As soon as these women opened their mouths, it was all about luxury goods, and now they were eagerly introducing the gowns they were wearing to tonight's ball.
The waiter brought over fragrant coffee. An Ruo was listening to their utterly clue-less chatter when a cup of coffee and a plate of dessert suddenly appeared on her table. She froze, lowering her voice, "Sorry, I didn't order coffee."
"It's like this, miss. Our boss says you're a distinguished guest and can enjoy complimentary tasting at our establishment."
An Ruo was baffled. Was this black card really that powerful?
But since she got free food and drink, and it was all on the house, she wasn't about to be foolish and dig into the details.
By the balcony across the way, a man lazily leaned against the railing, his arms resting on it. With a head of striking blue hair, he held up his phone with one hand, grinning with a roguish, flamboyant air.
He chuckled, "Standing that far away, can you even see clearly?"
The man in the video sat in a wheelchair, behind him a simple office with French-style decor, and outside the window, towering skyscrapers.
The man's dark eyes were somber as he spoke coldly, "What are you messing around for? Hold the phone steady!"
Sheng Nanzhou cursed with a laugh, steadying the phone with both hands and turning it toward the opposite side. The man could pinpoint the girl's figure among the crowd.
"Not bad, you gave her the black card. Are you actually serious this time?"
Shen Xiaoxing's eyes darkened. "This is the only time I've been serious!"
This girl really was a handful. Giving her the black card was meant to let her enjoy food without any obstacles, but she ended up using it to tail someone else.
Still, at least she was smart enough to bring something useful.
"Keep an eye on her. Contact me if anything comes up."
With that, before Sheng Nanzhou could say anything, the man coldly ended the video.
Sheng Nanzhou cursed with a laugh, "Ungrateful!"
The women moved from clothes to hairstyles, manicures, skincare, and gossip...
Just as An Ruo was about to doze off from listening, she finally got a useful lead.
"Have you seen An Qing lately? I haven't seen her in a long time. She hasn't been in touch these past few days. Last time I invited her for afternoon tea, she gave a vague refusal."
"I ran into her at Saint-Rosé Hotel a while back. She was dressed really sexy, with a bunch of bodyguards around her..."
"I saw her the day before yesterday too, but I noticed she seemed pretty close with one of her bodyguards. Last time, I accidentally caught them feeding each other cake."
"Really? I heard from Xiao Yue that she's been seen leaving the hotel more than once, and the bodyguards with her are different every time."
"Could they be in that kind of relationship?"
"She'll be at this ball too. I wonder if her bodyguard has changed again."
"Oh, it's time. We need to go get our hair done, or we'll be late for the ball."
An Ruo watched them get up and come her way, quickly lowering her head to eat her cake. After they passed by her, she followed them out.
Sheng Nanzhou, who had been lounging in his chair playing a game, saw everyone leave and cursed in panic, jumping up to chase after them.
...
The masquerade ball was being held in the lobby of Starry Hotel. In attendance were the prominent young masters of Shencheng's elite families, along with noble heiresses and socialites...
The high society circle held grand balls every so often, each with a different theme to set the mood, mainly for networking.
An Ruo wore a pale green gauze dress, topped with a white mink jacket. A rabbit mask covered her face, and her bright, watery eyes sparkled as if holding countless stars.
With her tall figure and delicate profile, her appearance instantly became a showstopper, drawing glances from passersby.
The woman walking ahead of her pulled out an invitation, and the security guard bowed respectfully, gesturing for her to enter.
"Miss, please show your invitation."
The guard stopped An Ruo as she tried to enter. Biting her lip, she pulled the "unrestricted" black card from her bag.
There was food at the ball too, and the card was supposed to grant smooth access to dining, right? That should work, shouldn't it?
The coffee shop might have been a fluke, but now, trying to get into such an upscale ball, An Ruo felt uncertain. Would the guard chase her out with a stun baton?
But to her surprise, the guard did a complete one-eighty. After carefully examining the black card, he suddenly bowed to her repeatedly.
"I was blind and didn't recognize your eminence. I shouldn't have been so foolish as to stop you. Please, be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."
"?" An Ruo was utterly confused. Was this black card some kind of universal pass?
It was like holding the emperor's token in ancient times—not only did it grant unimpeded access, but when flashed, people would kneel and grovel. This feeling...
Something wasn't right!
An Ruo replied calmly, "Ignorance is forgivable. May I go in now?"
"Yes, yes, please, go ahead."
With the black card, she successfully infiltrated the socialite gathering.
The lobby buzzed with clinking glasses. Handsome men and beautiful women, all wearing animal-themed masks, gathered in small groups, chatting and drinking merrily.
An Ruo grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray, sipping it as she admired the lavish scene of singing and dancing while searching for An Qing.
The mask made it hard to spot her target. She took another sip of champagne, her eyes constantly scanning the lobby entrance.
"Right this way, sir."
Sheng Nanzhou strolled in with one hand in his pocket, dressed in a custom-made, high-end beige suit that accentuated his lean figure. His handsome face was half-hidden by a Husky mask.
He swept his gaze across the room and felt a sudden urge to curse!
With so many people, how was he supposed to find An Ruo?
In the end, he had no choice but to send a message to the man saying he'd lost the target...
"Sheng Nanzhou, you're really reliable, aren't you?" The man replied with a sarcastic remark.
Sheng Nanzhou: "..."
Shen Xiaoxing, who was on a business trip in a neighboring province, couldn't rest easy knowing the girl was going after An Qing alone. He had Han Chong put on a human-skin mask to impersonate him while he boarded a private jet, racing back to Shencheng as fast as possible.
An Ruo tapped her fingers rhythmically on the table. Just as her eyes were about to give out, she finally spotted the late-arriving An Qing!
Around her were the same sycophants who had been badmouthing her behind her back at the afternoon coffee shop. Now, they swarmed around her with flattery.
"Dong, dong, dong!"
The European-style antique clock in the lobby chimed, signaling the ball's most lively and joyful phase.
Sheng Nanzhou swirled his wine glass, his phoenix eyes curving upward. Naturally romantic and charming, even just leaning there without doing anything, he still drew covert glances from the opposite sex.
A slender, cool figure passed by him. Sheng Nanzhou's eyes flickered, and as he caught a glimpse of her features, his bright eyes widened.
The missing target had reappeared. He focused all his attention, quickly memorizing the color and style of her gown...
An Ruo saw An Qing head toward the restroom after dancing. She hurried after her but was blocked by a wall of flesh.
"Beautiful miss, would you do me the honor of a dance?" The man speaking was tall and thin, wearing a parrot mask that hid whether his face was handsome or ugly.
"Sorry, I don't know how to dance." An Ruo nodded politely, her mind set on catching up to her target.
Just as she tried to leave, the man suddenly grabbed her arm. An Ruo's face turned icy cold as she yanked herself free, "Please show some respect!"
"Who comes to a ball and doesn't know how to dance? Unless you already have a partner?"