Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

The man staring at them was Richard. His friend had called him out for drinks after work. Not long after he took his seat, he saw
Pearl walk in with a man. Richard’s gaze was dark, and his friend noticed that. Following his eyes, the friend spotted a woman in
a black floral dress with wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. Her face was cold, and the dim lights made her look gorgeous
and mysterious. Justin Newton teased Richard by saying, “Oh wow, Big Mister Richard has finally taken a fancy to someone.
Have you fallen for that girl? She is quite pretty. Want me to get her number for you? Wait a second... Is she sitting with Wayne
Sharp?” Richard frowned and asked, “Wayne Sharp?” Justin nodded. “Yeah, Wayne is the vice president of the mysterious
Cerubleu Corporation.” Cerubleu had always been a mysterious company. It was a large and powerful publicly listed company,
but very few knew the identity of its chairman. For many years, Wayne had been the face of the company. “But Rick, you’re way
better than Wayne. I bet you can win that girl’s heart.” “You talk too much,” Richard commented icily. He then looked back at
Pearl with an inquisitive gaze. She had just come to Enswood, so how was she acquainted with Wayne? “But it’s true, Rick. That
girl is very pretty, but Wayne is a known playboy. What a pity...” Richard did not respond. He picked up his wine and sipped it as
he watched Wayne leave the bar counter. Soon, many people turned to look at Pearl. One lewd-looking man walked up to her
with a glass in hand. “Hey there, pretty. Wanna be friends and grab a drink together?” “I have friends.” The man’s face stiffened,
and he smilingly said, “Come on, let’s be friends. I’ll pay for your drinks. How about it?” “No.” The wine had gone to the man’s
head. When he saw Pearl’s indifferent expression, he said, “Stop being cheeky. Didn’t you wear such revealing clothes to the bar
to try and hook up with a rich guy? I’m rich, so tell me, how much do you want?” As Richard observed the scene from upstairs,
Justin said anxiously, “F*ck! Rick, hurry up and go save the damsel in distress!” Richard frowned and decided to help Pearl. This
was not because he was interested in her but because of his father’s orders. When the two men stood up, they saw a dramatic
scene unfold. The man reached out to touch Pearl, and she smashed a wine bottle on his head. Although it was too far away for
Richard to hear what she said, he could vaguely read her lips. She said arrogantly, “I have no need for money, but can I take
your life instead?” At this moment, Wayne came back from the washroom. The man recognized Wanye, so he immediately
apologized and left, lest Pearl would really kill him. Pearl was now in a sour mood and did not want to stay any longer. After
saying goodbye to Wayne, she left the bar. She booked a cab through her phone and waited by the side of the road. Lighting a
cigarette, she looked up at the sky. ‘Dad, are you all right up there?’ A black car then stopped before her. Thinking it was the cab
she had ordered, Pearl put out her cigarette on a dustbin. When she opened the car door, she spotted a man in a black suit in
the back seat. She had not asked for a carpool service. “I’m sorry. I think I got the wrong car. Wait... Why are you here?” Pearl
finally realized that the man in the cab was Richard. He said, “Get in.” After a brief pause, she got in and sat beside him.
Somehow, she felt inexplicably guilty about bumping into him here. But on second thought, she realized she was being silly.
“What a coincidence! I came here with a friend. You too?” Richard nodded nonchalantly. She then turned to look out the window.
‘Was Richard in the bar too? Did he see me there or bump into me on the street?’