As soon as they entered another hall, the atmosphere and vibe were immediately different from the main conference hall outside. The decor here was elegant and tasteful, with soft orange lighting all around, casting a dreamy haze. The seats were arranged in a circular pattern, and the whole place exuded an air of romance and sophistication.
"Hey, I'm going to hit the restroom first. You guys just make yourselves comfortable—this place is pretty chill," Minnie Wang said, letting go of Shawn Young's arm and heading straight for the restroom.
Once Minnie Wang left, Helen—already familiar with the place—went over to the table to grab some red wine and snacks, then picked a spot and sat down. She waved Shawn Young and Mai Kanda over to join her.
Meanwhile, Alex Easton and Leah Zhang seemed to have a silent understanding and slipped off to a more secluded corner. Shawn Young didn't call them back—he knew perfectly well that Alex was about to launch his "attack" on Leah.
Just as Minnie Wang had said, the hall was filled with well-dressed young men and women, mingling in groups of three or five. They sipped on red wine, chatted and laughed quietly. There were plenty of handsome, rich young men and beautiful heiresses, and their every move showed the refined manners of high society.
In the center of the hall, a stunning female pianist was playing "Canon" on the grand piano. The melodious music filled the entire space, and all around, young men and women sat sipping drinks or chatting softly. Yet, most of the young men seemed to be drawn to the beautiful pianist in the center, all pretending to listen intently to her performance.
Shawn Young glanced over and saw that the pianist had a waterfall of glossy black hair cascading over her shoulders. Her fair, delicate face wore a confident smile, and from the side, she looked absolutely stunning... Her nose was dainty and straight, her lips rosy and inviting, and her soft, elegant features seemed sculpted by the gods. Her graceful neck and slender figure made her look like a fairy untouched by the mortal world. The knee-length winter skirt revealed her flawless skin, and her two slender legs could spark anyone’s imagination.
Especially those long, slender, jade-like hands flying over the piano keys—so fair and nimble, they looked almost magical. For a moment, Shawn Young was just as mesmerized as all the other men around him.
Just then, the pianist finished playing "Canon," and the hall erupted in enthusiastic applause. Several men eagerly clapped, and four or five of them even brought flowers up to the stage for the beautiful pianist. She accepted the bouquets with a graceful smile and thanked them softly. Each man then summoned his courage to invite her for a glass of wine, but without exception, she politely declined them all.
She stuffed all the flowers she received into a black plastic bucket next to the piano, then slipped on a pair of white gloves and gracefully stepped off the stage. A male violinist took her place, filling the hall with soothing violin music. But he clearly didn’t have the same charm as the Piano Belle—the men in the crowd sighed in disappointment and reluctantly returned to their seats to drink coffee.
"Hehe—she’s really pretty, isn’t she? Feeling a little tempted?" Minnie Wang’s slightly jealous voice suddenly whispered in Shawn Young’s ear.
"Uh—yeah, she is pretty! And she plays the piano really well. She’s got both talent and looks—definitely impressive!" Shawn Young replied.
"Hmph—you big flirt, are you falling for her too? Do you even know what kind of background a woman like her has?" Minnie Wang pouted, clearly annoyed.
"Huh? What’s up? Isn’t she just a pretty heiress who can play the piano?" Shawn Young said, a bit surprised.
"Hehe—what do you think of the women in this hall?" Minnie Wang didn’t answer Shawn Young’s question but asked him another instead.
"Hmm, they all look pretty good—quite beautiful, actually," Shawn Young replied.
"Helen, what do you think?" Minnie Wang asked Helen, who was sitting nearby.
Helen just shook her head, saying she didn’t really know. After all, she was a foreigner—the environment and atmosphere were different for her, and this was her first time at such an event in China, so she had no idea about any hidden tricks.
"Miss Kanda, what do you think?" Minnie Wang asked Mai Kanda, who was sitting next to Shawn Young.
Mai Kanda glanced around at the women in the center of the hall, then blinked and said, "Oh, these women aren’t just beautiful—they’ve got real class!"
"Class!" Shawn Young was taken aback. Looking closer, he realized Mai Kanda was right—the women weren’t just young and pretty, their outfits were tasteful, and they all had an air of intelligence and elegance. It was clear they’d received a good education.
"Hehe, do you know what these women do?" Minnie Wang asked them again.
"Well, to get into a place like this, they must be heiresses or ladies from prominent families," Shawn Young said matter-of-factly.
"Haha—guess what, you’re wrong this time!" Minnie Wang laughed.
"Wait, I’m wrong? Then what’s their story?" Shawn Young asked in surprise.
Lin Qianqian leaned in and whispered, "Some of them really are heiresses, but a lot of them are college students or high-level professionals. These women all have a reason for being here—some are after money, some want to meet people from high society, and some hope to land a rich boyfriend and live the dream. But they all have one thing in common—they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want, even if it means selling themselves."
"What! Are you saying... they’re like socialites or something?" Shawn Young said, a bit stunned.
"Yeah, that’s about right. They’ve all got something to offer, and most of the rich young guys have their own needs. When both sides are willing, anything can happen. Actually, it’s not just this party—most gatherings of the wealthy have women like this. It’s a kind of open secret in high society. Where money, beauty, and power mix, things like this are bound to happen!" Minnie Wang said with a sigh.
"Oh, I see... But I don’t think that beautiful pianist is one of them!" Shawn Young couldn’t help but defend the graceful Piano Belle.
"Well—she might be! But you’ll find out soon enough," Minnie Wang said suddenly.
"Huh—why’s that?" Shawn Young asked curiously.
"See—because Eric Shi is about to chat her up! The show’s about to start!" Minnie Wang pouted and pointed toward the center of the hall.