Chapter 32: Brother

Blue Bay Hotel was a recently completed five-star business hotel, situated on the outskirts of Zhonghai City, nestled beside a lakeside resort. The entire ambiance was fresh and elegant, with a rich Scottish architectural style that attracted many high society individuals for business negotiations.

As soon as they got out of the car, Lin Ruoxi walked up to Yang Chen and suddenly reached out, intertwining her arm with his. She took on the appearance of a contented and dependent woman, lightly saying, "Let's go."

Yang Chen smirked, "You're really good at acting. If you want people to know that we're close, you should at least put on a smile. With that icy expression, people might mistake you for a scornful woman."

"Who's the scornful woman here?" Lin Ruoxi furrowed her brows with a hint of difficulty. Ultimately, she couldn't force a smile. In fact, even linking her arm with Yang Chen was already a great challenge for her. She shook her head and said, "Let's leave it at that. Just don't give away any hints, and we'll be fine."

Yang Chen thought to himself that no one would believe it, but he refrained from saying it out loud. Since the somewhat naive CEO's wife wanted to play a role, he would just play along with her.

As they walked into the hotel, ancient Athenian-style columns and sculptures of goddesses adorned both sides. Upon entering the lobby, various Western-style oil paintings depicting people and landscapes began to appear.

The magnificent decorations filled the entire Blue Bay Hotel with a blend of fashion and classical elegance. The guests passing by were dressed in their finest attire, their expressions carrying a hint of arrogance.

"I don't like oil paintings," Yang Chen muttered, smacking his lips. "I always feel that photographs are better, more clear."

Holding Yang Chen's arm, Lin Ruoxi was leisurely admiring the paintings along the corridor. She glanced at Yang Chen disdainfully and whispered, "If you have no appreciation, then keep your opinions to yourself. No one thinks you're mute."

"Yeah, otherwise, how could I sell lamb skewers?" Yang Chen smirked proudly.

Lin Ruoxi gave him a white look and whispered, "Remember, once we're inside, unless I signal you to speak, don't say too much."

"Understood, General Manager Lin," Yang Chen suppressed his amusement and nodded.

Guided by the neatly dressed hostess, the two of them walked to a large private room by the lakeside. Looking up, they saw that the room was named "JUDAS," exuding a strong religious style.

The milky-white carved wooden door opened, revealing a rough-looking man wearing a black BOSS suit, slightly curly hair, and an untrimmed beard. He suddenly displayed a sincere smile at the door and made a gesture of invitation, saying, "Welcome, Miss Lin. My young master has been waiting for you."

It was evident that this man immediately excluded Yang Chen, who was holding Lin Ruoxi's arm, from the welcoming party and didn't even spare him a glance.

Lin Ruoxi nodded lightly and led Yang Chen into the spacious private room. The aroma of lavender permeated the air, invigorating one's senses.

"Ruoxi, I've been waiting for you," a magnetic male voice came from the large sofa inside the private room. A man wearing a blue shirt stood up. He had neatly cropped hair, fair complexion, and handsome features. What was rare was his inherent sense of respect that couldn't be cultivated without a distinguished background.

Lin Ruoxi nodded expressionlessly, "Manager Xu, you're too kind."

Xu Zhihong wasn't embarrassed by her cold response and continued to smile. With a mature and humble expression, he sincerely said, "I've invited you several times, and it's rare to have the opportunity to have a meal together. Your father has mentioned you to me several times, saying that you're busy with work. Actually, I don't mind. If you can join me for a meal, I'll be more than satisfied."

It was hard to imagine the effect it would have when a CEO of a listed company, the heir apparent of one of the top five prominent families in Zhonghai, spoke so affectionately, almost trying to please a woman by saying, "I'll be content if we can have a meal together." Other women might not know how to react, but Lin Ruoxi seemed unimpressed. She reluctantly replied, "You're too kind," and said nothing more.

Xu Zhihong didn't find anything amiss. He personally pulled out a chair for Lin Ruoxi and gestured for her to sit. "Please, have a seat, Ruoxi."

From beginning to end, it seemed as if Xu Zhihong and his rough companion, the two of them, hadn't noticed that Lin Ruoxi was holding another man's hand. It was as if the presence or absence of that man was as inconsequential as the air.

At this moment, Lin Ruoxi realized that she had underestimated Xu Zhihong's intelligence. His actions clearly showed that he didn't take Yang Chen seriously at all. It seemed that he had thoroughly investigated Yang Chen's background and had no reason to believe that a CEO of a large company would marry an unknown lamb skewer vendor. Xu Zhihong must have already known about Lin Ruoxi's little scheme of a fake marriage.

Lin Ruoxi had no choice but to release Yang Chen's hand and take her seat, and Yang Chen didn't feel uncomfortable either. He had planned to pull a chair and sit beside Lin Ruoxi.

Just then, the rough man who had been smiling and remaining silent suddenly appeared in front of Yang Chen. He pushed back the chair that Yang Chen had pulled out and continued to smile as he said, "May I know who this gentleman is? My young master only invited Miss Lin for dinner."

Before Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi could speak, Xu Zhihong, with a gentle smile on his face, said, "Maoqiu, no rudeness. I suppose this gentleman must be Ruoxi's brother or something, otherwise why would they come together with such sibling affection?"

"Brother?" Yang Chen was somewhat surprised by the acting skills of this master-servant duo. He chuckled and said, "Oh... Impressive! You all know that my little Ruoxi often calls me 'good brother' in bed."

"..."

Silence! A suffocating silence!

Not to mention Xu Zhihong and Maoqiu, who were just mocking Yang Chen, even Lin Ruoxi was stunned by Yang Chen's unexpectedly audacious words. Her eyes widened as if she wanted to strangle Yang Chen! This rascal!! How could he say such things!!! Although she knew it was a deliberate counterattack against Xu Zhihong and his servant, but still, those words were... too... Hearing such lascivious words made Lin Ruoxi unable to help but recall their inexplicable trip to Wushan a few days ago, and her delicate face instantly turned crimson, exuding a captivating allure.

As for Xu Zhihong, when he saw Lin Ruoxi's sudden shy and charming demeanor, he was first captivated by her alluring beauty, but then, the thought that Lin Ruoxi was actually feeling shy because of this man's words sent a chill down his spine... Could their relationship really be more than meets the eye!?

Xu Zhihong's face instantly turned somewhat pale and unpleasant, but he forced a smile and said, "You're quite a joker, sir. But since you're here, that makes you a friend. Maoqiu, no more jokes with this gentleman. Let's all take a seat."

Yang Chen couldn't help but have a higher opinion of Xu Zhihong. It seemed that he wasn't just a brainless second-generation rich kid; he knew how to endure.

Lin Ruoxi, being a strong woman, although feeling uneasy due to the atmosphere, remembered the main purpose of their visit here and quickly calmed her emotions. She said to Xu Zhihong, "Mr. Xu, let's first discuss the cooperation for the autumn fashion launch. It's still early."

"Of course." Xu Zhihong no longer paid attention to Yang Chen and quickly resumed his charming smile. "Whatever Ruoxi says goes. Today, the host follows the guest."