The next afternoon, Ye Fan and Mengyao picked up Ye Juanjuan and headed straight to the hotel they had agreed upon.

Ye Fan was driving, while Mengyao and Ye Juanjuan sat in the back.

"Juanjuan, you’re not just having us meet your boyfriend; you’re practically announcing that you have one." Mengyao said to Ye Juanjuan without any attempt to hide her thoughts.

"It’s all the same!" Ye Juanjuan smiled shyly. She’s a person with strong convictions; once she’s decided on a boyfriend, she won’t let others judge him. Convincing her to change her mind would be very difficult.

"Since you’ve already made up your mind, we’ll just have to be like family." Mengyao chuckled.

"You should still meet him. After all, we have to meet people." Ye Juanjuan said, unfazed.

"Who is he, anyway? You’re keeping it secret from us, only revealing that he’s a soldier." Ye Fan asked.

"Aren’t we about to meet him? You’ll know then." Ye Juanjuan replied softly.

"Exactly, why are you so impatient? Be patient." Mengyao sided with Ye Juanjuan and glared at Ye Fan.

Ye Fan replied helplessly, "You’re curious too, aren’t you? I’m just voicing your thoughts."

"No way, I’m not as curious as you." Mengyao said, not entirely truthfully.

They arrived at the agreed-upon hotel. Mengyao and Ye Juanjuan went to the private room first, while Ye Fan went to park the car.

After parking, Ye Fan got out of the car and saw someone talking on the phone not far away—a familiar face. He walked over to the acquaintance.

Ye Fan had keen hearing; as he got closer, he heard the acquaintance talking to several men, sharing tips on how to meet family members.

Things like not being late, choosing a classy restaurant, dressing appropriately, and going along with the other’s wishes on the first meeting.

Ye Fan listened to a series of dos and don’ts.

Ye Fan could tell the acquaintance was a bit nervous and was seeking advice from others.

He stood behind the acquaintance for two minutes, but he didn’t notice anyone behind him, clearly lost in thought.

"Hey!" Ye Fan tapped the acquaintance’s shoulder after he hung up the call.

The acquaintance jumped back two steps with a jolt and turned to look at the person behind him; his alertness and reflexes were quite impressive at that moment.

"Ah, Chief, is it you?" The acquaintance was first astonished and then showed a mix of surprise and delight, saying, "Chief, why are you here? Is there something going on?"

He glanced around, seeing no one else, and curiously asked, "Chief, are you alone?"

This acquaintance was Qin Yi, the captain of the Longyin Team.

"Stop calling me Chief. Just use my name; I’m not a chief, not in the same organization as you, and I’m not part of any organization." Ye Fan said.

"I get it, it’s confidential. Chi... um, Ye Fan, we’re all men here. I won’t stand on ceremony." Qin Yi tactfully stopped calling him Chief. He didn’t know why Ye Fan was here, and calling him Chief was risky, fearing the exposure of Ye Fan’s identity. He didn’t ask further and just used Ye Fan’s name, believing Ye Fan was a secret member of the organization, something he firmly believed.

Ye Fan looked at Qin Yi a few times, then curiously asked, "What are you up to? All dressed up, got something going on?"

"Personal matter, haha, personal." Qin Yi smiled awkwardly, offering no other explanation, and curiously asked, "What are you doing here? Are you on a mission? I’m actually on leave, need help?"

"No big deal, just here for a meal." Ye Fan said casually.

"Oh, I see." Qin Yi believed Ye Fan’s words and continued, "I’m also here for a meal and to meet someone for a date."

"A date?" Ye Fan thought quickly and mused, "Could it really be such a coincidence? A soldier, on leave, matches the traits of Ye Juanjuan’s boyfriend. A coincidence, it must be a coincidence; it’s impossible to encounter something this coincidental."

"Good luck on the date." Ye Fan said as he headed toward the elevator, Qin Yi followed saying, "Thanks."

The two entered the elevator, Ye Fan pressed the button for the eighteenth floor, Qin Yi saw the floor and didn’t bother to press anything else.

"What a coincidence, I’m going to the eighteenth floor too." Qin Yi smiled shyly.

Ye Fan’s heart skipped a beat, yet another coincidence, he couldn’t help but think, "Could this guy really be Ye Juanjuan’s boyfriend? Maybe it truly is a coincidence, I’ll keep an eye out."

They exchanged a few meaningless words until they reached the eighteenth floor.

As they exited the elevator, Ye Fan said, "Go on with your business, don’t mind me."

"I’m leaving now. Goodbye, next time I’ll treat you to a meal." Qin Yi said politely.

It was purely a courtesy; he didn’t even have Ye Fan’s contact information, much less could he arrange a meal.

Ye Fan followed behind Qin Yi, watching him approach the private room where Mengyao and Ye Juanjuan were, tidying up an already neat outfit.

Now, Ye Fan understood; this so-called coincidence really wasn’t a coincidence.

This fellow is indeed Ye Juanjuan’s so-called soldier boyfriend, it’s most likely the case.

Just as Qin Yi was about to knock on the door and enter, Ye Fan took a couple of quick steps and spoke up, "What? You booked this private room too?"

"Yes." Qin Yi respectfully replied, "You’re not here alone, right? Don’t mind me, you do your thing, I’ll do mine. If there’s anything, we’ll be in touch, maybe gather with Zhang Lu and others next time."

The agreed time was coming up; he certainly didn’t want to be late. So, Ye Fan’s persistence was slightly irritating him. Yes, he was impatient, though he held Ye Fan in great respect, it was personal time now, not during a mission, and he certainly didn’t want Ye Fan to disrupt his major life event.

Ye Fan pretended not to hear Qin Yi’s implied dismissal, indifferently saying, "What a coincidence, I’m meeting my girlfriend for dinner here too, and it’s this private room."

"No way." Qin Yi said loudly, "I personally booked this room. At this time, there can’t be anyone else."

He was a bit flustered, worried something goes wrong. If Ye Juanjuan hadn’t arrived, it would be embarrassing. It’s unacceptable to embarrass oneself at the first meeting with a girl’s family.

"Maybe there was an error by the hotel." Ye Fan said indifferently, secretly grinning. He intended to tease Qin Yi a bit.

Qin Yi’s face fell. If the hotel indeed made a mistake, ruining things would be bad.

Just as Qin Yi fretted over it, Ye Fan added fuel to the fire, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, my girlfriend is Ye Juanjuan. Who did you set up a date with?"

"Impossible!" Qin Yi showed an angry expression, "Juanjuan is not that kind of person. How dare you say this about her."

As he spoke, he swung a punch toward Ye Fan’s face.

"Haha!" Ye Fan chuckled with deep meaning.