Chapter 521: Fated

At this moment, Lin Yuan was completely stunned.

The skewer in his hand fell with a pa-da onto the table, and his mind went blank.

The man in military uniform before him… could he be Qin Bore's blind date??

Just then, Qin Bore hurried over from the direction of the restroom.

She had just come out of the restroom when, from afar, she saw YeHaiqiong standing in front of Lin Yuan's table??

Huh??

YeHaiqiong??

Qin Bore's originally relaxed brows instantly knit, her pretty face turning icy cold.

"YeHaiqiong, how are you here? What are you doing?" Qin Bore strode forward, grabbed Lin Yuan and pulled him behind her, glaring at him like a protective little beast, "Are you stalking me?"

The composure on YeHaiqiong's face vanished in an instant.

YeHaiqiong quickly waved his hands to explain: "Miss Qin, you've misunderstood. I was entrusted by your mother to ensure your safety during your time in Jiangnan; this is entirely her intention, not any deliberate stalking on my part."

Saying this, he pulled a black bank card from his pocket and handed it to Qin Bore.

"Moreover, your mother knows you've refused her living expenses, so she specifically asked me to pass this card to you; the funds inside are enough for your daily expenses in Jiangnan."

Qin Bore lowered her head, glanced at the card, her eyes full of coldness.

She reached out to take the bank card, then snapped it in half with force.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the bank card broke into two pieces.

Qin Bore casually tossed the broken card onto the ground, her voice icy: "YeHaiqiong, I warn you again—never appear before me under any pretext; there is no possibility between us."

"Miss Qin, I understand your feelings, but protecting you is your aunt's entrustment—I cannot break my word." YeHaiqiong's tone carried a hint of helplessness as he tried to soften her attitude.

"Don't use my mother as an excuse!" Qin Bore's voice suddenly rose, a flash of severity in her eyes.

"If you dare to follow me in Jiangnan again, even if we cause a scene before the Ye family patriarch in Yan Capital, I will never forgive you!"

YeHaiqiong saw the unyielding determination in Qin Bore's eyes and knew that further entanglement would only backfire.

YeHaiqiong lightly shook his head and sighed: "Alright, I promise you—I will not actively disturb you from now on."

Though he said so, his gaze still swept over the skewers on the table.

YeHaiqiong, unwilling to give up, added: "Miss Qin, since we've met, how about I sit down and join you for a bite? I'll treat."

"Who wants your food? Get lost!" Qin Bore refused without thinking, her voice full of disgust.

"Miss Qin, please show some respect!" The guard, unable to hold back any longer, stepped forward, pointed at Qin Bore and shouted angrily, "This is SeniorColonel YeHaiqiong of the Imperial Capital Military Region—how dare you speak like that!"

"So what if he's a SeniorColonel? Even if he were a general, I'd still scold him if he annoyed me!" Qin Bore glared back without yielding.

What's wrong with the SeniorColonel?

Qin Bore has seen plenty of generals in Yan Capital; she truly isn't afraid.

Lin Yuan, hearing this, felt a bit dazed.

It seems this young SeniorColonel's identity is indeed genuine.

But at the same time, Lin Yuan was shocked by Qin Bore's attitude.

Facing this Colonel, Qin Bore isn't the slightest bit afraid, is she?

Then, just how formidable must this woman's identity be?

Lin Yuan dared not imagine.

The guard, thoroughly enraged, stepped forward and scolded: "Miss Qin, you've gone too far! How could the honor of our military region's SeniorColonel be insulted!"

"Hold it!" Lin Yuan, prepared, the instant the guard stepped forward…

Lin Yuan sidestepped to block in front of Qin Bore.

What's wrong with the guard? Lin Yuan couldn't bear to see Qin Bore bullied.

"Get lost!" the guard roared, raising his hand and slamming a palm hard into Lin Yuan's chest.

Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he likewise thrust out a palm!

Their palms violently clashed!

"Bang!"

A muffled thud!

The guard only felt a strong force traveling up his arm!

The guard staggered back three steps uncontrollably, barely stabilizing with a stumble, his face instantly turning pale!

The guard felt his entire arm go numb with excruciating pain, as if it were about to break!

His chest surged with turmoil, and the guard forcibly endured it.

YeHaiqiong's pupils contracted sharply—he hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary white‑collar worker to be so skilled.

Previously, his contempt for Lin Yuan had vanished completely.

"Xia Xia! You're being outrageous!" YeHaiqiong shouted sternly.

Only then did the guard retreat.

YeHaiqiong quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly to Qin Bore, and spoke sincerely: "Miss Qin, my subordinate was rude; I apologize on his behalf—please don't take offense."

Qin Bore gave a cold snort, pulled Lin Yuan to sit down again, handed him a skewer, and said: "Ignore them; let's keep eating."

YeHaiqiong stood where he was, watching the two act as if they were alone, his face alternating between green and white.

In the end, YeHaiqiong could only grit his teeth and tell the guard, "Let's go."

"Miss Qin, sorry for disturbing you tonight. Then I'll take my leave." YeHaiqiong said, turning and departing.

Qin Bore gave him a sideways glance, completely ignoring him.

Only after their figures vanished into the night did Lin Yuan finally relax.

Lin Yuan looked at Qin Bore and asked curiously, "Miss Qin, he's your blind date; if you keep antagonizing him like this, won't that be bad?"

"What's wrong with that? He started following me first." Qin Bore shrugged indifferently, picked up her beer cup and tapped it against Lin Yuan's cup.

"Besides, I never liked him anyway; rather than dragging things out and letting him misunderstand, it's better to be straightforward." Qin Bore said, taking a sip of alcohol.

Lin Yuan took a bite of the beef skewer, unable to curb his curiosity: "That YeHaiqiong… is he really a SeniorColonel?"

"Yeah, an air force SeniorColonel from the Imperial Capital Military Region." Qin Bore chewed her kebabs nonchalantly, a hint of disdain in her tone, "He's just an air force officer who climbed up relying on family background and seniority—nothing to show off about."

Lin Yuan opened his mouth, but for a long time couldn't find words; he could only express his inner shock with an ellipsis.

He simply couldn't imagine that Qin Bore's blind date… was actually such an outstanding person.

A feeling of inadequacy, hard to put into words, welled up in his heart; Lin Yuan instinctively clenched the skewer in his hand.

That man looked to be around thirty, a thirty‑year‑old air force SeniorColonel…

This, in all of China, is as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns!

Compared to such a person among dragons and phoenixes…

Lin Yuan's ordinary white‑collar identity is hardly worth mentioning.

The huge gap left Lin Yuan feeling a little lacking in confidence.

The gap between people is too great.

Lin Yuan let out a soft sigh: "Miss Qin, your blind date really is outstanding."

"Outstanding? I don't think so." Qin Bore pursed her lips, bit off the meat from the skewer, and said, "This kind of man looks glamorous on the outside but is fundamentally hypocritical, his mind full of scheming and saving face—I'd rather trust a street‑side delivery guy who's honest and reliable."

Lin Yuan froze, his beer cup almost slipping from his hand: "Huh? You… like delivery guys?"

"What, can't I like them?" Qin Bore raised an eyebrow at him, her eyes earnest, "Delivery workers earn money with their own strength, braving wind and rain; they're honest and reliable, far better than those big shots who only know how to put on airs."

Lin Yuan gave an embarrassed laugh, lifted his beer and took a sip to hide his feelings: "Miss Qin, you really love joking."

He simply didn't believe Qin Bore's words at heart.

How could a top‑tier beauty and heiress like Qin Bore, with outstanding looks and extraordinary status, possibly actually take a liking to a delivery guy?

This plot is more absurd than any novel he's read—simply impossible.

Qin Bore saw his disbelief, but didn't say more; she just lowered her head and kept eating the skewers.

She didn't mention it again aloud, but in her heart she muttered: "You stupid idiot, I've never been praising anyone else—it's you, who once delivered takeout."

Lin Yuan fell silent for a moment, watching Qin Bore's exquisite profile as she ate the skewers seriously…

Lin Yuan finally couldn't suppress his curiosity and probed: "Miss Qin, with conditions like YeHaiqiong the SeniorColonel, you don't even glance his way—your standards for a partner must be pretty high, right? So what exactly do you want in a future other half?"

Upon hearing that, Qin Bore put down her skewer, lifted her head, and stared straight at Lin Yuan.

Her clear eyes glimmered faintly under the streetlamp.

Qin Bore gazed at Lin Yuan for a long time, making even him feel a bit shy.

After a while, Qin Bore spoke in a soft tone: "My requirements for a partner are very simple—just one thing: be a little smarter than you."

Lin Yuan froze on the spot, his beer cup suspended mid‑air, his face full of bewilderment: "Huh??"

"Just that simple??" Lin Yuan asked in astonishment.

Qin Bore blinked her beautiful eyes and nodded, "Yeah, just one condition. I only like smart people."

Lin Yuan was dazed.

He just couldn't figure it out—we were discussing partner standards nicely, how did it suddenly turn into something about me?

"Be a little smarter than me?" What kind of weird request is that?

Lin Yuan furrowed his brows, racking his brains…

From his education and job to everyday interactions… Lin Yuan went over it again and again, still couldn't grasp what Qin Bore meant by that sentence, feeling only a tangled mess in his head.

……

Night, on the street.

A camouflaged military vehicle drove through the night.

The guard was sitting in the driver's seat, operating the military vehicle, escorting YeHaiqiong back to the military region compound.

Suddenly, midway, the guard clutched his chest, his face instantly turning deathly pale!

A surge of sweet‑sour taste rose in the guard's throat; with a "pthak!" he spat a mouthful of fresh blood directly onto the steering wheel, staining a patch red!.

"What's going on?!" YeHaiqiong startled, quickly reached out to steady the swaying guard, and asked, "Where do you feel unwell?"

The guard gasped with difficulty, his whitening knuckles from strain: "Senior… SeniorColonel, just now I exchanged a palm strike with that guy named Lin Yuan… he… he damaged my internal organs, I've suffered internal injuries…"

"What?" YeHaiqiong's expression changed.

He simply couldn't believe that Lin Yuan's palm strike could have such force.

"Heh, it seems this guy named Lin Yuan doesn't match the investigation data at all." YeHaiqiong curled the corner of his mouth with a meaningful arc, "This man isn't as simple as I thought; he's somewhat interesting."

YeHaiqiong secretly mused: Lin Yuan, will you be the man Qin Bore truly chose? Or are you just an ordinary friend she's using to put me off?

YeHaiqiong's eyes narrowed slightly; the irritation born from Qin Bore's rejection was now replaced by a faint, inexplicable excitement.

He, it seemed, had encountered an interesting person.

Although the other party was just a small fry, he was genuinely quite interesting.

At that moment, the guard suddenly coughed up blood again!

YeHaiqiong hastily grabbed the guard's right hand to examine…%

Only to see that the guard's right palm was completely red and swollen, the joints slightly protruding—obviously fractured.

"How badly are you hurt? Why didn't you say anything earlier?" YeHaiqiong said in a low voice.

"I was… afraid that if I vomited blood just now, I'd lose face for you, Colonel…" the guard's voice trembled, his forehead covered in cold sweat…

No sooner had the guard finished speaking than he couldn't help but "wah" spit out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"That man's palm strike contains internal energy and inch‑force; its power is unfathomable—I… I simply couldn't block it." The guard added weakly, his body already beginning to sway uncontrollably.

"Hold on! I'll take you to the military hospital!" YeHaiqiong said solemnly.

YeHaiqiong immediately undid her seatbelt, grabbed the guard from the driver's seat and lifted him up, carefully moving him to the passenger seat.

YeHaiqiong herself quickly got into the driver's seat, stomped on the accelerator, and the camouflaged military vehicle instantly sped up, rushing toward the military hospital...

……

At the barbecue stall, Qin Bore again pulled Lin Yuan to drink a few cups.

Already unable to hold her liquor, her cheeks were now as red as a ripe apple, her gaze grew hazy, and her speech became somewhat slurred.

Qin Bore ate many skewers and drank a lot of beer.

"You can't drink any more, Miss Qin. I'll take you home." Lin Yuan snatched the beer glass from her hand and said helplessly.

Qin Bore pouted, waved her hand dissatisfiedly: "I'm not drunk…… I can still drink……"

Before she finished speaking, her body swayed, and she almost slid off the chair.

Lin Yuan quickly supported her, and after paying the bill, half-led, half-carried her to his Tesla Model S.

Qin Bore was really drunk.

Lin Yuan carefully opened the passenger door, shoved her in, and meticulously fastened her seatbelt.

Along the way, Qin Bore leaned against the seatback, quietly closing her beautiful eyes.

Her long lashes cast a shadow on her eyelids, her breath carried a faint scent of alcohol, making her look especially docile.

Lin Yuan drove, occasionally glancing at her.

Watching her rest with eyes closed, she looked absolutely beautiful and moving.

Lin Yuan felt a strange throbbing in his heart%……

He unconsciously slowed the speed, trying to keep the vehicle steady.

Half an hour later, the car steadily stopped in front of Qin Bore's residential building.

"Miss Qin, we're home." Lin Yuan gently nudged her.

Qin Bore blinked open her eyes in a daze, struggling to push the door open and get out…

But as soon as she lifted her foot, her delicate body went limp, and she almost fell to the ground.

"Careful." Lin Yuan, quick-eyed and quick-handed, stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her waist, and steadied her.

The skin under his palm was warm and delicate, and Lin Yuan's heartbeat skipped a beat.

He quickly averted his gaze, pretending to be calm, and said: "I'll help you upstairs."

"Thank you for tonight's late-night snack……" Qin Bore leaned against his chest, her voice soft as marshmallow, "Tonight's barbecue was delicious, the beer was great…… It's far more enjoyable than eating with those annoying people."

Lin Yuan didn't respond, merely supporting her carefully, step by step into the office building elevator.

The elevator rose slowly.

In the cramped space, Qin Bore's alcohol scent and a faint perfume mingled.

She really smelled wonderful; her fragrance could make a man addicted.

Lin Yuan's heart pounded faster, his eyes fixed on the elevator door, not daring to look at the person beside him.

With a "ding," the elevator doors opened.

Qin Bore, drunk, opened the password lock.

As soon as the door opened, a white figure shot out.

It was Qin Bore's pet cat, Sweet Cone.

Sweet Cone lunged straight into Lin Yuan's arms, letting out "meow-meow" cries.

The little creature affectionately rubbed its head against Lin Yuan's chin, its tail swirling around his wrist…

Sweet Cone completely ignored Qin Bore, who was being supported by Lin Yuan.

"This little guy……" Lin Yuan chuckled, reached out to pat Sweet Cone's head, "You're even more enthusiastic than her."

Qin Bore watched this scene with drunken, hazy eyes.

She suddenly reached out and grabbed Lin Yuan's arm, lifting her head.

Then, Qin Bore, drunk, said, "I like you……"