Before long, Shen Che and his group arrived at Linyu Bar. Ah Sheng slowly parked the car a short distance away. Sitting in the back, Shen Che was slightly impressed. As expected, drivers who worked for wealthy families truly had skill. The speed along the way wasn’t slow at all.
While driving, Ah Sheng even poured himself a glass of birch sap from the beverage compartment. The clear liquid swirled gently in the glass without spilling a single drop, despite the car not going slowly. This ability made Shen Che admire his driving skills.
“Young Master, we’ve arrived,” Ah Sheng called out.
Shen Che straightened his appearance in the back seat. When the automatic door opened, he calmly stepped out of the car and headed straight toward Linyu Bar. The two bodyguards also parked nearby and followed him inside.
Inside the bar, loud dynamic music filled the air. The dance floor was packed with men and women dressed to impress, dancing and swaying. Colorful spotlights flashed all around, as if they could sweep away all of today’s worries.
Most booths were already filled with handsome men and beautiful women. Under the influence of alcohol, flirtation and all sorts of daring games were unfolding.
In a quiet corner booth, away from the noise, sat a stunning 25-year-old woman—Xu Qiuchi, the female lead of the novel. This particular booth was rarely reserved; it was far from the action yet offered a clear view of most of the bar.
Among Linyu Bar’s regulars, those who booked this seat were usually just here to drink and didn’t want much interaction with strangers.
Xu Qiuchi picked up a bottle of wine from the table and poured herself another glass. Today was her parents’ death anniversary. Dressed in a well-fitted black casual outfit, it couldn’t conceal her alluring, curvy figure. Her body was perfectly proportioned, and her most striking feature was her eyes—long and bright beneath delicate brows, her lips a soft pink as if kissed by spring water. The alcohol added a flush to her cheeks, enhancing her charm even more.
Her nose was small yet gracefully defined. Her skin glowed like jade, and her naturally wavy long hair fell effortlessly over her shoulders—so beautiful it was breathtaking. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that this face was mesmerizing. If she walked down the street, she’d turn heads without a doubt.
At the moment, Xu Qiuchi was drinking alone. She had few close friends and even fewer who could spare time to drink with her. Grief lingered in her heart, along with another pressing worry—her arranged business marriage with Shen Che was approaching.
She felt no affection for Shen Che, nor did she feel suitable to marry him. His daily greetings and attentiveness repulsed her. If not for the engagement, she would have cut ties with him already.
For some reason, Xu Qiuchi truly didn’t want to marry someone she didn’t love. Weighed down by sadness and frustration, she came alone to this bar she had once passed by, hoping to drown her troubles in alcohol.
Unbeknownst to her, a group of thugs with dyed hair was already approaching.
Earlier, one green-haired thug had been wandering the bar, scanning each booth and dance floor like radar, looking for prey. This was their turf. When he saw Xu Qiuchi in that corner booth—her voluptuous figure and stunning face—his eyes lit up. Lust surged within him, and he rushed back to inform his gang.
Xu Qiuchi, who already had a low alcohol tolerance, began feeling dizzy after a few strong drinks. Her legs were shaky, and the room was spinning.
Not long after the green-haired thug reported back, the gang’s buzz-cut leader led a few other thugs toward Xu Qiuchi’s booth.
The group split into two flanks, surrounding the booth. The green-haired one from earlier was among them.
Before Xu Qiuchi could even speak, the buzz-cut thug casually sat beside her, acting as if they were familiar.
Leering at her, the buzz-cut man said with a smirk, “Beauty, drinking alone is boring. Let me keep you company. Drinking together is way more fun. Come on, let’s have a drink.”
He poured himself a glass of wine from the table and raised it, wanting to toast with her. “Come on, beauty. Let’s clink glasses. You drink one, I’ll drink two.”
Even though Xu Qiuchi was extremely drunk, her fading rationality warned her not to engage with these thugs. Otherwise, she might not be able to bear the consequences. So she coldly raised her voice and said, “Who the hell are you? Get lost!”
She fought through her drunkenness and forcefully slapped the glass from the buzz-cut man’s hand. Wine splashed all over him.
Seeing this, the green-haired thug barked, “Hey! Our boss wants to drink with you. Don’t act like you’re too good for him!”
The buzz-cut man wasn’t angry. He calmly pulled out some tissues from the table and wiped himself down. Then, without hesitation, he poured another full glass of wine.
“Come on, beauty. Let’s keep drinking.”
At that moment, Xu Qiuchi, completely intoxicated, suddenly stood up and slapped him across the face.
PAK! The crisp sound echoed. His right cheek turned red instantly.
Xu Qiuchi shouted angrily, “Get lost!”
That sharp slap left the buzz-cut man stunned. His eyes widened with rage as he roared, “You bitch! You dare hit me? You two, grab her!”
The green-haired thug and another red-haired thug responded immediately, “Got it, boss! Don’t worry, we’ll handle it!”
The two charged toward Xu Qiuchi with intimidating presence. As they approached, the green-haired one sneered, “Hehehe, be smart, beauty. Just give in to our boss. He’s rich and powerful. Stick with him and you’ll live a life of luxury.”
The red-haired one chimed in lewdly, “That’s right, beauty. Our boss isn’t just rich—he’s got stamina too. He’ll make you feel like heaven! Hahaha…”
As he spoke, he even licked his lips obscenely, his face full of vile lust.
Seeing their shameless behavior, Xu Qiuchi was filled with panic. Her face turned pale. Hands trembling, she fumbled through her bag, pulled out her phone, and shouted at the thugs, “Don’t come any closer! Take one more step and I’ll call the police!”
In a flash, the buzz-cut man struck like lightning, swiping the phone from her hand.
His eyes were full of perverted greed, scanning her from head to toe as if stripping her with his gaze. “Hehehe, sweetheart, originally we weren’t going to force you. But with a body and face like that, how can we resist? Tonight, you’re going to serve all of us real good!”
His lips curled into a wicked smile. Then he shouted at the two standing nearby, “What are you waiting for? Grab her! After I’m done, you can do whatever you want with her!”
Hearing such vile words, Xu Qiuchi felt the world spin around her. She froze in place, eyes wide, staring in despair at the pack of predators closing in.
She screamed internally, “It’s over. I’m done for…”
Today was already a painful day—the death anniversary of her parents. That’s why she came here alone to drink her sorrow away. She hadn’t told anyone, and unlike usual, she didn’t bring her bodyguards.
She never imagined she would encounter such a disaster.
Now, regret filled her heart.
But it was already too late…