Night Elf Bar.
Inside the bar, deafening rock music blared. In the center of the dance floor, men and women gathered in groups, swaying their hips. The air was thick with the mixed scent of alcohol and cigarettes, occasionally punctuated by men’s crude jokes—lewd and decadent.
Jian Jinci sat at the bar counter, one hand propping up her head, the other lifting a glass to her lips as she downed the drink in one go.
Her cheeks were flushed crimson, her head dizzy and muddled. Having finished the drinks she’d ordered, she turned to the bartender. “Ten more glasses. The stronger, the better.”
The bartender glanced her up and down, noticing the cheap, worn-out clothes she wore. He hesitated—after all, this bar was expensive, and he wasn’t sure if she could afford it. If she couldn’t pay, he’d be held responsible.
Sensing his concern, Jian Jinci thought, It’s just money, isn’t it? She pulled out a card and slapped it on the counter, tilting her chin slightly. “Who do you think you’re looking down on? I have money.”
The bartender, his thoughts exposed, lowered his head in embarrassment and mixed ten drinks for her.
Jian Jinci drank in silence. Truth be told, she rarely spent money in places like this—she had to save up for her brother Jian Xu’s tuition fees. The pressures of life didn’t allow her to indulge in such high-end venues. But today, after everything she’d been through, she decided to treat herself.
She emptied another glass, her gaze hazy as she looked at the bartender. “Tell me, am I not pretty?”
“…”
The bartender paused, studying her for a few seconds. “You are.”
She was the kind of pretty that far surpassed most people. As a bartender, he’d seen many girls, each with their own distinct features.
But the girl before him was one of those rare beauties—delicate features, thick and long eyelashes, smooth and flawless fair skin, a pair of strikingly beautiful peach-blossom eyes, and a teardrop mole beneath the corner of her eye that added a touch of charm.
Especially her cool, distant, and unattainable aura, even in cheap clothing.
Jian Jinci didn’t say another word, continuing to drink in silence. When she propped her head up and glanced to her right, she noticed someone had taken the seat beside her at some point.
A man. A handsome man.
His face was cold and stern, his profile almost perfectly sculpted. He wore a sharply tailored black suit, clean and crisp in style. The shifting lights played over him, adding a hint of danger and mystery. The aura he exuded felt entirely out of place in this bar.
His hands, holding the glass, were slender and elegant like bamboo, with distinct knuckles. He took a light sip, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed—a silent temptation.
Jian Jinci unconsciously swallowed. Her instincts told her this man was dangerous, not to be approached.
Perhaps her gaze was too intense, because the man slightly turned his head and looked over.
Jian Jinci froze. This man was truly handsome—high brow bones, a straight nose bridge, and a few stray strands of hair falling over his forehead.
A pair of strikingly beautiful yet dangerously captivating phoenix eyes, with sharp, clean lines that exuded coldness, and thin lips pressed together.
Jian Jinci’s lips parted slightly as she inwardly marveled, This is the ultimate gigolo.
She awkwardly averted her gaze, took a sip of her drink to suppress her improper thoughts, but still felt his eyes on her. Stiffly, she turned her head to meet his cool, penetrating stare.
She felt she should say something, but what? Clearing her throat awkwardly, she asked, “So… how much for a night?”
After saying that, she wished she could crawl into a hole in the ground. She was a decent girl—even if she had suffered heartbreak, she wouldn’t abandon herself to despair. Still, this man had a handsome face, and for someone as shallow as her, it was enough to stir some improper thoughts.
“I didn’t mean you look like a gigolo,” Jian Jinci waved her hands, flustered as she explained. “Your vibe doesn’t fit that anyway. So, are you here to pick someone up?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the man’s expression turned a few degrees colder. She felt the temperature around them drop sharply. She was about halfway drunk, her mind still somewhat clear, but every sentence she spoke seemed to come out unexpectedly.
The man’s face grew even darker, his thin lips pressed tightly together. The hand holding his glass turned white at the knuckles, and his voice was icy. “Looking for someone.”
“Oh,” Jian Jinci gazed at him with hazy eyes. “Did you find them?”
The man didn’t reply, taking a light sip of his drink instead. Jian Jinci took that as a silent confirmation.
Liquid courage emboldened her. After downing three glasses in a row, she raised an eyebrow at the man. “I’ll buy you a drink. Want one?”
For a long moment, the man remained silent. Just as Jian Jinci thought he would refuse, his thin lips parted, and he uttered a single word: “Fine.”
Jian Jinci stared at him for a few seconds, thinking to herself how hypocritical he was. Looking for someone? Clearly, he was here to pick someone up.
She curled her lips slightly and turned to the bartender. “Twenty more glasses of whiskey, on me—for this gentleman!”
The bartender hesitated briefly but, spotting the gold card she placed on the table, served another twenty glasses of whiskey. Jian Jinci stood up, pulling her barstool closer to the man before sitting back down. “Gigolo—I mean, sir, drink up.”
She patted her own head, nearly revealing her true thoughts.
They were now close enough for her to catch the woody scent on him—a familiar fragrance, as if she’d smelled it somewhere before, yet she couldn’t quite place it.
She picked up her glass and clinked it against his, the sound crisp and clear. She drained her drink in one go, while the man left his untouched.
Propping her head on her hand, she studied him, struck by an inexplicable sense of familiarity. “Have we met somewhere before?”
A flicker of something imperceptible flashed in the man’s cold eyes, gone as quickly as it appeared. He replied unhurriedly, “That’s a rather outdated pickup line.”
Jian Jinci searched her memory, trying to recall if she knew such a dangerous figure, but nothing came to mind, even though the feeling of familiarity lingered.
Perhaps it was just her imagination. She pushed the thought aside and focused on drinking. After just a few more glasses, what little remained of her sobriety was swallowed by the alcohol.
She let out a drunken hiccup before bursting into loud, messy sobs. Through tear-blurred eyes, she looked at the man beside her, pouting resentfully. “Do you see anything on top of my head?”
The man glanced over and replied flatly, “No.”
Jian Jinci jumped down from the barstool and grabbed his arm. “Are you blind?”
She pointed at the top of her head, even gesturing with her hands. “Can’t you see this huge green hat?”
“I don’t even know how long I’ve been wearing this massive green hat,” she wailed, wiping her tears and snot on the man’s suit.
The man’s brow furrowed slightly, but he made no move to stop her, letting her cry and carry on.
The more she talked, the more aggrieved she felt, and the louder she cried—so much that a snot bubble formed, which she promptly wiped on his suit.
Jian Jinci’s friends rarely invited her out for drinks, and for good reason: her drunken antics were downright torturous. The only one who didn’t mind was her foolish best friend.
The male assistant stepped forward, dressed in formal attire, and cautiously called out with a serious expression, “President Pei?”
The man’s voice was cool and detached. “It’s nothing.”
The assistant was shocked. Having followed him for six years, he had seen countless women trying to get close to him, but in all those years, he had never seen him take the initiative to approach a woman. And this woman, oblivious to the danger, seemed to have a death wish. Could she be the person President Pei had been looking for?
Jian Jinci stood beside the man, her hair disheveled, sobbing, “Am I not pretty? Is my figure not good enough? Why cheat on me? Why make me wear a green hat? You’re all terrible people!”
She leaned against the bar, staring at the bartender with unfocused eyes. “Tell me, were you serious when you said I was pretty just now?”
The bartender replied, “Yes.”
Jian Jinci beckoned him with a finger. “Then be my boyfriend.”
The bartender fell silent.
The man’s expression darkened, and his gaze grew colder as he watched her.
When the bartender didn’t respond, Jian Jinci grew even more heartbroken. “If I’m pretty, why won’t you be my boyfriend? Why does no one want me? That homewrecker was right—I have no status at home, I can’t keep a boyfriend, I’m just useless.”
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she smacked her lips twice and stopped crying. “Wait, even if I’m useless, I’m still a beautiful little waste.”
Her eyes, hazy and unfocused, turned toward the man. She suddenly reached out, cupped his face, and smiled. “Don’t you think so?”
The man pulled her hands away but didn’t answer her question. Instead, he asked, “Have you had a hard time these years?”
“Hard,” Jian Jinci murmured. “Very hard.”
She only complained about the hardships of life and the unfairness of fate when she was alone.
She had wanted to live well, but she was born into such a family.
She had wanted to escape, to avoid facing these harsh realities, but she couldn’t. She still had to support her younger brother. If she ran away, he would be exposed to the ugliness of human nature. He was still young—his life should be beautiful and carefree.
The man pressed his lips together and remained silent, simply lowering his gaze to watch her. His eyes held a complex, unreadable emotion.
Her makeup was smeared from crying, and she wiped her tears haphazardly. “Check, please.”
She handed her gold card to the cashier. A minute later, the cashier returned. “Miss, your balance is insufficient.”
Jian Jinci chuckled foolishly. “I forgot, this card has no money.”
Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away was the best. She grabbed her bag, unsteady on her feet, and dashed toward the exit of the bar. “This gentleman also drank some of the wine. Ask him to pay.”
Several staff members moved to chase after her, but the man stopped them.
She had abandoned the man and run off, feeling guilty. It was rare for her to splurge at a place like this, only to end up without the money to pay. But then again, he probably wasn’t the type to worry about such a small sum. If she ever ran into him again, she would definitely repay him—or at least treat him to another drink.