The banquet had reached its peak.
Crystal glasses clinked, soft laughter echoed, and beneath the glittering lights, deals were being made with smiles that hid daggers.
Chen Yuxi stood beside Lin Guo, her posture composed, her expression calm—but her mind was anything but.
System, scan the west wing. Something feels off.
"Alert: Suspicious movement detected. Possible tampering with service routes."
Her eyes sharpened slightly. So she's trying again.
Without turning her head, she could already guess who.
Yue Xinyan.
Across the hall, Xinyan stood with a glass of wine, her lips curved in a slow, confident smile. Too confident.
System, focus on her. What is she planning?
"Interference detected. Signal partially blocked."
Yuxi's fingers tightened slightly. Blocked? That's new…
For the first time, her system wasn't giving her a clear answer.
And for the first time—
she felt a flicker of unease.
Beside her, Lin Guo's gaze shifted ever so slightly, watching her reaction.
She noticed. Good.
He had done it intentionally. A small disruption, just enough to interfere with her system's clarity. He wanted to see how she would react without her "advantage."
Let's see how capable you are on your own, Yuxi.
"Stay close," he murmured softly.
Yuxi blinked, glancing at him. Why does he always say things at the exact moment I need them?
Her heart skipped.
Coincidence… right?
Before she could think further, a waiter approached with a tray of drinks. Too sudden. Too close.
System—
No response.
Yuxi's instincts kicked in. Her eyes flicked to the tray—just for a second—and she saw it. A faint, almost invisible residue on the rim of one glass.
Drugged.
Without hesitation, she reached out—
and knocked the tray aside.
Glasses shattered. Gasps filled the hall.
"What are you doing?!" Yue Xinyan snapped immediately, stepping forward as if she had been waiting for this exact moment. "Have you lost your mind?"
All eyes turned to Yuxi.
Her pulse pounded, but her voice remained steady. "That drink was tampered with."
A ripple of whispers spread across the room.
Xinyan scoffed. "Do you have proof? Or are you just embarrassing the company?"
For a split second, Yuxi hesitated.
Her system was silent.
But before the doubt could take root—
A firm hand rested lightly against her waist.
Lin Guo.
"Proof?" he repeated calmly, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade.
His eyes swept across the room—cold, commanding, absolute.
"Check the security footage," he said. "And have the drinks tested immediately."
Silence.
No one dared argue.
Yue Xinyan's expression stiffened for just a second—just enough.
Yuxi saw it.
And she smiled faintly.
"Or…" Lin Guo added softly, his gaze lingering on Xinyan, "is there something you'd like to explain?"
The pressure in the room shifted instantly.
Xinyan clenched her jaw, but said nothing.
She had lost. Again.
Yuxi exhaled slowly, adrenaline still rushing through her veins. That was close… too close.
Her thoughts flickered again, uncontrollably this time: He saved me. Again. Why does he always know exactly what to do?
Lin Guo's lips curved slightly.
Because I know everything you're thinking.
But he said nothing.
Instead, he leaned closer, voice low enough that only she could hear:
"You did well… even without your little advantage."
Yuxi froze.
Her heart skipped.
What… does he mean by that?
For the first time, a strange thought crossed her mind—
Does he… know something?
She looked at him, really looked this time.
And for a brief moment, under the dazzling lights of the banquet, Lin Guo didn't look like just a CEO.
He looked… dangerous.