186: Chapter 186 Old Su, you called me a hillbilly again—

As the last ray of sunset sank into the District's skyline, the night at the Golden Knight Equestrian Club awakened.

The knight statue in the central plaza lit up with warm, amber spotlights, shining diagonally from the four corners of the base, casting a gentle halo over the armor, while the metal tip of the spear glinted with a faint, cold light in the night.

The vintage bronze streetlights beside the statue lit up one by one, paving the bluestone path with a dim, yellow glow, and as the wind blew through the treetops, shadows swayed into fragmented spots of light on the ground.

The clubhouse's lights exuded luxury and languor; string lights hung outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the western restaurant, with tiny bulbs twinkling like stars, making the crystal chandelier inside the window shine even more brilliantly.

A few tables of guests sat by the windows, their low voices mingling with the soft clinking of cutlery and the jazz music played by the pianist, the melody as soothing as flowing water.

Su Ye and Zhao Sihan walked ahead with slightly flushed faces, while behind them, Chen Ze and Yu Chen were swaying, supported by their drivers.

Chen Ze shook his head, and with bleary eyes, pointed at his driver, Xiao Long, who was supporting him, and said:

"Little Su, next time—next time I won't drink Laoxue with you again. Next time, let's drink—drink hard liquor."

The driver, Xiao Long, said helplessly in a low voice:

"President Chen, President Su is in front. I'm Xiao Long."

Chen Ze didn't seem to hear him, keeping his head down and muttering something unknown.

Yu Chen was a bit more sober than Chen Ze; after all, he didn't have the system's support. While he was grateful for and optimistic about Su Ye, he still maintained a shred of wariness toward the outside world.

"Little Su, you and Zhao Sihan can really drink. Brother Ze and I are considered to have pretty good alcohol tolerance, but we still couldn't handle you two."

Zhao Sihan looked at Chen Ze and then at Yu Chen with a giggle, then raised her little head and said:

"Brother Chen, we've barely started. I'm only about thirty percent drunk right now, and as for my Old Su, it goes without saying—he could drink me under the table."

She then held out her index finger and thumb, making a gesture that would make a Korean man collapse:

"Hehehe—tipsy—Old Su is definitely just tipsy!"

Yu Chen gave a bitter smile and sighed:

"Getting old, getting old. Alright, I see Brother Ze is about to fall asleep. We're going home first; what about you two? Do you want me to arrange someone to drive for you?"

Chen Ze suddenly lifted his head and said:

"Drive what drive? Let—let Xiao Long take them back first, then come back to pick me up."

Yu Chen looked at his little brother as if coaxing a child.

"Alright, alright, alright. You go to the car with Xiao Long first."

He then signaled to Xiao Long with his mouth:

"Go back first."

Xiao Long nodded and helped Chen Ze walk toward the black Bentley Mulsanne.

Then Yu Chen looked at Su Ye, glanced at the time on his watch, and Su Ye said:

"Brother Chen, you go back first. I've already called someone to come drive for us."

Although Yu Chen was doing better than Chen Ze, he still felt dizzy, so he didn't say much. After nodding, he got into the car with the help of his driver.

Watching the red taillights of the two Bentley Mulsannes disappear from view, Su Ye looked at the slightly dazed Zhao Sihan and asked:

"Old Zhang will probably take a while to arrive. Shall we walk around for a bit first?"

Su Ye knew Zhao Sihan's alcohol tolerance clearly; it was definitely not the thirty percent drunk she claimed—it was at least fifty or sixty percent.

Classmate Xiao Zhao was unusually quiet, not saying a word, just hugging Su Ye's arm and nodding her little head.

The two strolled through the main arena of the Golden Knight, where the lighting was quite spectacular. Twelve high-mast lights stood like giants around the arena, their silver-gleaming metal poles piercing the night sky. When the LED floodlights turned on, the entire arena was illuminated as if it were daylight, yet softer than the day. Occasionally, a late-returning groom would lead a horse past the edge of the field, casting long shadows, and the sounds of footsteps and hooves echoed gently in the empty arena before being quickly swallowed by the night.

The stable area's lights presented a different scene. The windows of the VIP stables emitted a warm yellow glow, like cozy little lanterns. The sensor lights in the corridor lit up one by one with each step, then slowly extinguished behind them, leaving only the faint scent of hay and cedar lingering in the air.

Classmate Xiao Zhao and Su Ye strolled on the concrete path, her head resting on Su Ye's shoulder, as she said slowly:

"Old Su, my mom knows about us."

Su Ye's stride paused for a moment, and then he let out a soft "Mm."

After a few seconds, Su Ye spoke up:

"Let's find a time for me to go back with you to see your parents. You haven't been back in a long time."

Zhao Sihan nodded her little head:

"Okay!"

The moon slowly rose to the center of the sky, casting silver radiance over every corner of the club, coating the vermilion gates, white fences, and green lawns in a layer of thin frost. At this moment, the Golden Knight, devoid of the daytime's bustle and vitality, held a bit more tranquility and solemnity.

The parking lot lights were cold white; the white LED lights illuminated every parking space, and beside the charging piles in the VIP area, several cars were quietly charging, with only the charging pile indicators blinking rhythmically.

At this moment, Zhang Jing was standing beside Su Ye's car in a crisp suit, standing tall with a gentle smile on his face. Seeing Su Ye and Zhao Sihan walking over, he hurried to meet them.

"Chairman Su—"

Su Ye nodded and introduced him to Zhao Sihan:

"Zhao Sihan, this is Zhang Jing, the CEO of my Family Office."

"Old Zhang, this is my girlfriend, Zhao Sihan."

Zhao Sihan generously reached out her little hand and shook hands with Zhang Jing.

"President Zhang, I'll call you Old Zhang, and you can just call me Xiao Zhao. It's more friendly that way. I've often heard Su Ye mention you, and today I've finally met you in person."

Zhang Jing pursed his lips slightly with a smile in his eyes:

"Chairman Su must not have said anything good about me, after all, I've spent quite a bit of his real money."

Classmate Xiao Zhao waved her little hand:

"Hey, don't say that. Money—what's it earned for? It's earned to be spent. Only if you can spend it can you call it money. If you can't spend it, what is it? Just a string of numbers, nothing but waste paper."

Hearing Zhao Sihan's words, Zhang Jing couldn't help but take another look at Classmate Xiao Zhao. The temperament and philosophy displayed by Classmate Xiao Zhao were not something an average family could cultivate. Even an old hand like Zhang Jing, who was gifted and had navigated the business world, couldn't help but feel very comfortable.

Zhang Jing couldn't help but give a thumbs up:

"Ms. Zhao is truly bold and heroic, a representative figure of a heroine; your words are very insightful."

Classmate Xiao Zhao was stunned for a moment, then put her hands on her hips and laughed loudly:

"Hahahaha, am I really that awesome? Hahaha."

The expression on Zhang Jing's face froze for a second, and Su Ye quickly said:

"Hey, don't mind her, she's just a total country bumpkin from Shenyang."

He then walked toward the car, with Classmate Xiao Zhao's dissatisfied voice coming from behind:

"Old Su, how many times have I told you? I am not a country bumpkin! If you say that again, I'm going to beat you up—"

Watching the two of them bickering, Zhang Jing thought to himself: It seems like following Su Ye is actually quite relaxing.