The Golden Cane and the Wild Rose - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Yun Ran knew she had no choice and silently agreed.

The building in front of her didn’t look like any particular type, but one thing was certain: it wasn’t a hotel for that kind of business.

Thank goodness.

The place was elevated, requiring a flight of over ten steps to reach the main entrance. The door was closed, but two people dressed as attendants were standing outside.

It was clearly not a place ordinary people could easily visit.

“Let’s go up.”

The arm around her waist tightened. Yun Ran suddenly felt like she had touched an appliance with a tiny electrical leak.

It wasn’t lethal, but the tingling sensation was impossible to ignore.

When she got an electrical shock, she would immediately move away from the source of danger.

But Jiang Musheng was not someone she could simply stay away from.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing that she wasn’t moving, Jiang Musheng asked.

Of course, Yun Ran couldn’t tell him what she was really thinking. She blurted out, “Mr. Jiang, your leg… are you sure you’re okay?”

She deliberately put on a worried expression.

“It’s fine. A few steps won’t tire me out.”

Yun Ran nodded.

They walked up together. When Yun Ran saw that Jiang Musheng wasn’t using his golden cane again, she understood.

Whatever minor issue he had with his left leg didn’t affect his daily life.

Finally, they reached the top step. The two attendants smiled and bowed. “Mr. Jiang, you’ve arrived. Please, come in.”

Saying this, one of them pulled a door open. Dazzling light spilled out, so bright it reminded her of the time she had looked up at the sun and her eyes had been pierced by the light.

Along with the light came the sound of a symphony she found familiar but couldn’t name. At school, she would always hear some when passing the choir. The boys and girls from wealthy families would gather out of boredom or a genuine love for music, showing off their voices. Even if you didn’t sing, you could mingle in and make friends.

It was a form of social networking.

“Do you know how to dance?” Jiang Musheng asked her.

Yun Ran hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

“I’ve never danced. I’ve only watched others.”

At home, she had even practiced turning on her tiptoes, but there was no dance partner at home.

“Do you want to dance tonight?”

“It’s not a must.”

They both stepped over the high threshold together.

“This is the Governor’s ball. Everyone here is from Hong Kong’s high society.”

It seemed Jiang Musheng just remembered to introduce the scene to her.

Yun Ran thought, ‘Any event Jiang Musheng attends must be out of the ordinary.’

“There are so many British people,” Yun Ran exclaimed.

“The Governor is British. The majority of his social circle are British people of middle-class standing or higher, while Chinese people need to have a much higher status to be invited.”

Just then, a familiar face approached them.

“I knew you’d bring Miss Yun.”

Zheng Hangyi was holding a glass with a translucent liquid. He seemed a little drunk.

Yun Ran pondered the word “knew.”

Zheng Hangyi, smelling of alcohol, leaned closer to her and said in a secretive tone, “Miss Yun, you don’t know this, but Musheng never brings a dance partner to these balls. And there are always women who volunteer to be his partner, but he rejects all of them. He’s famous for being ‘pure and self-disciplined.’ You should enjoy it.”

Yun Ran couldn’t respond to that. She just gave an awkward smile.

Jiang Musheng snatched the glass from Zheng Hangyi’s hand. “Where’s your dance partner tonight?”

“I don’t have one tonight either. I’m just here to watch you dance. I’ve never seen you dance after all these years. I’m going to record it.”

“You stay right here. I’ll go borrow a camera.”

Zheng Hangyi walked away, his steps a little unsteady from the looks of his back.

“Mr. Jiang, the Governor requests your presence.”

A man in a tuxedo with a slicked-back, center-parted hairstyle came to invite Jiang Musheng. His gaze, however, kept lingering on Yun Ran, wanting to look but not daring to be too obvious. His eyes darted around, only making his curiosity more apparent.

Yun Ran looked up, silently asking with her eyes if she should follow. A blonde, blue-eyed girl interrupted them.

“Musheng, my father needs you urgently. I’ll take care of your dance partner.”

‘Musheng.’ She said it very affectionately. It seemed she was a friend of Jiang Musheng.

Yun Ran looked at the English lady who had suddenly appeared, waiting quietly for Jiang Musheng’s instructions.

First came the English lady’s self-introduction.

“Cecilia Byrd. You can call me Cecilia.”

Her tone was a little condescending. It was clear she didn’t think much of Yun Ran, but out of respect for Jiang Musheng, she hesitantly extended her hand.

“The Governor’s daughter,” Jiang Musheng reminded her.

No wonder.

The corners of Yun Ran’s lips curved into a smile, and she politely shook Cecilia’s hand.

“Hello. I’m… Musheng’s girlfriend.”

Yun Ran paused slightly, but her confidence grew with each word.

Before they entered, Jiang Musheng himself had said it: to be his girlfriend for one night.

It seemed to be an act, which was precisely what she was best at. So she would act.

In any case, acting was better than sleeping with Jiang Musheng.

After she finished her poised introduction, the Governor’s daughter Cecilia’s proud expression shattered like fragile porcelain.

Jiang Musheng gave her a look and turned to go see the Governor.

This left Yun Ran alone to face Cecilia.

Yun Ran clearly felt the hostility and anger that Cecilia’s hand was conveying, but Cecilia’s face remained smiling. She warmly pulled Yun Ran over to a group of her friends, not forgetting to turn and glance at Jiang Musheng a few times, a sweet smile on her face.

It was as if she was saying, “Look, I’m taking good care of your girlfriend.”

When she was surrounded by a group of foreign girls, Yun Ran had a bad feeling.

The premonition came true a few minutes later.

A girl who looked to be just over 10 years old, full of energy, spilled a glass of wine on the white dress that Xueyu had asked her to wear.

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