20 - Irrelevant, huh?

Two people were walking over-one man and one woman.

The woman was wearing a red deep-V evening gown, her brown hair neatly pinned up. At first glance, she appeared somewhat attractive, exuding a faintly seductive aura.

However, due to her overly thick makeup, it was impossible to discern her true age.

As for the man, Jiang Hao smiled.

The man was nearly 1.8 meters tall.

Though his skin was slightly dark, his facial features were exceptionally strong and rugged, giving off an air of confidence and dominance as he walked.

His first impression was that of a combination of a tough guy and a handsome man.

This man was none other than Ye Feng!

Jiang Hao hadn't expected to encounter Ye Feng in such a manner and at such a place.

He originally thought Ye Feng would appear before Xia Siyu first.

Since Ye Feng was here, the woman's identity was clear.

She must be none other than Hong Niang (the "Matchmaker").

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Ye Feng and Hong Niang had already walked up to Jiang Hao.

Ye Feng showed no interest in Jiang Hao, neither sparing him a glance nor initiating any conversation.

But Hong Niang was different.

She stopped beside Jiang Hao and, with eyes full of desire, began sizing him up.

Compared to Ye Feng, Jiang Hao's appearance had a noticeable difference.

Both were handsome men, but Jiang Hao seemed more like a fresh-faced "pretty boy."

"Little brother, want to have some fun with this big sister?" Hong Niang licked her lips, her eyes unabashedly revealing her intent.

"Ah!"

Before she could finish her words, Hong Niang let out a sharp cry.

It turned out Ye Feng had slapped her on her backside.

"Oh, Ye Feng, I was just joking. You're all I need," Hong Niang said coquettishly, her voice dripping with flirtation.

This made Jiang Hao break out in goosebumps.

But Ye Feng, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed, even slightly enjoying her tone.

"Don't waste time on irrelevant people," Ye Feng finally spoke.

With that, he headed straight into the bar.

Hong Niang, helpless, had no choice but to follow quickly.

Whether intentionally or not, a red business card fell from her hand to the ground.

Jiang Hao initially wanted to ignore it, but after some thought, he picked it up.

Better safe than sorry; the card might come in handy at a critical moment.

"Irrelevant, huh?" Jiang Hao smirked at the memory of Ye Feng's words.

He wasn't foolish and certainly wouldn't pick a fight with Ye Feng now.

However, it wouldn't be long before Ye Feng would realize just how foolish he had been!

Elsewhere, after entering the bar, Ye Feng and Hong Niang quickly approached Kang Youde, who was currently drinking nonstop, seemingly trying to bolster his courage.

"Kang Youde, is this how you manage the bar?" Ye Feng suddenly appeared behind him.

Startled, Kang Youde shuddered in fear.

He was genuinely afraid of Ye Feng and hadn't expected him to show up here.

"Ye Feng, what are you doing here?" Kang Youde asked, forcing a smile.

"I came to look around with Ye Feng," Hong Niang replied on his behalf, then asked, "Did any important guests show up earlier?"

Important guests?

Kang Youde's heart skipped a beat.

Of all the guests today, only Jiang Hao could be considered an important one.

Recalling his arrangement with Jiang Hao, he instinctively denied it. "Really? I didn't notice anyone special."

Hong Niang didn't seem to doubt him.

The bar had many customers, so missing one or two was understandable.

She rarely interacted with high society. Although she could tell Jiang Hao wasn't an ordinary person, she didn't recognize him.

Seeing Ye Feng deep in thought, Hong Niang asked curiously, "Ye Feng, what are you thinking about?"

It's over.

Kang Youde panicked internally. If Ye Feng figured anything out, he knew there'd be hell to pay.

Fortunately, Ye Feng's response was unrelated.

Pouring himself a glass of beer and downing it in one go, Ye Feng said, "I'm heading to Anping tomorrow."

"Anping?" Hong Niang was puzzled.

What's there to see in a small place like that?

"You wouldn't understand," Ye Feng replied with a mysterious smile.

He had promised a fallen comrade that he'd fulfill his final request, which was the main reason he had come to Liu City.

At that moment, Ye Feng thought of Yang Qing's face in the photograph-an innocent, pure, and adorable expression that made one instinctively want to protect her.

Ye Feng couldn't help but wonder:

How could his rugged and unkempt comrade have such a beautiful sister?

Genes truly are a mysterious thing.

"Do you need me to arrange someone to take you there?" Hong Niang asked again.

Ye Feng initially wanted to agree but ultimately declined.

His fallen comrade had mentioned Yang Qing's personality, so it was best to use the simplest approach to avoid any issues.

Unnoticed by anyone, Kang Youde discreetly sent a message to Jiang Hao:

"Ye Feng is heading to Anping!"

By the time Jiang Hao received the message, he was already back at his villa.

He didn't expect Kang Youde to be so efficient, quickly starting his role as an informant.

"What's the plan, host?" asked the system, which had recently become more talkative.

Jiang Hao didn't mind; in fact, he welcomed it.

There were many things he couldn't discuss with others, so having the system to talk about plots and strategies made things more interesting.

Although the system wasn't technically a person, it was Jiang Hao's most trustworthy ally.

After some thought, he replied, "I've already made arrangements; we just need to wait."

"But Ye Feng will eventually find Yang Qing. As your system, I must remind you that while Yang Qing currently has some affection for you, things can still change until she's fully won over."

Jiang Hao already understood this even without the system's reminder.

Ye Feng, as the protagonist, had a powerful aura that could easily influence events. Jiang Hao couldn't afford to be careless.

To finalize things, he'd have to win over Yang Qing completely.

"The host can achieve this in two ways," the system explained. "First, by engaging in an intimate, irreversible event with the female lead or supporting character.

Second, by increasing their affection for you to MAX."

"Once either condition is met, they'll become utterly devoted to the host, unaffected by societal norms or external interference."

The system recommended taking swift action to prevent unnecessary complications.

Its advice was sound.

Winning over Yang Qing through an irreversible event was difficult-not just because of her personality, but because Jiang Hao wasn't interested in a shallow relationship.

Moreover, unforeseen events could render all efforts futile or even negatively affect Xia Siyu.

"It seems I'll need to turn up the heat.

Even if I can't win her over immediately, I need to increase her affection," Jiang Hao decided.

As Ye Feng made his move, Jiang Hao knew he needed a strategy of his own.