Night fell, and the city lights began to glow. Inside the bar, colorful lights flickered in rhythm with the music.
Perhaps because it was Qixi Festival today, the bar was packed.
Wen Ting and her best friend Yan Qing were seated at the bar counter.
Wen Ting had just told Yan Qing everything that had happened during the day.
“So, you’re planning to seduce Li Jin?”
“Mm.” Wen Ting nodded. “What? You don’t think I can win him over?”
Wen Ting’s stunningly alluring face came into view, and Yan Qing froze for two seconds. If she were a man, she would surely fall for that face, but…
“You don’t know this, but the people chasing after Li Jin could circle the entire Haicheng. All the socialites and heiresses from prominent families—not a single one has caught his eye. This man is not easy to handle!”
Hearing this, Wen Ting smiled. Since she was a child, there had never been anything she couldn’t handle.
Yan Qing added solemnly, “Besides, with your identity, if you approach Li Jin, he’ll definitely judge you as a spy sent by the enemy camp.”
The Gu Corporation and the Li Corporation were both titans in real estate. One mountain cannot harbor two tigers—over the years, the two companies had fought tooth and nail over countless projects.
“Who knows I’m the eldest daughter of the Gu family?” Wen Ting picked up the glass on the table and downed it in one gulp.
Yan Qing was slightly taken aback. “That’s true.”
When she was three years old, Wen Ting was still called Gu Ting. But back then, Gu Nanshen had been kidnapped by an enemy and nearly killed by the kidnappers.
Gu Ting, the little princess of the family, was doted on at home. To prevent something like that from happening to her, she had since changed her surname to her mother’s. Over the years, very few people knew that the Gu family had an eldest daughter.
Then, the two continued discussing how to approach Li Jin.
Yan Qing thought for a moment, then slowly said, “On a torrential rainy night, you, a newcomer to the industry, are targeted by a producer who wants to take advantage of you. You’d rather die than submit, so you flee the hotel and wander the streets in the rain. A CEO drives by, descending like a deity. You stop his car and desperately beg for help—how about that?”
Wen Ting: “…”
Yan Qing grew more excited as she spoke and slapped Wen Ting’s fair, tender thigh. “I think it works! With that face of yours, there’s no way Li Jin would ignore you!”
With that, Yan Qing pulled out her phone. “Damn, the weather forecast says it’ll rain tomorrow. Perfect timing, girl! Hurry up and have someone look into Li Jin’s schedule.”
Wen Ting rolled her eyes in exasperation. Are you writing a novel here?!
“By the way, do you have a photo of Li Jin?”
“Yeah!”
Yan Qing took out her phone, quickly found the photo, and handed it to Wen Ting.
The man in the photo was attending a press conference. He was incredibly handsome, with refined features as if meticulously carved by God himself—flawless to the point of being impeccable.
Even though Wen Ting had seen countless types of handsome men, she still couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow slightly.
No wonder Mu Congya couldn’t be bothered with Gu Nanshen.
Yan Qing stared at Wen Ting’s face, then looked at Li Jin’s photo, and said thoughtfully, “You know what? Looking at this, you and Li Jin actually make a pretty good match!”
“No, he looks like a heartless capitalist at first glance. I don’t like him.”
Meanwhile, in a booth on the second floor, several men in suits were seated.
“Damn, look over there—the bar counter on the first floor. Those two women are absolutely stunning! Especially the one in the black dress.”
Following Lu Jue’s words, the others turned their gazes downward.
A stunningly beautiful face, seductive red lips, and an aura of cool, distant charm.
There was no denying it—she was absolutely breathtaking.
Fu Shichu, seated beside Lu Jue, furrowed his brow slightly. “She’s an artist my company just signed.”
Hearing this, Lu Jue’s eyes immediately lit up. “An artist from your company? What’s her name? Brother Chu, do you have her contact info? Send it to me quick!”
“Her name is Wen Ting.” Fu Shichu glanced at the indifferent-looking man across from him. “Brother Jin, this is the artist who missed the audition today.”
Li Jin lifted his gaze and cast a casual glance downstairs.
By then, Wen Ting had already risen and was heading toward the restroom. What caught his eye was the silhouette of her back—her slender waist and those long, fair legs…
For some reason, Li Jin suddenly felt a wave of restlessness. He drained the glass in his hand in one gulp.
The restroom on the first floor was crowded with people. Along the way, Wen Ting was approached by several men, all of whom she politely turned down.
Surrounded by blaring music, Wen Ting’s gaze grew somewhat hazy. This was probably one of her last nights of carefree indulgence—after all, once she made a name for herself in the entertainment industry, she wouldn’t be able to show up at places like this anymore.
After waiting a few minutes, Wen Ting, who was getting impatient from needing to use the restroom, clicked her heels and headed up to the second floor.
Stepping out of the stall, Wen Ting stood before the mirror to touch up her lipstick. Her fair complexion paired with those vivid red lips radiated a deadly allure from head to toe.
She put her lipstick away and walked out of the restroom. The moment she stepped through the door, her gaze landed on a man in the hallway dressed in a black suit, exuding an air of refined nobility. He held a lit cigarette in one hand and was on the phone.
His sharp, handsome profile came into view, and for an instant, Wen Ting’s gaze froze.
She hadn’t expected to run into him here—not after she’d just been enthusiastically discussing with Yan Qing how to seduce Li Jin moments ago.
A thousand thoughts raced through Wen Ting’s mind. The next second, she turned and went back into the restroom.
In front of the mirror, a woman dressed just as glamorously had just finished touching up her makeup and was now pulling a cigarette from her bag and lighting it.
Wen Ting stepped forward, smiling warmly. “Hey, could I bum a cigarette off you?”
The woman paused briefly but didn’t refuse. She took a cigarette from the pack and handed it to Wen Ting, then asked, “Need a light?”
“Thanks, no need.”
Cigarette in hand, Wen Ting walked out of the restroom. Li Jin had just finished his call, tucking his phone into his pocket and stubbing out his cigarette. Just as he was about to leave, a cool, clear voice came from beside him.
“Handsome, got a light?”
Li Jin turned his head and met Wen Ting’s delicate features. His expression faltered for a moment.
Seeing the dress she was wearing, he recognized her.
The artist Fu Shichu had just signed.
Wen Ting.
In a place like a bar, countless people tried to strike up conversations with Li Jin, but he never gave any of them so much as a glance. Yet now, almost against his own will, Li Jin pulled a lighter from his pocket and handed it to her.
Wen Ting took it and flashed a charming smile. “Thanks.”
She placed the cigarette between her lips and flicked the lighter with a click.
Taking a deep drag, Wen Ting nearly choked. She loved drinking, but she didn’t know how to smoke. Still, she forced herself to exhale the smoke with the calm composure of a seasoned smoker, then returned the lighter to Li Jin.
“If you don’t know how to smoke, don’t.” Li Jin toyed with the lighter in his hand, a faint smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
Wen Ting hadn’t expected Li Jin to see through her at a single glance. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face as she raised her eyes to meet his gaze—the man’s expression seemed to say, “Who are you trying to fool?”
Wen Ting froze for a moment, then decided to drop the act. She stubbed out the freshly lit cigarette in the trash bin and gave a faint, easy smile. “If I didn’t put on an act, how else would I get you hooked?”
“Hooked on me?” A trace of subtle amusement flickered through Li Jin’s icy gaze.
“Mm.” Wen Ting stepped forward in her high heels, a radiant smile on her face, her voice laced with teasing and a hint of seduction. “There’s a hotel nearby—want to go?”
Her question was blunt and to the point.