Chapter 3: 3: Speed of Light Investment
By now, all five male guests had fully arrived.
Xu Qingyan glanced at the four men and silently guessed which of them, like himself, held the Gold Hunter card at the bottom of their deck.
Chen Feiyu, looking like the scholarly type of villain often seen in Korean dramas with his suit and glasses, seemed more likely than the others to choose the Gold Hunter card.
Liu Renzhi dressed maturely, close to a 'sea king' persona—perhaps he, too, would opt for the Gold Hunter card.
Bai Jinze had an affected look, with a cute male style, deceiving just by appearance. However, it didn't rule out that he was a white lotus on the surface, but with a huge contrast in private.
As for You Zijun, he clearly appeared wealthy, most likely a Love Hunter; after all, a million in prize money was mere pocket change to that guy.
As he pondered, Pei Muchan stood up in front of him and asked with a smile,
"May I sit here?"
With a swish, the other four male guests almost simultaneously turned their heads to look at the two, their expressions varied. There was shock and bewilderment, and their faces were stiff.
There were only two female guests present, and compared to the pure goddess-like Shen Jinyue, the stunning beauty and devilish figure of Pei Muchan were obviously more attractive to men.
"Hmm?" Xu Qingyan looked up as Pei Muchan burst into his line of sight, and he couldn't help but pause for a moment.
Pei Muchan was about one meter seventy-five, her full chest perfectly wrapped in black undergarments, her face delicate and coldly alluring, a combination of classical and enchanting goddess.
Based on the first reaction of several male guests to seeing Pei Muchan, it was very likely that she was an artist with no small fame.
Xu Qingyan couldn't figure out why she seemed to be deliberately approaching him. But after thinking it over, he was sure he had never seen her before and probably thought too much.
"Sure, go ahead."
So the seating was rearranged, with the goddess-like Pei Muchan on the left of Xu Qingyan and an empty seat on the right, while cute male Bai Jinze eagerly watched the two of them.
The appeal of an older woman truly was powerful; Pei Muchan sat next to Xu Qingyan, occupying half of the seat. Her forward-leaning motion, with a jacket on, revealed her rounded denim-clad behind.
In front of several pairs of eyes, she brazenly leaned close to Xu Qingyan to whisper in his ear, a subtle scent of woody perfume faintly wafting in the air.
"I've seen you at Lin Wanzhou's birthday party."
With Pei Muchan's words, Xu Qingyan instantly recalled his not-so-familiar childhood playmate, Lin Wanzhou.
They had played together as children, and within a year, she had moved away.
Later when Xu Qingyan heard news of her, he learned that she had become a somewhat famous female singer. Over the years, they slowly reconnected but only to the extent of liking each other's posts online.
He also attended Lin Wanzhou's birthday party the previous year, eating and drinking in a corner, merely a spectator and NPC in the scene.
If he had to describe their relationship, he and Lin Wanzhou could be considered friends. But to avoid causing her trouble, he would tell inquirers they were not close, just ordinary friends.
He never mentioned anything about knowing her as a child.
Hearing her speak of Lin Wanzhou, and with quite a familiar tone, Xu Qingyan thought that a friend of the singing sensation must also be some sort of artist or celebrity.
Thinking of the script in his hand, disparaged by millions, Xu Qingyan immediately felt immense pressure—antagonizing internet celebrities with a fanbase of thirty million and offending big stars; the outcome was predictable.
No wonder the prize was a million for seven days; no wonder they sought an outsider who didn't understand the entertainment industry. Only someone insane or with a weak psychological capacity would take on such a job.
But Xu Qingyan was still grateful to the director for the opportunity—it was a stroke of luck, and he had to put his all into his performance.
"You are Lin Wanzhou's...?" he asked.
"Love rival."
"Cough cough!" Xu Qingyan nearly choked, caught off guard by the abrupt twist. Raising his voice, he asked, "What did you say?"
"It's nothing, just joking," Pei Muchan covered her mouth, stifling a giggle, her breath as sweet as orchid, "But I really did come for you this time, I chose love."
"Ah?"
"What I mean is, it's less nerve-wracking to have a friend you know," Pei Muchan said.
Xu Qingyan was a bit flustered; Lin Wanzhou and himself were totally unrelated. But getting paid to do a job was natural, Lin Wanzhou's friends or not, when it was time to confront, he would still confront.
The other four male guests in the room began to feel uneasy, as if ants were crawling all over their bodies. Alright, the show hadn't even started, and there was already flirting going on, huh?
From the moment he entered the room, Mature Bro Liu Renzhi's eyes hardly strayed from Pei Muchan. Ever since Pei Muchan actively changed seats and began talking with Xu Qingyan, his expression stiffened.
And when he saw them whispering in hushed tones, Mature Bro's composure really exploded. He kept glancing over at Pei Muchan, his eyes blinking uncontrollably.
Cute Guy Bai Jinze, however, smartly switched his target and started chatting with the female guest Shen Jinyue. Their conversation flowed back and forth, complete with gestures, and they seemed quite enjoyable to each other.
Suit Guy Chen Feiyu adjusted his glasses, finding himself awkwardly caught between Mature Bro and the Amusement Prince. He wanted to talk with the two female guests, but found that they were already engaged in conversation.
Turning to look at Mature Bro, the guy clearly had the air of a ladies' man but was pathetically fixated on Pei Muchan. Looking at the Amusement Prince, this guy was even more extreme, the unattainable beauty merely observing in silence.
He couldn't help feeling desperate, praying for another female guest to arrive soon.
Perhaps the prayers took effect, as footsteps were once again heard at the door. Conversations halted, and everyone looked toward the entrance in unison.
"Bro, the newcomer should be a female guest, right?" Chen Feiyu had already stood up, asking with a sense of anticipation.
Mature Bro Liu Renzhi came back to his senses and realized his own lapse, replying with a bit of embarrassment.
"Yeah, the production team said there would be five male and four female guests in total. All the male guests have arrived; only two female guests haven't shown up yet."
"Hello everyone, I'm Song Enya."
As female guest number three appeared, the L-shaped bar in the living room fell silent, and amongst the men, there were even faint sounds of sucking in a breath.
The next second, Song Enya was before everyone.
Her golden wavy hair was voluminous and bouncing, and her face, with its meticulous makeup, was stunning. On her wrist was a Rolex Datejust watch, an Hermès white bag slung over her shoulder, and around her neck was a white pearl choker.
She wore a sizzling pink strapless bodycon dress, her slim waist and long, pale legs—a touch fleshy—formed a figure that made it impossible to look away.
Song Enya's upper body, soft and full almost bursting at the seams, was at least an E.
Her eyes slightly narrowed, her sensuous pink lips puckering slightly; she resembled the haughty femme fatale from a scream queen film, inciting a fervent urge to invest instantaneously.
Xu Qingyan involuntarily inhaled sharply. Had a wealthy heiress arrived?