“Three hours of chatting, 150,000 yuan. Add in the meal and drinks, the total comes to 450,000 yuan.”

Inside the private room, the manager adjusted his glasses. “Not a single cent less.”

For the first time, Feng Tiantian felt the humiliation of having no money. “Do you even know who I am? If I hadn’t just donated five million today and left my credit card behind, how could I possibly be out of money?”

“Manager, I can—”

Xie Jinzhou began to speak.

“Don’t talk to me!” The manager turned sharply and cut him off, his tone stern. “Do you still want to work here?”

“Feng Tiantian. Cheng Youran.”

The manager turned back to Feng Tiantian, surprising her by calling out both of their names. “If I didn’t know who you were, I wouldn’t even be speaking to you so politely right now.”

“This is the Bai Ma Club. No tabs allowed.”

His expression remained unchanged.

“Quite principled, huh.”

Cheng Youran couldn’t help but regard the manager in a slightly better light. However, as Fang Liuyun was taking far too long to return, her initial indifference gave way to unease.

She let out a sigh. Was there anything worse than accidentally ending up in a host club, not having money on hand, and discovering that your friend didn’t bring any either?

Just then, Fang Liuyun walked back into the private room. Cheng Youran exhaled in relief. “When will Secretary Gao get here?”

The Lu Corporation Tower was just nearby, and her card was still with Lu Zixiao. Thankfully, Fang Liuyun had a personal connection with Gao Qia, otherwise, asking Gao Qiao to bring the card over would’ve been unbearably awkward.

“Very soon.”

Finally, Cheng Youran could relax. But before she could fully settle her nerves, Fang Liuyun’s next sentence made her knees go weak—she nearly collapsed onto the cold, unyielding wooden floor of the private room.

“And President Lu will be coming too.”

Fang Liuyun frowned slightly. Gao Qiao, though one year her junior, was a meticulous and dependable person. For him to take a call in front of his boss—it was an error he shouldn’t have made.

“You okay?”

Xie Jinzhou reacted swiftly, catching Cheng Youran by the hand just as she faltered. Their eyes met, his stunning gaze fixed unwaveringly on hers—so captivating that no one could resist it.

Cheng Youran’s breath hitched involuntarily. A sudden thought surged in her mind.

This man was born to be a superstar, destined to stand under the spotlight, dazzling on stage, with countless fans madly devoted to him.

“Seems I’ve come at a bad time.”

Just then, the half-closed door of the private room was pushed open. A man walked in, his expression so cold it could almost freeze the air. Elegant features, a commanding posture—he stopped directly in front of Cheng Youran.

His gaze landed firmly on Xie Jinzhou’s hand, which was still gripping Cheng Youran’s wrist. His lips curled into a chilling smile. “Wouldn’t you agree, Mrs. Lu?”

Wait—he usually calls her Cheng Youran.

Under Lu Zixiao’s murderous glare, Cheng Youran instinctively tried to pull her hand free but the breathtakingly handsome young man holding her refused to let go.

He tightened his grip, as if staking a claim, and spoke in a soft, slightly aggrieved voice. “Big sister, you picked me, so now you have to take responsibility for me.”

Cheng Youran: … No amount of explanation was going to clear this up now, QWQ.

Thinking quickly, she said. “But I haven’t paid yet!”

Following closely behind Lu Zixiao, Gao Qiao nodded in agreement. “If the club uses a cash basis for accounting, then technically, the transaction can’t be recognized yet.”

Fang Liuyun: …Was that really the point here?

Lu Zixiao glanced at Cheng Youran, who wore an expression of unshakable confidence. Without warning, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. Caught off guard, she stumbled into his chest, suddenly surrounded by his presence—a faint scent of tobacco filling the air around her.

From above came his deep, gravelly voice, each word spoken through gritted teeth, as though he were barely restraining his anger. “Cheng Youran, you dare take responsibility for him? Try. Me.”

Lu Zixiao’s arm slid around her slim waist, pulling her closer. With the thin summer fabric as the only barrier, she felt the heat of his hand against her skin, and her face flushed uncontrollably.

Cheng Youran remained silent while Lu Zixiao cast a glance at the beautiful young man with striking cat-like eyes, then lowered his head. Letting out a soft, mocking laugh near her ear, he whispered, his voice low and tinged with warning, “Cheng Youran, you’ll regret this.”

Just as he was about to release her, Cheng Youran spoke softly, her voice barely audible:

“I’ll take responsibility only for you.”

Only for you…

At least she has a bit of conscience. Hearing those words, most of the inexplicable anger in Lu Zixiao’s chest dissipated. His already striking eyes seemed even more dazzling as he raised an eyebrow—so brilliant they could leave someone dazed.

As usual, Lu Zixiao was surprisingly easy to appease, Cheng Youran thought with a sigh. She cleared her throat and said, “So, can you let me go now?”

“No.”

Lu Zixiao tightened his hold around her waist, leaning in close to her ear as he spoke. The two were pressed so closely together that the heat of their bodies seemed to rise. Yet the man’s expression remained utterly calm, as if unaffected by the proximity.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. After a few moments, a woman wearing sunglasses and sporting voluminous, wavy hair slowly walked into the room.

Zhou Huiwen entered the private room and removed her sunglasses. Her gaze fell on Cheng Youran, who was nestled in Lu Zixiao’s arms, and her brows furrowed.

If Cheng Youran hadn’t mentioned over the phone that this was about her son, Zhou Huiwen would never have agreed to meet—especially in a place like this.

But as her eyes swept across the room, they inevitably landed on a young man. A young man whose features were almost identical to hers.

A suspicion crept into her mind. Her eyes widened in shock, and she forgot to greet Cheng Youran. Instead, she hurried over to the young man, her lips trembling as she asked, “What… what’s your name?”

Nineteen years of torment and guilt surged in her chest, choking her voice with emotion. She could barely get the words out before turning to Feng Tiantian and asking, “Am I dreaming?”

Pinch yourself, and you’ll know.

But Feng Tiantian, somewhat intimidated by Zhou Huiwen, answered carefully. “It’s real. You’re not dreaming.”

Xie Jinzhou stared at the woman in front of him, the corners of his lips curling into a cold smile. His stunning eyes, devoid of warmth, reflected nothing but indifference. “What does it have to do with you?”

With that, he turned and walked out of the room.

Perhaps she was his mother.

But a mother who had once abandoned him—he would rather not have one at all.

Outside the private room, the manager was leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette as if waiting for him. “I saw that woman. The one who looks a lot like you.”

“That’s all it is—just a resemblance,” Xie Jinzhou replied with a shake of his head.

“Do you know why I chose to take you with me from that remote, impoverished village in Linhuai?” The manager held the cigarette between his fingers.

“Because I stopped your car and begged you. You felt sorry for me.” Xie Jinzhou still remembered that day clearly. He had pleaded with so many people, but no one in the village could afford to pay for the director’s surgery—not even the children the director had raised himself.

“No.”

The manager shook his head. “I’m a businessman. I saw your future—a future that will shine brightly. That’s why I was willing to invest in you.”

He took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly before continuing. “I stopped you earlier because I could see you were about to pay for her. You barely make enough in a month, yet you were ready to throw it away for her. A woman like that—you can only admire from a distance.”

Xie Jinzhou couldn’t refute it. Meeting a woman who had captured his heart at first glance in a place like this, at a time like this, was both his fortune and his misfortune.

“But now you have a choice.”

“To spend your life struggling in the stagnant mire or to soar to unimaginable heights—it’s all up to you.” He crushed his cigarette underfoot and turned to leave, as if he had waited there solely to deliver those words.

“Thank you.”

Xie Jinzhou bowed deeply. A few minutes later, something occurred to him, and he called after the manager. “When did the club start enforcing a ‘no credit’ policy?”

“Starting today.”

—We’re a proper host club; no funny business here.

The petty manager walked away without looking back. Xie Jinzhou watched his retreating figure, a newfound determination flickering in his beautiful eyes as he pushed open the door to the private room.

—And stepped into another world.

…

Cheng Youran and her companions gave Zhou Huiwen and Xie Jinzhou the space they needed and got into the car to head home.

As soon as she got in the car, Cheng Youran pulled out her phone and started playing a game. She was so engrossed that she didn’t even notice Lu Zixiao staring intently at her.

Lu Zixiao had been waiting for Cheng Youran to admit her mistake and promise to cut ties with that “pretty boy,” but no such apology came. He raised an eyebrow, his voice low as he asked, “Cheng Youran, is there nothing you want to say to me?”

“Say what?”

Cheng Youran looked up at him, puzzled. She had already explained everything. She’d meant to go to the Baiwu Club but had somehow ended up at the Bai Ma Club instead.

“You figure it out.”

Lu Zixiao spat out the fours words icily, a sour note creeping into his chest—one he didn’t even realize was there. The bitterness lingered, and he didn’t say another word to her for the rest of the ride.

Cheng Youran thought about his question for a moment, but the answer seemed too complicated to guess.

So, she decided… to play her game.

Lu Zixiao’s expression darkened, but Cheng Youran continued to play happily, oblivious to his displeasure.

When they got home, Cheng Youran washed up and climbed into bed. Lu Zixiao emerged from the bathroom to find her lying there, carefree and unbothered. His lips pressed into a thin line as he walked to the wine cabinet, poured himself a small glass, and silently took a sip.

He tipped his head back and downed the drink in one go, the faint aroma of red wine clinging to the silver-gray silk of his robe as he walked over to the bed.

Cheng Youran was in the middle of leading a guild battle when a shadow suddenly fell over her. Instinctively, she looked up, only to find the man leaning in close. One hand rested on the edge of the bed as he bent toward her, his eyes locked on hers with an unsettling intensity.

For a moment, she thought she might have imagined it, but he seemed to have deliberately softened his usual cold demeanor. His voice, low and languid, carried an unfamiliar warmth as he said, “Cheng Youran, I’m drunk.”

Yet his eyes were crystal clear, betraying not even a hint of intoxication.

Cheng Youran: …Alright, I’ll just sit here quietly and watch you put on this act.

=^_^=