After a failed blind date, a wealthy woman tried to walk into my heart

"Mr. Shen, Miss Ye is going to perform the piano here in a bit. Grab something to eat and wait for her. I've got to take care of something first," the bodyguard said, guiding Shen Lang to the reception hall on the 16th floor before heading into the elevator and leaving him alone.

Shen Lang was left standing by himself in the bustling reception area, looking completely lost.

The reception hall was beautifully decorated, filled with flowers and candles that created a romantic and cozy atmosphere. Long dining tables were laden with an array of delicious food, from fancy appetizers to hearty main courses and mouthwatering desserts. Each dish was carefully selected, almost like edible art.

Everywhere you looked, there were businessmen in suits, glamorous wealthy women, and a number of foreign guys with sharp noses speaking fluent Chinese. These strangers quickly hit it off after just a few conversations, chatting away passionately.

In the center of the hall stood a brand-new piano, surrounded by a Western band made up of foreigners. They were playing cheerful, upbeat music, and everyone in the room looked genuinely happy.

Honestly, even though Shen Lang wasn't socially anxious anymore, he still felt uneasy in such a grand, opulent setting. There was an inexplicable tension he couldn't shake off.

"Never mind, I'll grab something to eat first," Shen Lang decided, heading straight for the elegant, long dining tables. The spread was full of international dishes, but there were barely any Chinese options.

After staring at the food for a while without knowing what to choose, he grabbed a big shrimp tail with his chopsticks and found a quiet corner with fewer people to start eating.

During this time, several well-dressed, refined businessmen approached Shen Lang to strike up a conversation. Today was Ye Yinan's birthday party, and most of the guests were there to mingle with other big shots in the business world under the guise of celebrating her birthday.

With so many friends and connections, the guests at this party were mostly wealthy and influential. Businessmen never mind having lots of friends, but Shen Lang wasn't really interested in getting to know them. He just wanted to finish his meal, wait for the rich girl to finish her performance, and then give her her birthday gift.

As expected, the businessmen sensed Shen Lang's impatience and didn't press the conversation any further. They didn't even leave a business card, and simply walked away without any fuss.

"Xiao… Xiao Shen?" Just then, a woman decked out in gold and silver jewelry approached Shen Lang, surprised to see him eating shrimp. "Are you Xiao Shen? Shen Lang?"

"Ah… you are?" Shen Lang tilted his head, trying to place the elegant woman.

Fang Li playfully gave him a mock angry look. "Haven't you recognized me yet? I'm your sister Fang!"

"Oh! I remember now, it's you, Sister Fang," Shen Lang suddenly realized.

This was the wealthy woman Xia Shuyi had introduced him to when they went out to play Mahjong. Fang Li owned shares in nearly half of the well-known entertainment venues in Jianghai City.

Wait, if Fang Li was here, then Mrs. Ye, the landlord, must be here too!

"Shuyi!!" Hong Jie shouted into the crowd, excitedly pointing at Shen Lang. "Look who this is!"

From the crowd, a graceful woman in a light purple low-cut dress turned around sharply, her exquisite face showing disbelief. "Xiao… Xiao Shen?"

Xia Shuyi came running over with a glass of champagne, staring at Shen Lang in amazement. "How are you here? Weren't you supposed to attend a friend's birthday…"

Before she could finish her sentence, she anxiously asked, "You mean that friend is Ye Yinan, Miss Ye, right?"

"Haha, something like that," Shen Lang replied awkwardly, scratching his head.

He hadn't expected that the grand event Xia Shuyi took him to was actually the rich girl's birthday party.

"Xiao Shen, you know Miss Ye?" Hong Jie looked shocked and whispered.

Xia Shuyi also nervously glanced at Shen Lang, clearly having a big suspicion in her mind.

Shen Lang nodded. "Yeah, kind of. We've only known each other for a short time."

"Did you come alone?" Xia Shuyi asked cautiously.

Shen Lang nodded again. "Yeah."

Xia Shuyi immediately figured out that Shen Lang and Ye Yinan must have a special relationship. Otherwise, why would she invite him alone to her birthday party?

"Come with me, Shen Jie. Hong Jie, you go talk to Sister Li and the others first," Xia Shuyi said seriously, pulling Shen Lang away from the reception hall.

Meanwhile, the massive cruise ship had started to set sail, looking like a small moving city as it slowly headed out into the endless ocean.

"Xiao Shen, tell me honestly, what's your relationship with Ye Yinan?" Xia Shuyi lowered her voice and asked seriously. "Are you guys seeing each other?"

"Xia Jie, it's just that she's helped me a lot, and…" Shen Lang wanted to explain, but the more he tried, the worse it seemed. He could only reluctantly apologize, "I'm sorry, Xia Jie."

"I never asked you about this," Xia Shuyi snapped, clearly frustrated. "You know she's the daughter of Ye Hai, the richest man in Jianghai City, right?"

Shen Lang nodded. He had known this since they connected on social media.

"Do you know who Ye Hai is?" Xia Shuyi asked, her tone both serious and disgusted. "Do you know that man has issues?"

"Wait, what? The richest man in Jianghai City has problems? Is it contagious?" Shen Lang felt his shrimp suddenly wasn't so appealing anymore.

"What are you talking about? It's not contagious. It's that he has psychological issues. I met him before he was rich. When he wasn't making money, I got to know him."

Xia Shuyi glared at Shen Lang with annoyance. "That man is terrible. He doesn't care about his family at all. He treated Ye Yinan like a dog, making her learn everything. Mr. Qin, myself, and many friends have tried to convince him to be kinder to his daughter. But he's stubborn, obsessed with making her anything but ordinary."

"Oh, no wonder he acts like a robot all the time. Turns out he's really the one to blame for all this," Shen Lang muttered thoughtfully before asking, "But what's that got to do with me? He's not going to try to control me, right?"

"Xiao Shen, do you know where the guy who was chasing after Ye Yinan is now?" Xia Shuyi narrowed her eyes and whispered coldly.

"Where?" Shen Lang nervously swallowed, feeling like he was caught in a wealthy family's conspiracy.

Xia Shuyi gently stepped onto the deck carpet and spoke in a cold tone. "He's in the ocean right beneath our feet now. Probably already in elementary school."

Shen Lang stared blankly, realizing the depth of the situation he was now entangled in.