Downstairs.
The man in the floral shirt, who had been brimming with confidence just moments ago, was now completely dumbfounded.
He cupped his hands toward Gu Xingnian with a resigned yet candid smile, “Beauty, I lost! I admit defeat wholeheartedly!”
“Your skills are simply incredible! I’ve truly witnessed something remarkable today!”
Turning to the surrounding crowd, he waved his hand grandly with unbridled enthusiasm, “A bet’s a bet! Tonight, I’ll put on a show to liven things up! All expenses for the entire venue are on me! Everyone, drink to your heart’s content!”
“YES!!!”
The crowd erupted once more, whistles and cheers blending into a cacophony.
As the man began his lively performance on stage to the pulsating music, drawing uproarious laughter from the audience, his gaze remained fixed on Gu Xingnian’s direction.
Male fans who had been awestruck by Gu Xingnian’s billiard skills immediately swarmed around her.
“Beauty! Can I get your autograph!”
“Goddess! Can I add your WeChat!”
“Miss, are you taking apprentices?”
The crowd instantly surrounded Sheng Weiwei and Gu Xingnian until they were completely trapped.
While Sheng Weiwei managed to exchange a few words, Gu Xingnian was overwhelmed by the sudden attention. Her brows slightly furrowed as she instinctively tried to step back.
The scene descended into chaos as numerous people raised their phones, eager to capture the beauty’s image and upload it to online platforms—guaranteed to go viral.
Just then, a coat carrying a faint, cool scent with hints of tobacco suddenly descended from above, enveloping Gu Xingnian completely.
Her vision was instantly obscured by the dark fabric, sparking fear within her.
The next moment, a distinctly bony hand with a cool temperature grasped her wrist while another arm wrapped around her shoulder. With undeniable force, she was abruptly pulled from the dense crowd.
Stumbling slightly, Gu Xingnian was half-embraced and half-shielded as she was quickly escorted away.
Almost simultaneously, another wave of chaos inside the club was being forcibly terminated.
“Everyone, move aside!” A penetrating, low roar filled with obvious anger rang out.
Gu Shaoheng pushed through the crowd, striding purposefully to Sheng Weiwei before firmly grasping her arm with considerable force.
“Come with me!”
His voice suppressed with fury, allowing Sheng Weiwei no chance to react as he forcefully extracted her from the encircling crowd and marched toward another direction.
The surrounding noise seemed to instantly fade away.
Only after being led outside the club’s entrance, breathing in the cool night air, was the coat gently lifted from her.
Gu Xingnian looked up and met a pair of eyes as profound and cold as deep pools.
It was Fu Beichen.
He stood tall and straight, though his expression was grim. His gaze held scrutiny and a barely perceptible trace of anger.
Releasing her wrist, his thin lips parted as he spoke with his characteristic sarcasm.
“Impressive, Gu Xingnian. Your capabilities have grown—you’ve even learned to frequent such places now?”
His voice carried suppressed fury as his sharp eyes scanned the slightly flamboyant dress she wore, “Look at what you’re wearing. Is this any way for the eldest daughter-in-law of the Fu family to present herself?”
Taking a step closer with intimidating presence, he continued, “If some careless reporter had taken photos earlier, who do you think Grandfather would hold accountable—you or me?”
Gu Xingnian lifted her eyes, her gaze clear and cool as water, showing no trace of fear. Instead, it reflected a weariness and resolve that seemed to see through everything.
Her crimson lips parted, but the words that emerged were as piercing as ice needles. “Fu Beichen, let’s meet at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow at nine in the morning.”
The air instantly froze.
The fury in Fu Beichen’s eyes finally erupted completely, like a lit powder keg. “What did you say? Now, I can’t even criticize you a little, is that it?”
Gu Xingnian’s voice was bone-chillingly cold. “If you’re unavailable, you can have someone deliver the divorce papers to me tomorrow.”
Fu Beichen laughed in extreme anger, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Who was the one who insisted on marrying into the Fu family back then? Gu Xingnian, wasn’t all of this your own choice?”
He found her utterly unreasonable—wasn’t this just her reaping what she had sown?
“Yes, you’re absolutely right.”
Gu Xingnian admitted frankly, yet her face showed no emotion. “I was blind back then and chose the wrong path. So now, I’m trying my best to correct that mistake.”
Her voice was unusually calm, yet carried a resolute force.
After speaking, she no longer looked at him and turned to leave this suffocating place.
“Gu Xingnian!”
Fu Beichen reacted swiftly, grabbing her wrist with such force that it hurt. His gaze was dark and menacing. “If you leave me, you’ll have nothing. Are you sure about this?”
Gu Xingnian seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. She let out a light, self-mocking laugh. “In three years of marriage, what have I ever had?”
A suffocating feeling washed over her, making her eyes suddenly redden.
Fu Beichen fell silent abruptly. Because the two of them had never lived together, he truly had paid her too little attention.
Just then, a drunkard staggered over unsteadily, humming a disjointed tune, his steps unsteady. He was about to bump into Gu Xingnian.
Almost instinctively, Fu Beichen yanked Gu Xingnian into his embrace!
An intense masculine scent instantly enveloped her, carrying the familiar, cold cologne he always wore.
Gu Xingnian stiffened, but before she could struggle, she heard a voice above her head. “I’ll take you home.”
“No need.”
Gu Xingnian pushed him away forcefully, her eyes icy and her tone distant.
At that moment, glaring headlights cut through the night, and a sleek, luxurious black Maybach came to a silent stop by the roadside.
The door opened, and a tall, imposing man stepped out.
The man wore a custom-tailored black suit, his face stern and exuding an aura of unapproachable authority.
He walked directly toward them.
When Fu Beichen saw who it was, his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. The anger on his face faded slightly, replaced by a polite yet distant expression. “Lu Zong? What a coincidence.”
Lu Lie merely glanced at him briefly before turning his gaze to Gu Xingnian. His cold, hard eyes seemed to soften slightly.
He said to Gu Xingnian, his voice deep and magnetic, “I’ll take you home.”
Gu Xingnian nodded gently, almost without hesitation.
Then, as if remembering something, she added, “Weiwei is still inside.”
“Don’t worry.”
Lu Lie’s reply was concise. “I’ll have someone find her.”
Completely reassured, Gu Xingnian nodded. Without another glance at Fu Beichen, she walked directly toward the Maybach.
Fu Beichen stood rooted to the spot, his face ashen, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
Watching Gu Xingnian walk away without a hint of reluctance toward another man, an inexplicable rage burned fiercely in his chest.
However, reason told him it wasn’t yet time to completely break with Lu Lie.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the fury in his heart, forcing a perfect yet utterly cold smile onto his face.
“In that case, I’ll trouble Lu Zong to see my wife home.”
He deliberately emphasized the words “my wife,” as if declaring his sovereignty.
Lu Lie radiated coldness as he turned to instruct his bodyguard to retrieve her.
Shortly after, the bodyguard escorted Sheng Weiwei out of the club, and they drove off in the Maybach.
Fu Beichen coldly made a phone call, “Go to the madam’s residence immediately. Watch her enter the house. If that Lu Lie stays overnight, report back at once.”
“Yes!” Lin Qi, who was shirtless and wearing only white underwear while preparing for bed, responded seriously before rushing to put on his clothes.