Chapter 79

That gaze, so cold it seemed to seep into the bone, made An Yilin unconsciously take two steps back.

Even though Lu Shangyi had left, the suffocating feeling he had just experienced still lingered in his mind, leaving him feeling cold all over. Frowning with some confusion and bewilderment, An Yilin couldn't understand why Lu Shangyi, a frail and sickly EGA, would be interested in the equally delicate Qiao Yu.

With so many alphas in the capital pursuing her, why would they bother competing with her for her prey?

Despite her fears, An Yilin was unwilling to give up so cowardly. Even if she liked Qiao Yu, Qiao Yu might not reciprocate her feelings. Moreover, An Yilin was quite confident in her methods. Even if Qiao Yu also had feelings for Lu Shangyi, she firmly believed that she could beat Lu Shangyi to the punch and get the money.

Thinking about life after succeeding, An Yilin unconsciously revealed a victorious smile.

As soon as Song Wanzi arrived, she noticed the man's repulsive expression, as if he were daytime daytime daytime dreaming. Displeased, she lifted her skirt and gave An Yilin a cursory glance, her gaze sweeping over him without lingering. An Yilin did have some methods, but they weren't enough to pose a threat.

Besides, kids aren't stupid; there's no need to lose sight of the bigger picture.

Unless she has some kind of eye disease.

Which of them—himself, Ye Yunjian, Lu Shangyi, and Bai Yiyu—isn't better looking than An Yilin?

Song Wanzi still has this much to be proud of.

With her head held high and back ramrod straight, Song Wanzi's appearance was met with an immediate and enthusiastic gasp of admiration from the crowd. She gracefully loosened her skirt, her poise elegant and poised, surrounded by the crowd like a star around the moon.

The woman in the center was radiant, exuding a captivating charm from the very core of her being. She approached gracefully, each step like a lotus blossom gently treading on the heart, causing one to instinctively hold their breath and involuntarily want to fall at her feet.

An Yilin's gaze faltered, his eyes unconsciously drawn to the woman's every move.

But a moment later, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.

Song Wanzi slowly stopped in front of Qiao Yu, who was playfully fighting with Tang Shu. Her smile was gentle and tender, and her eyes were so soft that they seemed to overflow with water. Anyone with a brain could see her deep affection and tender feelings for Qiao Yu through such an obvious gesture.

An Yilin was taken aback, and a bad premonition suddenly rose in her heart.

Seriously? It's one thing for Lu Shangyi to be competing with him for his prey, but how come Song Wanzi is getting involved too?

Shouldn't she be passionately involved with that illegitimate daughter of the Lu family? Shouldn't she listen to the Song couple and focus on cultivating a relationship with the Lu family's illegitimate daughter so that the two families can arrange a marriage?

An Yilin suddenly began to question the meaning of life.

He could still retain some confidence in Lu Shangyi, but Song Wanzi was a wildly popular female star. If even one of her billion fans spat at him, he could drown. How could he compete with such a top star in the entertainment industry?

An Yilin suddenly looked pale, felt her head buzzing, and even felt a little unsteady on her feet.

Tang Shu immediately noticed Song Wanzi's arrival and tried to distance herself from Qiao Yu, but Qiao Yu held her tightly, as if she wanted to argue with her and find a way to prove herself right. Tang Shu met Song Wanzi's half-smiling eyes, and although she forced a smile, she was actually a little intimidated.

Taking advantage of Qiao Yu's inattention, she suddenly broke free from her opponent and hurriedly escaped from Song Wanzi's sight.

Qiao Yu was about to chase after her when she was stopped by a gentle "Where are you going?" She stopped and turned around. The moment Qiao Yu's gaze fell on Song Wanzi, she was stunned by her beauty. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, and every smile and gesture was full of charm. Almost half of the people in the room were looking at her, and even the woman herself was not immune to the attention.

After a moment of confusion, Qiao Yu came to her senses and called out, "Sister Song."

Before she could finish speaking, she noticed a dark figure approaching from her left rear. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Lu Shangyi, who had no expression on her face. Qiao Yu was immediately terrified and became extremely alert, exclaiming, "Sister Lu, you're here too!"

Lu Shangyi nodded, gave a casual "hmm," and then said nothing more.

Song Wanzi turned her gaze to Lu Shangyi, who was dressed exceptionally smartly today. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that Lu Shangyi resembled a sharp sword that concealed its edge, extremely dangerous. But when she looked at her more closely, the other party had regained that harmless aura, making her almost wonder if she had just imagined it.

The other party was unpredictable. Although Song Wanzi had doubts, she did not show them. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she couldn't help but scrutinize the other party closely.

The three of them stood very close. Besides the pleasant, milky scent emanating from Qiao Yu, she also caught a faint, almost imperceptible aroma of sandalwood. It was unfamiliar, yet incredibly calming. However, the sandalwood scent was also mixed with a chilling undertone, the complete opposite of the gentle aroma, making her involuntarily wary.

People were coming and going around her, and Song Wanzi wasn't sure which alpha had floated over from. But just as she was seriously trying to find out, Lu Shangyi's unwavering eyes suddenly turned to her and stared at her without moving, making her hair stand on end.

It was as if they had encountered a formidable alpha opponent, and they felt extremely resistant and hostile.

Song Wanzi frowned slightly, her eyes filled with doubt.

The two remained silent for a long time. Qiao Yu looked around blankly, wondering what kind of cryptic conversation they were having. However, Qiao Yu dared not speak unless Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi did, so she could only stand stiffly to the side, playing the role of an invisible person.

Qiao Yu looked bewildered, while An Yilin was greatly shocked.

He knew all too well the way Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi were looking at Qiao Yu. Although he was a little flustered, he still comforted himself: it wasn't a big problem, and he felt that he could still try.

The coveted prize was within reach, and he was determined not to give up at the last minute.

After subtly observing the three of them for a few moments, An Yilin suddenly spotted Qiao Junhao. She immediately abandoned her plan to get involved and instead walked towards her old acquaintance. Qiao Junhao was overjoyed to see her and quickly moved over, greeting her warmly, "Young Master An."

An Yilin nodded, smiled, shook the other person's hand, patted his arm to greet him, and then subtly inquired, "Your sister is quite popular." He lowered his voice and said in a teasing tone, "I've seen several girls giving her flirtatious glances along the way."

Qiao Junhao's polite smile underwent a subtle change, but it vanished in the blink of an eye, like a fleeting illusion. "That's all she's good at—flirting with other women."

His tone was dismissive, as if it were commonplace, revealing a nonchalant disdain, "Besides flirting with women, I haven't seen her learn anything good." Then, noticing Song Wanzi and Lu Shangyi surrounding Qiao Yu, Qiao Junhao felt slightly unbalanced, "She certainly has a whole repertoire of ways to coax people."

Lu Shangyi is one thing, but Song Wanzi, a top female celebrity, should be used to seeing beauties in the entertainment industry. How could she also try to get close to Qiao Yu?

What is it about his sister that makes him likable?

In order to consolidate his position, Old Madam Qiao tried to persuade him to marry into the Mu family so that he could establish some connection with the Lu family. However, Qiao Yu, on the other hand, directly bewitched Lu Shangyi, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Lu family, and made her follow her every command.

Thinking about the gap between Mu Siyan and Lu Shangyi, this subtle displeasure began to ripple and slowly expand until it made Qiao Junhao unable to be happy at all.

An Yilin noticed Qiao Junhao's change in mood, but just smiled and tactfully changed the subject, not continuing, "Come on, let's go have a drink together."

Qiao Junhao glanced at Qiao Yu and slowly nodded, "Okay."

Qiao Yu waited for a full half minute before the two women finally withdrew their imposing aura and reverted to their innocent and harmless personas. With a sigh of relief, she quickly used the excuse of delivering a gift to move away from them, but before she could finish speaking, Song Wanzi gently stroked her long hair and said with a smile, "Let's go together."

"..." Qiao Yu's vision went black.

But with the two of them staring at her intently, she didn't dare refuse and could only bite the bullet and agree, "Okay."

There were so many people bringing gifts that Qiao Yu couldn't squeeze in, so she placed her gifts with the person in charge of tallying them. Clearly, Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi had no intention of trying to squeeze in either; after all, people of their status would be highly regarded even without them showing their faces.

However, to Qiao Yu's surprise, she encountered Lu Shenghui, who had brought Jiang Mei with him.

After not seeing her for a few days, Jiang Mei's aura seemed to have become even more sharp. The young girl was like a drawn blade, exuding a fierce and dangerous aura. She could already be considered a very qualified and excellent alpha.

Qiao Yu couldn't help but sigh, "Like begets like, this family has really good genes."

Looking at her own delicate, ega-sized body, Qiao Yu felt a surge of resentment and couldn't help but glare at the system. Knowing it was in the wrong, the system wisely kept quiet and didn't argue with her.

Jiang Mei's eyes lit up when she noticed the pretty figure over there. She wanted to rush over immediately, but with Lu Shenghui there, she couldn't show it. So she winked at Qiao Yu, hoping the other would understand her feelings.

But to her surprise, the other person thought about it for two seconds but couldn't come up with anything. He just looked at her blankly and winked, looking incredibly cute.

Jiang Mei's lips unconsciously curled upwards as she tried to suppress her excitement. Taking advantage of Lu Shenghui's inattention, she quickly took out her phone and sent a message: "See you later."

Qiao Yu stared at her phone and suddenly realized, "Okay."

Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi stared indifferently at the two young people secretly texting each other. Fortunately, Qiao Yu had a keen sixth sense and a strong will to survive. After replying to Jiang Mei, she quickly put away her phone and dared not contact the other party again to chat.

An Yilin, who was just about to approach Lu Shenghui to get closer, was immediately filled with confusion upon seeing him: "???"

What do you mean by "c"?

How come she's still entangled with Lu Shenghui's illegitimate daughter?!

An Yilin was somewhat dazed. Just how good was this EGA at attracting attention?! She even went after Lu Shangyi's own niece! Realizing that this woman might not be as easy to win over as she had imagined, An Yilin's expression finally turned serious.

However, he is not someone who gives up easily; the more challenging the task, the more interested he becomes.

Calming himself down, An Yilin quickly adjusted his mindset. Qiao Junhao noticed his movement and raised an eyebrow slightly. After thinking for a moment, he offered, "How about..." After An Yilin looked over, Qiao Junhao smiled and said, "Young Master An, come with me to say hello to Yuyu?"

An Yilin was naturally more than happy to agree and immediately accepted.

Song Wanzi's mood was really not good as she stared at An Yilin, who was sticking to her like a leech. She relaxed all her muscles and unleashed her top-tier actress aura, which made Qiao Junhao stop in his tracks. Only after a moment did Qiao Junhao straighten his expression and respectfully lead the person to Qiao Yu, "You've arrived."

Qiao Yu looked up at him and instantly understood what he meant, "Just arrived."

Song Wanzi's aura was intimidating. Qiao Yu was preoccupied with trying to get information out of An Yilin, so she took the opportunity to say to Song Wanzi and Lu Shangyi, "Sister Song and Sister Lu, I need to say a few words to my brother first. Please excuse me."

Few would refuse such a perfectly reasonable reason, including Song Wanzi and Lu Shangyi. Lu Shangyi nodded slightly and said nothing. Song Wanzi narrowed her eyes and stared intently at Qiao Junhao. Qiao Junhao immediately held his breath and dared not utter a sound until he repeatedly assured her that he would send the person back immediately. Only then did Song Wanzi's imposing aura subside.

An Yilin watched in shock; how could Song Wanzi be so deeply involved?

He frowned; this was going to be a bit tricky.

As he was pondering, he suddenly caught Qiao Junhao's gaze. With just a glance, he understood what the other meant. He secretly gave him a hand gesture, and after a moment of eye contact, they both smiled contentedly.

Qiao Yu pretended not to see the two people's little tricks, acting like a naive fool with too much money.

The system got a headache just looking at her. The more innocent the host appears, the more ruthless she is at ruthlessly exploiting people. It seems that An Yilin will be completely plundered by the host, bones and all.

Qiao Junhao only exchanged a few brief words with Qiao Yu before leaving. Before departing, he made sure to give An Yilin a few more meaningful glances. An Yilin nodded imperceptibly and naturally sat down next to Qiao Yu. "Miss Qiao, would you like something to drink?"

"Okay." Accepting his kindness, Qiao Yu asked, "Young Master An, have you been having a good time in the capital lately?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than she added, "I know Beijing well, so how about I be your tour guide, Young Master An?" As if afraid that An Yilin would refuse, Qiao Yu sighed with feigned regret, "If Young Master An doesn't accept, I won't have the chance after I start school in a couple of days and focus on preparing for the college entrance exam."

The fair-skinned girl frowned slightly, looking dejected. Even a woman would feel sorry for her, let alone a grown man. Before his mind could process it, An Yilin's mouth involuntarily replied, "I couldn't ask for more."

An Yilin was stunned for a moment, but then she saw Qiao Yu looking at her with delighted eyes, "Really?!"

The dazed look in her eyes faded, and An Yilin couldn't help but laugh, "Of course."

The happiness in Qiao Yu's eyes was so real and so pure that An Yilin felt she must be completely captivated by him. Feeling a bit better, An Yilin became more talkative, unknowingly revealing eight or nine parts of his situation. When he finally realized what he had done and looked alarmed, he saw Qiao Yu's dark eyes filled with heartache. "Your father is so wicked."

"How could he abandon you and your daughter like that?!" Qiao Yu said angrily. "He's not a good father!"

An Yilin fell silent, her thoughts wavering. Qiao Yu waited a few seconds, then cautiously asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

She was cautious and nervous, her dark eyes looking at him with a hint of insecurity. An Yilin's defenses crumbled instantly. His heart softened, and he quickly said, "No. What you said makes a lot of sense. He really isn't a good father."

He always resented his biological father, but never dared to show it in front of others. But Ega was different; he could express his emotions in front of her without any reservations.

The moment I met her soft, gentle gaze, all my worries seemed to vanish.

Qiao Yu seemed to possess a special, calming magic.

An Yilin's emotions began to fluctuate wildly. Looking at that stunningly beautiful face, he suddenly felt that being with someone like EGA wasn't so bad after all.

She is wealthy, comes from a good family, and has a gentle personality. Looking around, there is no one more suitable than Qiao Yu.

In just a short moment, An Yilin made up his mind. He composed himself and was about to speak when a tall figure caught his eye. Turning his head instinctively, An Yilin immediately recognized the person: Bai Yiyu, the alpha with the best genes in the last hundred years, a formidable figure capable of intimidating all ega.

But at this moment, such a powerful figure stared at him with a faint hint of displeasure and hostility in his deep eyes.

An Yilin was momentarily stunned, until he remembered Qiao Yu sitting next to him. He finally came to his senses and stared intently at the innocent-looking Qiao Yu: "???"

How did you get involved with someone as important as Bai Yiyu again?!

Author's Note: Scumbag: How many more shocks do you have that I don't know about?

Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone! Have a wonderful holiday and leave a red envelope in the comments today!