LHKE Ch10

The biggest takeaway from the vacation was exchanging phone numbers with Lu Changting and adding each other on WeChat. However, Shen Li quietly stayed in Lu Changting’s WeChat contact list, repeatedly scrolling through his moments but not daring to even like a post.

Lu Changting was busy with work and hadn’t come back to “Gu Jiu”.

Shen Li continued with his usual routine: checking on the bar at night, catching up on sleep during the day, and balancing the books at home on weekends. Occasionally, he would go out with Cheng Zhao.

March passed, and it was the rainy season around the Qingming Festival. By the time the weather cleared up, it was mid-April.

Shen Li went to the bar as usual. Just after taking a sip of tea, a waiter came down from a private room on the second floor, holding a tip and a small bottle of something unknown, and reported to him, “Boss, the guest in ‘Qingyu An’ gave me this and asked me to put it in the drink.”

Shen Li raised his eyebrows, “What kind of people are in ‘Qingyu An’?”

“The one who gave me the item is the second young master of the Fan family. The others look like unfamiliar faces,” the waiter said truthfully, bowing his head. “There are about twenty or thirty young men and women. When the second young master spoke, he discreetly glanced at the girl sitting in the corner.”

Second young master of the Fan family… Shen Li frowned.

The Fan family runs an entertainment company. They have one legitimate heir, Fan Jingling, while the second young master, Fan Jingsheng, is an illegitimate child. However, Fan Jingling is eccentric and moody, with a bad reputation for keeping celebrities, so Fan’s father favors the second son more. It’s uncertain who will inherit the family’s wealth in the future.

The outside world views Fan Jingsheng as a refined and elegant person, but it seems he resorts to such despicable means.

Shen Li despised people who targeted girls in bars, and he wouldn’t give Fan’s family any face just because of this. “Tell Le An to put it in the drink and bring it over. I’ll check it out.”

“Qingyu An” was a large private room. When Shen Li opened the door, the flashing and swaying lights made him squint. A group of young people was playing wildly, singing and dancing like a chaotic dance of demons, which made him frown.

A young man with a refined appearance stood up, behaving courteously, “Boss Shen.”

Several girls were sitting on the sofa in the corner. The young girl in the center also stood up with a joyful smile on her face, “Brother Shen!”

She stepped out from the shadows into the light, with a simple makeup and outfit, but her good temperament was hard to conceal.

Shen Li was a little surprised, “Changge?” He glanced around the room and felt that everyone there had ill intentions towards Lu Changge. “Are you here with friends?”

“A school reunion,” Lu Changge replied with a smiling face, standing beside him. “What about you? What brings you here?”

“Didn’t your brother tell you?” Shen Li asked warmly, “I’m the owner of ‘Gu Jiu’.”

Their close conversation caused a trace of displeasure in the eyes of the man standing next to them, “Changge, I didn’t know you were acquainted with Boss Shen.”

“Second young master.” Shen Li seemed to just notice him and politely nodded, “I didn’t know you brought friends to have fun. I’m sorry for not treating you well. Tonight’s drinks are on me, please enjoy yourselves.”

The waiter came in with two glasses of wine. He first handed one to Shen Li with his left hand and then leaned close to Shen Li’s ear while handing the second glass with his right hand, saying softly, “Boss, the girl the second young master was eyeing earlier is the one next to you.”

Shen Li took the wine, the smile on his face deepened but didn’t reach his eyes.

“Let me propose a toast to you.” He naturally handed the second glass to Fan Jingsheng, “Second young master, please show some courtesy.”

It was rare for the boss of “Gu Jiu” to personally offer an apology, and there was a hint of pride in Fan Jingsheng’s eyes. However, he quickly remembered what he had instructed the waiter to do, and considering Shen Li’s relationship with Lu Changge, he couldn’t be sure if the waiter had followed through or if Shen Li knew about it. As he looked at the glass of wine in his hand, a sense of unease crept in.

But with so many classmates watching, it was hard for him to refuse. Plus, as the young master of the Fan family, Shen Li likely wouldn’t embarrass him in public. After a slight hesitation, Fan Jingsheng accepted the drink and clinked glasses with Shen Li, “Thank you, Boss Shen.”

Fan Jingsheng had organized this class reunion. Although he was well-liked by teachers and classmates during high school, Lu Changge always found him hypocritical and never liked him much. She wasn’t particularly close to him. The only reason she attended this reunion was to catch up with some good friends she hadn’t seen in a while, as it was difficult to gather everyone together.

Hearing Fan Jingsheng chatting with Shen Li, she pursed her lips, feeling a bit sorry for Shen Li’s drink. Fan Jingsheng had claimed that he would cover all the expenses for the night, so she felt he should have paid for it himself, especially since the Fan family was wealthy.

After finishing his drink, Fan Jingsheng noticed that Shen Li had no intention of leaving. The two engaged in idle chat, but the longer they talked, the more uneasy Fan Jingsheng felt. Gradually, he started to feel warm, almost as if he were drunk. Realizing something was off with his body, his anxiety grew. However, mindful of the image he had carefully cultivated, he didn’t dare to show any weakness in front of everyone. Trying to maintain his composure, he said, “Boss Shen, I… excuse me, I need to go to the restroom.”

Shen Li smiled as he placed a hand on Fan Jingsheng’s shoulder and called out to the others, “Everyone, feel free to continue. I’ll accompany the second young master to the main hall for a bit.” He then firmly pressed down on Fan Jingsheng’s shoulder, leading him out of the private room.

The room was lively with music, and most people didn’t clearly hear the exchange between Fan Jingsheng and Shen Li. Only Lu Changge, who was standing nearby, found their conversation a bit odd and contradictory, so she followed them out.

Two burly security guards were waiting at the door. As soon as Shen Li brought Fan Jingsheng out, they immediately restrained him on either side.

“What are you doing, Boss Shen…?” Fan Jingsheng struggled, his face beginning to flush unnaturally. He hadn’t expected Shen Li to actually dare to offend the Fan family, and his heart was filled with panic and anger. “What did you give me to drink?! Let go of me, what are you planning to do?”

Shen Li calmly took out a tissue from his pocket and slowly wiped his hands. “Second young master, isn’t it interesting how you’re asking me that? Weren’t you the one who instructed the waiter to add something to the drink?”

“You should know exactly what I gave you to drink.”

“Shen Li!” Fan Jingsheng shouted in rage, “How dare you!”

Shen Li raised his hand, not bothering to waste more words. “Strip him and throw him out. Put up a sign at the entrance saying ‘Fan Jingsheng and dogs are not allowed inside.’ Hmm… on account of Changge, take it down after three days.”

“Shen Li, you’re crazy! How dare you offend the Fan family.” Fan Jingsheng turned to Lu Changge, dropping his gentlemanly façade and revealing his true, spiteful nature. “Lu Changge, you know! You colluded with him, damn it, you—”

Before he could say anything worse, the two security guards gagged him and efficiently dragged him down the stairs through the emergency exit.

“Brother Shen…” Lu Changge looked at Shen Li, bewildered, and asked, “What happened to Fan Jingsheng?”

“Silly girl,” Shen Li tapped her forehead lightly. “He tried to drug you, so I made him drink the spiked drink instead.”

Although Lu Changge had been well-protected by her family, she wasn’t completely naive. Hearing Shen Li’s explanation, she quickly understood, and her face turned pale.

Shen Li softened his tone, completely different from the detached manner he had used when ordering Fan Jingsheng to be thrown out. “It’s okay now. Everything’s been taken care of.” He then asked, “Do you want to go back to your classmates or head home?”

“…I don’t feel like it anymore.” This was her first time encountering something like this. Even though nothing happened, she still felt scared and uneasy.

“How about some honey grapefruit tea?” Shen Li wasn’t particularly skilled at comforting girls. The only things he was good at were mixing drinks and making honey grapefruit tea.

He could also stay with Lu Changge in the main hall downstairs, ensuring that she could relax and have a good time.

Lu Changge’s expression finally eased, and her tone grew a bit more cheerful. “Yes, please, with extra sugar.”

Shen Li took Lu Changge to the bar, rolled up his sleeves to wash his hands, and made her a cup of honey grapefruit tea. He added a slice of lemon from Le An’s pre-cut garnishes to the glass, inserted a straw, and handed it to Lu Changge.

“So quick,” Lu Changge remarked as she took a tentative sip. She expected it to be hot, but it was pleasantly warm and very soothing.

“The honey grapefruit tea is pre-prepared and stored in sealed jars in the fridge. When it’s time to serve, you just mix it with warm water,” Shen Li explained as he sat down next to her, pleased to see that she liked it. “If you enjoy it, I can give you a jar to take home.”

Lu Changge smiled and bit the straw playfully, “Can I have two jars? I want to give one to Changyin.”

“Sure,” Shen Li replied with a smile. “You can come back for more anytime you finish it.”

He then instructed Le An to pack two jars of honey grapefruit tea for Lu Changge and asked, “How are you getting home later? Do you need me to give you a ride?”

“No need,” Lu Changge said, “the family driver will be here to pick me up.”

“I’ll call your brother,” Shen Li suggested. Even though having a driver was safe enough, he had a personal motive and also felt that today’s incident was serious enough to warrant informing Lu Changting. He found a good excuse, then went to a quiet corner to make the call.

When the phone rang, Lu Changting was on a treadmill. He glanced at the caller ID without slowing down and answered the call, slightly surprised that Shen Li was reaching out to him.

Hearing the breathing on the other end, Shen Li was momentarily stunned. “Uh… am I interrupting?”

Lu Changting turned off the treadmill and gradually slowed down, taking a sip of water. “I’m just running. What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing much.” Shen Li felt a bit flustered; the sound of Lu Changting’s heavy breathing was unexpectedly seductive, making his face flush. “It’s just that Changge is at ‘Gu Jiu’ right now. Do you have time to come pick her up?”

“Changge is at ‘Gu Jiu’?” Lu Changting frowned as he stepped off the treadmill. “Has she been drinking?”

“Not much.” Shen Li briefly explained the situation, “She was at a school reunion, and someone tried to drug her drink, but I caught them and dealt with it. She’s a bit shaken up.”

Lu Changting’s tone became serious, “Stay with her. I’m on my way.”