Chapter 41

Bo He was now filled with immense regret.

She regretted having been so quick-tongued at the banquet. Seeing Wei Feizhou playing a 'chicken dinner' game, she had casually remarked, "There's an ambush on the side." That one misstep had led to eternal regret. Now, Qin Chuan clearly didn't believe her claims that her skills were terrible, making her forced explanations seem pale and feeble.

She regretted even more the hand she had reached into the lot-drawing box. How could she have possibly drawn the slip of paper with Qin Chuan's name on it?

"Judging from your performance when you helped Wei Feizhou last time, I think you have a great talent for game controls and a lot of potential. As long as you play a few more times to get the hang of it, you'll definitely be able to master the techniques and pair up with me seamlessly."

As Qin Chuan's voice reached her ears, Bo He's face fell. Spare me, she thought.

"Play a few more times?" Her voice trembled slightly, as if she were excited to finally be in close contact with her boss.

Qin Chuan nodded and raised his wrist to look at his watch.

"It's only six-thirty now. Let's have dinner first, then play for an hour. I'll take you home around eight-thirty, how about that?"

Bo He's mind raced, and she quickly found a perfect excuse. "Boss Qin, I didn't know I'd have to work overtime today. I've already made plans with a friend, and it wouldn't be right to stand her up. Could we do this another day?"

"Alright." Qin Chuan nodded, surprisingly agreeable.

Before Bo He could even feel happy, Qin Chuan spoke again.

"Then let's do it tomorrow. I'll give you special permission to leave work an hour early tomorrow. Come to my office to practice the game. If you can't finish your work, I can have other colleagues take over for you."

Bo He: ......

"That way, you won't have to work overtime. How does that sound?"

Qin Chuan's expression showed a rare hint of kindness, making him look like he was wearing the Big Bad Wolf's grandmother cap.

Bo He forced a smile. "Work is more important. I think I can talk to my friend; she'll understand."

Qin Chuan smiled faintly. "That's great. Go on, make the call."

Bo He had no choice but to get up and pretend to call her non-existent friend.

They say you must have failed to cultivate good karma in a past life to run into your boss while shopping or watching a movie after work. Bo He felt she had probably run over a dozen or two pigs in her last life, and their collective resentment had condensed and taken the form of the Boss Qin before her, who seemed dedicated to making her life difficult.

When Bo He returned from "making her call," she saw Qin Chuan pick up his suit jacket, hang it over his arm, and rise from behind his desk.

"Let's go."

Bo He froze for a moment. "Where are we going?"

Qin Chuan said, as if it were obvious, "To eat. How can we work overtime without eating first?"

Bo He really wanted to say, Boss, I can't eat with you here. Let's just get this over with quickly and then go our separate ways.

She took a deep breath and finally forced out a single word.

Scram.

As if.

"Okay."

Shengming Company was located in the central business district, surrounded by many restaurants of high, middle, and low-end varieties.

But Qin Chuan didn't choose any of them. Instead, he drove Bo He to a restaurant about two kilometers away from the company.

Bo He was completely bewildered.

It wasn't that she felt overwhelmed by the favor; she just found this behavior utterly bizarre, given Boss Qin's previous impression and attitude towards her.

Since they mutually disliked each other, why bother torturing one another?

Seeing the two enter, a waiter immediately came forward to greet them.

Qin Chuan: "Private room number five."

The waiter: "Good evening, Mr. Qin. This way, please!"

Qin Chuan was clearly a regular customer.

Bo He followed them through winding corridors and past a rockery with a small bridge and flowing water, finally entering the so-called private room number five.

Looking around, the classical decorative style was simple yet pure, unlike many restaurants that give off a nondescript, hodgepodge feeling of being neither Chinese nor Western.

Bo He was at a loss for words and could only summarize it as "high-end and classy."

But the problem was, weren't they just having a work meal? Was all this necessary?

In such an elegant environment, wouldn't Qin Chuan lose his appetite looking at her?

Since she was already here, she might as well make peace with it.

Bo He was full of questions, but she wasn't overly fearful or deferential.

Qin Chuan: "Do you like it here?"

Bo He: "It's very beautiful."

Qin Chuan handed her the menu.

Bo He: "You can decide. It's my first time here, so I'm not familiar with it."

Qin Chuan didn't stand on ceremony. "Then I'll just order some of their signature dishes. Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

Bo He: "No."

This thoughtful, elegant, and gentlemanly Qin Chuan before her seemed as if he were possessed.

She decided to wait and see how things would unfold.

Qin Chuan ordered six dishes. Seeing Bo He's expression shift as if she wanted to say something but held back, he seemed to know what she was thinking and said, "The portions for these dishes aren't large. The two of us can finish them."

Bo He: "Thank you, Boss Qin."

"No need to be so formal." Qin Chuan frowned slightly, the expression gone in an instant. "I'm also treating you to this meal to express my apologies."

Bo He: Has the sun risen in the west?

She subconsciously looked outside, only to realize it was already evening.

"Last time, when you went into the wrong room, I overreacted. It's just that I've had a similar experience before, which is why I misunderstood you."

Seeing Bo He remain silent, he had no choice but to continue, "When I first took over Shengming Company, I often had to attend social functions. One time, I drank a little too much, and the hotel room door wasn't closed properly. A woman barged in and almost..."

As he said this, an indescribable expression crossed Qin Chuan's face.

This didn't stop Bo He from filling in the blanks with her imagination.

How novel.

To think Boss Qin had also experienced a time when a woman tried to force herself on him.

But don't men usually accept any woman who throws herself at them?

"Was she not good-looking?" Bo He couldn't help but gossip a little.

Qin Chuan gave her a look that said, "You have got to be kidding me."

"She was in the prime of her youth, from a wealthy family, and her family also has a long-term cooperative relationship with the Qin Group."

Then what's there to be unsatisfied about?

Qin Chuan: "But she was the person my father wanted to set me up with, and my father and I... we've never had a very good relationship."

Bo He had a moment of realization, then quickly said, "You don't have to tell me all this. As for what happened last time, I've already forgotten about it."

Qin Chuan said, "Whether you've forgotten or not, I misunderstood you, and I must apologize."

The waiter served the main course, and their conversation came to a timely end.

Bo He waited for Qin Chuan to take the first bite before she began to eat.

To be fair, it tasted delicious.

A diner's tongue can tell whether the ingredients are fresh and if the chef cooked with care. A high price doesn't necessarily mean it's worth the money, but the tongue can often give a more honest feedback on the meticulous effort put in than the price tag can.

Bo He was halfway through her meal, eating with great relish, when she noticed it was excessively quiet across from her. Realizing she'd forgotten to offer up some flattery, she quickly concocted a few colorful compliments in her mind. As she looked up, ready to deliver them, she saw Qin Chuan also lifting his chin, his dark eyes fixed on her, as if waiting for her praise.

"This restaurant is a wonderful choice, and the food is delicious. You have excellent taste, Boss. Thank you so much for bringing me here to bask in your glory!"

Qin Chuan's smiling eyes stiffened for a moment when he heard the last part. He immediately corrected her, "It's not about you basking in my glory. I also like coming here, but it's not really suitable for talking business. It's more a place for enjoying life. I don't usually have many opportunities to come, and eating here alone is a bit strange. Thank you for keeping me company."

If Bo He had thought about it more deeply, she would have noticed the flaws in that statement.

First, although Qin Chuan was a workaholic, he had friends and had dated before. At the very least, he had Guan Shen, his secretary who was always on call. There was no way he would find it "a bit strange to eat here alone."

Second, Boss Qin wasn't someone who particularly cared what others thought. Otherwise, he wouldn't have pretended to be a girl just to learn how to play a game. If not for the unexpected variable of falling for Bo He, he probably wouldn't have exposed himself until the day he quit the game.

But—

Under the light, Qin Chuan's eyes sparkled brilliantly.

Bo He unexpectedly recalled that night they worked overtime. In the stuffy elevator, he had leaned against her, pretending to be strong while saying he had claustrophobia.

"It's fine. I'm having a very pleasant time too."

After a moment of distraction, the words slipped out. She immediately realized she had seemingly fallen for a one-second-long honey trap.

A miscalculation.