Chapter 152 — Since When Do I Not Know?

But today, Gu Mengyao was quite unlike her usual self, opening with a little joke at Shen Yushu's expense.

Which meant that Gu Mengyao's mood today was decidedly out of the ordinary.

And, strangely enough, Shen Yushu did not argue back. On any other day she would have had a hundred retorts ready for Gu Mengyao, but today she only nodded meekly: "All right then, I will have juice."

"Hah, that is a good girl." Gu Mengyao nodded.

"Yao Yao, why don't we both drink, then take a cab home, or have Brother Arrow come drive us back?" Shen Yushu was still reluctant to let the rare chance slip by. It had not been easy to get out for a drink; if she did not drink and only watched Gu Mengyao, what was the fun in that?

"Call him? Then what happens to your little yellow bug? Park it by the roadside?" Gu Mengyao suddenly fixed Shen Yushu with a half-smile.

"Huh?" Shen Yushu's mouth fell open in surprise. She stared at Gu Mengyao. "Yao Yao, what... what little yellow bug are you talking about?"

"Since when do I not know?" Gu Mengyao shot her a glare. "Did you think I could not see through that little scheme of yours? I have known you since we were small, and I have seen straight through you all along. While I was changing clothes, what were you rummaging around for in your bag? You hardly ever touch that handbag of yours, do you? You were not looking for the car keys, were you? Then you slipped out all sneaky, and a moment later you came back. And when we left, Wei Zhao's shoes had vanished. Did you really think I did not notice?"

"Uh..." Shen Yushu looked a little embarrassed. She had not expected her little trick to have been spotted by Gu Mengyao so long ago.

"And after that you insisted on driving. Since when have you ever insisted on driving?" Gu Mengyao eyed her with a teasing look. "Once we were out of the villa, you made a point of honking the horn, and then a yellow bug pulled out and followed along behind us... was that not your own car?"

"Uh... Yao Yao, so you noticed all of it?" Shen Yushu was sweating. She could not help admiring how sharp Gu Mengyao's mind was, deducing her intentions from that whole string of odd little behaviors.

"Without that scoundrel following behind, would I dare go to a bar this late?" Gu Mengyao said. "But whatever you do, do not call him over later. I am sick of him right now."

"Oh, good then, that means I can drink too." Whether Wei Zhao was called over or not was no concern of Shen Yushu's. Since he had already been found out, she no longer had to be secretive. With a guardian knight at hand, the two of them naturally had nothing to fear.

"I am in a bad mood, so I am drinking. What are you drinking for?" Seeing Shen Yushu's smug, show-off manner put Gu Mengyao a little on edge.

"I am in a good mood, so I am drinking too." Shen Yushu nodded.

"..." Gu Mengyao was speechless. Being saddled with a best friend like this was a bit too much of a workout.

Shen Yushu found a bar called "Awesome Floating Clouds." Judging by the decor, it had opened this year, trendy and luxurious, and bustling with noise. She parked the car right at the bar's entrance.

Once the car was parked, a doorman immediately hurried up and opened the doors for Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu: "Welcome, ladies, to Awesome Floating Clouds. Do you have a reservation?"

"No." Gu Mengyao locked the car and shook her head.

"Then please, follow me." The doorman nodded with a smile and led Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu into the bar.

This was a typical Western-style bar, its style steeped in a strong American and European rustic flavor, yet not without luxury. It was plain that whoever owned the place had invested a great deal.

Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu rarely came to places like this, so they were full of curiosity. The ground-floor lobby was a song-and-dance hall, with a bar counter and booth seating. Dead center in the hall was a stage, where two foreign girls were singing, though their outfits were not especially revealing.

It was only a little past seven in the evening, still early, and the striptease hour had not yet arrived. The performances onstage were all fairly proper.

"Ladies, would you prefer to sit at the bar or in a booth?" The doorman was a seasoned old hand. Seeing Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu glancing curiously around the bar, he knew at once that this was their first visit. Regular customers generally found their own seats as soon as they came in and had no need for a doorman to guide them.

"Find us a quieter booth, would you?" Much as Gu Mengyao had envied those scenes on television of people gathered around the bar drinking, this was, after all, her first time here, and she felt a little too timid to try it.

"Very well, the two of you please follow me." The doorman handed Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu over to a reception waiter in the main hall, then returned to the bar entrance.

The waiter led Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu to a booth set somewhat off to the side and asked with a smile, "Will this do?"

"It is fine. We will take this one." Gu Mengyao nodded, and she and Shen Yushu sat down.

A secluded booth like this was seldom chosen except by those nursing their sorrows alone over a drink, and even they mostly sat by themselves at the bar.

So these two pretty girls really were first-timers. The waiter sighed to himself. Innocent girls like these, so unversed in the ways of the world, actually coming into a bar... Did they not know how many wolves lurked in here, the kind who singled out exactly their sort to prey on?

As for the seasoned women who haunted bars regularly, who was playing whom was anyone's guess; more often than not a wolf would spend a fortune and not even get to touch a hand, drawing water with a bamboo basket and coming up with nothing.

So the wolves all fixed their attention on inexperienced girls like Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu. The moment the two stepped into the bar, dozens of pairs of eyes locked onto them...

Still, seeing that Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu carried themselves with uncommon poise, a few curious souls made inquiries and learned the two had arrived in an Audi S5. Many of the poor wolves retreated at once; anyone could see these were rich young ladies, and the poor wolves did not think they had the means to win either of them over.

As for the wolves with a bit of family money, though they had some cash in hand, not knowing how deep the waters ran, they dared not step forward either. They all hung back and watched, waiting for the first one to go dash himself against the wall.

Wei Zhao parked the Beetle beside Gu Mengyao's Audi S5. Seeing that Wei Zhao had come alone, the doorman said no more than, "Sir, welcome."

Young masters came here alone all the time, plenty of them every day. The doorman assumed Wei Zhao was likewise out hunting for beauties, so naturally he offered no explanations, merely opened the car door for him and ushered him into the bar.

As he went in, however, Wei Zhao glanced back casually toward the entrance, a thoughtful smile on his face.

Turning back, he saw Gu Mengyao looking his way and knew at once his cover was blown. Since there was no point in hiding any longer, he shrugged and walked straight over toward Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu, taking a seat at a small two-person table not far from the two of them.