Chapter 49: Situ Ye

"Are you close with Yang Tianming?" Ye Fei suddenly asked.

"He helped me a lot in the past." Li Yueyao turned off the car engine, her beautiful eyes filled with gratitude. "Don't ask any more—it's not like you'd know even if I told you. I've met that Situ Ye guy once, and I can't stand him. You have to help Tianming get his revenge!"

Ye Fei nodded, not bothering with unnecessary words. Having Li Yueyao take the lead was a good thing; otherwise, they might not even have made it through the doors of this bar.

...

The private rooms in the Hornet Bar were divided into: Mini Room, Party Room, Deluxe Room, Gathering Room, and the Presidential Room.

The Presidential Room was the largest, equipped with three exclusive DJs and private waitstaff, versed in everything from pop ballads to hip hop and rock. A single night here required a minimum spend of over a hundred thousand yuan.

Ye Fei followed behind Li Yueyao, his ordinary tracksuit making him look like an outcast. The passing waiters wore expressions of open disdain.

Soon, the two arrived at the Presidential Room on the top floor.

More than a dozen men and women had already gathered inside, all dressed in expensive designer brands, holding alluring companions; the scene was one of pure extravagance.

The moment they entered, every eye turned to Li Yueyao.

"Sister Li, you finally made it! I thought you weren't coming—I was waiting so anxiously," a handsome blond man sitting in the center of the large sofa called out. This was Zhang Huang, the true owner of the bar and the illegitimate son of Hang City's richest man.

"Brother Zhang, you never usually fawn over me like this. Why so eager today?" Li Yueyao replied with a charming smile, half teasing.

"Come on, I've invited you out over a dozen times, and you only agreed to come once. You're making me lose face here! All my friends have been dying to meet you," Zhang Huang replied slickly, gesturing for her to sit. "Come, have a seat."

Li Yueyao nodded slightly and had just sat down when a voice of curiosity sounded.

"And who is this?" Zhang Huang looked Ye Fei up and down.

"Oh, he's my distant cousin, Ye Fei," Li Yueyao answered with her prepared excuse. "It's summer break, so he came to hang out."

"I see," Zhang Huang replied, his disdain barely hidden. He glanced at Ye Fei. "So, Ye, which university do you attend?"

"I've never been to university," Ye Fei replied indifferently.

Zhang Huang was taken aback, then sneered even more, shaking his head mockingly. He ignored Ye Fei and turned his attention back to Li Yueyao.

But Li Yueyao had no intention of letting the spotlight rest solely on her. She pulled Ye Fei to sit beside her and began introducing everyone in turn.

"This handsome guy with the chiseled face is Huang Cong. His father is in foreign trade—a major player in Hang City's import-export business."

Huang Cong waved a hand at Ye Fei without a hint of a smile. In his mind, a penniless nobody wasn't worth knowing.

Next, Li Yueyao pointed to a young man with a buzz cut and a floral shirt. "This is Liu Qiming—his family deals in jade, a major force in the industry from another province. They're worth over a billion."

Likewise, Liu Qiming made no effort to be friendly, giving only a brief nod without even glancing at Ye Fei.

Just as Li Yueyao was about to continue, the door was abruptly kicked open.

A man with sunglasses, dressed in Armani and sporting purple-dyed hair, strode in, followed by an elderly man with a cane. They instantly drew everyone's attention.

When Ye Fei saw the old man, the corners of his mouth curled into a cold sneer.

Situ Ye, the son of Situ Feng, chairman of the Tenglong Chamber of Commerce. You’ve finally arrived.

"He's here! Brother Ye is here!"

"Let's all welcome tonight's star—Brother Ye!" Zhang Huang exclaimed into the microphone like a loyal servant, prompting everyone to rise and cheer.

Situ Ye seemed to relish the attention, swaggering in with a third-rate starlet on his arm. But his eyes quickly fell on Li Yueyao.

He brightened immediately, let go of the starlet, and walked over. "Well, if it isn't Li Yueyao! What brings you here? Didn't Sun Shiyun come with you? Last time we drank together, you slipped out early—rather sneaky of you!"

"Brother Ye, it's been a long time," Li Yueyao replied with a trembling, flirtatious smile.

Situ Ye's gaze swept over her fair, slender legs, a flash of desire in his eyes. Waving at Ye Fei, he ordered, "Move. I want to sit here."

Ye Fei narrowed his eyes but didn't stir up trouble, instead moving to a seat in the corner.

The other girls snickered at the sight. Someone muttered, "Coward. He gives up his seat just like that."

Li Yueyao’s eyes flickered. She made no move to stop Situ Ye, instead turning to chat with the others. In this situation, there was little she could do.

Ye Fei sat quietly, sipping a cocktail, his attention fixed on the old man who had come with Situ Ye. His breath was subtle, his bearing serene—clearly a rare expert. This was the man who had nearly crippled Yang Tianming, as Ye Fei had seen clearly on the surveillance footage.

The lively, boisterous atmosphere in the private room did nothing to distract Ye Fei. The starlet brought by Situ Ye was immediately relegated to singing duty, never even getting a seat. Her ethereal voice was captivating, full of emotion, though her expression betrayed reluctance.

"All thanks to our Brother Zhang tonight for inviting Young Master Situ here. A toast to Young Master Situ!" Liu Qiming raised his glass and downed a full pint of beer in one go.

With this warm-up, Situ Ye was in high spirits, boldly throwing an arm around Li Yueyao’s shoulders and laughing, "Come on, drink up! You're a good man. Tonight we don't stop until we're drunk!"

Li Yueyao tried to slip away discreetly, but was pulled back, a hint of distress in her eyes.

At that moment, the door swung open again. A mature beauty, no less attractive than Li Yueyao, entered with a group of dazzling hostesses.

Zhang Huang immediately greeted them, ordering the hostesses to line up. He flattered Situ Ye and his companions, "Young Master Situ, these ladies are all fresh faces—tonight they're here to keep you company, at your service!"

Ye Fei glanced over, unsurprised by the scene. In places like bars and KTVs, if there weren't new faces to attract clientele, how would they get people to come back?