Duan Mingxuan, eyes half-open, slumped on the bar sofa, clutching a bottle of liquor, babbling the name "Lin Xi."
Yu Lang was numb. "Young Master, I'll take you to bed."
Despite reeking of alcohol, Duan Mingxuan refused. Yu Lang immediately called for someone to carry him to the lounge. Thinking he might have some fun too, he left the VIP room. Looking up, he saw Zhang Mo.
"What are you doing here?" Zhang Mo smiled. "Coming with friends." Yu Lang wasn't fooled. To be honest, he'd seen plenty of women like this.
"You probably came with Mingxuan, right? Didn't you two break up?"
Zhang Mo: "Just because we broke up doesn't mean we can't run into each other again?" Yu Lang lit a cigarette, slowly raised his head, and suddenly asked, "I heard you didn't take the car Mingxuan bought you, and you didn't take the breakup fee either?"
Zhang Mo's lips twitched sadly: "You might not believe it, but at first I only saw his money. Later, I found that apart from his temper, he's actually a good person in every way. As a boyfriend, he's pretty good. He's willing to come and solve problems instead of simply throwing money at them."
Yu Lang, ever the player, wouldn't let her into Duan Mingxuan's private room just because of a few words. He just smiled, his meaning ambiguous. Zhang Mo was secretly annoyed, but didn't show it on her face. Yu Lang's intention to get rid of her was clear. Zhang Mo glanced at the door of the private room out of the corner of her eye, and made up her mind.
—Liang Yutong and Lin Xi sat in the last row of the van, their faces almost touching.
Liang Yutong asked softly, "Is your older brother really taking us to his private club?"
Lin Xi smiled, "Aren't you already in the car?" It wasn't surprising that Liang Yutong was surprised; Duan Yiheng's private club wasn't open to the public, unlike entertainment venues for those who joined through asset acquisition. Duan Yiheng usually used it for business, and this was the first time he was taking Lin Xi there.
The club was located in North District No. 1, a birthday gift from the old man to Duan Yiheng. It was essentially a 52-acre estate villa. The van entered the gate; all that could be seen was greenery, and the main building complex wasn't visible.
The vehicle circled half of the artificial lake and drove slowly for about ten minutes before finally arriving at the main building of the white complex. Duan Yiheng got out first, waiting behind the door, raising his arm and lightly clenching his fist.
Liang Yutong hadn't expected Duan Yiheng to be so gentlemanly. She lightly touched his arm and eagerly jumped out. Yes, that's right, she jumped. Lin Xi hurriedly called from behind, "You jumped like that once too, and your legs gave way, causing you to kneel in front of the driver—don't you remember?"
Liang Yutong wanted to shut her up, but when she turned around, she saw Duan Yiheng loosen his fist, palm up, and offer it to Lin Xi. Lin Xi was from the South and petite, unlike the tall Liang Yutong. She looked somewhat out of place next to the bulky, tall van.
She smiled and thanked Duan Yiheng, placing her hand in his. Duan Yiheng tightened his grip and helped her down.
Lin Xi was still reminding Liang Yutong when she lost her footing and slipped off the edge of the running board.
"Careful," Duan Yiheng said quickly, catching her.
"Hahahaha..." Liang Yutong laughed mercilessly, "You told me to be careful, and you fell first!"
Lin Xi was utterly humiliated, her face flushed red. Duan Yiheng also suppressed a laugh and helped her stand up straight.
Lin Xi adjusted her clothes and stood still when several deep, powerful roars mingled around her. A black Bugatti, a red Ferrari, and a green McLaren appeared. Lin Xi glanced at Duan Yiheng's Lexus LM, feeling utterly out of place.
Mu Zhao got out of the car, tossing his overly long black hair back, and greeted Lin Xi with a smile, "Oh, little sister's here!"
Mu Shuo chimed in promptly, "Brother, your little brother's still here, why are you calling him a little sister?"
Lin Xi hadn't expected Mu Shuo to be there, and nodded with a smile. A question lingered in her mind: wasn't he used to hang out with Duan Mingxuan? Mu Shuo greeted Duan Yiheng, walked over to Liang Yutong, and stopped.
Two young men got out of the McLaren, looking about the same age as Duan Yiheng. Lin Xi recognized them; one was Duan Yiheng's cousin, Meng Huaishan, and the other was Meng Huaishan's childhood friend, Zhou Li. Of course, because of Meng Huaishan, Zhou Li and Duan Yiheng were also friends.
Seeing everyone had arrived, Mu Zhao asked Meng Huaishan, "Who else is here?" He wouldn't bring anyone without Duan Yiheng's permission; only Meng Huaishan, relying on his status, would dare to do so. All eyes were on the red Ferrari.
The car door opened, and a pair of long legs emerged, followed by a face—an overly bright and flamboyant one.
"Hello," the person said, bowing slightly, their expression indifferent. "I am Tan Qi."
Lin Xi subconsciously looked at Duan Yiheng. Wasn't that the granddaughter-in-law her grandfather had chosen? Liang Yutong nudged Lin Xi's arm: "Don't you think her aura is familiar?" Lin Xi shook her head: "You know her?"
Liang Yutong glanced at Duan Yiheng out of the corner of her eye: "Don't you think this Miss Tan is a carbon copy of Duan Yiheng?" Reminded by her words, Lin Xi looked at Tan Qi again and realized it was indeed true. Lin Xi imagined that if these two got married, the air temperature would drop two degrees.
Duan Yiheng glanced at Meng Huaishan, who shrugged innocently. As the owner of the manor, he had to treat them well since they had come. It was lunchtime, and everyone followed Duan Yiheng to the first-floor dining room.
The dining room was large, with one large and one small round table. Since there were fewer than ten of them, they sat at the small table for easier conversation. Even so, the seats were sparsely distributed.
Since they were all of equal generation, there was no formality. Duan Yiheng sat down next to Lin Xi, but unexpectedly, Tan Qi didn't hesitate at all and sat on his other side. Liang Yutong pursed her lips, her eyes darting around, and nudged Lin Xi's knee under the table with a gossipy, expectant expression.
Lin Xi caught Meng Huaishan winking at Duan Yiheng out of the corner of her eye and made a guess. Today was probably not only Duan Yiheng's birthday, but also his blind date.
Only the two of them, fearing awkwardness, decided to use the birthday occasion to invite a group of people over for a get-together, hoping to open up conversation. Lin Xi awkwardly raised her hand, the back of her hand brushing against her nose.
She had never interacted with Duan Yiheng in her daily life before. If she hadn't argued with Duan Mingxuan, she would never have come to his private club. On such an important day, the fact that Duan Yiheng was still considerate of her feelings showed that he wasn't the cold and aloof person he appeared to be.
He was like warmth hidden beneath ice, gentle and calm. If he found a good match, Lin Xi would naturally be happy for him. The waiters in the restaurant poured aperitifs for those who had taken their seats.
Lin Xi enjoyed watching the fine bubbles of champagne swirl and rise, unaware that Duan Yiheng's gaze was fixed on her delicate, white fingertips. Because of Tan Qi's situation, even the usually talkative Mu Zhao remained silent.
Meng Huaishan, as the one who brought Tan Qi, naturally wanted to maintain a good atmosphere at the table. The conversation started with work, then shifted to personal matters. Everyone present was unmarried and showed some interest in the topic of marriage.
Tan Qi flicked her wrist, causing her flute-shaped glass to clink against Duan Yiheng's, drawing everyone's attention.
Ignoring the stares, Tan Qi focused on Duan Yiheng's profile and asked softly, "Mr. Duan, happy birthday. Turning thirty is a milestone; I wonder if you have any plans to get married?"