Chapter 1
In an instant, the Kinam agarwood prayer beads in his hand uncoiled and lengthened as he flicked them straight toward Xie Qianqian. Under the eerie, pulsing club lights, they flashed past like the shadow of a striking snake, cleanly hooking around the bottom of the liquor bottle. At the very same second, Shen Zhi yanked the other end anchored in his palm back with perfectly measured force. Wrapped in the dark-brown agarwood beads, the bottle flew out of Xie Qianqian’s hand in a flash and hurtled directly toward Huang Huihong.
It all happened too fast for anyone to react. It wasn't until the bottle slammed into Huang Huihong's forehead—splattering liquor all over him before shattering onto the floor into a shower of glass—that the crowd mechanically turned their eyes toward the man who was now nonchalantly reeling his prayer beads back in.
He was wearing a lightweight, off-white linen shirt with a traditional Mandarin overlap collar. His side profile was sharp and three-dimensional, the line extending from the bridge of his nose down to his jawline carved with immaculate precision by the Creator Himself—flawless and refined. Beneath his rimless glasses, his dark eyes were quiet, like a deep, still pool. In the middle of this restless, chaotic environment, he stood completely in a realm of his own—calm, composed, and radiating an effortless, elevated elegance.
Xie Qianqian hadn't even turned around; she was frantically looking everywhere for water. Meanwhile, Huang Huihong clutched his forehead and burst into a string of curses. "Who the f*ck are you? You looking to die?"
Shen Zhi had just looped the Kinam prayer beads back around his palm. He casually raised his eyes to sweep a glance over him. In that moment, a subtle, indescribable sharpness surged within those calm eyes—like a venomous snake sliding over bare skin, sending an involuntary chill down one's spine.
Guan Ming returned after hearing the commotion, only to be shocked at the sight of Shen Zhi standing right in the middle of the crowd. Utterly bewildered, he thought to himself: Didn't he say not to bother? Why did he go out on a limb all by himself to meddle in these kids' business next door?
Just as Guan Ming reached the entrance of the VIP lounge, he happened to catch Huang Huihong's bark: "Who the f*ck are you? You looking to die?"
His expression darkened immediately, and he strode inside. The moment Guan Ming appeared, the entire booth fell silent, and even the staff members lowered their eyes to avoid making contact.
Although everyone in the capital knew that the Shen family's eldest grandson was named Shen Zhi, he had lived abroad for years. Very few people had ever met him in person, so naturally, no one recognized the man standing in front of them.
Guan Ming, however, was a different story. Nobody in their circle didn't know Young Master Guan of the capital.
To these young guys in their early twenties, Guan Ming belonged to an older generation. Furthermore, the Guan family's influence in the capital was far beyond what these ordinary second-generation rich kids could ever dream of touching.
After returning to the country years ago, Guan Ming had steadily expanded into the capital's nightlife, dining, and entertainment sectors. VIX was merely something he had put together out of sheer boredom. With abundant capital, connections, and power behind it, VIX quickly became the capital's premier nightlife venue. Since it was a nightclub, conflicts were bound to break out when people drank too much. Guan Ming had never cared to intervene in the petty, hot-headed drama between these juniors. Unless things spiraled completely out of hand and required staff to handle it, he would never step in personally.
Yet today, Young Master Guan had made a personal appearance, genuinely scaring the daylights out of these wealthy playboys who spent their days squandering money.
The moment he walked in, he patted Shen Zhi on the shoulder, turned to glare at Huang Huihong, and growled word for word, "I think you're tired of living. Do you want me to call your dad over right now to take a good look at your miserable behavior? Do you have any idea who you just crossed?"
Huang Huihong already had a bad premonition the moment he saw Guan Ming. Hearing those words now made cold sweat pour down his back. Pushing through his panic, he quavered, "Brother Guan, what do you mean?"
Shen Zhi's expression had already reverted to its usual indifference. Guan Ming let out a cold sneer. "Get out."
Huang Huihong and his entourage scrambled over one another to rush out of the booth. The manager stepped up to whisper a few words into Guan Ming's ear, giving him a quick debrief of what had happened after Shen Zhi walked over. Guan Ming's expression shifted through a rapid succession of shock and amusement.
He had hung around Shen Zhi for so many years, and this guy always kept phrases like "Troubles arise from getting involved; disasters stem from captivating beauties" on his lips, living with an aura so detached he seemed ready to transcend the mortal realm altogether. He had never seen him stick his neck out for any woman in his life. Did the sun rise from the west today?
Guan Ming immediately gave Xie Qianqian a thorough look from head to toe. Cool, fair skin, almond eyes, and a pert, upturned nose. Her demeanor was icy and sharp, yet her features were exceptionally delicate and charming—a striking contrast that made her quite a captivating young woman. A deep, probing smile touched the corner of Guan Ming's lips. Still... she was a bit on the young side.
Being a smart man, Guan Ming turned to Zhuang Siqian and Xie Qianqian and said, "You two can leave."
Zhuang Siqian asked in total confusion, "What about the compensation?"
Guan Ming shot a teasing glance at Shen Zhi and replied nonchalantly, "I'll put it on his tab."
Xie Qianqian had just downed a bottle of mineral water. Hearing this, she turned around in shock. As she did, her gaze collided straight with Shen Zhi's eyes. He stood right there, less than three meters away from her. His pitch-black eyes possessed a piercing intensity that felt strangely familiar, but her head was spinning too much from the alcohol to figure out where that sense of familiarity came from.
The man clad in white offered no objections to having the multi-million-yuan bill charged to his name. He simply lowered his eyes and smoothed down his cuff, every movement brimming with an untouchable, refined elegance. It was as if three point six million yuan was nothing more than a speck of dust flicked from his finger, not even worth a flutter of his eyelashes.
Zhuang Siqian was just about to turn around and whisper to Xie Qianqian, "Let's slip away quickly!"
Unexpectedly, Xie Qianqian strode straight up to Shen Zhi and said point-blank, "Leave your contact information. I'll have her pay you back later."
The moment those words were spoken, all three people on the receiving end were stunned. Guan Ming stared at Xie Qianqian with amused interest, while Zhuang Siqian was so anxious she wished she could find some duct tape to seal Xie Qianqian's mouth shut.
Shen Zhi raised his eyes slightly to look at the girl before him. Perhaps because she had chugged the water too quickly earlier, droplets had slid down her fair neck and soaked a delicate patch near her collar. She only reached his chest, and from this height difference, a slight downward glance was all it took for him to catch sight of that damp spot nestled beneath her workwear buttons. He averted his gaze almost imperceptibly and murmured, "No need."
"You have too much money to burn?"
"..." Well, I do have quite a bit.
"I still need to thank you for today, but the money definitely has to be repaid. Once she... asks her family for the money, she'll give it back to you."
"..." Which family? The Shen family? Taking money out of my left pocket just to put it back into my right?
Shen Zhi's expression turned enigmatic. Adjusting his rimless glasses, he emphasized once more, "It's really not necessary."
TRANSLATOR'S NOTES
Glossary & Translation Notes:
奇楠手串 (Kinam agarwood prayer beads): Continued from the previous section. Shen Zhi uses his heavy, high-grade agarwood bead strand almost like a whip/weapon to disarm Xie Qianqian and knock the bottle into Huang Huihong.
对襟衫 (Duìjīn shān): A traditional Chinese style shirt with a central, straight opening down the front (often with Mandarin collar or frog buttons). Translated as "a lightweight, off-white linen shirt with a traditional Mandarin overlap collar" to paint a clear, elegant visual for readers.
千忧惹是非、皆因红颜起 (Troubles arise from getting involved; disasters stem from captivating beauties): Adaptively rendered to reflect Guan Ming's perception of Shen Zhi's usual Buddhist/detached philosophy toward romantic entanglements.
"Taking money out of my left pocket just to put it back into my right": Added as an internal thought snippet to preserve the comic irony of Xie Qianqian promising that Zhuang Siqian will pay Shen Zhi back with "her family's money" (which comes from the Shen family itself).
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