Claire Dubois looked at Lucas with a smile.
She had seen almost the entire scene outside just now.
However.
When she saw Camille Laurent confessing to Lucas, her reaction was one of disbelief.
At the same time, she hoped Lucas would not accept.
But after a second thought, she didn't know why.
Her relationship with Lucas wasn't close.
What did it matter to her if he was confessed to?
Claire walked into the elevator, placed her hands behind her back, and stood beside Lucas.
"President Lucas, what are your thoughts?"
"Camille's family runs a nationally renowned pharmaceutical company. If you accepted her, wouldn't your path be much smoother in the future?"
Claire tilted her head and asked curiously, "Aren't you tempted?"
To be honest, Claire found it very strange.
Logically speaking, if a hundred-billion-dollar female president confessed to a man, any normal person would accept, right?
Yet, Lucas actually refused?
This sparked a deep curiosity about him within her.
Hearing this, a wry smile touched the corner of Lucas's mouth. "Temptation is one thing, but it has nothing to do with me."
"I can collaborate, but not through this method."
"What's hers remains hers. What's mine, no matter how modest the family business, is mine alone."
"Relationships without (affection) ultimately end when expectations fade. By then, I'd be completely tied to her, and she could easily ruin me with a flick of her wrist."
He sounded reasonable, but internally he was grumbling.
"Luckily I was clever. If I had really agreed, wouldn't I have no chance with you, who was hiding on the sidelines watching the drama?"
Just like now, since I refused, hasn't your curiosity and favorable impression of me, Claire, increased?
Really.
Lucas truly hadn't anticipated that Claire would be hiding nearby, watching secretly!
How outrageous.
Lucas cleared his throat and said, "However, I'm quite puzzled, Miss Claire. Why were you there, and peeking at that?"
"It doesn't suit your persona as a female president." Lucas's gaze was intense.
Hearing this, a trace of embarrassment flitted across Claire's stunningly beautiful, captivating face.
"Ahaha, it was just an accident."
Claire said with a laugh, "I hadn't been back long when I heard you and Camille talking outside, so I peeked out to watch for a bit."
Lucas was noncommittal.
Perhaps it really was such a coincidence.
But, the outcome was ultimately good. At least Claire's favor towards him had shot straight up.
As for Camille's side...
Probably... it wouldn't decrease, right?
Lucas felt a bit apprehensive.
After all, he had wanted to try managing several relationships at once and nearly capsized.
Fortunately, he understood that such matters must be handled discreetly. In public, they're easily exposed.
However, Lucas still hadn't figured it out.
How did Claire manage it?
Clearly a rather strong-willed female president, her possessiveness wasn't overwhelming, yet she could later tolerate her man having so many close female friends.
Could it be... the effect of the protagonist's (halo)?
As expected of you!
The four great online literature families you absolutely shouldn't mess with are Ye, Lin, Xiao, and Chen.
Ding!
The elevator arrived.
Claire lived on the floor below Lucas.
Lucas bid her goodbye: "Miss Claire, good night, sweet dreams."
After speaking, he prepared to close the elevator doors.
Just as the doors were about to shut, Claire suddenly called out, "Wait."
Hmm?
Lucas promptly reopened the doors, asking in confusion, "What is it?"
Could it be you're afraid to sleep alone?
Want me to accompany you?
How embarrassing, but I'm a professional at (soothing to sleep). If you need it, you can call me.
Claire looked at Lucas and asked, "Will you be attending the gathering at the Super Play Club the day after tomorrow?"
Since Grandpa wanted her to bring Ye Fan along...
Then...
Why not drag Lucas along too? That way, it wouldn't be awkward.
Claire was no fool.
Just from Grandfather Bai's attitude lately, she could tell the old man definitely wanted to (matchmake) her and Ye Fan.
But, if she didn't like him, she didn't like him.
No matchmaking would work.
Hearing this, Lucas nodded gently. "Of course. See you the day after tomorrow."
The elevator doors closed.
A bright smile spread across Claire's face.
Good. See you the day after tomorrow.
Back home.
Lucas hurriedly went to take a shower.
After showering, Lucas went into the kitchen, took a cup of instant noodles from the fridge, boiled some water, and sat waiting in the living room.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for gaining +30 favorability from Claire Dubois. Current character favorability: 60! Steadiness Points +3000!]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for gaining +3 favorability from Camille Laurent. Current character favorability: 83! Steadiness Points +3000!] Tsk.
Seeing these two notifications filled Lucas with joy.
Today seemed like a huge win.
He had directly pulled Claire's favorability from ordinary to the peak of favorable impression.
The next step was affection.
As for Camille, she was already at 83.
It seemed the closer you got to the end, the slower the favorability increased.
But the rewards also became richer.
Lucas murmured, "Adding it up, I now have fifteen thousand favorability points, right?"
Delighted.
Thinking this, Lucas immediately called out, "System, open the personal panel."
As the words fell.
A light blue, transparent light screen appeared before Lucas's eyes.
Attribute Panel.
It was similar to the popular web game panels of the past, featuring a 3D model of the character, with the rest being personal stats.
System.
Host: Lucas.
Steadiness Points: 15900.
Attributes: Strength: 105, Speed: 105, Constitution: 110, Charm: 150 (MAX).
Mission: Change the Original Plot (Long-term).
Backpack: None (for now?).
System Store: Pending activation (can be opened by consuming 2900 Steadiness Points).
Lucas had been saving the Steadiness Points earned these past few days, unwilling to spend them, just to save up for something big.
Like the System Store.
Though he didn't know what was inside, system products were surely top quality.
Now that the plot was slowly getting on track, his opportunities to encounter the protagonist would increase more and more.
If he relied solely on the (bonus) of the "Suit-Wearing Thug," Lucas would definitely be no match for Ye Fan.
After all, the other was a (inheritor of ancient martial arts).
Could he afford to fall behind?
Absolutely not!
Thinking this, Lucas said without hesitation, "System, open the System Store!"
[Steadiness Points -2900. System Store successfully opened!]