C3 Enemies on the Side of the Road!

A few minutes later, the bus pulled into the station. Soong Fei bolted out like a wild horse set free. "Here comes my treasure!" he exclaimed, his heart pounding with excitement and anticipation as he followed the navigation, swiftly making his way.

As he rounded a corner, a flash of beauty caught his eye—it was Su Weiwei. "Huh? Is she going the same way?" he wondered. "Or is she tracking me, looking for a chance to give me a piece of her mind?"

Soong Fei couldn't help feeling a bit guilty. He had, after all, taken liberties with Su Weiwei on the bus, even flirting with her a bit. What he didn't realize was that Su Weiwei was feeling even guiltier than he was!

"Wait, is this guy also getting off at Guanyin Bridge?" she thought. "And he seems to be heading to the Imperial Hotel, too? No way, could his friend named Chen actually be Fatty? Oh, come on! What are the odds?"

She fumed internally, "That darn Fatty! Just like my roommate, setting me up on blind dates without any sense. Enough is enough!" As she stewed in her irritation, Soong Fei suddenly turned around, his gaze locking onto her.

Their eyes met, and Su Weiwei momentarily felt awkward, but she quickly regained her composure and approached Soong Fei with confidence. "Are you heading to the Imperial?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied.

"!!!" Su Weiwei was instantly annoyed. How could he not know where he was going? It was obvious he was hiding something!

But Su Weiwei was used to this. She was well aware of the effect her looks had on men; they often became unnerved and said the most nonsensical things around her. So, to her, Soong Fei's reaction was just a sign of his nervousness.

"Listen, the friend you mentioned earlier, is his name Chen Le?" she pressed.

"Ah?" Soong Fei was genuinely taken aback. "Could it be that we really have a friend in common? This is so awkward!"

Realizing that Su Weiwei was a friend of Chen Le's, Soong Fei knew he had to be courteous. Besides, he found her quite likable. He extended his hand politely and introduced himself, "I'm Soong Fei, Chen Le's roommate."

"Tsk," she responded, unimpressed.

Su Weiwei rolled her eyes, thinking Soong Fei was laying it on a bit thick with his attitude.

But since he was a friend of Chen Le's, she wasn't about to offend him outright.

With a light pat on Soong Fei's hand and a hearty smile, she said, "Come on, let's head inside together."

With that, Su Weiwei strode ahead.

Soong Fei stood still, giving her a puzzled look.

Turning back, Su Weiwei asked, "What's the matter? Aren't you coming?"

Soong Fei gestured toward a side path and said, "Big Sis, I think the Imperial Hotel is actually this way."

"…"

It dawned on Soong Fei.

This girl seemed to have a poor sense of direction!

That explained why she was eager to join him; she couldn't pinpoint the exact location.

But at that moment, Soong Fei had a more pressing concern.

According to his GPS, his destination was inside the Imperial Hotel.

Could his target be among Chen Le's circle of friends?

…

Soong Fei's circle was small, but Chen Le was a solid part of it.

Chen, the affable rich kid, never flaunted his wealth and often came to Soong Fei's financial rescue.

Everyone knew they were tight-knit buddies!

In the two years they'd known each other, their only spat had been over Lee Qian.

Lee Qian once urgently needed money and turned to Soong Fei. He had just cashed his part-time paycheck, holding a little over three thousand yuan. He had planned to buy a new phone with the money and save the rest for a rainy day. But when Lee Qian asked to borrow some, Soong Fei lent it to her without hesitation.

Chen Le, upon hearing this, gave Soong Fei a piece of his mind: "Damn, are you out of your mind? Lee Qian's nothing but a gold digger. Why lend her your hard-earned cash? She's in a hurry, but is it as urgent as your phone that's practically falling apart?"

At the time, Soong Fei was unaware of Lee Qian's true colors and had barely any contact with her.

All he knew was that Lee Qian had been a classmate for five years. Even setting aside his unrequited affection, as a friend he'd known for so long and still kept in touch with, he felt compelled to help whenever he could!

Chen Le had only met Lee Qian once, yet she didn't hesitate to badmouth her, much to Soong Fei's annoyance. The two had a heated argument, harboring grudges and giving each other the silent treatment for days. Their roommate couldn't resist teasing them about their "bromance breakup"...

Eventually, Chen Le couldn't stand seeing Soong Fei subsist on instant noodles for three straight days. With a feigned complaint about the heat outside, he brought back several hearty dishes to the dorm, claiming it was cooler to eat in. But everyone knew he just wanted to treat Soong Fei to a decent meal.

After that incident, Chen Le stopped speaking ill of Lee Qian, though he'd occasionally rib Soong Fei with playful jabs about being a 'loyal hound.' It's pretty standard among brothers to trash-talk each other in video games, calling out 'noob' moves, and occasionally teasing about being a 'loyal hound' when the mood strikes.

Reflecting on it now, Soong Fei had a hunch that despite Chen Le's brief encounter with Lee Qian, she must have pulled some stunt behind the scenes to convince Chen Le she was bad news. It wasn't surprising, really. Chen Le might not be a looker, but he was wealthy, and many girls chased after him, leaving Soong Fei green with envy.

He couldn't help but lament how materialistic society was – money sure did make life easier!

...

In the elevator, the two acquaintances stood in an awkward silence. Soong Fei, positioned behind Su Weiwei, kept his head down, wordless.

Out of the blue, Su Weiwei asked, "Do you like the stockings?"

Wow, talk about blunt!

Caught off guard, Soong Fei managed to compliment, "It's really your legs that make them look good."

Su Weiwei shot him a look. "Typical of a fatso's friend, always so slick with words."

Soong Fei chuckled. "Honestly, I'm a straight shooter. I don't do lies."

Rolling her eyes, Su Weiwei swiftly changed the subject. "We're here. What was the room number again?"

Checking his messages, Soong Fei confirmed, "888."

"Right," Su Weiwei acknowledged.

It took Soong Fei a moment to catch on!

Damn! Taking advantage of me like that!

Su Weiwei, hands tucked in her pockets, strode up to the entrance of room 888. Peering through the small window, she seemed unsure if this was the place. She gestured to Soong Fei, "Take a look, do you recognize anyone?"

Soong Fei joined her and glanced inside, recognizing only one person: Lee Qian.

But Lee Qian had transformed dramatically. She was clad in provocative fashion, her face heavily made up, altering even her facial contours, and her aura had shifted entirely.

The Lee Qian Soong Fei remembered had a natural beauty, not stunning, but with a clean, innocent vibe.

Yet, the girl before him now resembled a savvy nightclub hostess, exuding the allure of a seasoned woman.

In plain terms: she was oozing sex appeal!

Soong Fei felt his cheeks flush.

'Could this really be the girl I secretly pined for all those years?'

When thinking of Lee Qian next to Su Weiwei...

'Ugh, better not to compare. It feels like I'm doing Su Weiwei a disservice.'

[You're nearing the target. Complete the collection within one hour!]

[Countdown: 59 minutes 59 seconds...]

"Yes, this is the place," Soong Fei affirmed, his words carrying a double meaning.

His treasure hunt target was also inside.

Curiosity piqued, he asked, "You don't recognize anyone in there?"

Su Weiwei arched her brows, "It's quite normal. I only know Chen Le. His fox... well, I haven't met his friends."

Soong Fei gave her a look. 'You mean his fair-weather friends, right?'

With that, Su Weiwei pushed the door open.

The once soundproof room erupted with noise as the door swung wide, laughter and chatter spilling out like a flood.

"Nana, tell us more about that Soong Fei."

"Can he really be that clueless?"

"He'd rather live off instant noodles than pay for your cosmetic surgery?"

"No way, instant noodles taste awful. I can't believe someone would endure that for days on end."

"Didn't Nana say Soong Fei is just a hick from the sticks? Country folks will eat anything, even crap..."

"Ugh, Zhang Li, you're so gross—"

Her words cut off abruptly.

The door to the private room swung open, revealing a man and a woman on the threshold.

It was Su Weiwei who truly captured everyone's gaze.

The three guys inside couldn't hide their awe as they took in her stunning beauty, their eyes practically glowing.

Su Weiwei held her ground, her gaze fixed intently on the girl named Zhang Li as her expression darkened.

"Scram before I lose my temper!"

Her voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable power.

She exuded an effortless authority.

The room fell into a hushed silence.