The Flirting Men Time-Space Agency

Elora wandered aimlessly around the hall, a glass of champagne in hand, when suddenly her eyes lit up as she spotted Lucas engaged in conversation with another young man.

With a cheerful smile, she approached him and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Lucas!"

Lucas, who had been conversing with Milo, was momentarily interrupted, his expression flickering with mild irritation. But when he turned and saw Elora gazing at him with such brightness in her eyes, it felt like a jolt of electricity shot through him, causing a pleasant tingle throughout his body, and his irritation dissipated somewhat.

Ding... Target's affection +5, current affection value: 45.

Lucas, feeling slightly self-conscious, clenched his fist and lightly coughed into it to clear his throat, a gesture to mask his surprise. "Elora!"

"Did I startle you? I've been looking for you all over the place, and didn't expect you'd be hiding here," Elora remarked, oblivious to the unusual tension in Lucas's demeanor.

Lucas, inwardly pleased to hear that she had been searching for him, concealed it with a composed expression. "You could've just called me."

"Heh, right! I completely forgot!" Elora chuckled, her embarrassment apparent as she stuck out her tongue playfully. A week ago, Ridge's parents had given her Lucas's private number, but since Lucas never contacted her, Elora didn't feel comfortable calling him. Over time, she simply forgot the number even existed.

"Lucas, are you not going to introduce me to this lovely lady?" Milo had noticed Elora the moment she entered. At first, he thought she seemed familiar, though he couldn't place her, but as she drew closer, the realization hit—she was the intriguing girl from earlier in the afternoon.

It seemed they were quite familiar with each other, which suggested they must be acquainted. Yet, she hadn't acknowledged him, and that stirred a slight sense of dissatisfaction in Milo.

"This is Milo, my friend!" Lucas gestured toward the man standing beside him. "Elora, this is..." Lucas paused, glancing at Elora before appearing to make a decision. He turned back to Milo, his voice firm, "She is my fiancée!"

"Hello, I'm Elora!" Elora greeted with a bright smile, extending her soft right hand.

At that moment, she noticed Milo's handsome features more clearly—his large, expressive eyes, high nose, and gentle, warm smile that seemed almost permanently etched on his face.

"Hello," Milo responded, a pang of disappointment hidden behind his courteous smile. It seemed she was already engaged, yet he still shook her hand politely, if only briefly.

"So, what were you two talking about? You seemed so serious," Elora inquired curiously, withdrawing her hand and turning her attention to Lucas.

"Milo's family is planning to open a theme park here in the city and is looking to partner with the Ridge family," Lucas said, taking a sip of his drink as he casually relayed the information.

"Ah, so you've already 'formed an alliance,' have you? Looks like the other companies are out of luck then!" Elora teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she glanced at Lucas.

"I didn't think 'forming alliances' could be used in this context. Seems like your Chinese was taught by a gym teacher," Lucas raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

"I think you know better than anyone what my Chinese is like, Ridge senior!" Elora shot back, her voice brimming with playful defiance.

This brought them back to their middle school days, when Elora excelled in every subject except Chinese. Her family, noticing her struggle, had suggested that Lucas tutor her, and she had reluctantly agreed. When she went to his study to look for materials, she had inadvertently stumbled upon a test paper hidden in a Chinese textbook. What caught her eye, however, was that the test was Lucas's—and it was far from passing.

When she saw this, Elora couldn't help but laugh inwardly. How was Lucas tutoring her when his own Chinese was worse than hers? Just then, Lucas had entered the room and seen her holding the paper.

"Don't worry, I didn't see anything," Elora had said with a knowing smile and left quickly, leaving Lucas with a mysterious expression on his face. After that, she never asked him for another lesson. It remained an unspoken secret between them.

Lucas, recalling this memory, glanced away with an awkward look.

Elora, though her face remained impassive, was secretly amused.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and a spotlight focused on a middle-aged couple standing together. The server wheeled out an eight-tier cake, likely the centerpiece of the evening, and Elora guessed these were probably Mr. and Mrs. Donovan.

The host stepped forward and addressed the guests. "Good evening, everyone. I am the emcee for tonight's event. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend Mrs. Donovan's birthday banquet. Now, let us invite Mr. Evan Donovan and Mrs. Celeste Donovan to the stage." Applause rang out from the crowd.

Then, a man who appeared to be in his early forties, dressed impeccably, took the hand of an elegant woman by his side, and together, they ascended the stage.

With a microphone in hand, Mr. Donovan spoke, his voice carrying clearly across the hall. "Good evening, esteemed guests. I am Evan Donovan, Chairman of Donovan Group. Thank you for coming to celebrate my wife Celeste's birthday. Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy the evening, and if there is any oversight on our part, please bear with us." He nodded politely before stepping back.