No. 7 laughed brazenly.
No. 7 sent another video.
âThis video is from the clothing store. I thought you might want to see her expressions.â
The Grand Duke replied in text, âGot it.â
He then clicked on the video.
In the footage, Anna was changing clothes at the store, interacting with Chen Fan, even purposefully showing off her beauty in front of him. However, Chen Fan looked at her with nothing but disdain and even visible disgust, which the Grand Duke noticed clearly.
At that moment, if the Grand Duke didnât understand, heâd be a fool.
A clear comparison emerged: one was Ye Aotian, the other was Chen Fan.
One looked at her with desire; the other, with disgust.
The Grand Duke naturally understood who respected him and who didnât.
âChen Fan, I quite like him.â
No. 7 continued, âThis is all the information I have, but hereâs a free tip: Ye Aotian is friends with William, so I doubt heâs unaware of Annaâs engagement with you.â
âI understand your meaning. Five million will be wired to your account. Thanks.â
No. 7 replied with a âGoodbyeâ before logging off.
In his room, Ross lit a cigar, smoking silently.
He then asked for Chen Fanâs number and dialed it.
âHello, Chen, this is the Grand Duke.â
âHello, Your Grace. Iâve heard of you for some time, and I was wondering how I might meet you.â
âThank you for your kindness, and I do have a small request.â
âPlease, Your Grace.â
âI hope you can look after Anna for me. I feel assured with her by your side.â
âAre you suspicious of me?â
âIâve naturally seen some things and come to certain conclusions. I trust you, but Ye AotianâI donât like him. I think weâll make excellent friends. The Dragon King? I donât consider him a threat.â
âI understand. Rest assured, if anything comes up, Iâll let you know.â
âThank you. If youâre ever in France, let me buy you a drink.â
âOf course, and if you come here, Iâll show you the mysteries of the East.â
âNaturally.â
After hanging up, Chen Fan fell into thought.
But upon reflection, there was no real flaw in the Grand Dukeâs words. The plot remained intact; it was just moving forward sooner. There shouldnât be any significant impact.
After all, as long as everything matched up, minor details deviating slightly was perfectly normal.
The sudden message startled several onlookers, who all took out their diaries to record observations.
Satisfied with his entry, Chen Fan returned to the main scene, sitting directly across from Ye Aotian.
âPrincess Anna, the Grand Duke asked me to look after you to ensure youâre not disturbed by anyone with ill intentions.â
Ye Aotian glared at Chen Fan. âOh, so youâre a lapdog for the Grand Duke now?â
âSorry, the Grand Duke is more than willing to be my friend.â
Ye Aotian smirked arrogantly, the corners of his mouth curling.
âThe so-called Grand Duke? I donât care. In Qincheng, maybe itâs your turf, but overseas, thatâs my domain.â
Ye Aotian turned to Anna and said, âIf youâre unhappy with the Grand Duke, just tell me. I, the Dragon King, could surely help you out.â
Ye Aotianâs intentions were simple: he found Anna beautiful and liked her. Moreover, he hated when anyone used power to coerce women. Whenever he saw a woman in such a situation, he felt the urge to step in and save her.
Chen Fan, internally, gave Ye Aotian a thumbs upâ
Anna looked at Ye Aotian and said, âIâm engaged to the Grand Duke. I hope you understand that.â
âIf youâre being coerced, you can tell me.â
Anna now felt exhausted; she didnât want to engage with Ye Aotian anymore. Standing up, she said, âChen Fan, letâs go over there.â
Chen Fan nodded and left with Anna.
Jin Lan watched them leave with a slight smile.
Meanwhile, Ye Aotian poured Jin Lan a drink, saying, âHello ⦠thank you for your help last time.â
âReally? Last time, I was the one to give Li Long the gunâdo you still want to thank me?â
At this, Ye Aotianâs face twisted with rage. That gun had significantly impacted his body.
Ye Aotian looked at Jin Lan, momentarily unsure of how to respond.
Jin Lan crossed her legs and said, âThe gun was from me, as were the bullets.â
Ye Aotian was lost in thought.
Could it be that Jin Lan wasnât just training him? Wait, Ye Aotian came to a realizationâJin Lan was likely training multiple people. Chen Fan might be one, but Li Long could be another. By giving the gun, she likely wanted to see if he could survive that confrontation.
In other words, this woman was testing him, too. So, did he pass her test?
A key protagonistâs belief: no beautiful woman would harm him. No way a protagonist would be harmed by an attractive woman.
The salon continued, with Ye Aotian encountering many interesting women today. But Ye Aotian had other objectives as well.
Jin Lanâs departure wasnât his goal; instead, he actively sought out Zhu Yeqing.
While eating, he said simply, âYou have a grudge against the Chen family. If youâre willing, I think we can work together. Thereâs no need for you to remain undercover around Chen Fanâheâll destroy you sooner or later.â
Zhu Yeqing sighed; indeed, she couldnât escape her plotline.
âMy own mattersâIâll handle them myself. You donât need to worry.â
âThe enemy of my enemy is my friend. I believe, during this rescue, youâll play an invaluable role. I imagine the William family can deliver a serious blow to the Chen family.â
Zhu Yeqing thought for a long time before replying, âWhat do you need me to do?â