The dinner ended on a sour note.
To be precise, it was sour for the Lin family members alone—Liu Yutong had a great time eating.
She devoured most of a king crab, downed two bowls of matsutake chicken soup, and finally wiped her mouth, saying with satisfaction: "The Lins' chef really knows his stuff. That money wasn't wasted."
Lin Feng's face was practically green.
Sis, were you actually complimenting the chef? You were clearly implying that aside from the chef, the Lin family had nothing else worth showing off.
But he couldn't say a thing. This little madam seemed to be doing it on purpose.
The older relatives left one by one, their faces dark.
Of course, they were determined to have a serious word with Lin Dong when he got back—he shouldn't bring just any riffraff into the house. Where were the manners?
The remaining younger generation exchanged awkward glances.
Finally, Lin Shen cleared his throat, breaking the silence: "Um... Yueyue, didn't you say earlier you wanted to take Minmin and the others out for a look around?"
Lin Yue's eyes lit up.
Right!
At home, with the elders around, she couldn't do much.
But outside, on her own turf, she was sure she could deal with that country bumpkin.
She immediately put on a fake, overly warm smile and hooked her arm around Gao Min's: "Minmin, you're free tonight, right? I'll take you to a great place. The capital isn't just about the Forbidden City and the Great Wall—the nightlife is the real highlight. I guarantee you and your bestie will have your eyes opened!"
Gao Min instinctively looked at Liu Yutong.
Liu Yutong yawned: "Whatever, I can't sleep anyway."
Lin Yue sneered inwardly: Can't sleep? Just wait—you'll have plenty to keep you awake tonight!
"Then let's go. Afeng, come with us!"
Lin Feng, always eager for an outing, flocked over like a cat smelling fish: "Miss Liu, I'll show you some things you don't get to see every day!"
Liu Yutong looked at him with a half-smile: "Sure, then I'll trouble you, Master Lin."
Lin Feng felt his bones go weak at that look, his soul almost fleeing his body, completely missing the hidden meaning behind her smile.
Lin Feng opened his mouth to say something, but Lin Shen pulled him aside: "Lin Feng, you stay home. Keep Uncle and Aunt company—they'll be back soon."
Lin Feng: "But..."
Lin Shen patted his shoulder: "Don't worry. We'll be there. Nothing'll go wrong."
Lin Feng thought to himself: That's exactly what I'm worried about—things going wrong because she's there!
But Lin Shen had already shut him down, firmly pushing him back into his chair.
As the black van drove out of the Lin family's gate, an uneasy feeling stirred in Lin Feng's gut—a sense that something major was about to happen tonight.
......
The van cut through the neon-lit streets, finally stopping at the entrance of a quiet lane.
The lane was narrow, flanked by old, mottled gray-walled, black-tiled buildings. The cobblestone path glistened faintly under the ground lights.
At the lane's mouth stood an inconspicuous wooden sign carved with two ancient, bold characters—[Yun Lu].
No neon signs, no advertisements, no greeters at the door—just two yellow lanterns hanging under the eaves, swaying gently in the wind, exuding an air of mysterious sophistication.
Lin Yue pushed open the van door, casting a smug glance at Liu Yutong: "We're here."
Gao Min looked at the surroundings and frowned slightly: "Where is this?"
"One of the capital's top private clubs—members only. Without an introduction from an acquaintance, you can't get in even with money."
"Minmin, let me show you what real high society looks like. This isn't a place where just any stray cat or dog can sneak in."
As she said this, Lin Yue swept a condescending gaze over Liu Yutong.
Liu Yutong stepped out of the van, her eyes skimming over the narrow door. A barely perceptible smile curled at the corner of her lips.
Stray cat or dog?
Interesting.
The group passed through the narrow door, and the view suddenly opened up.
Inside was a completely different world.
It was a standard three-courtyard siheyuan, with carved beams and painted rafters, brightly lit. A stream of living water wound through the yard, adorned with exquisite rockeries. The babbling water instantly drowned out the noise of the outside world.
Beneath the eaves stood several young women in designer qipaos, each with a slender figure and delicate makeup, wearing precisely calibrated professional smiles. They bowed in unison as the guests entered.
"Miss Lin is here!"
A middle-aged man in a deep gray long gown quickly approached, his smile perfectly appropriate: "Miss Lin, your usual room, 'Rain Listening Pavilion,' is still empty. You distinguished guests, please come in!"
Lin Yue basked in this star-studded treatment, glancing triumphantly at Liu Yutong, as if to say: See this? This is Miss Lin giving you a taste of status.
Liu Yutong followed inside without expression.
The private room was spacious, exuding an antique charm.
At the center stood a massive round table of yellow rosewood, adorned with delicate pastries and fresh fruit. Against the wall was a set of red sandalwood sofas, and the walls were hung with several well-aged calligraphy paintings from famous figures. The air was thick with the faint scent of agarwood.
Lin Yue sat down in the main seat without ceremony, casually tossing her bag onto the table: "The usual. Start with a bottle of Louis XIII, then bring out a few of your signature dishes."
The middle-aged man smiled warmly as he answered: "Coming right up," and then bowed as he withdrew.
Only then did Lin Yue look at Liu Yutong: "Miss Liu, first time in a place like this, right?"
Liu Yutong picked up the celadon teacup, took a sip, and nodded: "Mm."
Lin Yue grew even more smug. Leaning back, she said: "Don't be nervous. Think of this as your own home. The capital isn't like your little town—here, it's all about circles and status. Just setting foot in Yun Lu is a symbol of identity in itself. Do you know the annual membership fee here?"
Liu Yutong: "How much?"
Lin Yue held up one hand, fingers spread wide: "Five hundred thousand. And that's just for a basic membership. For a family like ours with a reserved room, it's at least two million a year."
"Two million—enough to buy quite a decent apartment in a place like Mingzhu City, right?"
Liu Yutong nodded: "Mm."
Lin Yue waited for a long while, only to get another "Mm"?
She frowned, irritation brewing inside her.
Was this country girl not right in the head? Couldn't she understand plain speech, or was she just stunned into numbness? Why no reaction at all? Even a hint of envy or inferiority would do!
Lin Feng leaned in, unable to resist showing off: "Miss Liu, you might not really grasp what two million means."
He pointed to Liu Yutong's clothes: "Let me put it this way—everything you're wearing now costs less than a thousand, right? Two million would buy you two thousand sets of these clothes. Wearing a different one every day, you wouldn't repeat for six or seven years."
Liu Yutong looked down at her outfit, then lifted her gaze to him: "So?"
Lin Feng choked. He opened his mouth but couldn't find the words.
This girl just wouldn't follow the script!
Anyone listening would think he was the country bumpkin here!
Lin Yue shot him a dirty look, thinking her cousin was useless—and also disgusted by how much he was groveling.
So she stopped beating around the bush.
Getting straight to the point, she said to Liu Yutong, “Miss Liu, to be honest, with looks like yours, you must be pretty popular back in that little hometown of yours, right?”
Liu Yutong looked up at her.
Lin Yue smiled meaningfully. “Don’t get me wrong—I mean it as a compliment. You’re beautiful. But here’s the thing: beauty is an asset in a small town. In the capital, though... it’s just average. You know what the capital never runs out of? Beautiful women.”
She extended a finger and tapped the air. “The Film Academy, the Central Academy of Drama, all kinds of art schools—thousands of beautiful women come out every year. Every single one is young, pretty, has a great figure, and knows how to play the game. Someone like you, from out of town, with no connections and no resources, trying to make a name for yourself here? Good luck with that.”
With that, Lin Yue took a sip from her glass, her gaze becoming bolder and more unbridled.
“But don’t lose heart. You’re lucky you ran into me today. Since you’re Sister Min’s close friend, I can give you a hand.”
On hearing this, Liu Yutong finally understood why Lin Yue had been so generous with the invitation.
So that was her angle.
She was trying to use her as a gift to curry favor with some ‘big shot,’ wasn’t she?
Liu Tong looked at Lin Yue’s smug face and sneered inwardly.
Interesting. Very interesting indeed.
...
