Chapter Fifteen: I Only Acknowledge Jiang Yunzhu, Not Zhou Qingpei

When Zhou Qingfei reached the door of the private room, she was stopped by the bodyguards.

“Do you have an invitation?”

They were six foot three, faces icy, and their intimidating presence made Zhou Qingfei uneasy.

“No,” she replied, frowning slightly.

The bodyguard looked her up and down with disdain. “Not just anyone gets to see our Mr. Shen.”

It was the first time anyone had spoken to her in such a tone. Zhou Qingfei pressed her palm, her voice lowering, “I’m Shen Ruizhang’s girlfriend. I’ve come to take him home.”

The bodyguard’s face remained cold. “Shen Ruizhang? Oh, so you’re that mistress.”

“You—!”

But this wasn’t the place to make a scene. Zhou Qingfei steadied herself. “Forget it. I’ll call him and have him speak to you—”

But the bodyguard was unmoved.

Frustration flickered across Zhou Qingfei’s face, paling and flushing in turn.

Just then, a playful laugh sounded. “Isn’t this our dear Qingfei? What are you doing out here alone, arms so cold? Don’t tell me you’ve been turned away?”

Zhou Qingfei looked up.

Strolling gracefully down the corridor was her nemesis, Mu Qingqing.

Mu Qingqing approached, feigning intimacy as she linked her arm with Zhou Qingfei’s.

Zhou Qingfei adjusted her clothing, keeping a polite smile. “What brings you here?”

“Why, to have fun, of course,” Mu Qingqing answered, her tone seemingly friendly.

“Why aren’t you inside, Qingfei? It’s freezing out here. Even if the lobby’s heated, you’re dressed so lightly—what if you catch a cold?”

Without waiting for a reply, she pointed at the guarded private room. “Is it this one? You really are on another level—bodyguards at your door. I wish I could reach your status someday.”

Her voice was loud enough to draw attention from passersby.

Someone in the crowd recognized her. “Isn’t that Zhou Qingfei?”

“It really is! My sister adores her. I want her autograph!”

More and more people gathered, and Zhou Qingfei’s smile threatened to crumble.

“Qingqing, aren’t you busy?” she asked.

Mu Qingqing pretended not to hear, laughing. “Just out for fun. Of course we’d greet a senior like you. This private room must be expensive—I heard it’s six figures for a night. Could you take us in to have a look?”

“Yeah, Qingfei, can you show us inside?”

“The crowd’s growing. Qingfei, let’s go in to avoid the attention.”

Zhou Qingfei couldn’t get in herself—how could she take them in?

“You wouldn’t turn us down, would you? You’re always so supportive of newcomers like us. But if you can’t, we understand. We’re not at your level.”

Her pitiful gaze suggested Zhou Qingfei would be looking down on them by refusing.

For the first time, Zhou Qingfei was up against someone matching her own tactics, and the cloying act made her frown.

“A Rui is inside discussing important business. It’s not convenient right now. Next time, I’ll reserve a room myself and invite you all,” she replied calmly.

“Oh? Are you sure it’s not them refusing to let you in?” Mu Qingqing’s words pierced Zhou Qingfei’s composure.

“If you don’t want to invite us, just say so—no need to make excuses.”

“Well, her status is way above ours. Just being polite is already more than we deserve.”

The crowd murmured in agreement.

Zhou Qingfei barely had a chance to explain, and her expression grew darker.

Phones were raised, filming the scene.

Anxiety crept into Zhou Qingfei’s heart.

“Qingqing, I truly don’t know the people inside. A Rui is entertaining guests, got drunk, and I came to take him home,” she explained as gently as possible. With so many cameras, and her public image as the innocent ingénue, she couldn’t afford to lose her temper.

“Qingfei, you’re teasing us again,” Mu Qingqing replied. “Mr. Shen is your boyfriend—he’d never stop you from coming in. He dotes on you. He wouldn’t let you freeze out here.”

Inside the private room.

Shen Ruizhang held his phone, his expression darkening.

The messages he’d sent to Jiang Yunzhu had all gone unanswered.

Outside, the sound of a commotion drifted in.

“Is someone here to pick you up?” Shen Tingxiao crossed his legs, propping his chin on one hand. “It sounds lively out there.”

Shen Ruizhang’s back, previously straight, relaxed slightly.

Jiang Yunzhu had said she wouldn’t come, yet here she was after all.

He instinctively wanted to stand, but glanced at Shen Tingxiao and remained seated.

Jiang Yunzhu’s moods had been unpredictable lately. If it wasn’t her outside, he’d only look foolish in front of Shen Tingxiao.

He considered calling Jiang Yunzhu again, but with Shen Tingxiao watching, it would only make him look worse.

“Perhaps they’re here for me,” Shen Tingxiao said nonchalantly, withdrawing his gaze with a hint of meaning. “I’ll go out and handle it. In the meantime, reach out to your ride.”

Shen Ruizhang, in need of an excuse, welcomed the opportunity.

Shen Tingxiao stood, straightened his collar, and opened the door.

A crowd had gathered outside, but the woman standing before him was unfamiliar.

Well, not entirely unfamiliar.

Zhou Qingfei.

So it wasn’t Jiang Yunzhu after all.

The moment Shen Tingxiao stepped out, the crowd fell silent.

He was tall, with refined, striking features and an air of cool detachment, yet his presence was undeniably commanding.

Even Zhou Qingfei froze for a moment.

“Jiang Yunzhu hasn’t arrived yet?” Shen Tingxiao asked.

Zhou Qingfei realized he was the client in negotiations with Shen Ruizhang. She extended her hand graciously. “Hello, I’m Shen Ruizhang’s girlfriend. I’ve come to take him home.”

Shen Tingxiao ignored her, scanning the crowd. “Where is Jiang Yunzhu?”

His chilly demeanor made it clear Zhou Qingfei was beneath his notice.

Zhou Qingfei was no minor celebrity—since her rise to fame, she had never been so dismissed.

Jiang Yunzhu was just a behind-the-scenes agent, hardly known.

He was doing this on purpose.

But why?