Ningxi was a bit surprised to receive Zhan Meng's call. Could this guy have gotten himself lost? He sprawled lazily on the sofa, crossing his legs, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at the phone vibrating in his hand. Seeming to sense that her patience was wearing thin, he leisurely picked up the call and said, "Hey, sis, what's up?"
"Come to the backstage dressing room. I'm surrounded."
"Haha, surrounded? What are you doing in the dressing room? And why should I help you?"
Hearing this, Zhan Meng noticed Feng Yuan staring at her with a puzzled look. She quickly covered the receiver, walked to an empty spot nearby, and gritted her teeth. "Ningxi, it's just a matter of whether you'll come help or not. Why so much nonsense? I'm telling you, if you don't come, don't regret it."
"Zhan Meng, look at you, all high and mighty. Fine, with that attitude, I really don't want to help."
"Good for you, Ningxi. Remember this: if I get hurt because of this, you'll be fully responsible," Zhan Meng said fiercely.
"Oh, I'm so scared. Actually, if you just soften your tone a bit, I might still come help."
Zhan Meng was used to being arrogant in front of Ningxi, and now him forcing her to drop that attitude wasn't easy for her. She frowned deeply, hearing the loud knocking at the door, and spat, "Pfft, Ningxi, dream on."
Ningxi's face darkened. Had he been giving Zhan Meng too much face lately? This woman was now riding high over him, flaunting her power.
Feng Yuan saw Zhan Meng hang up the phone furiously and walk over to her, clearly sensing her anger. She didn't dare breathe too loudly. After a pause, she bit her lip and grabbed Zhan Meng, who was about to rush out. "Cousin, maybe I should call the bodyguards?"
"No!" Zhan Meng refused without a second thought.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
"You have one minute. If you don't come out, we'll break in!"
"Cousin, I don't think two helpless women like us have much chance of slipping away from them."
"Actually, Feng Yuan, I haven't asked you yet. Why did you come here right after getting back?" Zhan Meng stared intently at Feng Yuan and asked softly.
Hearing this, Feng Yuan smiled and replied, "Cousin, this isn't the time for that. Besides, I'm helping a friend out. The priority now is how we get out of here."
"Get out?" Zhan Meng pursed her lips, put her phone on the dressing table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. She stretched her long legs onto the table, looked at her roguish reflection in the mirror, brushed the stray hairs from her forehead, and added, "It's tough. I can't fight, can you? If we could beat them, maybe we'd leave, but it might also cause a bigger scene."
"That's like saying nothing at all. Besides, I can dance, but don't count on me for a fight."
The two sat helplessly in the dressing room, staring at each other. Zhan Meng glanced at her phone, which showed no activity, and silently cursed, *Is Ningxi really going to ignore me?*
As she thought of him, Ningxi sneezed unconsciously. The little cat in his arms seemed startled and angrily scratched the back of his hand, leaving a few faint red marks. He frowned, lifted the cat, and muttered to himself, "Are you blaming me for not saving her too?"
That Zhan Meng woman was way too cocky. He had no control over her. He'd planned to use this chance to teach her a lesson, but for some reason, his heart was pounding like a deer in headlights. After hesitating, he picked up his phone to call her back, then suddenly remembered she'd said she was in the backstage dressing room.
In the private room, only Xia Yan was a woman, and she was the first to notice Ningxi's change. Seeing him get up to leave, she quickly asked, "Ningxi, where are you going?"
Hearing this, Ning Nan let go of Xu Su, stopped clinging to him, sat up straight, and tilted his head to look at Ningxi, who was about to leave. He followed up on Xia Yan's question, "Did Zhan Meng call you?"
Ningxi turned and looked at the row of people sitting there. Lu Zhengting and Xia Yan were a couple, Ning Nan and Xu Su were a couple, and he was the only one alone. Thinking about it, his heart ached—truly lonely and cold. He sighed, knowing he couldn't hide it from the three men present, so he told the truth, "Zhan Meng's in some trouble. I'm going to find her."
"Trouble?" Ning Nan rubbed his chin and smirked wickedly. "Yeah, the men in this place have no resistance to women. With Zhan Meng's figure and looks, she'd definitely catch a lot of eyes. Right, Xu Su?"
Xu Su never bothered with things he found boring. Even when with clients, he never had women around, so it's no exaggeration to say that in Xu Su's eyes, all women were the same—same structure. But Ning Nan was different. Seeing Ning Nan ask for his opinion, he stared seriously at the slightly confused Ningxi and nodded, agreeing with Ning Nan.
At that, Xia Yan was unexpectedly charmed by Xu Su's nod and let out a laugh, but then caught two sharp glares. She awkwardly touched her nose. Being stared at by Xu Su wasn't pleasant. Though Lu Zhengting and Xu Su were similar in presence, Xia Yan knew Lu Zhengting wouldn't hurt her, but Xu Su was different—if angered, he might.
A wise man adapts to circumstances. Xia Yan quickly wiped off her smile and put on a deadly serious expression.
Ningxi glanced at the people present. Ning Nan was never reliable, and now even Xu Su was backing him up to mess with his head—infuriating. He didn't look at them again and decisively ignored their signals. Leaving the private room, he stood in the hallway for a moment, realizing he had no idea where the dressing room was.
A waiter came out of the next room. Ningxi glanced over, strode forward, stopped the waiter, and asked. With directions, he found the dressing room in less than five minutes.
By then, the dressing room was a mess—whether "chaotic" was the right word. Ningxi saw Zhan Meng, her long hair tied in a ponytail, standing among a group of men, back-to-back with another woman in a defensive stance. A crowd surrounded them, some watching, others seemingly ready to intervene, their expressions varied.
Feng Yuan looked at the men encircling them and felt like crying. What was this all about? She'd just come to cover for a friend, and now this mess. If her father found out, she'd lose her freedom for a while. She quietly poked Zhan Meng's waist. "Cousin, don't be impulsive. Let's run when we see a chance. It's not shameful."
"No kidding. Who cares about shame now? But the problem is, they've got us surrounded tight. I don't see any chance, not even a crack. How do we slip away?"
Zhan Meng thought, *If Ningxi doesn't show up today, I'll never let that bastard off.*
Speak of the devil, and he appears.
Ningxi lazily rolled up his sleeves as he pushed through the crowd, his eyes locking onto the leader. With lightning speed, he threw a heavy punch at the man's face. Seeing Ningxi arrive, Zhan Meng forced a smile, grabbed Feng Yuan's hand, and weaved through the chaos, dodging attacks aimed at them. Spotting a gap, Zhan Meng yanked Feng Yuan without a word.
"Now's our chance. Let's go."
Ningxi caught a glimpse of Zhan Meng fleeing without looking back and nearly exploded on the spot. He lashed out at anyone in his path, beating them mercilessly, leaving the men utterly bewildered.
After taking down the group, Ningxi stood out like a crane among chickens, drawing attention. Among the onlookers, a few women were swooning. He wanted to show off, but when he didn't see Zhan Meng in the crowd, his heroic mood plummeted straight to hell. *That damn woman, she's something else.*
Ning Nan, always one to enjoy a spectacle, had dragged Xu Su along a minute after Ningxi left. Seeing Ningxi lose it, he smirked, leaned against Xu Su, and silently recorded the scene on his phone. Then, as if innocent, he sent the video to the group chat, instantly setting it ablaze.
Everyone in the group who'd been silent watched the video and started chiming in enthusiastically.
Ning Nan patiently replied to each one. After searching for Zhan Meng without success, Ningxi walked over to Ning Nan and asked, "Second brother, was the show good?"
"Of course. Our little third brother has finally wised up, playing the hero saving the damsel. Tsk, tsk, big brother is so proud of you."
"Get lost..."
As soon as the word "lost" left Ningxi's mouth, Xu Su shot him a sharp, warning glare.
Seeing this, Ningxi felt exhausted. With Xu Su backing Ning Nan, it was like he was aiming for the sky.
"Where are Lu Zhengting and the others?"
"They went back. And do you think that narrow-minded Lu Zhengting would let Xia Yan see you looking so charming?"
Ningxi thought for a moment. "First time I've heard something constructive from you."
"Little guy, don't get cocky. Have you forgotten Lu Zhengting's last stunt with the 'wounded hero' act? I couldn't stand watching it."
That incident had happened not long ago, and Ning Nan, with his big mouth, had already spread it in the group.
Ningxi glanced at the men on the ground. Was it his fault he was too skilled? Then he remembered he still needed to find Zhan Meng and settle the score. He'd come, and she'd run off—what was that about?
Feng Yuan, pulled along by Zhan Meng, ran out of the club and stood by the roadside, gasping for air. She bent over, one hand on Zhan Meng's shoulder. "Cousin, stop running. They probably don't have time to chase us now."