On the way, Yang Yuran received further information from Zhou Yuanyuan through the circle of socialites: Yang Fei was bolder than she had anticipated.
Yang Fei originally had no intention of canceling her birthday banquet at the Baoge Club and only notified its manager this morning that she wouldn't be going.
Due to the sudden cancellation, the money for renting the venue and arranging the banquet was non-refundable, but she could apply to have the scene props stored in the warehouse for future use.
And Yang Fei, being extremely wealthy, declared there was no need for storage, she would treat it as junk.
A birthday party worth millions was casually dismissed with a wave of her hand—having money really does mean you can do whatever you want.
The capital that allowed Yang Fei to act capriciously couldn't be separated from Mr. Yang's doting, nor from the past support that Mrs. Yang's family had provided to Mr. Yang's company.
The more Yang Yuran thought about it, the colder her heart grew. She replied to Zhou Yuanyuan with just four words, "I got it," before locking her phone screen, just as the video call invitation came through.
She didn't drive; taking the G-Wagon was too ostentatious, so she chose to take a taxi.
Glancing up to look outside the car window, she confirmed there was about twenty minutes left to her journey. With time to spare, she lightly tapped her Bluetooth earpiece twice, accepting the request.
Zhou Yuanyuan's worried voice came through, "Move the phone away, let me see what you're wearing."
Yang Yuran knew she couldn't hide from someone who truly cared for her and stretched her arm out a bit more to accommodate.
"Oh my God, Yang Yuran, you're dressed like a college student. I bet you can't even get into a slow dance bar. Are you planning on presenting yourself for people to bully? I'll be embarrassed for you if you're not embarrassed yourself!"
Zhou Yuanyuan's loud cursing was incessant, and after bursting out with swear words, she still had to think of a way to help her friend: "I'll have my assistant send you a haute couture dress right now, don't wander off when you get there, wait for her."
Yang Yuran chuckled nonchalantly and soothed the agitated woman in a slow and soft voice, "Dressing like this will lower Hen Ningyue's hostility towards me, and it might evoke a sense of pity from a certain someone."
"Don't tell me that certain someone is Li Shuo, the jerky guy?"
Zhou Yuanyuan ask angrily, and when Yang Yuran nodded, worried that her friend might make the same mistake again, she quickly warned sternly, "Don't fantasize about acting pitiful to win him back. Remember when Hen Ningyue caused you trouble? If he had any conscience, he wouldn't have let you suffer alone."
"I know, he won't come back this time,"
Yang Yuran replied calmly, with no ripples in her fox-like charming eyes.
Zhou Yuanyuan observed her seriously for a moment, not finding any trace of sadness on her face. Thinking about the reason Mrs. Yang agreed to let Yang Yuran attend, it might have also been for her to witness the reveal of the fatal knife, so that she could give up completely.
Coming to this realization, Zhou Yuanyuan's worries eased somewhat, but she still felt that Yang Yuran's insistence yesterday didn't seem like she was looking for closure, but rather like she was provoking a battle.
"You're talking about 'this time', could it be that you still have plans for 'next time'?"
Zhou Yuanyuan, unable to grasp her friend's thoughts, decided to ask outright, "Don't talk about far-fetched and unreliable things. Do you have a way to make Hen Ningyue and Yang Fei look bad tonight? Surely it's not just relying on a college girl's outfit, right?"
"Right, Yuanyuan, I've arrived, I'll hang up now and tell you all about it when I get home tonight,"
Upon arriving, Yang Yuran locked her phone. Li Shuo had once said he really liked the pure beauty she exuded untouched by worldly influence. When they were in school, this was how she often dressed—the look Li Shuo saw most often on her. Once nostalgic feelings are awakened, especially with a striking contrast for reference, many regrets uncontrollably surface.
Barely reaching the entrance of the slow dance bar, she heard an angry voice from behind, "Yang Yuran, what are you doing here?"
The voice wasn't very familiar, but the memories of their encounters were too profound for her not to recognize who it was. With a surprised expression, she turned to face the person interrogating her.
"Today is my cousin's birthday. I got a message this morning asking me to come to her birthday party. How come you're here too?"
"It's none of your business."
Hen Ningyue's eyes flickered with guilt, but in the next second, she regained her inherent arrogance and disdain. Without offering further explanation, she pushed past the person blocking her way and entered the dark doors of Huang Dynasty.
The door greeter was very sharp-eyed, fawning over her with bent knee, even though he knew Hen Ningyue was not on the guest list, he still dutifully showed her the way.
Watching Hen Ningyue's tall figure, Yang Yuran silently quickened her steps to catch up.
Today, Hen Ningyue was wearing an Eink master's fringed long dress from last spring and summer. The Chinese-style dress seemed to have chosen its owner from the start. When the Hen family's only daughter managed to buy it, she instantly became the envy of many high-society daughters.
Although it was last year's model, the dress held extraordinary significance, belonging exclusively to Hen Ningyue. Plus, with Yang Fei just having been embroiled in a counterfeit scandal yesterday, Hen Ningyue's appearance was clearly there to cause a scene.
Yang Yuran did not gain entry as smoothly as Hen Ningyue, stopped at the entrance. The new door greeters were very strict about the rules, insisting she show her invitation, or else she would not be allowed in.
Yang Yuran raised her fair little hand and pointed at Hen Ningyue, who had the green privilege of entry, and said softly, "I came with her. You can ask her."
Her words halted Hen Ningyue, who froze for several seconds before slowly turning around, casting a look at Yang Yuran as if she were a lunatic.
The door greeter, experienced with a variety of unexpected situations, could tell from Hen Ningyue's expression that she bore little goodwill towards Yang Yuran.
He made a decision on his own, signaling his subordinates with a 'clear out' gesture.
The handsome young man standing beside Yang Yuran immediately pressed the walkie-talkie on his chest and called for security in an unkind voice.
"There's no need to make such a fuss, someone really did invite me here. Now that I've come for my appointment and nobody welcomes me, I might as well leave."
Yang Yuran turned around, and after taking just two steps, Hen Ningyue's imperious command arrived.
"Let her in."
The door greeter who had stopped her immediately switched his demeanor, stepping in front of her and inviting her with all due respect, "Please follow me inside."
Yang Yuran looked at the door greeter and then at Hen Ningyue, pretending to be troubled. Hen Ningyue coldly met her gaze and turned to walk into the depths of the noisy music.
Yang Yuran did not shed her puzzled expression, but instead quickly jogged to Hen Ningyue's side.
"It seems you're not favored in the Yang family and have to rely on an outsider like me to get in. What, jealous that someone snatched your boyfriend, so you came here to cause trouble?"
The sarcasm hit hard, and Yang Yuran, feeling aggrieved, sniffled and pulled out her phone from her pocket to show to Hen Ningyue.
"I know I'm not favored, and I know that Li Shuo is with me mostly because I resemble my cousin, so I try to be as invisible as possible at home. I wouldn't usually show up on such days, no need to upset my cousin. If she's unhappy, my dad would only blame me. But I truly did receive a message this morning, look."
Hen Ningyue glanced at the phone presented before her. The familiar number and message darkened her eyes, as Yang Yuran's self-pitying complaints continued.
"Seeing you get in without trouble, I thought you had sent me the message. Sorry, did I cause you any trouble?"
The cowardly words instantly pulled Hen Ningyue's memories back to not long ago when she caused a scene at Yang Yuran's school. Back then, Yang Yuran seemed just as weak, only knowing how to admit faults without daring to confront her head-on.