Rich Woman, But Got Dumped By A Jerk Three Times. - Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Come Pour the Wine
“How is it?” Nuo Ye chuckled, watching Yun Jiushu’s gaze freeze instantly: “Did my gift hit Boss Jiu’s heart?”
Although Nuo Ye wasn’t entirely sure she could analyze all of Yun Jiushu’s hidden motives even now, they were old friends, and she knew her tastes inside out.
Yun Jiushu was someone who enjoyed playing, but she didn’t like noisy environments.
So, seeing Yun Jiushu’s total focus on the stage that night at the bar, Nuo Ye quickly understood.
That level of concentration meant either she was appreciating the music like the other drinkers, or someone in the band had caught her eye.
Yun Jiushu was clearly the latter.
“Didn’t you break up with that little lover of yours in Yeyu?” Seeing that Yun Jiushu hadn’t yet snapped out of her daze, Nuo Ye knew she had given the right gift. She lowered her voice and laughed: “I checked for you. Besides the red-haired keyboardist having a partner, the rest are single. These music people are all very poor. You can just spend a little money, pick one, keep her around for fun, and pass the time.”
As she spoke, the group had already carried their instruments across the street and stood waiting for instructions.
As Nuo Ye said, these musicians were all very poor.
Although they were dyed in the trendy colors favored by young people and had carefully applied makeup, the band members, wearing canvas shoes and jeans, looked strangely out of place mixed in with the expensively dressed guests congratulating the host.
It was like sprinkling a handful of bright green scallions on a medium-rare steak—the green, mixed with the bl00d-red, was glaringly abrupt.
Yun Jiushu’s gaze fell on the splash of black, rested for a few seconds, and then subtly shifted away.
She sneered disdainfully in her heart but kept a straight face, saying only: “That was thoughtful, Boss Nuo.”
“What’s mine is yours, between us sisters,” Nuo Ye, still immersed in her own thoughtfulness, gloated: “I’ll head in first. They’re yours to dispose of.”
The four words “yours to dispose of” were emphasized, carrying immense contempt.
It was as if the people standing by the roadside weren’t living human beings but cabbages being sold on the street, where an extra three dollars and fifty cents could buy the whole bunch.
Yun Jiushu hummed in acknowledgment, her gaze sweeping over the ‘cabbages’ again.
Away from the stage and their instruments, the four young people standing by the road were indistinguishable from any college students, their faces even carrying a bit of reckless, youthful naiveté.
Her gaze subtly settled on the black-haired one. Among this bunch of ‘cabbages,’ there was one damaged one that was particularly eye-catching.
The alley lights that night were dim, causing Yun Jiushu to miss many details about this ‘Ye Ge.’
The scar winding along her brow bone, the hearing aid clipped to her ear, and the gauze covering her right eye were now all exposed in the light.
No wonder her teammates told me not to bully a disabled person.
Three years gone, and aside from the scars that had appeared out of nowhere and marred the face, this Ye Ge—no, she should be called A-Ci now—hadn’t changed her height or figure one bit.
1.85 meters tall, long legs, and a narrow waist, standing ramrod straight by the roadside. Her erect spine was like winter bamboo, radiating an annoying arrogance.
Yun Jiushu’s delicate eyebrows raised slightly. An idea formed in her mind. She deliberately lifted her hand and beckoned from afar towards the roadside.
The sun in March wasn’t intense, but the present scene of clanging gongs and overwhelming joy felt like being roasted by fire.
Just as Box felt like she was about to melt like butter, she finally saw the gesture. She muttered as she walked: “Sister Tang, you didn’t tell me this place was so fancy before we came.”
“No, I didn’t expect it either…” Tangtang’s nervousness was no less than Box’s.
Their band had only been together for a little over a year. They had performed commercial gigs for openings before, but the current spectacle couldn’t merely be called an ‘opening ceremony.’
The bespoke gowns visible everywhere; if the amniotic fluid was the watershed of life, the expensive fabric worn by people here was the invisible boundary of skin color.
Even with their clean, albeit faded, clothes, they looked dusty and gray amidst this golden opulence.
The few of them, used to being loud and attention-grabbing on stage, walked with extreme trepidation with every step.
Silent and trailing at the back, Yi Chengsong did not participate in the conversation.
Compared to her teammates’ anxiety, Yi Chengsong appeared much calmer. She expressionlessly scanned her surroundings, her mind burdened more with confusion.
While the name Yun Ji was well-known in Yeyu, the current scale clearly wasn’t something a mere small restaurant could support.
The never-ending stream of congratulations indicated a network of relationships deeply driven by the flow of wealth.
Could it be that this woman truly was involved with ‘Three Waters’?
Her gaze settled on the front. The woman standing on the steps was like a proud phoenix. She basked in the congratulations, standing in the expensive landscape she had personally crafted, shamelessly displaying her wealth.
So high-profile, yet so open and confident.
As if she was born to dwell among the clouds, never having tasted hardship.
Yi Chengsong’s conjecture hadn’t yet been settled when the distance from the roadside to the entrance was covered.
Tangtang, as the leader, politely bowed slightly and whispered: “Hello, we are…”
“Xiao’er!” Yun Jiushu, who had been facing them, casually turned around before Tangtang could speak, her back to the band: “Their style is highly incompatible with Yun Ji’s tone. But since it’s a gift from Boss Nuo, have someone tidy up and move them to perform in the back.”
Her posture was incredibly arrogant, like dealing with expired food, dismissing them all with a single word of ‘unsuitable.’
Guests continued to arrive to offer congratulations. Yun Jiushu didn’t even spare them a glance, turning back to converse with old friends.
This blatant power play left the band members completely stunned, freezing in place as if they had done something wrong.
Only Yi Chengsong watched the woman’s receding back without batting an eye.
Three years apart, the person in front of her seemed to have become even more spoiled and difficult.
“Let’s go, someone is calling ahead.” The silent person signed. Without a voice, it failed to provide any comfort.
Box and Natsuki, realizing the hostility, looked visibly upset, and even the usually steady Tangtang was flustered.
“A-Ci, you have such a good temper,” Box sighed, self-mockingly: “Dignity and face are worth nothing in the face of money.”
Hearing her comment, Yi Chengsong gently shook her head, not signing a reply.
She didn’t have a good temper; she just knew a certain person’s temper too well.
The only thing she couldn’t confirm right now was whether her former obsession had changed her interests over the past three years.
The few band members, whose initial enthusiasm had been worn down, remained silently lost in their own thoughts.
As a result, they didn’t notice Yun Xiao, who was leading the way, turning back.
She pensively glanced at the group with different hair colors, pausing slightly when her gaze fell on the lowered black hair.
An emotion surged in her eyes, but it was quickly suppressed.
“Your performance location is in the Ninth Pavilion on the third floor,” Yun Xiao turned back, her expression indifferent: “Watch your manners. Don’t look around where you shouldn’t.”
The usually expressive band members were spiritless. After a lazy acknowledgment, none of them looked up.
Yi Chengsong, walking at the very end of the line, scanned the area, her fingertip lightly tapping once for every second she lingered.
Stepping through the main entrance, they passed a wall of exquisite hand-painted frescoes. Tree shadows swayed on the carved, hollow rockeries.
The fat koi in the man-made pond swished their tails.
Fragmented sunlight fell into the water. A falling leaf spiraling onto the surface startled a butterfly into flight, creating ripples.
The butterfly, glistening with water, fluttered away as they walked further.
…
“Oh, my busy person,” Nuo Ye heard the sound of high heels from afar, stood up quickly to open the door, and leaned in with a smile: “You finally decided to come back.”
Her smiling rebuke sounded incredibly intimate.
It caused the people at the table to look up and assess the situation, and even the band currently playing by the side was halted.
A splash of bright red walked in with a smile and was greeted. Yun Jiushu lightly lifted the other woman’s chin with a long finger and said suggestively: “Just a moment apart, and you miss me this much?”
“Yes, I miss you dearly even after a minute.” Nuo Ye raised her hand to grasp her wrist and beamed: “Come in quickly, we were waiting for you.”
This exchange carried a distinct flirtatious undertone. The person who had been silently standing by Yun Jiushu’s side suddenly cleared her throat, sounding slightly deliberate.
“Oh, the little sister is here too?” Nuo Ye was about to take Yun Jiushu’s hand when the cough drew her attention. She asked: “Are you enjoying your university life?”
Those familiar with Yun Jiushu knew her sister was always quiet.
So, Nuo Ye wasn’t offended when Yun Xiao merely pursed her lips and shook her head, refusing to engage. She turned back to tease Yun Jiushu.
The now-cold-faced Yun Xiao’s gaze passed over the table, piercing like a nail onto the band standing on the stage, waiting for instructions.
The single eye that met her gaze was calm as an icy pond, reflecting her complete array of emotions without a ripple.
“Alright,” Yun Jiushu turned her head, her tone flat: “Go back down and continue greeting guests and handling registration. Acquaintances get private rooms; anyone without a reservation goes to the main hall. You know the rules.”
Yun Xiao obediently nodded, subtly withdrawing her gaze, and turned to leave.
Watching her retreat, Nuo Ye felt a little regretful: “Why don’t you let your sister stay for dinner? The child has been busy all day.”
“Tsk, I’m warning you, I don’t want you as a sister-in-law.” Yun Jiushu looked around and turned to greet the others at the table: “Boss Ling, is the food to your liking?”
The atmosphere in the private room was livened up by Yun Jiushu’s arrival.
The few people standing on the stage were once again at a loss, unsure whether to play or not.
Just as Tangtang was hesitating about how to interject into the social exchange, a name was suddenly called.
“Why isn’t the band playing?” Nuo Ye seemed to remember something and turned her head, gesturing to the people on stage: “Switch to something softer. Your Boss Jiu doesn’t like abrasive music.”
With Nuo Ye’s intervention, Yun Jiushu finally lifted her eyes to look over.
The feeling of being stared at was very unpleasant.
Since entering the room, Yun Jiushu had felt a gaze fixed on her.
She intentionally ignored it but found that the more she ignored it, the more wanton the person’s scrutiny and probing became.
That look was like a dog, starved for three days by the road, eyeing a steamed bun, or a pitiful child pressed against a shop window looking at a toy.
A tall figure of 1.85 meters, yet radiating a hint of pitifulness—Yun Jiushu’s firmly held conjecture was once again confused by that look.
With Nuo Ye having spoken, Yun Jiushu finally looked up to meet that eye, but the other person shifted her gaze away the moment she sensed her looking.
Having received Nuo Ye’s nod, the people on stage immediately adjusted their posture.
Just as Box was about to start singing, she heard Yun Jiushu speak.
“That one.” Yun Jiushu, who had endured the staring for a long time, pointed her finger and said with a slight smile: “She looks like she can neither sing nor dance, so come pour the wine.”
The gaze of the rest of the band members was drawn to her.
They saw Yun Jiushu’s fingertip point directly and precisely at A-Ci.