At 9:00 p.m., a well-known “affordable luxury” bar called “Forbidden.”
The dominant black-and-gold color scheme, with its metallic sheen, shimmers with a radiant glow in the dim light, exuding an air of mystery and elegance.
Almost every seat was filled, and the live singer was performing energetically on stage, interacting with the audience, creating a lively and boisterous atmosphere.
Seated in the middle of the bar, two distinguished, sophisticated gentlemen—each with his own unique style—stood out starkly against the bustling atmosphere around them.
“How long do you plan on drinking, old man? I’ve been keeping you company since this evening—that’s more than enough.”
Murong Yanqing took a sip,
“I still have to go home and read my daughter a bedtime story. She’s been especially clingy these past few days—she won’t go to sleep unless I read her a story. You better hurry up; if you’re any later, I’m out of here.”
Rong Junheng snorted softly and shot him a sidelong glance, disapproving of his servile demeanor.
“So by ‘keeping you company,’ you mean I drink whiskey while you drink soda?”
Murong Yanqing shrugged: “What can I do? If I go home reeking of alcohol, my little princess will turn her nose up at me.”
Thinking of his daughter—whom he had late in life and who is only three years old this year—a fond smile spread across his handsome face.
He reached out and placed his hand on Rong Junheng’s shoulder, smiling as he sighed:
“Oh, it’s no use explaining this to you—you wouldn’t understand. You’ve never been married; having a son is no different from not having one. You’ll never be able to appreciate this sweet kind of bondage.”
“Get lost!”
Rong Junheng laughed in exasperation, shrugged his shoulders, and shook off that sleazy hand.
It was a mistake to find some daughter-crazy guy to cheer me up.
He tilted his head back and took another swig of the strong liquor; as the fiery liquid slid down his throat, the heat coursing through his body intensified.
*
Ruan Zhi followed Song Ran into the bar and found a seat near the edge of the dance floor.
My senior had just received a generous paycheck, and since she was planning to return to her hometown in a couple of days to celebrate the Lunar New Year, she suggested we go out to celebrate and relax a bit.
This wasn’t her first time at the bar; she had been there before with Rong Che and Xie Dongdong, along with a few of their childhood friends.
But she just couldn’t get used to the vibrations from the music with its heavy beats and the stuffy air; after a while, she would start to feel dizzy.
I don’t go to bars unless it’s absolutely necessary.
“One Pink Lady and one Margarita, please.”
Song Ran ordered some drinks. With her striking, bold features, she smiled at Ruan Zhi, her lips curving upward:
“A little drink is good for the soul—it’s fine to have just one. I’ve asked a friend to be our designated driver, so I guarantee we’ll get home safely.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Over the past few days, Ruan Zhi had been feeling depressed and irritable because of the disappearance of her parents’ personal belongings.
So as soon as Song Ran asked her to meet up, she made up an excuse to leave the Ruan household.
The drinks were brought out quickly, and the two of them sipped their drinks, chatted, and watched the show.
Ruan Zhi took a small sip of her drink and casually glanced to the side, only to see two figures sweep through the front gate like a gust of wind.
To her surprise, the man leading the group was Rong Che. His slightly flushed face was set in a tight grimace, and radiating an aura of menace, he charged toward a private room in the back of the bar.
Xie Dongdong followed behind him, a grave expression on his face.
The two of them made such a dramatic entrance that they caught the attention of quite a few people around them.
Ruan Zhi felt a sudden tightness in her chest; she was inexplicably uneasy, as if something were about to happen.
“Is that the scumbag named Rong? Looks like he’s off to get into a fight.”
Song Ran saw it too and pursed her lips. “What bad luck—you have to run into him even when out for a drink.”
“Senior, shall we head out after we finish this drink?”
She didn’t want to run into Rong Che again, even though the chances of that happening were slim, given that she was staying out of sight.
“Okay.”
Song Ran met the hidden worry in her eyes and nodded readily.
Unfortunately, before they had finished the drink in their glasses, something happened.
A faint commotion could be heard coming from the direction of the private room. Soon, a group of people rushed out in a panic, shouting:
“Quick, call security! People are fighting—someone’s going to get killed!”
A commotion broke out among the crowd in the bar.
Ruan Zhi felt a sudden jolt in her heart and instinctively stood up.
Just then, as the crowd scattered, a short stocky figure scrambled and tumbled its way out of the private room.
Rong Che, clad in a black overcoat, followed closely behind. The empty wine bottle he held in his right hand glinted coldly, and his face—silhouetted against the light—was shrouded in a menacing aura, chilling and terrifying.
“Where do you think you’re running off to?”
Suddenly, Rong Che kicked the stocky figure from behind, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Amid the crowd’s gasps, Rong Che grabbed him and yanked him to his feet, then shoved him face-down onto a round table nearby, sending wine glasses and fruit plates scattering across the floor.
“Young… Young Master Rong, please spare me. I really didn’t do it.”
The short, stocky figure wept in terror, begging for mercy.
“Lin Tao?”
Song Ran let out a gasp, and Ruan Zhi’s expression grew somber.
Rong Che leaned ghostlike against Lin Tao’s ear and said through gritted teeth:
“Ruan Zhi is my girlfriend. If you lay a finger on her without checking things out first, even killing you won’t be enough to satisfy my hatred.”
“No… I just drugged her… I really didn’t touch her—she ran away…”
Lin Tao’s chubby face was squashed flat; no matter how much it hurt, it was nothing compared to the pain of the gash on his head, and the blood trickling down ran into his eyes.
He was scared out of his wits and filled with remorse; that woman had kicked him right in the groin, and it still couldn’t stand up.
The duck that was practically in his grasp flew away; he lost both his money and his life, and on top of that, he was dragged into a dark alley and beaten half to death—he nearly lost his life.
I just got out of the hospital today and was out looking for some fun when I got beaten up by the Rong family’s young master, who acts like a mad dog.
If I’d known Ruan Zhi was off-limits, I shouldn’t have let that woman Lin Qinglan trick me into doing something so stupid back then.
“If it wasn’t you, then who was it? I’ve checked it out thoroughly—it was you who took her out of the private room.”
Rong Che’s judgment was clouded by anger and rage; he was in a frenzy and refused to believe a word Lin Tao said.
“If you dare lay a finger on my woman, you might as well die.”
If that bastard hadn’t defiled Ruan Ruan, how could she have broken up with him so decisively?
Suddenly, an image flashed before my eyes of Ruan Zhi, naked, being defiled by that beast.
His eyes turned red, and he lost all sense of reason. He slammed the wine bottle against the edge of the table, shattering it, and drove the sharp, cold-glinting shard into Lin Tao’s head…
“Ah—”
The screams of terror all around were deafening.
“Rong Che, don’t!”
Ruan Zhi’s heart nearly stopped from the shock, and she ran over without a second thought.
But from a distance, she didn’t have time to stop him, and could only watch helplessly as Rong Che committed murder.
Fortunately, at the very last moment, Xie Dongdong ran over and grabbed his arm with all his might.
The tension in her throat suddenly eased, and Ruan Zhi’s legs gave way as she collapsed to the ground, her whole body feeling weak.
The next moment, a warm, broad chest pressed against her back, and a strong, muscular arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
Ruan Zhi’s heart was pounding wildly. She took a deep breath and was just about to thank the other person when, as she stepped back to create some distance…
“Rong… Uncle Rong.”
Xie Dongdong looked behind her in shock and panic.
At the same time, Rong Che’s eyes—still filled with ferocity—turned toward her; he froze, and the shattered wine bottle in his hand slipped from his grasp.
Ruan Zhi’s whole body went stiff, and her blood seemed to freeze for a moment.
His large hand still rested on her waist; the heat from his palm seeped through her thin knit dress into her sensitive, chilled skin, making her heart flutter and her face flush with a mixture of red and white.
She didn’t know how to react until the man’s deep, serious voice came from above her:
“Are you feeling better?”
“Mm-hmm.”
She did her best to suppress her panic, said “thank you” in a calm tone, and waited for him to let go.
As long as you have nothing to hide, no one will jump to conclusions even if they see you.
But as Rong Che and Xie Dongdong watched, the man’s large hand lingered on her waist for far too long.
Just as her ears were burning and she was gritting her teeth, preparing to break free from his grip, the man’s fingers twitched and slid away from her waist as naturally as flowing clouds and running water.
Rong Junheng’s piercing, dark eyes swept over Rong Che and Xie Dongdong; he tilted his head and said in a deep voice:
“Murong, I’ll take this person away. You clean up the scene.”
As a longtime friend, Murong Yanqing naturally understood what he meant.
Ensure that everyone present who witnessed Rong Che’s crime keeps their mouths shut and deletes all photos and videos from their phones.
Of course, we’ll also have to take care of that poor guy who almost got his throat slit and was paralyzed with fear on the spot.
It’s quite a big mess, but he is, after all, the boss of “Forbidden”—he’d better have some special skills up his sleeve.
Next, a group of burly men stormed into the bar; everyone huddled together in groups of two or three, not daring to make a sound.
Meanwhile, Rong Junheng led Rong Che and Xie Dongdong out.
Murong Yanqing watched as his old friend called the young girl over just before leaving; a meaningful smile spread across his handsome face—which, even in middle age, still showed rosy lips and pearly teeth.
That’s interesting—it seems like he’s discovered a little secret about Rong Junheng that he can’t tell anyone.