On her eighteenth birthday, Li Yaru woke up early.
She’d been too excited to sleep all night— whether it was from turning eighteen, or from anticipation about going to Emperor Haocheng tonight, she couldn’t quite tell.
Her freshly permed hair was a tangled mess, thick and black like a bowl of dense black sesame paste trickling down her porcelain-white back.
She yawned, absentmindedly smoothing out a handful of knotted curls.
This was Li Yaru’s first time perming her hair.
It looked fine when she left the salon, but after washing it at home, it exploded into chaos. Furious, she’d rushed to the corner shop to buy a heap of conditioner and mousse.
Li Yaru spent the whole afternoon holed up in her small bedroom, dolling herself up.
Her vanity was covered in imported cosmetics— every item a coveted product recommended in trendy beauty magazines.
Lipsticks and eyeshadow cases glimmered gold. Bags, high heels, necklaces, and jewelry were all carefully stored in boxes, only taken out when needed.
She didn’t have many pieces, but each one was expensive, quality stuff.
All her pocket money had gone into these things.
Lirongliang simply couldn’t do anything about her. He couldn’t out-argue her, and he couldn’t bear to hit her either.
Luckily, his daughter didn’t have any major flaws— just a bit too fiery, a little too bold, a bit too sharp-tongued, and a little too good at spending money.
All in all, they lived a comfortable and happy life, with no worries about food or clothing. As long as his daughter didn’t cause any big trouble, he turned a blind eye.
At noon, Lirongliang invited a big group of relatives to Wang Zhen Lou for a banquet. Aunties and cousins filled four large tables.
Lin Baojun had ordered a custom two-tiered floral cake for her daughter from a cake shop in North Point— cream flowers and fresh strawberries, looking absolutely beautiful.
At the table, a little boy eyed the cake hungrily and was about to reach for it, but Li Yaru smacked his hand away with her chopsticks. “I haven’t blown out the candles yet! No touching!”
The little boy made a face at her. “So fierce! Such a stingy brat!”
“Yes, I’m fierce and stingy. When it’s time to cut the cake, you’re not getting a single bite.” Li Yaru rolled her eyes. These little brats were way too spoiled!
The little boy pouted and ran to complain to his big brother. Li Chengxiang scolded him for being useless.
Li Yaru never liked this lazy cousin of hers, so she ignored him and picked up a big piece of fatty goose, dipped it in sweet plum sauce, and started eating.
Her cousin sitting next to her, Lu Junqiu, covered her mouth with a smile and leaned over to whisper, “Cousin, I heard you’re going to Emperor Haocheng tonight.”
Li Yaru paused, looking at her in confusion— how did she know?
“Chen Shien told me. She borrowed a necklace from my friend and I overheard.” Lu Junqiu’s smile was full of meaning.
Li Yaru said, “I’m not taking you.”
Lu Junqiu got anxious and tugged at the new dress her cousin wore for her birthday.
It was a bright red strapless mini dress, with a row of black velvet bows down the center— a new Chanel design from this year’s posters.
Li Yaru absolutely adored it, dreamed about it even, but she couldn’t afford it with her pocket money, so she’d begged the tailor to make her a similar one.
The tailor had his own sense of style and didn’t follow the pattern, adding a pair of sweet puff sleeves to the strapless design at the last minute.
Though it was quite different from the original, it suited Li Yaru’s youthful beauty perfectly.
“Why not!”
“Because you have a frog’s mouth.”
Ribbit, ribbit— now the whole world knew.
“If you won’t take me, I’ll shout it out loud—” Lu Junqiu threatened, pretending to yell. Li Yaru’s hair stood on end in fright, and she hurriedly covered her cousin’s mouth.
The two girls tussled, dishes and chopsticks clinking. Lin Baojun shot them a look, signaling them to quiet down.
“Are you taking me or not!” Lu Junqiu threatened in a low voice.
“…You’re so annoying.” Li Yaru made a face. “Fine, but keep your mouth shut. Stick with me tonight and don’t cause trouble.”
Nine-year-old Li Zhi’an looked over with big, wet eyes, softly asking what was going on. Twelve-year-old Li Xuan snorted, “What’s so hard to guess? Big sis is going out to play tonight and not taking me.”
Li Yaru, feeling guilty, smacked her brother on the forehead. “Eat! Tonight you’ll keep Xiao Zhi company and sleep. Qiu and I are taking the ferry at Victoria Harbour to see the night view. It’s my birthday, so I’m the boss.”
The two-tiered cake was brought out, eighteen candles glowing warmly, illuminating Li Yaru’s bright and beautiful face.
The eighteen-year-old girl closed her eyes under everyone’s gaze, pressed her palms together, and made a wish.
Worried the cake wouldn’t hear, she leaned in close to the flames and silently chanted her wish over and over: Get rich, become a rich lady, and sweep all the department stores clean!
In the evening, a group of classmates arrived one after another at Wang Zhen Lou’s new branch, bringing all sorts of gifts.
Lirongliang had reserved the best private room for his daughter, with a view of the bustling Victoria Harbour night scene.
The dishes were all impressive— scallion lobster, Huadiao crab with rice noodles, seafood hotpot, half roast suckling pig, barbecue platter, and silky steamed chicken— giving his daughter plenty of face.
Li Yaru was still full from lunch, so she didn’t eat much at dinner. Her mind was already wandering to the dazzling lights of Nathan Road.
Not just her— Lu Qiuying, Chen Shien, and two other girlfriends all had sparkling eyes.
The group of girls were dressed to the nines, pulling out their best dresses and shoes from the bottom of their wardrobes.
Zi Zhuo also came, giving her a pair of earrings— a tiny brass double-C with pearl tassels, elegant and delicate. Li Yaru squealed and put them on immediately.
“Thank you, Zi Zhuo! I love them!!”
Zi Zhuo grinned shyly. After all the effort of teaching these little ones, he was happy too.
They blew out the candles again, sang the birthday song, and after dinner, Li Yaru said goodbye to Zi Zhuo and led her group of girlfriends to the nearest tram stop.
A red tram rattled along the tracks, neon signs of every shape and color lighting up the night.
The girls chattered and laughed as they climbed to the tram’s upper deck.
The sea breeze from Victoria Harbour blew in, warm and humid, making their skirts flutter.
Lu Junqiu pulled a pair of long black stockings out of her bag like a magician.
All the girls crowded around.
Lu Junqiu grinned. “You have to wear these at eighteen! I got the good stuff— heard all the celebrities wear this brand. Sis, you’ll definitely be the prettiest tonight!”
Li Yaru took the stockings, stretched them like a rubber band— they were really sturdy— and immediately took off her little heels right there on the tram.
After all, only their group of girls was on the upper deck.
The thin, transparent nylon slid up from her toes, hugging her shapely calves, tracing the line between youth and womanhood.
Neon lights streamed into the tram, casting shifting shadows on the sheer black fabric. It was sexy, as if just by wearing them, she’d become a woman.
“So pretty! They feel nice too. I’m definitely buying a pair for myself,” one of the girls said, enviously stroking Li Yaru’s thigh.
Black stockings were for their mothers, not for these little brats— they’d never worn them before.
“I think they’re amazing too.”
Being eighteen was wonderful. Li Yaru thought so, running her hands over her long legs wrapped in black stockings, feeling blissful.
After just a few stops, they arrived at Nathan Road— the prime location on Hong Kong Island, where Emperor Haocheng Nightclub sat right in the center.
The massive gold-and-purple neon sign blazed in the night, spelling out “Emperor Haocheng.” Luxury cars crowded the entrance— Benz, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Bentley. The red carpeted steps were printed with “Congratulations and Prosperity,” flanked by flower baskets. Hostesses in silver tasseled gowns and high heels smiled dazzlingly at the guests.
The girls were dazzled by the sight. Though excited, they couldn’t help feeling a little nervous, all squeezing behind Li Yaru.
“Yaru… I’m a bit nervous, what should we do?”
“Me too…”
“………”
Li Yaru curled her lip. Did they think she wasn’t nervous? Wasn’t this her first time too?
She pressed her two long legs together, straightening her back. “Shien, give me the tickets. Where’s your cousin? Didn’t he say he’d meet us?”
Chen Shien was just as new to this, having no idea how to contact her cousin. She kept her head down, rummaging in her bag for the tickets. “I— I don’t know. He said to wait at the door at eight-thirty.”
Li Yaru checked her little gold watch. It was already eight forty-five. Her expression was exasperated. “Knew he’d be useless.”
She had to handle it herself. Taking a deep breath, she marched up the steps, her group of girls trailing behind her like little chicks.
At the entrance, Li Yaru stopped one of the Miss Welcome Hostesses, took out the tickets, and politely asked if the Chief Manager was in, saying she was his sister and was here to see the show.
The hostess told her to wait. Five minutes later, Chen Shien’s cousin hurried out, his trendy pink suit covered in gold glitter.
“Sorry, sorry, beautiful ladies, it’s crazy busy tonight. Come on— I’ve reserved the best seats for you!” Chen Ge flashed a practiced smile, perfectly at home in this business. “I guarantee you’ll have the best view of Miss Zhou’s show.”
All the girls sweetly called out, “Chen Ge!”
Chen Shien let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness nothing went wrong, or she’d have lost face in front of her friends. “Ge, it’s my friend’s eighteenth birthday today. You have to treat us right! Send us a big fruit platter!”
“Of course, of course! I’ll send you desserts, snacks, cocktails too. Which beautiful lady is turning eighteen?”
“She is!” Chen Shien pointed.
Only then did Chen Ge really look at Li Yaru. And when he did, even a seasoned regular like him was taken aback.
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen pretty girls before— there were plenty in Emperor Haocheng.
But this girl had an aura that was hard to describe, like a dazzling red rose— intense and fierce, hitting you right in the eyes.
With the film industry and pageants booming these days, there were talent scouts everywhere. This girl… she was no ordinary flower.
“She should be in movies, or in a beauty pageant.”
“Tell me about it,” Chen Shien giggled. “A talent scout already tried to get her to run for the Hong Kong Miss Pageant last year, but she was only sixteen—not old enough.”
The next year, the scout came looking for Li Yaru again, urging her to enter the Miss Hong Kong Pageant.
Her father had chased the scout away. Lirongliang didn’t want his daughter parading around in a swimsuit on stage for a bunch of big shots to ogle.
Li Yaru herself wasn’t that interested anyway, so after a couple of times, she dropped the idea.
“It’s not too late now! I’ve got connections— I can help you sign up.” Chen Ge’s tone was half-joking, half-encouraging.
This year, Emperor Haocheng Nightclub was sponsoring the Hong Kong Miss Pageant, and the Chief Manager had asked him to recommend a few promising girls.
Li Yaru wasn’t interested. Her dad was right, and she didn’t want to be judged by a bunch of potbellied old men.
Li Yaru lightly replied that she was busy preparing for exams and didn’t engage further, instead looking around with excitement.
Turned out her outfit wasn’t over the top at all. There were plenty of girls here dressed glamorously, with exquisite makeup and flowing skirts in the lavish hall.
It was like a palace.
A music fountain changed shapes in the center, dozens of crystal chandeliers hanging from a ceiling painted with oil murals.
There was even a brand-new golden Rolls-Royce on display in the hallway to the club, just for guests to admire.
“Is that car really made of gold?”
Li Yaru whispered to Lu Junqiu. Lu Junqiu wanted to touch it, but was too shy, so she dragged Li Yaru along.
The two girls, arm in arm, circled the fountain, but hadn’t gone far when they heard a commotion. Soon, a group of black-suited bodyguards strode in, making quite a scene and filling the air with tension.
Lu Junqiu hurriedly stepped back and twisted her ankle, and Li Yaru, caught up as well, stumbled backward, trying to protect her cousin.
“They almost ran into me!” Lu Junqiu complained loudly.
Chen Ge rushed over just in time, quickly pulling the two girls aside and whispering, “Shh, shh. A big shot is coming. We have to wait for him to pass.”
The bodyguards tightly guarded all entrances and exits, sealing off the corridor and keeping the guests back.
Li Yaru’s eyes went wide. What a spectacle! It was just like a movie scene. She tiptoed to get a better look, her long lashes fluttering.
Several luxury cars pulled up outside the revolving door. The one in the middle looked a lot like the golden Rolls-Royce in the hall, but even bigger and longer.
There weren’t many cars like this on all of Hong Kong Island.
Two sharply dressed young men got out, surrounded by bodyguards. Their faces weren’t clear, just tall and well-built silhouettes.
One tilted his head to speak to his companion, while the other looked straight ahead, striding forward with a calm, powerful presence and a natural air of authority— even the cut of his suit was sharp and imposing.
She’d never seen a man like this in real life— or even in the movies.
As they drew near, Li Yaru caught a fleeting glimpse of the man’s profile between the shoulders of the bodyguards.
A chiseled jaw, high nose, thick brows, jet-black hair slicked neatly back to reveal a smooth forehead— his whole presence was commanding, an innate sense of control, even the texture of his suit was full of sharp lines.
Li Yaru held her breath. Not until the group disappeared behind the heavy, carved doors did she press a hand to her chest, trying to calm the tangible pressure she’d felt.
A man like that… As impressive as he was, he definitely wasn’t a good guy. Dangerous, and not to be messed with.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.