Inside the hall, the crowd was even worse than the red carpet.
At least outside, people were separated by barricades, security and the fear of being dragged away in front of a million viewers.
Inside, there was nothing separating the predators except champagne glasses and expensive perfume.
Celebrities, influencers, directors, producers, investors, brand executives and people whose job titles sounded invented stood beneath chandeliers large enough to fund a small province. Everyone who was anyone was here.
"Dylan, look at you."
"Ah, I haven't seen you in years. Hello."
"I love your dress."
"No, no, that was last season. Hahaha."
Pleasantries were exchanged with the warmth of knives being polished.
The main event had not started yet. The auction and donations would come later, after everyone had been given enough time to smile, measure, judge and mentally rank each other's net worth.
Mo Fei stood near one of the side tables with Chen Yu and Aria. He had abandoned Zhang Yichen almost immediately after the red carpet and gone in search of his own people like a child escaping a strict tutor.
"I miss Nil," Chen Yu declared.
Aria did not even look at him. She did not know why she was here among these two. Oh, right. Mo Fei had dragged her away from Xiao Mei.
"You can go home, you know," Aria said.
Mo Fei turned to her. "Wait. Can we? But the event only just started."
Aria looked at him. "I wasn't referring to you. You are staying here until this ends."
Mo Fei's expression collapsed.
Chen Yu placed a dramatic hand over his chest. "So I can leave?"
"You can."
Chen Yu straightened at once.
"But if Nil asks me why you came here, stayed twenty minutes, then ran home because you missed him, I'll tell him exactly that."
Chen Yu slowly sat back down. "You're cruel."
"I'm honest."
"Same family."
Mo Fei picked up a tiny pastry from the table and inspected it. "What is this?"
"A canapé," Aria said.
Mo Fei turned it between his fingers. "It looks like food pretending to be jewellery."
Chen Yu leaned closer. "Don't eat that one."
Mo Fei froze. "Why?"
"The man who picked three earlier has been smiling at the wall for five minutes."
Mo Fei slowly placed it back.
Across the hall, a famous actor laughed loudly at something a producer said. The laugh was too big, too bright and too desperate. Even the chandelier looked embarrassed for him.
Chen Yu tilted his chin towards him. "Look at that one. He's laughing like rent is due."
Mo Fei followed his gaze. "Isn't that Actor Luo?"
"The one who said he only accepts serious scripts?" Aria asked.
Chen Yu nodded. "He's been begging Director Han for a comedy role since last year."
Mo Fei's eyes widened. "Serious scripts?"
"Serious hunger," Chen Yu corrected.
Aria took a sip of champagne. "His last three dramas flopped."
Mo Fei looked again.
Actor Luo laughed even harder, bending slightly at the waist as the producer spoke.
Mo Fei pitied him. Doing this must be exhausting.
He silently said a prayer in his mind.
Dear gods, please make him stop.
A woman in a silver feathered dress passed in front of them, moving with such confidence that several feathers trailed behind her on the floor like evidence.
Mo Fei watched one feather drift under a waiter's shoe.
"Is she moulting?"
Aria nearly choked on her drink.
Chen Yu covered his mouth. "Don't say that too loudly."
Mo Fei frowned. "I'm concerned. What if she reaches the auction bald?"
"That's Mei Rong," Aria said, lowering her voice. "She told a magazine last month that she wanted to look like a phoenix."
Chen Yu lifted his glass. "She looks like the phoenix survived a custody battle."
Mo Fei pressed his lips together. Aria turned away, shoulders shaking.
A photographer moved through the crowd, taking candid shots. The moment his camera turned towards them, all three straightened with terrifying speed.
Mo Fei smiled.
Aria softened her eyes.
Chen Yu lifted his glass elegantly.
Flash.
The photographer moved on.
The second he left, Chen Yu's face dropped. "Professionalism is exhausting."
Mo Fei nodded, holding his chin. "I almost sprained a cheek."
Aria glanced across the hall. "Speaking of professionalism, don't look now, but Su Feiyu is speaking to Tang Wei."
Naturally, both Mo Fei and Chen Yu looked.
Aria closed her eyes. "I said don't look now."
"I heard 'look now'," Mo Fei whispered.
"You heard what your spirit wanted."
Across the hall, Su Feiyu stood beside Tang Wei, her smile graceful, posture perfect. She held her champagne flute delicately, speaking with the polished ease of someone who knew every camera in the room might find her at any moment.
Tang Wei listened with that calm, unreadable expression of his.
Mo Fei narrowed his eyes. "What are they talking about?"
Chen Yu leaned in, as if proximity could grant hearing powers. "Probably murder."
Aria gave him a look.
"What?" Chen Yu said. "Emotionally. Socially. Professionally. The acceptable kinds."
Mo Fei watched Su Feiyu laugh softly at something Tang Wei said. It was beautiful.
Controlled. Perfectly timed.
"She laughs like she rehearsed it in front of a mirror," Mo Fei murmured.
"Exactly why I don't like her," Chen Yu said.
"Eh? Why?"
"In this industry, appearance isn't always what it seems." Chen Yu took a sip of champagne.
Mo Fei thought about that.
Aria looked at both of them, then at Mo Fei. "You both rehearse your angles in reflective elevator doors."
"That is different," Chen Yu snapped.
"How?"
"Our suffering is artistic," Mo Fei defended.
Chen Yu pointed at him. "His vanity has integrity."
Aria stared at them. "I hate that I understood that."
A few steps away, two influencers were taking photos beside a marble column. One tilted her chin. The other held a glass she clearly had no intention of drinking.
Mo Fei watched them shift from one pose to another. "Are they friends?"
Aria glanced over. "No."
"They're holding each other's waists."
"They hate each other."
Chen Yu added, "Last month, the one in blue posted that the one in pink buys followers."
Mo Fei gasped quietly. "And they're smiling like that?"
"That's the industry," Aria said.
Mo Fei looked fascinated. "Amazing. If I hated someone, I would simply bite them."
"We know," Chen Yu said.
A deep voice greeted them from behind. "Aria Lin."
All three turned and immediately fixed their posture.
Director Han stood there with his walking cane, expression calm, eyes sharp.
"Director Han," Aria greeted politely.
Chen Yu and Mo Fei greeted him as well.
Director Han looked Aria up and down, then gave a faint nod. "You look well."
Aria smiled. "Thank you. How do you do, Director?"
Director Han shrugged. Then, unexpectedly, one corner of his mouth lifted. "Good. But I'd be even better if you shared a drink with me sometime."
Aria blinked. Chen Yu's eyes lit up. Mo Fei looked away before anyone could see his smile.
Director Han moved on without another word, leaving them in silence.
Mo Fei stared after him. "Did he—"
Chen Yu nodded. "Director Han just casually invited you for a drink?"
"He said one sentence," Aria said. Her face betrayed her anyway.
Before Mo Fei or Chen Yu could answer, the hall stirred. Attention began shifting towards the entrance.
Mo Fei followed the movement.
Zhang Yichen had entered the main hall. He was speaking to someone, every inch of him untouchable beneath the golden light.
People glanced at him. Whispered. Measured.
Some wanted to approach.
Most did not dare.
Mo Fei watched him for a while, then forced his attention back to his friends.
Across the room, Sima Li appeared beside Yichen with the Velvet Chidi behind him like a shiny curse, all white, silver and trouble. Sima said something that made the person talking to Yichen rub his forehead.
Yichen looked as though he wanted to throw him into the auction as a donation item.
Chen Yu squinted. "Why is he always glowing?"
"Who?" Mo Fei asked.
"Sima Li."
Aria glanced over. "Because he enjoys attention."
Chen Yu scoffed. "He enjoys being a public disturbance."
Mo Fei watched Sima Li wave at someone, then lean too close to another person, probably asking something shameless and said. "He's pretty, though,"
Chen Yu slowly turned to him.
Mo Fei immediately lifted both hands. "Objectively."
"Objectively keep your eyes at home."
Aria smiled into her glass.
Sima Li spotted them, brightened, and excused himself from Yichen. The Velvet Chidi followed him like expensive damage. Together, they walked towards Mo Fei.
"You guys!" Sima Li smiled as he approached.
"Hiii." Mo Fei waved.
Aria bowed politely.
Chen Yu glared at him.
"Ratatouille, you're here too." Sima Li laughed and ruffled Chen Yu's hair.
Chen Yu looked two seconds away from jumping on him, but controlled himself. Barely.
He smacked Sima Li's hand away.
"Fuck off."
Aria's gaze moved to the man standing behind Sima Li.
The others noticed him too.
The Velvet Chidi.
Up close, his presence was even sharper. His sleeveless velvet coat caught the light softly, his white hair swept back from a beautiful, unreadable face.
Sima Li followed their gazes, then caught himself. "Ah, forgive me. I was so excited to see you guys, I almost forgot to introduce him." He dragged the Velvet Chidi forward.
"This is Zhi Xuan, the famous Velvet Chidi."
Zhi Xuan smiled and bowed politely. "Hello. It's nice to meet you." His eyes moved briefly to Mo Fei.
"I've heard so much about you from Sima Li."