MMCD - 12

Sheng Wenyan, who was never afraid of anything, for some reason, suddenly experienced the feeling of “cowardice” at this moment.

She opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to explain something, but after stammering for a long time, she couldn’t say a single word.

But... why was she panicking?

What’s wrong with going to a bar late at night? She couldn’t write her thesis 24 hours a day!

“You two know each other?” Lou Ning’s eyes darted back and forth between the two, and she asked hesitantly.

Sheng Wenyan pulled her back. “He’s Shen Zai!”

Lou Ning’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the man in front of her.

“Mr. Shen, what a coincidence,” Sheng Wenyan said, pushing Lou Ning behind her and pretending to be calm.

Shen Zai was even calmer. “It is quite a coincidence.”

Sheng Wenyan: “...Um, why are you here? Wasn’t the De Yuan Group’s celebration dinner tonight?”

“It’s over.”

“Oh, really?”

“Mm.”

The two of them looked at each other. Sheng Wenyan felt a strange awkwardness spreading in the air, making her feel uneasy.

She cleared her throat and began to explain. “The reason I’m here tonight is because—”

“Shen Zai, what are you doing?” Her words were interrupted by a few men who walked over.

Three men came. Two of them were familiar faces to Sheng Wenyan. One was Shen Zai’s older brother, Shen Han, and the other was Yang Qianhe, whom she had met when she first went out to dinner with Shen Zai.

As they got closer, Yang Qianhe saw Sheng Wenyan and his face lit up. “Yo, is this... Little Sheng!”

Yang Qianhe’s eyes didn’t move after he recognized her. He remembered seeing Sheng Wenyan in a formal work outfit when they had dinner at the hotel. While she was also pretty then, she was clearly more suited for her current flamboyant and sexy look.

The little black dress and knee-high boots were enough to make anyone turn their head for a second look, even in the dim lighting.

Yang Qianhe smiled and patted Shen Zai’s shoulder. “Not bad, you even bring your little assistant to a place like a bar.”

Sheng Wenyan waved her hand. “It’s the weekend, Mr. Yang. This is just a chance meeting.”

“Is that so? That’s quite a coincidence then.” Yang Qianhe pointed to the second floor. “We’re in a private room upstairs. Want to come play with us?”

Sheng Wenyan quickly shook her head. “No, no. You guys have fun~”

“Exactly. The little girl is here to relax. It’s the weekend, and you’re still making her follow Shen Zai. Isn’t that forced overtime for her?” Shen Han raised an eyebrow at Sheng Wenyan. “Wenyan, go have fun. Don’t mind him.”

Sheng Wenyan glanced at Shen Zai. Only after he nodded did she feel like she was granted a great pardon and quickly pulled Lou Ning away.

Seeing Sheng Wenyan escape like she had butter on her feet, Shen Han chuckled to himself and said, “It seems this girl only listens to you.”

Shen Zai looked away and put down the lemonade he had ordered while waiting at the bar. “Of course. Is she your assistant?”

Shen Han: “Hey, what are you implying...”

Yang Qianhe rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright, let’s go up. This guy is just bragging. I’m telling you, last time I just wanted to give her a business card, and he wouldn’t let me.”

Shen Han was silent for a moment. “Then you really shouldn’t have been allowed to give her your business card.”

“Hey, you two brothers are going too far.”

________________________________________

After Sheng Wenyan returned to their booth, she glanced in the direction of the bar. The spot where Shen Zai had been sitting was now empty. He had gone to the private room upstairs.

Sheng Wenyan felt a lingering fear and let out a sigh of relief, thinking that it was a good thing that the awkward situation had been interrupted. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to explain her presence at the club.

“Wenyan is back. Let me introduce you to someone. This is a new friend I invited. Her name is Bai Nianlei, she’s from the media school.” Just then, her arch-rival, Zheng Qi, who was at the same booth, suddenly stood up enthusiastically.

Sheng Wenyan came back to her senses and looked in the direction she was pointing. She heard Zheng Qi say, “And this one, I bet you’d definitely want to know! Her name is Shen Yunni. She’s Shen Shuyi’s cousin. She’s been studying abroad and just came back recently.”

Sheng Wenyan was already surprised to have met Shen Zai here, but she didn’t expect to run into another Shen family member. What a coincidence.

“Yunni, we’ve met before,” Sheng Wenyan said with a smile to the girl.

Shen Yunni nodded but didn’t show much enthusiasm. Sheng Wenyan wasn’t very familiar with her, so she didn’t mind. In fact, out of the two new faces, she looked at the one named Bai Nianlei a little longer.

Sheng Wenyan liked to look at people with outstanding looks. Shen Yunni was a bit plain compared to her brother and her uncle. The one named Bai Nianlei was more eye-catching. She was delicate and fair-skinned, with an artistic vibe. Her looks were very comfortable and innocent.

Sheng Wenyan, a sucker for good looks, would develop a few more good feelings towards a pretty girl for no reason.

“Bai Nianlei, why does that name sound so familiar?” Lou Ning mused.

“The media school is not far from our school. Do you know her?”

“Ah... I remember. She’s the campus belle of the media school.”

“Campus belle? I’ve never heard of her.”

Lou Ning: “Tsk, do you ever put anyone more beautiful than you in your eyes? Would you ever care about the campus belle of another school?”

Sheng Wenyan nodded in agreement. “That’s true.”

“Hey, let’s not talk about that anymore!” Lou Ning suddenly remembered something important. “That person just now, was he really Shen Zai?”

“Why would I lie to you? I’ve been with him for so long. How could I not recognize him?”

“Holy crap! You told me Shen Zai was good-looking before, and I thought you were just seeing him through a Shen family filter. I didn’t know it was true,” Lou Ning said. “I have to say, the uncle is really handsome, even more so than Shen Shuyi!”

Sheng Wenyan propped her chin up, looking annoyed. “Is this the time to talk about this? I should have listened to you and not come out tonight. Then I wouldn’t have run into Shen Zai.”

Lou Ning asked in a strange tone, “So what if you did?”

“I asked him for a leave of absence, telling him I was super busy with my thesis these past few days. But then I turned around and came to a bar. What do you think he’ll think of me?”

“What’s the big deal? It’s late at night... Why do you care so much about what he thinks of you?”

Sheng Wenyan was stunned for a moment. “Be-because...”

Yeah, why did she care so much about what he thought of her? It was after work hours. She didn’t do anything wrong!

Lou Ning narrowed her eyes and slowly moved closer to Sheng Wenyan, trying to find a clue. “Hmm? Tell me.”

“Because he’s holding onto my money!” Sheng Wenyan immediately came up with a reason. “What if he thinks I’m just playing around and tells my dad? I want my card back.”

Lou Ning paused for a moment. “Ah... that makes sense.”

“What do you mean, ‘makes sense’? That’s exactly it.”

After saying that, Sheng Wenyan looked away and picked up a small glass of wine in front of her.

Inside the glass was a blue liquid. Under the lights, it seemed to glow with a clear light, mysterious yet vibrant, and perfectly blended with the hazy atmosphere of the nightclub.

Sheng Wenyan took a quick sip. The wine was sweet when it touched her tongue, but it was spicy and bitter as it slid down her throat. Sheng Wenyan squinted her eyes slightly and couldn’t help but look in the direction of the second floor again.

This wine was pretty good... She wondered if he would like it.

“Hey, everyone, don’t just stand there. Let’s continue the game we were playing earlier,” a guy who was good at livening up the atmosphere jumped out. “Before the game starts, the two ladies who came late have to take a penalty drink.”

The two ladies who came late were Bai Nianlei and Shen Yunni.

But they were both hesitant and didn’t seem to be able to drink much. Sheng Wenyan glanced at them and said, “Come on, don’t be so boring. Penalizing two delicate girls like that.”

The guy said, “Huh? Wenyan, wasn’t this a rule you set before?”

Sheng Wenyan raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? I don’t remember.”

“Damn it, Sheng Wenyan, your memory wasn’t this bad when you were making me drink.”

Sheng Wenyan chuckled, shook her head, and said, “Alright, alright. How about this? I’ll drink on behalf of my two new friends~”

“Oh, as expected, you’re biased towards anyone related to Shen Shuyi,” Zheng Qi said with a laugh.

Anyone related to Shen Shuyi?

Sheng Wenyan hadn’t thought about that at all. She just had a soft spot for “beauty.” When she saw that they were good-looking, she wanted to help them drink.

And when Shen Yunni heard this, her expression darkened. She immediately took the drink and drank it herself. “I’ll do it myself. I don’t need anyone’s help.”

Everyone was surprised to see Shen Yunni suddenly chug the drink. They all looked at Sheng Wenyan.

Sheng Wenyan shrugged. Okay, I guess I was wrong. This girl can probably drink.

“Your alcohol tolerance is pretty good. Alright, let’s officially start!”

Next, the group started playing games, and the losers had to drink. Sheng Wenyan’s luck was not good tonight. She lost frequently and drank a lot, and her mind was getting a little fuzzy.

Even so, she still remembered her most important task of the day. In between games, she secretly messaged Shen Zai.

[I’ve been at home writing my thesis all day today, I swear! I just came out for a bit tonight because my friends called me!]

[You have to believe me. I’m absolutely, absolutely not just playing around]

[I’m going to go back soon, Mr. Shen!]

However, Shen Zai didn’t reply.

After a while, someone urged her to drink again, so she had to put her phone on the table and continue playing games with everyone.

Then, at almost 1 a.m., Sheng Wenyan waved her hands and told Lou Ning that she couldn’t drink anymore. She leaned back on the sofa and didn’t continue.

She looked at her phone, and there was still no message.

She wondered if Shen Zai had gone back.

“Shen Shuyi? Why is he here?” Suddenly, someone shouted in surprise.

Sheng Wenyan looked up and saw Shen Shuyi walking toward their booth. As she looked at him, he also happened to look over. It had been a long time since she had seen him. The last time they met, it had ended badly.

“Don’t look at him, Wenyan. You don’t know! I heard he’s already interning at his dad’s company,” Lou Ning said angrily.

Sheng Wenyan paused. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. The reason I didn’t tell you before was because I was afraid you would be sad...”

Sad?

Ah, because she was at IZ, so he wasn’t there. So she should be sad.

Sheng Wenyan looked at Shen Shuyi and sighed inwardly. This guy really disliked her.

“Brother, you’re here. Come sit!” Shen Yunni was very happy to see her brother and patted the spot next to her.

Shen Shuyi was pulled to the seat by her and said in dissatisfaction, “Why are you still drinking here late at night? How much have you had?”

Shen Yunni: “Oh, don’t be angry. I called you, didn’t I? Besides, I’m not drunk. Right, Sister Nianlei?”

Shen Shuyi glanced at Bai Nianlei. The light was dim, but even so, he could see that Bai Nianlei’s cheeks were flushed from the alcohol. “Are you okay?”

Bai Nianlei shook her head.

“Yo, Shen Shuyi. It’s rare to see you at a bar. Did Sheng Wenyan call you?” someone who knew about Sheng Wenyan and Shen Shuyi’s situation teased.

Shen Shuyi glanced at Sheng Wenyan. She was probably drunk tonight as well, and she didn’t look very well. But... Shen Shuyi looked at the people sitting next to her. Besides Lou Ning, there was a group of men he didn’t know.

Shen Shuyi’s face was tense, and he looked away.

Zheng Qi’s eyes lingered on the people and she said with a smile, “Wenyan is very drunk tonight. She definitely can’t go home by herself. Shuyi, why don’t you take her home~”

Sheng Wenyan: “...”

Damn it, why do you have to get involved!

Shen Shuyi had originally come to pick up his cousin and Bai Nianlei after Shen Yunni called him. But seeing Sheng Wenyan in this state, although he was unhappy, he didn’t mind taking her home. After all... they were also schoolmates.

“Then I...”

“My brother came to pick up Sister Nianlei,” Shen Yunni interrupted. “But Wenyan, where do you live? We can take you home on the way!”

The room suddenly fell into silence.

The words had a lot of hidden meaning. Everyone looked at Sheng Wenyan. Zheng Qi’s expression was that of someone who knew everything and was enjoying the show.

Sheng Wenyan’s eyebrow rose slightly, and she looked at Bai Nianlei again.

Oh... an innocent, artistic, and well-behaved pretty girl.

Shen Shuyi’s legendary ideal type.

No way? She was truly and completely defeated before even three months had passed.

“Oh, haha, well, Shuyi, since you’re here, don’t leave yet. Come sit with us for a while,” someone said to break the awkward atmosphere.

“Yeah, sit down for a bit,” Lou Ning said sarcastically, as she didn’t like Shen Shuyi. “This bar is truly honored to have the Shen family. All of you, both big and small, are flocking here.”

Shen Yunni: “What do you mean, ‘flocking’?”

Lou Ning: “You, your brother, and Shen Zai. Isn’t that ‘flocking’?”

“Uncle?” Shen Shuyi asked. “Is he here tonight?”

Lou Ning glanced at him and then her eyes suddenly fixed on something behind him. “Yes, he is. Look, isn’t he here now?”

The younger generation here was still young and hadn’t socialized much in the business world with their families, so most of them had never met Shen Zai. However, they had all heard of Shen Zai’s reputation. To their elders, Shen Zai was an industry elite, a role model to be looked up to.

Shen family members like Shen Shuyi and Shen Yunni were praised outside because they were members of the Shen family... Shen Zai was different. Aside from being a member of the Shen family, he was also praised because of who he was.

Their family had told them that Shen Zai was the one person in the Shen family they truly couldn’t offend.

But... was such a person really this young and handsome?

The group of people looked at Shen Zai, who was coming down the stairs, their eyes wide with surprise.

“Yunni, is that your uncle?”

Shen Yunni was also proud when her uncle was mentioned. “Yes, it is.”

“He’s so handsome.”

“He’s so young? When my dad mentioned him, I thought he was a middle-aged man.”

“Does Uncle have a wife yet? Does he have a girlfriend?”

Shen Yunni frowned at the girl who said this. “What are you thinking?”

“Crap, he’s coming over, he’s coming over...”

The group all went silent, not daring to say another word.

After Shen Zai walked closer, Shen Yunni and Shen Shuyi quickly stood up. “...Uncle.”

Shen Zai’s brows furrowed when he saw the two of them. “What are you two doing here?”

Shen Yunni: “Ah... We, we just came to hang out. I’m a little drunk, and my brother came to pick me up.”

Shen Zai nodded. “Don’t stay out so late next time.”

Shen Yunni was very well-behaved in front of him. “Mm, I know.”

After Shen Zai said this, he didn’t leave.

The group of people looked at each other, feeling a little nervous. They thought he was going to say something to his two younger relatives, but instead, they saw Shen Zai look straight at the middle of the sofa and say:

“Sheng Wenyan, come out.”