Section 3

Feng Shizhen frowned and advised, "If you are determined, what is there that you cannot let go of?"

Amidst the chaotic lights and swirling smoke, the woman's face is heavily shadowed, appearing somewhat gaunt and haggard

Miss Feng, the bodyguard has come to the ballroom, Master Qi wishes to see you

The half-drunken guest caught sight of a fair-skinned, tall woman and became intrigued, asking, "Who is this lady?"

The guests' preferences are akin to this cocktail, with a little bit of alcohol mixed with a large amount of syrup, visually appealing in its colorful presentation, yet it can only be consumed as a beverage. It neither satisfies hunger nor alleviates sorrow. Little Baoli twirled the cocktail glass, her heavily made-up face still revealing the youthful contours of a girl. She showed Feng Shizhen a shiny oil drill in her hand, saying, "Just received this, isn't it beautiful? It's from a young entrepreneur in the import and export trade, quite generous with his spending."

It has been a while since I last saw you. Is your father's injury healing?

With sword-like brows and starry eyes, the pupils as dark as ink, the gaze seems to flow like a pool of cold, clear snowmelt.

As soon as the young man in white entered the ballroom, he captured the attention of more than half of the audience. His face was tense, and it seemed that he merely glanced over at Feng Shizhen and the others by chance.

She walked out of the alley, hailed a rickshaw, and said: "To the New Metropolis"

"New Metropolis" is a dance hall that opened at the beginning of the year, located on Xafei Road, occupying three floors of a building. Its neon sign shines so brightly that it can be seen from ten miles away, making quite an impression. Since its opening, New Metropolis has been bustling with guests, packed to capacity every night, and generous patrons have made several dance and singing stars famous.

Feng Shizhen walked straight up to the third floor. Several men standing at the stairway turned their heads. A tall man dressed in a camel-colored suit and wearing a flat cap strode over and said in a lowered voice: "Miss Feng, Master Qi has a guest, you will need to wait a moment."

Feng Shizhen held her hand and examined it carefully, estimating that although the diamond ring was not large, it must be worth over a thousand yuan, enough to buy a small Ford car. That young man was indeed very generous

The room was filled with vibrant lights of various colors, and that stark white figure was glaringly out of place. Feng Shizhen was taken aback, suddenly forgetting what he was supposed to do next

Feng Shizhen scoffed and said, "I might as well go up and wait for Master Qi."

Feng Shizhen coldly gazed at herself in the mirror, recalling the way Mrs. Rong had scrutinized her like a human trafficker during the day, and couldn't help but sneer. She dried her hair and tied it up, rummaged through her box to find a slightly worn light blue linen shirt and a pearl white long skirt, cinched it with a wide leather belt, tucked a book under her arm, greeted her mother, and confidently stepped out the door. She dried her hair and tied it up, rummaged through her box to find a slightly worn light blue linen shirt and a pearl white long skirt, cinched it with a wide leather belt, tucked a book under her arm, greeted her mother, and confidently stepped out the door

Xiaobaoli lit a cigarette and said softly, "The expenses are too high; even after getting on shore for a while, I will still have to go back down."

The young man in white was pulled by his companion into the dance floor, where he was immediately surrounded by enthusiastic dancers. Compared to his carefree companion, the young man in white clearly felt some resistance to such a scene. The flickering lights and the competing beauties of the dancers did not manage to ease the tension in his brow. He stood there with an air of arrogance and indifference, his posture straight, silently resisting everything around him, refusing to integrate into this extravagant environment.

Feng Shizhen wore her signature gentle and obedient smile, as if nothing had ever happened, and walked past the neighbors with composure.

"Seventh Master made an appearance, scared them off, and they ran away in a panic." Xiaoboli extended her hand, painted with bright red nail polish, and tousled her thick, curly hair, "In this day and age, you can't find a man with any guts in all of Shanghai; even if there are some, they wouldn't come to the New City every day."

"There has been some improvement, thank you for introducing me to the Western medicine." Feng Shizhen affectionately linked arms with Xiaobaoli, "When are you coming back? Have you sent away that man who was pestering you last time?"

Just as she was about to turn around, a young man in white followed closely behind a young man with a crew cut and entered the ballroom

"It is not something you can imagine!" Xiaobao Li scoffed as she pushed the male guest aside into the embrace of a dancing girl, sending him away, and then came over to take Feng Shizhen's hand.

Feng Shizhen was still fortunate; her mother, in order to protect her, fled and was slashed across the throat by the assailant right in front of her, dying on the spot

Feng Shizhen was fortunate to survive, as he grabbed a wooden plank and was carried by the waves to the bridge. The Feng family returned to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors, and upon disembarking, they washed their hands and watered their horses at the bridge, rescuing Feng Shizhen in the process

Feng Shizhen turned her head to look and saw a tall and robust young man walking in through the entrance of the ballroom. He had a crew cut, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, making him quite handsome. This type of wealthy young man, who clearly enjoyed a life of privilege, was someone Feng Shizhen had encountered many times before and regarded with indifference

They had just finished their drinks when the waiter brought over two more glasses, saying: "The gentlemen at table 9 ordered these for you."

Feng Shizhen was at a loss for words, feeling anxious inside, and raised the cup to drink the wine in one gulp.

Feng Shizhen instantly returned from a dreamlike state to reality, as if she had fallen from mid-air with a thud, waking up abruptly. She quickly composed herself, no longer distracted, and followed her bodyguard out of the ballroom

Tsk tsk! Xiaoboli's soft arms wrapped around Feng Shizhen's waist, her chin resting on her shoulder, as they both looked over in that direction. "I can't believe we can see such a clean young gentleman here. What a fine face, as if he just arrived in the city."

This was when Feng Shizhen was three years old. Her mother took her and her younger brother out and encountered a strongman. The younger brother went missing, and as Feng Shizhen jumped into the water to escape, she was injured by someone who attacked her from behind

"So handsome, so clean." Xiaoboli sighed lazily, "This is truly a noble young man. Just dancing with someone like him is not interesting. If I could have a romantic relationship with him, that would be worthwhile."

The young man in white and his companion are generally tall, yet he is somewhat slender. Dressed in white and black, his belt accentuates his lean waist. He stands upright, his posture reminiscent of a white poplar swaying in the wind, exuding an indescribable, remarkably rare vigor among the wealthy elite.

"Don't be anxious." Xiaoboli said with a smile as she pulled her, "Oh, look over there!"

What mars this beautiful scene is a scar that runs horizontally across the woman's lower back. The scar is long and slender, and any discerning eye can tell that it was caused by a sharp weapon, though it has aged somewhat, and its color has faded significantly.

Feng Shizhen nodded and turned back downstairs. Upon reaching the second-floor ballroom, the glass door opened just in time, and the loud music poured out. Inside, the colorful lights swayed, and shadows danced; men and women embraced each other, moving to the rhythm of a lively waltz.

A lady dressed in a deep red off-shoulder long dress ran over, pulling a male guest along, laughing and giggling. Feng Shizhen stepped aside, but the lady in red immediately spotted her and warmly greeted, "Shizhen!"

You have also accumulated quite a bit of wealth, have you never considered washing your hands and getting on shore

"Has your father quit?" Xiao Baoli retorted

The first floor is a gaming room, offering small-scale gambling, as well as selling beverages and Western cuisine. The second floor is a dance hall. The third floor consists of a row of private rooms, available for members to organize their own gambling games

In broad daylight, a fierce battle had taken place against Widow Zhang. At this moment, the neighbors looked at Feng Shizhen with a mix of fear and curiosity, as if they had discovered a hidden master of martial arts.

The well water had been exposed to the sun for an entire afternoon, and it felt warm to the touch. Feng Shizhen closed the door, removed her dress, and wiped her entire body with a damp cloth, washing her hair.

Isn't it so? One cannot help but wonder what a wonderful family it must be to raise such an exceptionally talented individual.

In the evening, the sun hangs low in the west, making the room extremely stuffy.

The dreams of the young girl had not yet had the chance to be realized before they were completely burned to ashes. It is only in this moment of colorful lights and melodious strings that they are briefly picked up and cherished for a moment.

In the mottled glass mirror, the figure of a young woman is snow-white and lustrous, with a slender waist and her breasts resembling plum blossom petals fallen on the snow. The soft and hazy light within the room acts like a master's brush, outlining the graceful curves of her body. The woman in the mirror appears like an oil painting, or like a reflection in a dream, exuding an allure that is both illusory and real

Looking at the young man's cold and handsome face, Feng Shizhen could not help but reveal a gentle smile

Xiao Baoli led Feng Shizhen into the ballroom, where they sat in a dimly lit corner by the bar and ordered two cocktails

Feng Shizhen said: "I see that the Western doctor, Dr. Li, is quite fond of you, saying that you possess the spirit of a chivalrous woman from the rivers and lakes"

If her family had not gone bankrupt, and her parents had not suffered from illness, she might have been able to fall in love with such a young man, dressed in a white shirt, handsome and clean. They would hold hands and attend tea dances hosted by their classmates, dancing and kissing under the hazy moonlight and the swirling colored lights

At that time, the youngest daughter of the Feng family had just died from dysentery, and Mrs. Feng thought that heaven had sent her another daughter. The little girl, whose name she could not even remember, became Feng Shizhen, and she lived a carefree life in the Feng family for twenty years until a great fire came.