The greasy-looking young man screamed at the beautiful woman getting out of his passenger seat. He looked like he was going to eat her alive.

The frightened woman kept backing away, not daring to get closer. The greasy-looking young man scrambled back into the car, started the engine, and sped off.

He left the beautiful woman standing there, disheveled in the wind. ’I really regret this,’ she thought. ’I never should have provoked a rich playboy.’

’A playboy is a playboy, through and through. No sense of propriety, no scruples. How dare he just abandon me like this...’

’Now I’m in the middle of nowhere, and in high heels, no less. How am I supposed to get back?!’

By now, Gu Jiaojiao’s car had arrived at Yuetai Restaurant. There were plenty of parking spots downstairs.

But there were no seats left inside. Their run-in with the greasy-looking young man had delayed them, so they were arriving late.

It was the peak dinner rush, and the restaurant was packed. Gu Jiaojiao stood at the entrance, hesitating.

"Jiaojiao, Lanlan, why don’t we just go home and eat? We have food there anyway," Second Brother Gu suggested apologetically.

Gu Jiaojiao agreed. "Alright then, let’s eat at home."

Li Xiulan, who disliked crowds, was relieved. "I’ll come eat at your place, too," she agreed happily.

But just as the three of them were about to leave, they heard gasps from behind them. "AH... there’s a fight... Look... they’re fighting over a table!"

Gu Jiaojiao followed everyone’s gaze and saw four or five men standing at the entrance to a private room across the way.

Two women with flushed faces were seated in their midst. She walked over for a closer look.

It turned out they weren’t fighting over a table at all. The group had simply finished their meal and was trying to leave.

However, the two young women in their party had had too much to drink. They were clearly drunk and were making a scene, refusing to go.

They were shouting for the men to leave them alone, but why would the men listen?

They were done eating, and people were waiting for the table. Besides, they didn’t dare cause a scene in Yuetai Restaurant.

So, naturally, they weren’t going to wait around. They were trying to pull the girls away, which had led onlookers to assume they were fighting over the table.

"Miss, you’ve had too much. Why don’t you have some soup to sober up before you go?" a waiter said, hurrying over with a bowl.

After assessing the situation, Gu Jiaojiao mixed a cup of sobriety tea and had a waiter take it over.

"I’m not drinking that! We’re not drunk!" one of the girls, the one with dyed blonde hair, said arrogantly.

That girl was about twenty years old, and the other girl was a bit older, about twenty-four.

Although the other girl’s face wasn’t as flushed, she was obviously drunk as well. She cursed angrily, "You bunch of hooligans... Let go of me!"

The two girls were obviously from high society; they were the daughters of prominent families in the Imperial City. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The young men they were with also came from respectable families, but it was clear they were trying to appease the two girls.

Their fathers had always taught them not to be impulsive and to never, ever offend anyone from a family more powerful than their own.

So they knew they could offend just about anyone, except for those they couldn’t afford to cross.

They couldn’t afford to offend their two companions, nor could they afford to offend the owner of Yuetai Restaurant. They were in a real bind.

Gu Jiaojiao saw their predicament and sighed to herself. ’This can’t continue. I have to get them out of my restaurant.’

So she stepped forward and said to the blonde girl, "You’re right, you’re not drunk. Why don’t we have another glass?"

The blonde girl snatched the tea from Gu Jiaojiao, tilted her head back, and downed it in one go. She sneered, "Alright, little girl. Let’s keep ’em coming."

Then she shoved the empty cup at Gu Jiaojiao. "Pour me another. We’re not done drinking."

Just then, a pair of small, soft, warm hands gently covered her own.

A faint medicinal aroma filled the air, and the girl felt a jolt run through her.

She turned to look at the owner of the hands and saw that it was an incredibly beautiful girl.

A blush of shame crept onto her cheeks as the fog of alcohol began to clear. She realized she had been completely drunk and was making a fool of herself.

Worse, she had been on the verge of challenging a little girl to a drinking contest. It was beyond humiliating.

’But I can’t possibly admit I’m wrong. I’m a graceful lady from a great family. It’s always someone else’s fault.’

Overcome with shame and anger, she flung Gu Jiaojiao’s hand away. Pointing at her, she snapped, "Who are you? Get lost!"

"But you’re the one who asked me to pour you a drink," Gu Jiaojiao said, holding up her hands innocently. "You were really going at it."

After speaking, Gu Jiaojiao even gave the blonde girl a little wink.

"You..." The blonde girl was mesmerized by Gu Jiaojiao’s beauty. Her mind, which had just started to clear, felt muddled all over again.

Her vision blurred, and she started muttering, "I don’t even drink. How could I possibly be drinking?"

After saying this, the blonde girl swayed on her feet and stumbled out of the private room.

Gu Jiaojiao knew the girl was sober now, so she quickly stepped aside to let her go.

Seeing this, her companions rushed to support her, and the whole group departed quickly.

A waiter immediately rushed over to enthusiastically invite the group of young men who had been waiting to take the room and order.

But the men felt awkward and politely refused. "It was that young lady who persuaded the other party to leave. The room should be theirs."

"Please, you take it," Second Brother Gu said quickly. "She’s my sister. She’s the owner of Yuetai Restaurant."

"My second brother is right," Gu Jiaojiao said with a smile. "You’re our guests. Please, go on in."

Hearing that she was the owner of Yuetai Restaurant, the young men finally relaxed and went inside to order.

Just as Gu Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief, one of the handsome young men stopped before going in.

He took a serious look at Gu Jiaojiao and said, "Thank you. You really helped us out of a bind today. Would I have the honor of treating the owner and the second boss to a meal?"

"Yes! Of course, we’d be delighted," Second Brother Gu immediately replied with a grin.

’It’s not that I’m being greedy,’ he thought. ’I’m just worried Jiaojiao and my fiancée are starving. Worst case, I’ll pay for the meal myself.’

"You’re too kind," Gu Jiaojiao said. "How about this meal is on me? Just be sure to patronize our restaurant more in the future."

Seeing her brother accept so enthusiastically, she felt she had no choice but to go along with it.

"No, please, allow us to treat you," another young man in their group insisted.

"Heh, as the owner of Yuetai Restaurant, I can’t very well have a customer treat me, can I?"

"Alright then. This meal is on the owner, but we’ll treat you next time. We’re from Hong Kong City, here to invest in the Imperial City. My name is Zhou Zhenhui."

The handsome young man introduced himself as he stepped into the private room.

"Boss Zhou, a pleasure," Gu Jiaojiao replied warmly, her smile growing more genuine.