Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

The girls speaking from the backseat were dressed to kill. Two wore low-cut tops and sheer black bodycon skirts, their makeup exquisite on their beautiful, oval faces. With their hair in buns, they had the air of Korean starlets. But they all rolled their eyes at Zhao Dong, their disdain palpable. When he glanced their way, they showed no trace of shame, instead staring back defiantly as if to say, Yeah? What are you going to do about it?

Zhao Dong gave them a deep look, decided they weren't worth his time, and turned away.

The girls immediately started whispering and snickering. "What a wimp. Can't even look at us, can he?"

"You can tell with one glance he's a nobody. Probably just some pretty boy that Song Qingwan is keeping."

"Exactly. He doesn't look like a big boss, so why the act? And Song Qingwan… she's just disgusting."

Song Qingwan heard them, and her expression soured. "Ignore that trash," Zhao Dong said calmly. "They're not worth it."

Song Qingwan bit her lip, squeezed Zhao Dong's hand, and nodded. They both proceeded to ignore the girls completely.

Soon, they arrived at a high-end hotel in East Sea City. The car stopped, and the group piled out. A cluster of girls immediately surrounded Song Qingwan and Zhao Dong, chattering playfully.

"Hey, Qingwan, is your boyfriend paying for us today?"

"That's right! It's our first time meeting him; he has to treat us to a good meal!"

"Seriously, Qingwan, don't tell me you'd be upset if your man spent a little money on us?"

Their intentions were harmless; they were just teasing.

Song Qingwan smiled. "Eat whatever you want, order anything. It's on me tonight."

Zhao Dong chuckled. "Of course not. I already said I'm paying. Everyone, order whatever you like!"

"Yay!"

The group of rather attractive young women flooded into the hotel, startling the other diners. They found the largest table available and sat down, with Zhao Dong and Song Qingwan joining them.

The few girls with the snide attitudes, however, stood off to the side, seemingly hesitant.

Song Qingwan glanced at them and said coolly, "You all might as well sit, too. It'll save us from getting another table."

The girls exchanged a look, then curled their lips in a sneer and sat down, acting as if they were the ones doing Song Qingwan a favor.

The friendlier group of girls chattered as they passed the menu around. Though they had joked about making Zhao Dong spend a fortune, they all thoughtfully ordered simple, affordable dishes, avoiding the expensive seafood and Wagyu.

Soon, the menu was passed to the other group.

One of them, a blonde with a small, v-shaped face and delicate features, was a clear beauty in her sexy, low-cut spaghetti-strap dress, but she carried herself with an air of aloofness. She took the menu, glanced at Zhao Dong and Song Qingwan, and said coolly, "You don't mind if we order some of the expensive stuff, do you? If you can't afford it, you should say so now."

Song Qingwan frowned and was about to retort, but Zhao Dong held her back. He simply smiled at the girls. "Go ahead," he said. "Order whatever you'd like to eat."

"Tch, still playing the big shot. Let's see how long you can keep this act up." The blonde, who looked like a Korean celebrity, gave a dismissive laugh and began ordering. "We'll have three Australian lobsters, ten abalones, and ten orders each of the oysters and Arctic surf clams. Oh... and bring us plenty of that Japanese Wagyu beef."

One of the other girls couldn't stand it and whispered, "Wang Ziyue, that's way too much! The Wagyu and abalone are several hundred per serving. The bill is already in the tens of thousands!"

Wang Ziyue, the blonde, snapped the menu shut and handed it to the waiter before scoffing, "What's it to you? Can't bear to watch? The guy paying hasn't said a word, so what are you complaining about? He's rich, you know. A little cost like this is nothing to him."

Wang Ziyue flashed a smarmy smile and shot a look at Zhao Dong. "You're not feeling the pinch, are you?"

Zhao Dong smiled faintly. "Of course not."

He genuinely wasn't concerned. He might not have had unlimited funds, but with over a hundred million in his account, he had more than enough to buy the entire hotel. Why would he care about a few tens of thousands?

Beside him, Song Qingwan couldn't take it anymore. She tugged on Zhao Dong's sleeve and whispered worriedly, "Zhao Dong, you don't have to put on a brave face. I'm not that close with Wang Ziyue and her friends anyway, and it's obvious they're trying to fleece you."

Zhao Dong chuckled. "It's fine, Qingwan. They're your friends and colleagues. Who knows, maybe a good meal will make them see the error of their ways."

Song Qingwan gave a bitter smile and shook her head. "Forget it. I'll take care of the bill later. You aren't working, so I can't let you bleed money today."

"Don't worry," Zhao Dong said with a laugh. "I have money."

Song Qingwan looked at him, her eyes filled with heartache. Where would he get that kind of money? He's just an ordinary guy. She didn't say it out loud, deciding instead to slip away later and pay the bill herself.

Soon the food arrived. Starving after a long day of work, the girls eagerly dug in.

Wang Ziyue and her friends, however, looked at the other dishes with disdain, picking only at the expensive items. Wang Ziyue herself claimed a massive Australian lobster, but after just a few bites, she tossed it aside on her plate. This drew disapproving murmurs from the others. It was incredibly wasteful, especially since they hadn't even had a chance to try it.

Zhao Dong frowned. He wouldn't have cared if they had eaten all of it, but he couldn't stand such blatant wastefulness. Looking at Wang Ziyue, he said, his brow furrowed, "That food cost money. If you're going to eat it, finish it. If not, let someone else have some. Why waste it after getting your germs all over it?"

Wang Ziyue's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? Feeling the pinch now?" she sneered. "Crying over a single lobster?"

"It's not about the cost. It's just not right to be so wasteful."

Wang Ziyue rolled her eyes. "Waste my ass! If you're too broke to pay, then stop pretending to be a big shot. I did you a favor by even eating it."

Song Qingwan couldn't hold back any longer. "Wang Ziyue," she said coldly, "either eat properly or get out. Now."

Wang Ziyue let out a derisive laugh. "Did I hear you right, Song Qingwan? You invited us here. Now you're getting bent out of shape over one lobster? The two of you are so pathetic and cheap. Utterly disgusting."

Her friends chimed in. "Exactly! Making a scene over a meal. Your boyfriend is really something else. If you can't afford it, don't invite people out. Acting rich is just laughable. He can't even compare to a single hair on Ziyue's boyfriend."

Wang Ziyue snickered. "Oh, don't say that. Maybe he's not acting. Maybe he's just a freeloader. I bet Song Qingwan is the one paying in the end. Hilarious. She's just keeping a pretty boy, isn't she?"

A heavy silence fell over the table. Song Qingwan's face was a mask of fury. Biting her lip, she seethed, "Wang Ziyue, you watch your damn mouth! Say one more word and I'll tear it apart!"

"Oh?" Wang Ziyue laughed scornfully. "Did I strike a nerve? Looks like I was right. Your boyfriend really is just some poor schmuck you're keeping, isn't he?"

Blinded by rage, Song Qingwan shot to her feet and pointed a trembling finger at her. "Wang Ziyue, apologize!"

Wang Ziyue remained seated, shrugging with a look of utter contempt. "To you? As if. I'm not apologizing. What are you going to do about it?"

She nonchalantly began applying her lipstick, then added with a sneer, "Honestly, Song Qingwan, I've had it with you for a while now. We're all in the entertainment industry, so cut the pure-and-innocent act. You pretend to be so proper, but who knows what big shot is actually keeping you."

"Wang Ziyue, you… you bastard!" Song Qingwan grabbed a cup from the table and hurled it at her.

Wang Ziyue dodged it and jumped to her feet. "Are you insane, Song Qingwan? Are you blind? How dare you touch me?"

"So what if I do?" Song Qingwan shot back.

Wang Ziyue gritted her teeth. "I'm warning you! My boyfriend is Wu Haibo! Director Wu! You lay a hand on me, and I swear I'll have him cancel your entire schedule!"

Song Qingwan froze, stunned. "You're with Director Wu now?"

A triumphant smile bloomed on Wang Ziyue's face. "That's right. So what? Director Wu divorced his wife. We're planning our wedding for next month. What's wrong? Are you jealous?"

Song Qingwan let out a cold laugh. "Jealous? I find you revolting. You're a homewrecker who forced a family apart. You're the very definition of shameless."

"You're talking nonsense! I'll rip your mouth out!" Wang Ziyue shrieked, grabbing a bowl from the table and flinging it at Song Qingwan.

The bowl flew straight for Song Qingwan's face. Blocked by the chair behind her, she was trapped and could only watch helplessly as it flew toward her.

Just as it was about to hit, Zhao Dong's large hand shot out and snatched it from the air.