“Don’t you think it’s unfair to Miss Ye?” Yan Xu flicked the ash off his cigarette, his voice cold. “She’s also your sister.”
“She says she doesn’t care about the An family’s wealth or whether her surname is changed, but as soon as Grandpa mentioned it, she moved back home. The things Grandpa added to her room—even Mom doesn’t have that many. What hasn’t been compensated for?” An Tingjun frowned.
Yet, whenever she’s at the An family home, she remains silent, wearing a cold expression as if the whole world owes her something.
The An family’s wealth and influence didn’t come without reason. Old Master An had a sharp eye and ruthless methods, and Mr. An thrived in the business world. An Tingjun himself was highly respected in their social circle. So why, when it came to Ye Shaohua, did his perspective become so narrow?
And that girl…
“Tingjun, she’s your sister too,” Yan Xu shook his head. “I hope you won’t regret your actions in the future.”
After saying this, he stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette and walked back.
Regret? An Tingjun stood behind him, puzzled by Yan Xu’s words. Just yesterday, Grandpa had suggested that Ye Shaohua spend the summer at the An Corporation to familiarize herself with the environment, but she had refused.
Which other family’s offspring, in this day and age, would be so idle and still expect a share of the family wealth?
An Tingjun couldn’t understand why someone as unremarkable as Ye Shaohua, whom even Grandpa couldn’t seem to guide, would make Yan Xu mention the word “regret.”
When the two returned to their seats, the group was still playing Truth or Dare.
An Tingjun’s expression was grim.
An Tongtong glanced at An Tingjun and then closed her eyes—“Is Ah Xu really considering replacing Tongtong with my so-called biological sister for the engagement?”
Hearing this, An Tongtong’s hand trembled, nearly spilling her drink.
Yes, she had always been different. She knew she had a special ability—she could hear what others were thinking. However, this ability didn’t work on everyone.
For example, she could never hear Old Master An’s thoughts.
And Yan Xu—sometimes she could hear him, sometimes she couldn’t.
Because of this talent, she had always known how to please others. She knew what people were thinking, when they were dissatisfied with her, and how to make herself appear perfect in their eyes. She would say what they wanted to hear.
When the group discussed business matters, she would propose solutions they were already considering.
During exams, she would combine the strengths of those around her to fill in the answers.
And when playing Go, she knew her opponent’s next move, their strategy, and when they were bluffing.
…
As a result, she became known as a genius in their circle, gradually rising to become a top socialite. No one had a bad word to say about her.
She had always believed she was the protagonist of her own story, a winner in life, so she had never paid much attention to Ye Shaohua.
Hearing An Tingjun’s thoughts, An Tongtong narrowed her eyes.
She, An Tongtong, was recognized as a high-IQ individual, with countless awards and honors to her name. Her looks and demeanor were top-tier.
As for Ye Shaohua being the legitimate heiress—what did it matter? The last time she was at the An family home, she didn’t even know what Go was.
She refused to believe the Yan family would willingly marry off their son to someone so useless!
“She’s just a clueless fool, Tongtong. Don’t waste your energy on her,” the girl next to her said in Japanese, dealing cards while trying to comfort her.
Seeing Ye Shaohua glance over, the girl, confident that Ye Shaohua couldn’t understand Japanese, sneered, “Miss Ye, I was just telling Tongtong how impressive your grades are.”
The others who understood Japanese chuckled.
At that moment, a blond man in a black suit approached.
“Ye? Is that really you? Great! I thought you wouldn’t be coming this week!” he exclaimed in fluent Japanese, looking delighted to see Ye Shaohua.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not here to work,” Ye Shaohua replied casually, taking the cards without looking at them. Her Japanese was flawless, more polished than anyone else’s at the table.
“Then the customers at the bar will be disappointed,” the blond man shrugged, unwilling to give up. “When will you be back?”
Not getting a definite answer, he reluctantly left, glancing back several times.
Yan Xu watched the blond man, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
An Tongtong and the girl next to her, along with everyone else at the table, were stunned when Ye Shaohua spoke her first sentence in Japanese.
Her fluency, along with the technical terms she used effortlessly, was something even they couldn’t manage. How could Ye Shaohua, who was supposedly raised in an ordinary family, speak like this?!
The shock quickly turned into embarrassment. They had assumed Ye Shaohua didn’t understand Japanese and had been openly discussing her in the language. Little did they know, she had heard every word.
Their pride in their foreign language skills was met with her indifference, and some of the more sensitive ones wished they could disappear under the table. At the same time, their opinion of Ye Shaohua improved slightly.
Yan Xu also gave Ye Shaohua a surprised look.
“Ahem, the dare card. Miss Ye, you drew the dare card,” a boy tried to ease the awkward atmosphere. The girl next to An Tongtong had drawn the king card, so he turned to her and said, “You set the dare.”
The girl, still embarrassed, noticed the boys at the table eyeing Ye Shaohua. With a malicious grin, she said, “I heard you work at this bar. How about you make a drink for Young Master Yan?”
“Tingting!” the boy who had tried to defuse the situation earlier frowned, urging her to stop. Hadn’t they caused enough embarrassment already? Not everyone could mix drinks—even An Tongtong couldn’t do it. There was no need to humiliate her further.
But the girl ignored him, gleefully watching Ye Shaohua. “My grandfather always praised how smart you are, saying you were the top scorer in the national exams. I thought you’d be as brilliant as Tongtong, but it seems you’re nothing special after all…”
“Can I leave after I make the drink?” Ye Shaohua’s clear voice cut her off.
Ye Shaohua had already stood up, tossing the cards onto the table and pushing her chair back with an air of authority.
The table fell silent, everyone momentarily stunned by her presence.
Ye Shaohua tapped the table impatiently. “I said, can I leave after I make the drink?”
She had just borrowed books from the library today. If it weren’t for Old Master An’s call, she wouldn’t have agreed to come with An Tongtong. These people were clearly wasting her time.
“Yes, yes, you can leave after you’re done,” a boy stammered, instinctively using a respectful tone.
Ye Shaohua nodded and walked straight to the bar. The bartender’s eyes widened when he saw her, and after a moment, he wiped down a stool and gestured for her to come behind the counter.
Ye Shaohua stepped behind the bar, put on a baseball cap, and picked up a glass. Her slender fingers deftly flipped the glass, not spilling a single drop of the brown liquid inside.
An Tongtong and the others followed, expecting to watch Ye Shaohua struggle. But as soon as Ye Shaohua began her movements, the crowd surged toward the bar, phones and cameras in hand. A few muffled screams could be heard.
An Tongtong and her friends were confused. One girl muttered that perhaps An Tongtong’s beauty had drawn the crowd.
Then, the boy who had suggested the dare pointed at the large screen above, his jaw dropping.
Yan Xu also looked up, his pupils contracting sharply at what he saw.
This bar was ranked number one in Asia, and many foreigners visiting the capital made it a point to come here. It was said that if you hadn’t been to Nightfall, you hadn’t truly experienced the capital.
No one knew who owned the bar, but everyone knew not to mess with it.
The bar often hosted performances by A-list celebrities, and above the bar was a massive fluorescent billboard advertising the latest services and drinks.
The billboard was usually divided into sections. For example, tonight, a popular singer was performing, and he had been given a quarter of the screen.
Those familiar with the bar knew that this was the largest section anyone could get—only a handful of people had ever occupied a quarter of the screen.
And that was only because he was a rising star.
But now, all the advertisements on the screen had disappeared, including the half of the screen usually reserved for drink promotions.
This was the first time anyone had seen something like this.
The entire screen was now dominated by a single image—a young figure wearing a baseball cap.
And beside it, a single line of text:
“Asia’s Top Mixologist, the Queen of Cocktails, Makes Her Triumphant Return Tonight!”
