The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

The private room was decorated in a typical elegant Chinese style, with a faint scent of sandalwood burning in the air.

Unlike the hustle and bustle of the outside corridor, it was unusually quiet here.

But the most eye-catching figure was the one standing by the window.

A young man was standing with his back to them, gazing at the night view outside the window.

He wore a simple white linen shirt and dark trousers, and his figure possessed an indescribable air of elegance.

Hearing the door open, he slowly turned around.

Under the light, the man's face was clearly visible.

His features were clear and bright, his eyes were calm and serene, like a deep pool that could reflect all things in the world, yet was unfathomable.

He has a high and straight nose, lips of moderate thickness, and a natural, gentle curve at the corners of his mouth.

His temperament is very special; he possesses both the refined elegance of a scholar and a detached, aloof air, as if all the disturbances around him are irrelevant to him.

The moment Shen Yao saw him, her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

This man...

He stood there, radiating a calming aura without needing to say or do anything.

Shen Yao could even imagine that if he smiled, it would be like the clouds parting after a snowfall, the bright moon entering one's embrace, warm and clean.

It makes people want to get closer.

When the man saw this group of people, especially Wang Cong and Xiao Weilin, who were accompanied by female companions who were clearly "playmates," and Shen Yao, who had a completely different temperament, sandwiched in the middle, he frowned.

A hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

The atmosphere inside the private room was subtle.

Qin Fang pulled Shen Yao down to sit down casually, crossed his legs, and grinned at the man by the window, gesturing with his chin:

"Hey, Jingyan, we've come to apologize to you! Aren't we being nice?"

Wang Cong quickly winked and gestured to his two ancestors to behave properly, but Qin Fang and Xiao Weilin pretended not to see it.

Qin Fang picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself some water, while Xiao Weilin had a cold face and a blank stare, seemingly lost in thought.

Standing by the window, Zhou Jingyan's gaze did not linger on the three lively characters, but instead passed over them and landed on Shen Yao, who was sitting quietly and meekly next to Qin Fang.

His gaze was gentle and peaceful, with a hint of inquiry, but without any contempt or malice.

The man raised a hand and rubbed his temple with a hint of helplessness, his voice clear and melodious, like jade striking stones:

"Qin Fang, Wei Lin, where did you 'invite' this perfectly fine girl from?"

He deliberately paused slightly on the word "please," implying a hint of disapproval.

Upon hearing this, Qin Fang immediately perked up and eagerly offered an explanation:

"Jingyan, you've wronged us. We met Miss Shen downstairs. Seeing she was alone, we invited her up for tea and to make friends. Isn't that right, Miss Shen?"

He glanced at Shen Yao as he spoke, his eyes carrying a hint.

Shen Yao nodded slightly in agreement, her voice soft and weak: "Yes, yes."

Xiao Weilin didn't say anything, his face clearly saying "What's it to me?"

Zhou Jingyan smiled helplessly.

He didn't dwell on Shen Yao's topic, but instead looked at Qin Fang and Xiao Weilin, his tone calm yet incisive:

"They used those methods to spoil Mr. Huang's son and get him addicted abroad. That wasn't enough; they even went to my banquet to humiliate him, determined to send him to the hospital!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Qin Fang's slightly embarrassed face and Xiao Weilin's indifferent expression, before continuing, "Qin Fang, Xiao Weilin, there's a limit to fooling around. If you've done something so devastating, you have to accept the consequences."

Qin Fang's playful expression faded somewhat, and he awkwardly touched his nose.

Zhou Jingyan turned to look at Xiao Weilin, his tone still gentle, and threw out a name that made Xiao Weilin's expression change instantly:

"Wei Lin, what about you? If you feel there's no need to apologize to the host of the banquet, perhaps I should talk to your brother, Wei Chen? He must be very concerned about your recent situation."

Xiao Weichen.

The name instantly pierced through Xiao Weilin's cold facade.

His sinister gaze was fixed on Zhou Jingyan, his fists clenched, and his aura of malevolence surged.

Wang Cong was so frightened that he dared not breathe.

Qin Fang shrank back and secretly gave Zhou Jingyan a thumbs up.

Zhou Jingyan, however, seemed oblivious to Xiao Weilin's anger, calmly watching him and awaiting his answer.

After a few seconds of stalemate, under Zhou Jingyan's gentle gaze, Xiao Weilin squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "I'm sorry."

Seeing this, Qin Fang quickly seized the opportunity and "sincerely" apologized to Zhou Jingyan:

"Jingyan, we were wrong last time. Please don't hold it against us."

Zhou Jingyan then nodded slightly, accepting the insincere apology.

Shen Yao watched quietly from the side.

This Zhou Jingyan...

Gentle on the outside, but sharp on the inside.

He resembles Fang Yunci somewhat, yet is slightly different.

Shen Yao still couldn't quite grasp the differences between the two.

Zhou Jingyan's gaze shifted to the other two girls in the private room, who were dressed scantily and had heavy makeup.

"Ladies, thank you for your hard work today. There's nothing else here, you can go back now."

He then looked at Wang Cong and said, "Excuse me, could you please give the two ladies some money for their transportation?"

Wang Cong immediately understood, quickly pulled a large wad of banknotes from his bulging wallet, and stuffed them into the hands of the two girls without even looking at them.

"Thank you for your hard work. Take a taxi home yourself and be careful on the road."

The two girls took the thick wad of money without the slightest reluctance. They exchanged a glance and left happily.

The private room became much quieter instantly.

Zhou Jingyan then turned his gaze back to Shen Yao.

He looked at the young, beautiful, yet seemingly fragile and uneasy girl before him, his eyes filled with apology and reassurance, and asked gently:

"Excuse me, miss, may I ask your name?"

Shen Yao met his calm gaze.

She was filled with curiosity about the man in front of her; the calmness and sense of security he exuded were something she had never experienced before.

She lowered her eyelashes slightly and answered softly, "Sir, my name is Shen Yao."

"Okay, Miss Shen Yao," Zhou Jingyan nodded, apologizing again with unusual sincerity, even though it wasn't his fault.

"I'm so sorry to have startled you today and gotten you involved in such a trivial matter. I'll have the driver take you home safely."

As he spoke, he prepared to signal to the assistant at the door to make arrangements.

"Thank you, sir." Shen Yao quickly thanked him, stood up as instructed, and prepared to leave.

Just as she straightened up, she seemed to have accidentally aggravated a certain part of her body, and she couldn't help but gasp slightly.

"hiss……".

The girl's delicate eyebrows furrowed, her small face scrunched up, and a look of pain flashed across her face.

This subtle movement immediately caught Zhou Jingyan's attention.

He asked with concern:

"Miss Shen Yao, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"