Jinhuang Entertainment City was the capital’s premier entertainment venue, a popular retreat for the wealthy elite to unwind and indulge.
Although Shen Yanzhi maintained a clean reputation, as a scion of a wealthy family, certain social engagements were unavoidable. Thus, these entertainment venues weren’t unfamiliar to him.
He arrived precisely on time.
The pre-booked private room was already buzzing with guests.
Everyone present were young masters and misses of prominent capital families. They occasionally crossed paths at gatherings or major events and were quite familiar with each other.
When Shen Yanzhi’s figure appeared at the doorway, the already lively atmosphere in the room erupted:
“Wow! Brother Shen! Brother Shen actually came!”
“Peng Feng, you kept that quiet! You managed to keep Brother Shen coming under wraps until now!”
Peng Feng smirked proudly, immediately setting down the dice in his hand and walking over to Shen Yanzhi. “Brother Shen, thank you for coming to my birthday party today. I just texted you, wanted to come down to meet you… but you didn’t reply…”
“Wasn’t checking my phone just now.” Shen Yanzhi stepped inside, unconcerned. “You gave me the room number. I knew where to come. No need for such formalities.”
Peng Feng knew Shen Yanzhi always meant what he said. If he said he didn’t mind, he truly didn’t. He quickly smiled and ushered him in.
After Shen Yanzhi entered, the others in the room obediently greeted him.
Despite being peers, someone like Shen Yanzhi who could take over the family company a generation early was exceptionally rare.
While everyone else was still living as young masters or misses at home, Shen Yanzhi had already been at the helm of Shen Group for four years. That was the difference.
Shen Yanzhi nodded and chose a quiet corner to sit down.
Peng Feng immediately instructed the server to bring fruits and drinks for Shen Yanzhi.
Once Shen Yanzhi was seated, that previously quiet, deserted corner suddenly seemed to become prime real estate. One after another, people came over with their drinks, racking their brains to strike up a conversation with him, hoping to make a favorable impression.
Chi Yu, who had been charging quietly in Shen Yanzhi’s pocket, was suddenly taken out.
“I’m stepping out to make a call.”
Shen Yanzhi announced to the group, then stood up and left the room. Everyone could only watch his tall, upright figure disappear through the doorway.
The phone call was merely an excuse. The air in the private room was stifling. Once outside, Shen Yanzhi stood quietly on the balcony in the breeze.
He wasn’t addicted to his phone. Even during such dull moments, he simply stood impassively on the balcony, feeling the cold wind.
“Manman, why did you drag me here? Aren’t we going back in?” A soft, delicate female voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
Accompanied by two sets of footsteps approaching, another girl named Manman responded irritably, “No, not yet. I need a minute. I feel like I’m about to suffocate!”
Soft-voiced girl: “What’s wrong?”
The two stopped just inside the door without venturing onto the balcony. Shen Yanzhi was positioned in a corner of the balcony, further concealed by thick curtains by the door, so neither girl noticed someone was already outside.
By the time Shen Yanzhi considered making his presence known, it was too late.
“Hmph!” Manman sneered coldly. “Before coming, I really thought this young miss the Su family found would be some kind, smart person. But look at her, fluttering around like a social butterfly, speaking with that fake, two-faced tone—what’s the difference between her and those low-tier green tea bitches?”
“My father even told me before we came to get along well with her, said how amazing she was, helping Su Group secure that development project in Huai City as soon as she returned. What a wasted expectation!” Wen Qingman was utterly disappointed. If that Su family young miss hadn’t deliberately spilled that drink on her skirt, she’d write her own name backwards!
The soft-voiced girl recalled the scenes from the private room and had formed a similar impression of this returned Su family Young Miss, though she didn’t voice it. Instead, she patted her friend’s shoulder comfortingly. “It’s okay, it’s okay. If you don’t like her, we just won’t come again. At most, if we run into her at other events, we’ll just be casual acquaintances with a nod.”
The two chatted for a few more minutes. Once Wen Qingman had calmed down, they left arm-in-arm.
Chi Yu and Shen Yanzhi were forced to eavesdrop on the entire conversation.
Chi Yu didn’t know Shen Yanzhi’s reaction. Hidden inside the phone, she felt somewhat curious.
The true young miss the Su family had found?
It seemed a friend of Shen Yanzhi’s had mentioned something similar over the phone a few days ago.
…
Shen Yanzhi didn’t stay on the balcony long before turning to return to the private room.
In the ten-plus minutes he was gone, the room remained lively, and it seemed even more people had arrived—all coming to celebrate with Peng Feng.
When young people gathered together, laughter and cheerful chatter were constant.
Shen Yanzhi returned to his corner seat, not participating in the revelry.
Seeing Shen Yanzhi wasn’t particularly enthusiastic and worried about neglecting him, Peng Feng invited him to play mahjong in the smaller adjoining room.
Several tables were already set up in the smaller room, with the crisp clacking of mahjong tiles intermittently audible.
Shen Yanzhi declined with a shake of his head, telling Peng Feng not to worry about him—he’d sit for a while then leave.
An intoxicating, slightly tipsy atmosphere filled the private room. Under the dim lighting, the man’s refined, handsome features were outlined—his high nose bridge and sharply defined, angular profile appearing cool and aloof. Sitting on a single sofa with legs crossed in a languid posture, his expression was one of utter detachment and coolness. Even seated in the corner, he remained the focal point attracting everyone’s glances.
Newcomers who noticed Shen Yanzhi’s presence were drawn by his outstanding looks and aura, itching to approach and strike up a conversation, only to be quickly stopped by others nearby who knew his identity.
When the party was about halfway through, Zeng Jinglong returned from a trip to the restroom, followed by a boisterous group of over ten people.
Zeng Jinglong grinned at Peng Feng. “Peng Feng, look who I ran into on my way back from the restroom!”
He stepped aside, revealing the ten-plus peers behind him—both men and women, all dressed in designer brands, exuding an air of wealth. Clearly young masters and misses raised amidst luxury.
Everyone pretended to complain..
“Peng Feng, you’re not being very considerate! Having a birthday party and not inviting us!”
“Yeah, exactly! If we hadn’t bumped into Jinglong in the hallway, we wouldn’t have known you were all here.”
Peng Feng looked at the group, momentarily stunned.
The city’s social circle wasn’t vast, but it wasn’t tiny either. People within the same circles more or less knew each other.
His relationship with these people fell into the category of acquaintances, but not particularly close friends.
For his small birthday gathering, he naturally invited his usual close friends or those with whom he needed to maintain good relations, like Shen Yanzhi.
Calling not-so-close friends out of the blue to invite them to his birthday party might come off as presumptuous.
However, Peng Feng kept these thoughts to himself. He certainly wouldn’t voice them publicly.
Peng Feng quickly regained his composure, putting on an expression of pleasant surprise. “Please, come in, come in! I’m incredibly grateful you’re willing to come celebrate with me. Later, I’ll punish myself with three drinks to liven things up for everyone…”
“Hahaha, excellent! Brother Peng is indeed generous!” someone laughed heartily.
The group filed in.
Most people in the room knew each other and soon gathered together to chat.
“Come on, everyone,”
Gu Mingyue, the young miss of the Gu family, suddenly pushed a girl with exquisite makeup to the front and introduced her. “Let me introduce everyone. This is Su family Young Miss Jiazhi, a good sister of mine! Let’s all get familiar—we can hang out together from now on!”
Tucked in Shen Yanzhi’s pocket, Chi Yu hadn’t been paying much attention to the commotion in the room until she heard a familiar name.
Jia… Jiazhi?
Before she could ponder further, a voice achingly familiar to her rang out in the private room: “Hello, everyone. I’m Chen Jiazhi. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”