The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

The previously noisy booths instantly quieted down.

All eyes turned to Shen Yao, who was being pulled along by Yu Hang.

Amazed, curious, scrutinizing, intrigued... all kinds of gazes fell on Shen Yao like searchlights.

She wore a pale yellow dress that seemed out of place with her surroundings. Her bare face and clean, pure appearance made her appear like an anomaly, exuding a fatal attraction.

Qin Fang almost immediately pushed away his female companion who was about to sit down next to him and stood up abruptly.

His mixed-race heritage gave him an exceptionally tall stature, and standing up made his upright posture even more apparent. He hadn't noticed it when he was sitting; it turned out he was incredibly tall and slender. He casually waved in Yu Hang's direction as a greeting.

Immediately afterwards, he strode around the coffee table, ignoring the various gazes directed at him, and walked straight to Shen Yao. He extended his hand, his movements natural and practiced, as if he wanted to take her hand, just like Yu Hang had.

Shen Yao subtly shrank back slightly.

Qin Fang's hand was suspended in mid-air, but he didn't feel embarrassed. He warmly led her to sit down next to the seat he had just been sitting in.

His tone was as warm as if he were meeting an old friend: "Miss Shen Yao, I've been waiting for you! Please have a seat."

On the other side, Yu Hang had already sank lazily into a single sofa, looking completely uninterested in anything.

Qin Fang leaned closer to Shen Yao, his peach blossom eyes shining brightly, his gaze frank and direct, his tone carrying a deliberate familiarity:

"Miss Shen Yao, do you still recognize me? We've met twice in Shanghai. Thank you for gracing me with your presence today."

Shen Yao met his gaze, maintaining a polite yet distant smile, and said softly, "I remember. Mr. Qin is a friend of Yuchuan."

She paused briefly before getting straight to the point, her tone calm yet measured, "I wonder what brings Mr. Qin here today? What advice do you have for me?"

Qin Fang was taken aback by her straightforward reaction, then laughed loudly and reached out to pat Shen Yao's shoulder. Seeing that she slightly turned away, he leaned back on the sofa and crossed his legs.

His gaze lingered on her face more openly, filled with pure and straightforward admiration.

"Can't you invite Miss Shen Yao over for a visit if there's nothing else to do? Now that you've come to the capital, as your host, of course I should treat you well. As for Xiang Yuchuan..."

His tone was somewhat dismissive. "Why bring him up? Today, let's get to know each other properly, shall we?"

As soon as Qin Fang finished speaking, a hint of sadness flashed across Shen Yao's face.

She lowered her eyes slightly, her long, curled eyelashes fluttering gently like the wings of a startled butterfly, casting a small, sorrowful shadow beneath her eyelids.

Her already pure temperament now carries an added sense of fragility and vulnerability.

A beautiful woman's sorrow is silent and still, yet it is more impactful than any lament.

The men and women who were originally making a ruckus around them all quieted down a bit when they saw this scene.

Qin Fang took in Shen Yao's subtle changes in expression, feeling no sympathy, only excitement.

He immediately adopted a tone that mixed surprise, concern, and a hint of indignation, leaning forward closer to Shen Yao, his voice softening slightly:

"Miss Shen Yao, what happened between you and Yu Chuan? Did he bully you? Tell me, and I'll teach him a lesson!"

Shen Yao raised her tear-filled eyes and glanced at Qin Fang, her gaze filled with grievance and unspeakable pain. She gently shook her head, her voice trembling slightly, yet she forced a strong expression:

"He didn't bully me. It's just that we... broke up."

"You broke up?" Surprisingly, it was Yu Hang who spoke first.

He repeated the two words, the last syllable rising lightly, with a hint of surprise typical of a young man.

The surprise vanished in the next second.

He stopped speaking, only tilting his head slightly, his gaze falling silently on Shen Yao's face like that of a curious little animal.

It was as if he was simply trying to understand what kind of story, which he was yet to know, was hidden behind the word "breakup".

"You broke up? That's great!"

Qin Fang blurted it out almost without thinking, his tone so frank it was almost blunt, completely lacking the tact and restraint that an adult should have.

But as soon as he said it, he saw Shen Yao looking up at him in surprise, and immediately realized that he had been a little too direct in expressing his joy.

Instead of panicking, this guy seemed amused by his own slip of the tongue. He first chuckled, then waved his hands seriously, his face instantly switching to an expression of shared indignation, and began to berate Xiang Yuchuan:

"Oh, Yao Yao, please don't misunderstand, I meant it was a good division!"

His bright, almond-shaped eyes sparkled, as if he were sharing some incredibly good news.

"Xiang Yuchuan has dated countless girlfriends, how could he possibly be worthy of a beautiful and charming girl like you? If he ever makes you suffer, he's definitely blind! I've wanted to tell you for a long time that he's no good!"

As Qin Fang spoke, he naturally reached out and openly put his arm around Shen Yao's slender shoulder, pulling her closer to him with a protective yet slightly江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) air. His movements were as smooth as if he were taking care of his own younger sister.

Shen Yao's body stiffened slightly, as if she was somewhat unaccustomed to this sudden intimacy.

Qin Fang just smiled and continued his "condemnation," as if standing up for her was the most natural and amusing thing to do.

Beneath his palm, her slender shoulders trembled slightly, which, instead of deterring him, aroused his even greater interest.

Qin Fang leaned close to Shen Yao's ear, softening his renowned deep and sexy voice to an extremely gentle tone. Sweet words, like a pre-written script, flowed out smoothly:

"Yaoyao, it's really not worth shedding tears for someone like Xiang Yuchuan."

He set the tone from the outset, his voice carrying a hint of bias.

"You don't know him, do you? He looks respectable, but when has he ever lacked women around him? How much sincerity does he have for you? He's just after something new, and he'll dump you when he gets bored. That's his old habit."

The man said this without batting an eye, as if Xiang Yuchuan were some despicable, unfaithful man, completely ignoring the fact that he himself was the same kind of person.

When it comes to smearing their good brothers, they do it with such confidence and ease.

"Breaking up is a great thing, it's God helping you cut your losses in time! A girl like you is simply not from the same world as him. He, Xiang Yuchuan, is not good enough for you, nor is he fortunate enough to have you."

"From now on, I'll be here, and I'll never let you suffer like this again." He tightened his grip on Shen Yao's arm and glanced at the guys watching the show around them as if asserting his ownership.

"If you want to clear your head, just come to me anytime. I guarantee it'll be much more interesting than being with him. Don't force yourself to be strong. With me, you don't need to pretend to be tough."

His words of "comfort" were delivered with such force that, rather than soothing his heartbreak, it was more like an eager attempt to demonstrate that he was more "correct" and "knew better" than Xiang Yuchuan, his intention to "steal" her away was so blatant it bordered on arrogant.

The surrounding cronies immediately understood and joined in the commotion.

Shen Yao kept her head down the whole time, her long hair covering most of her face.

She only occasionally raised her misty eyes during breaks in Qin Fang's speech, forcing a weak, pitiful smile at him, her voice so soft it seemed it might shatter:

"Thank you, Mr. Qin, I'm really fine."