In the past two days, the Pingtan troupe had frequent performances, and Shen Jing had stopped recalling things from her past.
As night fell, Shen Jing was arranged by the troupe leader to accompany a guest to dinner; she received only the address, unaware of who it would be. It wasn't pleasant to say, but in the eyes of some patrons, performers were merely entertainers. Missing a dinner appointment could lead to the other party concocting numerous unfounded reasons to smear the troupe's reputation in storytelling circles. The summer days were like this, starting to become stiflingly hot and irritating.
Inside the building, the air conditioning brought a cold draft, and the crystal-embedded lights along the corridors shone brilliantly, adding to the chill. Yet this kind of cold made Shen Jing's palms sweat with nervousness, as she was being followed.
Around the corner, just as she dialed for help, a person in black quickly approached, snatched her phone away, and hissed through clenched teeth, "Shen Jing, you really don't want to see me that badly, huh?"
Shen Jing retreated to the corner of the wall, quietly observing the new arrival. It was Luo Yuanping, the creditor of her cheap stepfather, who especially liked to stalk her from time to time without warning. Lately, she hadn't been able to shake him off.
Luo Yuanping pressed forward, step by step. "Thinking of calling the police, huh? It's only fair to pay back what you owe. Just obediently come with me, and those five hundred thousand will be considered a gift to your stepfather."
"This is an illegal transaction," Shen Jing gripped her clothes tightly. "I don't like you."
Luo Yuanping only focused on the latter part. "Are you saying you have someone else you like?"
The sudden ferocity of his expression, glaring intensely at Shen Jing, made her hands tremble with fear. Shen Jing backed away, her breathing weak; This man is capable of anything, she thought.
Luo Yuanping, like a madman, said, "I agreed to lend money to Uncle Feng because he mortgaged you to me." As he spoke, Luo Yuanping attempted to grab Shen Jing's hand. "Let's go have that meal first."
It turned out the dinner had been arranged by Luo Yuanping. Shen Jing, panicking, pulled her hand away. "I won't eat."
She watched as he forcibly dragged her back again, viciously pinching her cheek. With the discrepancy in strength between them, she couldn't break free; she could only lift her high heel and stomp down hard on his sneaker. Luo Yuanping didn't give her a chance and was even more ruthless.
"Touch me and see! My boyfriend is… is from the noble Zhou Family of Xiangshan..." She mustered the courage to find an excuse, at least to bluff her way through for now. "Zhou Luchen."
Luo Yuanping suddenly laughed. "Do I look that easy to fool?" He may not understand much else, but the name Zhou Luchen belonged to the elite circle; his father, and his father's father, were highly influential figures—that much he knew.
「At the end of the corridor, the lighting was perfect.」
Zhou Luchen, the Second Young Master of the Zhou Family, heard his own name and stood out strikingly. His high-quality gray dress shirt was casually open at the collar, draped loosely over his clavicles. His gaze swept lazily over to the scene. The young girl's delicate face was reddening from the thug's harsh grip, her eyes moist with distress.
Chen Yao, standing next to his friend, also stopped and leaned against him, laughing carelessly. "You two have a thing?"
Zhou Luchen responded coldly, "Her?"
It was indeed 'her,' Chen Yao thought. His curiosity was piqued, but he dared not probe too much in front of this gentleman. This gentleman, a man of prestigious standing, was the Zhou Family's sole male heir. Even if they got along quite well within their circle, Chen Yao knew better than to irritate him. He didn't really know what was going on, so he just asked casually. Besides, the young lady didn't seem like a liar.
Chen Yao hung a cigarette on his ear and probed, "When did you two get together? Why didn't you bring her out to hang with us?"
Chen Yao and Zhou Luchen grew up in the same compound. Even though he'd been around Luchen his entire life, he didn't completely comprehend his temper; he only grasped that much. Sichuan Opera's face-changing act had nothing on the Second Young Master's speed in switching female companions—a fact widely acknowledged in their circle. It seemed possible that he'd had a romantic encounter with this innocent young girl as well.
Zhou Luchen spoke indifferently, "Had an encounter."
Those two words implied something without confirming a relationship, Chen Yao mused. He stretched his neck. "A one-night stand?" A verb, then.
Zhou Luchen mumbled around his cigarette, "Somewhat."
This made things interesting, Chen Yao thought, then inquired further, "So, you're not going to play the hero and save her? That's cold-hearted of you."
"Not familiar with her," Master Zhou said disinterestedly, lifting his lip slightly. "You go." His eyes didn't even lift, his expression utterly bored. Not familiar.
Chen Yao chuckled. It would be out of character for the Second Young Master to play the hero; maybe he'd glance over, call the police for you, then walk away without a second thought. He'd hardly ever seen anyone claim to be "Zhou Luchen's girlfriend" like this. Normally, even the beautiful women who clung to the Second Young Master wouldn't dare imply a relationship without his explicit permission; it was perfectly normal for him to be repulsed and uninterested by such attempts.
"Alright," Chen Yao loosened his wrist. "Can't just stand by and watch a pretty girl be bullied right under my nose."
Zhou Luchen paid no more attention and walked away. Back then, his actions stemmed purely from an intolerance for bullies picking on the vulnerable—rationally, devoid of any pity that might follow ambiguous feelings.
THWACK!
A cue ball struck Luo Yuanping's head with precision—a sneak attack. It bounced off the marble tiles with a final THUD.
Shen Jing was bewildered, just watching Luo Yuanping hunch over and cry out in pain. A red welt swelled on his forehead instantly. As Luo Yuanping cursed furiously, he saw it was Chen Yao and turned pale. Clutching his forehead, he involuntarily stepped back.
"Chen... Young Master Chen."
Chen Yao still had another cue ball in his hand, casually playing with it. "Pal, violating a woman's will can land you in jail, you know?" he said, feigning a throw at Luo Yuanping.
Luo Yuanping was terrified of Chen Yao—truly terrified. These second-generation rich kids were untouchable. They could toy with someone until they broke. Shen Jing wasn't acquainted with this Young Master Chen, but she recognized his face—a significant figure in Shanghai.
Chen Yao then accurately tossed the cue ball he was holding into Luo Yuanping's chest, his demeanor fearless. Luo Yuanping didn't dare utter a word.
Chen Yao straightened his collar and called out to Shen Jing, "Let's go. I'll take you to the Second Young Master."
"She..." Luo Yuanping started.
As for whatever 'she' Luo Yuanping was trying to say, Chen Yao couldn't give a damn.
Shen Jing didn't know where Chen Yao was taking her. "The exit is that way. I should be going back now."
Chen Yao suddenly turned around, a flicker of interest in his eyes regarding Shen Jing's previous claim of being "the Second Young Master's girlfriend." "Let's get acquainted. Chen Yao, a friend of the Second Young Master." He even added, "The best kind."
"Shen Jing."
Shen Jing felt a pang of embarrassment. Seeing Chen Yao's expression, like someone savoring juicy gossip and eager for more, she knew he must have overheard her earlier words. She was so mortified she wanted to flee, but he had just rescued her. Inexplicably, she found it hard to refuse him now.
"Thank you."
Chen Yao lit a cigarette as they walked. This girl was, in a way, Zhou Luchen's find, so he naturally couldn't ignore her. He, Chen Yao, was a self-proclaimed admirer of beauty; he felt no need to be distant from pretty girls and had no resistance to them. Even if she had no connection to Luchen, he'd want to befriend an extremely attractive girl.
"Can I buy you a cup of tea?"
"Thank you."
It was 'thank you' again.
Shen Jing thought Chen Yao seemed like a good person; he'd inexplicably helped her with that cue ball. She nodded. "Mm."
After a considerable detour around the 82nd floor, they passed an artificial pond and, walking one behind the other, arrived at a large door. Black-clad security guards stood at the entrance, all expressionless. Only when they saw Chen Yao did they silently open the door.
As Shen Jing followed, a guard reached out to stop her. "Miss, we need to store your phone and any recording devices."
Shen Jing stood firm. "They are my personal belongings. I need to carry them with me."
The guard was impassive. "You can choose not to enter, but you can't bring recording devices inside."
Yet Shen Jing clearly saw Chen Yao looking at his phone, strutting into the private room. Perhaps noticing her being stopped, Chen Yao, who had already taken half a step inside, retreated and waved the guards away. "It's fine."
"The Second Young Master's identity is sensitive. He can't be photographed in any form in public," the guard said, his face still impassive.
Chen Yao put in a word, "The young lady is the Second Young Master's girlfriend. How about asking your Second Young Master if it's okay to let her slide this time?"
The Zhou Family's security guards were unflappable, not even really looking at Shen Jing. Chen Yao tilted his head and beckoned Shen Jing in.
At that moment, Chen Yao had a sudden, clear realization: if they didn't let her bring her phone, she definitely wouldn't come in. He just wanted to break one of Zhou Luchen's little rules.
Chen Yao told Shen Jing, "The Second Young Master sent me to rescue you."
Shen Jing froze.
He saw that too? Were they playing some kind of awkward game with her?