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After nightfall, the neon lights of Yun Capital flickered on one by one.
At 8 p.m., a lively and boisterous birthday party was in full swing on the deck of a luxury yacht docked beside the Huangjia Hotel by the river.
Champagne sprayed into the air as a group of people danced wildly to the upbeat music.
Colorful lights cast shimmering reflections onto the river’s surface—extravagance at its peak.
Sang Sui had her long hair tied up, her delicate face lightly made up. Her black work uniform accentuated her slender, fair neckline.
She held a bottle of Romanée-Conti red wine and steadily made her way up the spiral staircase.
The birthday party tonight was hosted by a group of wealthy playboys. They had already been partying for an hour by the time she arrived.
Just as she stepped onto the second floor, a wailing rendition of the song “Xi” rang out from within.
Sang Sui chuckled and was about to deliver the wine when her gaze was suddenly drawn to a man sitting not far away.
The edge of the yacht’s deck was lined with a curved sofa, encircling the perimeter of the boat.
The man sat at the corner of the sofa, leaning back lazily with his long legs crossed. One arm rested on the back of the sofa, a cigarette pinched between his fingers—his posture exuded nonchalance and languor.
He was dressed in a white shirt and black pants, his eyes downcast beneath his fallen bangs, slender fingers flipping his phone.
He seemed lost in thought. The night lights illuminated his figure, highlighting an aura that was both aloof and stunning—yet radiating an air of indulgent recklessness.
It was Sheng Yize.
Sang Sui froze slightly.
She hadn’t expected to run into him here.
She quickly averted her gaze—just in time to see a beautiful girl in a red spaghetti-strap dress walking toward him in high heels.
Her long, waterfall-like hair cascaded over snow-white shoulders, her eyes glimmering like a seductive sprite in the night.
She sat down beside Sheng Yize, held up a peeled grape, and leaned against him suggestively.
“Master Sheng, aren’t you going to have some fun with them?”
The man tilted his head and glanced at the grape near his lips, then looked up.
His eyes were deep and dark, a faint, unreadable smile tugging at his lips.
Seeing his smile, the girl blushed and leaned in even closer.
Sheng Yize didn’t eat the grape. Instead, he leaned forward and whispered something into the girl’s ear.
Whatever he said made her giggle sweetly and lightly punch his chest.
But she wasn’t the girlfriend who had accompanied him to Sang Sui’s university enrollment day.
Sang Sui slowly blinked as she took in the scene.
She took a deep breath and was just about to step forward with the wine when someone suddenly crashed into her from the front.
She staggered backward, her back slamming hard against the white wall.
The wine bottle in her hands slipped from her grasp. Her round eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively reached out to catch it—but missed.
Bang—
The wine bottle shattered on the floor.
Glass shards flew everywhere, the sharp aroma of wine piercing the air. Sang Sui’s head buzzed.
“Sorry! Excuse me!”
She winced through the pain, about to question the person responsible, but they had already dashed off while talking on the phone.
The commotion caught the attention of the partying crowd.
Even Sheng Yize turned to look.
Meeting his gaze, Sang Sui instinctively stepped aside to avoid it.
“What happened?” Zou Jin walked over.
Seeing the shattered wine bottle on the floor, his eyes widened.
“No way—little miss, don’t tell me that was… the bottle we ordered?”
Sang Sui immediately crouched down to clean up the glass. “I’m so sorry! I’ll replace it!”
“Do you even know how much that bottle cost?!”
Her hand froze. “How—how much?”
“Two hundred thousand.”
“……”
The shards slipped from her hand, and her face went pale.
Manager Zhang rushed over after hearing the noise.
Upon seeing the scene, his face turned equally pale and he hurried to apologize with Sang Sui in tow.
Zou Jin raised an eyebrow. “Manager Zhang, you know that wine wasn’t cheap…”
“Yes, yes.”
“Since this little miss says someone bumped into her, then you better find that person for me.”
Sang Sui looked flustered. “W-what if you can’t find them?”
“Then someone’s paying for it.”
“……”
She didn’t have two hundred thousand to spare.
Her eyes turned red instantly. In her panic, she caught sight of Sheng Yize sitting in the distance.
He took a sip of his wine, his gaze calm and indifferent—as if none of this had anything to do with him.
Sang Sui’s eyes dimmed. She bowed. “I’m sorry! I’ll pay for it!”
Zou Jin looked at her. Her frightened little face had gone ghostly pale, her eyes and the tip of her nose red—she looked pitiful.
“It’s my birthday today. I don’t really want to make things hard for a cute girl.” He clasped his hands behind his back, bent slightly, and smirked. “How about this—you come inside and have a drink with me. If we have a good time, I’ll forget about the wine.”
Sinister intentions.
But she had no way to refuse.
Sang Sui bit her lip and raised one finger. “I—I’ll only drink one glass…”
“Fine, one glass it is!” Zou Jin grabbed her arm with a grin and pulled her into the party.
The room became lively again after Sang Sui entered.
Everyone knew Zou Jin was the “God of Booze”—no one could outdrink him. Even though it was his birthday, no one dared challenge him.
He had been bored, and finally found someone to go all out with.
But the girl…
She looked like she had just come of age, her youthful innocence still lingering on her small face. Her eyes were like obsidian—so pure and unforgettable.
She was slim and petite—clearly someone who couldn’t hold her liquor.
Another girl laughed lightly and turned to Sheng Yize.
She noticed his gaze lingering on that girl.
Raising a brow, she asked with a smile, “Master Sheng, do you know her?”
“No.”
Sheng Yize withdrew his gaze and picked up his wine.
“You stared at her for so long. I thought you did.”
His hand paused, his eyes narrowing slightly in her direction.
The sudden coldness in his look made the girl falter. She quickly found an excuse and left.
Once she was gone, Sheng Yize pulled out a wet wipe and meticulously cleaned his hands, inside and out.
—
Zou Jin and the others started playing a dice game—loser drinks.
To Sang Sui, it was a game based entirely on luck.
She glanced at the group. All of them were seasoned pros.
Alone, she knew she was doomed to get drunk tonight.
She clenched her fists and looked helplessly at Sheng Yize.
He still sat in the same position, legs crossed, fingers supporting his temple with eyes closed. He hadn’t looked her way once.
These were his friends. If he just said a word on her behalf, things might be easier.
But he didn’t.
As if her situation had nothing to do with him. To him, she was just a stranger.
Sang Sui looked away, lowering her eyes.
She lost the first round miserably.
Without hesitation, she picked up her wine and downed it in one go.
“You…” Zou Jin whistled, giving her a thumbs-up. “Nice tolerance! Let’s go again!!”
Several rounds in, Sang Sui kept losing.
She drank glass after glass.
She wasn’t good with alcohol—her face flushed red when she got drunk. Her vision was blurring, her head spinning, her stomach burning with pain.
“Drunk already?” Zou Jin leaned in, laughing. “But I haven’t even started yet! One more round!”
The dice rattled in the cup. This time, Zou Jin lost.
He downed his wine with a grin, flashing a full set of teeth.
“You’re cool, sis! I like bold girls like you! Let’s keep going!”
…
Sang Sui didn’t know how many rounds she played—just that she kept losing.
Her head felt heavier, her face hotter.
Thud—
She collapsed face-first onto the coffee table.
The noise around her buzzed in her ears.
The cold glass pressed against her burning cheek, offering a stab of relief. Her mind cleared slightly.
She looked toward Sheng Yize, still sitting far away.
A wave of grievance surged in her chest, and her eyes instantly turned red.
—
Just then, a phone on the table rang.
Sheng Yize slowly opened his eyes and picked it up.
Seeing the contact name, he furrowed his brows and answered.
Whatever the caller said made him glance toward Sang Sui.
He sneered. “What sister?”
Sang Sui heard it.
Her face stiffened, and she silently withdrew her gaze, burying her face in her arms.
“She’s here,” Sheng Yize said impatiently. “I’m hanging up.”
He pocketed his phone and stared at someone for a moment.
Then he stood up and walked over.
“Hey miss, still drinking?” Zou Jin leaned in toward her. “You really drunk?”
Before he could finish, someone grabbed the back of his collar and yanked him upright.
He turned around, the light casting shadows over a face gone cold—Sheng Yize.
Zou Jin chuckled. “Sheng bro, heading out?”
Hearing his voice, Sang Sui looked up with difficulty.
From below, she saw his sharp jawline and the cold impatience in his eyes.
Worried he might leave, she clutched the hem of his pants and pouted.
Her misty round eyes brimmed with tears, looking pitiful and aggrieved—
“…Gege…”