The bar was bustling with energy.
Red lights and green wine, young men and women, pulsating music and heated dancing.
A group of four settled at the counter as Ji Zhouye ordered the trendiest cocktails, one for each of them.
Ji Yanting swirled his glass with a bitter smile. "Great-grandma, am I too cowardly? Knowing how much Qiu Sang suffered, I still couldn’t muster the courage to take things further."
Rong Yu rubbed her temples.
When it came to matters of the heart, she was just as clueless.
Coming to her for relationship advice was truly a mistake.
After racking her brain, she said, "You just met at the wrong time. You didn’t know how to love, and Qiu Sang didn’t know how to build intimacy… It’s not your cowardice, nor was Qiu Sang deliberately hiding anything. Anyway, since you’ve broken up, stop tormenting yourself. Here, have a drink."
Ji Yanting tilted his head back and downed the entire glass.
The laser lights shimmered above him, casting sharp shadows on his perfectly chiseled profile.
Nearby, a group of girls chattered excitedly.
"That man is so handsome."
"He looks like a movie star. Who is he?"
"Can’t you tell? That’s the second young master of the Ji family, the one who became a film emperor in the entertainment industry."
The speaker was none other than the Tang family’s young lady, Tang Tang.
She had come out with friends to unwind, never expecting to run into the Ji family—Ji Yanting, the newly rediscovered fourth son Ji Jingchuan, the fifth son Ji Zhouye, and… that unlikable Rong Yu.
Tang Tang sat in her seat, curling a finger. "Ji Zhouye, come here."
She and Ji Zhouye were born in the same year, with her being a few months older. Their families were close, often visiting each other, making them childhood friends.
Back then, she was taller, and Ji Zhouye had always trailed behind her like an eager puppy.
Seeing her former follower now pouring drinks for Rong Yu left her uneasy. She raised her voice, "Ji Zhouye, didn’t you hear me calling you?"
"I heard, I heard," Ji Zhouye said, getting up to approach her.
Ji Jingchuan lowered his lashes.
He still remembered how, at the Hai family’s wedding banquet, this Miss Tang had glared at Great-grandma with unmistakable hostility.
He wasn’t exactly a gentle or forgiving person.
He held grudges.
"Ah Ye, didn’t you say you could mix drinks?" he interjected smoothly. "I’ve only ever had plain water growing up. Could I trouble you to make me a cocktail?"
Ji Zhouye’s heart instantly softened. "Fourth Brother, just sit tight and wait!"
Without another thought for Tang Tang, he began mixing drinks—four in total, one for each member of the Ji family.
Once finished, he sidled up to Rong Yu. "Great-grandma, how is it? My mixology skills aren’t bad, right?"
Rong Yu took a sip and praised, "You’ve got talent."
Encouraged, Ji Zhouye continued mixing.
Tang Tang’s face darkened.
She stomped over in her high heels. "Ji Zhouye, have you grown a spine? Ignoring me now?"
"Can’t you see I’m busy?" Ji Zhouye didn’t even look up. "What do you want?"
Tang Tang grabbed his arm and yanked him aside. "Tell me, what’s Rong Yu’s relationship with your family? Why are all you brothers fawning over her?"
Ji Zhouye frowned. "Didn’t your Old Master Tang explain? Rong Yu is his dear friend. Since she’s an elder’s companion, shouldn’t we younger ones treat her with respect? You’re just making a fuss over nothing."
With that, he turned back to his mixing.
Tang Tang’s eyes turned cold.
Some "dear friend." More like a fraud.
She didn’t care if the Ji family was fooled, but dragging the Tang family into it was unacceptable.
The Tang family’s assets belonged to her grandfather, and as his most beloved granddaughter, she stood to inherit them. Yet now, what should have been hers had been handed to Rong Yu. How could she swallow this injustice?
Biting her lip, she approached Rong Yu. "Miss Rong, you don’t mind if I sit here, do you?"
Rong Yu replied indifferently, "Suit yourself."
Ji Zhouye handed her a new cocktail. "Try this one?"
He gave it only to Rong Yu.
Tang Tang was completely ignored.
Her lips pressed together.
In the past, no matter the occasion, a mere flick of her finger would send Ji Zhouye scrambling to her side, laughing and joking.
Why was his attention now entirely on Rong Yu?
And the way he acted around her—so obsequious, so eager—wasn’t like a follower but more like a groveling lackey…
"Oh no, my bracelet is missing!"
Tang Tang’s voice cut through the bar.
The music had just shifted to a soft ballad, making her words stand out even more.
Her group of friends immediately gathered around.
"The one your grandmother gave you at your coming-of-age party? I heard it was auctioned for nearly ten million."
"How could something so valuable just disappear? Let’s look for it."
Tang Tang smirked.
The bracelet was indeed expensive.
But it was nothing compared to that pink gemstone necklace—an antique worth around thirty million. She had coveted it for so long, only for it to end up with Rong Yu.
The more she thought about it, the more it infuriated her.
After a fruitless search, her friends grew anxious.
"How could it just vanish?" Tang Tang feigned distress before turning to Rong Yu. "Miss Rong, you were sitting closest to me. Did you see my bracelet?"
Rong Yu chuckled.
Such a clumsy attempt at framing her.
Tang Che was such a refined and gentle man. If he had his own descendants, surely they wouldn’t be this lacking in integrity.
She leisurely swirled her glass. "Are you certain it’s lost, Miss Tang?"
"It’s so valuable, I was afraid of damaging it, so I took it off and put it in my bag," Tang Tang insisted. "But just now, when I went to wear it, it was gone. It’s truly missing."
Rong Yu took a sip. "Then you should search more carefully."
Tang Tang bit her lip. "Miss Rong, since you were so close to me earlier, is it possible… my bracelet accidentally fell into your bag?"
"Hold on—Tang Tang, what the hell are you implying?" Ji Zhouye, who had been watching the scene unfold, now stepped in, jabbing a finger at her. "Are you seriously suggesting Rong Yu took your bracelet?"
Tang Tang feigned innocence. "I didn’t say that. I just meant it might’ve slipped in. A quick look would clear things up, wouldn’t it?"
Ji Zhouye scoffed. "Do bracelets grow legs and crawl into other people’s bags?"
"If there’s nothing to hide, why not let me check?" Tang Tang lifted her chin. "Unless someone’s guilty and afraid of being exposed?"
