Chapter 58: The Thrill of Novelty

Beside the coffee shop, a sleek black Maserati eased to a stop at the curb. A girl with electric-blue streaks at the ends of her hair climbed in, dressed head-to-toe in edgy black streetwear. Her lip piercing caught the light with a quick flash.

The moment she slid inside, she blinked, momentarily dazzled.

Her first glance fell on the luxurious wine-red shirt. The collar hung slightly open, revealing a tantalizing strip of pale skin. Straight ink-black hair cascaded down, with the bangs swept aside into a sharp outward V. Fierce brows framed eyes that burned with bold, unrestrained flair.

“Yo, breaking the mold today, huh?”

Yu Shan settled into the passenger seat, snapping her seatbelt into place with a smirk tugging at her lips.

“Finally catching you in something different. I’ve been wondering—what, you playing the saint these past couple weeks? Buttons buttoned up to your chin.”

Lu Huan paused to think back, then nodded. “Yeah, pretty much. Just been rotating the same few outfits for the last two months.”

One reason for that was Bai Jin’s peculiar streak of possessiveness. She didn’t like seeing Lu Huan getting too close to anyone else, and she especially hated it when Lu Huan dressed too flashily.

Bai Jin particularly disliked the idea of her heading out looking like she was off for a night of wild partying, so Lu Huan had made a point to dress more conservatively.

On top of that, Bai Jin seemed to have a thing for her in ink-black or crisp white shirts.

That was how things had been lately.

Yu Shan ribbed her. “Not to nag or anything, but how many days has it been since you showed your face? You messaging the group today straight-up shocked me.”

“Just had some time today,” Lu Huan replied.

“All right, all right, Miss Big Shot. Let’s roll—Ruo Ruo and Yuan Xin should be there by now.”

Once Yu Shan was buckled in, she pulled out her phone and started tapping through her unread WeChat messages.

The car glided smoothly along for a stretch. When she finished replying, Yu Shan glanced up, catching Lu Huan’s eye in the rearview mirror.

“Something feels off today, Lu Huan.”

“Hm?”

Yu Shan tilted her head to study her. “Your usual casual vibe? Today it looks… deliberate.”

Before Lu Huan could respond, Yu Shan delivered her verdict. “You’re faking it.”

Faking that carefree playgirl vibe to cover for something else.

She had nailed it. A strange flutter of panic stirred in Lu Huan’s chest right then, and to bulldoze right past it, she’d thrown on this air of easy nonchalance.

Yu Shan had always been spot-on at reading people.

Still, Lu Huan forced a grin. “Faking what?”

Yu Shan got the hint and let it drop. “Fine—not prying. Whatever.”

By now, night had fully settled in. Neon lights bathed the city in a surreal glow, while swirling clouds overhead veiled the scattered moonlight.

The car descended into an underground parking garage and came to a smooth stop.

“Yuan Xin says she’s meeting us at the door.” Yu Shan finished reading the last message and unbuckled her seatbelt. Something clattered to the floor.

Lu Huan’s head snapped up. “What dropped?”

Yu Shan touched her ear and winced. “Oof, my earring.”

“That thing falls off? Don’t bother fishing it out.”

“Not like you—your closet’s stuffed with nothing but flashy shirts. Peacock.”

Lu Huan stayed put in her seat, waiting, while firing back without missing a beat. “Yeah? And what does that make you, draping yourself in chains and metal bling everywhere? Iron rooster?”

“Pfft, please.” Yu Shan tsked twice and reached under the seat.

Her fingers groped around until they brushed something small.

Something was wrong.

“Lu Huan.”

Lu Huan was scrolling her phone. “Yeah?”

Yu Shan straightened up, her fingertips pinching a tiny mechanical device—the very thing she’d just fished out from under the seat.

“Anyone been in this passenger seat lately?”

Lu Huan looked up. “Occasionally. Why?”

Yu Shan held it out. It was compact and portable, a faint red light blinking on its surface.

A GPS tracker.

A rush of grim possibilities flooded Yu Shan’s mind. Her expression grew deadly serious as she eyed Lu Huan. “This some business rival out for revenge?”

“Lu Huan… you can’t brush this off.” The thought of everywhere she’d gone being tracked sent chills down the spine.

Compared to Yu Shan’s alarm, Lu Huan stayed calmer, her mind racing to connect the dots.

The first person she thought of who’d ridden shotgun in this car: Bai Jin.

She replayed the memories a few times, then it hit her—the dinner gathering not long ago, when Bai Jin had shown up to pick her up. Back then, when Lu Huan had asked how she’d known, Bai Jin had said she’d spotted the restaurant’s name in a photo of one of the dishes.

Lu Huan had been a little buzzed at the time and hadn’t questioned it further. It had seemed reasonable enough.

But had that photo really shown the restaurant name?

The realization struck like lightning. She snatched her phone, opened WeChat, and pulled up the picture she’d sent Bai Jin last time.

The answer was clear in an instant.

No restaurant name anywhere on it.

Putting it all together, one conclusion leaped out.

Bai Jin…

Lu Huan ground out the name between clenched teeth in her mind. Her eyes narrowed slightly, her expression cooling by a few degrees.

—

Inside the bar, multicolored lights flashed wildly, cool air prickling the skin amid the thump of rhythmic music.

In the dim glow, the atmosphere buzzed with energy. Voices rose in a lively, chaotic din.

A hand with striking bone structure cradled a thick glass tumbler, the amber liquid sloshing inside.

She tipped it back, and the sweet burn of liquor flooded her mouth, easing the tension in her head.

As expected, alcohol chased away all discomfort.

A single drop trailed from the corner of her lips, gliding along her jaw and down the elegant line of her neck before vanishing into the creamy swell of her cleavage—pure, forbidden temptation.

Zhong Ruo grinned ear to ear, her eyes raking up and down. “Well, damn, girl—dressed to slay slutty tonight, huh?”

The loose wine-red shirt hung casually, with just the right number of buttons undone to bare an exquisite collarbone. Paired with those sharp, intense brows and eyes, the whole domineering vibe was lethal. No girl could resist it.

Not even her fellow sisters were immune.

Zhong Ruo wore a skimpy black spaghetti-strap dress that bared swaths of snowy skin. She rested her hands on the table and leaned forward, her lithe waist and hips curving seductively. “What dragged you out tonight?”

Lu Huan propped her head on one hand, staring into her glass.

“Been under a lot of stress lately. Needed to unwind.”

“You? Coming out to relax? Which hermit couldn’t be dragged kicking and screaming these past weeks?” Zhong Ruo rolled her eyes for emphasis, then threw in some passive-aggressive sarcasm. “Oh, Miss Busy Bee~~”

“You’re just like Fan.”

“Because whenever the three of us went out before, this is exactly how we’d trash-talk you behind your back~”

“…You’re brutally honest.”

They lounged against the bar, chatting about recent goings-on, though it was mostly Zhong Ruo chattering away—from work drama to romance gossip and back again.

Lu Huan listened while knocking back shot after shot of hard liquor. Coolness prickled her skin on the outside, but fire scorched within, the clashing sensations somehow soothing her mood.

“Zhong Ruo.”

“Yeah?”

Lu Huan stared off into space. “Do you think people who keep swapping partners nonstop… get used to it?”

The question came out of nowhere. Zhong Ruo blinked, then caught on.

“Oh, you mean constantly rotating flings? Hell yeah—it’s the fast-food era now. The next one’s always got that peak freshness.”

Lu Huan let out an odd scoff. “Is that right?”

“Basically, nonstop novelty washes away the past. People have to keep moving forward—”

Zhong Ruo launched into a rambling explanation, but Lu Huan only half-listened, one ear in and one ear out.

Her mind was still fixed on that one silhouette.

She tried to shake it off, but then her phone screen lit up with a new message. The sender: Bai Jin.

Lu Huan shot it a cold glance but didn’t bother opening it.

She flipped the phone facedown and ignored it completely.

Moments later, Mu Yuanxin bounced back over. Her woolly curls bounced atop her head, and fluorescent stars dotted her face courtesy of some glow paint. She’d clearly been having a blast.

“Why just sit here nursing drinks? Come play at that table over there. Couple of girls with the sweetest mouths.”

She nudged Lu Huan. “Sister Huan, you’re out for once—don’t waste it dry-drinking here. Come hang with us.”

Lu Huan waved her off. Mu Yuanxin glanced around. “Hey, where’s Yu Shan?”

Zhong Ruo jerked her chin. “Right there.”

They followed her gaze. Yu Shan was deep in animated chatter with some woman.

“Ha… Yu Shan’s got moves. Total puppy-type vibe—the kind sisters go nuts for.”

Unable to pry her away, Mu Yuanxin switched targets and grabbed Zhong Ruo’s arm. “Fine, you come with me!”

Zhong Ruo yanked free. “Nope, nope! Too many people—I’m shy!”

Mu Yuanxin scoffed. “Zhong Ruo, cut the act. I might not know Sister Huan that well, but you? Drop the innocent routine!”

“Aiya, I’m not like I used to be.”

Zhong Ruo waved her off insistently, and Mu Yuanxin backed down without pushing.

“If you’re having so much fun, why come drag us? What’s up—you got something to say?” Zhong Ruo cut straight to it.

“Okay, okay, yeah, I do.”

Mu Yuanxin dropped the pretense and pointed. “See those girls over there? The one in the middle with the long, curly hair.”

Zhong Ruo followed her gaze and smirked lazily. “Yep. Looks super young and dewy.”

“Don’t get any ideas—she’s got her eyes on someone.”

“Oh yeah? Who?”

Mu Yuanxin’s gaze slid naturally toward Lu Huan.

Lu Huan arched a brow.

The implication was crystal clear: the girl’s target was Lu Huan.

“Shy little thing—crushing hard but too tongue-tied to approach.” Mu Yuanxin winked at Lu Huan. “Sister Huan, you feeling it at all? If so, toss her a bone later. Be nice and play along.”

“If not, I’ll clue her in so she doesn’t waste her energy.”

Lu Huan narrowed her eyes at the direction Mu Yuanxin had pointed.

Before she could reply, Zhong Ruo—mind reader extraordinaire—caught her drift and shoved Mu Yuanxin away. “What’re you asking her for? Let the girl come on over!”

“Not many have the guts to shoot their shot with Sister Huan! Hurry—go get her!”

“Click-clack-click.”

Mu Yuanxin darted back in again.

Moments later, a group of people approached from behind amid cheers and hoots. They appeared to be friends from another table.

The one being shoved forward was none other than the curly-haired girl, her small lips a vivid red, her lashes long and delicate, her features exquisitely refined.

“Go on, Ye Ye!”

“You got this! Go, go, go!”

Egged on by her friends, the curly-haired girl stepped forward.

The people around them parted naturally, leaving a wide open space between her and Lu Huan.

Finally, the girl drew near.

“S-Sister, may I buy you a drink?” She seemed rather timid, whether from the alcohol or sheer shyness, her ears and even the roots flushed bright red.

Her eyes sparkled with a crystalline light. Summoning her courage, she trembled as she met Lu Huan’s gaze, as if she’d look away in the next instant from embarrassment.

Lu Huan took in the scene.

She curved her lips in a smile, perched on her high stool with her arm resting on the bar top, silently watching the girl approach.

She watched as the girl halted at a certain distance. Lu Huan couldn’t help but chuckle, her eyes captivating under the glow of the lights.

“Sure, but you’re standing so far away—how am I supposed to toast you?”

True enough. The girl gripped her glass a little tighter.

Her friends behind her kept up the relentless teasing. “Ye Ye, don’t be shy! The sister’s got her eyes on you!”

“Yeah, yeah, can’t you tell? She’s waiting for you to make a move! Don’t chicken out—go for it!”

Her friends ceaselessly stirred the atmosphere, their voices blending into an indistinguishable chorus, each face alight with thrilled mischief.

Lu Huan paid no mind to the other gazes, her amused eyes fixed on the girl before her.

Under the barrage of urging and encouragement, Ye Ye took a step closer to her.

For that final step, it was Lu Huan who took the initiative.

She reached out with her glass to clink against the girl’s. “What are you afraid of?”

With that, she swirled the liquor in her glass and tossed it back in one smooth tilt of her head.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ye Ye, what are you waiting for? The sister made the first move for you!”

“Drink up! Drink up! Drink!”

Ye Ye hurriedly did as they said, downing her drink in a rush. Then, fumbling, she pulled out her phone.

“Sister… WeChat…”

Lu Huan laughed again, taking the girl’s phone directly and punching in her WeChat ID up top. The girl clearly hadn’t expected such directness; her hand hovered in midair, frozen.

When Lu Huan handed the phone back, she added in a slowed, laughing drawl, “Don’t be scared. I don’t bite.”

A rush of heat surged to the girl’s heart and cheeks. She snatched the phone in a fluster, the device suddenly feeling scorchingly hot in her palm—she nearly fumbled it.

Those few words, amplified by her stunning looks, packed a devastating punch.

They were enough to leave anyone with their heart racing and mind reeling.

Once the rowdy crowd had dispersed, Zhong Ruo slapped Lu Huan on the back. “You’re too smooth! So you really do go for that type, huh? You love the little sister vibe!!”

“Look at those eyes of yours—don’t tell me you’ve fallen for her too?!”

Lu Huan just smiled enigmatically, taking another casual sip of her drink. Her gaze lingered on the spot where the girl had vanished.

She was intriguing, indeed.

…

Time wore on, the atmosphere cresting into a fever pitch. Under the dim lights and the haze of alcohol, everything spun in a dizzying blur.

As the pace slowed for a breather, exhaustion washed over Lu Huan’s body. She leaned back against the sofa, her every exhale laced with the scent of liquor.

“Headache. Give me a minute.”

“You stay here then.” Zhong Ruo hadn’t even finished speaking when someone called her back. She hurried off, leaving Lu Huan behind.

Lu Huan frowned slightly, rubbing her temples. She pulled out her phone instead.

She casually approved the new friend request, and as she exited the screen, she spotted two unread messages from Bai Jin.

[Tonight, when will you be back?]

The message above it had been retracted.

Lu Huan merely glanced at it before locking her screen, offering no reply.

In the midst of the clamor, a pair of eyes fixed on Lu Huan, lips curving upward, the gaze predatory.

Her head truly ached now, and to make matters worse, a certain someone’s silhouette lingered stubbornly in her mind. Lu Huan massaged her brow with her eyes shut.

Then came a voice, clear as a bell.

“Sister, are you drunk?”

Lu Huan lifted her gaze at the sound. It was the girl from earlier who’d boldly approached. Lu Huan’s hazy, narrowed eyes cleared a fraction.

“Not drunk.”

This much was nothing.

She reached for her phone to unlock the screen, but Ye Ye pressed her hand down, stopping her.

A wave of rich fragrance followed. Ye Ye bent her knee against the sofa edge, one hand planted on Lu Huan’s shoulder. Leaning down from above, she gazed at her, radiating an aggressive aura—no trace of her earlier timidity.

Bai Jin often looked at her this way from above.

That was Lu Huan’s first thought.

Ye Ye’s hand slid closer, her fingertip brushing the pale skin at Lu Huan’s collar.

“Did you like that innocent little white rabbit from before, Sister?”

Lu Huan tilted her head up to meet her eyes, instantly grasping the implication. She let out a soft scoff. “You were faking it.”

Ye Ye had deliberately played up the scared, timid act to catch her attention.

Ye Ye pursed her lips. “No choice~ A worldly sister like you won’t fall for ordinary tricks, so I had to get creative. And I’ve got so many other sides, other looks. Want to see?”

“Sister.” Her brows curved into laughing crescents, her lips sweet as they inched slowly toward Lu Huan’s. “Tonight…”

“Want to give it a try with me?”