Chapter 27: Could This Really Happen?

No one knows exactly when the trend of innocent allure began to catch on. Innocent allure, as they call it, is the perfect blend of purity and desire. To put it plainly, she stirs the most primal beastly instincts in men, yet at the same time awakens their deepest urge to protect.

Naturally, many women, out of jealousy, dismiss it, saying that innocent allure is nothing more than wearing revealing clothes—vulgar, they claim. But through a man's eyes, even when she wears nothing but bare shoulders and a naked back, she still appears pure and conservative. So, those jealous women have no idea where they truly lost.

Yet, there’s one thing for certain: not every girl can pull off innocent allure. Some, dressed in this style, look no different from nightclub hostesses—so much so that strangers might ask them for their nightly rates. That kind of embarrassment could make one curl their toes.

Li Qian, however, was the perfect embodiment of innocent allure.

Sitting at the table, she was a vision of beauty, desire, and purity. With her looks and figure, she made for an ideal companion for long-term conversation. Of course, just conversation—nothing more. As a man who had already found his footing, no matter the woman before him, he would never dive in headfirst again.

"Mr. Chu, you’re here?" Li Qian greeted him with a beaming smile.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Chu Lin replied with a smile.

For a first meeting, this was the cardinal rule: whether you were on time or not, if it’s a man meeting a woman or the woman arriving first, this phrase never fails. Not only does it provide emotional value, but it also highlights a gentleman’s demeanor. Even if it’s merely an act, these words are always right. Such effortless gestures were never wasted on his part.

"No, not at all. I just got off work myself," Li Qian quickly waved her hand, then picked up the license plate on the table. "Mr. Chu, this is your plate. Now that all the staff are off duty, I’ll personally help you install it!"

"You know how to do that?" Chu Lin glanced at the FC888 plate, smiling.

"I work at the dealership, this is nothing," Li Qian replied, picking up a toolkit and giving it a shake, looking quite skilled. With her innocent allure style, she truly seemed capable.

"Outside the lobby," Chu Lin said as he headed out, adding casually, "By the way, drop the 'Mr. Chu.' It sounds too formal. Just call me Chu Lin."

"Then call me Qian!" Li Qian clearly liked the familiarity.

After all, a man who is unmarried, wealthy, and handsome is a huge draw for women like her. Compared to her colleagues or those rough customers buying cars, the man before her was simply perfect.

She admitted she was a sucker for good looks and hoped to find a partner who met her standards. But then, what girl isn’t? Just as every man wants a beautiful, well-built woman.

Installing the plate wasn’t difficult. Li Qian quickly removed the temporary plate and fixed on the FC888. Then, she ran back to return the tools, her energy positively charming.

When she returned, Chu Lin greeted her with a smile and opened the passenger door for her.

Opening the door for a woman—another detail men always remember when courting.

Li Qian’s face lit up with a hint of delight.

So handsome, such good prospects, so attentive, so considerate. Perfect, plus one.

Chu Lin noticed Li Qian’s expression with precision.

It seemed she hadn’t been on many dates; even such a simple gesture could make her visibly happy.

That’s another point in her favor.

After leaving the dealership, Li Qian quickly said, "Chu Lin, let’s go to Zhen Zhi. I’ve booked a table at the flagship. A colleague of mine keeps raving about the prawns there, and now you have to book ahead if you want any."

"Sure, Zhen Zhi," Chu Lin replied with a smile.

Zhen Zhi was a well-known restaurant brand in Min City, with a thriving business. Its Atlantis king prawns had gained a reputation through word of mouth, making them famous in the area.

On the way, Chu Lin and Li Qian chatted about many things, mostly him probing her character—since he intended for this to be a long-term acquaintance.

The car soon arrived at Zhen Zhi restaurant. After getting out, Chu Lin was about to enter with Li Qian when a voice called out, "President Chu!"

Turning around in surprise, Chu Lin saw Chen Feng approaching. "Young Master Chen, what a coincidence!"

Chen Feng was accompanied by a shapely young woman, with two other well-dressed youths behind him, each with a beautiful companion—clearly young heirs.

"Hong Hao, Director Zhang, let me introduce you. This is President Chu I told you about," Chen Feng quickly introduced, then explained, "President Chu, these two are younger brothers from my circle; our families have been friends for generations."

"Nice to meet you," Chu Lin nodded to them.

"President Chu, nice to meet you. We’ve heard about you from Chen," one said.

"President Chu, I admire you and Chen for being so young and successful entrepreneurs," the other added.

The two heirs were clearly enthusiastic.

They genuinely respected Chen Feng and Chu Lin for their entrepreneurial success, since both had stepped out of their families’ shadows and built their own ventures.

Unlike themselves, who had failed at several startups. Not only was it embarrassing to talk about, but their families dreaded the words "new project," urging them to stop wasting time and wait to inherit instead.

"Chen Feng, you’re here?" A pleasant voice called out. "President Chu, you’re here too."

Chu Lin turned to see none other than Miss Cai Yao of Zhen Zhi herself.

She wore a crisp white blouse and a black skirt—her professional attire radiating an aura that made her the center of attention.

This kind of workplace uniform was no less alluring than innocent allure.

"Cai Yao, how could we not come when Miss Zhen Zhi herself invites us to try oysters?" Chen Feng replied with a smile, then turned to Chu Lin, "President Chu, since everyone knows each other, let’s have dinner together. Cai Yao has reserved an exclusive private room for us."

Cai Yao extended the invitation as well. "President Chu, join us. After all, the oysters are supplied by you."

"The oysters are supplied by President Chu? They must be exceptional," Chen Feng said, excited. "The last time I ate seafood at President Chu’s place, even the simple clams and scallops were delicious. And those unusual sea cucumbers—unbelievable!"

Cai Yao instinctively looked at Chu Lin. "President Chu, you must have a lot of good things."

She knew Chen Feng well—he wouldn’t praise anything unless it was truly outstanding.

"Those can’t be supplied for now," Chu Lin replied with a smile.

"When you can supply them, don’t forget Zhen Zhi," Cai Yao said without pressing further. She then looked at Li Qian beside Chu Lin, "President Chu, your girlfriend is beautiful. Mind if I add her on WeChat?"

Sometimes, the ‘Mrs.’ approach was worth taking.

Li Qian was momentarily stunned, not sure how to respond.

Because she wasn’t Chu Lin’s girlfriend—this was their first dinner together. But if she said no, wouldn’t that embarrass Chu Lin? If she said yes, it wasn’t true.

Chu Lin smiled and said, "Qian is indeed beautiful, and has a lovely personality."

He was well-versed in handling such situations.

Just praise and leave it ambiguous—neither confirming nor denying. Flexible, depending on the situation.

Sure enough, Li Qian was pleased by the compliment, but her mind spun with thoughts. Chu Lin hadn’t denied she was his girlfriend, but he hadn’t confirmed it either.

Still, she was certain of one thing: Sister Qiu was right, Chu Lin had his own business and could supply Zhen Zhi. Even Miss Cai was so polite to him.

Perfect, plus another point!

Chu Lin didn’t refuse Cai Yao and Chen Feng’s invitation, and joined them heading into Zhen Zhi restaurant.

"Cai Yao, where’s Guo Feng?" Chen Feng asked as they went upstairs.

"He’s already in the private room," Cai Yao replied with a smile. "He’s dating a girlfriend now—a gentle, well-behaved girl!"

"Damn, he finally has a girlfriend? That kid finally figured it out?" Chen Feng reacted as if discovering a new world.

It’s said that heirs never lack girlfriends, and on the whole, that’s true. With their privileged backgrounds, unless their standards are too high, dating isn’t hard.

But there are always exceptions—some are shy, some lack social skills, some are oblivious to romance, some are introverted, and some don’t even show off their family wealth.

Chu Lin could guess what was going on from Chen Feng’s reaction.

After all, heirs are still people—there’s no shortage of fools and oddballs.

When they entered the private room, there was indeed a young couple.

The man was unremarkable, wearing thick glasses and badly dressed—instantly giving off a bookish vibe.

But when Chu Lin saw the girl beside him, with her refined glasses, simple black princess dress, and impressive attributes up front, he was stunned.

He couldn’t help but mentally curse.

Seriously, they crossed paths again?

...

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