A Chance Encounter at "Nightfall"

After spending the entire day lounging at home, Elena Shen felt relatively at ease as she rode in Ethan Jiang's car with the evening wind brushing past her face, heading toward "Nightfall."

Yet fate had other plans.

Just as she stepped out of the car in the club's parking area and turned around, she spotted, a few steps ahead, Adrian Jiang stepping out of another vehicle—accompanied by none other than Grace Su.

Elena's brows tensed imperceptibly.

Her good mood from the drive evaporated in an instant.

She had no desire to engage in another petty skirmish with Adrian, especially not now—dusk was falling, and "Nightfall" was at its liveliest, bustling with people coming and going.

Before Adrian and Grace could look their way, Elena swiftly turned her head to the side, pretending not to see them.

But just as she averted her gaze, Adrian, who had been on his way into the club, suddenly looked back—and there, in the near distance, he saw Ethan Jiang gently tousle Elena's hair before leading her toward the entrance.

Adrian narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed sharply on the scene.

Grace, who had been eager to go inside, had already taken two steps ahead when she noticed Adrian had stopped in his tracks.

The recent flurry of half-true, half-manufactured trending topics on the internet worked in Grace's favor. Adrian had made no effort to remove them. As a result, with her rumored ties to the Jiang family, her fame has skyrocketed—even internationally. A renowned director with global influence, Lucas Zheng, had personally invited her to star as the female lead in a highly anticipated new series.

Such a golden opportunity would have been unthinkable for a rookie actress like Grace, who had only been in the industry for two years. But with the Jiang family's influence behind her, the offer had practically fallen into her lap.

Still, Director Zheng had one condition: before finalizing the casting, he wanted her to introduce him to Adrian Jiang for a face-to-face meeting.

Even a director of Zheng's stature held little sway compared to a power like the Jiang family. And with Adrian's company, Luminary Media, recently expanding into the entertainment sector, the director was eager to seize this rare chance to align with such a behemoth.

Grace understood Zheng's intentions clearly—but she needed the role just as badly. So the very day she received the invitation, she broached the topic with Adrian, asking him to accompany her for a brief meeting.

Adrian hadn't shown any interest initially.

It had taken her considerable effort and careful coaxing to secure his reluctant agreement: he would give the director a few minutes—nothing more—during his visit to Nightfall.

Now that they had arrived, Grace feared he might change his mind. Worse, Director Zheng was already inside, waiting expectantly.

When Adrian abruptly halted, Grace looked at him with growing anxiety.

But as her gaze followed his line of sight and landed on Elena Shen standing beside a luxury car not far away, her expression faltered—jealousy instantly flashing in her eyes.

She wanted to urge Adrian to go inside.

But he ignored her entirely and instead began walking straight toward Elena.

Grace's nails dug sharply into her palm.

Elena, still following Ethan toward the revolving doors of "Nightfall," had only taken a few steps when a cold, familiar voice rang out behind them.

"Brother."

Ethan paused and turned around.

Adrian approached, his gaze briefly—almost imperceptibly—sweeping over Elena, who stood beside Ethan, eyes lowered to her phone, never once looking his way.

"What a coincidence," Adrian said lightly. "Didn't expect you here tonight, Ethan. I've gathered some friends upstairs. Why don't you and Elena join us? It'd be a good chance to catch up."

Ethan glanced sideways at Elena, who remained silent.

His tone was cool and measured. "No need. I brought Elena out for a bit of air. I have already arranged for someone to accompany her. You go enjoy your own gathering."

Only then did Adrian's gaze settle directly on Elena.

His grip on the car keys tightened slightly, but his face showed no sign of change. He said nothing more, merely added, "I'll head in, then."

Ethan gave a nonchalant nod. "Mm."

Then, lifting his gaze, he spotted Grace Su standing nearby in a tight red dress, perfectly made-up and staring at them unblinkingly.

"That the girlfriend you mentioned?" he asked, tone casually.

Adrian glanced back.

There was no expression in his eyes.

For a moment, he seemed about to deny it—but then something shifted in his gaze. He gave a low chuckle and nodded. "Yes."

As he said it, his peripheral vision never fully left Elena.

But her expression was calm and indifferent, as though she hadn't heard a single word.

Adrian's eyes darkened subtly.

Grace, who had watched Adrian walk straight toward Elena, felt both jealousy and panic churn in her chest.

But her gaze soon shifted.

She noticed the man beside Elena—the one with the composed bearing, the quiet dominance, and the distinct aura of someone who didn't merely walk into a room but commanded it.

She noted how Adrian, usually aloof and prideful even in elite circles, appeared almost deferential beside this man.

Grace's eyes narrowed slightly.

She studied Ethan Jiang, whose gaze had briefly passed over her without stopping—dismissive, detached, and entirely uninterested.

And suddenly, she had a realization.

Among all the powerful figures in the Jiang family, there was only one person Adrian might treat with such quiet respect—only one man capable of wielding absolute authority at the very top of the pyramid: the current head of the Jiang family.

To Grace Su, Adrian Jiang had already been a rare stroke of fortune, a golden opportunity found only because of her proximity to Huaihai University.

But Ethan Jiang—his level of power was beyond her reach. Even if she clawed her way to the pinnacle of the entertainment world, it would mean nothing. Ethan's empire touched every major industry… except entertainment. She wouldn't even qualify to meet him.

Yet here he stood. In the flesh.

A once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Instinctively, Grace began walking toward them.

But just as she took a few steps, a shadow blocked her path—Adrian, cold-eyed, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the club without a word.