To Escape an Arranged Marriage, I Became the Heir’s Fake Girlfriend - Episode 29

Qi Jinyou had booked a restaurant in the city center, about ten minutes away from Wansong Tower. Since she had made a reservation in advance, the two of them were led inside without waiting.

To make it easier to talk, they chose a quiet corner.

Before Qi Jinyou could say anything, Le Yi suddenly remembered something and asked first, “That day when you asked for my resume, was it for Song Chu?”

Qi Jinyou nodded and explained, “I wasn’t sure if it would work, so I told a little white lie. Song Chu said he had to follow company procedures, so don’t worry, you didn’t get into the interview through the back door.”

Le Yi laughed, “Then I’d rather have gotten in through the back door. That way, I might get good news tomorrow.”

She held back from telling Le Yi about the embarrassing phone call where she had mentioned wanting to touch Song Chu’s abs, which he overheard. Otherwise, Le Yi might not be able to finish her meal.

The waiter brought the utensils, and they scanned the QR code to order.

While waiting for the food, Qi Jinyou told Le Yi everything that had happened.

Le Yi interrupted her twice—both times when Qi Jinyou talked about how she had been wronged. Le Yi got furious, but after hearing that Song Chu had helped her and that those responsible were punished, she calmed down.

After listening, Le Yi grabbed Qi Jinyou’s hands to check her wrists and ankles.

Le Yi came from a wealthy family. While she didn’t chase after luxury brands, she had a keen eye for fashion and accessories. With just one look, she could tell that the understated design of Qi Jinyou’s jewelry was actually very high-end.

Her gaze finally landed on a string of English letters on the back of the chain. She immediately recognized it as a domestic high-end custom brand. She had recently read online that the brand was planning to expand overseas.

“These two pieces on your wrist and ankle are worth at least hundreds of thousands.”

Qi Jinyou was startled by Le Yi’s serious expression. Why would Song Chu give her such expensive jewelry?

Then she said, “To rich people like him, this is probably just cheap stuff.”

Her words were directed at Le Yi, but it felt more like she was convincing herself.

Le Yi gave her a meaningful look but didn’t continue the topic.

Suddenly, she hugged Qi Jinyou and sighed, “See? You can’t leave me. It’s only been a short time, and you’ve already suffered so much.”

Qi Jinyou was touched for a moment. “But I’m fine now.”

The next second, Le Yi let go of her and picked up her phone. “I’m calling my mom right now. I finally have a reason to convince her to let me move to Haishi.”

Qi Jinyou was speechless. Her earlier emotions completely shattered.

“You have to help me exaggerate how much you’ve suffered so my mom will feel sorry for you,” Le Yi added.

Qi Jinyou snatched the phone away. “Don’t use me as an excuse, and don’t scare Auntie.”

She knew that Le Yi’s mom would genuinely feel heartbroken, so she couldn’t let her find out.

The food arrived, and they chatted while eating.

The conversation started with Le Yi vividly describing her interview process but somehow circled back to Song Chu.

“Jinyou, do you like Song Chu?” Le Yi suddenly stopped eating and stared at her.

“No, I don’t want to be in a relationship right now,” Qi Jinyou replied without thinking.

“Not wanting a relationship and not liking someone are two different things,” Le Yi said firmly.

“Stop talking and eat. Don’t you want to go to a bar later?” Qi Jinyou changed the subject. She wasn’t even sure of her own feelings, so she didn’t know how to answer.

Le Yi, like Qi Jinyou, had never been in a relationship. Though she loved watching romance dramas, her experience was purely theoretical.

She had noticed Qi Jinyou acting differently whenever Song Chu was mentioned.

But since Qi Jinyou wasn’t admitting anything, she didn’t press further.

At 7:30, they left the restaurant. The area was a shopping district, so they walked around for a bit.

By 8:00, they searched for a nearby bar.

A place called Green Mist was nearby and was even on Le Yi’s list of trendy bars.

It was only a ten-minute walk, so they decided to stroll there instead of taking a taxi.

The bar had three floors, similar to most bars in layout.

Qi Jinyou found the first floor too noisy, so they went to the second floor.

They picked a seat near the glass railing, which gave them a clear view of most of the main hall downstairs.

Qi Jinyou ordered a soft drink, while Le Yi got a cocktail.

They chatted and drank.

The dance floor on the first floor suddenly became lively with upbeat music, and a group of young men and women started dancing.

Qi Jinyou didn’t dance but enjoyed watching. Le Yi, on the other hand, was eager to join in.

She tried pulling Qi Jinyou to dance, but Qi Jinyou joked about her lack of skills and told her to go alone, reminding her to be careful.

Less than half a minute later, Le Yi smoothly slipped into the dance floor.

Qi Jinyou kept an eye on her and didn’t notice someone approaching until she looked up and saw Cheng Zian smiling at her.

Seeing the empty seat across from her, Cheng Zian sat down without asking.

Qi Jinyou smiled. “Zian, what a coincidence. You’re here too?”

Cheng Zian pretended to be hurt. “Jinyou, you don’t care about me at all.”

Qi Jinyou looked at him, puzzled.

“I own this bar.”

She felt awkward. Only now did she remember that Shen Yan had posted photos of a bar opening, but she hadn’t paid attention to the name.

Qi Jinyou usually only attended events where elders were present. She rarely joined gatherings with just young people, as she didn’t have many friends in those circles. Plus, attending such events usually meant going with Shen Yan, and they had an unspoken agreement to avoid each other.

She avoided situations where she might be looked down on, and Shen Yan was happy not to bring her along to lower his own status.

So she had little knowledge or interest in their social scene.

“Zian, business is doing well.” Qi Jinyou glanced around—the bar was packed.

Cheng Zian thanked her and pointed to her cocktail. “Here with a friend?”

“Yes, a college friend visiting Haishi today.”

Qi Jinyou gestured towards the dance floor. At that moment, the lights were flashing rapidly, making it hard to spot Le Yi.

They looked away.

“You’re just drinking that?” Cheng Zian pointed at her soft drink.

She threw the question back at him, “Zian, you don’t care about me either. I can’t drink alcohol.”

“Drinking can be learned. Life is boring without alcohol.”

“Without alcohol, your bar wouldn’t survive,” Qi Jinyou joked.

As they chatted, they suddenly heard commotion from the dance floor.

In moments, the people in the center stopped dancing. Something was clearly happening.

The music cut off, and voices arguing became clear. Qi Jinyou recognized Le Yi’s voice among them.

She jumped up. “Zian, it’s my friend.”

Before he could respond, she ran downstairs.

Cheng Zian followed closely.

At the staircase, someone was coming up, blocking her path. Qi Jinyou didn’t look up or ask them to move. She simply sidestepped and ran down the stairs.

Song Chu watched as Qi Jinyou passed right by him—without even sparing him a glance.