Chapter 137: Extra: If Scenario

An Ling was woken up by a knock on the door.

"Knock, knock—"

She struggled to open her eyes, her head splitting. Frowning, she rubbed her forehead and turned to grab her phone.

8:13 AM.

She had stayed up late last night writing a proposal, finally handing it over to Ms. Chen, and hadn't gone to bed until four in the morning.

Auntie Wang's voice sounded from outside the door: "Miss, Madam is asking if you're awake. If you are, she wants you to come down. We have guests."

"..."

Well, wasn't I woken up by the knocking?

She answered with her eyes closed, "Okay, I'll be right down."

What kind of guest comes to visit this early in the morning?

She opened her eyes, stretched, and got out of bed to go wash up in the bathroom.

Standing in front of the mirror brushing her teeth, An Ling leaned in closer and touched her dark circles. "Should I conceal this a bit..."

Didn't Mom know she had face blindness? She could have just said she wasn't home. Why did she specifically ask Auntie Wang to come up and call her?

After tidying up simply, she grabbed a jacket and opened her bedroom door.

Just as she went downstairs, Mother An saw her and quickly waved her over.

"Lingling, come quickly and say hello to your Auntie Lu."

Sitting in the living room was an unfamiliar woman, along with a man she didn't recognize.

She sat down next to her mother and smiled politely. "Hello, Auntie Lu."

"Hello," Mrs. Shen replied with a smile, her gaze casually sweeping over her.

The girl in front of her had delicate and refined features, smooth white skin, a small nose, and full lips. Her slightly wavy long hair was soft, and her smile was very comforting, lacking any aggressiveness.

She looked quite obedient and easy to control.

After a brief thought, she smiled at Mother An, "Mrs. An, you are so lucky to have such a beautiful daughter. Unlike this son of mine, who always makes me worry."

Saying that, she turned to the side and introduced him to An Ling, "An Ling, this is my younger son, Lu Jingshen. You two are about the same age, so it's a good opportunity to get to know each other and make friends."

Lu Jingshen's expression was a bit unnatural, as if he was impatient but holding back from lashing out. Still, he nodded at her in greeting.

An Ling's eyelid twitched.

What was going on?

Something about this scene felt off.

She forced a smile as a greeting.

She secretly shot her mother a look, but Mother An subtly shook her head, seemingly a bit helpless herself.

She put down her teacup and returned the polite flattery, "You're too modest, Mrs. Shen. Jingshen has returned to the company now, hasn't he? I heard he's already the CEO, so his abilities must be impressive."

At the mention of this topic, Mother Shen's smile deepened.

But immediately after, Mother An's next words made her smile stiffen slightly.

"And I remember that Mrs. Shen's eldest son also returned to the country recently. He took over the Shen Group as soon as he came back. With two such capable sons, Mrs. Shen is truly blessed."

Mrs. Shen quickly adjusted her expression, "Not at all, my eldest son is just busy with work..."

She smoothly changed the subject, "An Ling, why don't you and Jingshen exchange contact info? You can keep in touch more in the future."

Unable to refuse, An Ling had to add him.

After they left, before she could even ask, Mother An spoke up first: "You saw that, right? That was the Shen family. They suddenly came to visit early this morning. It looks like they want to renew the marriage arrangement."

An Ling knew her family and the Shen family had an arranged marriage agreement.

But after so many years had passed without the Shen family bringing it up—or even initiating contact with the An family—everyone had stopped taking the engagement seriously. Now, they suddenly showed up today proposing a marriage alliance.

She yawned and stood up, "I was wondering why I was suddenly called down. I'm going back upstairs to catch up on sleep."

Mother An didn't reject this kind of marriage alliance, but it mostly depended on An Ling's attitude. "That was their younger son just now. See if he catches your eye. If you guys hit it off, you can give it a try. If not, forget it."

Give it a try?

An Ling pondered for a moment, then turned her head and blinked.

"I've already forgotten what he looks like."

"Besides, he doesn't catch my eye."

She had no good impression of him the moment she saw him.

Coming for a visit with a long face—who owed him anything?

...

Sleeping in until the afternoon, An Ling emerged from her blankets. Her hair was scattered across her fair cheeks, and her face carried the drowsy, lazy look of someone who had just woken up.

She grabbed her phone from the side and checked the time.

While she was sleeping, Jiang Mai had texted her, asking if she wanted to go out tonight, saying she had found a really interesting place.

Just as she agreed, a message suddenly popped up.

Lu Jingshen: [When are you free? We could go out for a meal together.]

Who is this?

Still a bit groggy from sleep, An Ling didn't react immediately. She squinted her eyes, thinking for a few seconds before remembering that she had added someone that morning.

She twitched the corner of her mouth, rubbed her hair, sat up, and replied to the message.

An Ling: [Sorry, I don't have time.]

Who does he think he's ordering around?

...

At 8:00 PM,

The night was heavy. The neon lights at the entrance of the Golden Palace were shining brightly, and the loud music from inside could be heard, dividing the inside and outside into two different worlds.

An Ling stepped out of the car in high heels, the hem of her skirt brushing against her slender ankles. She closed the car door and glanced up at the signboard.

"This is the fun place you were talking about? Isn't this a bar?"

Jiang Mai, who was taking photos, heard her and replied, "This isn't just a simple bar. It's really famous online. I heard a lot of rich people come here to hang out. I saw it on my feed before but haven't been here yet. Let's go in and have fun."

After they went in, a black Bentley stopped smoothly at the entrance.

The attendant at the door hurriedly stepped forward to open the car door.

Into view came shiny black leather shoes lightly tapping the ground, and suit trousers sharply wrapping around long, straight legs.

The man was dressed in a crisp suit, boasting excellent body proportions with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His hair was meticulously styled.

As soon as he got out of the car, he instantly attracted the attention of the people around him.

The manager, who had been waiting, quickly came forward to greet him: "Chairman Shen, President Wang asked me to take you over."

The man gave a hum of acknowledgment and followed the manager into the club.

Inside the bar, the music was deafening, and the crowd was packed shoulder to shoulder.

In the dim space, colored lights flickered on and off, blinding to the eyes. The noise and the smell of alcohol tangled together, creating a chaotic atmosphere that made it hard to breathe.

An Ling rarely came to places like this. To be precise, she didn't like going to crowded places.

Her ears ached from the noise as soon as she walked in. She looked up at the second floor.

Noticing that the upstairs space was spacious with fewer people, An Ling then looked towards the center of the dance floor.

Jiang Mai was already mingling and having fun with the crowd. Not wanting to disturb her, An Ling picked up her glass and left the bar area.

Just as she reached the stairs, a few bodyguards in suits saw her trying to go up and reached out to stop her. "Sorry, Miss. Upstairs is the VIP member area, it's not open to the public."

Member area?

No wonder there were so few people.

An Ling nodded. "Alright."

Just as she was about to turn around and head back to the bar, the rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed behind her, approaching the stairs.

She turned her head to look in the direction of the sound.

She happened to meet a man's eyes.

The bar's lighting was dim, but his eyes were deep and pitch-black like a deep well. The light fell on the side of his face, making his handsome profile look even more refined and elegant. His expression was calm.

After their eyes met, An Ling was slightly startled.

The man, however, calmly withdrew his gaze and stepped upstairs.

She took a sip of her drink, blinked, and turned to walk back to the bar.

At this moment, the man's footsteps going upstairs suddenly paused. He turned his head and looked down with lowered eyes.

His gaze fell on that figure from behind, paused for only a brief moment, and then slowly shifted away.

Inside the private room.

Wang Yihong signaled for the waiter to leave, then turned his head toward the man sitting on the other side.

"Brother Shen, how does it feel to be back?"

On the sofa, the man held a wine glass between his long, well-defined fingers. Hearing this, he slowly raised his eyes. "It's alright."

Gu Xiaochi sat with his legs crossed, toying with his phone. "You've already made quite a name for yourself right after coming back."

Shen Linyan had returned to the country a few months ago. Within a month of landing, he had parachuted straight into the position of Chairman of the Shen Group.

"That old woman seems desperate right now."

He held up his phone. "Shen Fuyuan just told me that to pave the way for Lu Jingshen, that old woman even dug up a marriage agreement from over twenty years ago. Today, she even took Lu Jingshen to the An family's residence for a visit."

Wang Yihong was a bit surprised. "Damn, seriously? She's going that far? Even resorting to a marriage alliance?"

But it was true; the An family was a massive enterprise. An alliance with them would only benefit Lu Jingshen.

"He won't be able to go through with it," Shen Linyan chuckled lightly.

Seeing his reaction, the other two raised their eyebrows.

Gu Xiaochi changed his posture and asked quietly, "Why? Did you do something? Or are you going to marry her instead?"

"I don't need to do anything. He will refuse it himself."

The man set down his glass, his tone flat:

"I have no interest in an arranged marriage either."

No interest?

Wang Yihong and Gu Xiaochi weren't surprised by this answer.

With Shen Linyan's power, he didn't need to rely on a marriage alliance.

"Still, I've never even seen what that eldest daughter of the An family looks like."

Wang Yihong pondered, "I've only met the CEO of the An Group; he occasionally comes to my place."

But as for the An family's daughter, very few people had ever seen her.

She was probably the most low-profile heiress out there.

"Shen Fuyuan said she's quite pretty," Gu Xiaochi glanced at his phone. "But she only heard that from others. Who knows if it's true."

Pretty?

Shen Linyan lowered his eyes and took a sip of his wine, showing little interest in the topic.

He didn't care whether the An family's daughter was pretty or not.

After all, it had nothing to do with him.

Seeing the two of them getting more and more enthusiastic about discussing this An family heiress, he rubbed his temples and set down his glass. "I'm going out for a bit. I'll come back when you guys are done talking."

Stepping out of the private room, he passed the corner.

Just as he was about to reach the viewing balcony, his footsteps suddenly halted.

Not far away, a young woman was leaning against the railing. She wore a dark velvet dress that cascaded smoothly down her waistline, the hem just covering her ankles, revealing only a glimpse of her slender ankles.

Her long hair was loosely pinned behind her head, with a few stray strands falling against the snowy white curve of her neck. She wore no extra accessories, save for a pair of small diamond studs that glimmered faintly in the dim light.

She leaned against the railing, holding her phone with one hand to record something. Her side profile was beautiful, her eyelashes lowered, exuding a quiet and noble elegance.

Almost instantly, Shen Linyan recognized her as the girl who had been stopped by the bodyguards downstairs earlier.

After a moment of hesitation, his long legs carried him over.

An Ling was currently recording a video of Jiang Mai dancing in the center of the dance floor.

As expected of the VIP section, the view from the second floor was indeed excellent.

After recording for a while, she had just pressed stop when the sound of footsteps came from beside her.

She instinctively turned her head to look. When she saw the man's somewhat familiar face, she froze for a moment before quickly and politely withdrawing her gaze.

He looked a bit familiar.

Was this the man she met on the stairs earlier?

The man stood on the other side of the railing, politely maintaining a safe distance from her, quietly watching the dancing crowd on the first floor.

An Ling was truly curious.

Mainly because she had had a bit to drink, making her face blindness a bit worse, so she wasn't entirely sure if it was him.

But on the entire second floor, the only devastatingly handsome man who could leave a slight impression on her seemed to be the one she had bumped into at the staircase.

The main issue was that during their previous encounter, An Ling felt the other party was a bit aloof, making her hesitant to strike up a conversation.

She cast another glance from the corner of her eye, and this time, her gaze happened to meet the man's eyes.

An Ling's face flushed slightly.

Why did she always end up making eye contact with people?

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she was just about to look away.

Unexpectedly, in the very next second, the man suddenly spoke to her, his tone gentle: "Hello."

Startled, she nodded in response. "Hello."

This person's voice was actually quite nice.

The thought flashed through her mind.

An Ling blinked.

He didn't seem that cold after all; he spoke quite gently.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she tilted her head to look at the man, her eyes curving into a smile as she blinked. "Um, sir, you look a bit familiar. Did we just run into each other at the staircase?"

The girl's voice was clear and soft, her tone polite and laced with a hint of curiosity. Her eyes were as clear as if they were soaked in shattered starlight.

Shen Linyan's gaze paused for an imperceptible moment.

After a moment of silence, he slightly lowered his eyes and nodded gently. "Yes."

"I knew it," An Ling smiled, her eyes curving, as this was the first time she had remembered a stranger. "I told myself I wouldn't mistake you."

Sure enough, being handsome made one very distinctive.

She looked down to check the video she had just recorded.

Beside her came the man's gentle voice.

"Did your friend bring you up here?"

"Hmm?" An Ling looked up.

The man seemed to be asking casually, his eyes lowered to watch the dance floor below. Sensing her gaze, he looked up at her, his tone mild.

"I saw you being stopped earlier. If your friend was upstairs, you could have let me bring you up with me then."

An Ling chuckled and quickly waved her hand. "No, no, my friend is downstairs. I was able to come up because I got a membership."

The membership required proof of funds, and as long as one met the qualifications, they could get it. An Ling hadn't expected it to be so easy either.

She blinked at the man. "So they can't stop me anymore."

The girl's beautiful face bore a proud expression, like a proud little cat.

Shen Linyan was slightly taken aback, then let out a low chuckle and nodded. "I see."

His gaze fell on the girl's phone. "Recording a video?"

"Recording a video for my friend, she wants to watch it later." An Ling had originally come up to air out the smell of alcohol, but when Jiang Mai found out, she asked her to help take a video.

Shen Linyan gave a soft mm in response.

His gaze landed on the girl's earnest side profile, and he unconsciously stared for a few seconds.

In the next second, the girl suddenly turned to look at him and blinked.

Shen Linyan's eyelashes trembled slightly. Realizing he was being a bit impolite, he shifted his gaze away.

And in the next moment, the girl's voice rang in his ear.

"I'm heading down first."

He paused his movements and turned to look.

An Ling put away her phone, smiling and waving at him. "My friend just called for me. I'm leaving now, bye-bye."

Shen Linyan's expression was a bit dazed as he stood frozen in place without speaking.

His knuckles unconsciously tightened around the railing.

He felt a bit strange.

He had actually chatted with a stranger here for this long, without even knowing her name.

But there seemed to be no need to know her name anyway.

They were just people to pass the time with for each other.

Chances were, they would never meet again.