Zhou Mingyue walked through the crowd, and the men and women dancing intimately on stage suddenly stopped, shouting in unison: "Miss Zhou! Miss Zhou!"
The atmosphere instantly heated up.
The DJ blew a handsome flying kiss toward Zhou Mingyue.
"Welcome tonight's princess, Miss Zhou Mingyue!"
A massive spotlight swung over, following Zhou Mingyue as she strolled forward, and An Ruo was blinded by the sudden glare, unable to open her eyes.
As the queen of the venue, Zhou Mingyue had to give a speech on stage. She let go of An Ruo's hand and gracefully ascended the steps adorned with LED light strips, lazily raising an arm. The once noisy hall fell into dead silence.
"Without further ado, today's my birthday. Thanks to everyone here for gracing this bar bash with your presence. Drinks are all on me." She raised a glass of whiskey to toast the crowd. "To our youth!"
"Whoo—"
Someone whistled in excitement, while others shouted Zhou Mingyue's name. The DJ blasted a thrilling dance track, and everyone in the venue grabbed a napkin, chanting in unison: "To youth!"
White napkins fluttered through the air like falling snowflakes.
Zhou Mingyue had other plans, and An Ruo stood dumbfounded to the side, watching the passionate men and women around her twist together. She quietly walked to the bar and ordered a glass of juice.
The bartender, wearing a cat-ear headband, noticed her reserved demeanor and chuckled. "Miss, what's your name?"
An Ruo pursed her lips. "My surname is An."
"Miss An." The bartender smiled. "First time here?"
An Ruo said nothing.
"Your shyness tells me you're not a regular."
"Rarely come."
"Places like this are for unwinding. I can see from your furrowed brow that you've got something on your mind." The bartender deftly mixed a drink that looked like a starry dreamscape and slid it toward her. "This drink resembles a starry aurora. I call it 'Drown Sorrow.'"
An Ruo hesitated, staring at the "Drown Sorrow."
Seeing her indecision, the bartender politely pushed a glass of juice over. "No worries. Drink whatever you like."
An Ruo didn't avoid alcohol out of fear of losing control, but because she had a low tolerance. Since she was here to let loose, how could she not drink at a bar?
She stared at the two glasses for a moment, then finally picked up the "Drown Sorrow," brought it to her lips, and downed it in one gulp.
"Hey—" The bartender was taken aback by her boldness. High-proof liquor wasn't meant to be chugged!
The girl's face scrunched up, and she grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth, still managing to comment: "This 'Drown Sorrow'... isn't as good as I imagined."
The bartender had never met such an adorable girl. He smirked, revealing a handsome grin.
"Even if it doesn't taste great, it gives me a strange rush. Can I have another?"
"Still unhappy?"
An Ruo shook her head. "I just want another drink."
The bartender chuckled softly. "Kids can have a taste, but not too much. You'll get drunk."
"You..." An Ruo wanted to argue about his judgment, calling her a kid. She pursed her lips and flashed her ring at him. "I'm an adult. I'm already married."
The bartender just smiled without another word, smoothly mixing another drink and handing it to her.
"What's this one called?"
"Seek Pleasure."
An Ruo perked up, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him. "Did you just make those names up on the spot?"
"Yeah."
She asked again, "Why can't kids drink?"
"Because kids are happy without it."
An Ruo stared blankly at the drink in her glass, the image of a strikingly handsome man surfacing in her mind. Her eyes dimmed, and she prepared to down it in one gulp again.
"You... can't drink it like that."
"Why not?"
The bartender met her clear eyes, now tinged with tipsiness.
...
The man spun the steering wheel, pulling the car to a stop outside the MEI bar. His dark eyes fixed on the flashing neon lights, his demeanor icy as he narrowed his gaze.
He pulled out his phone and dialed the girl's number. It rang for a while before going to voicemail.
Shen Xiaoxing's sharp brows furrowed. "Call Zhou Mingyue!"
"Yes!"
Han Chong didn't dare hesitate, quickly dialing Zhou Mingyue's private number. Luckily, he'd been smart enough to hack into the young mistress's phone earlier and track her last call.
But it was still ringing with no answer...
At that moment, Zhou Mingyue was dancing wildly on stage with a bunch of friends. Her phone was in her bag, which was left in the lounge area.
"Young master, no one's picking up..."
The man's handsome face darkened, exuding a low-pressure aura. "Find a way to get your young mistress out without revealing your identity!"
He couldn't barge in recklessly. The place was crowded and full of eyes. If someone caught him moving freely in public, it would cause unnecessary trouble.
"Master Zhou returned to Shencheng today. How about... calling him?"
The man said nothing. Han Chong understood and immediately dialed Zhou Wang's private number. Once it connected, he gestured.
Han Chong handed over the phone, and the man pressed it coldly to his ear.
At the Zhou family estate, Zhou Wang sat leisurely for a while, waiting in vain for Zhou Haikong. He pulled the wedding invitation from his pocket and handed it to a servant to pass along.
Just as he got into his car, his phone buzzed urgently.
It was an unfamiliar number. Few knew his private line. Thinking it might be trouble from Ninghai, he swiped to answer.
"Yeah."
"It's me." The man's voice was icy.
Zhou Wang narrowed his eyes. "Who's this?"
"Shen Xiaoxing."
Zhou Wang steered with one hand, driving out of the Zhou estate. He let out a cold laugh. "Rare guest. What does President Shen want with me?"
"Cut the crap. Get to this location in ten minutes and take your sister away!"
"You're with that brat?" Zhou Wang's playful expression faded, his brows knitting. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing yet, but if you're not here in ten minutes, I can't guarantee I won't do something."
"Shen, you animal! She looks like that, and you'd still make a move?"
"..." Shen Xiaoxing frowned. "What the hell are you talking about!?"
Realizing the misunderstanding, Shen Xiaoxing said coldly, "She took my woman! MEI bar. If you're not here in ten minutes, get ready to collect her corpse!"
Without letting Zhou Wang say another word, he hung up.
Zhou Wang stared at the phone in disbelief, muttering a curse. The car that had been heading toward the Ninghai highway changed course.
Sheng Nanzhou and Huo Jinyan, who had followed from Lanyuan, arrived flustered, wearing expressions of amusement.
Huo Jinyan complained, "I said, she didn't run away. Why are you rushing like this?"
The two cars had been side by side, but Shen Xiaoxing floored it, leaving them far behind. It took them over ten minutes to catch up.
Sheng Nanzhou elbowed him. "What do you know? A disobedient wife needs constant watching. What if she really runs off with someone at this critical moment?"
The man's face was grim.
"Tsk, a bar. I hear there are plenty of handsome guys there, each more striking than the last. A-Xing, you'd better watch out."
Hearing that, the man's expression darkened even further.