Chapter 18: You Said You Saw Lin Feng?

With just that one sentence, Lin Feng suddenly saw things clearly. He nodded and changed his mind, saying, “Alright.” Before the two could rejoice, Lin Feng hurried to add, “You two go first tonight, I have something to deal with. Let’s meet at the bar entrance.” Having finally convinced Lin Feng, the other two had no objections. Li Hao immediately volunteered to hitch a ride with Xia Qingqing, and she readily agreed. Lin Feng’s lips twitched as he buried himself in his meal, already plotting how to tell Liu Tianhan about this tonight.

Evening came quickly. As usual, Liu Tianhan was waiting for him in the garage. He had barely opened the car door when Liu Tianhan urged him anxiously, “Hurry up, hurry up, I still have to go to Haishi later!” Lin Feng was taken aback and didn’t climb in right away. “Haishi?” he asked. “Yes! Sister Xueyan asked me to deliver something over there. I don’t even know what it is, it’s wrapped so tightly…” She gestured toward the front passenger seat as she drove. Lin Feng glanced over and saw a large box sitting there, unmoving throughout the ride, as if it contained something heavy. That wasn’t his concern. He said directly, “Then go to Haishi first and pick me up when you get back.” “What?!” Liu Tianhan was surprised, quickly replying, “That won’t work, Miss’s instructions are to bring you back to the villa.” “She just said to bring me back, not when. I have a day off tomorrow, so I want to go to a karaoke bar. I’ll send you the location. When you’re done in Haishi, come pick me up.” “But Miss…” Liu Tianhan tried to protest, but Lin Feng cut her off, “If they knew you were supposed to pick me up at this time and still sent you on an errand, doesn’t that mean timing doesn’t matter? Besides, I’m not refusing to go back.” He tossed out a few casual lines, and Liu Tianhan found them reasonable. Haishi wasn’t on the way to Lakeview Villa, and she’d have to return anyway, so she didn’t want to make a detour. She nodded, “Alright, which karaoke bar are you going to? I’ll drop you off.” Lin Feng’s lips curled up slightly. Fortunately, Liu Tianhan wasn’t too clever. If it had been Yu Xueyan, she’d never have been so easily fooled. He said no more and got in the car.

At the Phoenix Road intersection, “Let me know when you’re done here, alright? I’m in a hurry and have to leave first…” Lin Feng couldn’t wait for Liu Tianhan to finish her sentence, jumping out of the car. As he closed the door, surrounded by the bustling, lively street, he finally felt the freedom he’d been missing for so long. Go back? That would depend on his mood.

Such rare freedom was too precious. Even if Chu Lingshuang managed to track him down, at least this moment belonged to him. He strode into the roadside convenience store, listening to the noisy chatter inside, utterly unbothered by the ruckus. It was half past nine, the streets busy with people drinking and enjoying barbecue. Hearing their conversations, Lin Feng was almost moved to tears. He grabbed a pack of gum, paid, and stuffed it in his pocket. On his way to the karaoke bar, he felt as light as air.

Charm Night Karaoke. Lin Feng walked in briskly, the increasingly loud music echoing in his mind, growing stronger and stronger. The rationality worn down by recent torment gradually returned. In the hall, men and women dressed provocatively and flamboyantly walked in groups. In the early days of Xu Company, Lin Feng often entertained clients in places like this. The familiar atmosphere hit him at once.

“Sir, are you by yourself?” A server at the door approached and asked. Lin Feng was about to answer when someone hooked his shoulder. “Qingqing said you were almost here and asked me to come down. She’s got the timing spot on!” It was Li Hao. He signaled to the server and led Lin Feng inside. They passed through the sparse crowd and took the elevator, Li Hao pushing open the door to room 301. Inside, Xia Qingqing had already opened the drinks and paused the music, waiting. Seeing them enter, Xia Qingqing grabbed the deck of cards and exclaimed excitedly, “We agreed, no leaving until we’re drunk tonight!” “Alright! I’m a grown man, how could I not out-drink you!” Li Hao cheered, stepping forward. Lin Feng smiled and followed suit.

Top floor, room 603. “Ziyue, I saw your ex-boyfriend!” As soon as she entered, Fang Ziyue’s best friend Yu Weiwei rushed to her side, face full of anxiety. Fang Ziyue’s cheeks were flushed, a bit tipsy as she answered, “Which ex?” Yu Weiwei was visibly nervous. “Lin Feng—the one you dumped last month. Did you forget?” “Who?!” Fang Ziyue nearly dropped her glass in shock, quickly smiling to the people in the room. “Gentlemen, you go ahead, Weiwei and I need the restroom.” She stood up, dragging Yu Weiwei from the suite.

“You said you saw Lin Feng?” Fang Ziyue was tense, gripping Yu Weiwei’s shoulders, her face stern. “Yes! He went to the third floor with some guy…” “What’s wrong with him? I told him so clearly last time, why’s he still following me around like a puppy!” Fang Ziyue complained, face full of disdain. “Exactly!” Yu Weiwei looked worried. “It’s Young Master Yu’s birthday tonight—could he have timed his arrival? If…” She didn’t have to finish; Fang Ziyue understood. “No way! Tonight’s Yu’s birthday party. All the guests are rich young heirs. If he causes trouble, neither your plans nor mine will survive!” Fang Ziyue’s gaze was fierce; the earlier drunkenness seemed entirely fake.

“So what do we do?” Yu Weiwei panicked. Fang Ziyue frowned, silent for a moment, then pulled out her phone. “Don’t worry, let me make a call.” Yu Weiwei nodded repeatedly, watching as Fang Ziyue dialed a string of numbers and stepped a few paces away. “Xiao Hao, still awake? I’ve got a job for you…”

…

“I’m done, Sister Xia—you really are the boss, I can’t drink anymore!” Just past eleven, Li Hao was sprawled on the sofa, begging for mercy. “Li Hao, we haven’t even started! How can you say you’re done? A man shouldn’t admit defeat!” Xia Qingqing’s adorable face was tinged with a rosy flush as she tried to drag Li Hao up. But with his size, he was far too heavy for her delicate strength. After a few attempts, hearing Li Hao’s tractor-like snoring, Xia Qingqing gave up.

She turned to Lin Feng. “Big Brother Lin, let’s play, just the two of us. You haven’t lost much yet!” “Let’s take a break. We’ve got plenty of time.” Lin Feng smiled and shook his head. When it came to cards, he only needed a bit of effort to win. Xia Qingqing, being from the finance department, could count cards a little, but poor Li Hao hadn’t won a single round since he sat down…

“Alright!” Xia Qingqing nodded, rubbed her stomach, and stood. “I’ll go to the restroom first, then we’ll have our decisive battle.”