Chapter 18: A Five-Star Review

As the morning light pierced through the gap in the curtains, Wen Yan was awakened by the warmth resting on her eyelashes. She opened her eyes to see Qiao Chenye’s sleeping profile, his gentle breaths falling softly against her neck—the day was already bright.

Her heart tightened suddenly, and Wen Yan nearly sprang up, nudging the man beside her. “Get up! Qiao Chenye, we need to leave now!”

Qiao Chenye lazily opened his eyes, still heavy with sleep. Instead of moving, he curled further under the covers, his voice tinged with reluctance. “Why rush? It’s just dawn; he might not come back.”

“Why wouldn’t I be anxious?” Wen Yan’s voice was barely a whisper, her fingertips trembling. “Li Jingyan could walk in any moment. Do you want to be caught?”

The system in her mind flared with alarm, urging like a siren: “Host! Make him leave immediately! If the plotline collapses here, we’re doomed!”

Hearing this, Qiao Chenye smirked and sat up, pinching Wen Yan’s chin teasingly. “Sis, are you so tense because you’re afraid this ‘other man’ will ruin your good fortune?”

He deliberately paused, eyes sparkling with mischief. “But if you want me gone, you have to give me a rating first—five stars, right?”

Without hesitation, Wen Yan shook her head. “At most, three stars.”

“Three stars?” Qiao Chenye raised an eyebrow, then suddenly leaned down to pin her beneath him. The warmth of his breath carried a hint of danger. “Not satisfied? No worries, there’s still time. We can do it again until you’re happy.”

The softness beneath her and his closeness made Wen Yan’s scalp tingle. Her mind flashed with images of Li Jingyan bursting in, prompting her to quickly change her tune, voice light and airy. “Satisfied! I’m very satisfied! Ten out of ten! You’re the best.”

A doting smile spread on Qiao Chenye’s face as he lowered his head to kiss her.

“Click—”

The sudden sound of the door lock turning made Wen Yan’s heart leap. “System, didn’t you say he was still on the way?”

“Host, the data’s a bit fuzzy with you two messing around,” the system replied awkwardly.

She shoved Qiao Chenye urgently, whispering, “Quick! Hide by the side and get dressed! Don’t leave the bedroom!”

Qiao Chenye clicked his tongue but complied, swiftly grabbing clothes and slipping behind the folding screen.

Wen Yan smoothed her nightgown, took a deep breath, and stepped out—just as Li Jingyan pushed the door open.

His eyes were heavy with fatigue, dark circles stark beneath them. Clutching a stack of documents, he glanced briefly at her before placing the papers on the hallway cabinet and heading straight to the bathroom. “Worked late last night. I’ll shower first.”

Watching his weary form, Wen Yan felt a wave of relief—this was the perfect chance for Qiao Chenye to slip away.

She hurried to the screen and whispered, “Hurry, leave while he’s in the shower!”

But Qiao Chenye stood still, gripping her wrist firmly, eyes serious and unwavering. “Kiss me first, or I’m not leaving.”

Wen Yan glanced toward the bathroom; the sound of running water had begun. Gritting her teeth, she quickly pressed a kiss to Qiao Chenye’s cheek and pushed him toward the door. “Go! Don’t let the neighbors see you!”

Once outside, Qiao Chenye didn’t immediately leave. Instead, he looked up at the floor indicator in the building, pulled out his phone, and called Assistant Liu, his tone commanding and resolute. “No matter the cost, buy the apartments above and below Wen Yan’s, and the one across the hall.”

Assistant Liu was stunned. “Boss? What is this about—?”

“Don’t ask,” Qiao Chenye cut him off, a trace of pride in his voice. “I finally got to be someone’s other man—might as well do it right.”

Assistant Liu was baffled. “But with your wealth and looks, being the other man is... is that really fitting?”

“Mind your own business, you lonely dog,” Qiao Chenye snapped, then ended the call.

On the other end, Assistant Liu stared at his blacked-out phone, sighing helplessly. It would be so easy to intervene, to make Li Jingyan and Wen Yan divorce and let the boss have her legitimately. Yet here they were, playing the ‘other man’ game. Oh well, maybe it was some peculiar fun between the boss and his ‘sister-in-law.’ He shook his head and began organizing the paperwork to buy the apartments.

Wen Yan closed the door, just as she relaxed her breath her eyes fell on the folder on the cabinet—marked boldly with the “M2” logo.

Her heart stirred, and she quickly asked the system in her mind, “System, is the M2 business deal the key to Li Jingyan’s comeback?”

“Yes, host,” the system confirmed. “If this deal succeeds, Li Jingyan’s reputation will spread through the headquarters, allowing him to rise smoothly and build more connections. When his identity is later revealed, most shareholders will side with him, splitting Qiao Corporation into factions. That’s when the battle between Qiao Chenye and Li Jingyan begins.”

Wen Yan’s expression darkened. This couldn’t be allowed to happen. She took out her phone and snapped a photo of the M2 logo on the folder, about to send it to Qiao Chenye when the bathroom door opened.

Wrapped in a towel, Li Jingyan stepped out, water droplets tracing the contours of his muscular frame. His pale skin exuded a taut strength—no wonder he was the novel’s male lead; his physique was mesmerizing. Wen Yan found herself swallowing involuntarily.

“Host! Wipe that drool off!” the system chided disdainfully. “You just ‘worked it out’ last night; your body can’t handle this!”

“This is my husband. I can’t sleep with him and not look?” Wen Yan retorted, then curiously asked, “You opposed me seeing Qiao Chenye last night. Why are you so accepting of it now?”

“Can’t help it. Think of it as setting the mood for the plot,” the system replied with a hint of grievance. “At least your messy actions aren’t affecting the main storyline. I’ll just log off and hide. Don’t worry about me... sniffle.”

Wen Yan smiled helplessly and opened WeChat to send the photo to Qiao Chenye, adding: “Do you know which project M2 is?”

At that moment, Qiao Chenye was in his car, heading to the company. His eyes flicked to the M2 logo on the screen, a flicker of understanding passing through his gaze. M2 wasn’t some unfamiliar company; it was one of his foreign-owned firms.

He had been planning to establish M2’s branch in the country, the first step being a contract with Qiao Corporation to control both sides of the business. He hadn’t expected such a crucial deal to fall into Li Jingyan’s hands. Tapping the steering wheel, his expression grew colder—it had to be that cunning old fox from the Liu family behind this.

He replied with two words: “I know.”

Then added: “But we absolutely cannot let this deal succeed.”

Not long after, Wen Yan’s phone buzzed with a message from Qiao Chenye, accompanied by a playful dog-face emoji: “Sis, if this happens, I’ll lose a lot of money~”

“So you’re not willing to lose? That much?” Wen Yan quickly replied.

Qiao Chenye smiled and typed back: “No, that’s another price. I want compensation~”

Reading this, Wen Yan shook her head in exasperation, then replied: “I want to date you. I’ll pick the day.”

Seeing Qiao Chenye’s proud stubbornness, Wen Yan was speechless but still sent an ‘OK’ sticker to show her agreement.