Chapter 12

Ruan Ning's mind snapped awake—the target had appeared!

It was her first time seeing such a spectacle. Girls and waitstaff alike rushed madly toward the entrance, and she hurried over to join the welcoming crowd.

People automatically split into two lines to welcome him. Bu Chen walked in with a few handsome blond men, flanked by burly bodyguards, advancing against the light to the beat of DJ drums.

Bu Chen was tall and lean, casting a supermodel-like silhouette in the backlit doorway.

He wore a light casual suit, with slightly curly black hair. His face was tighter and smaller than a woman's, adorned with deep, flirtatious phoenix eyes. His amber pupils sparkled mischievously when he smiled, exuding a wild, unrestrained handsomeness.

Bu Chen started by blowing a kiss and waving elegantly to all sides. "Good evening, ladies!"

The entire venue erupted in crazy screams.

"Good evening, Young Master Bu!" "Bu Chen, I love you!" "Bu Chen, you're so handsome!" "Why are you so late? I've been waiting for you all night."

Bu Chen looked thoroughly pleased, smiling and waving to both sides as he walked, spreading his attention evenly without missing anyone.

Wherever his gaze lingered, girls would squeeze over like koi fish fighting for food, eager to capture his line of sight.

Ruan Ning thought, Is it really that exaggerated? He's just a playboy, but they're treating him like a rock star. With so many people crammed in the dim hallway, they can't even see his face clearly. What's the point of shouting so desperately?

Clearly, she was the only one who thought so. Everyone else kept shouting until their throats went hoarse, whether or not they could catch Bu Chen's attention.

As Bu Chen and his entourage drew closer, the girls on both sides of Ruan Ning grew even more excited, and her disdainful smirk grew wider.

Bu Chen's wild, cheerful gaze slowly swept across the crowd. When it passed Ruan Ning, it suddenly stopped. His eyes gleamed with cunning, watching her with the teasing interest of a cat playing with a mouse.

Ruan Ning froze. Huh, is Bu Chen looking at me?

She immediately lowered her head and pretended nothing was happening. She must have been mistaken; Bu Chen was just passing by.

But the man's exquisite leather shoes stopped right there, with no intention of moving on.

Ruan Ning nervously peeked up. Bu Chen was still staring at her, a mischievous delight hidden in his amber eyes.

It was over.

Ruan Ning's vision went black. She had been caught in the act. Before she could react, the frenzied girls surged over and swamped her.

"Ahhh, Young Master Bu just looked at me!" "Bu Chen, you're so handsome!" "I love you, Young Master Bu!"

The surging crowd pushed Ruan Ning to the back, nearly knocking her over. She scrambled up and slipped away, stooping low.

The blond man found it strange that Bu Chen had suddenly stopped. He patted his friend and asked, "What are you looking at? Why aren't you moving?"

"Nothing. Let's start having fun." Bu Chen turned his head, a barely perceptible curve forming at the corner of his mouth. "I can't wait."

Bu Chen led his friends to his exclusive VIP booth in the bar amidst the crowd's eager anticipation.

The booth faced the center of the stage with an open view. As soon as he sat down, waiters filed in carrying exquisite fruit platters, pyramid-shaped towers of colorful drinks, and various drinking games, covering the entire table.

Bu Chen walked straight to the middle of the sofa, crossed his long legs, and snapped his fingers to call over a waiter. He tilted his chin toward the blond man. "Take this handsome guy to ring the bell."

"No way, man. I haven't even warmed my seat and you want me to ring the bell? Are you that impatient? Give me a moment to catch my breath." The blond man laughed, exasperated.

The blond man was Aaron, the youngest son of an oil tycoon from Country C. He had called Bu Chen a few days ago saying he wanted to visit Country A to relax, and Bu Chen immediately welcomed him warmly, promising to show him all the fun Talun had to offer until he didn't want to go home.

Bu Chen's love for partying was well known. Aaron hadn't expected his old buddy to have such boundless energy.

He had flown from Country C on an eight-hour private jet and felt a bit tired, wanting to adjust to the time difference and rest. But his buddy said he had just flown in from abroad on a fifteen-hour flight to pick him up and dragged him straight to the nightclub.

"You've already lost eight precious hours of your life. Shouldn't you seize the moment to enjoy yourself?" Bu Chen said, clinking glasses with his younger friend in the limo to Seductive Summer.

Aaron scratched his head. Country A was indeed eight hours ahead of Country C, so he couldn't find a reason to object.

Aaron was a regular at nightclubs too, but lately, he had been overdoing it and wanted to take it easy. Bu Chen was different; he could go three days and nights without rest, always full of energy and radiant—born for the nightlife, really.

"Go on, I've ordered drinks for you. The bell should be rung by an honored guest." Bu Chen gave him a smile and handed Aaron a tablet to see if he wanted to add anything.

Seductive Summer had a great vibe, and Aaron quickly got into the swing of things as soon as he entered, forgetting the time difference. He licked his lips, grinned, and stood up, adjusting his belt. "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

The waiters, accustomed to serving the rich and powerful, immediately bowed and led the way for the young master.

After Bu Chen sat down, the area around his booth was packed with people, and Ruan Ning was pushed far away, unable to hear what was being said. She found a nearby spot and quietly crept over to observe.

Then Aaron walked to the center of the stage, gleefully swinging the huge golden bell dangling above. Clang, clang, clang—a metallic roar filled the hall, and the crowd erupted. People screamed, whistled, and clapped for Aaron like it was a carnival.

Ruan Ning had no idea what was happening. Everyone around her was ecstatic, but she was the only one clueless.

She was about to ask someone nearby when the waiters emerged from the bar carrying trays full of glasses for the ladies, handing them out to everyone they saw.

A waiter spotted Ruan Ning and handed her a glass with a smile. "This is from Young Master Bu. Please enjoy."

So ringing the bell meant buying a drink for all the ladies present!

Ruan Ning's jaw dropped.

Seductive Summer was huge—there were at least a few thousand people here, and most of them were women. The drinks weren't cheap either; a small shot cost at least triple digits. Buying a round for the whole place would probably set one back hundreds of thousands.

Some people really enjoyed playing the role of money god, Ruan Ning marveled internally.

But it didn't take long for her to reconsider.

According to the rules, every girl who accepted a drink had to line up to thank the buyer, so the one ringing the bell could take a look at all the girls at once and invite any who caught his eye to sit and chat.

Isn't this just selecting concubines? Ruan Ning wrinkled her nose in disgust at the belated realization.

Her pride wouldn't allow her to be picked over like this, but if she left outright, her carefully planned reconnaissance would go down the drain.

Ruan Ning let out a long breath and forced herself to endure. On the bright side, toasting him would at least give her a close-up look at Bu Chen. And the hallway was dark, and there were so many girls; no way would Bu Chen remember her. What was there to fear? It was just a toast.

After the bell rang, the dance floor cleared out. Beautiful women all carried their glasses and gathered near the booth to form a line. Ruan Ning also picked up her glass and joined the queue.

The line was so long it twisted around with no end in sight. It was a parade of stunning women, making every man in the place envious. Ruan Ning stood in it, feeling like a thousand bugs were crawling all over her, itching uncontrollably.

She glanced ahead. Most girls walked up to the young masters, said thanks, took a sip, and moved on. A few would flash Bu Chen an extra smile and say, "Thank you, Young Master Bu." So even though the line was long, it moved quickly.

But as time passed, people grew bolder and more daring. The girls began to tease Bu Chen in various ways to grab his attention.

Some brought their own glasses and reversed the gesture, offering him a drink. Others did a little sexy dance before toasting. A few even slipped off their tops to bare their shoulders, leaving Ruan Ning wide-eyed.

These beauties were all breathtakingly gorgeous—at least million-follower influencers if they were online—but Bu Chen remained lazily lounged on the sofa, propping his head with one hand and politely declining, appearing utterly uninterested.

Ruan Ning grew more nervous. This playboy was clearly seasoned, unmoved by all kinds of stunning women. Someone as plain as her—could she even catch his eye?

The line was shrinking fast, and it was almost her turn. Aaron, who had been saying "you're welcome" all night without spotting a single interesting girl, wanted to head back to the hotel. "Bro, the girls tonight are subpar. I'm heading back. No need to call me for late-night snacks."

Bu Chen casually replied to a message on his phone. "You people from Country C are so impatient. We have a saying in Country A: the most delicious ice cream is in the last scoop of the spoon. Have some patience and class, and stop acting like a nouveau riche."

Aaron whined, "Who's a nouveau riche compared to you? Look, I rang the bell, drank the drinks—and what did we get?"

Bu Chen glanced at the remaining crowd and shrugged nonchalantly. Just as he was about to look away, he caught sight of Ruan Ning in the corner of the crowd.

She was fair-skinned and slender, with a slight frown, exuding a quiet, serene aura that stood out as pure and aloof amidst the wanton nightlife.

He had noticed her face when he first entered—a disdainful, mocking expression amid a sea of grinning faces, quite distinctive.

Right now, she was also displeased, her lips turned down, face turned away.

Bu Chen's amber eyes blinked, his gaze lingering for a moment.

"Alright, you go rest. If you're tired, go get some sleep."

Aaron was so annoyed he wanted to punch Bu Chen, but then a toasting beauty beat him to it.

The beauty leaned directly onto Bu Chen, cooing, "Darling, let's drink together."

She was sexy and voluptuous, leaning against Bu Chen's shoulder with a revealing cleavage, one hand with crimson manicured nails sliding into his chest to stroke him. Aaron and the crowd burst into screams and laughter—he loved watching his buddies get teased by gorgeous women.

Hearing the sudden burst of laughter ahead, Ruan Ning turned around in confusion and saw a sexy beauty sitting on Bu Chen's lap, the two of them in a sweet, intimate embrace.

Wh-what was this about?

She covered her mouth in shock, blushing furiously. She wanted to look but was too embarrassed. She saw the beauty take a sip of wine, hold it in her mouth, and slowly lean toward Bu Chen's lips...

Ruan Ning was at a loss for words, watching his reaction nervously.

Bu Chen didn't refuse, letting the beauty approach. The crowd's cheers grew louder.

Just as they were about to touch, Bu Chen suddenly lifted his gaze and shot a teasing, flirtatious look at Ruan Ning.