won’t be anything proper anyway.” ? Wow, not even giving her a chance to talk smooth? But Lin Jiu guessed the Old Lady was just holding back because of the venue; the real interrogation would happen once they got home.

Lin Wu wanted to say more, but a commotion broke out at the door. Yu Yihan and several other heavyweight guests entered. The banquet was about to officially begin.

This opening ceremony was meant for the various parties to get to know each other—to become familiar faces, which was considered a good omen of seeing things through from start to finish. Therefore, seats were pre-arranged in the main hall. As the dinner began, everyone scanned a QR code to find their table number.

Lin Wu checked her scan result: “Table six…” Still quite a front-row placement. In this kind of setting, the first few tables were for those with actual power, while accompanying family members were at other tables.

Lin Jiu checked her phone interface; the scan result was blank. Lin Wu caught a glimpse of Lin Jiu’s phone and let out a snicker: “Did they not even give you a seat, Cousin?”

From the other side, an usher walked over with a smile, gesturing with her arm: “Old Lady Lin, Mr. Lin, Second Miss Lin—your seats are at the head table. This way, please.”

The smile on Lin Wu’s face froze instantly. Eldest Aunt, seeing that only she and her daughter were left at the “family table,” couldn’t sit still and confirmed again: “Lin Jiu is also going to the head table?” “Yes, Madam.” “The three of you, this way please. CEO Yu has invited you to dine together.”

No matter how much suspicion or how many questions they had, no one would make a scene in this setting. Lin Wu bit her lip and went to Table 6 with her mother, staring fiercely at Lin Jiu’s retreating back, only to find that graceful figure growing more distant, as if it were a gap she could never bridge.

Lin Jiu didn’t know what Lin Wu was thinking. She followed her elders toward the head table and looked up to see Yu Yihan standing there. Yu Yihan didn’t say anything, but in a momentary exchange of glances, Lin Jiu had the illusion that Yu Yihan was waiting for her to walk to her side. Indeed, pretty sisters easily make one lose their mind. Lin Jiu pressed her temples while pretending to fix her hair to clear her head. Wake up, Yu Yihan is a businesswoman. Everything she does is for ‘business’—and she hasn’t even done anything yet, she just looked at you in a crowd! This woman, Yu Yihan, was simply too intoxicating.

By the time Lin Jiu calmed down, she had almost reached the head table. Yu Yihan’s cool tone took on a hint of respect and warmth as she called out “Old Lady Lin” and personally helped the Old Lady to her seat.

Lin Jiu sat down after her Eldest Uncle. A moment later, the seat beside her was lightly pulled back. Yu Yihan sat down. Lin Jiu’s tongue flicked over her teeth. She kept her eyes straight ahead, maintaining a smile while listening to the Old Lady talk to others. She didn’t spare even a fraction of a glance for Yu Yihan beside her, so her other senses became particularly heightened.

Her ears caught the slight lilt of a laugh at the end of Yu Yihan’s sentences when she spoke to others. The tips of her ears felt a faint itch. In the air by her nose, there seemed to be a faint scent of perfume lingering from Yu Yihan. It reminded her of cold pine by a clear spring.

Under this extreme magnification of senses, she felt a phantom breath on her shoulder—or perhaps an unexplainable itch that made her neck and shoulders expand backward slightly. She suspected Yu Yihan had leaned closer to her; she suspected Yu Yihan’s loose long hair had accidentally brushed against her shoulder. Lin Jiu even imagined Yu Yihan’s warm, moist breath dispersing in the air around her neck. And a single thin strand of it seemed to wander quietly by her ear, testing, waiting for a gap in Lin Jiu’s defenses—an opportunity to invade.

Under her long skirt, Lin Jiu’s legs, which had been together, shifted inward. She gave a light rub. She bit the tip of her tongue. If ignoring Yu Yihan would cause these romantic delusions to surge like a tide, she might as well chat with her properly.

Lin Jiu’s fingers grazed her teacup. With an impeccable smile, she looked at Yu Yihan. It was both a professional exchange of praise and a sincere sentiment: “CEO Yu, you look beautiful today.” “Really? Thank you,” Yu Yihan said.

Lin Jiu’s gaze left the wide distance between them; this was enough proof that everything before had indeed been a daydream. She looked away and muttered softly, seemingly to herself, yet at a volume Yu Yihan could hear: “Why doesn’t Sister Yu praise me?” Even in professional flattery, there should be some give and take, Lin Jiu thought righteously, staring at Yu Yihan to make sure she didn’t just brush it off.

She saw a faint smile escape Yu Yihan’s light brown eyes. All around them, guests were deep in conversation, glasses clinked, and in the distance came the music of the live band and the background chatter. Among so many sounds, Yu Yihan’s voice was low, yet it reached her ears with extraordinary clarity—she always had the knack for making someone hear only her words.

Her tone was teasing, yet not flippant: “Praise you here? I’m afraid you’d blush.”

Lin Jiu’s lips parted silently. She remembered the smooth talk she had said before— “Why are you blushing?”

“Ruan Meng’s praise made me embarrassed.”

She hadn’t expected that after roaming the world undefeated, she would lose to her own past smooth talk. Lin Jiu was speechless; if they continued, the topic would start to taste different.

Seeing everyone was seated, she sat up straight and stopped whispering with Yu Yihan. Taking a look around, she roughly understood why Yu Yihan was sitting next to her as the host. The head table was filled with elders; only Lin Jiu was in the same age bracket as Yu Yihan. It seemed Yu Yihan knew when to be arrogant for show and when to be humble as a junior to ensure success everywhere.

Lin Jiu was a fresh face at this table and a junior. The only familiar face was Xu Feng, the Tea Association President she had met on her first day. Soon, a major partner from out of town noticed Lin Jiu. After a few drinks, upon learning she was a junior of the Lin family, he said with a hint of alcohol on his breath: “So this is the Miss Lin who’s following the project? I wonder what outstanding results Miss Lin has achieved? I see the overall person-in-charge of the plan isn’t even sitting at this table? Haha.”

The protective Old Lady Lin hadn’t been drinking. The bottom of her teacup hit the table with a clack, and her face darkened. Almost at the same moment the cup hit the table, under the table, Yu Yihan reached out and rested her hand on Lin Jiu’s forearm. It was both a gesture of comfort and a signal for Lin Jiu to let her handle this.

The warmth of her palm seeped through the thin fabric bit by bit. It felt a little tingly. Lin Jiu shrank back slightly, not knowing what she was avoiding; instead, her forearm, which was being held by Yu Yihan, seemed sealed in place and didn’t move at all.

She looked at Yu Yihan. Yu Yihan’s profile seemed covered in a thin frost. Her voice wasn’t loud, but her words were powerful: “Miss Lin’s seat was personally arranged by me.”

Yu Yihan said only this one sentence. It was the truth, and one sentence was enough. After a moment of silence at the table, someone quickly started smoothing things over with a laugh. The atmosphere became lively again, and Yu Yihan withdrew her hand.

Lin Jiu immediately said: “I’m going to touch up my makeup.” She grabbed her evening bag and headed to the restroom.

The system, which had been offline for a long time, suddenly popped up. Its tone was strange, like a woman leaning against a doorway eating sunflower seeds while watching a drama: “Don’t you like Yu Yihan a lot? Why did you run out?”

Lin Jiu shook her head and let out a breath: “Sister is so cool. If I stayed in there any longer, I’m afraid…”

The system knew nothing good followed, but with the sentence stuck in the middle, its “OCD” couldn’t handle it. “…You’re afraid?”

“I’m afraid I’d get too excited.”

“…What happens when you get excited?”

“I’d blush,” Lin Jiu said solemnly. ” . ” I don’t believe your nonsense.

Although Lin Jiu often bickered with the system, it was just due to their different positions; she didn’t have any real dislike for the system itself. At this moment, the butterflies in her stomach were crashing around, as if they wanted to pull up a willow tree by the roots or punch a general. Lin Jiu was about to lose her grip, so she used the system as a shield and a secret tree hole: “Bestie, I think things are looking bad. Yu Yihan is seducing me.”

Even the system that disliked Yu Yihan couldn’t listen to this anymore. “I encouraged you to ‘diss’ Yu Yihan, I didn’t tell you to blame every single thing on her.”

“She’s so pretty! If she’s intentionally seducing me, I’m finished!” Lin Jiu said with mock-grief. “Didn’t you notice? Just by sitting there, she’s broadcasting love signals at me!”

“Heh.”

After venting her smooth talk, Lin Jiu felt refreshed. She looked carefully at the beauty in the mirror and prepared to touch up her lip makeup. Just as she finished and put her lip glaze away, Zhao Chun rushed into the restroom: “Babe, you’re still here? Hurry back to the main hall. Your Lin family is in trouble.” ?

“Who dares to crash Yu Yihan’s party?” Lin Jiu asked curiously while walking quickly back with Zhao Chun.

Zhao Chun paused and slowly turned her head: “Uh, strictly speaking… I guess your Lin family crashed it themselves?”

“Whoa!”

Zhao Chun quickly recounted what had happened: “The waiters just came over to serve a new round of dishes when suddenly there was a mess of noise at the head table. When I turned around, I saw a waitress grabbing onto your Eldest Uncle and not letting go. It was pretty awkward.”

“It wasn’t awkward for long, though. That woman fainted—damn, she basically collapsed right into Yu Yihan’s arms.”

Lin Jiu’s fists clenched upon hearing this. She asked with a stony face: “And then?”

“And then I came out to find you! As your bestie, how could I only remember to watch the drama and not give you the heads-up!”

“…” How can you not even watch the whole drama! Lin Jiu was frustrated at her friend’s incompetence.

By the time Lin Jiu reached the main hall entrance, she saw Yu Yihan’s assistant waiting for her: “Second Miss Lin, please come with me.”

It seemed that to minimize the impact and avoid prying eyes, Yu Yihan had already arranged a more private place to resolve the matter. Lin Jiu looked at Zhao Chun. Zhao Chun said: “You go ahead, I’m going back to the banquet.”

Lin Jiu followed the assistant to a reception room next to the main hall. The bronze double doors were tightly shut. The assistant led Lin Jiu to the door and then stepped aside. Lin Jiu reached out to touch the door handle, wondering what it could be. Had her Eldest Uncle’s affair been exposed?

As she applied force to push open the heavy door, a strange feeling surged in her heart— At the same moment, she heard the system’s voice sounding like it was enjoying the show. “Congratulations to the host for successfully unlocking the second main storyline: The Vicious ‘Green Tea’ Female Supporting Character.”