I Was Reborn as the Villain, but the System Bound Itself to the Female Leads - Chapter 16:

Chapter 16: A Misunderstanding

“Now. Immediately. Take me to find Gu Qingyi and Lin Yuan. Do you understand?” Ye Ling’er stared at the front desk receptionist, enunciating each word clearly.

“Understood, Miss Ye. Please follow me.”

Gu Qingyi, Lin Yuan, and Ye Ling’er were all prominent figures in North City. As just a receptionist, there was no way she had the authority to disobey them. So she obediently led Ye Ling’er to the room where Gu Qingyi and Lin Yuan were staying.

The moment Ye Ling’er stepped out of the elevator, she noticed something was wrong. This wasn’t the dining area. She had been to Haiyue Restaurant before—this was clearly the lodging section.

In her mind, Gu Qingyi and Lin Yuan could only have come here to eat. Booking a room? That was simply impossible. Everyone in North City knew what kind of relationship the two had—there was no way it had progressed to that point.

She glanced at the receptionist leading the way and asked, “Are you sure you didn’t take the wrong path? Gu Qingyi and Lin Yuan are here?”

“Yes, Miss Ye.”

Hearing the receptionist’s confident answer, countless questions surfaced in Ye Ling’er’s mind. They really booked a room together? When did things between them develop this far?

She thought back to her grandfather’s birthday banquet. Just because she and Lin Yuan had exchanged a few ambiguous words, Gu Qingyi had immediately confronted Lin Yuan and questioned their relationship. And her tone back then…

“No way… could it be that the two of them are really together now?”

Ye Ling’er was utterly shocked. It felt like the sun had risen from the west.

The receptionist stopped and turned back to Ye Ling’er. “Miss Ye, the room just ahead with the door open is the luxury double suite booked by CEO Gu and Young Master Lin. Would you like to go over yourself?”

She asked cautiously. If Gu Qingyi and Lin Yuan found out she had led Ye Ling’er to them, she’d surely end up on both of their bad sides. No matter what happened, it would offend someone. So the smartest move was to stay out of it entirely.

Ye Ling’er looked at the receptionist and understood her predicament. She also knew what the girl was afraid of, so she nodded. “Alright, I’ll go alone. You can leave.”

“Thank you, Miss Ye.”

The receptionist felt like she’d been granted a royal pardon. She turned and left the scene as fast as she could. She had a hunch—whatever happened next was not something she wanted to witness.

At that moment, Lin Yuan finally finished showering. He stepped out in the hotel’s bathrobe, feeling completely refreshed.

Gu Qingyi sat on the sofa with her legs crossed. When she saw him come out, she patted the seat beside her and said, “Come sit here.”

“Okay.” Lin Yuan had an instinctive sense of obedience toward Gu Qingyi. He moved slowly, step by step, toward the sofa.

Just as he was about to sit down, Gu Qingyi suddenly snapped, “Can’t you hurry up? Dragging your feet like that… are you even a man?”

Startled by her sudden outburst, Lin Yuan tripped over his own feet and fell forward—straight onto Gu Qingyi.

In an instant, the atmosphere shifted.

Lin Yuan looked down at Gu Qingyi, who was now pinned beneath him. She stared up at him, stunned. Neither of them spoke. Neither broke the silence.

Until…

“Aiya! What are you two doing?! In broad daylight, with the door wide open! Have you no shame?! Absolutely disgusting!”

That sharp voice yanked them both back to reality. As she realized the situation, Gu Qingyi immediately shoved Lin Yuan off her. “Get off me!”

“O-oh… okay!” Lin Yuan quickly scrambled to his feet. Both of them turned toward the door at the same time.

Ye Ling’er stood there, cheeks flushed bright red, her expression full of shame as she stared at the shameless pair in front of her.

“Ye Ling’er, why aren’t you at home with your grandfather? Why are you here?” Gu Qingyi calmly adjusted her disheveled clothes and asked with a neutral expression.

“You still have the nerve to ask? If I hadn’t come here suddenly, I’d never have known that CEO Gu and Lin Yuan had that kind of relationship. Did Lin Yuan finally win over your cold heart after chasing you for three years?”

Ye Ling’er quickly composed herself and took a deep breath, trying to forget what she had just witnessed. It was too embarrassing. She didn’t even want to think about it. Seriously—if they were going to do that, could they at least shut the door? Were they hoping to be caught? Shameless, absolutely shameless. She had overestimated both of them.

“Ahem… Miss Ye, this is a misunderstanding. I just tripped accidentally. CEO Gu and I are innocent. Please don’t say anything that could harm her reputation,” Lin Yuan coughed lightly and tried to explain.

“You tripped? Inside a hotel room? Do you think I’d believe such a pathetic excuse?”

Ye Ling’er actually laughed. Even a child wouldn’t buy that excuse. Did he think she would?

“Miss Ye, why are you here anyway? If there’s nothing important, please leave. Lin Yuan and I still have matters to discuss,” Gu Qingyi said flatly, her expression still cold, as if nothing had happened at all.

“I…” Ye Ling’er remembered why she had come in the first place. That earlier scene had shaken her so badly that she completely forgot her original purpose.

She looked at Lin Yuan and gathered her thoughts before saying, “I came to see Lin Yuan. I want to invite him to dinner, just the two of us, as a gesture of thanks. If CEO Gu isn’t in a hurry, could you let me borrow him for a bit?”

“Did I hear that right?”

Gu Qingyi raised her brows, clearly surprised. Then her tone turned mocking. “Lin Yuan is North City’s infamous scoundrel—ruthless and immoral. And Miss Ye wants to have a private meal with him?”

“Hmph. If CEO Gu can book a hotel room with Lin Yuan, why can’t I have a private dinner? What’s the big deal?”

Ye Ling’er was never the type to back down. She met Gu Qingyi’s gaze directly and replied with a sarcastic edge of her own.