Each woman is a better actress than the last

Su Chen looked at Lin Qingyan, who was shouting for help in the water. Glancing around, he confirmed that there was indeed no one else in sight. This... This very scene from the past had repeated itself.

He was at a loss. What should he do now? Saving her could lead to unintended consequences, but if he didn't and something happened to her, what then? Deciding it's all an act, Su Chen resolved to stand by and watch, thinking Lin Qingyan would eventually pull herself out.

However, just as he made up his mind, Lin Qingyan's head was already fully submerged, and her cries for help grew fainter. Su Chen thought, "What more do you want from me, Lin Qingyan?" With a sigh, he decided to dive in to rescue her.

Reaching her, he found Lin Qingyan motionless, sinking to the lake's bottom. "This is bad. What if I ruin things with Lin Qingyan?" With such thoughts, he quickly swam to her, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and started swimming to the surface. He didn't have the luxury to take advantage of the situation; he just wanted to bring her to safety. Once ashore, he tried resuscitating her using mouth-to-mouth, just like they show on TV, their lips meeting.

Yet, either intentionally or as a natural reflex to danger, Lin Qingyan tightly hugged Su Chen, making it seem she was afraid to lose her lifeline. This move made him inadvertently benefit from the close contact. Despite being firmly embraced, Su Chen managed to swim ashore with Lin Qingyan in his arms. Laying her down, he noticed her drenched state, her white dress now clinging to her, accentuating her figure. The most captivating was her face: a blush tinged with a mix of shyness and teasing, not resembling someone who had just been submerged.

"I guess it's necessary. I'll need to give you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation," Su Chen quipped, smiling. He then reached out, pinching Lin Qingyan's face, trying to open her mouth for resuscitation. As he suspected, Lin Qingyan was just pretending; upon his actions, she immediately opened her eyes.

"Su Chen, I'm fine now," her crystal-clear, captivating eyes shimmered, clearly startled by his actions.

She indeed had been prepared initially, but regretted her act when Su Chen declared his intentions - the imagined scene was too embarrassing. Su Chen thought to himself: "Typical of Lin Qingyan, always so reserved. If it were Yang Yuxin, she would have pretended until she really passed out. This just proves Lin Qingyan was faking it." He thought, "These female leads, each one is a better actress than the last." Moreover, Su Chen didn't detect any panic in Lin Qingyan's eyes. And before he could react further, she threw herself into his arms.

With tears in her eyes, Lin Qingyan said, "Su Chen, thank you for saving me." Even though Su Chen instantly recognized her feigned crying, her soft and vulnerable voice evoked a strong protective urge in him. What exactly is this woman trying to do?

She wasn't planning to take advantage of the situation to say something like, "To repay your life-saving favor, I'll marry you," was she? 

"You can't attend the banquet like this. Your clothes are all wet," Lin Qingyan remarked with a hint of disappointment. 

"Not attending?" Su Chen hadn't expected Lin Qingyan to suggest he skip the banquet at this point, but he took it as a pleasant surprise. Even though he had planned ahead, unexpected events could still arise, and Lin Qingyan's decision fit right into his plans.

"But it's alright. I believe there's a set of men's clothes in my room. I need to change as well," Lin Qingyan assured. Of course, she was well aware of Su Chen's thoughts and had no intentions of letting things get out of hand. Su Chen was speechless. Why would a lofty goddess like her have men's clothes in her room? 

It seemed so improbable. Without much thought, he could tell this had been premeditated. Honestly, he wanted to refuse her offer, but he also feared the consequences if Lin Qingyan chose not to attend the banquet because of him.

The story might be going off track now, but Lin Qingyan and Qin Yu still needed some kind of connection. Su Chen clearly understood that in the original plot, it wasn't just Lin Qingyan who was growing distant from him. Even Lin's grandfather hoped she would end her engagement with Su Chen and be with the male lead, Qin Yu. It seemed the old man had suffered a heart attack during his morning exercise in the park, and it was Qin Yu who had saved him. 

In the following days, Qin Yu gradually showcased his extraordinary talents to Lin's grandfather and earned his wholehearted support. Eventually, not only did Lin Qingyan follow Qin Yu, but the centuries-old Lin family empire was also handed over to him.

It didn't matter if others strayed from the script, but the current narrative could still continue. The question remained: how could he get Lin Qingyan to even glance at Qin Yu? The thought gave Su Chen a headache. Looking at Lin Qingyan's bubbly eyes, he thought, "Damn system, why are the female leads all problematic? If things don't succeed tonight, I won't be responsible for this mess." 

Su Chen was genuinely furious. If need be, he would play the antagonist card, mess things up, and then restart the narrative. Stupid system, it can't even control the female leads properly. And Lin Qingyan's next move, inviting him to change clothes, likely meant they'd both be leaving the villa together after changing.

"Alright," Su Chen eventually agreed, thinking it might be more problematic if Lin Qingyan chose not to attend the banquet. Why was he so sure of Lin Qingyan's intentions if he didn't attend? 

Lin Qingyan cheerfully exclaimed, "Great, Su Chen! I'm so happy!" In her excitement, she gave Su Chen a quick peck on the cheek. 

"You," Su Chen stammered, nearly at a loss for words. 

"It's all to thank you for saving me," she responded, her voice filled with mirth. In his head, Su Chen wondered: A thank you is fine, but why the kiss?

Inside the room, Lin Qingyan indeed provided Su Chen with a formal outfit.

It was a new set of clothes, and the fabric was of good quality. The most crucial part was the size. At a glance, Su Chen could tell it fit him perfectly. Honestly, it was thoughtful of her, but perhaps she was being thoughtful to the wrong person.

Next, Su Chen's gaze instinctively fell on Lin Qingyan beside him. At that moment, their fingers were intertwined, a gesture initiated by Lin Qingyan. However, Su Chen still lingered a bit longer than necessary. Her fair skin and demure demeanor contrasted with the seductive look in her eyes. Strangely enough, such a perfect woman was fixated on him, the supposed antagonist. Lin Qingyan, feeling blatantly stared at by Su Chen, felt somewhat embarrassed. She lowered her head, blushing.

"Do you want to take a shower first?" Wanting to divert the topic and feeling uncomfortable with Su Chen's stare, Lin Qingyan quickly asked. Su Chen replied, "No need, I'll just change. You can go in first." He opened the door, indicating that Lin Qingyan could go in and change. "Oh," her voice was barely above a whisper. She seemed quite unhappy. In her thoughts: 'There's a spacious bathtub, suitable for a couple's bath. No worries, there will be other opportunities.' But she certainly wasn't looking forward to them.

After changing, both of them fit perfectly in their clothes. It was clear that the outfits were custom-made, hinting at premeditation. Lin Qingyan tried to link her arm with Su Chen's, but he gently refused. In Su Chen's mind, he thought, 'It's okay to be close privately, but in front of so many people? I still need to maintain a certain image, and it's not good if people get the wrong idea.' While Lin Qingyan might not need to maintain her goddess image, he certainly did.

However, as they walked, Su Chen realized something was amiss. Even without holding hands, just entering with Lin Qingyan would create a significant stir, since Qin Yu was supposed to be the protagonist, not him. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He should've been off work, but he got tricked by Lin Qingyan into attending this damned banquet. With these thoughts, Su Chen stopped in his tracks.

"Qingyan, I have something to do. You go in first, I'll join you shortly." It wasn't that he wanted to abandon her; he just needed to strategize, waiting for Lin Qingyan to enter first. As for Lin Qingyan, Su Chen frowned. She was genuinely a good girl. He had no intention of handing her over to Qin Yu; he just needed to quickly fulfill his role as the antagonist. Doing so would allow him to eliminate Qin Yu in the shortest time possible.

"No, I want to go in with you. Whatever you're doing, I'm coming with you," Lin Qingyan responded determinedly. She made up her mind that she wouldn't let Su Chen out of her sight. 

"I need to use the restroom," he mentioned. 

"Then I'll accompany you," she insisted. 

Su Chen was left speechless.

"You're coming with me to the restroom, what do you want to do?" Su Chen inquired. 

Lin Qingyan pursed her lips and whispered, "Didn't you forget? I mentioned giving you a gift." 

"What... what kind of gift?" Su Chen had indeed forgotten. Seeing the mischievous smile on Lin Qingyan's face, he began to feel that something was amiss. 

Lin Qingyan took a brief glance at Su Chen and remarked, "The gift I've prepared for you, you'll need to take a good look. You'll certainly like it. I promise to make you satisfied." She had mustered up the courage to say this but quickly regained her composure. "Forget it, I might just stay silent later."

By now, Su Chen was truly afraid. A gift he would like? The mere thought of it gave him a strange feeling. With a slight smile, Lin Qingyan's joy was evident in her eyes. 

"Nevermind, let's not go. Let's head in." Su Chen, sensing there was no way out, reluctantly agreed. As before, Lin Qingyan purposefully walked behind Su Chen as they entered the banquet hall. 

Meanwhile, in the Lin family's garden stood a man dressed in casual attire. He looked around Su Chen's age and had a confident smile. From any perspective, he didn't seem like a successful person who'd be invited to the Lin's mansion for a banquet. This was Qin Yu, who had been sidelined by Yang Yuxin. Soon, a much younger man approached, appearing to be a student. "Brother Qin, why are you still waiting here? The banquet is about to begin." 

Qin Yu replied with confidence, "Of course, I'm waiting for your sister. Without seeing her, I can't be at peace." There was a hint of boasting in Qin Yu's words. But the truth was, he was referring to Chen Tong, who was now his most significant support. 

"Ah?" Chen Fan, the younger man, seemed surprised. "But it seems like my sister is already inside!" Upon hearing this, Qin Yu's face turned pale, his prior confidence disappeared but quickly regained composure. 

Chen Fan hurriedly comforted, "Brother Qin, don't worry. Apart from someone as outstanding as you, my sister won't be interested in anyone else. Maybe she just had some business to attend to." Chen Fan spoke the truth; his sister, Chen Tong, was indeed perfect without any flaws. He was aware of Qin Yu's concerns, particularly about Su Chen. 

He had heard of Su Chen's reputation as a prodigal young master, merely relying on his family background. How could his sister, Chen Tong, be attracted to such a man? Impossible.