The bar was extremely noisy, filled with all kinds of sounds—men whistling and shouting when they saw beautiful women, women shrieking in admiration when they spotted handsome men, and drunk people mixed in, mumbling incoherent words...
Xia Yan and Zhan Meng had deliberately chosen a spot that wasn't too conspicuous. Since it was far from the stage, they couldn't see the women dancing on it very clearly, and the flashing colored lights kept blocking their view.
Zhan Meng sat like a tomboy, though this time she didn't resort to biting the bottle cap off with her teeth like she had at Xia Yan's place. Of course, even if she wanted to, this bottle wouldn't allow it.
"Xia Yan, what are you doing? You've been going hard since you got here—should I keep you company?" Zhan Meng gave a faint smile, picked up the glass on the table, took a small sip, then downed the whole thing.
Xia Yan drank as if she were oblivious to everything around her, focused solely on her own glass. Zhan Meng ran into a few friends and went over to say hello. By the time she came back, she realized Xia Yan had already polished off an entire bottle of liquor...
A whole bottle. She wouldn't drink like that herself, especially knowing her own tolerance.
Xia Yan silently slumped over the table, her hands stacked together, her head buried in her arms. Her long hair spilled down from both shoulders, hanging straight.
"Xia Yan, are you okay?" Zhan Meng worriedly watched Xia Yan, who completely ignored her, and rubbed her temples. How had she not noticed this girl could drink so fiercely?
Zhan Meng walked over to Xia Yan, bent down, and tried to lift her up. But Xia Yan didn't budge, as immovable as a mountain. Zhan Meng put all her strength into it, but nothing changed.
She was out of options.
Zhan Meng sat down in the chair next to her, lightly tapping the table with her slender fingers. The bar's music didn't relax her; instead, it only added to her irritation. She propped her cheek on one hand, her gaze drifting vaguely toward Xia Yan, who seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.
Sigh. Another sigh.
After calling Feng Yuan several times with no answer, Zhan Meng's gaze finally landed on the name in her contacts that she had blocked. Call or not? If she called another guy for help, Lu Zhengting would definitely kill her. But Feng Yuan wasn't answering, and she didn't have many reliable women around.
Ah, if she were in Beicheng, she wouldn't be hesitating like this.
Beicheng—her turf, her rules.
Zhan Meng gritted her teeth, calmly deleted Ning Xi's number from her blacklist, and dialed. The call went through, but it just kept ringing with a dull tone. Ning Xi didn't pick up for ages. Furious, Zhan Meng hung up without a second thought.
Bastard! Who knows where he's fooling around now!
Zhan Meng slammed her phone onto the table in anger. When a waiter came over, she immediately snapped her fingers and ordered another bottle of liquor.
She knew that Tian Shang Ren Jian was Xu Su's territory, so she felt relatively safe.
What happens when two women with poor alcohol tolerance get drunk together? That was exactly the state of Xia Yan and Zhan Meng now—one quiet, just wanting to sleep; the other unable to sit still for a minute, starting to sway her body as soon as the music kicked in.
Zhan Meng had an excellent figure. Last time, out of curiosity, she and Feng Yuan had worn masks and danced on stage, and all the men's eyes had collectively landed on her. Back then, they couldn't even see her face. But now...
A woman suddenly jumped out from the crowd, dancing wildly. She had delicate features, but her moves were incredibly seductive and alluring. More and more men gathered around Zhan Meng. Her head already spinning, she just felt unbearably hot.
"Get lost." Zhan Meng, overheated, couldn't help but yell at the people around her, but the noise was too loud—no one really heard her.
A man reached out a hand straight for Zhan Meng's face. Enraged, Zhan Meng didn't hesitate—she swung her palm and slapped him. "Damn it, you dare touch me? Tired of living?"
The man, stunned by the sudden slap, was bewildered. But after a few seconds, he snapped out of it. Feeling humiliated, he immediately reached out.
Zhan Meng glanced at his movement without a hint of fear, but she was quicker. Before his slap could land, she bent down, shifted her feet to the side, and dodged him effortlessly.
"You? You dare lay a hand on me? Honestly, being ugly isn't your fault, but being ugly and coming out to scare people—that's on you." Zhan Meng squinted and smiled.
"You bitch, you calling me ugly?"
"Yeah, I'm calling you ugly. What's the matter? You look like this and can't handle the truth?"
"Damn it!"
"Damn it? I don't have that thing, but I know who does. If you need it, I can find him and give him to you." Zhan Meng scratched her head in frustration, then seriously glanced down at her own crotch.
"Fuck!"
"You don't like it? Well, I wasn't going to give it to you anyway. But if you don't want it, no need to get so angry."
"You crazy woman!"
"Who's the crazy woman?"
"The crazy woman is you."
Hearing this, Zhan Meng nodded, as if suddenly enlightened. "Oh, so you're not the one with the goods—you're the one getting it."
The people around couldn't help but laugh at Zhan Meng's words. The man she had provoked was now itching to strangle her, especially after she insulted his looks. He always thought of himself as handsome and dashing.
Enraged, he threw caution to the wind, ignoring the rules of Tian Shang Ren Jian. He grabbed an empty bottle from a nearby table and swung it at Zhan Meng's head.
*Smack!* The bottle hit the ground, shattering into pieces.
Zhan Meng, startled, bristled like a cat. Without even looking up, she swung her arm to hit the person holding her.
"Pervert! Let me go!"
Ning Xi quickly caught Zhan Meng's hand. "Let me go"? Hearing those words from Zhan Meng's mouth made his face darken. But the woman in his arms wasn't the priority—he had to deal with the man in front of him first.
"Was that bottle your doing?" Ning Xi said, looking at the man.
"You, who are you? I suggest you mind your own business."
"Oh? Mind my own business? Too bad—I'm bored today and looking for trouble. I think, why not make it today?"
The man froze, catching the sharp glint in Ning Xi's eyes. He shuddered, instinctively stepping back. Glancing at the onlookers, he said, clearly lacking confidence, "Kid, do you know who I am?"
"Who you are—does it matter to me?" Ning Xi finished with a smile. As the man hesitated, Ning Xi lifted his foot and kicked him square in the chest. With a thud, the man was sent flying a meter away.
The man floundered a few times, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. He lay on the ground in terror, watching Ning Xi approach with Zhan Meng in his arms, step by step. His nerves tightened. "No, no, don't come closer."
"What did you say? I didn't catch that."
Zhan Meng suddenly stopped struggling, as if catching a familiar scent or something. Now she was oddly docile, staying close to Ning Xi. He glanced at her, a bit surprised.
When the man saw the manager rushing over, it was like spotting a lifeline. He quickly grabbed the manager's leg. "Manager Zhou, he beat me up! He did!"
Ning Xi remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged. He glanced at the belated Manager Zhou and smiled. "What brings Manager Zhou here?"
Manager Zhou was sent by Xu Su to oversee Tian Shang Ren Jian. He had seen Ning Xi with Xu Su before and knew Ning Xi was close with Lu Zhengting, so he naturally didn't dare offend him. He hurriedly apologized to Ning Xi, then turned to the man on the ground.
"Have you forgotten the rules of Tian Shang Ren Jian? Everyone who comes here must strictly follow them."
"Rules?"
The rule of Tian Shang Ren Jian was that no one could fight or cause trouble here...
Ning Xi ignored how Manager Zhou would handle it, because Zhan Meng suddenly grabbed his ear, making him want to kill her.
Dealing with Zhan Meng's antics, Ning Xi hadn't had time to think when he caught a glimpse of Xia Yan lying on the table, eyes closed, as if everything that had just happened didn't exist.
He looked around Xia Yan—was she alone? Or with Zhan Meng?
Ning Xi frowned. Getting two women out of here? Two drunk women? God, one Zhan Meng was already enough for him.
At least Xia Yan was quiet, which was a relief. But Zhan Meng—he didn't expect her to behave. Honestly, remembering his last experience, he couldn't help but tense up down below.
Ning Xi struggled with all his might to get both of them safely back to his place. But the worst part was that the household staff had just taken leave a few days ago, meaning he was stuck taking care of these two women alone.
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he got. He decided he had to leave the matter of why Xia Yan was drinking to Lu Zhengting.
Sitting in his study, he stubbed out his cigarette, picked up his phone, and called Lu Zhengting. No answer. Even more irritated, he opened his laptop, fingers flying over the keyboard. Ten minutes later, he left a message with a sly grin and shut the computer down, satisfied.
In England.
Lu Zhengting had just finished a business meeting and was sitting in the car on the way back to the hotel. He rubbed his tired temples. Ke Yaru, sitting beside him, noticed and a hint of concern flickered across her face.
"Zhengting, you should get some good rest tonight."
"Mm, I'll leave the rest to you."
From the moment the plane landed in England, Lu Zhengting had immediately thrown himself into work, busy until now. The terms with the British side had been settled, and the next steps were drafting the preliminary contract and such. Only then could he take a break.
Back at the hotel, Lu Zhengting went straight to his room. He leaned back on the sofa, glanced at his phone, and lit up the screen. No missed calls. He paused, squinted, and found Xia Yan's number. He checked the time—she probably wasn't asleep yet.