Chapter 39: The King Falls as Autumn Winds Blow 5

Le Yixian and Huangfu Shang walked out of the hotel, one after the other.

The night breeze blew, calming their moods considerably.

“What do you want to eat?” Le Yixian stopped and asked.

Huangfu Shang: …

Eat? The food at the banquet was quite good, and he had eaten plenty—his stomach was a little too full.

“You decide,” he replied with a gentle smile.

“Hmm, I remember there’s a barbecue place ahead. Let’s get some barbecue,” Le Yixian decided after thinking for a moment.

She’d noticed that bustling barbecue spot on her way off work earlier and had been wanting to try it.

“All right,” Huangfu Shang nodded, thinking that if it was barbecue, he could just eat a little.

The barbecue restaurant wasn’t far, just around the corner by the main road. The enticing aroma of grilling meat drifted toward them from a distance.

Le Yixian had been busy all day today, barely having time for a few bites at mealtimes. Now, with the delicious scent in the air, she forgot all about her companion and jogged over.

At this moment, nothing was more important than food.

Besides, she’d already run into Ke Yuandao—he wouldn’t escape from her grasp.

“Boss, a dozen oysters, four grilled chicken wings, a plate of greens…” Le Yixian rattled off order after order as she scanned the menu, then glanced back at her companion and asked, “Is that enough?”

Huangfu Shang’s handsome face fell instantly, and he nodded frantically like a pecking chick, “Enough, that’s plenty.”

“Then that’ll be all for now,” Le Yixian told the boss.

The plump boss deftly flipped the chicken wings in front of him and sprinkled on more seasoning. “No problem, find yourselves a seat and wait a bit.”

Seated at the table, the two of them stared at each other, at a loss for words.

Le Yixian thought, After all, this is our first meeting in this world—I can’t scare my lover off by being too forward.

So, she decided to ask a more normal question: “Are you still in school?”

“I just graduated this year, with dual PhDs in Business Administration and Finance from Cambridge!” When it came to his studies, Huangfu Shang spoke with confidence, sitting up straight like a child in kindergarten waiting for praise after earning a gold star.

Looking at her so well-behaved lover, Le Yixian felt a mischievous urge, but she restrained herself and refrained from teasing.

“Amazing,” she praised sincerely.

Then, a serious question came to mind.

Thinking about it, in CEO romance novels, the overachieving, impressive overseas returnee with dual doctorates always seemed to have one of a few roles: the domineering CEO protagonist, the CEO’s best friend, or the unfortunate second male lead who falls for the heroine.

The role of domineering CEO was already taken—Huangfu Lie.

“You’ve been studying abroad all this time. Do you have any friends here in the country?” Le Yixian asked.

Huangfu Shang shook his head immediately, looking pitiful. “No.”

I have no friends here in the country—could you be my girlfriend?

Le Yixian: …

Meeting his gaze, she replied, “No problem, I’ll be your friend.”

“Really? That’s great! My brother will be so happy I made a friend as soon as I returned to the country.”

“Your brother?”

“Yeah, you must know him—he’s amazing, my cousin Huangfu Lie!”

“…Your real brother?”

“No, my cousin. My parents passed away when I was little, so I grew up at my cousin’s house. He treats me very well.”

Orphaned from a young age, highly educated, a close relative of the male lead—a classic setup for a deeply devoted supporting character.

Deep down, Le Yixian still clung to a sliver of hope: “What’s your name?”

“Shang. My name is Huangfu Shang!”

And just like that, Le Yixian’s hope was dashed.

As the author of “The Domineering CEO’s Sweetheart,” she naturally knew who Huangfu Shang was—the loyal puppy type: obedient and docile on the surface, fierce and intense underneath. He had fallen for the heroine before going abroad and was willing to give everything for her. He appeared at just the right moment when Ouyang Zining was heartbroken, and when she and his cousin decided to marry, he left for a foreign land, unable to bear the heartbreak.

Great. In her previous world, she was a background character. In this world, she knows how to add her own subplot.

Still the devoted second male lead.

“Do you have someone you like?” Le Yixian asked expressionlessly, gnawing on a chicken wing.

“How did you know?” Huangfu Shang blushed, not daring to meet her eyes.

Could she know that he liked her??

Seeing his reaction, Le Yixian raised her brows and continued, “Someone you liked before you went abroad?”

“…How do you know everything?” Huangfu Shang was stunned, then his handsome face flushed red. Too… embarrassing.

He covered his face with his hands, like an ostrich, and asked in a low voice, “Do you… do you hate me for it?”

Hate his feelings?

“No,” Le Yixian replied, though inwardly she thought, I just want to pummel you a bit.

Three days away from the keyboard, and he’s already causing trouble.

“Really?” Huangfu Shang looked up suddenly, his eyes shining. “You really don’t?”

Was this a sign she accepted him?

“Yeah, I don’t,” Le Yixian said, a little annoyed now. She slapped the table and called out to the boss, “Boss, a dozen beers!”

“Coming right up!” The barbecue stall owner was quick, soon filling their table with beer and food.

“Cheers!” Le Yixian popped open a bottle, poured a glass for him, and handed it over.

He accepted it, only to see her already chugging nearly a whole bottle in one go.

Huangfu Shang was startled by her drinking prowess.

But then, Le Yixian set down her bottle, staring at him intently. He grew a bit nervous. “What is it?”

“Do you like me?” Le Yixian asked suddenly.

Huangfu Shang froze, then nodded furiously.

Le Yixian grinned triumphantly. She knew it—if Ke Yuandao could alter the plot in the last world, why not here? She didn’t believe it couldn’t be done.

“Did you have a girlfriend while abroad?”

Huangfu Shang shook his head.

“Hmm, want to play a game of pool?”

…

“Never kissed anyone? Want to try kissing me?”

Boom—Huangfu Shang’s face turned as red as a cooked shrimp.

—

When Ouyang Zining arrived at the top-floor presidential suite carrying a sobering soup, she saw a disheveled woman being chased out of a room, a furious shout following: “Get out!”

“President Huangfu…” The woman’s face was streaked with tears as she threw herself at the door, but no matter how she pounded, no one responded.

Noticing Ouyang Zining in chef’s clothing nearby, the woman glared at her before slinking away in humiliation.

“Hello, room service. I’m here to deliver sobering soup,” Ouyang Zining knocked on the door.

The man who opened it was sullen-faced and gave her a cold glance, confirming she wasn’t some strange woman before stepping aside. “Come in. While you’re at it, throw out the stuff in the living room.”

“I’m not housekeeping…” Ouyang Zining began.

“Hurry up and get in,” the CEO said impatiently.

There were some very odd things in the room—he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

Ouyang Zining thought: Forget it, I’ll help tidy up a bit.

Upon entering, she immediately spotted some unspeakable implements scattered across the living room floor.

Ouyang Zining thought: Quite the wild party here!