Chapter 4: Basins of Filthy Water

Shen Qian’s dinner party was set for seven in the evening, on the sixteenth floor of the Floating World Tower.

Xue Yuanyuan strutted in with an air of absolute self-assurance, arm in arm with Lin Zhiwei. The moment they entered, Shen Qian’s gaze was instantly drawn to Xue Yuanyuan’s ethereal elegance tonight, his eyes following her every move.

Lin Zhiwei yawned, already bored. The night was still long, and her journey to gather evidence had only just begun.

Shen Qian sauntered over to them, completely ignoring Lin Zhiwei as he put on a gentlemanly smile. “Yuanyuan, you’re here. Perfect, some of our classmates have already arrived over there. Let’s go join them. Oh, and Weiwei, glad you could come, have fun.” He nodded politely at Lin Zhiwei in passing.

“Weiwei, I’ll head over first. Feel free to look around,” Xue Yuanyuan said, lifting her chin with a touch of superiority before taking Shen Qian’s arm and walking away.

Lin Zhiwei waved her hand dismissively. Men were so easily fooled—this one thought he’d found a treasure.

She grabbed a glass of classic martini, dropped in a plum, and leaned against a Roman pillar, scanning the room as she checked the time, her mind quietly at work.

“Wow, that girl is like a shock of color in a field of blossoms,” Liang Qisheng swirled his red wine, marveling at Lin Zhiwei standing alone with her drink.

Several young heirs nearby chimed in, “Don’t you know, Liang? That’s Lin Zhiwei.”

“The one from the Lin family? Oh, right. Now I remember. Didn’t turn out well,” Liang Qisheng laughed, then glanced at the man beside him—eyes closed, lips pursed, face cold and detached. “Hey, Best Actor Ling, are you practicing meditation over here?”

Ling Ziheng opened his eyes, their depths brimming with impatient anger. His striking features remained frosty as he replied coolly, “Don’t call me that here.”

“Oh come on, we’re not in Huaguo. Hardly anyone knows you here, relax,” Liang Qisheng waved his hand dismissively. Ziheng was far too cautious—clearly still shell-shocked from his time in Huaguo.

Ling Ziheng took a deep breath, disliking the noisy crowd. If not for his father’s insistence that he give face to the Shen family, he would never have joined this gathering of rich young men.

He rose and made his way toward the bar. Who knew when this endless night would finally conclude? And his father had even arranged a blind date for him with the Shen family’s second daughter. As he walked, he pondered how he might gracefully make his exit.

As he passed, the young heiresses couldn’t help but stare. Even though Ling Ziheng was dressed down tonight, with his hair neatly styled, one glance at that striking face was enough to imprint it forever in their minds.

“Hey, who is that? I’ve never seen him before.”

“No idea. Must be some rich heir.”

“Absolutely gorgeous—body, face, a straight ten out of ten.”

“I’d give him a twenty.”

“Think we should go talk to him?”

“You first…”

Excitement began to ripple through the crowd.

Liang Qisheng had wanted to warn Ling Ziheng that the place was swarming with predatory heiresses. But seeing the girls so eager, he simply sipped his wine, enjoying the show. Ziheng, my friend, you’re on your own—I wish you luck.

“One classic martini, please.”

A cool male voice and a lazy female one sounded almost in unison.

Ling Ziheng frowned, just then noticing Lin Zhiwei beside him.

Lin Zhiwei glanced up. Handsome, unfamiliar, cold—difficult to approach. She mentally slapped a few labels on him, lost interest, and moved on.

The bartender eyed the odd pair, hesitated, then served two martinis.

“Good taste,” Lin Zhiwei said nonchalantly, taking her drink and leaving.

Ling Ziheng replied politely, “Likewise,” before returning to his seat.

“Damn, Lin Zhiwei beat us to it.”

“She’s bold enough to make the first move?”

The heiresses burst into a cacophony, their voices buzzing. Lin Zhiwei’s infamous reputation preceded her, but with the Lin family’s status, none dared confront her head-on. Still, her name was already mud outside, and she probably didn’t even realize that soon enough, the Elders of the Nameless Domain might take disciplinary action against her.

In truth, Lin Zhiwei had noticed Ling Ziheng in the corner long before. When he got up, she followed, knowing that an unfamiliar face would always cause a stir and become the latest target. Even her casual greeting was enough to make every heiress present see her as an enemy, which suited her fine—she could pick up the latest gossip and decide just how many knives to twist into Xue Yuanyuan later.

No one is born a philanthropist. If you feed a wolf who won’t remember kindness, it’s only fitting he gets what he deserves.

She hid behind a curtain, quietly listening.

“Have you heard? The Elders of the Nameless Domain are probably going to deal with Lin Zhiwei soon.”

“What for?”

“My cousin’s on the Arbitration Committee. He says Lin Zhiwei seduced several young heirs, swindled their money, and toyed with their feelings.”

“No way! Isn’t she from the Lin family? Is she really that desperate for cash?”

“Oh please, she’s just from a side branch—no real standing. Her father’s useless, can’t make money. I bet she just wants to get famous since she’s so ugly.”

“Apparently she does it all on WeChat.”

“Hahaha, how dumb.”

The heiresses gossiped gleefully, oblivious to her presence.

Lin Zhiwei shook her head. What a mess—leading on a whole busload of people. Xue Yuanyuan was truly ruthless.

Piecing things together, she realized Xue Yuanyuan had been using her name to lure men and scam money—sometimes under Lin Zhiwei’s own name, sometimes her own. When things went south, all the blame would fall on Lin Zhiwei.

Shameless, truly. But the execution was sloppy—this would blow up sooner or later. No doubt Xue Yuanyuan thought she was too stupid to defend herself when the time came.