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"I don't want to!" I screamed, struggling as my best—and only—friend, Fang Xinyi, tugged me along the hallway.
"Come on, it's just a party," she said, grinning like I was overreacting.
"Just a party?" I echoed, staring down at the red dress she'd stuffed me into. The fabric clung to every curve like it had been poured on me, and the neckline was so deep I couldn't tell if it was cleavage—or my entire chest on display. I felt exposed, ridiculous, and scandalously out of my depth all at once.
"Relax," Xinyi said, stepping closer. "You look stunning. The color, the cut—everything compliments your skin. You're going to turn heads tonight."
I crossed my arms. "Can I at least wear something else? This is too revealing. I look like a vixen trying to bag a sugar daddy or something."
"Come on, you look sexy. And yeah," she smirked, "we are trying to get you a man tonight."
"What?!" My voice came out higher than I intended.
"Meiya, you've been single since we were kids," she said, teasing but soft.
I scowled. "Ouch. You sound like my parents."
"I don't mean to. You know I'd never treat you like them," she said, loosening her grip on my hand slightly. "All I'm saying is—have fun tonight. Meet a guy, get drunk, just… be free. Live life."
"I am living life," I muttered.
"Yeah, behind your computer and office desk," she shot back.
"Hey, I make my money from that computer and office desk," I said, lifting my chin.
"Yes, and you should celebrate it. You've been working so hard—it's time to let go. Have some fun, make some bad decisions…" She gave me a wicked grin. "Maybe even get that virgin pussy of yours claimed by some hot guy."
I blinked. "I'm not looking for a guy to—"
"Uhhh!" she cut me off with an exaggerated groan.
"What?"
"Don't tell me you're into girls now."
I snorted. "Haha. Real funny."
"Or worse…" she narrowed her eyes, "…you're in love with me."
I laughed, though my cheeks warmed. "Yeah, of course I'm in love with you. Why else would I let you come over and nag me all the time?"
"Please."
"What?"
"Just come along," she pleaded, those big, pretty eyes locking on mine. "I promise it's going to be fun."
"Fine," I muttered.
"Yaaah!" she squealed, grinning from ear to ear.
"But just this one time," I warned, knowing full well that if there was another time, she'd still win. I could never really say no to her.
Getting into Xinyi's Maserati Levante Trofeo, my throat went dry. Xinyi never drove slow. I clutched my seat belt for dear life. This is going to be one hell of a ride, I thought, as we sped through the city streets.
Finally, we arrived at the venue.
"We're here!" Xinyi said, a big smile plastered on her face like she hadn't just tried to kill us both on the road.
"Thank the Buddha I survived that ride," I muttered as I stepped out.
"Stop being so dramatic. It wasn't that bad."
I just glared at her.
Staring up at the massive building, shivers crawled down my spine. This was definitely not just some random party. Definitely not.
I turned to her, bewildered.
As if reading my mind, she said, "Oh come on, it's just a club."
"Just a club? This is Hónglián Huìsuǒ—you need invitations just to get in. The kind of place that costs hundreds of thousands of yuan to book. The party won't be hosted by some random person."
"Relax. We're already here, and I do have an invitation. You're my plus one, okay? I don't know why you're sweating it. You're from one of the five great clans in the city. You belong here more than I do."
"Yeah, right—like my parents didn't disown me."
"Regardless, you still have their name and their blood. That's something they can't change."
"They can change the name," I muttered.
"Could you just stop? You're going to smell like fear, and trust me—you don't want that here. Hungry wolves looking for easy prey. Besides, you're the girl who closes multi-million-yuan deals. Don't act weak now."
"What would I ever do without you?"
"I guess you'll never find out," she said, linking her arm through mine. "You're stuck with me for life."
Passing the security check, we stepped inside the club, heads held high. Every eye in the room seemed to turn toward us. I could feel them sizing me up. My grip on Xinyi tightened as I tried not to react.
She led me to a private bar and we took our seats.
"See?" she whispered, lips curling. "We're already the center of attention."
"Yeah. Not the kind of attention we need," I muttered.
"Not the kind you need," she said, raising a brow.
I shot her a look.
"Relax," she said, giving me a teasing wink. "At this rate, we'll definitely get you your guy tonight."