As Yang Chen had expected, despite constant overtaking on the road, they arrived at Tianfu Kingdom when the sky was already dimming, approaching six o'clock.
However, Li Jingjing didn't find anything inappropriate. Throughout the journey, she sat in the passenger seat with a smile on her face, occasionally stealing glances at Yang Chen, her thoughts unknown.
The entrance of Tianfu Kingdom appeared exceptionally magnificent, overshadowing all the surrounding bars and nightclubs with its dazzling neon lights. The vibrant lights and dancing characters of the signboards caught one's attention from a distance.
As soon as they got out of the car, Li Jingjing took hold of Yang Chen's arm, feeling a bit anxious as they walked through the entrance. She had always been a well-behaved girl, and even seeing such a place on television would make her somewhat afraid. The thought of attending a gathering with her fellow teachers, where she would be the center of attention, made her feel a bit nervous.
"Don't be afraid, it's really nothing major. Just think of it as having dinner in a small restaurant," reassured Yang Chen.
Li Jingjing nodded, taking a deep breath and feeling the presence of the man beside her, which brought a sense of calm to her heart.
After entering the gate, a hostess dressed in a fiery red qipao warmly approached them and inquired, "Respected sir and madam, do you have a reservation?"
Li Jingjing momentarily forgot about the agreed-upon location, then remembered, "Yes... it's a private room called 'Orchid'."
The hostess smiled and gestured, "Please follow me."
Walking through dimly lit corridors, the glass walls reflected colorful hues, while the staff passing by were all attractive and graceful, indicating that the treatment here was undoubtedly top-notch.
When they reached the door adorned with white calligraphic characters for ' Orchid', the hostess smiled and made a gesture to enter.
Yang Chen took out a one-hundred bill from his pocket, and without surprise, the hostess said, "Thank you," as she accepted the money before departing.
Li Jingjing looked at Yang Chen in surprise and said, "Yang Chen, is it really a hundred just to lead us to the room?"
"In places like this, The service staff don't receive a high salary, so they rely on tips.explained Yang Chen.
Yang Chen didn't want to dwell on the topic and smoothly opened the door to the private room. As soon as he pushed it open, an ear-piercing scream came from inside...
"You can't stay even if you want to stay, that's the loneliest feeling!!!"
A slightly short and chubby bespectacled man was screaming at the top of his lungs, standing in front of a television with a microphone in hand, eyes closed, passionately singing.
Several people were already seated on the sofas inside the private room, comprising of men and women, totaling seven or eight. When they saw Yang Chen and Li Jingjing at the door, they first froze, then most of them displayed peculiar smiles.
"Our main characters have finally arrived!" exclaimed a petite female teacher with big wavy hair, standing up first.
The rest of the group also stood up and applauded. The teacher who had just been belting out songs like a pig also shouted, "It's Li Jingjing's first gathering, and she didn't forget to bring her boyfriend. It seems like the love is deep!"
Li Jingjing shyly let go of Yang Chen's hand, her face turning red in the dim private room. "It's not what everyone thinks, Yang Chen is not my boyfriend."
"What is he then?" another male teacher asked with a smile. "Could he be your brother?"
Seeing Li Jingjing growing anxious and unable to speak, wearing a worried expression, Yang Chen stepped forward to explain, "I'm friends with Jingjing's father, we have a close relationship. I'm just taking care of her as an older brother. Today, I happened to hear about this welcome party, and since she was too shy to come to the KTV alone, I accompanied her."
A female teacher, dressed attractively, chuckled and said, "So that's how it is. Well, handsome guy, why don't you sit next to me today? Li Jingjing shouldn't mind, right?" She winked at Li Jingjing.
Li Jingjing immediately shook her head subconsciously and said, "No, Yang Chen should stay by my side!"
As everyone burst into friendly laughter, Yang Chen looked at the flustered and blushing Li Jingjing with a helpless expression. This girl really knows how to make things more complicated.
Just as the atmosphere inside the private room was harmonious and joyful, the door was pushed open again, and a man wearing a Pralise shirt walked in. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with neatly combed hair and distinct facial features, exuding a refined and elegant demeanor.
Upon seeing the newcomer, the teachers greeted him as "Leader Jiang." The man warmly smiled and exchanged greetings with several teachers before turning his attention to Yang Chen and Li Jingjing. When he saw Li Jingjing, dressed stylishly and revealing a pair of slender and beautiful legs in shorts, a hint of desire flickered in his eyes. He praised, "Jingjing, you look stunning today. If you dressed like this at school on a regular basis, I reckon the entire school's faculty and students would be captivated by you."
The other teachers joined in and complimented Li Jingjing's beautiful outfit.
Such praise may have been exaggerated, but every woman loves to hear others call her beautiful.
Li Jingjing was no exception. Without much thought, she shyly lowered her head and murmured, "Thank you."
When the man turned his gaze to Yang Chen, he squinted his eyes and then kindly extended his hand, saying, "This should be Mr. Yang that Jingjing mentioned, right? I'm Jiang Shuo, the head of the English department at Yizhong School. May I know how to address you and where you graduated from?"
In his mind, Yang Chen thought, "Another smiling tiger." Nevertheless, he nonchalantly shook hands and replied, "Yang Chen, you can call me whatever you like. I'm just a low-level employee at a company, buying breakfast and doing odd jobs."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuo's eyes gleamed, and he straightened his back with a hint of arrogance. He said, "Mr. Yang, there's no need to be so modest. We're all young, and if we work hard, we will have our day. Perhaps my starting point is a bit higher than others'. Oh, maybe you don't know, my father is Principal Jiang Meng of Yizhong School and the deputy director of the Zhonghai Education Bureau. So, I've benefited from my father's influence, allowing me to become the head of the English department and the deputy director of the Teaching Affairs Office at a young age. I must confess, apart from publishing a few articles in national educational journals and leading a few overseas visits, I haven't achieved anything substantial. Who knows, in the future, your accomplishments might surpass mine."
"Leader Jiang, you're being too modest. Who here doesn't know that you're the future hope of our Yizhong School, the most eye-catching rising star in the field of education?" Immediately, a middle-aged female teacher spoke up.
"Yes," chimed in the petite female teacher with a smile. "Who knows, in a few years, Leader Jiang might become the principal of our Yizhong School. When it comes to ability, nobody surpasses Leader Jiang."
The teachers started praising Jiang Shuo with a string of flattery, while Jiang Shuo continued to smile "humbly" and waved his hand, saying, "I'm not worthy of such praise."
Yang Chen couldn't help but let out a suppressed smile and touched his nose. He had seen shameless people before, but never someone more shameless than himself! It seemed that he wasn't alone in this world. At least the guy in front of him had a thicker skin than the city wall!