“Beautiful lady, how much?”
While she was still dejected, two men approached from opposite directions, their eyes filled with ill intent. Lin Ranran pressed her lips into a straight line. Trembling all over, she was furious beyond words. They had mistaken her for that kind of woman!
“Sorry, I’m only here to work as a server. Please move aside; I still have work to do.”
“Wouldn’t accompanying us be better than working so hard? Name your price.” As he spoke, his greasy hand was already reaching for Lin Ranran’s waist.
She was overwhelmed by grievance and fury, with nowhere left to retreat, when the manager appeared. “Are the two of you planning to cause trouble at Yunqi?”
These two men came from families with some money, and they were unwilling to back down. “Manager Wang, this is a private matter between us and her. Yunqi doesn’t seem qualified to interfere, does it?”
Manager Wang acted obsequiously before Ji Yan, but he was imposing when he faced these two. “Yunqi won’t interfere when both parties are willing. But this server clearly isn’t interested, so please don’t force the matter.”
He shifted his warning gaze toward the second floor. “The four young masters are all here today. Surely the two of you don’t want to cause unnecessary trouble?”
The two men’s expressions changed, and apprehension flashed in their eyes. Though unwilling to give up, they could only leave dejectedly, casting Lin Ranran a deep look as they departed.
Lin Ranran let out a long breath, gratitude on her face. “Thank you, Manager.”
“New here?”
“Yes.”
“If you encounter something like this again, call security at once. Yunqi is a legitimate establishment. We won’t force anyone to do something they’re unwilling to do.”
“All right.”
Lin Ranran felt much more at ease. She had been frightened when she first decided to work at the bar. After a friend told her that powerful people backed Yunqi, she had dared to apply. Fortunately, the manager could distinguish right from wrong.
Were those the four young masters mentioned in the news? So Yunqi was their property.
She glanced toward the spot again. Young Master Ji, who had been leaning against the railing, was greeting someone. The newcomer wore an immaculate suit and had the same tall, long-legged figure as Ji Yan. The two men walked side by side toward the inner Private Dining Room.
For some reason, a strange sense of loss filled Lin Ranran’s chest and left her irritated.
“Brother Xu is here.”
The Shang Corporation focused on real estate. Housing prices had soared in recent years, giving the Shang Corporation a higher market capitalization than the other three families’ businesses. Along with Shang Xu’s cold, decisive personality, this made him the tacit leader among them. When he entered, the music stopped and everyone cleared the center of the room for him.
He Chan rarely acted coquettishly. “Why was this business trip so long? Did you bring me a present?”
Shang Xu stared straight ahead, his expression cold and weary. “In the car.”
He Chan was accustomed to his manner. He was icy toward everyone, as though he had no emotional fluctuations at all. If he ever changed, she would find it unfamiliar.
“Brother Xu, now that you’re back, you won’t have to leave again, right?” Fu Jia and Jiang Yi came over and had the server fill their glasses.
“Yes.”
Ji Yan took the wineglass from Su Xiang and handed her the fruit juice from before. “Don’t drink while you’re on your period.”
Su Xiang’s cheeks flushed bright red, and embarrassment and astonishment filled her heart. How did he know?
A warm current then flowed through her heart. Was he concerned about her?
In truth, Ji Yan did not remember Su Xiang’s period. He had developed the habit in the Endless Wasteland, where he had grown sensitive to the smell of blood.
“Ooh~” Fu Jia and Jiang Yi teased them playfully at the ambiguous atmosphere between the two, while He Chan was filled with intense envy. If only Shang Xu could show her such concern someday. But given Shang Xu’s personality, there probably wasn’t anyone in this world who could make him care so deeply!
Shang Xu turned his head, his shadowy expression unfathomable. He felt that Ji Yan seemed different after returning this time.
Under his scrutinizing gaze, Ji Yan remained composed. As expected of the male protagonist, he was perceptive.
“The dishes have gotten a little cold. Call the manager and have some fresh ones sent in.”
He Chan could not help saying, “The three of you should all learn from Ji Yan. Look how meticulous and considerate he is.”
Jiang Yi leaned back and said lazily, “That can’t be learned. Only Brother Ji would go to such trouble.”
Fu Jia chimed in as well. “Brother Ji has someone. He’s different from us.”
“Those are all excuses.” He Chan snorted twice but did not dare make demands of Shang Xu. “It’s just us here today, so let’s not have those people Attend to us. Bring in some proper ones instead.”
Jiang Yi and Fu Jia did not mind. After paying the tips, they let the women surrounding them leave.
The moment word spread that the attendants in the number-one Private Dining Room were being replaced, Yunqi’s internal group chat exploded. The girl who had favored Lin Ranran earlier pushed her toward Manager Wang.
“Manager Wang, let Ranran go. She’s beautiful and pure, and she’s a college student. The young masters and misses won’t object to her.”
Caught off guard, Lin Ranran froze and hurriedly waved her hands. “I can’t do it. What if I don’t serve them properly? I don’t know the VIPs’ habits.”
“All you have to do is pour wine and serve the dishes; it doesn’t require any skill. Follow instructions quietly. If the young masters and misses are pleased, even a small tip would cover a month of your part-time job here.”
Lin Ranran hesitated upon hearing this. “I…”
She lowered her head and pressed her lips together. She needed the money.
“She won’t do.” Unexpectedly, Manager Wang rejected her without even considering it.
He had not forgotten Young Master Ji’s instructions. The purer and prettier Lin Ranran was, the less suitable she was to send. Miss He and Miss Su were there today as well. If Young Master Fu or Young Master Jiang took advantage of her beauty and caused trouble… Young Master Ji had given him a specific instruction, and he could not knowingly disobey.
Lin Ranran froze after such a direct rejection. She had not expected him to refuse so decisively, and indignation stirred within her.
Her coworker had said that her appearance ranked near the top among tonight’s staff and that her education was the highest. Was she being bullied because she was new?
She was about to argue with Manager Wang when he selected two experienced male attendants to provide the service.
“Be quick-witted, and be honest. Don’t entertain thoughts you shouldn’t.”
“Yes, Manager Wang.”
Lin Ranran felt increasingly hollow, as though she had lost an important opportunity.
Then she came to her senses. She had felt disappointed about missing the chance to serve the young masters and misses of an Elite Wealthy Family. When had she become so snobbish?
She patted her cheeks. She could not go on like this or let money blind her. She had come to work at Yunqi because she had no choice, only to get through a temporary financial difficulty. She still had to return to campus and find a stable job after graduation.
Yunqi’s hourly wage was high enough. She could not be ungrateful.
Lin Ranran forced down her unsettled feelings. Inside the Private Dining Room, Ji Yan gently swirled his wineglass. It seemed he had changed the male protagonist’s and Female Protagonist’s first meeting. How would things develop from here?
This wine was excellent. Back in the Endless Wasteland, he had never tasted anything so good. Agreeing to the System’s Mission had been the right choice.
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