Chapter 145 She has already made an appointment with me

Standing behind the bar, Jiang Yao felt her head spinning.

Today, she had deliberately put on a face mask.

Manager Zhao stood with his arms crossed, looking at her, "A-Yao, are you alright?"

Jiang Yao shook her head, though her body swayed slightly.

Manager Zhao quickly reached out to steady her, "Hey now, take it slow."

The spot where they touched was burning hot, as if it could boil an egg.

"Feeling unwell? If you're not feeling well, go back and rest immediately. Don't force yourself to endure it here. Although this place doesn't offer the best benefits, it's not going to torture people."

"I'm fine," Jiang Yao said through her congested nose. "A customer upstairs ordered a drink, I'll take it to him."

Manager Zhao nodded, "Alright then, go ahead. If there's any problem, let me know right away, okay?"

Jiang Yao nodded, picked up the prepared drink, and headed upstairs.

Feverish and somewhat dizzy, Jiang Yao wove her way through the bustling crowd of patrons.

She did not notice the warm gaze fixed on her by a man sitting not far away...

He Yunqing sat in the most secluded corner, gently swirling a glass of fine red wine.

Under the dim lights, the man's features were indistinct and hard to read.

He quietly watched Jiang Yao, as if his entire person was about to melt into the air.

He had lost count of how many times he had sat here like this.

Every single time, it was done in this manner, without her ever knowing.

Since when had He Yunqing, who had never frequented places of leisure and nightlife, made the Spring Breeze Ten Miles bar his most favored spot?

The phone in his pocket vibrated twice.

He Yunqing took out his phone and glanced at it casually. It was a message from Jin Nana, asking to meet him.

Looking further, there were seven or eight missed calls, all from Jin Nana.

This did not seem like Jin Nana's usual character.

To him, Jin Nana was far too familiar, which was why he could only ever treat her as a younger sister.

Yet He Yunqing also understood that Jin Nana did not see it that way.

Therefore, nowadays, he tried his best to avoid Jin Nana.

He Yunqing's gaze lingered on those seven or eight missed calls for a moment, and after some thought, he finally replied to Jin Nana, "What is it?"

Inside the grand Jin family estate.

Jin Nana was lying face down on her soft, spacious bed, kicking her legs against the quilt. "He Yunqing, you wouldn't take my call!"

Seeing He Yunqing's message, she immediately sat up.

"Naturally it's good news. I'll tell you when we meet in person."

Before long, He Yunqing's message came through again: "I am at Spring Breeze Ten Miles."

Jin Nana immediately got out of bed, walked into her large walk-in closet, and began earnestly selecting an outfit.

The haughty young miss of the Jin family had always been the one everyone else orbited around; she had never gone to such lengths for anyone else. Yet, all those people who swarmed around her were utterly beneath her notice.

She only liked to silently watch He Yunqing.

"Miss, where are you going so late?" asked the family's housekeeper in surprise.

"Shh," Jin Nana put a finger to her lips, gesturing for silence. "Don't wake my parents up, or they'll start nagging and asking a million questions again. I'm just stepping out for a bit, I'll be right back."

With that, she picked up a goose-yellow long dress and held it against herself, asking, "Does this look good?"

The housekeeper smiled, "Miss looks good in everything."

"Then, between me and Jiang Yao, who is prettier?" Jin Nana blinked at the housekeeper.

"Naturally the Miss. The natural elegance possessed by the Miss is something no one else can compare to."

"Then why does Brother Yunqing only like Jiang Yao?" Jin Nana didn't believe the housekeeper's flattery, absentmindedly rummaging through the clothes.

The housekeeper thought for a moment, "Perhaps different people have different tastes. Mr. He might prefer someone a bit more low-key."

Jin Nana frowned and thought it over. Could it be that her previous attire and styling had been too extravagant and loud?

She fished out an outfit from her wardrobe that was relatively inexpensive, low-key, and closer to Jiang Yao's style of dressing. "Then I'll wear this tonight."

"The Miss is going to see Mr. He, then," the housekeeper smiled faintly.

Jin Nana's eyes curved into crescent moons. "You must keep this a secret for me."

Driving her favorite car, Jin Nana was in high spirits tonight.

She wanted to tell He Yunqing that her father was willing to specially invest in a new drama for him to direct, with just one condition.

She had considered that He Yunqing might not agree to that condition.

However, it didn't matter; she was willing to pretend to be He Yunqing's fake girlfriend to deceive her father.

Once the investment was secured and the drama was filmed, everything else would be easy to talk about.

A fake couple was still a couple, and that meant she would be one step closer to him.

For He Yunqing, such an arrangement was also entirely beneficial with no drawbacks.

Back at Spring Breeze Ten Miles, Jiang Yao was carrying a drink as she walked toward a customer.

However, when she placed the glass before the patron—a man in a tailored suit accompanied by two beautiful women—he frowned, "This isn't the drink I ordered. Did you bring the wrong one?"

Jiang Yao looked closer and realized she had accidentally added an extra ingredient while mixing the drink. She quickly apologized to the customer, picked up the glass, and turned to head back, only to stagger and accidentally collide with an incoming patron.

The man's pristine white shirt was instantly stained with alcohol.

"Are you blind?!" the newcomer snapped angrily.

Jiang Yao apologized as she looked up, locking eyes with the man. "I'm so sorry, sir, I'll wipe it clean for you right away."

Perhaps because Jiang Yao was running a fever, a faint blush lingered on her cheeks; perhaps the lighting at Spring Breeze Ten Miles was simply too adept at setting the mood.

After one glance at Jiang Yao, the corners of the man's mouth curled into a malicious smile. "Alright, you come and clean it up for me then."

His words were laced with mockery.

This provoked laughter from the customer who had just been embracing the two beauties.

Working here, Jiang Yao had seen plenty of men like this.

Without a word, she picked up a napkin and meticulously dabbed at the man's lapel.

When her hand reached the man's chest, a large hand abruptly grabbed hers.

"You're burning up," the man chuckled softly. "What were you thinking about to make your body this hot?"

Jiang Yao's expression changed, and she tried hard to pull her hand back. "Sir, please let go of me first."

"And what if I don't let go?" the man smiled flirtatiously. "Name your price."

"Sir, you must have misunderstood. I am a bartender here, not the kind of woman you imagine."

"A woman is a woman, aren't they all the same?" The man looked at her with contempt. "There's only one reason for refusing: the price isn't high enough yet."

With that, he hooked his finger under Jiang Yao's chin. "Tell me, how much? I'm in a good mood today, as long as you dare to name a price, I won't bargain."

"Let go. If you don't let go right now, I'll call security," Jiang Yao said coldly.

Just as her voice fell, a large hand clamped directly onto the man's wrist.

The man winced in pain and hastily let go.

Jiang Yao lifted her gaze and discovered that He Yunqing had somehow appeared beside her, his face as cold as the depth of winter.

"Pardon me, she already has an appointment with me."