From the moment Bai Zhou saw Ji Fanyin alighting from another man's car the other day, he figured that she had found a man.
Whatever Ji Fanyin was up to was none of his business, but it was clear from her attire that day that she was impersonating Ji Xinxin, which left Bai Zhou no choice but to suspect that she was going around cheating others using Ji Xinxin's name.
Big sis' reputation is at stake here.
So, he got a PI to look into it. It was one thing for Ji Fanyin to flirt with Ji Xinxin's university classmate, but to think that she would actually hook up with Song Shiyu too!
This was the very Song Shiyu who had confessed his love to Ji Xinxin not too long ago!
Bai Zhou was infuriated by the turn of affairs. Despite his still damp hair, he immediately climbed onto his motorcycle and sped his way toward the address sent to him by the PI. He looked almost like a cuckolded husband rushing to a hotel room to catch his adulterous wife in the act.
At the entrance of the bar, a jacked bouncer stepped forward and stopped him. "We don't allow minors in."
Bai Zhou frowned. He snapped a shot of the bouncer's work pass and made a call.
"Hey, Hua Zi. Your family owns K+ Bar, right? Get one of your men to bring me in."
It was not that Bai Zhou couldn't use an even more forceful method to barge in, but that would have been too conspicuous. He didn't want to risk having Song Shiyu and Ji Fanyin learn of his arrival and make an escape in advance. That would render his trip futile.
So, he made a call to an acquaintance, a 'young master' whom he remembered was affiliated with this bar, instead.
Soon, a manager dressed in a suit walked out to bring him in.
The manager welcomed Bai Zhou with a warm smile. "It's an honor to have you here with us today, young master Bai. Would you like me to prepare a compartment room for you today?"
"I'm here to find someone," said Bai Zhou coldly as he glanced at the intoxicated gents and ladies sitting inside the bar. "Where's Song Shiyu?"
The manager was a little taken aback by that question. He asked carefully, "You're here to find Mr. Song?"
"That's right. Did a beautiful lady enter this bar a moment ago to look for him?" sneered Bai Zhou.
Realization struck the manager.
Ah, he has been cuckolded and is here to catch the adulterous couple. Looks like money isn't enough to retain the heart of a woman.
With such thoughts in mind, he said, "Mr. Bai, I'm afraid I can't divulge our customer's information to you. Why don't I get someone to..."
Bai Zhou was in no mood to listen to his rambles. "I'm already being very patient here. Don't test me."
The manager was put on the spot. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mr. Song is someone whom we can't afford to offend. Why don't I bring you to the CCTV room to take a look instead? You can talk to Mr Song once they are done with their meeting. What do you think?"
Bai Zhou was so anxious to see what shady stuff Song Shiyu and Ji Fanyin were up to that he agreed to the plan right away.
The manager heaved a sigh of relief before bringing Bai Zhou over to the CCTV room.
Humans tended to lose their rationality when drunk, so bars had to be filled with CCTV cameras as a security measure. There was no way a bar as well-known as K+ would slip up on this aspect.
The CCTV room was much quieter than the outside. Bai Zhou walked up to the cluster of screens and began browsing through them to look for Song Shiyu and Ji Fanyin.
The manager was much more experienced than him. It took him only a brief moment before he pointed to one of the screens and said, "There."
Bai Zhou immediately turned his gaze over. The image was slightly blurry, but he could tell right away that the duo sitting side by side in the compartment room were none other than Ji Fanyin and Song Shiyu.
They were really meeting up here!
Bai Zhou's first instinct was to rush into the compartment room and beat them up, but he suddenly thought of something.
Since Song Shiyu has demeaned his feelings for big sis by projecting it onto Ji Fanyin instead, that would make him unqualified to court her anymore. Even if he's just fooling around for the time being, it would still affect big sis' impression of him once she learns about this.
I shouldn't interrupt them. Instead, I should let them meet up with one another more often and capture more evidence of their affair.
Bai Zhou took out his phone and began videotaping the CCTV footage of Song Shiyu and Ji Fanyin. There was no way Song Shiyu would be able to talk his way out of this with such concrete evidence.
The manager stood quietly behind Bai Zhou, pretending as if he couldn't see anything at all.
A while later, Bai Zhou started to feel a little exhausted. He pulled a chair over and took a seat, seemingly resolved to camp it out here. At the same time, he instructed the manager, "Bring me something to drink."
The two of them are likely going to be in there for an hour at minimum. I can't miss even a single frame of them.
The manager quickly brought a few bottles of beer over. Bai Zhou popped one open and began gulping it down while staring intently at the screen.
As he looked at the footage, he started feeling a sense of incongruence.
Why do Ji Fanyin's movements and gestures resemble big sis so much?!
...
"You shouldn't drink so much. It's not good for your body," Ji Fanyin advised.
She could already tell that Song Shiyu was slightly intoxicated over the phone, and it didn't seem like he had stopped drinking while she was making her way over. Even under the dim lights of the compartment room, it was obvious that his face was reddened.
Of course, she wouldn't mind if Song Shiyu were to knock himself out—that would be extremely convenient for her.
It was just that 'Ji Xinxin' would try to stop him.
Song Shiyu was currently drinking a bottle of Hennessy. There was a pail filled with ice on the table, but he hadn't even bothered to touch it at all. He poured the 40% brandy into his cup and downed it over and over again as if it was no more than iced red tea.
He was just about to pour his next cup when Ji Fanyin suddenly moved the wine bottle away from him. She asked softly, "If there's something on your mind, why don't you tell me about it? I might not be able to solve your problems, but it'll at least make you feel better."
When Song Shiyu's outreached hand failed to grab hold of the wine bottle, he raised his head to look at Ji Fanyin. He listened quietly to her words before suddenly asking a seemingly unrelated question, "... Why did you have to go to France?"
Needless to say, it's because she'd already had her fair share of fun rearing fishes here, so she decided to expand her fishery business overseas.
Ji Fanyin smiled softly. While passing Song Shiyu a glass of water, she circumvented the question and replied, "Aren't I here with you now?"
Song Shiyu didn't accept the glass of water. He obstinately asked the same question again, "Why did you go to France?"
Realizing that he wouldn't let this matter rest until he received his answer, Ji Fanyin took some time to ponder before answering, "There are too many incredible people around me. I wish to become as incredible as them... as incredible as you. I don't want to be left in the dust. I don't want to just watch your backs from behind."
"... But all I can see now is your back."
Song Shiyu snatched the wine bottle over and silently poured himself half a cup. He raised his head and gulped it down.
"Aren't I already back now?" Ji Fanyin sighed softly. "Are you unwilling to wait for me?"
Song Shiyu raised his head and looked at her with sombreness in his eyes. "Why should I wait for someone who doesn't even like me?"
How would I know what you all are thinking of? Even elementary schoolers nowadays know that spare tyres are doomed to end in tragedy!
"If you have feelings for me too, I'm more than willing to wait for you." Song Shiyu stared at her intently. "But only if you do."
Ji Fanyin met his eyes with an enigmatic smile sitting on her lips. "You wish for me to reciprocate your feelings?"
Song Shiyu twirled the wine cup on the table before finally making up his mind. He nodded affirmatively and said, "Yes, that's right."
He paused for a moment before adding, "I want Ji Xinxin to like Song Shiyu."
Ji Fanyin jotted down this service request in her mind before replying, "Very well."
Song Shiyu continued staring at her anxiously, almost as if he was silently urging her to get on with it.
Ji Fanyin immediately made adjustments to fulfill her client's request.
"I..." She lowered her gaze slightly, almost as if she was embarrassed by his intense stare. She bit her lips softly for a moment before she finally found the courage to reveal her feelings. "... I like you too. It's just that my studies are also important to me. I want to be able to stand alongside you as an equal. Can you forgive me for my selfishness?"
Song Shiyu's slightly intoxicated eyes seemed to gleam even brighter than before.
"How could I possibly stay angry at you?" he said with a deep sigh. "I feel like I'd even forget my own name with just a smile from you."
Perhaps it was because his greatest woe had been temporarily resolved, Song Shiyu soon fell asleep on the sofa.
It wasn't midnight yet, so Ji Fanyin poured herself a cup of water and waited patiently beside Song Shiyu for the strike of midnight.
Most people would instinctively reach for their phones when they had nothing to do, but Ji Fanyin quietly swirled the glass of water in her hand, seemingly hatching a devious plan.
During this period of time, Song Shiyu mumbled some sleep talk, but Ji Fanyin gently loosened the tight wrinkles on his forehead and whispered softly, "Don't worry and sleep. I'm right beside you."
The semi-conscious Song Shiyu tried to grab her hand, but she skillfully dodged it.
Soon, the countdown alarm rang.
Ji Fanyin quickly took out her phone and silenced the alarm. Thanks to her swift response, Song Shiyu wasn't jolted awake by the noise.
Now that her working hours were finally over, her expression immediately loosened up. She leaned back on to the sofa leisurely and pressed the service button to settle the bill.
As a special service for an important client, the least she could do for him was to pay on his behalf first and put it on his tab. Otherwise, she would have to go through the trouble of reaching into his pocket and grabbing his wallet.
"Are you leaving?" The waiter was at a loss for words upon realizing that Ji Fanyin was intending to abandon her companion and leave alone. "What about Mr. Song..."
"Call a valet for him. You can put it under his tab, he won't shirk payment," said Ji Fanyin. "Do you know where he lives? I can give you his address if you need it."
She spoke with such natural grace that the waiter went along with her without any hesitation, almost as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"It's fine, we do have the addresses of our members in the system..."
"Good." Ji Fanyin directed a nod toward the waiter. Before walking out of the compartment room, she shot a meaningful look at the CCTV camera.
As soon as she walked out, Bai Zhou charged out of the CCTV room to chase after her. However, he'd had too much to drink and found himself unable to walk straight. In the end, he only managed to stop her right after she got into her car.
Ji Fanyin was in the midst of putting on the seatbelt when he knocked on her door. She lowered her car windows and asked calmly, "Young master Bai, you came here for a drink too?"
"Don't put on that innocent act with me," sneered Bai Zhou. He dangled his phone before her and said, "I've already recorded the little tryst you had with Song Shiyu earlier."
"Oh?" Ji Fanyin chuckled softly. "What did you manage to get on camera?"
Bai Zhou clicked his tongue disdainfully. "I've never seen anyone as desperate as you to become a substitute. What can Song Shiyu give you? You should know better than anyone that the one he likes isn't you."
"He can give me money." Ji Fanyin was amused by the question from the young lad. "Didn't I tell you the other day that I was working?"
After saying her piece, Ji Fanyin lightly pushed off the arm Bai Zhou was resting on her lowered car window. The latter immediately retracted his arm upon her touch, almost as if he was disgusted by her. This allowed her to roll up her car window.
With a smile, she bade him farewell with a wave of her hand, saying, "It's a breach of my professionalism to compromise the privacy of my client. You should ask Song Shiyu if you're that curious."
Word-of-mouth advertising from a satisfied customer would be far more effective than a shameless self-promotion, right?