[Waaah, my lips are swollen!!]
Jiang Ze nestled in the man's arms, still a little breathless. Seeing that the man wasn't flushed or even breathing hard left him feeling deeply aggrieved.
[Why was he so effortless and practiced at this? Who knew how many people those lips had kissed! My poor first kiss!]
Meng Zhiyuan still hadn't had enough. The boy's lips were softer than he had imagined, and they seemed to leave him unable to stop.
Hearing Jiang Ze think that this had been his first kiss brought a hint of amusement to his eyes.
"Don't you know how to breathe through your nose when you kiss?"
The young man's cheeks were still flushed, and his lips were slightly red and swollen. He gave a huff at those words.
"What, you've just taken my first kiss, and now you're turning your back on me?"
The man's cool voice sounded a little husky as it rang beside Jiang Ze's ear, carrying an indescribable allure.
Jiang Ze ducked his head. He hadn't expected someone like this powerful man to have saved his first kiss until now. That inexplicable sulkiness seemed to disappear, and he even felt a little happy.
"Hmph, as if that wasn't my first kiss too. We're... we're even!"
Feeling the man's arm still locked tightly around his waist, he couldn't help squirming.
"Let go first... the banquet isn't over yet..."
"All right."
Seeing him so awkward yet shy, Meng Zhiyuan nearly wanted to kiss him again, but he restrained the flutter in his heart.
He couldn't frighten the boy.
"Have you... finished your business talks?"
Jiang Ze felt as though he was forgetting how to speak in front of this man. His lips still seemed to retain the sensation of that kiss, tingling so much that he almost bit his tongue as he spoke.
The mention of business reminded Meng Zhiyuan of Daniel, and his expression cooled slightly.
"Yes, I'm done. Let's go home."
Jiang Ze nodded. He couldn't bear another second here. As they walked out, he felt as though everyone was looking at them, and the heat in his face never subsided.
Only when they finally returned to the villa did Jiang Ze breathe a sigh of relief.
He watched Meng Zhiyuan head into the study while talking on the phone. He could vaguely hear the man speaking what seemed to be English, while the person on the other end sounded rather agitated.
Since the man was some distance away, Jiang Ze only caught words like "profit concessions," "cooperation," and "signing." He didn't pay much attention and hurried off to shower and sleep.
Early the next morning, Jiang Ze was woken by a call from Mu Shaoxuan.
"Xiao Ze, get over here! My bar opens today. Hurry over and show your support!"
Jiang Ze answered with a yawn, then checked the time and discovered it was only seven.
"What kind of bar opens at seven in the morning?!"
It was rather noisy on the other end, and Mu Shaoxuan's voice kept breaking up.
"It's a soft opening today, so we're open during the day too. We officially open tonight. Come on over. Your uncle will treat you to a drink!"
Someone seemed to be calling for Mu Shaoxuan. After reminding Jiang Ze that he absolutely had to come, he hung up.
Jiang Ze changed into a casual black hoodie. He had no classes these two days and was feeling a little bored. After looking around and finding Meng Zhiyuan out again, he saw the message the man had left on his phone that morning.
"Remember to eat breakfast when you get up. Take Cheng Feng with you if you go out."
He stared at the message for a while, the corners of his mouth curling up involuntarily. Realizing he was acting like quite the lovestruck fool, he quickly patted his cheeks to snap himself out of it.
When Mu Shaoxuan sent another message urging him to hurry, he could only ask Cheng Feng to accompany him to the bar's address.
"Hey, Little Ze, you're finally here! Sorry for the wait-I've been waiting ages for you. There aren't many people at the bar during the day, so it's the perfect chance to treat you to a show!"
Before Jiang Ze quite knew what was happening, he was pulled into the bar, while Cheng Feng waited outside in the car.
The bar didn't look particularly distinctive from the outside, but stepping inside revealed an entirely different world.
Unlike the bright sunshine outside, the interior had deliberately been kept dim. Beneath purple and blue neon lights, a handsome young bartender in a sharp suit deftly flicked the shaker in his hand, pouring vividly colored liquid into a glass.
Mu Shaoxuan led Jiang Ze farther inside. The place was enormous, and instead of the deafening music of an ordinary bar, soothing, lighthearted jazz played, making him relax despite himself.
"Well? Pretty nice place I've got here, right?"
Jiang Ze nodded in agreement. The atmosphere was far better than he had imagined.
"What kind of show were you talking about?"
Mu Shaoxuan sounded mysterious, deliberately keeping him in suspense.
"Don't rush. You'll find out in a minute."
They entered an inner room, a small, self-contained lounge with a raised stage in the middle. It wasn't particularly spacious, but it could still hold a hundred people.
There were already quite a few people inside. Men and women on the stage were busy adjusting things. Jiang Ze took a closer look and saw instruments such as drums and guitars.
Jiang Ze noticed that the audience appeared to be either wealthy or influential, but all their attention was focused on the man standing center stage.
The man looked to be in his thirties. He wore a black shirt with the buttons undone, exposing a broad expanse of bronze chest. His hair was a bold, flamboyant blond that shone under the lights, and he held a guitar in one hand.
Clearly, he was probably the band's lead singer.
"That's the owner of this bar. He's performing in a moment. A lot of people came specifically to see him."
What? So after all that, this wasn't your bar?
Jiang Ze was a little speechless. As though sensing his look, Mu Shaoxuan coughed.
"I'm a major shareholder! I invested in this bar, so part of it belongs to me too, okay?"
While they talked, the performance had already begun. The audience immediately grew animated and excited, with cheers and applause ringing out nonstop.
The performance was indeed wonderful. Jiang Ze watched for a while, then turned his head and spotted someone entirely unexpected.
"Why is he here too?"
The atmosphere was so lively that they had to shout to be heard. Mu Shaoxuan seemed particularly excited beside him.
"What~ did~ you~ say??"
Jiang Ze couldn't be bothered to speak and pointed at the mixed-race man on the other side.
Mu Shaoxuan led him a little farther back. "Oh, him. Isn't he the son of the business partner Zhiyuan's been dealing with these past two days? I only invited him today as a favor to Meng Zhiyuan."
Jiang Ze hadn't been particularly concerned, but a figure that flashed past beside Daniel suddenly put him on full alert.
Why was Shen Yun here too?!
Looking over from a distance, he saw that Shen Yun seemed different from usual. He was dressed quite fashionably and stood extremely close to Daniel, the two of them apparently chatting and laughing.
Noticing something strange in Jiang Ze's expression, Mu Shaoxuan followed his gaze and recognized Shen Yun too.
"Oh! Isn't that Shen Yun? Why isn't he with my nephew? And isn't that mixed-race man beside him Tan Ya? Looks like my nephew's being cheated on again~"
Wait, who?
Suddenly hearing a familiar name, Jiang Ze froze for a moment before hurriedly questioning Mu Shaoxuan.
"Isn't his name Daniel?"
"Huh? You know him too, Little Ze? Yes, his foreign name is Daniel, but his mother's Chinese. His Chinese name takes her surname, so he's called Tan Ya."
A flash of realization struck Jiang Ze. Holy crap, no wonder I'd never heard of Daniel. Tan Ya! Wasn't that the name of the final straw that brought down the Meng Group in the plot?
Meng Zhiyuan's business deal!
Jiang Ze snapped out of it and realized how serious this was. He took out his phone to call Meng Zhiyuan, but on second thought, he had no legitimate reason to call out of the blue. Instead, he turned to Mu Shaoxuan.
"Is Meng Zhiyuan at the office? When is he signing that deal?"
Mu Shaoxuan wondered why Jiang Ze was suddenly asking about this, but answered anyway.
"Yes, it's today. I remember... I think they're scheduled to sign at noon, then have lunch afterward."
Jiang Ze's mind went blank. He hadn't expected it to be so soon. With no time to explain, he sent Meng Zhiyuan a message and took off toward the door.
"I just remembered something urgent! Uncle Shaoxuan, I'll come back later to show my support!"
You absolutely can't sign that contract! It's a trap-a huge trap!
Before you continue