C21 Miss 21 Who Was Cannon Fodder

"Date?" The question came with a hint of surprise.

You see, Luh Binn had attended many dinners, but no one had ever seen him bring a date. Had he changed recently?

Noticing the person's gaze constantly shifting to Yiyue, Luh Binn felt quite displeased. Without considering Yiyue's thoughts, he led her to a seat.

"What are you looking at?" When Yiyue snapped back to reality, she was met with Luh Binn's expressionless face.

"Looking at what?" Yiyue's lips twitched slightly. She turned her head, denying, "Nothing."

"Oh," Luh Binn replied dully, falling silent.

Though they were at a dinner party, Yiyue and Luh Binn remained seated in a corner, not eating or drinking.

Yiyue's attention was focused on Lin Yuv, so she naturally didn't notice what Luh Binn was doing.

This dinner was just an annual business gathering in the city, with no special significance. Since the two of them stayed put, no one paid them any mind.

That is, until a middle-aged man in a black suit sat down next to Luh Binn and struck up a conversation.

As soon as the man appeared, Yiyue's gaze was drawn to him.

This man was the one who signed a contract with Fu Chen in the story. His presence here meant she might not need to seek out Fu Chen to sabotage things.

Seeing how familiar Luh Binn seemed with the man, perhaps she could use Luh Binn to her advantage?

Thoughts swirling in her mind, Yiyue didn't pay attention to what Luh Binn and the other person were discussing. Once the person left, Yiyue cautiously approached and asked, "Are you close with that guy?"

Luh Binn was taken aback, his brow furrowing slightly. He seemed a bit displeased with the way she addressed him, but he still answered, "He's an old friend of my father's."

"An old friend, huh," Yiyue nodded, then suddenly asked, "By the way, are they here to sign the contract for the project in Quincy?"

The Quincy contract? Luh Binn lowered his gaze, his eyes settling on Yiyue's face. Her bright eyes seemed to hold some kind of unreadable calculation.

He suddenly remembered hearing that the company chosen to sign the contract was the Fu Family Group. Luh Binn had already had someone look into it, and naturally, he found out about the past between Yiyue and Fu Chen.

The Fu Family, huh?

Luh Binn suddenly chuckled.

Lan Jingrou, watching him, found his sudden laughter a bit baffling.

What? Was there something funny about what she said?

As she pondered this, she heard Luh Binn say, "Don't worry, I doubt my uncle would be impressed with the Fu Family."

"What?" Yiyue was startled, unable to suppress a gasp. As she looked up, she saw that Luh Binn had already turned his gaze away.

Yiyue wanted to ask him something, but as she opened her mouth, she wasn't sure where to start. Should she ask why he knew she didn't want the Fu family to sign that contract? Maybe it was better to let it go.

Just then, the waiter brought over a glass of red wine. Yiyue glanced at it and decided to take it, sipping slowly as they sat in silence.

A faint vibration broke the quiet. Luh Binn pulled out his phone and answered it. A moment later, Yiyue noticed his brow furrow. Without saying a word, he hung up and turned to Yiyue. "I have something to take care of."

Seeing his expression, Yiyue understood immediately and nodded. "Go ahead. I'll head back by myself in a bit."

With her agreement, Luh Binn stood up and walked out of the room. Yiyue watched his back until the door closed behind him, then turned her attention back to her surroundings.

Suddenly, the sofa next to her sank slightly. She looked over to see a man grinning at her. "Your date had to leave early? That's a shame. How about you keep me company for a while?"

"No, thank you!" she replied, recognizing his intentions weren't good. Luh Binn had just left, and this guy was already trying to swoop in. She wasn't naive enough to fall for it.

Not wanting to engage with him any further, Yiyue stood up from the sofa, ready to leave.

"Hey, miss!" The man had clearly anticipated Yiyue's attempt to leave and quickly grabbed her wrist, the one holding the wine glass.

With that sudden pull, the red wine spilled all over both of them.

"Oh..." The man stood up, flustered. "I'm really sorry."

Yiyue frowned, about to speak, when the server who had just brought over the wine approached. "Miss, it looks like both your clothes and the gentleman's are soaked. Would you like to change?"

Glancing down, Yiyue saw that the wine had drenched the entire side of her waist. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing a white evening gown today. Although the black fabric wasn't see-through, the sticky sensation was uncomfortable, so changing was a good idea.

"Lead the way," Yiyue agreed, and the server, grinning a bit too eagerly, showed her the way.

There was something off about the server's overly enthusiastic smile, Yiyue thought. It wasn't until the door slammed shut behind her in the room that she realized she had been set up.

The room was a suite, and while the living area was empty, faint sounds of a man and woman could be heard from the bedroom. She didn't need to guess what was happening in there.

Returning to the door, she tried the handle, but it was locked from the outside. Given that someone had deliberately led her here, the locked door was no surprise.

As Yiyue recalled the man who had just approached her, her eyes darkened. She suddenly felt parched, possibly due to the crowded room. Leaning back against the cool wall, she found unexpected comfort.

Touching her forehead, Yiyue jolted awake with a start. Had she been drugged? It must have been in the wine—she'd only had a few sips since arriving at the party. But how did they know Luh Binn would leave her side?

The effects of the drug made her want to retreat to a private room. Biting her tongue hard, Yiyue quickly dashed into the bathroom, locked the door, and turned on the cold water, letting it cascade over her.

Meanwhile, not far from the party, Luh Binn received a call that made his expression turn dangerously grim. He hung up and immediately turned the car around.

Back at the venue, seeing the empty sofa, Luh Binn went straight to the hotel manager. Surveillance footage showed Yiyue being led into a guest room, and the manager claimed not to recognize the staff member involved. Luh Binn knew something was seriously wrong.