Joyce Wu then came out of the private room and saw Serena Li on the terrace at the end of the corridor, so she ran over to her.
Joyce Wu anxiously pulled Serena Li aside and asked, “Serena, are you alright?”
Serena Li pointed to her phone, whose screen was broken, on the ground and said, “I’m fine, but I guess the phone is ruined.”
Joyce Wu pointed at Jack Jiang and yelled, “Jiang, I’ve tolerated you harassing me every day, but now you’ve smashed my friend’s phone and won’t pay for it! I’m not done with you!” She was so angry that she wanted to pounce on Jack Jiang and beat him up , but Serena Li pulled her back in time.
“I can’t afford to pay for a cell phone? Joyce Wu , go back and tell Sophia Su , no way she’s getting a divorce!” With that, she took out a wad of cash from her wallet, threw it at Joyce Wu , loosened her tie, and darted down the stairs.
Joyce Wu wanted to chase after them, but Serena Li stopped her.
“Joyce, this is an entertainment venue, so we won’t stoop to his level. But go back and remind your sister that Jack Jiang has a bad temper and will do anything if pushed too far. He might even resort to underhanded tactics. Be careful of him.” Serena Li said as she picked up her phone from the ground.
The phone not only has a cracked screen, but it also won’t turn on.
Joyce Wu counted the compensation Jack Jiang had given her; it was exactly 5,000. She then said to Serena Li , “Serena, I’m sorry! I’ll go with you to buy a new one later.”
“It’s almost 11 o’clock now, the mall is closed, I’ll buy it tomorrow!” Serena Li said.
“Okay, I’ll come to your house at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning,” Joyce Wu said, letting out a burp.
What was supposed to be a pleasant gathering turned sour because of this farce that neither of them wanted to stay any longer. They went back to their private room to pack their things and then went home.
Joyce Wu drank a lot of alcohol tonight and vomited before even leaving the private room. Serena Li took her to the restroom to clean up, then called a taxi using a ride-hailing app before paying the bill.
As I helped Joyce Wu walk toward the parking lot exit to wait for our car, I saw the man I had met in the corridor earlier, the one called “President Mo,” leaning against a Bentley and smoking.
The man held a half-smoked cigarette between his long fingers, his posture casual and languid, yet the aura emanating from him was powerful and sharp.
A man with an elegant demeanor, lazily puffing on a cigarette, and the luxury car behind him, are a striking sight.
Serena Li didn’t linger; after the taxi arrived, she helped Joyce Wu into the car.
Victor Mo noticed Serena Li when she passed through the parking lot ; she was the woman he had met briefly in the corridor of the private room.
Under the streetlights, the woman’s skin was fair and pink, and her temperament was elegant and quiet. She wore a pink dress, had a soft and pretty face, and her hair was simply tied back. Stray hairs at her temples were stuck to her cheeks with sweat, which added to her charm.
Victor Mo glanced at the departing taxi, his eyes narrowing slightly.
……………………………………………………………………………..
Joyce Wu was quite drunk, so Serena Li took her to her home to take care of her.
Three years ago, after graduating with a master’s degree, she came to Pengcheng Z Middle School to work as a teacher. Then her father bought her a small apartment in the Siji Garden community near Z Middle School. It was a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment with good ventilation, a park in front and a commercial street behind. In Pengcheng, a city where land is extremely valuable, it could be considered a high-end residence.
The next morning, after having breakfast, the two went to the Suning store in the mall to buy a mobile phone.
Serena Li picked out a phone that was exactly the same as her old one. Although the money Jack Jiang lost yesterday wasn’t enough to buy a new phone, Joyce Wu wanted to pay the remaining balance, but Serena Li refused. They’d been friends for so many years, and she wouldn’t hold a grudge over such a small matter.
After buying the phone, Joyce Wu went back to her yoga studio to prepare for her class.
Serena Li returned home, inserted the SIM card, turned on her new phone, and checked missed call notifications and WeChat messages.
She saw a WeChat message that Alex Qi, the former student union president, had sent her that morning.