All the bars were on the same street. Tang Hao had been there before, so it was not an unfamiliar place to him.
He found Golden Dreams Bar and went inside.
Once inside, he was assaulted by strobing lights and loud music. Tang Hao furrowed his brows. He was not very fond of chaotic places like those.
He scanned the area and soon noticed Ling Wei sitting at the bar counter.
She was not hard to miss. She wore a long, fitting red dress and black stockings that hugged her slender legs. She was utterly captivating.
Her impeccable face was illuminated by the shifting, colorful lights.
She did not carry her usual dignified and modest pose. Rather, her tightly locked brows and melancholy gaze reflected the sorrow in her heart.
Tang Hao walked over and sat down next to her.
He furrowed his brows as he examined her closely. She seemed disturbed. Evidently, something must have been troubling her.
He thought that his break up with Tai An Group would not have troubled her that much. It must have been something else.
“A drink for you?” Ling Wei turned around to look at him.
“I’m fine!” Tang Hao shook his head.
“You’re already here. Why don’t you drink something?” Ling Wei smiled. She called the bartender over and ordered a dozen beers for Tang Hao and a cocktail for herself.
Tang Hao opened a can and drank a sip. “Why are you here today, President Ling?”
“Why? Are you surprised?” Ling Wei smiled.
“A little!” He said, then turned to look at his surroundings.
“I understand how you feel… By the way, that was how I met you in the first place. That encounter last time was dangerous. It still scares me when I think about it,” Ling Wei said with a smile.
“I don’t usually come to these places. I’ll only go to a bar whenever I’m feeling frustrated. Every time, Uncle Ming would accompany me.”
As she spoke, she turned to look toward the other side.
Tang Hao followed her gaze and saw a familiar face. It was the Uncle Ming whom he had met before.
Uncle Ming looked at him, then raised his mug as a greeting.
“So, last time…?” Tang Hao was surprised.
Ling Wei stuck out her tongue. “I forgot! When I went to Westridge last time, I forgot that Uncle Ming wasn’t with me. Unfortunately, that happened.
“But it’s not all bad news though! That was how I got to meet you! This must be fate!” Ling Wei said mischievously.
Tang Hao was speechless.
The mood quickly died down. Ling Wei’s smile faded away and she looked lonely. She continued drinking her cocktail in silence. She soon finished the drink and ordered another one.
“You should drink less!”
“I know!”
They were silent again.
“Your restaurant seems to be doing well.” Eventually, she broke the silence. She sounded a little dejected.
She had grand ambitions for growing Magical Kitchen into a big brand, but she did not expect things to turn out that way. All her effort had gone to waste.
She understood that it was not her fault, but she could not help but feel sad about it.
She wanted to prove to everyone else that she could be successful as a president even though she was female. She was ecstatic when things were starting to get on track, but she found out the hard way that her position was not respected at all.
“It’s doing fine!” Tang Hao said after staying silent for a while.
“I hope you don’t hate me,” Ling Wei said, “I know that our Ling family is at fault.”
Tang Hao drank another mouthful of beer and smiled. “I don’t blame you. I know that you were stuck in a tough spot.”
Ling Wei laughed drily when she heard that. “Yes, I’m still stuck in a tough spot. Do you know that because of this incident, my brother is still attacking me and is blaming me for everything?”
Tang Hao narrowed his eyes.
‘That Ling Rui is a total bastard.’
“My father is also siding with him. He is the son after all. My brother had been a playboy before this, and that was why my father had no other choice but to pass the position of president to me.
“I’ve spent so much effort in running the company. I’ve given my all so that I could further develop the family business, but what did I gain in the end?
“Nothing. Nothing at all. They were the ones who forged ahead with their plan, but they’re blaming it all on me.
“My father doesn’t appreciate all that I’ve done. Meanwhile, my brother pretends to be repentant and he’s over the moon.”
Ling Wei’s tone of voice was agitated. She even sounded accusatory.
Tears were brimming in her eyes.
She sobbed, lifted her head, then drained the glass of its contents.
She slammed the glass on the table and coughed violently. Her fair face was intensely red in an instant.
Tang Hao was silent.
He was helpless. In a traditional, wealthy family like Ling Wei’s, it was still the norm for parents to favor sons more than daughters.
“Another!” Ling Wei shouted as she pushed her glass toward the bartender.
The bartender took the glass and started mixing her another drink. He stole glances at Ling Wei while he did that.
Tang Hao noticed that but did not mind it too much. After all, Ling Wei was a very attractive woman.
The bartender handed Ling Wei another cocktail, which she took and drained it. She became more agitated and angry than ever.
“Don’t you know, Tang Hao? I’ve tolerated all that. I can tolerate it if they want to replace me with my brother. What’s the worst that could happen? I know that my position in the family isn’t as important as my brother anyway.
“But, don’t you know that they’ve gone overboard this time? They’re arranging a marriage for me. They treat me like a tool to gain power and don’t give me any freedom at all.
“So what’s the point of me working so hard? I’m still only a puppet in their eyes. I don’t get to choose what I want.”
Ling Wei became angrier than ever as she spoke. She was losing her composure.
“The reason why I was drunk the last time was because of the same reason. That was the first time. I fought back with all my might and they called it off.
“Now they’re doing the same thing. They don’t care that I don’t want it. They’ve already gone ahead and arranged the marriage. I’ve seen the guy before, and I don’t like him at all.
“What did they treat me as? I’m not a human, but only an object.”
Ling Wei started sobbing. Her shoulders trembled as tears streamed down her face.
Tang Hao could only remain silent.
He thought arranged marriages were stupid. They were an ugly relic of the past and had no place in modern times.
“Here, wipe your face,” Tang Hao handed her a napkin.
Ling Wei took it but cried even harder. She suddenly leaned over and fell onto Tang Hao’s shoulder.
