The door to the private room slowly opened. Stunned by the scene inside, Gu Moli hesitated in the doorway, afraid to enter.
She had been to karaoke lounges, of course, but only to sing with her girlfriends. She had never imagined a scene like this.
Wang Tianhao was a notorious wastrel born into wealth. His father, Wang Yaoxiang, was the well-known president of Hongda Group, which had developed half the city's real estate. He ranked among Jinghai's ten richest men. Even the Gu family patriarch had once treated him with considerable fear.
Gu Moli knew perfectly well that Wang Tianhao used his father's money to do whatever he pleased. If the girls he had bought his way into bed with did not number a thousand, they numbered in the hundreds. He was a thoroughly lecherous man.
But now she had no other choice. Wang Tianhao had previously offered to buy her flower shop. Otherwise, she would never have contacted someone like him.
Thinking of her daughter still waiting in the hospital for the money that would save her life, she gritted her teeth and walked inside.
"What brings you here, Miss Gu?" Wang Tianhao released the girl in his arms, straightened his clothes, and forced a gentlemanly smile onto his face.
"I... I..." Gu Moli bit her lip, too ashamed to speak.
"Have you run into some trouble, Miss Gu? If there's anything I can do, I'll certainly help. Come, sit down and tell me." Wang Tianhao patted the space beside him.
Gu Moli sat a little farther away. Wang Tianhao took no offense. He told one of his men, "Hurry up and get Miss Gu a glass of water!"
The man understood his meaning and turned to leave.
"The rest of you can leave, too." Wang Tianhao took out several stacks of red banknotes and tossed them onto the coffee table. "Split that among yourselves. Get going."
"Thank you, Young Master Wang!"
The girls took the money and thanked him together in sweet voices.
They loved generous young heirs like him. A single evening could earn them five times their usual pay.
Now, all Wang Tianhao could think about was Gu Moli. He had played with plenty of women, but although she had been cast out of the Gu family, she had once been an heiress. He had never tasted a young lady of that standing before.
"Have some water first, Miss Gu." Wang Tianhao took the glass from his man and offered it to her.
Gu Moli did not accept it. She would not casually drink water offered by a stranger, especially someone like Wang Tianhao.
Seeing this, Wang Tianhao slowly set the glass down.
"It seems you have some misconceptions about me, Miss Gu."
He turned and barked at his man, "Go get an unopened bottle of water."
The man obeyed and left.
"Look at you, you're covered in sweat. Whatever you needed, you could have just called me."
As he spoke, Wang Tianhao pulled out a tissue and reached over to wipe her face.
Gu Moli sprang to her feet like a frightened bird.
She had thrown his business card straight into the trash when he gave it to her. She no longer had his number.
"Mr. Wang, you said before that you wanted to buy my flower shop. Are you still interested?"
Gu Moli finally asked.
"Oh, I thought it was something serious. If you want to sell, I'm ready to buy anytime."
Wang Tianhao made the offer grandly, then added, "Have you run into some difficulty, Miss Gu? Tell me. Perhaps I can help."
"Thank you. I'm already very grateful that you're willing to buy my shop."
Gu Moli secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At last, she had a way to pay for her daughter's operation.
Just then, one of his men returned with a bottle of water and set it on the coffee table.
"Honestly, I'm a very decent person. People out there just deliberately spread rumors about me."
"You know how it is—the more famous you are, the more gossip you attract. They're simply jealous that I have a little money."
"Only yesterday, I sent a million yuan to children in a remote mountain region to build them a school."
As he spoke, Wang Tianhao picked up the bottle and handed it to her.
Gu Moli took it and saw that the seal was indeed intact.
She had asked all over the place before finally learning that Wang Tianhao was here, and she was terribly thirsty. She unscrewed the cap and took a few sips.
Watching her drink, Wang Tianhao secretly rejoiced. The water contained a generous dose of a sedative. He knew its potency well. It would give him an entire night to do as he pleased with her.
"Let's discuss the purchase." Wang Tianhao's expression changed. He lit another cigarette, leaned back on the sofa, and crossed his legs.
In his eyes, Gu Moli was already his for the taking. All he had to do was wait for the drug to take effect.
"The flowers in the shop, the three years of rent already paid, and the other things are worth around a hundred and eighty thousand. I'll prepare an inventory..."
"Two hundred thousand."
Wang Tianhao interrupted her outright.
"N-no, Mr. Wang. A hundred and eighty thousand is enough..."
Before she could finish, he raised a hand to stop her.
"Miss Gu, I have plenty of money. I spend more than that on tips in a single night."
"As far as I'm concerned, anything money can solve isn't a problem. I imagine you've run into some difficulty. Would you care to tell me about it?"
"N-no, it's nothing."
Gu Moli pressed a hand lightly to her forehead. Her thoughts were beginning to blur.
The corner of Wang Tianhao's mouth lifted in a cold smile. He knew the drug was starting to work.
"If you need money, Miss Gu, why sell the shop?"
He took out his wallet and casually pulled out a bank card.
"There's a million on this card. Or perhaps two million—I can't remember. All you need to do is behave and keep me satisfied, and it's all yours."
As he spoke, he reached for Gu Moli's arm.
She hurriedly shifted back to avoid him.
How could she fail to understand what he meant? Humiliation washed over her. She trembled uncontrollably, tears welling in her eyes.
Furious, she turned to leave.
"If you're going to treat me with such disrespect, Miss Gu, I'll have to reconsider buying your shop."
Reclining on the sofa, Wang Tianhao spoke in a heavy, stern voice.
He had easily obtained other girls with money. Gu Moli was different, and that aroused a powerful desire to conquer her.
If he waited for the drug to take full effect, she would be passive. Compared with having her willingly throw herself into his arms, that would be dull.
His words stopped Gu Moli in her tracks. Her daughter was still waiting for money to save her life. If there had been any other way, she would never have sold the shop, much less come to Wang Tianhao.
"You're shameless!"
With those words, Gu Moli strode angrily toward the door.
One of his men stepped into her path and shoved her back onto the sofa. Get faster updates on g.com.
"Why make this difficult? You're already here. You think you can just leave?"
Wang Tianhao licked his lips and eagerly reached to undo Gu Moli's clothes.
"Get away from me!"
Gu Moli struggled with all her strength, but she was no match for him.
In the struggle, a button tore from her neckline, exposing a patch of pale skin. Wang Tianhao swallowed hard.
Even in all of Jinghai, Gu Moli's beauty was exceptional. Add her background as a wealthy heiress, and those internet celebrities could not begin to compare with her.
Despair overwhelmed Gu Moli. Suddenly, she felt she was letting Ye Bei down.
Although she and Ye Bei had been drugged before sleeping together all those years ago, and although she hated him, she still considered her body his. They even had a precious daughter together. If any man could have her, in this life it would be Ye Bei alone.
Just as the second button was about to be torn loose, a tremendous crash rang out. The door burst apart.
Before Wang Tianhao could see who had entered, a liquor bottle came hurtling toward him.
Smash!
Glass shattered with a sharp crack, spraying blood and shards everywhere.
"Aaagh!"
Wang Tianhao screamed and clutched his head with both hands. Blood streamed between his fingers.
"Y-Ye Bei!"
Gu Moli was overwhelmed with surprise and joy. For the second time, he had descended like a god when she was in danger.
She could not explain why, but the sight of him filled her with a sense of safety. It felt as if even the sky could collapse and his broad shoulders would hold it up for her.
"Fuck! It's you, you homeless dog!" Wang Tianhao peered through his fingers and recognized the man.
Ordinary people knew nothing of the Gu family's hunt for Ye Bei all those years ago, but these wealthy families knew it perfectly well.
A useless wretch who had hidden for seven years had actually dared return—and had injured him! Fury consumed Wang Tianhao.
"Guards!"
At his roar, a group of bodyguards rushed in, led by a hulking man two meters tall.
His name was Sang Kun. Hongda Group paid tens of millions a year to retain his services. A Martial Venerable, he served as Wang Tianhao's personal guard.
"Sang Kun, kill him!"
"No, wait." Wang Tianhao reconsidered in an instant. "Break all four of his limbs first. Don't let him die. This girl is his woman. I want him to watch what I do to her. Hahaha!"
Sang Kun had no interest in women, but the other bodyguards secretly rejoiced. It was rare to witness such a sexual spectacle, especially with a woman this beautiful. They were in for a feast for the eyes.
"You're asking to die!"
Ye Bei's eyes turned utterly cold. He already regarded Gu Moli as his woman.
To insult the Godslayer Hall Master's woman was to insult the Hall Master himself.
"You're the first person who's stayed this calm in front of me." Sang Kun flexed his powerful muscles. Standing two meters tall, he loomed in front of Ye Bei like a tank.
The next instant, his hands curved into claws and tore through the air toward Ye Bei's arms.
"Ye Bei, run!" Gu Moli cried anxiously, her face full of worry. To her, Ye Bei was no match for him, and there were so many enemies. If he stayed, he would almost certainly die.
"Run? Heh... No one has ever escaped Sang Kun." Wang Tianhao sneered, his gaze vicious. He wanted to watch Ye Bei have all four limbs broken.