12 The Wealthy Woman

Zhou Zhuofei clicked her tongue in surprise. “You know him that well? Looks like you come here often?”

“No, no, just occasionally with friends. I can’t afford to come all the time. Do you think I’m Xiao Zhan?” Luo Jing quickly waved his hand to defend himself. Then, glancing around to make sure their colleagues hadn’t arrived yet, he turned back to Zhou Zhuofei. “Do you know how much his car costs?”

“Not really, but I’m sure I can’t afford it.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Luo Jing said with a serious tone after a quick calculation. “If you work for ten years without eating or drinking, you could probably make an effort.”

Zhou Zhuofei fell silent. She knew Zhan Zilang came from a wealthy family, but the reality was painfully stark.

By that measure, Zhan Zilang was actually quite ambitious.

If she were born into such a family, why bother working? As long as she avoided bad habits, she’d never worry about food or drink for life.

“So that’s the gap between people…”

“Don’t lose heart. You still have a chance,” Luo Jing comforted her. “I just talked to him; he’s still single. If you try hard, maybe you could become a wealthy wife.”

Zhou Zhuofei had sat near Luo Jing since joining the company, and he often looked out for her when she first started, so they got along well.

Hearing this, she didn’t get angry but teased, “How do you know he’s straight? Why don’t you ask him? Maybe you have a chance too.”

Luo Jing let out a dry laugh. “You gotta admit, if I could do it, I would have already.”

“Alright then, go ahead. Remember: never forget each other if we get rich!”

Just then, Zhan Zilang returned to his car. Zhou Zhuofei was about to ask him something, which startled Luo Jing.

“Hey, Xiao Zhan, let me ask you something…”

“Cough, cough, cough…” Luo Jing began coughing violently and grabbed Zhou Zhuofei, silently pleading with his expression and gestures, “Don’t mess around.”

“Huh? What’s going on?” Zhan Zilang looked confused at their cryptic interaction. “What are you talking about? I can’t understand.”

Luo Jing quickly smoothed things over. “Nothing at all, we’re just joking.”

Zhou Zhuofei snorted but didn’t really plan to ask. Scaring him a bit was enough; some things weren’t worth getting serious over.

When the other three arrived, everyone entered together. Zhou Zhuofei felt that the so-called most upscale bar in town was nothing special; she’d seen more impressive scenes in games.

However, compared to the bars she’d been to with Du Yu, the New World’s design taste was obviously the best.

As soon as the waiter saw Zhan Zilang, he respectfully called him “Young Master Zhan” and led the group to the booth closest to the stage with the best view.

After Zhan Zilang gave a few instructions, the waiter went to prepare.

Seeing how smoothly they coordinated, Zhou Zhuofei said to Zhan Zilang, “No wonder you’re so familiar with the Jiang family’s matters. Looks like you’re a regular.”

“Not really. Actually, it’s my friends who like coming here more; I just accompany them.”

“So the wine is stored for your friends too?”

Zhan Zilang explained seriously, “Not exactly. I used to think I shouldn’t always let others treat me, so I got a membership card. Actually, I haven’t come here for quite a while. If you hadn’t mentioned it today, I might have almost forgotten the wine storage here.”

The others heard this and teased, “No problem, we’ll settle it all for you today!”

“Yeah, keep bragging!” Zhan Zilang joked back. “No one’s allowed to leave until we finish drinking tonight.”

Soon, the waiter brought the wine and fruit platter. Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t handle much alcohol; one beer made her dizzy, so she didn’t drink at all when outside, just snacking on fruit and watching the show with interest.

Just as she was engrossed, her female colleague Qiao Qi leaned in and whispered, “Xiao Zhou, when are you planning to leave?”

Zhou Zhuofei turned and saw her looking bored. Qiao Qi had joined Universal two years earlier and was introverted; she rarely spoke up in the office.

Now she wasn’t chatting with anyone nor keeping herself busy like Zhou Zhuofei, just sitting somewhat awkwardly.

Checking the time, it was just after eight. She thought for a moment and replied, “Around nine.”

Qiao Qi quickly agreed, “Then I’ll leave at nine too.”

Zhou Zhuofei kindly said, “Qiao, if you have something to do, you can leave earlier. There are so many people here; no one will even notice if one of us is gone.”

Qiao Qi seemed tempted but hesitated. After some inner struggle, she chose not to be the odd one out.

She gave Zhou Zhuofei a shy, reserved smile. “It’s fine. Let’s sit with everyone a little longer.”

“Alright, then stay a bit more. Try some fruit—her watermelon is pretty sweet.”

Midway, Zhou Zhuofei suddenly needed the restroom. As she stood, Qiao Qi asked kindly, “Want me to come with you?”

“No need, I’ll be right back.”

Following the signs, Zhou Zhuofei wandered the corridor, which was as fashionable as a runway, circling several times before finding the restroom.

When she came out, she wondered if she might get lost on the way back, and indeed, she accidentally took the wrong path.

The bar’s design was deliberately confusing, with mirrored panels everywhere and strategic lighting making it look like a maze. For someone who'd only been once, it was hard to tell where they were.

As she retraced her steps, voices suddenly came from ahead.

A male voice spoke first: “Sorry, Miss Jiang, I have another performance soon, so I can’t chat longer.”

The voice was unique, almost like singing, instantly catching Zhou Zhuofei’s attention.

She thought to herself that it was a pity such a voice wasn’t used for voice acting.

“Why do you want to leave as soon as you see me?” Then a female voice followed, young but sharp, commanding in tone.

“It’s not that, Miss Jiang, I really am pressed for time.”

“Then quit your job. I’ll open a bar for you. You can sing as long as you want. How about that?”

Where did this wealthy woman come from?

Hearing such a domineering statement, Zhou Zhuofei immediately pictured a glamorous rich woman draped in furs and jewels.

She unconsciously slowed her pace to listen further.

“Miss Jiang, don’t make it hard for me. I just want to do my job well.”

“If you only see this as a job, then it’s even less fair,” the female voice softened but still complained, “Last time you went out with Susu, but when I invited you, you refused. That’s unfair. I’ve come more times than she has!”

“That was Ruan’s birthday. If it were your birthday, Miss Jiang, I’d of course come. But usually, I have training, so it’s inconvenient.”

From this conversation, Zhou Zhuofei roughly understood the situation: a man and a woman, probably a customer and a performer at the bar. The customer wanted a private relationship, but the performer declined.

Curiosity shifted from what was happening to what these people looked like.

Just how handsome was this man that a wealthy woman was eager to open a bar for him?

Though the man politely refused, the woman kept pressing.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. I just want to spend money on you. I’m not asking you to do anything. I love hearing you sing and want you to sing more for me. What’s wrong with that?”

As Zhou Zhuofei moved closer, she finally saw the two clearly.

Both were strikingly handsome and beautiful. The woman was exquisitely dressed and elegant, apparently younger than Zhou Zhuofei. The man wore black clothes and shoes, with short wine-red hair and many metal accessories. His looks and style were indistinguishable from a current pop idol.

When they noticed Zhou Zhuofei, they both fell silent, as if urging her to leave quickly.

Zhou Zhuofei mentally complained: if they didn’t want an audience, why choose to talk in such an exposed hallway?

She put on a cool, indifferent expression and tried to pass by quickly.

Just as she was about to walk past, her eyes unintentionally met the gaze of the red-haired man.

Because his handsome aura was so strong, she hadn’t paid much attention to his features before.

Now, up close, she saw he had charming, almond-shaped eyes sparkling with light, their corners slightly drooping. Even without expression, his eyes looked tender and affectionate.

Zhou Zhuofei had never seen anyone look like that in real life and couldn’t help stealing a few more glances.

He, however, was used to such reactions. Seeing her stunned expression, he silently examined her attire and quickly judged she wasn’t a regular here, but more of a honest, hardworking office worker.

Suddenly, he smiled and said to Jiang Meiluo, “Actually, Miss Jiang, we’ve known each other for a long time. There are some things I should tell you.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Well... I have a girlfriend.”