Chapter 12: Rich Woman

Chapter 12 The Wealthy Woman

Zhou Zuofei couldn't help but tut. "You're this knowledgeable? You must be a regular here?"

"No, no, just occasionally with friends. I can’t afford to come here regularly—you think I'm rolling in it like Xiao Zhan?" Luo Jing quickly waved his hands in defense. Then he glanced around, making sure their colleagues hadn’t arrived yet, before asking Zhou Zuofei, "Do you know how much his car costs?"

"No idea, but I know for sure I can’t afford it."

"Well, it’s not that absolute." Luo Jing did a quick calculation and said seriously, "If you work for ten years without spending a single penny, you might have a shot."

Zhou Zuofei fell silent. She knew Zhan Zilang came from a wealthy family, but the harsh reality was still jarring.

In that case, Zhan Zilang was actually quite hardworking.

If she were born into a family like his, why would she even bother working? As long as she avoided bad habits, she’d never have to worry about food or drink for the rest of her life.

"Is this the gap between people…?"

"Don’t lose heart, you still have a chance," Luo Jing comforted her. "I just talked to him—he’s still single. Put in some effort, and maybe you could become a trophy wife."

Since joining the company, Zhou Zuofei’s desk had always been next to Luo Jing’s, and he had often helped her when she first started. Their relationship was pretty good.

So when he said something like that, she didn’t get angry. Instead, she shot back, "How do you know he’s straight? Maybe you should ask—you might have a chance too."

Luo Jing let out a dry laugh. "At that level of rich? I'd swing that way too."

"Great, then go for it. Just remember—when you hit the jackpot, don’t forget me!"

Right then, Zhan Zilang returned from parking the car. Zhou Zuofei made like she was going to ask him something, which startled Luo Jing.

"Hey, Xiao Zhan, I have a question for you—"

*Cough, cough, cough!* Luo Jing started coughing violently while pulling Zhou Zuofei back, giving her pleading looks. "Don’t, don’t!"

"Huh? What’s going on?" Zhan Zilang looked at the two of them, baffled by their weird act. "What are you talking about? I don’t get it."

Luo Jing quickly covered it up, trying to brush it off. "Nothing, nothing, we were just messing around."

Zhou Zuofei snorted but didn’t actually plan to ask. Scaring him was enough—some things were better left alone.

When the remaining three colleagues arrived,

the group entered the bar together. Zhou Zuofei thought the so-called most upscale bar in town didn’t live up to the hype—at least, she’d seen more impressive setups in games.

Still, compared to the bars she’d visited with Du Yu before, New World had the best aesthetic.

The moment the waiter saw Zhan Zilang, he addressed him as "Master Zhan" and led them to the prime booth near the stage with the clearest view.

After Zhan Zilang gave a few instructions, the waiter went to prepare.

Seeing how smoothly they interacted, Zhou Zuofei remarked, "No wonder you’re so familiar with the Jiang family’s affairs—you must come with your friends often."

"Not really. It’s just that my friends like coming here, so I tag along."

"So those bottles you have on reserve—are they also for your friends?"

Zhan Zilang explained earnestly, "Actually, no. Back then, I got tired of others always footing the bill, so I got a VIP card. Truth is, I haven’t been here in a while. If you guys hadn’t mentioned it today, I would’ve forgotten about the stored drinks."

The group egged him on, "Don’t sweat it—we'll drain those bottles tonight!" "Yeah, in your dreams!"

Zhan Zilang also joked, "Nobody leaves till we finish these drinks tonight."

The waiter quickly brought over the drinks and fruit platter. Zhou Zuofei had a low alcohol tolerance—just one can of beer would make her dizzy—so she never drank outside. She simply picked at snacks and fruit from time to time, watching the show with relish.

Just as she was engrossed in the show, her colleague Qiao Qi, sitting beside her, leaned in and whispered, "Xiao Zhou, when do you plan to head back?"

Zhou Zuofei turned and saw her looking bored out of her mind. Qiao Qi had joined Universal two years earlier than her and hardly ever spoke up at work.

Now, she wasn’t chatting with other colleagues or keeping herself busy like Zhou Zuofei, but instead sat awkwardly.

Zhou Zuofei checked the time—it was just past eight—and after a moment’s thought, replied, "Around nine, I guess."

Qiao Qi quickly agreed, "Then I’ll leave at nine too."

Zhou Zuofei, understanding her discomfort, said, "Qiao-jie, if you have something to do, you can leave first. It’s fine—no one’ll miss us."

Qiao Qi was clearly tempted, hesitating over whether to take Zhou Zuofei’s advice. After some internal struggle, she still chose not to be the odd one out.

She gave Zhou Zuofei a timid, tight-lipped smile. "It’s alright, I’ll stay a bit longer with everyone."

"Alright, then let’s stay a little more. Try the fruit—their watermelon’s super sweet."

Later that evening, Zhou Zuofei suddenly needed to use the restroom. As soon as she stood up, Qiao Qi asked with concern, "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No need, I’ll be right back."

Following the signs, Zhou Zuofei wound through the corridor, done up like a fashion show, before finally finding the restroom.

On her way back, she wondered if she might get lost—and sure enough, she took a wrong turn.

The bar’s decor was totally confusing, with mirrored panels and dim lighting making the place seem like a maze. For someone visiting for the first time, it was hard to navigate.

As she tried to retrace her steps, she suddenly heard a conversation up ahead.

A man’s voice spoke first: "Sorry, Ms. Jiang, I’m cutting it close. I’ve got a performance soon, so I can’t chat for long."

His voice was distinctive, smooth as silk, instantly catching Zhou Zuofei’s attention.

She thought to herself, *What a shame he isn’t a voice actor with a voice like that.*

"Why do you always leave as soon as you see me?" A woman’s voice followed, sounding young but sharp, carrying an imposing tone.

"Not at all, Ms. Jiang. I really am running out of time."

"Then quit this job. I’ll open a bar for you—you can sing as long as you want. How about that?"

*Who is this sugar mama?!*

Hearing such a domineering statement, Zhou Zuofei immediately pictured a wealthy woman decked out in diamonds and a fur coat.

Unconsciously, her ears perked up.

"Ms. Jiang, please don’t put me on the spot. I just want to do my job well."

"If you only treat this as a job, then it’s even more unfair." The woman’s tone softened slightly, though she still sounded displeased. "Last time, you went out with Susu, but when I invite you, you refuse. That’s so unfair—I come here way more often!"

"That was because it was Miss Ruan’s birthday. If you invited me for your birthday, of course I’d go. But I’ve got rehearsals most days, so it’s really not convenient."

From the conversation, Zhou Zuofei put two and two together: the regular and the talent were likely trying to get cozy with each other, but he wasn’t having it.

After understanding the relationship between the two, Zhou Zuofei's curiosity quickly shifted from wondering what was happening to wanting to see what the people involved looked like.

Just how handsome must this guy be to make a wealthy woman so eager to open a bar for him?

The man was politely refusing, but the woman kept pushing harder.

"You don’t need to worry about anything. I just enjoy spending money on you—it’s not like I’m forcing you to do anything. I love listening to you sing and just want to hear you sing more for me. What’s the big deal?"

As she moved forward, Zhou Zuofei finally got a clear look at the two people in the distance.

Both were drop-dead gorgeous. The girl was dressed exquisitely, dripping with money, and looked even younger than Zhou Zuofei. The boy, on the other hand, wore all black—black clothes, black shoes—with wine-red short hair and numerous metallic accessories. His looks and style were just like a hot celebrity.

When the two noticed Zhou Zuofei, they clammed up at the same time, as if hoping she would leave quickly.

Zhou Zuofei couldn’t help but grumble inwardly: *If you don’t want others eavesdropping on your drama, why choose such a public hallway to talk in?!*

She put on a stone-faced look, pretending not to care, and tried to walk past them as quickly as possible.

Just as she was about to pass by, her gaze accidentally met the red-haired boy’s.

He was so ridiculously good-looking that Zhou Zuofei hadn’t gotten a good look at his face earlier.

Now that she was closer, she noticed he had peach-blossom eyes (a romantic, doe-eyed look)—bright, slightly downturned at the corners—that gave off a flirty, smoldering look even when his expression was neutral.

Zhou Zuofei had never seen a real person who looked like this before and couldn’t stop staring.

The boy, clearly used to such reactions, checked out her clothes and quickly concluded she wasn’t a regular customer but rather a regular 9-to-5 type.

It hit him suddenly. He smiled at Jiang Meiluo and said, "Actually, Miss Jiang, since we’ve known each other for so long, there’s something I should tell you."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Well... I have a girlfriend."