Chapter 17: The Scene from a Dream

Lin Jie had never encountered such wealth in person before, at least not face to face.

Mo Jiale often talked about rich people and their extravagant lives, throwing hundreds of thousands, even millions, with a mere wave of the hand. But witnessing Ye Mo casually spend over three hundred thousand in a single night, without even batting an eyelash, left Lin Jie utterly speechless.

Three hundred thousand... This was what his parents earned in an entire year of hard work.

Yet for Ye Mo, it was just another idle evening, spent with someone just as unremarkable, over a simple round of drinks.

At times, Lin Jie truly felt the world was deeply unfair.

It was one thing to bless someone with beauty, but to also grant them such privilege? Ye Mo came from wealth. After an argument with her family, she embarked on a trip and, in a mere month, had spent nearly two million—without even touching her family's money.

Traveling doesn't cost much, really. But Ye Mo, with her insatiable urge to buy luxury items, soon found herself out of funds.

She now regretted it a little, realizing that the piles of luxury goods she'd hardly use could have instead gone towards creating memories with Lin Jie.

As she glanced subtly at Lin Jie, she noticed him watching her too. His gaze, once indifferent, had shifted to one of astonishment and admiration.

This transformation in his eyes greatly amused Ye Mo.

So, when the bar staff approached with fireworks in hand, she didn't hesitate to accept. As they offered to teach her how to use it, she disdainfully stepped back and grabbed Lin Jie's head, pulling him close. With a mischievous grin, she loudly said into his ear, "You do it, little brother!"

"Do what?" Lin Jie's voice trembled slightly.

His earlier bravado of "I'll do it" had already humiliated him once... He wasn't eager to repeat that.

"You do the fireworks, of course!"

The DJ's shouts reverberated through the air, accompanied by deafening music. The atmosphere was intoxicating, and even Ye Mo found herself swaying to the rhythm... Like Lin Jie, she had never been in a place like this before, yet the indulgence and hedonism quickly won her over.

In a moment of euphoria, she teasingly pinched Lin Jie's ear, laughing gleefully as his wide eyes met hers.

"Is this it?" Lin Jie cautiously leaned closer to ask, his lips brushing her ear.

Ye Mo wouldn't let him off so easily. After spending all that money, he still wanted to keep his distance? What was he guarding against?

She wouldn't bite, after all... or would she?

She yanked Lin Jie even closer, pretending not to notice, and pressed her ear against his lips. Smiling, she licked her lips and cheerfully said, "Yes, it's for you. Fire as many as you like, until your heart's content."

Her words were full of playful ambiguity, leaving Lin Jie at a loss for words. Too timid to make a joke, he took the fireworks from the bartender and fired several rounds into the night sky.

Fireworks rained down, their brilliance heightened by the dim lighting, creating a dreamlike spectacle.

Lin Jie stood frozen, captivated by the beauty, and without realizing it, fired a few more rounds.

It was beautiful—like bubbles, ephemeral and fleeting.

But such beauty came at a cost, a price only money could sustain. Without wealth, such magic was unattainable.

Onlookers glanced enviously at Lin Jie. Ye Mo, stunning beyond compare, was the kind of girl for whom men would gladly pay anything, even lay down their lives. Yet they all knew from whispers that the extravagant drinks costing hundreds of thousands were paid for by Ye Mo herself.

How was that guy so lucky?

"Because you're handsome," she teased.

After the bar staff cleared the scene, bringing out drinks in a dramatic, attention-grabbing display, Ye Mo crossed her legs, her slender fingers holding a glass. She clinked it against Lin Jie's, raising her glass in a toast.

Lin Jie remained silent. He didn't believe his looks could possibly have such power. If they did, wouldn't he have charmed every girl back in high school?

"What's wrong? Lacking confidence?" Ye Mo sipped her drink, her lips slightly curled as her elegant features were bathed in the soft glow of the lights. Her eyes, once playful, grew colder and more aloof as she leaned closer. "You know, I've always followed my feelings... and, as it happens, you give me a very good feeling. That's why, to me, you are indeed handsome."

There were countless boys chasing after Ye Mo, but her heart always followed her instincts. If she went solely by appearances, she'd have to reciprocate every handsome boy who crossed her path.

Lin Jie downed his glass of Martell Supreme in one go. He couldn't taste its supposed richness, for he wasn't a man of luxury.

All he knew was that this drink was expensive—so expensive that he might never taste it again.

"Sis, you're beautiful," Lin Jie couldn't help but compliment her.

Ye Mo's lips curled into a satisfied smile, as she accepted his praise with ease. "I know I'm beautiful."

It seems that in this world, everyone knows how to flatter. And if they don't, it's only because they haven't had enough to drink.

After shooting a stern look at the bar girls who had tried to sidle up to Lin Jie, Ye Mo and Lin Jie started playing dice.

As the bar girls wiggled their hips and sauntered away, Lin Jie's gaze lingered a moment too long, which didn't go unnoticed by Ye Mo. Irritated, she pinched his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "Look at me! Am I not prettier than them? Just look at their ghastly makeup and terrible figures... Ugh!"

Clearly, the alcohol was starting to take effect. Ye Mo's playful scolding was tinged with a hint of jealousy and a childlike pout, as she exerted just a bit more force.

Lin Jie stared at her blankly, feeling a strange prickling in his eyes despite the lively atmosphere.

He really was beyond saving.

A scene that had played out countless times in his dreams had suddenly come to life... But she wasn't her.

The girl you liked, pouting in jealousy because of you. Her eyes shimmering with tiny stars, and your heart softening to the point of breaking.

For a fleeting moment, Lin Jie almost mistook Ye Mo for someone else, for the one he loved.

"Alright, I won't look. None of them are as beautiful as you," he said, letting Ye Mo lean against his shoulder, feeling the warmth of her fingers as they traced lightly across his skin. His voice softened.

Now Lin Jie understood why some men frequented bars—it wasn't just for the drinks, but for the fleeting warmth and tenderness that they could never find in the cold, harsh reality of life, or with the cold, distant her.

But Ye Mo wasn't just another bar girl. She was different. She was the first girl who made Lin Jie feel like he mattered.

4o