The two of them found a seat by the window, and Ran Dongye handed Ye Qiu the menu, asking, "Take a look and see what you'd like to eat."
"You said the steak here is good, right? Let's go with that," Ye Qiu replied, pushing the menu back toward her, letting her order for him.
"Alright. How about filet mignon?"
"Perfect," Ye Qiu agreed. He did enjoy filet mignon—the tenderest cut of beef, with minimal marbling, making it leaner and requiring precise cooking to achieve the right texture.
"How do you like it cooked?"
"Medium rare."
"I thought you might say well done," Ran Dongye teased, handing the menu to the waiter. Once the waiter left, she leaned forward on the table, a playful glint in her eye. Her loose three-quarter sleeve t-shirt slid slightly, revealing a glimpse of white skin and a hint of red lace.
Ye Qiu chuckled, realizing that while Ran Dongye seemed mature in her behavior, she was still a child at heart. If it were her sister, Ye Qiu thought, she would probably be wearing something more sophisticated, like black or purple lingerie—colors that exuded maturity and elegance.
"Don't underestimate us common folk," Ye Qiu replied, keeping a straight face. However, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed when Ran Dongye, noticing where his eyes had been, leaned back, causing the earlier glimpse of skin to disappear.
"Ye Qiu," Ran Dongye said seriously, locking eyes with him. "I always felt you have an air of nobility."
"Really?" Ye Qiu was momentarily taken aback. His gaze drifted to another sharp-eyed man nearby before he returned his attention to her. "Maybe I'm a lost prince from some aristocratic family."
"Could be," Ran Dongye nodded, then they both shared a knowing smile, a silent understanding passing between them.
"What do you think of this club?"
"It's nice," Ye Qiu replied after a quick glance around.
"You answered that too quickly. Didn't even look properly—you're just brushing me off," Ran Dongye pouted.
"My sister built this club from the ground up. Initially, it was just a place for her and her classmates to hang out and communicate. But as they graduated and started their careers, it became a venue for their reunions. They don't come by often since they're scattered across the country now. My sister handed the club over to me, and I brought in people from the entertainment and advertising industries. They started bringing their own connections, and now it's more of a gathering place for people in the entertainment circle."
Ran Dongye pointed to a woman in the corner, casually flipping through a fashion magazine with earbuds in. "That's Yan Xi, a recently popular actress. She comes here often but never with a male companion. Want her autograph?"
"No interest," Ye Qiu smiled and shook his head.
"Who do you like? I can introduce you."
"No thanks. I'm not looking to mingle with people from your circle right now," Ye Qiu said, waving his hand dismissively. He leaned back in the soft sofa, studying Ran Dongye's delicate eyebrows and wondering if she was still a virgin based on what he had learned from an old saying.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot—you're not just an ordinary college student," Ran Dongye remarked. She had once brought her dormmates here, women who were worldly enough, yet they had been as giddy as schoolgirls when meeting their favorite celebrities.
"Winter, long time no see," a man in a white suit, shirt, and shoes—perfectly suited for playing the role of a pretty boy—walked over and greeted Ran Dongye with a smile.
"Hello, Zheng Junyu," Ran Dongye replied with a slight nod, clearly not reciprocating his familiarity.
"Haha, I just saw the wedding dress ad you shot—it's beautiful," Zheng Junyu praised sincerely.
"Thank you," Ran Dongye responded, a hint of impatience creeping into her tone. This guy was a new actor, not someone she was particularly close to, just a casual acquaintance. She hadn't expected him to approach her like this.
Zheng Junyu, too, was in a difficult position. He had noticed Ran Dongye's lack of interest, but he couldn't leave without completing his task. While having dinner with some friends, he had received a call from someone he couldn't afford to offend. This person wanted him to find out more about Ye Qiu. But since he didn't know Ye Qiu, he couldn't just ask outright, so he decided to start with Ran Dongye.
"Oh, is this your friend?" Zheng Junyu suddenly seemed to notice Ye Qiu, turning to him with a friendly smile.
"Yes," Ran Dongye replied curtly, not bothering to introduce Ye Qiu.
Just then, the waiter brought over the steaks and a bottle of wine. Seizing the opportunity, Zheng Junyu took the wine from the waiter's tray, poured three small glasses, and handed the first to Ran Dongye, the second to Ye Qiu, before raising the third himself. "I've known Winter for a while now, but we've never had a drink together. Here's to you, Winter."
Seeing Zheng Junyu down his glass, Ran Dongye smiled weakly at Ye Qiu, who was watching her with a teasing look, likely thinking this was one of her admirers.
Out of courtesy, Ran Dongye took a small sip from her glass, thinking that this would be the end of it.
But Zheng Junyu poured himself another half-glass and turned to Ye Qiu again, raising his glass. "Though we've just met, it's fate that we're here together. I toast to you."
"Thank you," Ye Qiu clinked his glass with his and was about to take a sip when something unexpected happened. Zheng Junyu, as if suddenly weak, stumbled forward, spilling his glass of wine over Ye Qiu's head.
The incident happened so quickly that Ran Dongye, realizing what was happening, opened her mouth to warn Ye Qiu, but it was too late.
Ye Qiu saw the scene unfold in the reflection of his wine glass and quickly moved to the side. Although he managed to dodge most of the wine, some still spilled onto his shoulder.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Ran Dongye said angrily, pulling out a handkerchief from her bag to dab at the wine stains on Ye Qiu's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened; I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my head. Let me clean that for you—sir, I apologize. How much was that outfit? I'll pay for it," Zheng Junyu stammered, his face alternating between pale and flushed as he tried to play the part of the remorseful offender.
Sitting comfortably on the sofa, Ye Qiu let Ran Dongye's soft hands work on the wine stains that had already soaked into his clothes. He casually swirled the wine in his glass, watching the crimson liquid dance seductively before taking a long, cool look at Zheng Junyu. Ye Qiu's smile was anything but friendly.
"Acting may be your forte, but fighting is mine," Ye Qiu said coldly. "Remember, don't use such cheap tricks again."
"How can you say that? I didn't do it on purpose. I've already apologized—"
"Get lost," Ye Qiu cut him off, his eyelids narrowing and the smile on his face vanishing, replaced by a chilling menace.
Zheng Junyu's lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something to save face, but one look into Ye Qiu's cold, emotionless eyes froze the blood in his veins. He couldn't utter a word, and even forgot to put down the empty glass he was holding as he walked back to his table, dazed.
"Ye Qiu, are you alright? How could something like this happen?" Ran Dongye asked, her face full of concern.
"I'm fine. This isn't your fault," Ye Qiu reassured her with a smile. He lifted his glass, now well-aerated, and raised it toward a distant corner of the room. The people at that table, who had been watching with keen interest, suddenly went pale.
Was that a challenge?
Ran Dongye, who had been focused on Ye Qiu, only now noticed his odd behavior and followed his gaze to the other table, where she recognized several familiar faces.
"Ye Qiu, do you know them?" she asked, puzzled.
"No," Ye Qiu replied with a smile, shaking his head.
"Then why did you toast them?"
"Because that guy, Zheng Junyu, stole three glances in their direction while standing next to us," Ye Qiu said with a sneer.
"Oh? So it was them?" Ran Dongye was quick to catch on.
"Who is he?" Ye Qiu asked. What concerned him most was the man he had locked eyes with earlier. That man had a domineering presence, barely concealed beneath a facade of calmness, but Ye Qiu had sensed it clearly.
"Han Youling. One of the Four Young Masters of Suzhou and Hangzhou. I didn't know he was in Beijing," Ran Dongye said, glaring at the other table.
The Four Young Masters of Suzhou and Hangzhou? Ye Qiu thought of someone else. He had now met two of the four, both through women.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8