The room fell into a deathly silence.
The atmosphere among the group was so tense it was suffocating.
A few rich heirs who had originally come over to strike up a conversation with Ye Yinan were now left stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.
They couldn't imagine that, at such an elegant and extravagant banquet, they would hear such crude and vulgar language.
What made it even more shocking was that these profanities had come, word for word, from the mouth of Ye Yinan herself—the star of the evening and the daughter of Jianghai City's richest man.
Everyone in the vicinity was dumbfounded. Not just the landlady, but even Shen Lang couldn't believe that such coarse and indecent words could come out of Ye Yinan's mouth.
The person being scolded, Gu Jian, was utterly at a loss. He stared blankly at Ye Yinan's cold expression, completely stripped of his earlier arrogant demeanor.
Though Ye Yinan's expression remained calm, her delicate features still stunningly beautiful, the way she cursed was both flat and matter-of-fact.
But anyone with eyes could see it—this little rich girl was truly angry.
The sheer pressure of her presence made Gu Jian break out in a cold sweat. Instinctively, he stumbled back a few steps, forcing an awkward smile that conveyed both an attempt to apologize to Shen Lang and a desire to break the awkward tension.
Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering echoed nearby.
A waiter passing by had accidentally dropped their tray of champagne the moment they overheard Ye Yinan cursing. The orange liquid quickly seeped into the vibrant carpet.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," the waiter apologized in a panic.
Such a dispute among these influential figures was far beyond what a mere waiter could handle. Hurriedly, the waiter bent down to pick up the broken glass and left as fast as they could.
This small incident caused the strange silence to spread throughout the entire lounge.
Everyone in the room keenly noticed that something was off in Ye Yinan's direction, and they began casting curious glances toward the group.
Businesspeople have sharp instincts.
With just a glance at everyone's faces, they all immediately shifted their puzzled gazes to Gu Jian, who was drenched in sweat.
The previously lively and noisy lounge fell quiet in an instant. Even the Western band stopped playing their music.
The foreign musicians, baffled by the sudden silence, exchanged glances, whispering among themselves whether they should switch to another song.
In that moment, Gu Jian felt as if the entire room was pointing fingers at him.
Awkward and nervous, he glanced at the crowd scrutinizing him, wanting to say something but unsure of what to say.
Ye Yinan's cold and sharp gaze remained fixed on him.
"Alright, alright, it's fine now," Shen Lang interjected, not wanting this incident to ruin the little rich girl's birthday banquet. He impatiently motioned with his chin for Gu Jian to leave.
Feeling like he had narrowly escaped death, Gu Jian flashed a grateful smile before hastily escaping from under Ye Yinan's oppressive glare.
"It's fine, it's fine," the landlady quickly stepped in to smooth things over. Once the atmosphere had somewhat calmed, she even said a few fluent words in English to the foreign musicians: "Don't worry, keep playing."
"Why're you so mad?" Shen Lang teased, patting Ye Yinan on the shoulder with a wry smile. "Wow, you've even learned to curse. Who taught you that?"
Ye Yinan looked up, still carrying a trace of lingering anger, and answered honestly, "You did."
"Crap, don't make stuff up!" Shen Lang vehemently denied, glancing nervously around. "Me? Someone as refined as me? When did I ever teach you to curse? I'll sue you for defamation!"
Ye Yinan blinked her innocent, bright eyes, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. "You did. You even said cursing makes you feel better when you're in a bad mood."
"Look at you, acting all smug," Shen Lang chuckled. Handing his plate to her, he said, "Go grab us some food. Let's head outside and chat; I hate crowded places."
"Okay!" Ye Yinan cheerfully agreed, taking his plate and trotting off to fetch food.
"You brat, didn't I just warn you not to hang around her? Are you really looking to get fed to the fish?" The landlady smacked Shen Lang on the arm, horrified by how casually he ordered Ye Yinan around.
"And you even asked her to get you food! Aren't you afraid of dying? Treating Ye Hai's daughter like a waiter?"
"It's fine. We're good friends; her dad will understand," Shen Lang replied nonchalantly before eagerly adding, "By the way, Sister Xia, do you have anyone else to introduce me to? Preferably someone in the film industry—I don't want to waste this trip."
Xia Shuyi was speechless. "With a backer like her, who else do you need to know?"
"You don't get it—Ye Yinan, she…" Shen Lang trailed off, unsure how to explain. "Forget it, it's complicated. I'll come find you tonight, okay? Let's hang out."
Ye Yinan's birthday party was an all-day event. The cruise ship had 16 floors, each filled with various entertainment facilities and gourmet food.
Since he had nothing better to do in the coming days, Shen Lang planned to fully indulge in the luxurious life of the wealthy.
"You always find new ways to give me anxiety," Xia Shuyi sighed, rolling her eyes at Shen Lang. "Fine, we'll talk tonight."
"Here you go, Shen Lang!" Ye Yinan soon returned with a plate piled high with food, accompanied by a teary-eyed waiter. The waiter probably feared being reprimanded for letting the richest man's daughter carry out such menial tasks.
"Thanks." Shen Lang took the plate and turned to Xia Shuyi. "Sis, want to come chat with us outside?"
"I'll pass. I still have lots of guests to greet," Xia Shuyi said with a helpless smile. "You two go ahead; I'll find you later."
"Hey, Sister Xia, what's your relationship with Shen Lang?" Ye Yinan asked curiously, tilting her head. Then, as if struck by realization, she exclaimed, "Don't tell me you're also—"
"Landlady! She's just my landlady!" Shen Lang quickly interrupted, fearing she'd say something outrageous. "Let's go! Show me around your… ship."
"Shen Lang, it's a cruise ship."
"Whatever, it floats on water, right?"
"Shen Lang, I found a really cool movie yesterday. It had some moves I've never seen before. Want me to send it to you?"
"Shh, keep it down! Send it to me on WeChat later tonight."
Watching Ye Yinan happily following Shen Lang around, the landlady could only sigh in admiration and exasperation. "This guy… how does he even pull it off?"