The moment Shen Yueran stepped into the club under Mingxiao Hall's control, the atmosphere inside subtly changed.
The staff nearby and the guards at the entrance instinctively straightened their backs the moment they saw her. No one dared to look at her for too long, and no one dared to stand in her way. Dressed in black, she walked forward slowly, her movements lazy and unhurried, as if the noise and chaos around her did not concern her in the slightest.
Liang Zhen followed closely behind her like a shadow.
As Shen Yueran's closest subordinate, staying by her side was already second nature to him. The people of Mingxiao Hall had long grown used to seeing him wherever she was.
Shen Yueran did not spare anyone an extra glance. She walked straight to her regular seat, the place she always sat whenever she came here and sank into the sofa with practiced ease.
Liang Zhen stopped behind her and stood there as usual.
Shen Yueran leaned back, tilted her head, and looked at him.
Then she sighed.
"Zhen'er…"
Liang Zhen's eyelid twitched slightly.
Shen Yueran propped her chin on one hand and asked in a tone full of concern, "Is your grandmother doing okay?"
Liang Zhen looked at her but did not answer immediately.
"Last time, she got sick, didn't she? Is she cured or not?" Shen Yueran continued, her voice growing even more sincere. "You should take good care of her. What are you doing always staying by my side? You should take a week off… no, a month. Stay with her properly and come back after that."
Liang Zhen stared at her in silence.
Inside, however, he had already cursed.
She only brought this up because she wanted to drink and wreak havoc everywhere. Why drag his grandmother into it every single time?
Still, his face remained perfectly calm.
"Miss," he said flatly, "my grandmother is in good health. She is being cared for by two nannies arranged by Old Master Shen. You don't have to worry too much."
Shen Yueran clicked her tongue in disappointment.
"Fine then. It's not like she's my grandmother anyway." She waved her hand carelessly. "Even her own grandson doesn't properly care for her, so why should I worry? Last time when we went to your hometown and I met her, she complained to me for a long time about how lonely she was."
Her gaze swept over Liang Zhen with open dissatisfaction.
"What an ungrateful person…"
Liang Zhen's face remained expressionless, but Shen Yueran was already cursing him in her heart.
This bitch is not going anywhere. Always sticking near my ass.
He was always by her side. Always watching her. Always guarding her as if she were some child who could not be left alone for even a moment. It was unbelievably annoying.
Before she could say anything more, a loud crash suddenly sounded from below.
Bang!
Then came shouting.
Then another crash.
A huge commotion suddenly erupted somewhere downstairs in the club.
The moment Shen Yueran heard it, her eyes lit up.
The laziness in them vanished instantly, replaced by a bright, dangerous excitement.
My chance has finally arrived.
But in the very next second, her expression turned frosty.
She raised the hand covered in a leather glove and slammed it down hard on the glass table in front of her.
Bang!
The table shattered into pieces.
Glass cracked and burst apart, scattering sharp fragments across the floor. The people nearby stiffened in fright and immediately backed away.
Shen Yueran slowly lifted her eyes and looked at Liang Zhen.
She did not say a word.
She only looked at him.
Liang Zhen understood instantly.
He turned his head away and deliberately avoided looking directly at her. Instead, he swept a cold gaze across the surrounding men and barked sharply, "Is this how you do your job? Go and solve the trouble immediately."
The nearby subordinates straightened at once.
"Yes, Brother Zhen!"
Ten men in black suits immediately started moving toward the commotion. Their footsteps were quick as they pushed through the crowd and headed downstairs.
For a brief moment, the area around Shen Yueran grew quieter.
Then, after some time, the situation below not only failed to calm down, it became even more chaotic.
More crashing.
More shouting.
The disturbance only grew bigger and louder.
Liang Zhen frowned.
Something was wrong.
Ten men had already gone over. No matter who was causing trouble, the situation should have settled by now. Yet instead, it was escalating.
Who the hell is causing so much trouble here?
The bad feeling in his chest grew stronger.
He turned his head toward Shen Yueran's seat.
Then his expression changed.
There was only shattered glass.
And an empty seat.
For a second, Liang Zhen froze.
Then his brows twitched violently.
What the hell…?
He looked around quickly, but Shen Yueran was nowhere to be seen.
His heartbeat sank.
"Miss, don't do anything rash!" he shouted toward the crowd.
Without waiting a second longer, Liang Zhen turned and ran straight toward the area where the huge commotion was happening.
People hurriedly made way for him. His face had darkened completely, and his steps were fast and urgent as he disappeared into the noisy crowd below.
Time passed.
Then, from under a nearby table not far from the shattered glass, a head slowly poked out.
It was Shen Yueran.
She blinked, looked around carefully, and after confirming that Liang Zhen had truly been lured away, the corners of her lips slowly lifted.
"Fool…"
She muttered the word under her breath, then let out a small, delighted laugh.
"Hehe."
She slowly crawled out from under the table and stood up. There was not the slightest trace of shame on her face. Instead, she looked thoroughly pleased with herself, as though everything had gone exactly according to plan.
The commotion downstairs no longer mattered.
Her eyes were already fixed on the only thing she cared about now.
The bar counter.
Without hesitation, Shen Yueran ran toward it.
Behind the bar counter, rows of bottles gleamed beautifully under the warm lights.
"Haha, here I come."