Rong Yan slowly sat up. She carefully lifted a corner of the blanket, easing herself out of bed, not daring to look at the man beside her.
When her pale, delicate feet touched the cold floor, a chill instantly spread through her entire body. Without lingering, she bent down to pick up the clothes scattered on the floor—a fitted skirt and blue uniform jacket, standard attire for the club's staff.
Perhaps too flustered, she fumbled for what felt like an eternity before finally dressing herself. By then, a fine sheen of sweat had formed on her skin, her fair cheeks flushed with nervousness, the rosy hue making her look even more alluring than the night before—soft yet stubborn.
She turned to face the man on the bed. Breathe. Breathe again. Stay calm. It was just an accident, nothing to regret.
"Mr. Chi, would you prefer Alipay or WeChat?" Rong Yan reached into the tangled sheets for her phone, only to find his device tangled with hers. The sight made her cheeks burn even hotter.
Damn it.
Suppressing her panic, she picked up the phone and handed it to him. Chi Jingyuan didn't take it.
His brow lifted slightly, the sheet draped carelessly over him slipping to reveal his sculpted chest. The well-defined muscles bore a few sharp, telltale marks—so glaring that Rong Yan could barely keep her eyes open.
So she closed them, placing the phone on the bedside table, waiting for his response.
The room was deathly silent.
After what felt like an eternity, his cold, detached voice finally broke the stillness.
"First time?"
Rong Yan froze.
Then she lowered her lashes and nodded faintly.
A flicker of understanding passed through Chi Jingyuan's eyes. No wonder she was so clumsy—didn't even know what to do next, fumbling around like an amateur.
"Then what do you think is a fair price?" He lifted his gaze, locking eyes with her. She flinched, quickly looking away, the brightness in her eyes dimming.
His expression was laced with mockery.
He looks down on her.
Did he not remember last night? Did he think she was like those other women, taking advantage of his drunkenness to climb into his bed, just to extort a hefty sum from him when he sobered up?
After all, everyone knew what the Chi family represented in A city—power, status, endless wealth.
But that wasn't what happened at all.
Last night, she had been on duty when she was suddenly reassigned to VIP Room 608. That room was reserved for the highest-tier guests at the Celestial Club—young masters from A city's elite families, each with formidable backgrounds, arrogant and untouchable.
And at their center was Chi Jingyuan.
When Rong Yan entered, they were playing cards. Chi Jingyuan glanced up as she walked in, his cold, unreadable gaze meeting hers for a brief moment before she quickly averted her eyes.
She knew the rules when serving these men. Without a word, she quietly retreated to a corner to prepare drinks, brew tea, and replace the sanitized towels for each guest.
Later, Chi Jingyuan's phone rang.
When he answered, he gestured for her to come over.
Rong Yan understood—he needed her to fill in for him at the card table. Sometimes, the other young masters would ask her to substitute as well; it was one of the expected skills for a private room attendant.
But she didn't want to. Her card skills were mediocre at best. Her mother had never allowed her to gamble, and what little she'd learned from Manager Yu at the club was barely passable.
There were other guests in the room—he could have asked any of them.
But since he'd called for her, she couldn't refuse.
One of Celestial Club's ironclad rules: All reasonable requests from guests must be fulfilled. Otherwise, deductions from pay and public reprimands.
So Rong Yan took Chi Jingyuan's seat.
The call lasted longer than expected. She played three rounds for him—and lost all three. A quick estimate put the losses at nearly seven hundred thousand yuan.
Her hands began to tremble.
She didn't dare touch another card.
The fourth round begins.
"Play this one." Just as Rong Yan was about to make her move, a pair of slender, elegant hands reached past her ear and plucked another card from her hand, playing it instead.
As the hand withdrew, it inadvertently brushed against her earlobe and grazed her temple.
A faint fragrance mingled with a trace of cigarette smoke—not pungent or unpleasant, but oddly pleasant. So, he had gone to the terrace to smoke; no wonder he'd been gone so long.
Rong Yan didn't turn around, sitting stiffly upright.
Another round passed, and when it was Rong Yan's turn again, she hesitated between two cards. The man's voice came from behind her once more: "The second one."
Rong Yan played the second card and slowly began to get the hang of it.
This round ended quickly. With Chi Jingyuan's help, the losing streak was reversed, and they won a fair amount of money.
Rong Yan prepared to step away from the table.
Chi Jingyuan gently pressed her shoulder: "Keep going."
His phone rang again, and he turned back toward the terrace.
The young men exchanged glances, privately surprised. They began feeding Rong Yan favorable cards, intentionally or not, so that by the time Chi Jingyuan returned, she had not only recouped her earlier losses but even made a tidy profit.
"When men and women team up, the work feels effortless," the young men groaned, reluctantly pulling out their wallets.
"Brother Yuan, you're too ruthless. Bringing in a beauty like this—we'd willingly surrender our armor and weapons."
"Hey, beautiful, tell us—are you Brother Yuan's secret heartbreaker?"
Rong Yan knew they were just playing along with Chi Jingyuan, teasing her for fun, so she smiled politely and stepped away from the table again.
This time, Chi Jingyuan said nothing more.
Rong Yan quietly returned to her corner, resuming her tasks—brewing tea, refilling drinks, staying busy until the gathering ended.
By the time the party wrapped up, it was already past 3 a.m.
Most of the guests were heavily drunk, with several completely blacked out.
Rong Yan was busy handling the aftermath—contacting drivers for the intoxicated guests, arranging rides for those without transportation, and booking suites upstairs for those in exceptional circumstances.
After seeing off the last of the guests, Rong Yan returned to the private room and was surprised to find Chi Jingyuan still there.
His driver, Xu Cheng, had already arrived.
But for some reason, he hadn't yet been taken home.
"Yan, quick, escort Mr. Chi to the presidential suite upstairs," Manager Yu, who was also present, pressed the room key into Rong Yan's hand. The driver, Xu Cheng, helped the drunken Chi Jingyuan toward the VIP elevator nearby.
Rong Yan didn't have time to think too much. She hurried after them, entered the elevator, swiped the keycard, and ascended straight to the top floor.
After unlocking the suite's door, Xu Cheng helped Chi Jingyuan inside. Following the club's protocol, Rong Yan prepared honey water to sober him up and was about to leave.
"Please bring some disinfectant hot towels. Thank you."
Rong Yan had no choice but to fetch the towels.
When she returned with them, Xu Cheng was nowhere to be seen in the suite. Chi Jingyuan, now awake, was lounging on the sofa, his cold, piercing eyes half-lidded as he watched her.
It was the gaze of a hunter eyeing his prey.