CH 152

Returning to the Miracle Nightclub, Chu Ge noticed that the storefront had actually been renovated. When he had come before, the facade was dilapidated, with some missing colored lights, and the club looked like a shabby place. It was understandable since the core business inside wasn’t aimed at the general public. There was no need to make the signboard too eye-catching; being low-key was the way to go.

When Zhang Xiaoren was in charge earlier, he did the same. Zhang Qiren didn’t consider doing any renovations after taking over.

However, upon coming this time, Chu Ge saw a magnificent storefront. From a distance, it looked radiant and colorful, and the cheongsam-clad hostesses were standing outside with welcoming smiles. It gave a sense of elegance and class to anyone who saw it.

“They stopped holding back?” Chu Ge muttered in surprise. “Isn’t this too ostentatious? Could it be that they’ve completely transformed it inside and turned it into a more open and welcoming place?”

Moon Shadow had no expression on her face and went straight inside.

The interior hadn’t changed much; it was still a classic ballroom. Soft music was playing, and couples were embracing each other on the dance floor. It was still early, and everyone was behaving properly. There was no trace of the ambiguous chaos from that day, let alone the special performances of the midnight show.

Moon Shadow’s slightly tense mood relaxed a bit. She called a waiter, requested a table, and sat across from Chu Ge. The seating arrangement was different from the couple’s seat that he had sat in with Qiu Wuji that day. They were facing each other, straightforward and open.

Chu Ge also felt comfortable. Going out with a friend should be like this. He didn’t understand why it always ended up with ambiguity when going out with Qiu Wuji… Perhaps ambiguity only existed in his own heart?

The prices were still high. Following his usual habit, Chu Ge only ordered two bottles of beer and a plate of peanuts. He didn’t care how the waiter looked at him; they could look however they wanted.

In theory, Moon Shadow was the one treating…

But the girl looked at the prices, and her eyes were still fixated, as if she hadn’t come back to her senses. Poor her, she had been struggling underground for several months, and she hadn’t touched anything from the upper class… she had no money.

She thought that now that she had a formal job, she could treat her acquaintance to a drink or two. If she had known, she wouldn’t have come here. Street stalls would have been much better…

Chu Ge opened a bottle and filled both his and Moon Shadow’s glasses. They raised their glasses and clinked them together. Chu Ge smiled and said, “Since we’re acquaintances, I offer this cup to bid you farewell from Nanjiang.”

Moon Shadow snapped out of her thoughts and nervously held the seemingly invaluable wine glass. She whispered, “Thank you.”

They both took a sip. Chu Ge said, “From the looks of it, the Miracle Nightclub seems to have washed away its past and become a legitimate establishment. You shouldn’t have any regrets either. Bid farewell to the past, embrace a new life. In the eyes of us writers, this is called a circle, a happy ending.”

“Perhaps,” Moon Shadow smiled. “I don’t have any particular attachment to other things, nor do I want to delve into the past of the Zhang family. If those harmful things can truly stop from now on, it’s good.”

Chu Ge sincerely said, “You have a very pure character. Relative to everything, the current team is probably the best place for you.”

Moon Shadow raised her glass. “Thank you, Chu Ge and Sister Qiu, for taking care of me.”

They drank another glass. Chu Ge actually felt that if there was nothing special happening here, he could leave. It wouldn’t be good to spend too much time alone with Moon Shadow. After all, it was necessary to avoid any suspicion between a man and a woman, and there wasn’t much to talk about…

There were certain things that everyone was avoiding and not talking about, so there was even less to say. It was a bit awkward, in fact.

Chu Ge drank his wine while his eyes wandered around, considering how he could leave politely and gracefully as soon as he arrived… But then, while his gaze wandered, he saw a familiar face.

Right at the adjacent table, Zhu Mengmeng was talking to a handsome young man.

Chu Ge became nervous. How did he not notice her here before… If Zhu Mengmeng were to report this, even jumping into the Nanjiang River wouldn’t wash away his troubles!

Moon Shadow asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing. I just saw someone I know…”

Moon Shadow followed his gaze and seemed to understand. She said maturely, “Your ex-lover? Don’t worry, I won’t tell Sister Qiu.”

Chu Ge sighed helplessly. “Now, who is her ex-lover, who would tell Sister Qiu? Can you please get it straight first…”

Moon Shadow , “Huh?”

Chu Ge looked at her dazed expression and didn’t know how to explain to her. Subconsciously, he discreetly shifted his attention to eavesdrop on what Zhu Mengmeng was doing.

“Can’t we get back together? I miss you…” Zhu Mengmeng said.

The handsome young man replied, “We’ve been broken up for two years. Is it still interesting to talk about this?”

Zhu Mengmeng asked, “Do you have a girlfriend now?”

“You know about it, that’s enough.”

“Is it that girl named Tingting on WeChat?”

The handsome young man was shocked. “How do you know…”

Zhu Mengmeng calmly said, “Because that’s my alternate account.”

Chu Ge sprayed out the beer in his mouth.

Zhu Mengmeng seemed to sense something, turned her head, and her eyes widened. She frantically searched in her bag for her phone, seemingly wanting to directly call Qiu Wuji to catch them in the act.

Chu Ge helplessly said, “Hey, you seem quite loyal to Qiu Wuji. How can you be so brazen yourself…”

“What do you mean by being brazen?” Zhu Mengmeng pointed at the young man opposite her with righteous indignation. “He’s my husband!”

Chu Ge sprayed out his peanuts as well.

The young man looked displeased and asked Zhu Mengmeng, “So, is this another one of your ex-lovers?”

It was all a mess. Everyone was each other’s ex-lovers.

Finally, the two tables merged into one, and after explaining for a long time, they finally understood each other’s relationships. Zhu Mengmeng still looked distrustfully at Moon Shadow and said, “Hey, I will confirm with Qiuqiu. This little white flower, saying she’s the neighbor, and Qiuqiu knows… Why do I have doubts when I hear it?”

Chu Ge helplessly said, “Whatever, Qiu Wuji definitely knows.”

Moon Shadow only just understood what was going on now. She stood up expressionlessly and said, “Since that’s the case, I’ll leave first… It’s not quite comfortable…”

Chu Ge also wanted to bid farewell.

But then, Zhu Mengmeng lowered her voice and said, “Whether this little girl stays or not doesn’t matter. But as for you, Chu Ge, did you really come here just to have a drink with your neighbor?”

Chu Ge felt there was an underlying meaning in her words. It didn’t seem like she suspected him of trying to pick up girls; it felt like there was something else.

Moon Shadow also seemed to sense something. She paused in her movement of standing up and turned to look at her face.

Zhu Mengmeng felt a sharp sword piercing her cheek, making her uncomfortable all over. She also realized that this little girl was probably an ability user…

She no longer concealed anything and whispered, “You, Chu Ge, have special abilities, and this little girl doesn’t seem ordinary either. So, did you come here not just to wait for tonight’s midnight reopening of the underground fighting arena?”

With a crisp sound, a crack appeared in the glass in Moon Shadow’s hand.

Chu Ge’s expression also instantly became serious. “Is the information reliable?”

Zhu Mengmeng didn’t expect that Chu Ge, who had always been friendly and smiling, would suddenly have such a grave expression. She stammered, “Wh-what do you mean by reliable or not? The information was released three days ago, and all the regular spectators received it. We’re just waiting for it to reopen tonight.”

Chu Ge whispered, “To bring back the underground fighting arena, Zhang Xiaoren even went all out to renovate the establishment. He’s really not afraid of death.”

Zhu Mengmeng’s handsome husband finally confirmed that Chu Ge was indeed not her ex-lover. He leaned back in his chair, sipped his drink, and said, “With the downfall of the Wang family, Zhang Qiren’s departure, and Lin Wuyang’s power being stripped away… Some people feel that they can now stride forward and seize the opportunity…”

Chu Ge asked, “So both of you used to be spectators?”

The handsome husband smiled faintly, “Supply exists where there is demand. These days, there’s a lot of pressure, and there needs to be a release valve. Just like when everyone reads a short piece of writing online, they swarm to criticize and make it as offensive as possible. But when the truth comes out, the critics scatter, leaving the parties involved in a bloody mess, and nobody cares about the feathers left behind. Spectators… aren’t we all?”

Moon Shadow slowly loosened her grip on the glass in her hand and looked down at the bubbling bubbles in her drink. Her black eyes emitted a faint ripple.

In the brightly lit Special Affairs Department of the Municipal Bureau, Lin Wuyang was answering a phone call.

“Wuyang, this is against the rules.”

Lin Wuyang simply smiled gently, “When a new leader takes office, they always need to achieve something to show others… The weather has turned a bit chilly, so the director should rest at home. Let us handle this tiring task.”

The person on the other end said something, but Lin Wuyang calmly interrupted, “The information was released three days ago, didn’t the leader know? If the leader didn’t know, it’s alright… Some people want to treat me, Lin Wuyang, like a nobody, but they will pay the price for that.”

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