C22 They Would Secretly Drink

"Silly girl, what are you thinking about? The Sheng family! They're one of the top elite families in the Imperial Capital. Their threshold is so high it might as well be in the clouds.

Even if Shi Qian had everything right now, let alone her current state of having nothing, she still wouldn't stand a chance with them. The waters of high society run deep."

Shi Muxue considered Soong Yuzhi's words and found them logical.

Her previously agitated heart settled down.

"However, I still can't stand the sight of Shi Qian's face!"

Soong Yuzhi took her hand and continued, "Shi Qian will never see the light of day. You are the Shi family's one and only daughter.

Your father has been negotiating a partnership with the Su family. If we establish a connection with the Su family, we might also reach the Huo family, the power behind them. We may not be able to mingle with the top four families, but the Huo family, which is just below them, is within our reach. I've heard that the Little Young Master of the Huo family is around your age, Muxue. You must strive hard if you want to rise above the rest."

Shi Muxue looked at Soong Yuzhi, her lips twitching, but she remained silent.

Her ambitions were different; she aspired to connect with the top four families.

The one she admired was the esteemed Prince of the Sheng family, Sheng Xu.

In the evening.

Shi Qian returned to her room and booted up her computer to do some research. That's when she stumbled upon the school forum's gossip.

The onlookers were still buzzing with speculation about her future.

Shi Qian glanced at the forum posts and effortlessly deleted everything. After wiping the slate clean, she even shut down the forum.

In an instant, everyone's screens displayed a 404 error!

Confusion reigned...

What just happened?

Having finished her task, Shi Qian shut her laptop and headed to the bathroom.

After her bath, she lay in bed, restless and unable to fall asleep.

Eventually, she sat up in frustration and stepped out of bed.

She approached the wardrobe, selected a light shirt, slipped it on, and left the room, descending the stairs.

Shi Qian arrived at the entrance of the wine cellar and gently pushed open the imposing wooden door. She mused, "It's past eleven o'clock. Master Zhan should be asleep by now. He's unlikely to be in the wine cellar, right?" With that thought, she stepped inside.

In the study, Shaang Sizhan was perusing documents. Yan Yi knocked and entered, pausing briefly before nodding, "Master, Miss Qian just headed to the wine cellar, tiptoeing around. It looks like she's trying to sneak a drink."

Hearing this, Shaang Sizhan set aside his papers, a glint of amusement in his dark eyes that twinkled like stars. "Let's check it out," he said with a wry smile.

Rising from his chair, Shaang Sizhan strode out of the study with his long legs.

Shi Qian was a novice when it came to wine. She stared at the rows upon rows of wine racks, overwhelmed by the dazzling array of bottles. She had never indulged in wine before. Shaang Sizhan had forbidden it before her 18th birthday, and she hadn't touched it since. Now, as she snuck into the wine cellar to grab a bottle, she couldn't shake a sense of guilt. But she reassured herself, considering she was of age, that even if Master Zhan caught her, he likely wouldn't mind.

She approached a shelf stocked with red wine, her eyes scanning the impressive selection. Eventually, she chose a bottle on a whim, cradled it in her arms, and hurried toward the exit. Just as she reached the door, she realized she didn't have a bottle opener in her room. She glanced at the nearby tasting table, which featured an elegant black rack with a decanter hanging from it.

Determined to open the bottle before leaving, Shi Qian dashed to the table, set the wine down, and began to work the opener. Midway through, the wooden door abruptly swung open, and two towering figures entered—Shaang Sizhan and Yan Yi.

Shi Qian was momentarily taken aback!