"Little Yan, I'm in Caesar Splendor 0433," she sobbed over the phone. "You have to come quickly. You have no idea what happened to me today…" The girl Chu Yan called 'Niuniu' cried from beginning to end, her voice choked with grievance. Even Chen Fei, standing nearby, could vaguely hear her, his brow furrowing slightly.

Niuniu? That name sounds so familiar… Oh, wasn't that the girl with the plump, baby-faced cheeks at Chu Yan's birthday party? I remember her because of her distinctive name. But what's wrong now? To be crying like that…

"Alright, alright, I got it. Caesar Splendor 0433, right? Niuniu, you wait there for me. I'll be there in half an hour," Miss Chu Yan said, then hung up the phone.

She began to gather her things in a fluster, apologizing sheepishly to Chen Fei as she did, "Big Baddie, I have to go now."

"You're heading over right now? What about work?" Chen Fei nodded, pointing at the flight attendant uniform she was wearing.

"Work? Right, I'm still on the clock today! Ugh, why is my luck so bad… Whatever, I'll go ask my boss for leave. Niuniu sounded so heartbroken; I haven't seen her like this in a very long time," Chu Yan said, her worry evident as she decided to request time off.

Unlike her friendship with Wang Qin, she and Niuniu had been close for many years, ever since their first year of university. Seeing her friend suddenly crying her eyes out like this was something she hadn't witnessed in ages, so naturally, she was deeply concerned.

What on earth could have happened?

"Why don't I go with you and see what's up?" Chen Fei suddenly asked.

"You're coming with me?"

Caught off guard for a moment, Miss Chu Yan quickly nodded. "Sure. You've met Niuniu before, at my birthday party. If there's real trouble, maybe you could help out…"

So that was her angle.

"You're treating me like free labor, are you? Fine. It's only because this Young Master's heart is too kind. Might as well be a good person all the way," Chen Fei said, rolling his eyes before adding the last part.

"In your dreams. A couple of compliments and you're already full of yourself? Let's go, I still need to ask for leave." At this, Miss Chu Yan also rolled her eyes playfully. She hurried out of the Ji Chang KFC, went to ask her superiors for emergency leave, and then took a taxi with Chen Fei to Caesar Splendor, a well-known KTV in Tongzhou City.

…

Meanwhile, in room 0433 of Caesar Splendor, a young woman with a baby-fat face was gulping down a bottle of beer, her cheeks flushed red. This was none other than Chu Yan's good friend and close confidante—Chen Niu, also known as Niuniu.

Bathed in the multicolored, dim lights of the KTV room, it was apparent that she had a well-proportioned and voluptuous figure, slender in all the right places. She was also quite tall, the type of woman who would turn heads on the street.

But her mood seemed terrible at the moment. Not only was she guzzling beer, but there were also two or three empty bottles already on the table in front of her. She had clearly had quite a bit to drink.

Seeing her continue like this, the other man in the room snatched the bottle from her hands, his voice laced with concern. "Niuniu, what are you doing? I came here to sing with you and help you vent, not to watch you drown yourself in alcohol. It's only been a short while, look how much you've drunk!"

"Brother! Give it back!" Seeing her bottle taken by her brother, Niuniu, her face flushed, shouted and reached to grab it back.

But her brother didn't give her the chance. He pulled her to the other side of the sofa, away from the bottles, and tried to comfort her, his voice full of worry. "Niuniu, I know you're upset and feeling wronged, but you can't abuse your body like this. Who could handle drinking at this rate?"

"But… but I just feel so wronged! Why?" At this, the tears Niuniu had been holding back streamed down her face. "I clearly got the highest score on the written exam," she said sullenly. "Why did the ones who came in second and third get in, but I didn't?"

For some time now, she had been preparing for the civil service exam, with her sights set on a position in the Municipal Landscaping Bureau. To compete in this year's incredibly fierce exam, she had lost count of the nights she'd spent burning the midnight oil, poring over stacks of professional books until the pages were worn.

Now, after finally achieving first place on the city-wide written exam, she thought her hard work had paid off and she'd secured a job at the Municipal Landscaping Bureau. But then came the unexpected setback. The second and third-place candidates had been selected, while she, the top scorer, had been rejected.

But she was the one who came in first, wasn't she? Her professional knowledge was solid, too. Her university was just an ordinary second-tier institution, but that couldn't possibly be the reason for her rejection, could it?

Obviously, something shady is going on! I was probably pushed out by someone with connections and a powerful background. That's why I'm so angry and feel so wronged. Why? How can they just mess with things like that just because they have connections? How is that fair?

"Sigh. Niuniu, the Landscaping Bureau isn't some backwater office anymore," her brother sighed softly, then added in a low voice, "The city is focused on urban beautification, not to mention Tongzhou City is a provincial capital. Countless eyes are on positions in a department like that. It's not so easy to get in. Plus, I asked a friend to look into it. The person who came in third on your exam, his uncle is apparently a leader in the Municipal Finance Bureau. Think about it, who holds all the power these days? The God of Wealth, of course. Even government departments wouldn't dare offend a leader who controls their financial lifeline. So… so…"

"So I became the sacrificial lamb in their exchange of favors? But why me? What about the person who came in second?" Niuniu felt even more aggrieved upon hearing this, her eyes brimming with tears of indignation.

After all, the civil service exam is like thousands of soldiers trying to cross a single-plank bridge; getting first place is no small feat. To be eliminated even after achieving that was, of course, impossible for her to accept. Not to mention, the number of applicants doubled every year. If she missed her chance this year, who knew what the situation would be like next year?

"The second-place person is also a special case. It seems he already has connections within the Landscaping Bureau," Niuniu's brother explained again, helplessly. It couldn't be helped. Although the country was prosperous and peaceful, there were still plenty of crooked dealings beneath the surface. You did well on the exam? Sorry, I was born well. I have connections and a powerful family, that makes me better than you. What, you don't like it? Go on, bite me.

"Sigh… I…" Although she still felt a tightness in her chest, Niuniu wasn't a complete rookie just starting out. After hearing her brother's explanation, she understood that society was indeed a complex place.

For ordinary people like them, even when they're bullied and feel wronged, what can they possibly do? The only option is to endure it silently, right? They can't just go smashing their heads against a wall until they're bloody. Even if she dared, would it even make a difference?

"But don't lose heart, Niuniu," her brother comforted her. "The fact that you got first place this year proves you have real talent. Mom, Dad, and I are all so proud of you. If the worst comes to the worst, we'll just try again next year. Besides, what's a piece of gold afraid of? That it won't find a place to shine?"

"Don't worry, Bro. I feel much better now," Niuniu said. Knowing there was nothing more to be done, she forced a smile despite her low spirits. "Let's sing. Little Yan will be here soon."

"Okay. I haven't heard you sing in a long time. I'm expecting a real treat!" Seeing her like this, her brother's heart ached, but he could only pretend not to notice and squeezed out a smile.

Alas, what else could be done? They were just ordinary folks, without power or influence. If their family had connections and a strong background like those other two, perhaps this infuriating situation would never have happened.

About half an hour later, Chen Fei and a casually dressed Chu Yan finally arrived, pushing open the door to the private room.

"Niuniu, what happened? You were crying on the ph—oh, Brother Qun, you're here too?" Chu Yan rushed in, her tone anxious and concerned. She was only halfway through her sentence when she noticed another man in the room. A closer look revealed it was her best friend's older brother, Chen Qun.

"Hello, Little Yan. And this is?" Niuniu's brother greeted her with a smile, his gaze then turning curiously to Chen Fei, who stood behind her.

In his memory, Miss Chu Yan rarely spent time alone with a man. Could it be…

"It's you! I remember you, you're Chen Fei, right?" Niuniu suddenly pointed at Chen Fei and exclaimed. Then, she gave Chu Yan a teasing, narrow-eyed look. "Chu Kuantou, you've been holding out on me. Spill. When did you two start? Don't tell me you two actually started playing for real after last time?"

"Hey! Round-Faced Chen, what nonsense are you spouting? He and I are just ordinary friends! Besides, weren't you the one who just called me, crying your eyes out…?" Miss Chu Yan was immediately displeased, her cheeks flushing red as she ran over to the sofa to 'wrestle' playfully with her best friend.

"Ahem… Dude, wanna step out for a smoke?" Seeing this, the previously somber room was suddenly filled with a touch of spice that got the blood pumping. Niuniu's brother, Chen Qun, twitched an eyelid and shot Chen Fei an awkward look.

It was true that in his eyes, Chen Fei and Chu Yan might have *that* kind of relationship.

But the problem was, it looked like his sister was having a wardrobe malfunction during their playful scuffle. He couldn't just let another man get a free show.

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