Chapter 16: Casual and Seductive
The dark mobile phone screen lit up, and Lian Li received a message from Jin Yan Ting.
「Not home?」
She didn’t rush to reply, looking up at Jin Shi Yue and politely refusing, “No trouble.”
Jin Shi Yue looked at her for a few seconds, withdrew his gaze, and bent down to get into the driver’s seat.
In the silent alley, the engine roared to life, and the car sped away.
Lian Li stood under the streetlight, waiting for a taxi. During the wait, she opened WeChat and replied to Jin Yan Ting: 「Not home, I have plans with Shu Fan tonight.」
Jin Yan Ting: 「When will you be back? I’ll have the driver pick you up.」
Lian Li: 「No need, I don’t know when it will end.」
There was no further reply. Lian Li lowered her eyes, staring at the chat page, and couldn’t help but overthink.
Did he ask Zhang Sao, and Zhang Sao told him she wasn’t home? Or did he go to her place and find she wasn’t there?
Lian Li took a deep breath, stopping her speculation.
*
The Magnificent Blue Bay Club, one of the four top clubs in the Capital City, is known for its high-end privacy and business networking platform, boasting a luxurious palace-style environment.
Lian Li took a taxi and arrived around nine o’clock, with thirty minutes left until the performance ended.
The club is a private membership system, requiring multiple verifications before entry.
Lian Li had been there before with Jin Yan Ting. Jin Yan Ting had instructed Assistant He to handle the membership, so when she entered and gave her name, the waiter glanced at the membership information and immediately showed a fawning smile.
Lian Li had messaged Xue Shufan when she got out of the car. After confirming her identity, she stood in the corridor when a waiter in uniform happened to walk over.
“Miss Lian? President Pei asked me to escort you in.”
President Pei must be Pei Qingji.
“Okay, thank you.”
Lian Li followed the waiter through the hall to a side entrance and took the VIP elevator.
As the elevator reached the floor and opened, she was hit by an overwhelming wave of energy.
About twenty to thirty men and women dressed in high fashion, not too many but not too few, were swaying and dancing with the performers on stage, immersed in cheers and excitement under the flashing, crisscrossing lights. Lian Li could vaguely recognize a few familiar faces in the flickering light.
They were all prominent young ladies and gentlemen from Sijiucheng, from old money families or new wealth.
Lian Li followed their gaze to the elaborately crafted stage. It was quite far, and she couldn’t see clearly. In the glow of the blue and gold flashing lights, she could only roughly make out the silhouettes of the band members: the keyboardist, bassist, drummer… and in the center of the stage, the lead singer with an overwhelming aura.
Bad Jaws played light rock music, blending Eastern and Western musical elements. The atmosphere was energetic but not chaotic.
“Miss Lian, this way!” The waiter, seeing Lian Li standing still, raised his voice to call her and gestured for her to go upstairs.
The private rooms upstairs were accessed by a spiral staircase. Led by the waiter, Lian Li ascended the stairs to a room on a higher floor.
The private rooms here were even larger than those at the STAR bar.
Xue Shufan was playing dice. Upon seeing Lian Li, she immediately stood up and linked arms with her.
“You’re finally here! If you hadn’t come soon, I would have had to tie you up.”
Lian Li joked, “Then I came too early. I should have come later, for you to tie me up.”
Among the people sitting on the sofa were a few Lian Li recognized, such as Zhong Yang and Pei Qingji.
“Li Mei, long time no see,” Zhong Yang said warmly.
Lian Li sat on the sofa, smiling as she greeted them.
Zhong Yang was a chatterbox, pulling Lian Li aside and asking about her incessantly.
Pei Qingji smoothly interjected, “The band’s performance is nearing its end. If you want to watch, you have to go now.”
Lian Li nodded, took a couple of sips of tea, and then, with Xue Shufan, went to the main hall outside to join the lively atmosphere.
Amidst the clamor of the crowd, they looked at the lead singer of the band.
“The lead singer is quite tall, with fair skin and blue highlights in his hair. He’s a young heartthrob,” Xue Shufan said loudly in Lian Li’s ear.
Xue Shufan’s voice was loud, but the screams were even louder. In comparison, Lian Li’s ears were not bothered. She agreed, “He’s your type!”
Xue Shufan laughed heartily, “He’s more than just good!”
She bounced to the beat of the dynamic music and suddenly said, “Hey, he doesn’t seem much older than you. Why don’t you consider him? If the age gap is too big, you’ll be out of your depth. Men, their peak is in their twenties, and then it’s a steep decline.”
Xue Shufan spoke with such conviction that Lian Li pinched her slender waist.
Xue Shufan let out a mock groan, “What, did I say something wrong? There’s scientific evidence; look it up if you don’t believe me. Young girls easily develop admiration for older men… Alright, alright, I won’t say it anymore. Good friends are supposed to watch you jump into a fire pit, fire, fire, fire!”
Lian Li couldn’t help but laugh.
…
The band’s performance ended, and Lian Li and Xue Shufan walked back to the private room arm in arm.
At the door, Xue Shufan suddenly stopped and said, “I’m going to the restroom, you go in first.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just a biological need.”
Lian Li entered the private room and headed towards the quiet area, only to find that the sofa she had been sitting on was now occupied.
As she got closer, she realized the person was Jin Shi Yue.
The collar of his shirt was slightly open, allowing the bright light to sneak in, revealing half of his collarbone, while the other half was hidden in the shadow beneath the collar.
Casual yet alluring.
Unsure of what the person beside him said, he tilted his head slightly and gave a short laugh.
As he tilted his head, his eyes met Lian Li’s. Jin Shi Yue’s expression was calm, and he simply tapped the ash off his cigarette on the sofa armrest.
Lian Li glanced at the falling ashes and calmly lowered her gaze.
“Li Mei is back, what do you want to drink?” Zhong Yang stood up and made space for her.
Pei Qingji asked the waiter to bring some low-alcohol fruit wine and poured a glass, placing it on the table in front of Lian Li.
Lian Li didn’t feel out of place and sat there calmly, occasionally joining the conversation.
Xue Shufan returned about fifteen minutes later, bringing a young man with blue highlights.
The lead singer of the Bad Jaws band.
His real name… Lian Li didn’t remember.
She was probably a fake fan.
The lead singer was handsome and fair-skinned, and his voice was clear as he said, “Brother!”
He called Jin Shi Yue “Brother.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Lian Li’s eyes as she looked between Jin Shi Yue and the lead singer. Jin Shi Yue merely glanced at the lead singer indifferently.
“Sister, let me introduce you,” Zhong Yang said to Lian Li. “This is the Young Master Duan of the Duan Family, Duan Yu.”
Duan Yu said, “Don’t just introduce me to your sister. Introduce your sister to me. When did you get such a beautiful sister?”
“Lian Li, she’s not just my sister, but also Master Yue’s sister. Don’t get any funny ideas,” Zhong Yang warned him with a glare.
Duan Yu helplessly rubbed his nose with his finger. “What funny ideas could I have? I’m being framed.”
Xue Shufan sat beside Lian Li. Lian Li whispered, “I thought you came with him.”
“We did. We met by chance at the restroom entrance and came together,” Xue Shufan said with a smile.
Lian Li laughed at her wordplay.
The group drank and chatted, each saying their piece. Lian Li wasn’t actively listening but caught some important information.
—Duan Yu was Duan Shiqing’s younger brother.
In the lively scene, someone suddenly asked, “Duan Yu, did your sister return to the country?”
