60: What's His Deal?

“Holy smokes! Is he really going all out?”

Shen Yifei (a man's name) paused for a beat, then immediately snapped back to attention. To make the act even more convincing, he began to play along with Liu Xiaoxiao (a woman's name).

He smoothly wrapped an arm around Liu Xiaoxiao's waist, responding with intense fervor.

“Boom!”

Liu Xiaoxiao's head exploded with sensation. Her entire body was seized by a tingling numbness, as if she’d been hit by an electric shock.

Her kissing technique was clumsy, but Shen Yifei's was expert.

The girl's passionate kiss was sweet, warm, and slick, making Shen Yifei's heart race.

This was Liu Xiaoxiao's first time kissing a man. She had always thought kissing was merely an ambiguous gesture, never imagining it could be so stimulating – an intoxicating, bone-deep rapture she had never experienced before.

After barely two seconds, their lips parted. Liu Xiaoxiao's face was flushed crimson, mortified, wanting to crawl into a hole. She also desperately wished she could kick that scoundrel Shen Yifei across the room.

That was *her* first kiss! Wasted just like that on this rogue. Liu Xiaoxiao clenched her teeth in fury.

Inside the private room, Liu Jianguo (Liu Xiaoxiao's father), Zheng Jie (Liu Xiaoxiao's mother), and Qian Bowen (a business executive) were all dumbfounded.

Qian Bowen, in particular, looked like his face had been wiped with soot, dark as the bottom of a pot.

Liu Xiaoxiao's parents had specifically invited him to discuss their children’s engagement.

And then, suddenly, Liu Xiaoxiao’s alleged boyfriend showed up, and this man was now passionately kissing Liu Xiaoxiao right in front of him!

This was utterly intolerable!

Qian Bowen felt his face burning with humiliation, his expression clouded with rage. He longed to stab this suicidal brat to death.

“Xiaoxiao, are you still trying to put on an act for us?” Zheng Jie asked, her face full of fury.

“Liu Xiaoxiao! Do you even see me as your father anymore?!” Liu Jianguo thundered, equally enraged.

“Of course, I do. But right now, all I see is my boyfriend,” Liu Xiaoxiao said, chuckling as she hooked her arm through Shen Yifei’s.

Since they’d already gone this far, Liu Xiaoxiao didn’t mind taking the act even further.

“Hahaha, Mr. Shen,” Qian Bowen said, forcing down his anger, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Xiaoxiao has quite the fiery personality. To have won her over, you truly are impressive!”

Shen Yifei naturally sensed that Liu Xiaoxiao’s parents and Qian Bowen harbored suspicions about his identity.

“Mr. Qian, you jest,” Shen Yifei replied with a smile. “To describe affection between a man and a woman as ‘winning her over’ feels rather crude, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You!” Qian Bowen’s face tightened. He fumed internally, *Isn’t this brat openly insulting me?*

“Indeed, Mr. Shen, I was just joking,” Qian Bowen said, plastering on a smile that made him appear impeccably polite.

“Haha, I was just joking too,” Shen Yifei chuckled.

*Joke all you want, you bastard!* Qian Bowen cursed inwardly, a flicker of darkness crossing his eyes. He then forced another smile. “Haha, by Mr. Shen’s demeanor, you must hold a high position, I presume? May I ask which company you’re the CEO of? Perhaps you could offer me some guidance in the future.”

Shen Yifei shrugged. “Mr. Qian, you flatter me. I’m just a humble man. How could I possibly offer you guidance?”

*A humble man?* A hint of a sneer played on Qian Bowen’s lips. “Mr. Shen, you’re being too modest. May I ask where you are currently employed?”

“I’m the secretary to President Su of Lingya International,” Shen Yifei replied calmly.

Qian Bowen’s expression became even more incredulous. A mere secretary? And he dared to compete with him for a beauty?

Liu Xiaoxiao’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She felt Shen Yifei’s statement made them lose face. She couldn't help but interject, “Shen Yifei was previously pursuing his Ph.D. in Business Administration at Harvard University (a prestigious university in the United States). He only returned to the country recently, and I’m the one who asked him to assist President Su.”

Shen Yifei couldn’t help but find this amusing. This girl really dared to spin a tale, casually dropping ‘Harvard University’ and ‘Ph.D. in Business Administration’?

Though, truth be told, Shen Yifei *had* spent some time at Harvard.

After Liu Xiaoxiao finished speaking, her small hand subtly pinched Shen Yifei, seemingly signaling him to continue playing along with her.

Qian Bowen was skeptical. Shen Yifei seemed quite young. A Ph.D. already? And in Business Administration?

Qian Bowen let out a sneering chuckle, then switched to flawless American English. “So, Mr. Shen is one of our country’s returning elites? Harvard’s Business Administration program is top-ranked globally. May I ask who your advisor was, Mr. Shen? And what are your insights on Business Administration?”

At his words, Liu Xiaoxiao’s face became a little unnatural. *Oh, crap,* she thought. *This is going to be a disaster.*

She hadn’t expected Qian Bowen to be so cunning. Liu Xiaoxiao bit her lip, regretting her misstep. She shouldn’t have exaggerated Shen Yifei’s background; now they were truly in a bind.

The next moment, the words that tumbled from Shen Yifei’s lips almost scared Liu Xiaoxiao half to death.

“I originally planned to stop after my Master’s, but my advisor, Professor Kevin (a renowned expert), strongly urged me to continue my doctoral studies. I learned a great deal from him. In my opinion, Business Administration isn’t an overly profound subject. The ability to adapt to market changes primarily depends on one’s own…”

The English Shen Yifei spoke was remarkably fluent and natural, standard American English, even carrying a hint of aristocratic flair. This made Liu Jianguo and Zheng Jie’s eyes light up.

Although Shen Yifei was performing admirably, Liu Xiaoxiao’s pretty face still showed discomfort. Shen Yifei was just *too* good at showing off.

Who was Professor Kevin? Many children of business magnates knew a thing or two about him, and Liu Xiaoxiao had also heard his name. He was a true genius in the field of Business Administration, a top-tier advisor.

Countless business people dreamed of having Professor Kevin personally mentor their children.

Qian Bowen was stunned. Hearing Shen Yifei mention Professor Kevin, he looked utterly disbelieving, scoffing, “Professor Kevin! He’s my idol! It’s an honor for anyone at Harvard Business School to attend even one of his lectures. Is Professor Kevin still teaching at Harvard?”

Shen Yifei shrugged, a smile playing on his lips. “He should be, I suppose. Hold on, I’ll call him and ask.”

With that, Shen Yifei dialed a number and put the phone on speaker.

“Professor Kevin, it’s Shen Yifei. Are you still at Harvard?” Shen Yifei asked with a chuckle in English.

On the other end, Professor Kevin, far away in the United Kingdom, almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Shen Yifei’s voice. He said, stammering nervously, “Oh my god! Mr. Shen Yifei, hello, hello! I’m not at Harvard anymore. I’m at Cambridge University (a prestigious university in the United Kingdom), preparing for a public lecture. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Shen Yifei didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Nothing much, just checking in. Next time I’m passing through, I’ll look you and my Harvard friends up for a drink.”

Kevin excitedly blurted out a profanity. “Oh, *fuck*! To have a drink with you would be the honor of my lifetime! I’m so touched! I’ll eagerly await your visit, esteemed Mr. Shen.”

When he hung up, everyone in the private room gasped, taking a sharp intake of breath.

Qian Bowen’s face had turned ghostly pale. *What in the world is this guy’s background?* Even Professor Kevin was so respectful toward him.

The reason he had used Professor Kevin to test Shen Yifei was because a director recently hired at Zhongheng Real Estate last week had graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Business Administration, and Qian Bowen had learned that Professor Kevin had already left Harvard for Cambridge University in the UK.

Shen Yifei had the phone on speaker, so Qian Bowen had naturally heard everything clearly. He hadn’t expected this man to actually know Professor Kevin, and judging by Professor Kevin’s tone on the call, he seemed to hold Shen Yifei in extremely high regard.

Liu Jianguo and Zheng Jie exchanged glances. Could it be that this person really wasn’t just an actor?

“Mr. Shen, I imagine your role isn’t as simple as President Su’s secretary, is it?” Qian Bowen said, his face shadowed.

“Mr. Qian, you’ve guessed correctly! I actually have another identity,” Shen Yifei chuckled.