Yu He coughed and honestly replied,
"Before you went offline, you often said you were sick. Three years ago, you said you couldn't take me because of health reasons and told me to teach myself. Since then, you've only logged in once in a blue moon. I thought you were nearing the end of your lifespan."
Li Si Chen: "..."
"Saying I was sick was just an excuse because I was busy and didn't have time to log in! As for not taking you three years ago, it was entirely because you were already very capable and didn't need me to lead you anymore..."
Plus, at that time, he had joined Xing Que and was too busy. He was also occasionally assigned by the sect leader to missions in remote areas where there was no signal, so how could he log in?
However, these were all confidential matters and couldn't be disclosed.
He waved his hand, "Forget it, forget it. I thought you were a nobody back then, always pestering me to take you as a disciple. If it weren't for your good learning ability and talent, I wouldn't have agreed to take you as a disciple. We're equally matched, teacher and disciple."
Yu He: "..."
Li Si Chen added, "If I had known you were a beauty, I wouldn't have set the latter two of the three rules back then."
Do not investigate each other's information.
Do not meet.
"According to the common tropes in Xianxia novels, we are also very suited for a teacher-student romance. Your past messy relationships don't matter to me. Starting today, just come back to your master's side." he continued.
Yu He looked at him spewing nonsense with a complex expression. If he hadn't been able to reveal things only they knew, she would have seriously doubted if this flippant, scummy man was really S.
Online before, her master was clearly very aloof... Oh, let's ignore him often saying, "Don't get too attached to your master's kindness; your master is just a legend."
"..."
"Once a master, always a father. I have no problem providing for you in your old age and seeing you off, but romance is out of the question," Yu He refused.
"Tsk, stubborn."
Li Si Chen didn't press the matter further and changed the subject, "So, why did you come here at such great risk?"
"I came to find someone," Yu He replied truthfully.
"Who?"
"Vulcan."
Hearing the name, Li Si Chen frowned displeasantly, "Why are you looking for him?"
"To help me recover some data," Yu He said.
Data that even Crow couldn't recover was basically hopeless.
But Li Si Chen still asked, "Why didn't you look for me?"
"You set the rules yourself: no meeting," Yu He reminded him coolly.
"The third rule, 'no meeting,' is abolished!" Li Si Chen immediately declared.
Yu He: "...Oh."
You're the master; you have the final say.
"Take out the stuff, and I'll take a look," Li Si Chen said, walking towards the computer desk in the office.
Yu He hesitated and didn't move, as he hadn't allowed her to investigate the Qin family's affairs before.
Seeing her stillness, Li Si Chen didn't urge her further, "If there's no rush, then come with me to meet the deputy director of the Space Administration. He wants to meet you."
If Yu He joined the National Space Administration, she would be protected by the country, and those Americans waiting outside wouldn't be able to act so arrogantly.
Yu He didn't refuse, nodded, and went out with him.
As soon as she stepped out of the office, Yu He saw Qin Bei Ting walking towards her and was startled.
Could it be that coincidental? Was the banquet he said he was attending happening here?!
Qin Bei Ting's eyes lit up when he saw Yu He, and the corners of his mouth curved upward, a stark contrast to his usual cool and indifferent demeanor. Her black dress, which accentuated her graceful figure, made her look incredibly alluring.
However, when he saw her emerging from the room with Li Si Chen, the curve of his lips immediately flattened, and his chiseled handsome face turned terrifyingly cold.
He stepped forward, took off his suit jacket, draped it over Yu He, and then, with his arm around her waist, forcibly pulled her away from Li Si Chen to his side.
"You are forbidden to wear such revealing clothes outside from now on!"
Yu He, startled by the sudden movement, felt a little guilty and let him help her put on the suit jacket, even buttoning it up, as if he wanted to cover her completely.
"Lord Qin Seven is too overbearing, isn't he? The dress was designed that way. If you do this, there's no artistic sense at all," Li Si Chen tutted in disdain.
Qin Bei Ting shot him a cold glance, "Only single dogs and perverts like you wish all women wore less."
With that, he took Yu He's hand and quickly walked away as if she were a contagious disease.
Li Si Chen: "You're the pervert, and your whole family is perverted!"
It wasn't until they entered a corner of the banquet hall that Qin Bei Ting stopped and looked at Yu He with a cold face, "From now on, don't get so close to him! And absolutely do not be alone in a room with him! You were also dressed so provocatively."
Yu He saw that he was angry and quickly tried to placate him, "Okay, yes, don't be jealous, alright? I only like you."
Qin Bei Ting felt much better. He pointed to his lips and asked, "And what else?"
"..."
Yu He looked around. Everyone was busy with their own socializing, looking for Crow, or whispering amongst themselves. No one was paying attention. She then stood on tiptoe and pecked his thin lips.
Qin Bei Ting was finally appeased. He asked knowingly, "Why did you come?"
Yu He's gaze landed on Ye Qi Chen, who was talking to someone with a wine glass not far away. She pointed, "I came with my brother. Shall we go say hello?"
Qin Bei Ting: "..."
She was really putting on an act.
"Alright." He didn't expose her and decided to see how long she would keep up the pretense.
The party started at seven o'clock. The host announced the beginning of the anniversary celebration. Nan Ou performed an opening song on stage, followed by the CEO of XS Group, Qi Xi Feng, taking the stage to give a speech. The lights in the audience dimmed, and the atmosphere became charged with undercurrents.
Those looking for Crow, those looking for Vulcan, and those looking for S were all probing each other, while those seeking cooperation flattered each other. It was quite a lively scene.
Several hackers privately cross-referencing information also discovered something: they didn't see anyone among the guests holding invitation cards for Vulcan, S, or Crow.
Yu He subtly observed the people around her and saw Qin Yong Hao and his son not far away. Their expressions were grim, indicating they had suffered a significant setback.
After Qi Xi Feng's speech, there was a period of free mingling.
Suddenly, with a "bang," a noise came from another corner of the banquet hall, and the guests turned their eyes in that direction.
The lower-right corner of the banquet hall housed a small technology-themed amusement park, where the organizers were showcasing their products for guests to experience.
At this moment, two children were arguing.
A taller child was pushing Ye Zi Zheng, causing him to bump into a claw machine, "I saw this game machine first, why are you snatching it!"
Ye Zi Zheng's back hit the corner of the claw machine, making him see stars, but he still stood up stubbornly.
"This game machine is in the claw machine. The rules of the competition are that each person gets three chances, and whoever catches it, it's theirs. You both cheated and couldn't catch it, and now you're hogging the machine, not letting others play. Just because your older brother is an invited hacker, you think you're so great!"
The taller child, seeing all the guests looking, retorted defiantly, "Yes, I am great. If your brother understands programming, he can also come and help you."