CHAPTER 124: 122, RICH GIRL, QUADRANGLE?

"Did you pay?" Luofeng had said he was going to settle the bill, but she had already paid.

Of course, when it came to paying, Luofeng preferred it when the girl did. After all, if a guy always paid when having meals with a girl, the situation could get pretty bad. If the girl paid several times, it indicated your relationship was more stable. In other words, when asking someone out for a meal, generally speaking, the more often the girl paid, the better chance you had. If the girl paid exclusively, then there was no need to say more; the guy could do as he pleased.

Of course, it also depended on financial capability. For instance, when Luofeng went out to eat, it could cost tens of thousands of yuan, so how could you expect a girl to pay? And apart from that, constantly exhibiting male chauvinism was something girls truly hated. Not only could it cultivate a "bloodsucker," but it also made it easy for the other party not to cherish the relationship.

"Where shall we go?"

"I’ll take you to listen to some music," Duanmu Yunji said, walking along the stone-paved path of the small Hutong.

"Listen to music?"

Luofeng didn’t understand what she meant, and she didn’t elaborate.

Soon, they reached the Lamborghini Huracán parked by the roadside. She started the car and then said, "Yes, we’re going to listen to music and maybe have a drink."

Almost half an hour later, Duanmu Yunji brought Luofeng to the Official Music Academy. She parked the car in the academy’s parking lot, and then they left.

Behind the academy, in a small alleyway, Luofeng followed Duanmu Yunji to a Quadrangle. This Quadrangle had a sign that read "Times of Friendship." The elegant calligraphy exuded a refined air.

Just as they stepped inside, Luofeng heard singing.

"Let us keep company in this mortal world... living carefreely..."

"Riding horses, sharing in life’s luxuries!"

"Toasting with wine, singing with gusto..."

Duanmu Yunji took the initiative to explain, "This is a guesthouse with an integrated sober bar, in an ’Instagrammable’ style! It’s somewhat positioned as an LH-style complex; I don’t quite know how to define it."

LH? LiverHouse? It must be a small-scale live performance venue.

"Is there a singer today?" Luofeng asked, having been to similar places before.

Duanmu Yunji shook her head. "This LiverHouse is different. Anyone can go on stage to perform. If the performance is good, they might get rewarded with flower baskets and drinks, which can then be sold back to the establishment. If the performance is bad, they’ll be met with a chorus of boos."

Hearing this, Luofeng thought of Liu Hanyan, that tone-deaf little streamer. If that loser girl came here, the whole place would probably erupt in boos, right?

Under Duanmu Yunji’s guidance, Luofeng entered the LiverHouse-style sober bar. Duanmu Yunji chose a small table, and they both sat on tall stools.

Luofeng scanned a QR code to order drinks; it was a very smart system that eliminated the need for a waiter. After scanning, the drink prices were displayed. A glass of ordinary juice, for instance, was 18 yuan. This might seem expensive. But then you remembered this was Jing City, and it wasn’t so surprising. Moreover, the decor of this LiverHouse was excellent.

Luofeng glanced at the beers. The beer here was a bit cheaper; for example, a 330ml bottle of Carlsberg’s premium blend was only 25 yuan. If it were the bar he had last visited, this same beer might have cost sixty or seventy yuan.

Luofeng also ordered a glass of freshly squeezed juice for Duanmu Yunji. He got himself a bottle of Carlsberg and a plate of nuts.

"I ordered freshly squeezed juice for you. How does that sound?" Luofeng asked, making the decision with confidence.

This clearly made Duanmu Yunji ponder. He’s leaving tomorrow, and he won’t even let me drink alcohol? This is a clear sign of... domination! Yes! Absolute domination!

Duanmu Yunji shot Luofeng an annoyed look and huffed, "Juice it is, then!"

"That’s right. What kind of alcohol should a child be drinking?" Luofeng chuckled.

But looking at her desire list, this assertive move hadn’t been off-putting to her at all; instead, it had a positive effect.

Male chauvinism isn’t something to be discarded entirely; it just needs to be applied appropriately.

...

The woman currently singing on stage appeared to be in her late twenties. She possessed a mature allure. The song she was singing was "Later."

"Later, I finally learned how to love.

It’s just a pity that you had already vanished into the crowd..."

The woman sang well, investing a lot of emotion into the song.

How to describe this song? At first, you don’t understand the lyrics’ true meaning, but upon a second listen, you find yourself to be the person in the song.

Of course, this "person in the song" didn’t include Luofeng. With such a system advantage, Luofeng wouldn’t let any regrets materialize.

What kind of regrets must that woman have experienced to sing with such feeling?

"That sounds good!" Duanmu Yunji exclaimed in admiration.

Luofeng nodded. "It’s really good. I can even sense her story."

"You, a Yin and Yang Master, can understand it?" Duanmu Yunji asked incredulously. "Chen Guo is the owner of this sober bar, and this Quadrangle is also her property. That’s why the prices here are relatively low."

"I see. No wonder the drink prices are quite low," Luofeng chuckled. She’s quite the wealthy lady, owning her own real estate business, huh?

"Tears are a bit sweet, a bit salty... your chest kissing my cheek.

...

The more meandering the coastline, the more captivating its beauty, always lovelier the more it winds!

We’re too stubborn; even the heavens can’t bear to oppose us!"

The next song was also a sentimental love ballad. And the singing style wasn’t like S.H.E.’s; instead, it was more akin to the shy yet powerful style of JJ Lin. Of course, Luofeng actually preferred JJ Lin’s version of this song. S.H.E.’s rendition, to him, didn’t quite capture the same flavor as that of JJ Lin, the song’s composer.

"Her skill level is quite high, huh? With that kind of talent, she could probably make it on ’The Voice,’ couldn’t she?" Luofeng remarked admiringly.

Duanmu Yunji nodded. "Actually, the show’s producers have approached her several times, but she didn’t want to go."

"Impressive," Luofeng could only say. Does a wealthy woman even need to go on ’The Voice’? If she did participate, even if she were eliminated, the exposure from being on the show would likely make her sober bar’s business even better, right? It just goes to show, she really doesn’t lack money. After all, in Capital City, owning a Quadrangle like this... given the price of such a property, it’s worth more than a small fortune!