The bottle smashed into Chen Xuan’s head, instantly leaving him bloodied and injured.
The girls screamed.
The boys cursed in shock and hurried forward to pull them apart.
But the man dressed entirely in black, his face hidden from view, was like a rabid dog.
No one could stop him.
He kicked away anyone who rushed over and slammed his fists into Chen Xuan’s face.
Blood splattered with every punch.
“Security! Where’s security?!”
“Where did this lunatic come from?!”
The scene descended into chaos.
Yan Sui was startled too, but she reacted quickly.
She immediately jumped behind a sofa.
Finding the safest spot possible, she watched everything unfold in amazement.
Lin Qi let out a roar, raised a bottle, and smashed it against the man’s back.
Yet the man didn’t even make a sound of pain.
He turned around, grabbed a jagged piece of broken glass, and stabbed toward Lin Qi without hesitation.
Lin Qi stumbled backward and fell to the ground.
Clutching his arm and gritting his teeth, he panted heavily, no longer daring to approach.
Five boys together still could not stop the uninvited intruder.
While marveling at the spectacle, Yan Sui tried to get a clear look at him.
Unfortunately, he was dressed completely in black, wearing a baseball cap and a mask.
From beginning to end, he never faced her.
All she could see was his tense back, broad shoulders, and narrow waist.
No one dared step forward anymore.
They could only pray that security would arrive soon.
Why were the security guards so slow today?
The man’s fists kept falling.
It was as if he felt no pain at all.
Again and again.
Chen Xuan had already stopped struggling.
“Um…”
The girl chose this very inappropriate moment to speak.
Her voice was soft, yet somehow the man heard her.
His entire body suddenly trembled.
His fist veered off course and slammed into the floor instead.
Just hearing the impact sounded painful.
“Um… he looks a little dead already.”
Yan Sui offered the reminder out of kindness.
She certainly didn’t think it would do any good.
Yet somehow, it worked.
The man seemed to wake from a dream.
His movements stopped.
At last, the sound of approaching security guards echoed through the corridor.
The man abruptly rose from the ground.
His body swayed twice.
His chest heaved violently with ragged breathing, and his blood-stained fingertips visibly trembled.
Was he… afraid?
If he was this scared of getting caught by security, why start trouble in the first place?
Yan Sui couldn’t understand it.
Still, she was enjoying the show.
Just before security entered the room, the man strode away.
From beginning to end, he never once turned around to look in Yan Sui’s direction.
“You finally got here!”
Clutching his injured arm, Lin Qi cursed furiously through his fear and anger.
“What the hell are you people doing?! How did a psycho get in here?!”
“Catch that guy! I’m going to kill him!”
“Call an ambulance!”
“Dad! Some lunatic beat us up at the bar! Get over here now!”
…
None of these rich young masters and young ladies had ever experienced anything like this before.
Everything was a mess.
Fortunately, the security personnel were well-trained.
Silently enduring everyone’s insults, they handled the situation quickly and efficiently.
In less than ten minutes, the area was cleared.
Everyone was sent to the hospital.
Including Yan Sui.
As she left the private room, she looked around.
The troublemaker was long gone.
Although he really did seem like a violent madman, he had helped save the last of her precious medicinal powder.
For that reason alone, she hoped he wouldn’t get caught.
On the ambulance ride, Yan Sui sat beside Lin Qi.
Looking at him with concern, she asked softly,
“Does it hurt?”
His arm hurt so badly he felt like dying.
But when he looked at her beautiful face, he stubbornly replied,
“No.”
Soon they arrived at the emergency room.
When the doctor began treating his injuries, Lin Qi finally could not endure it any longer.
Cold sweat poured down his face from the pain.
Yan Sui was getting sleepy.
After a yawn, she stepped outside.
The moment she entered the hospital corridor, she saw Lin Jian and He Wan hurrying over.
“Did you call the police? Have they found him yet?”
He Wan shot Yan Sui a vicious glare before striding into the ward.
Lin Jian didn’t even spare Yan Sui a glance.
The couple surrounded the hospital bed, anxiously asking after their precious son’s condition.
Compared to blood ties, the earlier mother-son conflict meant nothing.
Their concern and worry were genuine.
Not an act.
A family of three.
Warm and lively.
Yan Sui stood at the doorway, expressionless as she watched the scene.
For a moment, she seemed lost in thought.
Then He Wan suddenly remembered something and pointed at her.
“Was she the one who took you to a place like a bar?”
Lin Qi froze.
“No. I was the one who took her.”
He Wan sneered.
“You’ve lived this long without problems. Why did something happen the moment you started hanging around Yan Sui?
“She must have gotten involved with some shady people.
“She only just came back, and she already convinced you to take her to bars. Who knows what she’s plotting?”
Yan Sui’s eyes instantly turned red.
Word by word, she said,
“I know you don’t like me as your stepdaughter, but you can’t humiliate me like this!
“The only thing I’ve ever wanted is what normal people have—a home and the chance to attend school like everyone else.”
Her voice rose involuntarily.
Quite a few people nearby turned to look, casting strange glances at He Wan.
He Wan laughed in anger.
“What are you implying? Making it sound like I’ve abused you!”
“Enough!”
Lin Qi frowned.
“Mom, I already said it wasn’t her fault. Why do you keep targeting her?”
Taking a deep breath, He Wan suppressed her anger.
She forced a smile toward Lin Qi.
“Fine. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Get some rest. Mom’s stepping out for a moment.”
She had gotten smarter.
Lin Jian looked at Yan Sui with a stern expression.
“Come out.”
The ward door closed, separating the inside from the outside.
Now another family of three stood in the hallway.
Yet Lin Jian, as a father, no longer showed any of the concern he had displayed moments earlier.
Only scrutiny remained.
“I’ve frozen your bank card. Behave yourself.”
Yan Sui’s eyes widened.
She was already poor.
The monthly allowance they gave her wasn’t even equal to a single one of Lin Qi’s bar tabs.
And now they were cutting her off entirely?
He Wan looked very satisfied by her reaction.
With a cold laugh, she said,
“First, a dress that appeared out of nowhere.
“Then you went to a bar and got my son hurt.
“I told you before—you aren’t the type to behave yourself. You’re far too easily led astray.”
Lin Jian nodded.
“That’s right. Reflect on yourself these next few days. Once you’ve learned how to behave, we’ll consider giving you some spending money again.”
After speaking, he waved dismissively and turned back toward the ward.
“You should go home. Tomorrow night, behave properly.”
He didn’t give Yan Sui any chance to respond.
The door closed immediately.
Separated once again, the voices of concern inside resumed.
Yan Sui stood outside in silence for a while.
Finally, someone couldn’t help approaching her.
Patting her shoulder gently, the woman said,
“Little girl, there are parents like that in this world. Study hard and free yourself from them someday.”
Yan Sui looked up and smiled.
“Thank you, Auntie~”
Such a sweet and well-behaved girl.
How had she ended up with a stepmother like that and a father like him?
Yan Sui walked home alone.
She was so poor.
The last of the medicinal powder she had brought back from her godfather was gone.
When she had faced Lin Jian and He Wan earlier, she couldn’t resist using some on them.
The effect wasn’t particularly strong.
It merely made people lose control of their emotions for a short while and caused a few nightmares.
Better than nothing.
Her godfather had plenty more supplies.
When she left, she had barely taken any because she assumed she could simply make more whenever she needed them.
But who would have thought that after returning to a wealthy family, she would still end up in such a miserable situation?
Now she couldn’t even afford the raw materials.
The girl sighed deeply.
Before she knew it, she had passed by Muse Lounge.
The exterior remained as low-key and luxurious as ever.
The earlier chaos had not affected the place in the slightest.
She wondered whether they had caught the culprit yet.
At the same time, inside a private room.
The man sat where Yan Sui had been sitting earlier.
His fingertips, covered with dried blood, held the glass she had drunk from.
Obsessed.
Lost.
Slowly and gently, he traced the rim of the glass.
After a long while, his trembling fingers lifted it to his lips.
Was it here?
Was this the pattern on the side of the glass she had touched when she took that sip?
Closing his eyes, he pressed his lips lightly against the cold glass.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
A suppressed breath escaped his throat.
His brows were tightly furrowed, as though he were suffering—
Or perhaps reveling in bliss.