"Miss Zhi," Rig said respectfully, "I'll accompany you to the private room the boss reserved."
Yeri nodded and followed quietly.
Rig handed a token at the entrance, and the attendant's eyes widened instantly. The man bowed so deeply it looked like he wanted to worship them.
"She's the boss's most important person. Treat her well," Rig muttered quietly to the staff.
Yeri: "…"
By any chance… was this establishment also connected to Shin Keir?
She was led to a VIP private room and to her surprise, Master Keir was already waiting inside.
"Yeri, come sit over here," Allister Keir said, gesturing to the seat across from him.
"Good evening, Master Keir. I'm sorry I'm late," Yeri greeted awkwardly, clutching her small purse.
Master Keir waved a hand dismissively. "Not at all. I just arrived a few minutes ago."
Tonight, Allister looked completely different from the laid-back man she'd met before. Dressed in a tailored black suit, his natural charisma exuded confidence and elegance.
For a moment, Yeri genuinely wondered if she was seeing Shin's older brother instead of his father.
"Master Keir, for a second I thought you were Brother Shin's elder brother," Yeri said with a sheepish smile, trying to ease the tension.
Allister laughed, amused. "I've heard that a few times, but I never believed it. Since you're the one saying it, I think I'll believe it this time."
Yeri blushed faintly, unsure how to respond. She still couldn't understand why Master Keir treated her so kindly. She was from a third-tier family, in circles like these, kindness was rarely free.
Not long after, her parents arrived, and Yeri almost sagged in relief.
The Zhi couple immediately greeted Master Keir warmly.
"We finally meet, Mr. and Mrs. Zhi. I'm Allister Keir, Shin's father," he said, extending his hand.
Father Zhi shook it firmly, exchanging polite pleasantries while Mother Zhi joined in the conversation with careful enthusiasm.
Seeing the adults talking comfortably, Yeri took the chance to excuse herself. "I'll just go to the restroom," she murmured.
After freshening up, she stepped out just as another woman entered from the opposite side — Calin Ricci. The two missed each other by mere seconds.
As Yeri turned the hallway corner, she ran into the last person she expected to see.
"Bitch, what are you doing here?" Tiffany's shrill voice echoed through the corridor. "This is an exclusive establishment meant for the upper class! How could someone from a third-tier family possibly afford it?"
Yeri blinked, momentarily stunned, not because of Tiffany's insult, but because she was simply too surprised to see her again. And of course, beside Tiffany stood another familiar figure: Marco Fabian.
"Me being here is none of your business," Yeri replied coolly. "This isn't school anymore unless you own this establishment? But I highly doubt that, Miss Second-tier family."
There wasn't a huge difference between second and third-tier families, but apparently, Tiffany believed otherwise.
Her rival's face twisted in fury as she stomped her heel. Marco, meanwhile, stood silently, simply observing. He'd heard Yeri had been sick and away from school, yet seeing her now elegant, radiant, and composed, stirred something unfamiliar in him. Especially compared to Tiffany, who was practically vibrating with hostility.
Tiffany crossed her arms, lips curling in a taunting smile. "Oh, I know why you're here. You must've heard this place is crawling with the city's richest young masters, so you came to try your luck. With your frail little constitution, what else could you offer besides warming a man's bed?"
Yeri sighed. Even here, Tiffany was still a walking disaster of jealousy and stupidity. She had no intention of engaging further, so she simply rolled her eyes and tried to walk past them but Marco stepped in her way.
"Yeri, how have you been?" he asked, tone soft and falsely concerned. "I heard you were ill, but seeing you here means you've recovered. That's great." He glanced around as if worried. "But this isn't the best place for a young girl to wander alone. This establishment may seem proper, but people from the mafia also hang around here."
"Why are you talking to this bitch?!" Tiffany snapped, pulling at Marco's arm possessively.
Yeri raised a brow. "Who said I'm alone? Now move."
Marco sighed. She was still the same: stubborn and proud. Tiffany, however, looked ready to combust.
"Yeri, I'm warning you!" Tiffany barked, stepping in front of Marco like a mother hen guarding her chick. "Marco and I are already engaged! Have some decency and stop flirting with taken men. It's disgusting!"
Yeri regretted leaving the room to go to the restroom. If she'd known she'd run into these two clowns, she would've happily hidden there until the engagement dinner ended.
"Don't worry," Yeri said flatly. "Unlike you, my brain still functions properly. What makes you think I'd compete with you for a man who cheated on you with your own friends?"
Tiffany froze mid-yell, color draining from her face. Marco stiffened too, the polite mask on his face cracking. Clearly, Yeri's words hit exactly where it hurt.
"Y-You—!"
"I wouldn't waste time fighting over garbage," Yeri added with a calm, cutting smile, brushing past them.
Tiffany began hurling curses, a mess of rage and humiliation. For someone who prided herself on her status, realizing her "perfect" circle of friends had betrayed her must have been like swallowing glass.
"Yeri, don't believe everything you hear," Marco said quickly, holding Tiffany back. "How about you join us? We're actually here with some friends."
Friends? Yeri almost laughed. With people like them? She didn't need to guess, anyone who willingly associated with Tiffany and Marco wasn't the kind of person she wanted to be around.
"Marco, why are you being friendly to this bitch? Have you forgotten your promise to me?" Tiffany snapped, her voice slicing through the air.
"Tiffany, can you not be jealous every second?" Marco sighed in exasperation. "Yeri is your former classmate. Honestly, shouldn't you feel sorry for bullying her before?"
"I'm your girlfriend!" Tiffany exclaimed, staring at him as if betrayed by the very concept of decency.
Yeri wasn't keen on watching the drama unfold. Whatever Marco's reason for dragging her into this scene, it surely wouldn't be good. She just wanted to pass, not participate in some soap opera.
Just as she thought she could slip past them, the door to the right opened, and two young men stepped out.
"Marco, what's taking you so long? Why are you still out here?" one of them asked, raising a brow.
The other man's gaze immediately landed on Yeri. His eyes swept from her head to her shoes. "And this is?"
"Some bitch from our school who sneaked in to leech off a wealthy heir!" Tiffany suddenly shouted.
"You mean your former school? Didn't you drop out?" Yeri said coolly.
"You—!" Tiffany pointed at her, fuming, but before she could launch another insult, another guy appeared, this one accompanied by two women in skimpy dresses.
"What's going on?" he asked, then his gaze fell on Yeri, lighting up. "Hello, beauty. I'm a second-generation young master. You won't be at a loss if you stick with me."
At once, the two women by his side shot Yeri hostile looks sharp enough to cut glass.
Yeri rolled her eyes. Maybe they were having some kind of mixer. Either way, she wasn't interested.
"No. Like I said, I didn't come here on my own. Don't you people understand human language?" Yeri said, glancing pointedly at Marco and Tiffany.
One woman clicked her tongue. "Don't act arrogant. Aren't you here for the same reason as us? So what if you're a bit pretty? Face value doesn't mean much here."
"Alright, alright. Let's not scare her, okay?" Marco cut in, his tone suddenly darker. "She's just a high school student. And what do you mean by 'same reason as you,' huh?"
The woman flinched and lowered her head immediately, clearly intimidated.
"Sorry, Yeri," Marco said, turning back to her with a forced smile. "They're just being playful. If you'd like, you can invite whoever you came with to join us."
Before Yeri could answer, an attendant in a black suit appeared.
"What's going on here? Who said you could make trouble inside the establishment?"
"It's nothing serious, just some playful banter among friends," said the man who had first spoken to Marco. He discreetly slipped a folded bill into the attendant's hand.
"Ah, Young Master Lin," the attendant said, his expression changing to a practiced smile.
Just then, Tiffany pointed dramatically at Yeri. "Do you people just allow anyone inside? I want to report her for illegal entry!"
Yeri: "..."
Even after all her scandals and the public condemnation she'd faced, Tiffany hadn't changed one bit. Truly, a rotten core never heals.
"Or maybe she's an escaped escort," one of the women sneered, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Ha! I knew it," Tiffany said triumphantly. "How could someone from a third-rate family afford a membership here? She's clearly pretending to fit in!"
The attendant's smile faded. He walked toward Yeri with a professional sternness. "Miss, may I see your token?"
"Token?" Yeri frowned. "It's true I'm not a member, but the person who invited me is. I was just trying to return to their room, but these people wouldn't let me pass."
"The person who invited you?" Tiffany let out a mocking laugh. "Yeri, I didn't know you'd sunk this low. How much is your night? Aren't you afraid the school will find out and expel you?"
Yeri took a slow breath. Tiffany, she thought, was like a cockroach, you could stomp her a thousand times, and she'd still find a way to crawl back, wriggling and loud.
"You talk as if every woman here is for that reason," Yeri said evenly. "Isn't this also a restaurant? Besides, if I can't afford this place, then you definitely can't. Everyone knows the Rhian family business is barely afloat. I wonder who caused that?"
Tiffany's face drained of color. Once again, Yeri had struck a nerve.
Seeing Marco about to speak, probably to play hero again, Yeri turned a sharp glare on him.
"And you," she snapped. "I just wanted to pass, but you kept blocking me. Can't you see your girlfriend's acting like a rabid dog? And you still want me to hang out with you? If that's not scummy, then what exactly are you trying to be?"
Marco: "..."