Chapter 17: KTV Private Room (1)

After Meng Yier finished unpacking, the evening had already set in. She went up to the rooftop terrace, settled into the hanging chair, and gently rocked back and forth, letting the warm afterglow of the sunset bathe her.

Her phone vibrated. Glancing at it, she saw a message from Yu Mingxin on WeChat, which brought a delighted smile to her face as she picked up her phone.

“Xiao Yi, I heard you’re back in the country?”

Meng Yier quickly tapped out a reply and sent it: “Yes, I am—”

Her phone vibrated again. “I’ve missed you! I’ve made plans with some friends to go sing karaoke tonight. Come with us.”

Yu Mingxin had been Meng Yier’s university classmate, and perhaps because they were both from Sea City, Meng Yier always felt particularly close to her. Over time, the two became the best of friends.

They had both studied at Parsons School of Design. After graduation, Yu Mingxin returned to China, and it had been over a year since they last saw each other, though they kept in constant touch.

Meng Yier’s return was a last-minute decision, and she hadn’t had a chance to tell Yu Mingxin yet. She mused to herself, “That girl is really well-informed—I’ve only just arrived in Sea City, and she already knows. It must have been Gu Yunchen who told her, keeping tabs on me.”

Back in university, Meng Yier and Yu Mingxin had been inseparable. Meng Yier often invited Yu Mingxin over to her home, and from the very first time Yu Mingxin laid eyes on Gu Yunchen, she had fallen for him at once.

Yu Mingxin was a cheerful, outgoing girl. Even after Gu Yunchen had turned her down a few times, she took it in stride. Though she could never quite let go of her one-sided infatuation, she gradually learned to accept being friends with Gu Yunchen, even if her heart could never truly follow suit.

Throughout their college years, Yu Mingxin was practically Gu Yunchen’s informant at school. If anything happened to Meng Yier, Gu Yunchen was always the first to know.

Meng Yier rolled her eyes—her friend was as playful as ever. Her fingers flew over the screen as she typed, “My dear Miss Yu, I’ve only just gotten back! Shouldn’t you let me get over my jet lag first?”

“Come on, please? I really miss you! Besides, I already promised my friends I’d be there tonight—it’d be awkward if I didn’t show. Just keep me company, okay?”

Meng Yier wasn’t particularly interested in going, but it had been so long since she’d seen Yu Mingxin, and she really did miss her. After a moment’s hesitation, she sent another message: “Alright, I’ll wait for you tonight.”

Yu Mingxin replied with a blowing-kiss emoji. Meng Yier smiled softly and locked her phone.

—

A little after eight in the evening, Yu Mingxin arrived at the address Meng Yier had sent her. Meng Yier was already ready and came downstairs to meet her.

The two hadn’t seen each other in ages and were both in high spirits, chatting and laughing all the way there.

Following Yu Mingxin, Meng Yier entered a large private karaoke room. The lighting was somewhat dim, and there were already seven or eight people inside, both men and women. As they stepped in, everyone greeted them warmly.

Yu Mingxin introduced Meng Yier to the group. Seeing how familiar everyone was with each other and that Yu Mingxin was already deep in conversation with another girl, Meng Yier, who knew no one else, felt a bit awkward and found a seat in the corner.

A girl sitting nearby politely handed her a can of beer. Meng Yier smiled, nodded her thanks, and accepted it.

“Thank you—”

The room was lively with people singing and chatting. Meng Yier, feeling somewhat bored, sat alone in the corner sipping her drink. A tall man with glasses came over and sat beside her. He raised his beer to clink glasses. “Miss Meng, hello. My name is Gao Yang. Pleased to meet you.”

Meng Yier looked up and met his gaze. He was studying her closely—a man in his early thirties, with narrow eyes that revealed a sharp intelligence. It was clear at first glance that he was not a simple character.

A chill ran through Meng Yier. She had always liked keeping things simple and disliked dealing with people like this.

She smiled politely. “Hello, Mr. Gao.” With that, she took another sip of her beer.

Gao Yang looked at her with a half-smile, swirling his beer. “If you don’t mind me asking, Miss Meng, what line of work are you in?”

Meng Yier smiled with the same courtesy. “I’ve just returned to the country. For now, I’m unemployed.”

“Miss Meng, I’m the deputy general manager at Yunteng Talent Agency—Gao Yang. You have such an excellent appearance. Would you be interested in working with us?”