Chapter 14 : Moonlit Missteps at Yuechen

Du Junyi’s birthday gala was held at Yuechen Mansion in the city’s west, a place where every inch was worth a fortune and celebrities gathered.
Unlike Yaozhou, this venue wasn’t fodder for gossip—it was never open to the public.
In all of Jiangcheng, few could host here.

Luxury cars lined the entrance.
Shen Mengke glanced over; despite their vibrant colors, Jiang Zhixing’s red sports car seemed understated.
Jiang Zhixing disliked such events.
Without Shen Mengke’s request, that invitation would’ve stayed in the trash.
Shen Mengke rarely saw Jiang Zhixing with the usual rich-kid entourage—she was a loner, often holed up in her music shop all day, seldom returning home.

Jiang Zhixing stepped out, glancing at the overhead lights, a flicker of irritation in her eyes.
“Same as always—I’ll drop you off,” she said.
Shen Mengke nodded.

Though they often appeared together, Shen Mengke was usually the only one staying at events.
Jiang Zhixing would either find a quiet corner or leave, returning later to pick her up.
Shen Mengke once asked about her antisocial habits, but Jiang Zhixing only said, “Don’t need it, don’t like it.”
This time, though, Jiang Zhixing couldn’t slip away.

Every step into the mansion was bathed in light.
Plane trees flanked them like loyal guards escorting their master home.
The glow of chandeliers and the hum of music created an intoxicating atmosphere.

Shen Mengke followed Jiang Zhixing inside, scanning the crowd—some familiar, some not, some met in person, others online.
To her surprise, she spotted Xu Shinian, whose absence had stalled the crew.
Xu stood under a beam of light, laughing with others, occasionally covering her mouth, eyes darting as if hunting for someone—or something.

Their gazes collided unexpectedly.
Shen Mengke froze; dodging wasn’t an option.
She turned to Jiang Zhixing.
“Gonna say hi to someone.”
Jiang Zhixing hummed, and Shen Mengke, not lingering, approached Xu Shinian.
Xu excused herself from the group, grabbing a glass of wine for Shen Mengke.
Without asking why she was there, Xu’s eyes flicked to Jiang Zhixing.
“Who’s that?”
“My friend.”
Xu clinked glasses with her, sipping first.
“Where’s your girlfriend?
Not here?”
“She…” Shen Mengke hesitated, setting the wine aside.
“Sister Xu, it’s a misunderstanding.
She’s not my girlfriend.”
Xu raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
Shen Mengke grabbed a pastry, not eating it.
“That day, just joking.
She’s a friend.”
Xu’s gaze lingered on her hand, smiling.
“Oh~”

“By the way, Sister Xu, I heard you took leave.
Everything okay?”
“Just a cold, no big deal.
Back in a couple days.”
“Don’t drink too much with a cold.”
Xu swirled her glass carelessly.
“Already better.”
Leaning close, she whispered ambiguously, “In this game, who stays sober?”
Shen Mengke’s eyes darkened, stepping back.
“Still bad for you.
I should go—my friend’s new to this scene, might need me…”
“Really?” Xu raised a brow, glancing over.
“Looks like she’s fitting in fine.”
Shen Mengke’s heart skipped, following Xu’s gaze.
Jiang Zhixing, surrounded by a group, grabbed someone’s wrist and stormed off.
The commotion drew eyes.
This was no place for scenes—everyone here was rich or powerful.
She’d be headlines tomorrow!
Shen Mengke, without a word to Xu, rushed after Jiang Zhixing but crashed into someone.

She stumbled back, twisting her ankle.
As she tipped over, hands caught her.
Looking up, she met Chen Yanxing’s eyes, both shocked.

Their encounters were always so sudden, but Shen Mengke, worried for Jiang Zhixing, barely registered it.
“Thanks,” she muttered, pulling away to chase her friend.
Scanning the growing crowd, finding anyone was near impossible—especially limping.
Two steps in, Chen Yanxing grabbed her arm.

Shen Mengke turned, confused.
“Where’re you going?” Chen Yanxing asked.
“My friend.”
Chen Yanxing frowned at her heels.
“Like that?
Got other shoes?”
Shen Mengke shook her head.
Chen Yanxing sighed—or seemed to.
Before Shen Mengke could tell, she was pulled to a quieter corner.

Chen Yanxing slipped off her own shoes, standing barefoot.
Shen Mengke froze, unsure how to react.
“Take yours off.
Wear mine.”
Shen Mengke glanced around, then slowly crouched, removing her heels.
The moment her foot touched flat ground, pain shot through, tears blurring her vision.
She shakily slipped into Chen Yanxing’s soft cloth shoes.
Removing the other heel meant balancing on her injured foot.
She hesitated—she hated pain, even a little.

A hand extended through her blurry vision.
“Hold me,” Chen Yanxing said.
Shen Mengke reached out, but before shifting her weight, she lost balance.
Startled but mindful of the setting, she didn’t cry out.

She stared, incredulous, at Chen Yanxing, who’d scooped her up.
Glancing around, she knew they’d been noticed—paparazzi bait, guaranteed.
Her studio would be working overtime.
She sighed in defeat.

Chen Yanxing slipped her shoes back on, crouched to grab Shen Mengke’s heel, tossing it into her lap, then carried her to a lounge.
She stuck to the edges, taking a back staircase.
But the lounge wasn’t empty.

Inside, silence hung heavy.
Du Junyi stood, Chen Yanqing sat, both tense, faces grim.
Seeing Chen Yanxing carrying someone, they froze.
Shen Mengke, embarrassed, patted Chen Yanxing’s shoulder to be let down.
Chen Yanxing, unfazed, walked in, glancing at Chen Yanqing, then set Shen Mengke on the sofa’s far end.
“Twisted her ankle.
Brought her to change shoes.”
No one was blind—something had clearly happened.
Chen Yanxing could’ve taken her to another room but chose here.
Even Shen Mengke felt the awkwardness but kept a polite smile.

Du Junyi studied Shen Mengke, nodding slowly, pointing to a cabinet.
“New slippers in there.”
She left first.
As Chen Yanxing went to grab them, Shen Mengke settled on the sofa, setting her heel on the floor.
Chen Yanqing stood, glancing at Shen Mengke, then told Chen Yanxing, “Don’t linger up here.
You just got back—show your face.”
“Got it.”
Alone, Shen Mengke stayed quiet.
She didn’t know the women but sensed their stature, so she held her tongue.
Chen Yanxing handed her the slippers.
“Stay here or come down with me?”

Shen Mengke didn’t answer, slipping off her other heel.
“Who were they?”
“My sister and today’s host, Du Junyi.”
Shen Mengke’s eyes lit up, but Chen Yanxing caught it.
“Don’t bother.
They don’t watch TV or know celebrities.”
Shen Mengke frowned.
“What am I in your head?
They don’t watch… and you, temple girl, do?”
“Nope.”

Shen Mengke gave up arguing.
She regretted signing that contract—maybe Chen Yanxing was only good in bed.
“I’ll rest here, go back out.
You’ve got things to do.”
Her words were measured.
As a plus-one, she couldn’t hide in the lounge all night or monopolize the host’s friend.
With that, Chen Yanxing had no reason to stay.
She nodded, glancing at Shen Mengke—a deep, unspoken look—before silently closing the door.

Alone, Shen Mengke slumped against the sofa, exhausted.
She messaged Jiang Zhixing, asking what happened, only to learn she’d left, leaving the car for Shen Mengke.
Sighing, she figured at least she could get home.
Jiang Zhixing was sensible—she wouldn’t cause trouble here.