Chapter 43: Who Will Stay With Me

He deliberately left his words unfinished, squinting as he smiled at her.

Lu Yao felt nauseated by the breath he sprayed as he spoke and shrank back, trying to avoid his approach.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Huo placed his hand on the back of her chair, striking an intimate pose over her shoulder.

Every cell in her body recoiled, and goosebumps prickled up her arms.

Melinda, unwilling to let her prize be snatched away, defiantly dragged her chair closer to Mr. Huo, clinging to his arm with both hands, her whole body pressed against him. With a flirtatious smile, she purred, “Mr. Huo, you’re playing favorites. I want some crab legs too. Won’t you shell one for me?”

Mr. Huo felt the warmth and softness on his arm and was delighted. He glanced at Lu Yao by his side, then at the eager and forward Melinda, and his mind immediately conjured up some indecent scenes involving the three of them.

Amused, he put on a pair of disposable gloves, shelled a crab leg, and handed it to Melinda.

Before Mr. Huo could place the crab leg on her plate, Melinda leaned in, took it in her mouth, and deliberately brushed her lips against Mr. Huo’s hand, looking up at him with sultry eyes.

Her gaze was filled with an irresistible innocence.

In a coy voice, she said, “Mr. Huo, the crab leg you shelled is so sweet.”

She even made sure to lick her lips after finishing.

Mr. Huo’s throat tightened, and he burst into hearty laughter. Raising his wine glass, he clinked it with Melinda’s, their shoulders pressed together.

Lu Yao was utterly astonished. She had heard that Melinda was skilled at seducing men at the dinner table, but she hadn’t expected her to be so brazen.

Goosebumps covered her skin. With an inward sigh, she realized that with Melinda clinging to Mr. Huo like a conjoined twin, it wouldn’t be surprising if, by the end of the night, the legal agency rights fell right into Melinda’s lap.

Blushing, she stared at her wine glass, regretting that she hadn’t learned the art of schmoozing with clients from Xu Wenjie. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be in such a passive position now.

After several rounds of drinks, Mr. Huo’s thoughts turned unscrupulous.

He brushed Melinda’s hands off his body and leaned back comfortably in his chair, speaking with ill intent, “You’ve all had enough to drink. I know the reason you two accompanied me tonight. I won’t make things difficult for you.”

With that, he nodded at his secretary.

The secretary, reading the room, stood and ushered out Melinda’s companions, closing the door behind them with considerate care.

Lu Yao immediately sensed trouble.

Melinda, on the other hand, remained perfectly composed.

“I, Huo, am a straightforward man,” Mr. Huo declared, placing a hotel keycard on the table and looking suggestively at Lu Yao. “You both are equally competent. To be fair, whoever stays with me tonight will win the legal agency rights for the next five years.”

Such blatant words left Lu Yao utterly shocked. But seeing how Melinda didn’t hesitate a second before snatching up the keycard, she understood.

It was people like Melinda, who had no bottom line, that had corrupted the industry’s reputation.

Mr. Huo looked over at Lu Yao, raising his chin to prompt her response.

Lu Yao pondered for several seconds, then smiled faintly, walked to the side, and picked up the remaining half bottle of white liquor.

“Mr. Huo, my way of doing things has always been quite different from Linda’s,” she said as she unscrewed the bottle cap. “If I finish this half bottle of liquor tonight, would that be enough to prove my sincerity?”

Melinda snorted disdainfully, taunting, “Miss Lu, that’s half a bottle of white liquor. Are you serious?”

Even Mr. Huo, a grown man, wouldn’t dare make such a bold claim, and he couldn’t help but admire Lu Yao’s daring and fiery approach.

Having seen too many women use their bodies to seduce men for their own ends, he actually preferred Lu Yao’s straightforward tactics.

“If you can truly finish this half bottle of liquor, the legal agency rights for Huo Corporation will be yours,” he said.

“Mr. Huo, do you give your word?”

“I give my word.”

As Lu Yao picked up the bottle, Melinda hurriedly tried to stop her. “Wait… I… I also…”