Chapter 15

Ruan Ning shot Bu Chen a resentful glare, but he only returned it with a sly, playful glint in his eyes, his expression lazy and roguish. She didn't know whether to laugh or get angry. While she hesitated, the other rich playboys swarmed over, shouting for her to drink as a penalty.

Though the crowd made a fuss, Ruan Ning was nowhere near having to drink it herself. From the moment she'd entered, the guests had their eyes on this rare beauty, and they'd been waiting all night for her to lose. Now they couldn't wait to drink in her place.

"Pretty lady, give me a kiss and I'll drink it for you."

"Call me 'love brother' and I'll take the penalty for you, okay?"

The rich young men, who'd been baring their teeth moments ago, now had mouths full of chivalrous promises, scrambling to drink on her behalf. The lecherous smirks all around her churned her stomach.

She saw it clearly now—win or lose, it was all just a game the rich played to toy with people. They'd been waiting for her to lose all along, so they could cop a feel and flirt under the guise of helping.

Spotting the smallest glass on the table, she grabbed it, tipped her head back, and downed it in one go, then forced a smile. "As you can all see, I accept my loss."

"Hey, pretty lady, why so standoffish with your brother?" The playboys, their dreams dashed, were reluctant to give up, sighing inwardly at her fiery spirit, and clamored for another round.

Ruan Ning wasn't about to fall for that again. She made an excuse to slip away to the restroom. "Ahem, sorry, I need to use the facilities."

She'd drunk too fast, and her throat was burning. The liquor hadn't hit her yet, but she could already feel her head starting to heat up.

She stared at herself in the mirror. The tears from her coughing fit had smudged the smoky eye makeup, leaving dark shadows the size of soybeans under her lower lashes. An invisible fire burned behind her, proud and disheveled at once.

Angrily, she flicked water at the mirror. Why did Bu Chen have to come butting in? One glass of wine had completely thrown off her rhythm.

She should have been calmly waiting for Bu Chen to get drowsy and then coaxing him away. Instead, he'd gotten her half-drunk before she'd even made a move.

That glass of wine was no joke. Even though she'd taken a hangover pill beforehand, her body was starting to heat up of its own accord. If she couldn't lure Bu Chen to the private room while she was still sober, Ruan Ning couldn't guarantee she'd make it back home unscathed.

The priority now was to take Bu Chen down while she was still clear-headed!

Ruan Ning patted her cheeks and hurried back out. Bu Chen had just left his seat and was standing at the edge of the dance floor on the phone.

Colorful laser lights swept across him, outlining the silhouette of a young, attractive man. His prominent Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke, and Ruan Ning's already-feverish mind grew more dazed.

She scolded herself—she really was drunk, unable to tell what she should and shouldn't be looking at. The fact that she was in this predicament was all Bu Chen's fault. His looks had nothing to do with it.

The earlier rescue had softened her opinion of Bu Chen somewhat. Maybe he wasn't as awful as people said. But tonight's glass of wine had thoroughly extinguished that fantasy.

Bu Chen was no kind-hearted good man. Teasing and trampling on others was his true nature. Even if he occasionally offered small favors, he'd snatch them back with even worse cruelty soon after.

He was a man of fickle whims and deep schemes. No one could truly understand what Bu Chen was thinking, and Ruan Ning didn't intend to try.

She counted the seconds in her head, waiting for his call to end. The moment he hung up, she'd go over and complete her mission with the most straightforward, brutal method.

But Bu Chen's call tonight was unusually long. No sooner had one ended than another began.

Ruan Ning bit her lower lip, stamping her feet in discomfort. Her legs grew weaker, her mouth drier, and even Bu Chen's silhouette began to blur before her eyes.

She waited what felt like an eternity until he finally hung up. Then, clinging to the wall as if walking on cotton, she stumbled over and collapsed against him. "Young Master Bu, ohh... let's have a drink..."

She was too drunk to keep her eyes open. She felt the firm, lean waist under his shirt and leaned on him, whimpering softly.

Bu Chen lowered his gaze, taking a good look at the girl pressed against his chest.

"It's you."

He recognized her at once—the girl who'd fled in a panic a few days ago. Seeing her back in the bar tonight surprised him.

And she seemed more... mature now.

Her delicate features looked even more alluring in the colorful bar lights, her drunken, hazy eyes reflecting the glittering beams. Bu Chen caught a faint, elusive fragrance at his nose.

He steadied the swaying Ruan Ning and smiled. "Miss, are you all right? What did you want to see me about?"

Ruan Ning tilted her head up, her big, watery eyes veiled with a misty layer, like a wronged kitten. "I want to drink with you, okay... just the two of us, privately..."

Bu Chen's lips curled into a smile as he asked unhurriedly, "Oh? Why me? You're already quite drunk. Are you sure you want to keep drinking?"

"Are you coming or not?" Ruan Ning murmured, her eyes unfocused. She gave his chest a weak, angry thump and let out a tiny hiccup that smelled of alcohol.

Any other man would've been charmed silly by her adorable act and agreed in a heartbeat. But Bu Chen kept his mouth shut, showing no signs of relenting.

He helped her up. "Miss, you should get some proper rest."

"Wait!" Ruan Ning panicked. She steeled herself, ready to go all out.

Her eyes flew wide, dominating her small, round face. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his in a feather-light kiss. "...Is that enough?"

Bu Chen: "..."

He studied her closely. Their last parting had been too hasty; this was the first time he'd gotten a good look at her face.

Her makeup was the boldest, most provocative smoky style, slightly smudged—a trace of indulgence. But her lips were unexpectedly soft and supple, brushing against his like dandelion fluff in the wind. Her innocent, clumsy attempt to kiss him made her seem all the more pure, naive... and tempting...

Bu Chen chuckled. "Miss, you really do need a good rest."

When Ruan Ning woke, she found herself lying on the sofa in the living room of a presidential suite. She hastily checked her clothes and bag—thankfully, everything was intact.

The bathroom next door had water running. Ruan Ning, tense, moved quietly and cautiously toward it to investigate. The room was luxuriously furnished, with elegant, expensive items everywhere—a sign that whoever had brought her here was far from ordinary.

She remembered being dead tired, finding Bu Chen with the last shred of her sobriety, and then... nothing.

She'd only meant to close her eyes for a moment, but when she opened them, she was here.

A sense of dread welled up inside her. She checked the time—it was almost midnight. If she couldn't get him drunk properly, her plan would fall through.

Stealthily, she pushed the door open a crack and saw Bu Chen standing with his back to her under the showerhead, on the phone. His posture was serious, as if discussing something important. His words were drowned out by the rushing water, completely inaudible—clearly intentional.

She thought for a moment, then pulled out her phone and quietly opened a new AI app the school had developed, one that could isolate a person's voice among millions of noises and transcribe it into text.

She held out her phone as the words appeared on the screen one by one.

"Need to invite Miss XX. Send the invitation to her home personally. If she doesn't come, the ball today is off."

"Replace all the lilies at the venue this year. Young Master X is allergic to the scent and can't stand the smell."

The app's transcription revealed Bu Chen was arranging the details of a ball. So he was planning the Dark Dance. It figured—it was almost that time, and as the owner, he'd have to put in some effort.

As for Bu Chen, who was usually arrogant and loud, suddenly keeping a low profile for the ball—probably because he'd finally met his match this year. Ruan Ning felt a flicker of schadenfreude.

This year's official ball had invited a number of newly wealthy upstarts, most of them self-made men from humble beginnings. Their defining trait was valuing practical gains over the face-saving of old money.

The wealthy parents were overjoyed at finally securing invitations for their daughters and, fearing their darlings might be slighted at the coming-of-age ceremony, had long since banded together to sue the Dark Dance out of existence. This time they were well-prepared and aggressive, and Bu Chen could no longer ignore it.

Rumors had been circulating that the Dark Dance might be canceled this year. Ruan Ning guessed that with all the public pressure, Bu Chen was trying to keep a low profile.

She certainly didn't believe Bu Chen would give up the cash cow that was the Dark Dance. He'd surely find a way to weather the storm.

Then a new sentence appeared on the screen:

"The Royal Orchestra can't make it? Didn't we work fine together last year?"

"Find a replacement of the same caliber from another country immediately. The prestige must not be lower than the original."

"The Grand Palace updated its heating system this year; no need to worry about that."

"This year's ball theme is art and environmental protection. Are you sure it's appropriate to include controversial luxury items?"

The more Ruan Ning heard, the more uneasy she felt.

Royal Orchestra, Grand Palace— art and environmental protection in a nightclub? That didn't sound right. Unless...

Suddenly, a cold flash cut through her mind. Could it be...?

Then, without warning, Bu Chen turned off the water and stepped out of the bathroom.