Thirty: About to Be Kidnapped

Su Wan glanced at the bruise on his cheek, unable to stop a slight curve from appearing at the corner of her lips.

Chen Tianyu shot her a disgruntled glare before turning to sit beside her.

“What would you like to drink? I’ll order for you.” As he spoke, he picked up the menu from the table and began to peruse it. “Coffee is bitter—do you like it?”

“Miss Su has already ordered,” the man across from them interjected suddenly.

Chen Tianyu gave the man a complicated look. “Since Chi Mu has already ordered for you, I suppose I’ll spare myself the trouble.”

He was a bit surprised, thinking: This guy didn’t even take the opportunity to put me in my place—almost hard to believe.

The man across from him suddenly smiled at these words. “Miss Su ordered for herself! Not only does she know about flat white coffee, but she can also speak fluent London English!”

Chen Tianyu was startled, turning to look at Su Wan in surprise.

At this moment, Su Wan herself was struggling to recover from her own shock: the man before her was Chi Mu—the heroine’s fiancé, and the deeply devoted second male lead of the novel.

Sensing that both Chen Tianyu and the other man were watching her, Su Wan forced herself to maintain composure, shrugged, and said nothing.

The coffee was quickly served, and the man finally got to the point. “I heard Wang Luo is your fiancé?”

Su Wan picked up her coffee and took a gentle sip, savoring the thick foam melting slowly in her mouth.

After a moment, she lifted her head and corrected, “Ex-fiancé.”

The man seemed not to hear her, ignoring the correction altogether. “I imagine your feelings for him must run deep.”

Realizing he had no intention of listening to her, Su Wan simply closed her mouth and stopped responding.

“Have you thought about winning him back?” the man pressed.

Su Wan remained silent, simply meeting his gaze.

“Perhaps we could cooperate. If you can get Wang Luo away from Chen Wanjun, I’ll give you thirty thousand.”

Su Wan let out a derisive laugh. Where she came from, sums in the millions were tossed around as if nothing. She’d once spent thirty million in a single night to snatch a young male star from a rival.

Thirty thousand—he really dared to make that offer.

Seeing Su Wan remain silent, Chi Mu began to grow anxious. A glint of coldness flashed in his eyes. “Is Miss Su laughing at me, then?”

Su Wan shook her head. “Not at all.”

“It’s just that it seems Mr. Chi doesn’t care for my opinions, so I’d rather not interrupt.”

At her words, the man’s hand under the table involuntarily clenched. This country girl sure held grudges; he’d merely ignored her once, and she retaliated immediately.

He managed a smile. “Miss Su must be joking. I wouldn’t dare.”

“So, what is your answer?” he pressed on.

Su Wan unhurriedly took another sip of coffee. She was about to refuse outright when the system’s notification chimed in her mind: [Host, please find a way to damage Wang Luo’s image in the heroine’s brother’s eyes and increase the difficulty of the main couple getting together.]

Torment the male lead?

Su Wan’s interest was immediately piqued. That damned system never did anything decent, but this task was actually quite entertaining.

Scheming was her specialty.

The words she’d been about to say took a different turn in her mind. “I have a new fiancé now.”

Both men at the table instantly lost their composure.

Chen Tianyu nearly leapt up in his agitation. “When did that happen?”

“Just a few days ago,” Su Wan replied, setting down her cup. “It was arranged in front of Wang Luo and his parents.”

“In front of Wang Luo and his parents? Why would they be there for your engagement?” Chen Tianyu felt a rising sense of foreboding as he pressed for answers.

Su Wan tilted her head. “They seemed to have come that day to ask me to reconsider the engagement.”

“Reconsider?!” Chen Tianyu exploded in rage, his voice booming so loudly that even the young woman playing piano in the corner stopped abruptly.

The music ceased; the entire café suddenly fell silent.

Barely able to believe it, Chen Tianyu gritted his teeth and hissed, “So after failing to win you back, he ran straight to Wanjun?”

Su Wan shrugged, perplexed. “I’m not sure about that. All I know is, four days ago his family came to renegotiate the engagement, and my grandfather ended up in a huge fight with them.”

Chen Tianyu was so furious his eyes seemed about to spit fire. “Unbelievable. I actually thought Wang Luo was a decent guy before. Turns out he’s a complete scumbag!”

“No way—Wanjun absolutely must not marry someone like that!”

As Chen Tianyu finished speaking, the system’s prompt chimed again: [Congratulations, host, task complete. Story progress increased by three percent.]

Su Wan could not help but feel a surge of smug satisfaction. Ha, maybe I really am cut out to be the villainess.

Chi Mu sat in silence opposite her, his expression inscrutable.

Having said what she needed, Su Wan prepared to excuse herself. “Gentlemen, enjoy your coffee—I’ll be taking my leave.”

Chen Tianyu was just about to clear the way for her, but Chi Mu had no intention of letting her go so easily. “Why the rush, Miss Su? You haven’t finished your coffee yet.”

Su Wan smiled. “When it comes to tea, there are rules—one cup to taste, two to savor, three to drink heartily. This cup is so large, if I finish it all, wouldn’t that be excessive? I’d hate to waste your hospitality, Mr. Chi.”

At this point, Chi Mu dropped all pretense. “Let’s be frank: what will it take for you to get re-engaged?”

Su Wan shook her head. “I’m not in a position to get involved.”

Chi Mu’s expression darkened; he turned to look at the burly man beside him.

The big man immediately understood, rising to stand behind Su Wan. His imposing figure cast her into shadow.

Su Wan had known things would not be resolved so easily, but after all, these were peaceful times—she was certain Chi Mu wouldn’t dare go too far.

She decided to brazen it out. “What’s the meaning of this, Mr. Chi? We’re just having coffee—must you have your men intimidate me?”

Chi Mu smiled. “Because you refuse to cooperate, Miss Su.”

“This is a lawful age, you know. Don’t think I won’t call the police,” Su Wan threatened.

Chi Mu smiled again. “I just find your conversation intriguing, Miss Su. I’d simply like to invite you somewhere.”

No sooner had he spoken than the big man growled menacingly, “This way, please.”

Su Wan clenched her fists in secret and could only follow the three of them out of the café and into the sedan waiting at the door.

Chen Tianyu sat in the front passenger seat, while the big man and Chi Mu flanked Su Wan in the back, hemming her in on both sides to prevent her escape.

As the car started, Chen Tianyu turned back reassuringly. “Don’t worry, they won’t do anything to you.”

Su Wan gave a cold laugh and said nothing.

Though outwardly calm, her palms were slick with sweat and her heart pounded with anxiety.

“System, system, save me!” Su Wan wailed in her head.

[Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying.]

The cold voice of the system echoed, infuriating Su Wan. “You wretch, now you pretend not to understand? Believe me, I’ll wreck everything—I’ll mess up the plot so badly you’ll suffer too!”

“I don’t believe you’d be unaffected.”

At these words, the system immediately caught on: [Actually, you could ask Chen Tianyu for help at a critical moment.]