Too Many Choices

"I'll give you a million. Win my sister over, then wait for her to break up with you."

"Pfft, what?"

Ye Haoran almost dropped the crate of beer in his hands, staring blankly at the man in the suit standing before him.

He didn't know this guy, nor had he ever met him, but he could pretty much guess—this was Zhou Youbai's older brother.

And Ye Haoran's reaction? He found it hilarious.

A million? Win over his ex-girlfriend? Then let himself get dumped?

What kind of script was this?

He shook his head firmly: "No. I'm not doing that."

There was no hesitation in his tone. He lifted the beer crate and started walking out.

The box of thirty bottles was pretty heavy, so he shifted his grip, cradling it against his stomach as he moved without slowing down.

But Zhou Chuxiong took a step forward, blocking Ye Haoran's path.

With his build—six feet tall or so—his custom-tailored suit gave him an imposing, overwhelming presence.

"Then what if I don't give you the money?"

Ye Haoran stopped mid-step.

"???"

Seeing Ye Haoran's expression—like this guy was messing with him—Zhou Chuxiong chuckled.

"Kid, don't rush. Hear me out first."

Ye Haoran didn't move. Not because he was convinced, but because the crate was too damn heavy, and he wanted a break.

"Give me your price."

Zhou Chuxiong's tone grew more casual. "I just want Youbai's head to be straight again. Think of it as playing a role, cooperating. After it's done, everything goes back to normal. Neither of us owes the other anything."

Ye Haoran set the crate down on a nearby table and flexed his wrists.

"President Zhou..."

"Hmm?"

"You think I'm desperate for money?"

Zhou Chuxiong didn't respond, but his gaze swept over Ye Haoran's server uniform. The meaning was obvious.

Ye Haoran smirked, not offended.

"Alright, I am short on cash. But some things have nothing to do with money."

He looked at Zhou Chuxiong, dropping his grin for something more serious.

"I did like Zhou Youbai before. Liked her for real, wholeheartedly.

But that's all it was—a past feeling. I don't want to get close to her through some act like this.

You want me to pretend to chase her, win her over, and then wait for her to dump me? Then what were my real feelings for? Props to be used over and over again?"

Zhou Chuxiong's brow twitched, but he didn't interrupt.

Ye Haoran bent down and picked up the crate again.

"You're rich. You can hire anyone you want—tall, short, handsome, talented. They'd line up for the job. You don't need to come after a broke student like me."

He squeezed past Zhou Chuxiong, took a few steps, then paused and looked back.

"And no offense, but I'm not even sure she ever really liked me."

Zhou Chuxiong frowned. "What do you mean?"

"She just can't handle being rejected. And honestly? I can't stand people like that."

Ye Haoran's voice was flat—no anger, no resentment. He was just stating something he'd thought through plenty of times.

"Zhou Youbai's never been turned down in her whole life. I bet I'm the first. So she's hurting, sure. But is that hurt about liking me, or is it about not getting what she wants? You'd know better than I do."

With that, Ye Haoran didn't spare Zhou Chuxiong another glance. He walked off.

Zhou Chuxiong let out a long breath and stayed silent, simply watching Ye Haoran carry the crate away.

Some of what Ye Haoran said was right. Some wasn't.

The right part—Zhou Youbai really was spoiled by the whole family.

She'd always gotten whatever she wanted, reached out and grabbed it. So she never learned how to treat someone right.

When she liked Ye Haoran, she showed it through all kinds of awkwardness and drama—today complaining he dressed poorly, tomorrow that he wasn't caring enough, the day after making a scene because he glanced at another girl.

But the wrong part—Ye Haoran underestimated how deep Youbai's feelings for him ran.

After their breakup a year ago, she lost eleven pounds.

Otherwise, Zhou Chuxiong never would have come to Ye Haoran with this.

Still, after this encounter, Zhou Youbai's temper had calmed down a lot.

If anything, this wasn't really a negotiation. It was a final check.

To confirm if this man was worth it.

The result? Clear.

Not greedy, no clinging to old feelings. Spoke openly, acted decisively.

Even his way of saying no was flawless.

Just... good enough.

At that moment, Ye Haoran's mind was a mess.

Ever since that day, he'd been avoiding Zhou Youbai.

No matter how she tried to find him, he dodged her. If the company hadn't assigned him to this event, he wouldn't be here.

Just as he set the beer crate down and was about to clean up elsewhere, the person in charge of the banquet hurried over.

Seeing this, Ye Haoran knew—what was coming would come.

"Manager Qin."

"Haoran, you okay? Just handle things back here from now on. No need to be out front. Keep those so-called classmates from targeting you."

Manager Qin was fair.

He didn't take Ma Chuangshi's actions out on Ye Haoran. He also kept him away from that crowd.

"Thanks, Manager Qin. I'm fine."

"You're smart, hardworking. I know that mess wasn't your fault. But after tonight, I'll probably have to let you go. I hope you understand."

Manager Qin's expression hadn't changed.

But Ye Haoran was caught off guard. He didn't get it. What had he done wrong?

The manager had seemed so kind, his voice and face just the same—but why had he suddenly turned harsh?

"Manager Qin... why?"

Ye Haoran didn't have much social experience. This didn't make sense to him.

Manager Qin sighed.

"You've crossed some wealthy people. They'll come after you, and they'll come straight for us. If we're lucky, they'll just make me fire you. If we're unlucky, they'll hire us out and use us to set up a trap for you at some fancy party they've planned."

At those words, Ye Haoran finally understood.

If he didn't leave this banquet company, Ma Chuangshi and his crew could prepare a setup for him.

Manager Qin clearly saw the realization hit Ye Haoran's eyes.

He reached out and patted Ye Haoran's shoulder.

"Look, this was just a side job. Don't risk your neck over a couple hundred bucks. Don't fight them head-on—it's not worth it."

"Thanks for the advice, Manager Qin."

"I'm no teacher, and you're not my student. Enough talk. Let's just get through tonight."

Manager Qin only hoped no more trouble would come tonight.

As for urging Ye Haoran to leave—it was partly for the kid's sake, partly for the company's sake.

They served rich families. If they didn't cut Ye Haoran loose, their reputation could be shredded by gossip in those circles.

For now, he'd just focus on finishing tonight's job.

But his warning to Ye Haoran was real. None of it was fake.