Revisiting the Miracle Nightclub, Chu Ge discovered that the facade had been renovated.
The previous time he visited, the facade was dilapidated, with some colored lights missing, making Miracle look like Shenyi. Understandable; the core business inside wasn't geared towards the general public, so there was no need for an overly attractive sign; understated was key.
When Zhang Xiaoren was in charge, he had done the same, and Zhang Qiren hadn't considered renovations after taking over.
However, this time, he saw a magnificent, glittering facade, dazzling even from afar. Cheongsam-clad waitresses stood smiling and welcoming guests outside, making the place seem incredibly high-class.
"No more pretense?" Chu Ge muttered to himself in surprise. "This is too ostentatious. Could it be that they've completely changed their business inside and opened their doors to the public?"
Yue Ying, expressionless, went straight inside.
The interior hadn't changed much; it was still a classic ballroom, with soft music playing and men and women dancing intimately on the dance floor.
It was still early, and everyone was behaving properly. They hadn't witnessed the chaotic, ambiguous atmosphere of the previous night, let alone the special performances of the midnight show.
Yueying's slightly tense mood eased somewhat. She asked a waiter for a table and sat opposite Chu Ge.
The seats weren't the couple's seats she'd had with Qiu Wuji the other day; they were facing each other, open and aboveboard.
Chu Ge himself felt comfortable. This was how it should be when going out with friends. He didn't know why going out with Qiu Wuji always resulted in ambiguous situations… Perhaps the ambiguity stemmed from something in his heart?
The prices were still high. Chu Ge, as usual, only ordered two bottles of beer and a plate of peanuts, not caring what the waiter thought. Let him think what he wanted.
Theoretically, it should be Moonshadow's treat... But the girl, staring at the price tag, was still completely bewildered. Poor thing, she'd been in this underground place for months and hadn't even touched anything above ground... no money.
Thinking I could finally treat my old friends to a couple of drinks after getting a proper job, I wish I hadn't come here; a roadside stall would have been so much better…
Chu Ge opened the bottle, filled Yueying's and his own glasses, clinked them together, and smiled, "Since we're old friends, let me offer this toast as a farewell to Nanjiang."
Yueying snapped out of her reverie, nervously clutching the seemingly priceless wine glass, and whispered, "Thank you."
They each drank, and Chu Ge said, "Judging from this, it seems the Miracle Nightclub has been officially licensed and cleaned up. You probably have no more regrets. Saying goodbye to the past and starting anew—in our writers' eyes, that's a happy ending, a happy ending."
Yueying asked, "What's a happy ending?"
"A happy ending."
"Maybe." Yueying smiled, "I don't have any particular attachment to other things, nor do I want to delve into the Zhang family's past. If those harmful things can truly stop now, that's good."
Chu Ge sincerely said, "Your character is too pure. Relatively speaking…" "This team is probably the best fit for you right now." Yueying quickly raised her glass, "Thank you for your care, Brother Chu and Sister Qiu." The two drank another cup. Chu Ge felt that if there wasn't anything special about coming here, he could leave. It wasn't appropriate to stay with Yueying any longer; after all, a lone man and woman should avoid suspicion, and there wasn't much to say...
Some things were things everyone avoided saying, so there was even less to say, making it a bit awkward.
As Chu Ge drank, his eyes darted around, trying to figure out how to leave politely and respectfully... Then, he spotted a familiar face.
Right at the next table, Zhu Mengmeng was talking to a handsome young man.
Chu Ge tensed up. How come he hadn't seen her here before...? If Zhu Mengmeng complained, he'd be in deep trouble! Yueying asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing, just saw an acquaintance..."
Yueying followed his gaze, seemingly understanding, and said sensibly, "Your old flame? Don't worry, I won't tell Sister Qiu."
Chu Ge was both amused and exasperated: "These days, who would think someone is an old flame? Who would tell Sister Qiu? Have some self-awareness..."
Yueying exclaimed, "Huh?" seemingly never imagining this could be related to her.
Seeing her dazed expression, Chu Ge didn't know how to explain, so he subconsciously focused on eavesdropping on what Zhu Mengmeng was saying.
"Can't we get back together? I miss you..." Zhu Mengmeng said.
The handsome young man said, "It's been two years since you broke up, is it really that interesting to talk about this?"
Zhu Mengmeng said, "You have a boyfriend?"
"Good that you know."
"Is it that Tingting on WeChat?"
The handsome young man was shocked: "How did you know..."
Zhu Mengmeng calmly said, "Because that's my alternate account."
"Pfft..." Chu Ge spat out his drink.
Zhu Mengmeng seemed to sense something, turned her head, glanced at him, and her eyes immediately widened. She frantically rummaged through her bag for her phone, seemingly wanting to call Qiu Wuji to catch her cheating.
Chu Ge said helplessly, "Hey, you're pretty loyal to Qiu Qiu, huh? How can you be so shameless flirting around outside..."
"Flirting with what?" Zhu Mengmeng pointed confidently at the handsome young man opposite her: "This is my husband!"
"Pfft!" Chu Ge spat out a peanut.
The handsome man asked Zhu Mengmeng with displeasure, "So, which of your old lovers is this?"
Everything's a mess; everyone's someone else's old lover.
The two tables finally joined together, and after a long explanation, they finally understood each other's relationship. Zhu Mengmeng still looked at Yueying with distrust: "Hey, I'll check with Qiuqiu. This innocent girl, you say she's a neighbor, and Qiuqiu knows... but I just don't believe it."
Chu Ge said helplessly, "Whatever, of course Qiuqiu knows."
Yueying finally understood what was going on, and stood up expressionlessly, saying, "In that case, I'll be going... I'm not used to it..."
Chu Ge also wanted to leave.
But then Zhu Mengmeng lowered her voice: "It doesn't matter whether this little sister leaves or not, but you, Chu Ge, did you really come here just to drink with your neighbor?"
Chu Ge felt there was something more to her words; it didn't seem like she suspected her of picking up girls, but rather something else.
Yueying seemed to sense something as well, pausing her movement as she stood up, and turning to look at Zhu Mengmeng's face.
Zhu Mengmeng felt as if a sword was piercing her cheek, making her extremely uncomfortable. A realization dawned on her: this little girl was also a superhuman…
She didn't hide anything further and whispered, "You, Chu Ge, have superpowers, and this little girl doesn't seem simple either. So, you came here, weren't you waiting for the underground boxing match that reopens at midnight tonight?"
With a "crack," the cup in Yueying's hand shattered.
Chu Ge's expression instantly turned solemn: "Is the news reliable?" Zhu Mengmeng hadn't expected the usually amiable and smiling Chu Ge to have such a serious look. She stammered, "What's reliable about it? The news was released three days ago. The regular viewers have all received it and are waiting for the return tonight."
Chu Ge said in a low voice, "To bring back underground boxing, he's even putting on a grand renovation of his place. He's really fearless."
Zhu Mengmeng's handsome husband finally confirmed that this Chu Ge was indeed not her old flame. Only then did he leisurely lean back in his chair, sipping his wine, and say, "The Wang family has fallen, Zhang Qiren has fled, Lin Wuyang has..." "Forcefully stripping away...some people think they're invincible and should be pushing forward..."
Chu Ge asked, "So you were all just spectators before?"
The handsome man smiled slightly: "Where there's demand, there's supply. These days, the pressure is immense; everyone needs an outlet. Like when people see a short essay online, they all swarm in to hurl insults, saying as much as they want. But when the truth comes out, the insults dissipate, the person involved is left bleeding, and who cares about the mess? Spectators...who isn't one?"
Yue Ying slowly released her glass, looking down at the bubbling bubbles, her dark eyes rippling with a deep, unsettling light.
City Bureau. The Special Affairs Division was brightly lit; Lin Wuyang was on the phone.
"Wu Yang, this is against discipline." Lin Wu Yang simply smiled gently: "A new section chief needs to show some results… The weather is getting a bit chilly, so you should rest at home. We can do this kind of strenuous work." The other person said something, and Lin Wu Yang calmly interrupted: "The news came out three days ago, didn't you know? It's fine if you didn't know… Anyone who wants to treat me, Lin Wu Yang, like a chicken or a dog will pay the price."