Chapter 82: Encountering Qin Qing

Soon, the three of them arrived at a seafood restaurant near the university district. Shen Xin, eager to flaunt his wealth, shouted as soon as he stepped inside, “Waiter, give me your best private room and serve up the finest seafood. Money is no object for me.”

A young, attractive waitress hurried over with a smile. “Honored guests, welcome. Let me take you to the South Sea Dragon Palace. This way, please.”

“Hold on!” Shen Xin demanded with dissatisfaction, “Isn’t the East Sea Dragon Palace your best private room? Are you looking down on me or what?”

The waitress apologized, “I’m very sorry, esteemed guests, but the East Sea Dragon Palace is already occupied.”

“I don’t care. Kick them out, I’ll pay double!” Shen Lan slapped her brother’s back, baffled, “Brother, what’s gotten into you? Have you lost your mind?”

He grinned, “You’re here, little sister. Of course, I want to give you the best.”

The waitress, now in a dilemma, said, “Honored guests, I’ll call the manager for you.” She had no choice but to summon the floor manager for help.

Shen Xin glanced around and happened to see Xu Dan supporting a handsome young man as they entered the restaurant. The man was striking—he looked like a movie star—but he wore dark sunglasses.

“Brother Qin, slow down, watch your step,” Xu Dan said gently.

Shen Xin’s pupils shrank in shock. This man’s surname was Qin, and he was with Xu Dan. He must be Qin Qing. Wearing sunglasses indoors in broad daylight—he was probably blind. Otherwise, Xu Dan wouldn’t have wanted to take his eyes.

Qin Qing seemed to sense something and lifted his head in Shen Xin’s direction. He murmured, “Someone’s watching me.”

Xu Dan smiled tenderly, “That’s not surprising. Brother Qin, wherever you go, all eyes are on you.”

Qin Qing shook his head. “It’s different this time. I—”

Xu Dan cut him off. “Brother Qin, my brother is waiting for us in the private room. We should hurry.”

Qin Qing frowned slightly at this. “Xu Changqing is no saint. Working with him is like making a deal with a tiger.”

Xu Dan smiled helplessly and quickly led Qin Qing upstairs.

Only then did Shen Xin let out a quiet sigh of relief. He felt that Qin Qing was extremely powerful—even stronger than Xu Dan. When Qin Qing’s aura had locked onto him, Shen Xin had felt a wave of discomfort. No wonder Xu Dan cared so much about this man: young, handsome, and formidable—a perfect lover in every way.

Just then, a chubby young man jogged over, his face alight with surprise as he recognized Shen Xin. “Hey, it’s you, Shen Xin! We haven’t seen each other for half a year. Where are you making your fortune now?”

“Gao Shuai! What are you doing as a manager at a seafood restaurant? Didn’t your family run a clothing factory?”

(1/3)

Shen Xin was equally surprised.

Gao Shuai grinned, “Oh, what’s so great about a clothing factory? The seafood restaurant has a nice environment and lots of pretty girls. This is the life! I’d have to be crazy to go work at that noisy factory.”

“What about the rest of our dorm?”

Shen Xin hadn’t been back for ages, nor had he kept in touch with his roommates.

“Zhou Yuan disappeared as long as you did, and Zhou Min went back home to be a student teacher. And these two ladies?”

“My little sister and my cousin.”

Gao Shuai laughed, “Nice to meet you! I’ll give you a 50% discount on your meal today, Shen Xin. How’s that for friendship?”

“Why not make it free?”

Gao Shuai lowered his voice. “Uh, that’s the limit of my authority right now. But order more—the half-off deal is a real bargain.”

Shen Xin smiled, “Alright, I’ll give you face. But make sure we get the South Sea Dragon Palace, and serve us the best, most expensive seafood.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll eat well tonight—guaranteed.”

Gao Shuai led them to the South Sea Dragon Palace private room.

Shen Xin wasn’t really interested in the food or drink. Throughout the meal, he spoke little, listening intently for sounds from the neighboring private room. Unfortunately, the soundproofing was excellent. The only thing he heard was a furious outburst from Xu Dan. It seemed the negotiations had fallen apart.

When Shen Xin went to pay the bill afterward, he discovered someone had already settled it for him. It could only have been Gao Shuai.

“This guy really knows how to work connections,” Shen Xin thought, silently making a note to return the favor if he ever got the chance.

After the meal, Shen Xin took his two sisters to the pedestrian street to shop. Tang Ziran didn’t care for crowds, but Shen Lan loved the hustle and bustle—peeking into one store after another, never seeming to tire after hours of shopping. Shen Xin found this odd: Why did women never get tired of shopping, while men always did?

He himself rarely compared prices or shopped around. If he saw something he liked, he bought it; if he didn’t, as long as it was usable, that was enough. Clothes, shoes, whatever—as long as they fit, he was fine. Whether they were name brands or trendy made little difference.

After a while, he spotted a bench, plopped down, and said weakly, “You two go on. I’ll wait here.”

(2/3)

Before they could protest, he pulled out his phone to read novels and watch videos.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but his neck eventually started to ache. Looking up, he happened to spot Yu Yanan walking alongside Zhou Yuan. The two chatted and laughed, their relationship clearly not simple.

One was his ex-girlfriend, the other his former roommate.

He was surprised, but didn’t get up to greet them—better to avoid any awkwardness.

Unexpectedly, Yu Yanan ran up to him and hurriedly explained, “Shen Xin, don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not what you think.”

“I didn’t think much of it. Besides, who you’re with is your own business.”

As Shen Xin glanced at her, he immediately sensed something was off—Yu Yanan had become a vampire.

“What happened? Why are you a vampire again?”

“I... I...”

At that moment, Zhou Yuan came over, smiling. “That was my doing. Shen Xin, want to join our vampire clan?”

Shen Xin stared at Zhou Yuan, finding him hard to read. He shook his head. “Thanks, but no.”

Zhou Yuan looked disappointed. “That’s a shame. There are so many benefits to being a vampire.”

“Not at all. Yanan, did you do this willingly?”

“I... I...” Yu Yanan looked at Zhou Yuan, then finally nodded. “Yes, I did it of my own free will.”

“Everyone chooses their own path. Take care of yourself. Zhou Yuan, being a vampire isn’t as easy as you think. I hope you’ll be careful, or you might end up killed by an esper.”

Zhou Yuan laughed. “Shen Xin, you really have no idea. Niu City is already ruled by vampires. If you don’t join soon, you’ll end up as nothing but a blood slave—feeding us fresh blood for the rest of your life.”

Shen Xin replied indifferently, “We’re not the same. Don’t trouble yourself about me—I’m confident I’ll never be reduced to a blood slave.”

Zhou Yuan snorted, contempt written all over his face. “Hmph, Shen Xin, you really don’t know what’s good for you. If it weren’t for the fact that we used to be classmates, I wouldn’t waste my breath. Yanan, let’s go. He’s no longer one of us.”

Yu Yanan left, glancing back at Shen Xin with every step.

A sense of helplessness welled up in Shen Xin. He thought to himself, “So it’s true—even with a second chance at life, not much has changed. The only person you can really change is yourself. I must become stronger. Someday, I’ll have the power to change things.”

(3/3)