Forced to Marry a Female Billionaire CEO

"Still denying it? He already came and reported to me."

Xu Ke shook his head.

Duan Chongfeng's eyes widened in sudden rage. "That little bastard, he sold me out?"

"All my painstaking effort, wasted!"

He had told Duan Zhuo'e about Xu Ke's identity for a simple reason: to make him pay attention, find a chance to make a good impression on Xu Ke, and avoid foolishly offending him. Who would have thought the brat would have the audacity to go and confront Xu Ke directly?

Damn it! 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Xu Ke had originally planned to confront Duan Chongfeng, but seeing him so distraught, he decided it was best not to say anything more.

Once Duan Chongfeng's remorse subsided, he looked at Xu Ke and said, "Never mind! But since the boy was willing to betray his own uncle to help you, you could at least do him a favor and let him pass the assessment quickly."

Xu Ke wasn't having it. "Get lost!"

After politely but firmly refusing Duan Chongfeng, Xu Ke asked Yuan Shang to keep an eye on the Ye Family's movements to help him gather evidence, especially regarding Ye Taiqing, whom he hadn't seen in Sui City. He worried that Ye Taiqing might return to Tianhai and harm the people around him. Yuan Shang readily agreed. Afterward, Xu Ke hung up. With no one else to disturb him, he could finally get a peaceful night's sleep.

For the next two days, the thirteenth and fourteenth, Xu Ke mostly stayed indoors. He was in an unfamiliar place and surrounded by powerful enemies, so he had no desire to go out looking for trouble. To his relief, Bai Qian'er left him alone, aside from sending someone to repair the door.

On the morning of the fifteenth, he and Tang Yingchang went downstairs together.

The auction was held in the same venue as the banquet on the twelfth, but the dining tables had been replaced with rows of seats. As Xu Ke arrived, he saw the same two rows of hostesses at the entrance, all wearing eye-catching red cheongsams. However, perhaps because of the increasingly warm weather, they were no longer wearing stockings, leaving their smooth, shapely legs bare. Among them, Lin Yu was still the most striking.

But Xu Ke was somewhat puzzled. Why is she still at the entrance?

When Lin Yu saw Xu Ke, her eyes lit up. "Mister Xu, hello!"

"Why are you still standing at the entrance if you're the head hostess now?" Xu Ke asked with a friendly smile.

"I still need some time to learn the ropes and manage the handover, so it's better to focus on my primary duties first," Lin Yu replied with a sweet, practiced smile. The expression in her eyes, however, was far more relaxed than it had been a few days ago. It seemed Xu Ke resolving the Wong Ming problem had significantly improved the quality of her work life.

The people around looked at Lin Yu with deep envy. It was a meteoric rise, plain and simple.

"Alright, I'll head in then," Xu Ke said with a nod, ending the small talk.

Lin Yu smiled and nodded again.

Inside the auction hall, aside from the rows of seats, there was a small, low stage with a single table, presumably for the auctioneer. Off to the side, a few people were already busy adjusting the equipment.

Just as Xu Ke was about to head for his seat, a sarcastic voice sounded from behind him. "You're so enthusiastic chatting with Xiao Yu, but when I ask you for a sparring match, you make all kinds of excuses."

"Hypocrite!"

Xu Ke immediately knew who it was. He turned and, as expected, saw Bai Qian'er. She was wearing a light gray long dress that fell to her ankles, accentuating her tall, slender figure and voluptuous curves. Her makeup was exquisite, but her expression was sour.

"Xiao Yu was just making small talk, she didn't ask me to beat her up," Xu Ke said, shaking his head. "If you just want to chat, I'd be happy to."

"Who said sparring with you means letting you beat me up?" Bai Qian'er retorted angrily.

"We're at an auction today, let's not discuss this," Xu Ke said with a placating smile and a wave of his hand. He glanced at Duan Zhuo'e and Fang Caizhe standing not far behind her. "Keep your two comrades in check. And don't stand so close to me, I'd rather not make any more enemies."

Having not seen him for two days, Fang Caizhe's venomous, murderous glare had only intensified.

Hearing this, Bai Qian'er subconsciously glanced back, then quickly averted her gaze awkwardly. She suddenly blurted out, "Don't get the wrong idea. I don't like him. I've rejected him several times."

After saying that, Bai Qian'er froze on the spot. What am I even saying?

Xu Ke and Tang Yingchang were both taken aback. That sounded a little strange.

Xu Ke gave a dry cough and rubbed his nose in embarrassment. "Don't worry, I didn't get the wrong idea. Beautiful women are pursued wherever they go. I'm going to find my seat before it gets taken."

With that, he made a hasty escape, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. He hoped he was just overthinking things.

Seeing Xu Ke practically flee the scene, Bai Qian'er squeezed her eyes shut, her face a mask of pure regret. I could just strangle myself!

After finding their row, Xu Ke saw another acquaintance. He asked Tang Yingchang to save his seat and walked over to the person.

Approaching her from behind, Xu Ke greeted her with a warm smile, as if they were old friends. "Long time no see, Miss Lin Fang."

The woman's body instantly went rigid.

Zhou Hongsheng's invitation was for the first row, and coincidentally, Lin Fang was also at the front, helping with preparations. Seeing Xu Ke greet her, she froze and forced a guilty smile. "Mister... Mister Xu..."

Panic flashed in her eyes.

"What's Miss Lin Fang's role at the auction today? Same as last time?" Xu Ke asked with a meaningful smile.

"Mister Xu, you must be joking. I'm only in charge of introducing the auction items today," Lin Fang said with a dry laugh.

She understood the subtext. He's asking if I'm going to try and scam him again, just like last time.

"Alright, then I'll be counting on you to give a good introduction later," Xu Ke said with a grin before turning back to his seat.

When Xu Ke was gone, Lin Fang finally turned away. Her legs nearly gave out, and she realized her back was drenched in cold sweat.

When Xu Ke returned to his seat, he noticed a middle-aged man had taken the empty spot next to him. The man wore a bespoke suit. On his wrist was a watch from a brand Xu Ke didn't recognize, but its quality screamed expensive. His face was gaunt, yet his eyes were sharp and astute.

This man is either rich or powerful, definitely a member of Sui City's elite, was Xu Ke's first impression. Then again, that was stating the obvious. Anyone seated in the first row was bound to be wealthy and influential.

Xu Ke glanced inquiringly at Tang Yingchang, who gave a slight shake of his head, indicating he didn't recognize the man either.

Xu Ke had barely settled back into his seat when the middle-aged man spoke, his voice calm and gentle. "Mister Xu, hello. My name is Xie Jiancheng. I am Xie Jinhua's father."