Chapter 48: It’s going to bite!

Most of the people sitting here weren’t ordinary spectators.

Some business leaders from Linzhou City, family representatives, people from the Superpower Association, and a few wealthy-looking women that Lin Jianqing didn’t even recognize all started finding excuses to move closer.

Shen Huaixue’s weight in Linzhou City was heavier than Lin Jianqing had imagined.

The boss of Lingqi Network came from a very mysterious family, and according to Shen Huaixue herself, she was also an S-level Awakener.

The combination of these three identities went far beyond what ordinary wealth could cover.

Moreover, the fact that Shen Huaixue liked women didn’t seem to be much of a secret in the upper circles of Linzhou.

At least, from the way those people looked at Lin Jianqing, they had obviously automatically jumped to conclusions.

‘Can’t you stop thinking that way?’

The first person to come over and greet them was a middle-aged woman wearing a dark suit. Her tone was polite, her smile appropriate. She first chatted with Shen Huaixue about Lingqi’s recent projects, then smoothly complimented the evening’s event arrangements.

Lin Jianqing sat nearby, understanding only half of it.

He tried to lower his presence, but it was useless.

Because after only a few sentences, the woman’s gaze fell on him.

“Miss Shen, this is…”

Lin Jianqing’s body tensed instantly.

‘Here it comes.’

The classic question. Every time someone asked, he felt like he was being pushed onto the judgment seat, because Shen Huaixue always had to mess with him.

Shen Huaixue, on the other hand, was very calm. Her arm was still linked with his, and her tone was indifferent.

“A friend.”

Lin Jianqing had just let out a sigh of relief.

The next second, Shen Huaixue lowered her head to straighten the cuff she had just wrinkled, moving slowly and deliberately, and naturally added, “She’s shy. The camera scared her earlier.”

Come.

‘You’re the shy one. Your whole family is shy.’

And if you’re going to say “friend,” why act so intimate? It was clearly making things worse—Shen Huaixue had definitely said that on purpose, otherwise the people around wouldn’t have taken it so far in their minds.

The middle-aged woman’s smile indeed deepened, a subtle “I understand” look in her eyes.

‘No, ma’am, it’s really not what you think!’

Lin Jianqing wanted to explain, but then he thought about his current appearance… forget it. Let them think what they want. It’s just a change of clothes; no one would recognize him.

But even so, Lin Jianqing still couldn’t get past the deep sense of shame inside him. It felt like he was walking naked in front of these people.

“Miss Shen’s friend is really pretty. When the big screen showed her just now, quite a few people around were looking.”

Lin Jianqing’s ears started to heat up again.

Pretty… there it was again. He’d heard that word so many times today he was about to become allergic to it. Did he really look that good in women’s clothing?

Shen Huaixue, however, seemed satisfied. She tilted her head to look at him.

“Did you hear that?”

Lin Jianqing kept his head down, his voice stiff. “No.”

“She said you’re pretty.”

“She… she’s just flattering you.”

“I don’t think so. I can tell she genuinely means it.”

Lin Jianqing fell silent. If he kept talking, Shen Huaixue would just keep going with it.

The woman tactfully didn’t press further. She exchanged a few more pleasantries and quickly left.

But as soon as she was gone, someone else came over.

The routine was basically the same—first chatting with Shen Huaixue about projects, the Shen Family, recent cooperation directions in Linzhou, and then, as if casually, looking at Lin Jianqing.

“This young lady looks unfamiliar.”

“Miss Shen rarely brings friends out.”

“That shot on the big screen really made you two look perfect together.”

Lin Jianqing’s scalp tingled. Right now, he really wanted to shut down.

Was it human nature to be so nosy? Why did they have to keep pressing on this?

Shen Huaixue always answered very lightly, but she deliberately blurred the relationship between her and Lin Jianqing, giving it a vague, mysterious feel that encouraged everyone to fill in the blanks.

“Mm, a friend.”

But even though she said “friend,” her actions were anything but. Whenever someone asked who Lin Jianqing was, Shen Huaixue pulled her closer.

Whenever someone complimented her looks, she’d look down at him, like she was admiring a pretty accessory she’d brought.

When someone probed about their relationship, she didn’t explain. She just smiled ambiguously at them, letting them imagine for themselves.

The most absurd was when a wealthy lady laughed and said, “Miss Shen’s taste is as good as ever,” and Shen Huaixue didn’t even deny it. She just lightly replied, “Not bad. This one’s shyer today.”

Lin Jianqing almost lost his composure.

‘What do you mean “this one”? Have you had many others before?’

No, that wasn’t the point. The point was don’t introduce me in that tone!

After that group finally dispersed a bit, Lin Jianqing was mentally exhausted.

He lowered his voice, almost grinding his teeth. “Shen Huaixue, are you doing this on purpose?”

Shen Huaixue picked up her glass and took a slow sip.

“Mm. I am.”

She admitted it too quickly—so fast that Lin Jianqing’s prepared accusations got stuck in his throat. This black milk tea dragon… it made Lin Jianqing’s stomach ache with anger.

Shen Huaixue set down the glass and turned to look at him, her voice still lazy. “The more you hide, the more they’ll stare. Since they’re going to stare anyway, you might as well let them see clearly.”

Lin Jianqing’s heart skipped a beat.

“See what clearly?”

Shen Huaixue leaned a little closer, her voice light enough that only he could hear.

“That you came with me, of course. And let them remember you.”

Lin Jianqing didn’t speak, but his ears treacherously heated up again.

That sentence was more troublesome than all the teasing from before. And when Shen Huaixue said it, the look in her eyes was full of possessiveness.

She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world—taking him in front of everyone, letting others misunderstand them as a couple, as if it were perfectly normal.

She kept saying “friend,” but her actions said otherwise. It was too intimate, almost no different from what Lin Jianqing understood as “couple distance.” And Shen Huaixue seemed to enjoy it.

Maybe it was because Lin Jianqing hadn’t been in many relationships, so his understanding of male-female dynamics was a bit outdated.

But the more he thought about it, the more he felt this woman’s brain circuitry was truly abnormal.

Shen Huaixue, watching his ears turn red, looking angry but unable to vent in public, was obviously in a much better mood.

She reached out and gently smoothed a stray strand of hair from Lin Jianqing’s ear.

The movement was light, but her tone was as infuriating as ever.

“Don’t look at me like that. You really were cute just now.”

Lin Jianqing immediately turned his face away, his voice barely holding.

“Can you just shut up?”

Shen Huaixue chuckled.

“Of course I can. But I can’t guarantee for how long.”

Lin Jianqing heard the second half and started subconsciously grinding his teeth.

“What does grinding your teeth mean?” Shen Huaixue’s hearing was excellent; she could make out the faint clicking sound of his teeth clenching from anger.

“It means I’m sharpening them so I can bite you. Get lost!”