The Destiny Villainess Wants Me To Work!-Chapter 61: Lin Yaorui!

By the time noon rolled around.

Su Mo and Yang Qingxi had already spent the entire morning drifting from one attraction to another. In the end, they picked a restaurant with excellent reviews at random.

As soon as they sat down, Su Mo loosened his shoulders and glanced across the table.

"Still nothing?"

Yang Qingxi shook her head, her chopsticks hovering above her bowl before she set them down again. There was a trace of disappointment in her eyes. "No. The system hasn’t reacted at all."

"Hm," Su Mo leaned back, his fingers interlaced, before pulling out the map on his phone.

His gaze moved across the screen. "We’ve only covered the Adventure Zone and the plaza. If he’s not here, then after lunch we’ll check the park or the lake."

She picked up a slice of meat, nudging it around her bowl instead of eating it. "That’s because you wasted too much time at the Adventure Zone. Otherwise, we could’ve covered more places."

He lifted his head and met her eyes. "You can’t blame me for that. I thought having fun was our top priority."

"Well, yeah." Yang Qingxi said with a relaxed expression. "I’m not blaming you. Just stating facts." She added lightly, "A grown man like you competing with kids at the arcade and fussing over losing a match."

"Heh."

Su Mo opened his mouth to retort. But then he noticed her attention snap sharply to the side.

She was staring toward the entrance, her eyes narrowing just slightly.

"What is it?" he asked, following her line of sight.

[Did she spot the protagonist?]

Yang Qingxi blinked, then looked back at him. "Nothing. I just saw an acquaintance."

"Oh." His interest evaporated instantly. He lowered his head and focused on the food instead. Whatever she’d been about to tease him with no longer mattered. Anyway, he didn’t want to talk about that shameful matter. Losing to some elementary kids would be the biggest dark spot of his gaming career.

"I’ll make a call," she said, already pulling out her phone.

"Suit yourself," Su Mo replied with a mouthful of rice.

He figured she must be calling that so-called acquaintance over.

And a minute later, his guess was confirmed.

A woman in a fitted business suit approached their table. Her black hair was neatly tied back, her posture straight, and she walked with measured steps. She stopped at a respectful distance before inclining her head to bow.

"Miss Yang. Good afternoon."

"Secretary Lin," Yang Qingxi smiled, expressing her genuine surprise. "What a coincidence! I didn’t expect to see you here."

"I took a half-day leave from HR," the woman replied promptly, as if delivering a report. It seemed like she didn’t want to risk any misunderstanding with her boss.

Yang Qingxi waved a hand. "I didn’t call you over to question that." She paused, then gestured to the empty seat. "Have you eaten? Sit with us."

There was a flicker of hesitation on her face, but she still nodded and took the seat. Her movements were composed, and her expression remained neutral.

Yang Qingxi turned slightly. "Let me introduce you. This is Su Mo."

Su Mo had already wiped his hands and mouth. He offered a polite smile. "Hello, Secretary Lin."

"Hello, Mr Su," Lin Yaorui returned the greeting with a small nod.

On the surface, she remained calm. Inwardly, her curiosity stirred.

’They are wearing casual clothes with no documents or bags. This doesn’t look like a formal meeting.’

Her gaze flickered between them. How naturally they sat, and the warm atmosphere between them.

’Could it be a date? Oh my god! My iron lady boss has a man she likes?’

She thought a lot of things, but didn’t show anything on her face due to her years of professional discipline.

"Su Mo is now the majority shareholder of Ankang Biotech," Yang Qingxi said, getting straight to the point. "I want you to arrange a team to assist him with the company’s internal matters."

She outlined the situation. Lin Yaorui listened without interruption, her hands folded neatly on the table. She asked several questions, took some notes, and nodded from time to time.

"I understand," she said at last. "I’ll take care of it."

With a satisfied smile, Yang Qingxi leaned back slightly.

Su Mo, meanwhile, studied her from the corner of his eye.

[There’s no way Miss Yang called her over just for this.]

The corners of Yang Qingxi’s lips lifted faintly as she caught his inner muttering.

"By the way," she said casually, turning her attention back to Lin Yaorui, "why did you take leave today? Meeting your boyfriend?"

The tone of her question was lighthearted, almost teasing. Moreover, given that the boss herself seemed to be on a date. Lin Yaorui relaxed and explained. "No, Miss Yang. I’m meeting my younger brother."

Yang Qingxi’s gaze sharpened just for an instant. "You have a younger brother? I thought you were an only child."

Lin Yaorui’s fingers tightened briefly around her cup. Her eyes lowered, hesitation surfacing on her face.

Yang Qingxi noticed this change immediately. "If it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to answer."

Lin Yaorui exhaled a deep breath, then shook her head. "It’s fine." She looked up again, her voice slower now. "You’re not wrong, Miss. I am an only child, well, technically." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

She paused, her eyes becoming unfocused as her memories resurfaced.

"He was born after my biological mother remarried. My father and stepmother chose not to have another child because of me." A faint smile appeared on her face. "We share the same mother by blood, so... I’ve always thought of him as my younger brother."

When she spoke of him, the distant aura around her eyes softened. Her professional mask thinned, revealing the warmth beneath.

"I haven’t seen him in many years," she added quietly. "Today is the first time in a long while."

The smile that followed was gentle, unmistakably doting.

After a bit more conversation, Lin Yaorui stood, adjusting her jacket. "I should go. Please, enjoy your meal."

She felt that if she continued lingering, she would disturb her boss’s date.

---

Once they left the restaurant, Su Mo glanced sideways at Yang Qingxi. "Care to explain? Why the sudden interest in her personal life?"

"When I saw her earlier, my system reacted," Yang Qingxi replied.

He frowned. "Secretary Lin is the protagonist?"

This isn’t what he expected.

"Nope," Yang Qingxi shook her head. "But she’s connected to him. If I’m not mistaken, her so-called half-brother should be the protagonist."

Su Mo rubbed his chin. "Now that you mention it... complicated family, half-sister, and emotional baggage."

He smirked. "If you add financial trouble and a failed romance. Then it’s a complete, standard protagonist template. Haha~"

She rolled her eyes. "As if it’s that simple—"

Her words cut off abruptly.

A cold, mechanical voice echoed in her mind.

[Ding! Destiny Protagonist detected.]

[Ding! Retrieving information...]