There are no dazzling lights that hurt your eyes, only two kinds of soft light rotating back and forth, accompanied by jazz music playing in the store, which creates a quiet atmosphere that is different from other bars.
The store was mostly full, and if you paid a little attention, you would find that most of the people sitting there were women, and they were all wealthy and influential women.
"Hey, the boss's here?" Some customers greeted Lan Xing in a very open and friendly manner.
"Sister Hua, you're here early today. Did you bring a new friend?"
"Yes, it was so difficult to get an appointment."
"This is my fault, Amu. Give Sister Hua three cups of the new drink on this table, it's free." Lan Xing was usually carefree, but he had exceptionally high emotional intelligence and immediately picked up on the complaint in Sister Hua's words.
As expected, Sister Hua beamed with joy upon hearing this. The two chatted about various things, but when Sister Hua asked about Meng Wan, Lan Xing didn't introduce her and instead changed the subject.
Many people were watching Lan Xing's every move, and just when they thought the two were just having a superficial friendship, Lan Xing put his arm around Meng Wan's shoulder, making his protective intentions all the more obvious.
Ordinary white-collar workers are unaware of Lan Xing's identity. Some socialites come for the atmosphere, but there are also those who come to befriend Lan Xing. Lan Xing deliberately puts on a show for these people.
So what if the Tang family changed their eldest daughter? She is the only heir of the Lan family. Anyone with a brain should weigh the pros and cons.
Which of the famous entertainment venues in the capital doesn't belong to the Lan family? At least 80% of their business deals are made on Lan family territory. If the Lan family holds a grudge, changing venues is a minor matter; if their status drops, their value will plummet as well.
Having achieved their objective, Lan Xing led Meng Wan upstairs to the second floor. The second floor consisted of small, private rooms, not very large, that could only accommodate 2-4 people. Too many people would make it noisy and ruin the atmosphere.
One side of the private room had a one-way glass window, allowing a view of the first floor from the second floor. The waiter turned the air conditioning to a comfortable temperature, placed fruit platters and drinks on the table for the two of them, and then left.
"It's almost time. I specially recruited him. His voice is quite distinctive, and most importantly, he's handsome enough. He's brought me quite a few clients in the week he's been here."
Meng Wan nodded, then realized that she seemed to have forgotten something.
What's the date today?
"30, what's wrong?"
"No, I forgot something, but it's nothing serious." Meng Wan took a sip of her drink, pondering something in her mind.
Lan Xing wanted to ask one more question, but the music playing in the store suddenly stopped, and there was a bit of a commotion downstairs, but overall it was still quiet. Some of the more exaggerated noises were quickly calmed down by the waiters.
"That's so exaggerated?" Meng Wan raised an eyebrow and looked down.
"That's right, thanks to him, the turnover is much higher than before, and it has also attracted a lot of new customers."
Meng Wan did not answer, and the two looked outside together.
The light shone on the man's silver hair, giving it a gleaming glow. At first, the light was quite strong, and Meng Wan could only make out a blurry outline. But when the guitar music started, the light softened, and Meng Wan finally saw his face clearly.
"Meng Zhilian?"
"You know him?" Lan Xing looked at Meng Wan, somewhat surprised.
"My third brother." Meng Wan remained calm, glancing at him before looking away.
"Third Brother?" Lan Xing raised an eyebrow, then turned her gaze to Meng Zhilian, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing. "What a coincidence?"
Didn't you do a background check beforehand?
"No, I just saw some trouble at his bar that day, and I helped out without looking over. Who knew it would cause him to get his wages docked, so I poached him along the way."
Lan Xing spoke casually, but it was in line with her personality. Meng Wan was used to it and was about to give some advice when Meng Zhilian patted the microphone, drawing everyone's attention to him.
Meng Wan looked over and saw Meng Zhilian with his eyes lowered, gently plucking the strings. Meng Wan couldn't see Meng Zhilian's expression, but she inexplicably felt that he was shrouded in a kind of gentleness, completely different from the rebellious look she had when they first met.
Meng Zhilian's voice was deep and magnetic, and his posture was casual and languid. Paired with a soothing love song, it sounded like he was whispering to his lover. The tavern gradually quieted down, with only occasional hushed conversations.
Beautiful things are especially pleasing, whether it's a sound or a person. Some people know how to keep their distance, while others like to pluck them and possess them.
After only two songs, a commotion broke out below. The soothing music was forced to stop, many guests began to complain, and the troublemakers continued to point and whisper. Meng Zhilian, however, seemed unconcerned, holding his guitar and remaining quietly seated in his seat, not even raising his eyes.
At this moment, he lost the gentleness he exuded when singing, instead radiating a cold indifference that kept strangers at bay.
Meng Wan and Lan Xing exchanged a glance. The latter made a gesture and went downstairs, while Meng Wan stayed in the private room to watch everything that happened below.
"What's going on?" Lan Xing reassured the surrounding guests before walking toward the waiter.
"The customer has had two drinks and is now insisting that Zhilian come down and have a drink with her, saying that if he comes down, he will order the most expensive wine in the store."
Lan Xing frowned upon hearing this, "Didn't you tell her that the shop doesn't have these kinds of random hostesses?"
“We explained, but the customer wouldn’t listen to us at all. We tried to ask her to leave, but every time we touched her, she would record us on her phone and say she would sue us for harassment.”
Upon hearing this, Lan Xing laughed instead. "I've only ever heard of perverted men, I never thought there were perverted women! This is truly an eye-opener. Alright, you can all go now. Soothe the customers, give them discounts where appropriate, and waive their meals where possible."
The waiter was about to say something, but seeing Lan Xing counting on his fingers, tilting his head, and looking excited, he chose to shut up, waved to the other two waiters, and went to appease the guest.
"He's just a liquor seller, what's the difference between him and other shops! Make him come down! It's just money, we can have as much as you want, why bother singing? Come down and sing for me, I'll make sure you eat and drink well."
Lan Xing looked at the two empty bottles of wine on the table. The alcohol content wasn't high, but it had a strong aftereffect. No wonder she was so drunk after chugging two bottles. Although she still took the money, it didn't stop her from feeling sorry for the two bottles of good wine that had been wasted.
"Hey, guest." With just one glance, Lan Xing understood what was going on. Her husband was cheating on her, so she only dared to come here to drown her sorrows and cause trouble, not even caring about the shame.
The other person was still holding a bottle of wine. After the waiter left, she tried to go up on stage, but Lan Xing blocked her way. Li Ying squinted at Lan Xing, and Lan Xing also looked her over, her gaze indifferent, clearly not taking Li Ying seriously, and even showing some disdain.
Li Ying is not old, but her tacky outfit makes her look several years older. She has a heavy white foundation, bright red lips, a leopard print scarf and handbag, and gold jewelry hanging on her hands, neck, and everywhere else she can wear jewelry.
This is at least in China. If this happened abroad, it would be like telling the robbers, "I'm super rich, come and rob me."
Looking at her nouveau riche attire, Lan Xing felt a pain in his eyes.
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