CHAPTER 436: CHAPTER 436 PROGRESS SMOOTHLY

The only goal was singular: to persist through Yang Da today, and wait until tomorrow—tomorrow would tell.

What surprised Red Wolf was Yang Da’s unquestionable agreement to the dinner arrangement.

In the end, when Red Wolf drove Yang Da to the Lingyun Pavilion Hotel, Yang’s most familiar location before joining the Dragon Team, he almost couldn’t believe how smoothly things had gone.

*Cough!*

Seeing everyone at the entrance already, Red Wolf was still in a daze. Qing Luan couldn’t help but cough lightly to snap him out of it. This prompted Red Wolf to immediately look at Yang Da and say hurriedly, "Mr. Yang, uh... this is the place we’re dining at. Please step out of the vehicle!"

"Ah, yes!"

Yang Da glanced at the lavishly decorated front of Lingyun Pavilion and nodded slightly.

Red Wolf quickly exited the car and opened the door for Yang Da, before walking towards the hotel entrance.

As the son of a high-ranking leader within their squad and the eldest daughter from the Cao Family, Qing Luan couldn’t help but feel a mix of awe and tension when bringing guests here to dine. If not for Red Wolf specifically insisting on maintaining a low profile to avoid upsetting Yang Da, Qing Luan might have arranged for an honor guard to welcome them.

However, even without an honor guard, the manager didn’t dare to show any negligence. With a respectful smile, he ushered them to one of the most luxurious private rooms at the top of Lingyun Pavilion.

"Mr. Chen... Mr. Chen, you haven’t visited in quite some time!"

The manager grinned while holding the menu.

Yet, within his eyes, there was an unmistakable mix of surprise upon seeing Red Wolf—the son of Commander Chen Wenbin—and Qing Luan—the eldest daughter from the powerful Cao Family in Yanjing.

The identities of both individuals carried great weight—practically towering heights in Yanjing’s social landscape!

However, from the entrance to the private room, neither Red Wolf nor Qing Luan treated Yang Da lightly. Instead, there was a subtle tension and deep respect in their demeanor, especially from Red Wolf, who seemed almost nervous.

What kind of person could induce such reverence from Red Wolf?

For a moment, the manager felt the menu in his hands heat up, uncertain of whom to present it to first.

Was it Red Wolf? Qing Luan? Or Yang Da?

Perhaps noticing the manager’s hesitation, Red Wolf opened his mouth slowly and said, "This is Mr. Yang, my father’s honored guest. Attend to him!"

Father’s guest?

Wasn’t that Commander Chen Wenbin’s guest?

Upon hearing this, the manager’s mind immediately clicked, realizing that Yang Da’s identity was undoubtedly significant—absolutely monumental!

He quickly exhaled and handed the menu to Yang Da, saying, "Mr. Yang, what would you like to order?"

"It’s up to you!"

Yang Da responded indifferently.

Since his arrival, his appetite had been almost nonexistent, and he cared little about the meal itself.

Qing Luan promptly took the menu with a smile. "Let’s do it this way! Commander Chen’s treatment today—don’t skimp on extravagance. Spare no expense!"

"Got it, Miss Cao!"

The manager nodded rapidly upon hearing this.

But he didn’t notice the subtle smile curling at the corners of his lips or the cold sweat forming on his brow.

Red Wolf, once renowned as one of Yanjing’s most prominent playboys, had left that lifestyle behind.

Ever since joining the Dragon Team, Chen Wenbin had severed all his financial lifelines.

Therefore, Red Wolf now lived solely off his Dragon Team salary—while relatively affluent compared to the average civilian, the Lingyun Pavilion wasn’t a place for ordinary patrons.

As for Prince, judging by his smirk, it was clear he knew the implications of Red Wolf’s current predicament.

Sure enough, faced with the prospect of immensely pricey dishes, Red Wolf quickly excused himself to leave the room and seek financial aid from his father, Commander Chen Wenbin.

Once Red Wolf left, only Qing Luan and Yang Da remained behind. Qing Luan’s smile grew somewhat tense as she prepared to engage in conversation and savor their time together.

But before she could speak, Yang Da chuckled lightly and asked, "Tell me, what mission did Commander Chen assign you?"

"Mission? What mission?"

Qing Luan instantly tried to concoct a lie upon hearing this. However, when her gaze met Yang Da’s cold, piercing stare, she instantly deflated, forced to admit sheepishly, "Nothing major, just taking care of you!"

"Taking care of me?" Yang asked curiously.

"Yes! To stop you!"

Qing Luan set down her chopsticks and said helplessly, "Although Zhou Qi is damned troublesome, outright confronting him would undoubtedly spell trouble for the Chenn Family. No one wants to see that happen! So, per Commander Chen’s instructions, we’re supposed to stall you for two or three months—long enough for you to refocus. Who knew... on the very first day, you’d observe everything!"

At this point, Qing Luan puffed her cheeks slightly in frustration.

But Yang Da merely laughed softly.

What was he?

And what were Red Wolf and Qing Luan’s capabilities?

Previously, Red Wolf had been...

"Boyfriend... boyfriend... boyfriend?"

*Pfft!*

Hearing Cao Lingrui mention "boyfriend," Qing Luan spat out the wine she had just sipped.

She glowered immediately, saying, "Who told you that? Who spread this ridiculous rumor?"

"W-what, sis, that wasn’t... it’s..."

Cao Lingrui hesitated, visibly nervous under Qing Luan’s stern gaze.

But at that moment, a group of three to five young men and women barged in, visibly having heard the same rumors spread to Cao Lingrui.

"What’s this?"

Just as the group prepared to bombard Qing Luan with more questions, one of the women suddenly noticed Yang Da’s frowning expression.

It was none other than Cao Lingrui’s peer, Qi Hanshi, who scoffed at Yang Da.

The tall man beside Qi Hanshi caught sight of Yang Da and asked curiously, "Hanshi, do you know him?"

"I don’t know this bumpkin—"

"Hanshi!"

Qi Hanshi’s words were abruptly cut off as Cao Lingrui shot her a sharp glare.

He then furrowed his brows, turning his attention back to Yang Da. From his perspective, suspicions arose.

"Why is he here? And with my sister? Could he be her boyfriend?"

Cao Lingrui speculated intensely. Prior to arriving, he had only heard minor rumors, but it was startling to see Qing Luan bring a man to Lingyun Pavilion.

After all, Lingyun Pavilion wasn’t merely a dining establishment but also a place to stay.

Nevertheless, caught between thoughts, Cao Lingrui decided to turn to Qing Luan directly, asking, "Sister, you... and him... what’s going on here?"

"He’s my... my Dragon Team Commander!"

Qing Luan replied after considering for a moment.

Yang Da’s presence in Yanjing was meant to remain unpublicized, known only to Chen Wenbin and the Dragon Group. Any leak suggesting Yang Da had arrived in Yanjing prematurely could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Thus, Qing Luan dared not reveal even half the truth.

"The Commander of Dragon Team?"

When Cao Lingrui heard this, he was immediately filled with doubt.

The other attendees also wore expressions of disbelief. Although they knew Qing Luan had enlisted in the Dragon Group years ago for reasons unknown, the sight of a lone man dining intimately with a single woman at Lingyun Pavilion seemed far from resembling superior-subordinate relationships.

Most notably, Yang Da didn’t even look like a soldier.

However, at that moment, Red Wolf returned to the private room, stunned by the gathering, but he quickly recovered and said, "Why are you all here? Besides, this is my squad leader alongside Cao Lingyan at Dragon Team."

So, he truly was their squad leader!

After hearing Red Wolf’s statement, the crowd finally accepted it.

Although, that didn’t stop their derision.

Everyone knew that Red Wolf and Qing Luan had joined the Dragon Team years ago. Typically, children born into Yanjing’s elite were sent to outer posts for several years before being rotated back to Yanjing’s Command Center.

Considering their closeness, it was evident this was the small inner circle of Yanjing’s elite daughters.