Chapter 39: The Diamond-Grade Bachelor

After the police finished their phone call, they turned back to Liu Hanyi and Kong Lingxin with renewed deference. "Director Liu has instructed us to handle this matter impartially. Miss Kong, would you like us to take you to the hospital for a medical examination of your injuries?"

Kong Lingxin had no interest in further entanglement with them. Pointing at Liu Lin, she said to the police, "Just make her pay for the damages to the cafe in full! I have nothing else to say, so I’ll be going now."

With that, Kong Lingxin walked straight toward the main entrance, with Wan Si following close behind.

"Miss Kong, I’m afraid our last lunch was ruined by an unexpected incident. Might I invite you to dine with me again?" Before she had gone far, Liu Hanyi’s voice sounded from behind.

Kong Lingxin slowed her pace. After a long moment, she turned back and said, "Master Liu, thank you for your kind invitation, but it seems that every time I run into you, something unpleasant happens. I’m a bit superstitious, so I’m afraid I must decline your offer."

Liu Hanyi was not offended by her words. He smiled and said, "That doesn't seem very fair to me. The root cause of both incidents was actually your husband. In both cases, you should perhaps be thanking me instead."

Kong Lingxin still did not know Liu Hanyi’s background. However, judging by the way the women at the banquet had swarmed him like flies to rotting meat, and the behavior of Liu Lin and Yuan Chuchu just now, she could roughly guess that he was the target of every unmarried woman in City B.

Meng Zexiao had already brought her enough trouble; if she were to get entangled with another diamond-tier bachelor, the women of this city would surely tear her apart.

"Thank you, Master Liu. But I still do not intend to accept your lunch invitation. My apologies."

Wan Si, who often accompanied Meng Zexiao to gatherings of business and political elites, was somewhat familiar with the faces of high society in City B. She recognized the man insisting on taking the second young mistress of the Meng family to lunch as Liu Hanyi, the grandson of a founding father and currently serving as the secretary to the Minister of Commerce. It was said that he was the youngest among the ministers' secretaries. Given his family’s deep roots in politics, anyone could see a rising political star.

Seeing the two at a stalemate, Wan Si stepped up to Kong Lingxin and whispered, "Miss Kong, the influence of the Liu family in City B is immense. They say that business and politics are inseparable; if you want to thrive in City B, you cannot afford to be without the support of the Liu family. Who knows what might happen in the future? It’s better to have one more friend than one more enemy. Besides, it’s just a meal. I’ll come along with you; if the Second Young Master asks, we can say we were perfectly open about it."

Persuaded by Wan Si, Kong Lingxin found no further grounds to argue. Reluctantly, she said to Liu Hanyi, "Let’s just consider it compensation for the meal we didn't get to finish last time. Since my secretary, who was specifically ordered by my husband to accompany me, is here today, I trust you won't mind if the three of us dine together?"

Liu Hanyi smiled. "Of course not."

The three arrived at a restaurant not far from the cafe. The atmosphere was refined, and the waiter’s enthusiasm toward Liu Hanyi made it clear he was a regular.

It was not a Western restaurant, and Kong Lingxin felt her body and mind relax. She glanced at the menu handed to her by the waiter and said, "Master Liu is a regular here; please do the ordering. I’m not a picky eater."

Liu Hanyi smiled and turned to Wan Si. "And you, Miss? Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

"Thank you, Master Liu, I have no restrictions," Wan Si replied politely.

After Liu Hanyi ordered a few dishes, the waiter withdrew. Kong Lingxin sipped her tea and looked at Liu Hanyi. "Master Liu’s appearance at the cafe just now was quite a coincidence. There must have been a reason for it, right?"

Wan Si was stunned. Even someone like her, who had seen all sorts of social scenes, hadn't detected anything amiss. How could this wealthy wife, who was years younger than her and had lived in the seclusion of a powerful family, have such an intuition?

Liu Hanyi maintained his devastatingly charming smile. "Why do you ask?"

Kong Lingxin didn't want to play guessing games; she preferred to be direct. "Liu Lin and Yuan Chuchu going to that cafe—they must have been targeting you, right?"

Wan Si looked at Liu Hanyi and saw him raise an eyebrow. "Perhaps. How did you deduce that?"

Kong Lingxin replied, "Neither of those young ladies seems like the type to visit a book cafe for no reason. Your Ministry of Commerce is not far from here; they likely figured out your daily routine and went there to wait for you. At the dinner at President Song’s house the other night, I could tell you are the most popular bachelor in City B. I don't think I owe you anything for what happened today; consider this meal compensation for the last one. From now on, Kong Lingxin and you, Master Liu, are even."

Liu Hanyi felt a flicker of disappointment at her eagerness to draw a line between them. He couldn't quite explain why, but he felt that Kong Lingxin lacked the affectations of other heiresses. She was fresh and natural; he felt a sense of pleasure whenever he saw her.

Though she didn't know what had transpired between them, Wan Si could sense Kong Lingxin’s resistance toward Liu Hanyi, while Liu Hanyi clearly held an unusual fondness for her.

"Master Liu," Wan Si interjected, "our Second Young Mistress has always been this way—she never likes to owe anyone anything. Please don't take offense." Wan Si used the title "Second Young Mistress" intentionally to remind Liu Hanyi that the beauty before him was already a married woman.

Just then, the waiter brought over a plate of peeled shrimp. For some reason, it suddenly reminded her of her mother back in the south. When she lived with her mother, her mother knew she loved shrimp and would always peel them for her. Since coming to City B under the identity of a younger sister, she had had no contact with her biological mother, only hearing news of her through Lu Fang.

Liu Hanyi noticed Kong Lingxin pick up her chopsticks and fall into a sudden daze, which only made her appear more of an unsolvable mystery to him.

"Miss Kong, is the food not to your liking?" he asked.

Realizing she had been distracted, Kong Lingxin quickly picked up a shrimp and put it in her mouth. "No, it's quite good."

Liu Hanyi didn't know when he would have the chance to speak with her again, and he had so many things he wanted to ask. After watching her eat, he said, "Miss Kong, I noticed your reflexes were quite sharp when you dodged the items Liu Lin threw at you earlier. Have you had any training in that area?"

Kong Lingxin felt a jolt inside, though she remained calm on the surface. Ever since she had kicked Meng Zexiao in the crotch in their bedroom, she had been wondering how to explain it if he ever asked. She hadn't expected Liu Hanyi to be the one to ask first.