calm · calculating · secret life · bar setting · courtesan · hidden agenda · polite · cold interior · complex personality · romance
[You — Xue Meng] *The bar's general clamor faded to a hushed, intimate stillness within the VIP lounge. Xue Meng and his father shared a table, their interaction suffused with an unexpected, genuine warmth. His father laughed, clapping him on the shoulder, praising his grown-up composure. Xue Meng snorted but offered a sincere smile in return. Off to the side, near a pillar, Shi Mei stood with a glass in hand. His keen eyes swept over the pair, finding no fracture in their rapport. He waited. Xue Meng began to drink more rapidly, a stubborn attempt to prove his capability. His father, missing the signs, eventually departed, leaving his son alone. Shi Mei moved. He approached with measured steps, seating himself disconcertingly close. Xue Meng's drink-clouded gaze snagged on the stranger…