Everyone was present

After ending that brief but sweet kiss with Yi Yu, Qu Shiyao seemed to sense something and subconsciously turned her head to look to her side and behind her.

Almost at the same time, another gaze was cast over from the other side.

Their eyes met.

Both of them were slightly taken aback, because the other's face unexpectedly exuded an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Qu Shiyao was the first to react. She paused for a moment on the face that resembled her own by seven or eight points, then smiled gracefully and nodded to the other person as a greeting.

Upon seeing this, the gentle and intellectual woman returned a soft, gentle smile.

"Sister Shiyao?" Yi Yu was still immersed in the intimate contact just now, her cheeks slightly flushed. When she saw Qu Shiyao looking elsewhere, she followed her gaze and was startled.

That lady... looks just like Sister Shiyao!

However, upon closer inspection, it is still possible to distinguish that the lady has a more gentle and calm temperament, while his sister Shiyao is like a bright and flamboyant flame, full of vitality and irresistible charm.

If Qu Shiyao hadn't gotten rid of the system, this "third wheel," beforehand, it would definitely be flooding her mind with messages:

[Host! Host! This is my white moonlight, Shen Qingyi!!]

That's right, the person opposite is Shen Qingyi, an important character who will only appear in the later part of the original work.

According to the original storyline, she should still be studying abroad at this point.

The man next to Shen Qingyi noticed her gaze and looked over as well.

When his gaze fell on Qu Shiyao's face, he was slightly taken aback at first, then a surprised smile bloomed on his face: "Shiyao?"

Qu Shiyao looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man with a gentle and refined appearance and a clean-cut demeanor.

She raised an eyebrow and immediately recognized the person opposite her—Gu Yanxi, the childhood sweetheart male supporting character whom the original owner had a crush on.

Well, since the ideal woman has already made her appearance, it's not surprising that the second male lead is showing up.

"Yanxi? It really is you!" Qu Shiyao's face was filled with surprise and joy. She then naturally took Yi Yu's hand and introduced him to Gu Yanxi:

"Yi Yu, this is Gu Yanxi, my childhood neighbor and good friend. We haven't seen each other for many years."

Then, she turned to Gu Yanxi and introduced Yi Yu: "Yanxi, this is my boyfriend, Yi Yu."

Her gaze shifted ambiguously between Gu Yanxi and Shen Qingyi, and she deliberately teased in a drawn-out tone, "Well, Gu Yanxi! It's been so long, and you already have such a beautiful woman by your side? You've moved pretty fast!"

"Ahem! Don't talk nonsense!" Gu Yanxi's ears burned from her words, and she quickly explained:

"This is a friend I met when I was studying abroad, Shen Qingyi. She just returned to China today and isn't familiar with the area yet, so I brought her out to show her around and help her get acquainted with the surroundings."

"Oh~ friend~ ah~" Qu Shiyao dragged out the last syllable, her eyes almost overflowing with teasing as she glanced back and forth between Gu Yanxi, whose face was slightly red, and Shen Qingyi, who looked a little shy, making the two of them even more uncomfortable.

"Qingyi, you're back in China?" A familiar male voice, tinged with a barely perceptible hint of coldness and displeasure, came from the side.

Upon hearing the voice, Qu Shiyao knew who it was without even turning around.

She turned around, and sure enough, it was Si Cheng. He and Su Wanwan walked over one after the other.

She gave Su Wanwan an inquiring look: What's going on? What are you doing here?

Su Wanwan returned her a helpless yet mocking sneer, glancing at Si Cheng in front of her with an almost imperceptible look.

Qu Shiyao understood instantly.

It seems that Si Cheng bumped into her and Yi Yu at some point, and then dragged Su Wanwan along to follow them.

She looked up and surveyed the scene, inwardly exclaiming, "Wow!"

Aside from her Yi Yu being a minor character in the original novel, the main characters of this novel—the domineering CEO, the vicious female supporting character, the white moonlight, and the affectionate second male lead—actually gathered in a corner of the mall on this ordinary workday!

What kind of massive team-building event is this based on the original novel?!

When Shen Qingyi saw Si Cheng, her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, then relaxed, maintaining a polite smile: "Si Cheng, it's been a long time. I just got back not long ago."

"Mm." Si Cheng responded, but his gaze was fixed on Qu Shiyao as if drawn by a magnet.

However, at this moment, Qu Shiyao was tilting her head and whispering something to Yi Yu. The two were in an intimate posture, and this scene deeply stung his eyes.

He forcibly looked away, his tone filled with suppressed accusation, his words aimed directly at Qu Shiyao:

"Assistant Qu, if I remember correctly, you took the day off today to go to the hospital for a follow-up check-up? What are you doing here?"

Facing his questioning, Qu Shiyao remained calm, shrugged, and said innocently, "Yes, I've had a follow-up check-up. The doctor said I'm recovering well, but emphasized that it's important to maintain a positive mental and physical state, as this will help with a full recovery."

"So, I'm just following the doctor's orders and trying my best to make myself happy."

Regardless of when Si Cheng started stalking her, she just needs to stick to this reason and not give up.

Si Cheng was indeed taken aback by her flawless reasoning and couldn't immediately refute it.

His gloomy gaze shifted to Yi Yu beside him, as if he wanted to think of something to say.

However, before he could speak, Qu Shiyao stepped forward, subtly shielding Yi Yu behind her, and raised her eyes to look coldly at Si Cheng.

If it were a superior-subordinate relationship at work, she might still maintain a superficial politeness.

However, when it comes to her personal feelings, she must state her attitude and position.

Yi Yu is her person, and it's not up to others to tell her what to do.

Seeing Qu Shiyao so protective of Yi Yu, Si Cheng almost ground his teeth to powder, feeling a nameless anger rising in his chest.

But he ultimately restrained himself, refraining from losing his temper on the spot. Instead, he forced a smile at Shen Qingyi and extended an invitation:

"Qingyi, now that you're back in the country, and since everyone's free today, how about we have a meal together to welcome you back?"

These words sound like normal small talk between friends, but considering Si Cheng and Shen Qingyi's past relationship as lovers, and the fact that Shen Qingyi is clearly with Gu Yanxi at this moment, it seems somewhat subtle and deliberate.

Moreover, he didn't even glance at Gu Yanxi once from beginning to end.

Qu Shiyao knew perfectly well that before Si Cheng was reborn, he had ruined and acquired Gu Yanxi's company, so naturally he didn't take this defeated opponent seriously.

Shen Qingyi maintained her gentle and aloof attitude, politely declining, "No, Sicheng, I see you're here with this young lady today, so we won't bother you any further."

Her gaze politely swept over Su Wanwan.

Si Cheng's brow furrowed into a knot.

He glanced at Gu Yanxi standing next to Shen Qingyi, then at Su Wanwan, his nominal date, and made a move that surprised everyone.

He turned to Su Wanwan and said in a tone that was more like an announcement than a suggestion, "Miss Su, since it's so late, why don't we go together? It'll be more lively with more people."

Su Wanwan was so angry she almost laughed!

She had a real eye-opener today. She thought Si Cheng was deeply obsessed with Qu Shiyao, but she didn't expect him to still have feelings for this woman who looked like Qu Shiyao.

So what role is Su Wanwan playing today?

A tool for livening up the atmosphere?

Or is it just a backdrop to highlight others?

However, Si Cheng didn't seem to consider whether Su Wanwan would refuse.

In his memories of his past life, Su Wanwan was almost always obedient to him, so she would definitely give him face in this situation.

He even cast an expectant glance at Qu Shiyao, his tone tentative and cautious: "Shiyao, why don't you come too?"

"No, no!" Qu Shiyao refused decisively, showing none of Shen Qingyi's gentleness or Su Wanwan's need to maintain decorum. Her smile was genuine.

"We won't disturb you and your friends any longer, Mr. Si! Yi Yu, we're off!"

She took Yi Yu's hand again, picked up her phone and waved it at Gu Yanxi: "Yanxi, let's leave first! We'll contact you by phone later!"

"Okay! Let's meet again sometime!" Gu Yanxi smiled and waved goodbye to her.

-----------------

After parting ways with Yi Yu, Qu Shiyao returned to her apartment.

She kicked off her shoes and sat on the soft sofa in the living room.

My mind is replaying everything that happened today like a movie.

Although she knew that if she had stayed, it might have triggered a more dramatic love triangle and attracted more readers, she still had Yi Yu by her side.

This was a pure date between the two of them, and she didn't want it to turn into a farce for others to watch at the last minute.

"Host..." The system's voice cautiously sounded, with a hint of guilt, as it peeked out stealthily.

Qu Shiyao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: "When did you get back?"

"Um... well..." the system stammered, the data stream flickering.

[Probably... maybe... probably... when the domineering CEO started nagging and questioning the host, right?]

Qu Shiyao immediately understood. The system must have sneaked back when she and Yi Yu were kissing. It probably felt embarrassed after seeing that scene, so it pretended to be dead and didn't say a word.

[Oh, that's not the point!] The system quickly changed the subject, its screen jumping excitedly up and down.

[Host! Weren't those the second female lead, Shen Qingyi, and the second male lead, Gu Yanxi?! And the domineering CEO and the vicious female supporting character were there too! Is this some kind of main character reunion?!]

It felt like its core program was going to fall apart; the plot wasn't going in the right direction!

"You read that right, it's such a coincidence, everything's here!" Qu Shiyao spread her hands, her face full of helplessness, and then gave the order:

"Don't just be surprised. Can you check why they came back early?"

The system immediately accepted the order and began searching and analyzing data by connecting to the backend database and intelligence network.

After a while, it returned with the investigation results: [Host, we found it! As for Gu Yanxi, his father's company has recently been maliciously suppressed by unknown forces, facing bankruptcy risks, so he was forced to return to China ahead of schedule to deal with the crisis.]

As for Shen Qingyi, she and Gu Yanxi were classmates and business partners abroad, and had a close relationship. So when Gu Yanxi returned to China, she came back with him... As for that unknown force...

The system paused, the data stream conveying a sense of disdain:

Although the traces were cleaned up very well, it's highly likely the work of the domineering CEO after his rebirth.

"Sigh, as expected of a reborn CEO, one of his top priorities is to deal with his love rivals ahead of time." Qu Shiyao sighed, stood up, and prepared to wash up and relax.

"Ding-dong—!"

The doorbell rang suddenly.

Without Qu Shiyao's prompting, the system had already gone to the door to take a look and then reported to her: [Host! It's the young lady!]

"Su Wanwan?" Qu Shiyao asked, somewhat surprised.

At this time, shouldn't she be with Si Cheng, Shen Qingyi, and the others, having that incredibly awkward welcome banquet? Did she not go?

She walked over and opened the door, and sure enough, she saw Su Wanwan standing elegantly outside, followed by her bodyguard Tan Zhendong.

Tan Zhendong was carrying several exquisitely packaged boxes, from which the enticing aroma of food wafted out.

"What? Aren't you going to invite me in for a seat?" Su Wanwan couldn't help but find it a little funny when she saw Qu Shiyao staring intently at the takeout box in the bodyguard's hand.

"Please come in! Please come in quickly!" Qu Shiyao snapped back to reality, her face beaming with a warm smile, and hurriedly stepped aside to make way for her.

Then, almost flying to the coffee table, she hurriedly gathered the scattered items to one side and quickly wiped the tabletop until it shone with a tissue.

After doing all this, she immediately turned her head and stared intently at the food in Tan Zhendong's hand.

Su Wanwan walked to her bedside with practiced ease and placed her handbag on the bedside table.

She noticed that the bed was as clean as it had been when she last left, and even had a faint fragrance, clearly indicating that it had been carefully cleaned, which brought a look of satisfaction to her eyes.

After the bodyguard put down the items, respectfully withdrew, and closed the door behind him, Qu Shiyao couldn't wait to start unpacking.

One by one, the food boxes were opened, revealing fragrant barbecue, stir-fried noodles with a wonderful wok hei (wok aroma), tempting crayfish, and plump grilled oysters...

The coffee table was overflowing with a dazzling array of items.

"Wanwan, are you eating these too?" Qu Shiyao picked up the disposable chopsticks and turned around to ask, somewhat surprised.

In her memory, Su Wanwan's diet was always refined, which seemed to have little to do with these down-to-earth street food stalls.

“Hmm,” Su Wanwan took off her coat and elegantly hung it on the hanger. Then she walked over and picked up a pair of chopsticks, explaining in a calm tone, “I saw that you guys usually like them, so I asked Adong to buy some to try.”

She paused, then added, "A-Dong specifically found a restaurant with excellent reviews and high hygiene standards."

Her gaze fell on a large oyster covered with golden garlic sauce, and she seemed unsure of where to begin.

"This is grilled oyster, the taste is absolutely amazing!" Upon seeing this, Qu Shiyao immediately picked one up and skillfully used her chopsticks to scoop the plump oyster meat along with the garlic sauce into her mouth, her eyes squinting with satisfaction.

It must be said that Tan Zhendong has a keen eye for food; the taste is top-notch!

Watching Qu Shiyao eat so heartily, Su Wanwan hesitated for a moment, then followed suit, carefully picking up a whole oyster and putting it into her mouth.

The next second, her eyes widened slightly, a hint of amazement flashing across them, and she reached out and grabbed another one without hesitation.

And so, the two of them sat around the coffee table piled high with delicious food, engrossed in enjoying this unexpected late-night feast.

This late-night snack seemed to open a door to a new world for Su Wanwan.