“So you broke up with me because of this foreign woman? What’s so good about her? What does she have that I don’t? Tell me, and I’ll change.” The woman had been Chu Li’s lover until less than a week ago. The woman showing off her bare shoulders at the restaurant entrance was his new companion.
Seeing her, Chu Li looked displeased.
Before they began seeing each other, he had told her plainly that he wanted a sexual partner, not a romantic relationship, and expected them to part amicably when it ended. He had even insisted on a written agreement. If she could not accept those terms, there was no reason to meet. Drawn by his status and money, she had agreed without hesitation.
Chu Li had appreciated her apparent understanding and spent some time with her. But she grew increasingly greedy. Treating him as a source of money was one thing; he was usually generous to his companions. Then she complained that he did not spend enough time with her, demanded more of his attention, and finally entertained the outrageous idea of becoming Mrs. Chu. That, he would not tolerate.
Their arrangement lasted barely a month. She refused to accept the breakup, tried every method of making a scene, and called him incessantly. Whenever he blocked a number, she used another. The calls finally stopped a couple of days ago, and he had assumed she was giving up. Instead, she had been following his whereabouts.
“My God! Chu Li, when did your taste sink this low?” Emily stared at the gaunt, tearful woman and struggled to imagine how her ex-husband had found her attractive.
Chu Li’s face darkened. After eating delicacies, what was strange about occasionally wanting plain rice porridge? He had simply been unlucky enough to pick something ordinary disguised as a homemade specialty.
“What are you supposed to be? I’m talking to him. What business is it of yours?” The woman glared at Emily with open loathing.
Emily gave her a captivating smile and draped her arms over Chu Li’s shoulders, bringing her red lips close to his cheek. “This is my child’s father. What do you think that makes me? I’d rather ask what you’re doing here. You’re not even his companion anymore. What right have you to interfere? Don’t answer. I don’t want to hear it. You’ve already ruined a meal with my son and his partner. If you know what’s good for you, leave, or don’t blame me for being unpleasant. There are plenty of ways to make someone disappear.”
The woman’s face went black. Chu Li was well known. Everyone who had dated him knew he had once been married and had a son. She knew it too, but never imagined that the foreign woman before her would turn out to be his ex-wife.
Wang Cheng watched with his mouth hanging open. What kind of incredible turn of events was this?
Chu Yifeng took his hand and led him away. “Leave them to it. Let’s go.”
Wang Cheng never learned exactly how the encounter ended, but Chu Yifeng told him his parents were certainly not people who allowed others to take advantage of them.
Both had dated many people, men and women alike. Even when they explained the situation beforehand, some people refused to accept it. Emily had once been pursued so persistently that the man followed her everywhere. Chu Li eventually stepped in, and only then did the man abandon his pursuit.
Even so, there was no chance of the former spouses getting back together.
Clever people often took a rational view of things. Chu Yifeng’s parents understood each other too well to think they could ever form a household together again. They had explained that to Chu Yifeng when he was little.
Chu Yifeng had matured early and had largely been raised by his maternal grandfather, Old Locke. Whether his restless parents remained together had stopped mattering to him long ago.
After leaving the restaurant, Chu Yifeng took Wang Cheng to a bar.
He was not dragging Wang Cheng out for a night of barhopping. Shen Yuan had reserved a large private room at a bar named Feise and invited people to a gathering.
Since meeting Chu Yifeng, Wang Cheng had known only that Shen Yuan was his friend. He had never heard of any other friends. Considering Chu Yifeng’s personality and upbringing, Wang Cheng suspected he had few close friends. Most of the invitees would therefore be Shen Yuan’s acquaintances.
They had nothing else planned that night, and Chu Yifeng asked Wang Cheng what he thought. Wang Cheng had no objections, so they made Feise their next destination.
Feise was as famous as Red Sun, with first-rate service and attractive staff. Many of the capital’s wealthy young heirs liked to visit. Since Shen Yuan was hosting tonight, the parking area was crowded with luxury sports cars. Wang Cheng’s McLaren hardly stood out.
“Wait, isn’t that my brother’s car?”
As Wang Cheng got out, he noticed a car parked nearby that looked exactly like one Zheng Jingen drove. His elder brother had two cars, one an official vehicle for work and the other a relatively modest private car suited to his position. A look at the plate confirmed it really was Zheng Jingen’s.
Wang Cheng turned to Chu Yifeng. “Don’t tell me my brother is here for Shen Yuan’s party too?”
Chu Yifeng raised an eyebrow. “Shen Yuan is easygoing and knows a great many people. It’s quite possible he knows your brother. Or perhaps a friend of your brother’s invited him.”
Wang Cheng was now convinced that Chu Yifeng did not really understand Shen Yuan very well. They were supposed to be close friends! How disappointed would Shen Yuan be if he knew? Distracted by Zheng Jingen’s car, he failed to notice another familiar vehicle parked one row behind him.
An attendant led them toward Shen Yuan’s private room.
The gathering seemed large. They could already hear loud voices from some distance away, and as Wang Cheng reached the doorway he unexpectedly encountered someone he recognized.
Zheng Jieyu, daughter of the eldest Zheng brother, was twenty-five this year. Wang Cheng had met her once during the New Year. He had heard she was traveling abroad with a boyfriend, but apparently they had broken up. Her temperament took after her mother’s.
Wang Cheng remembered that both his brother and sister had urged him to avoid speaking to Zheng Jieyu if possible. They said her thinking was so peculiar that reasoning with her was pointless.
Zheng Jieyu clearly had no intention of letting him off. She stepped directly into his path.
“A good dog doesn’t block the road.”
Wang Cheng tossed out the remark before she could open her mouth. Judging by her posture, she wanted an argument, and he was not interested in wasting words.
Her expression changed instantly. Through gritted teeth she demanded, “Who are you calling a dog?”
Wang Cheng simply looked at her without speaking.
Chu Yifeng obligingly clarified, “He’s talking about you. Also, dogs aren’t allowed in that private room, and neither are you.”
Zheng Jieyu glared at both men, her face twisting with anger. Who was this stranger to insult her as well? “Neither of you invited me. On what grounds can you say I can’t go in?”
“On my authority.” The room’s door suddenly opened, revealing Shen Yuan leaning against the frame. No one knew how long he had been listening. A smile rested on his handsome face, entirely unaffected by the tension outside. He was the host, and those inside had already wondered why he went to the door. Seeing several people standing there, they craned their necks to look.
Zheng Jieyu froze.
Thinking she had not heard him, Shen Yuan added, “Miss Zheng, if my friend says you aren’t welcome, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
“Shen Yuan, what’s that supposed to mean?” She finally recovered, humiliated in front of so many people, and flew into a rage.
“Exactly what it sounds like. If you don’t understand, I’ll translate. My friend doesn’t like you, so I’m going to have to ask you to go.”
His bluntness made Zheng Jieyu feel unbearably ashamed. The watching eyes scraped across her face like blades, leaving her furious and wounded. Staying would only make things worse. She stamped her foot, but as she passed Wang Cheng she made one last threat.
“Zhou Cheng, I’ll remember how you humiliated me tonight. Someday I’ll repay you tenfold.”
“Tell me, just how do you intend to do that?”
Another voice rang out. It belonged to Zheng Jingen, Wang Cheng’s own elder brother. Zheng Jieyu clearly had not expected him to be here either. She nearly twisted her ankle, looking suddenly alarmed.
“You…”
Zheng Jingen regarded her impassively. “Zheng Jieyu, you’re an adult. You should understand the saying that trouble comes from careless words. If anything happens to my younger brother in the future, you’ll be the first person I hold accountable.”
Zheng Jieyu felt as though she were going mad. Why was everyone taking Zhou Cheng’s side? Yet neither of the men before her was someone she could afford to offend. With Zheng Jingen watching her, she would have to consider whether she could endure the consequences before trying to cause Zhou Cheng any more trouble.
The small disturbance did not spoil everyone else’s mood.
It was a gathering of many prominent young heirs in the capital, including people whose social circles rarely overlapped. Shen Yuan had allowed his invitees to bring friends and said the more people the merrier, so everyone quietly invited their own acquaintances. With more guests came a much more tangled web of relationships.
Wang Cheng and Chu Yifeng had arrived fairly early, and some guests had yet to appear. But Wang Cheng had already broadened his horizons. Within ten minutes of sitting down, several groups came over with glasses to offer toasts and quietly seek information. Naturally, they were trying to identify Chu Yifeng. Most people knew one another; Chu Yifeng was an unfamiliar face, but they had heard Shen Yuan call him a friend. How insignificant could anyone in Shen Yuan’s circle be?