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Jiang Wen pushed him away and stood up. "You guys play, I'm going to the bathroom."
With his departure, Cheng Jiajia was left awkwardly standing in place. The atmosphere in the room froze for a moment, and Pei Shurou comfortingly patted her shoulder. "It's okay, Wen is just like that; he might still be a bit unaccustomed."
And indeed, after more than ten years of living a simple and ascetic life, Jiang Wen rarely showed his emotions, and his indifference towards girls made people suspect he might be gay.
His childhood friends all knew that Jiang Wen's family had consulted a fortune teller about his "romantic tribulations." They had finally hoped he would start dating, but it turned out he was still the same as usual—very good at keeping things light.
Xi Gaoyuan sighed, "We all thought Jiang Wen had finally blossomed like an iron tree, but in the end, he just opened a bud."
*
Isolated from the noise, Jiang Wen splashed cold water on his face. The water flowed noisily as he looked at himself in the mirror, still feeling irritable.
Just moments ago, when Cheng Jiajia leaned in to kiss him, he couldn't help but think of the dream he had last night.
The details replayed vividly in his mind. Only the person in front of him had changed.
After washing his hands, Jiang Wen found a terrace to get some fresh air and stood there for a long time.
He suddenly slammed his hand against the railing, still feeling unsatisfied. He turned around twice in place and kicked the wall out of frustration.
No one knew that in this season of budding romance, in this deserted corner,
Iron Tree Young Master Jiang had already made the flower bud bloom with a thunderous roar.
On Saturday night, Jian Tang hadn't arrived at the venue yet, and Feng Ning lay on the counter like a limp noodle.
After a short break, the delivery guy brought the container back and placed it at the entrance of the shop. Feng Ning was called over, and after checking everything on-site, she skillfully sorted the drinks: spirits, aperitifs, sweet wines, fruit wines, and fresh milk, arranging them neatly on the shelves of the refrigerator.
She chatted casually with Tongtong.
Tongtong, holding a damp towel, quickly wiped down the bar and workstations. Noticing Feng Ning's weary expression, she asked, "Are you on your period?"
"Yeah," Feng Ning replied weakly, jotting down notes as she spoke. "It must be that ice cream I had yesterday that caused this."
Her menstrual cycle was irregular, and the first two days were usually particularly painful. Sometimes, when the discomfort became unbearable, she wished she could just stab her stomach with a knife to end it all.
Glancing at the wall clock and estimating it was almost time, Feng Ning turned on all the atmosphere lights in the shop.
Before long, a group of people arrived and gathered around a table in the corner, laughing and chatting loudly.
A young man approached the counter and asked Feng Ning, "Do you have water pipes here?"
"Yes, we have watermelon flavor, honeydew flavor, strawberry flavor, and blueberry flavor. Which one do you want?"
"Can you recommend one? What flavor do girls usually like?"
Feng Ning thought for a moment. "Watermelon flavor sounds good. How many pipes?"
"Four," the young man said shyly, looking a bit embarrassed. "Also, could you help me boil some hot water? My girlfriend just got her period; she wants to join us for drinks, but I'm worried that if she has something cold, it might hurt her stomach. So I thought I'd warm up the drinks with hot water."
Feng Ning smiled and replied, "You're quite considerate."
She found an electric kettle, filled it with water, and took a glass bowl filled with crushed ice upstairs, walking towards the table. She plugged it in and instructed, "Once it boils, pour the water into this bowl. If you need more, just call for me downstairs."
The young man thanked her.
The spherical spotlight illuminated the room with colorful and ambiguous light. Feng Ning took a sip of the hot brown sugar water, lost in thought, when she suddenly felt a kick at her feet.
She looked up. "What is it?"
Tongtong, who had just delivered the fruit platter, blushed slightly and pointed to the doorway. "A few people are looking for you."
*
They were waiting on the steps. Zhao Binlin wore a flashy purple T-shirt and chewed gum.
Seeing only four people, Feng Ning asked, "Where's Meng Taoyu? She didn't come?"
"Her parents wouldn't allow it." Xi Gaoyuan pointed to the girl beside him. "I brought my girlfriend along."
"Welcome! Come in and have a seat."
Under the bright lights, Jiang Wen was tall and slender. His outfit was simple and clean, clearly indicating a good family background.
Tongtong's radar for handsome guys was activated as she stared at him, unable to help but comment, "Oh my God, that guy is so handsome."
Feng Ning casually replied, "He is handsome, but he should keep his drool in check; it's about to drip onto his chin."
Tongtong was brought back to reality, still reluctant, "Wuwuwu, he's your classmate? Does he have a girlfriend?"
"Yes," Feng Ning replied, looking down at her plate, not taking it too seriously. "Not only is he handsome, but he also has good grades, comes from a wealthy family, and his girlfriend is a stunning beauty. So beautiful~"
"I can't believe he's so perfect." Tongtong's cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, her face filled with longing. "I don't even know who to envy more at this moment."
Feng Ning personally prepared a fruit yogurt bowl.
She went to pick out a few bottles of nice fruit wine and brought them over. After setting up the plates, napkins, and small lights for them, she smiled and said, "You guys play first; I'm busy right now. I'll join you once I'm done."
Jiang Wen leaned back casually, one arm lazily resting on the edge of the table.
Xi Gaoyuan's girlfriend, Lin Ru, asked curiously, "She works in a place like this?"
Xi Gaoyuan shrugged it off. "What's wrong with this kind of place?"
"Nothing, it just feels a bit..." Lin Ru didn't finish her sentence. After watching them play cards for a while, she got up to use the restroom.
On her way back, she was stopped by a man with slicked-back hair who tried to strike up a conversation. "Hey there, can I get your WeChat?"
Lin Ru had a fiery temper and was used to looking down on others; she rolled her eyes. "Get lost."
"How about I buy you a drink then?"
"Go away, I don't want to drink."
Finally managing to shake them off, she returned to her seat. The man with slicked-back hair followed her, holding a glass of wine, looking quite relaxed. "Hey there, how about a drink? Why the insults?"
Behind him, a few rough-looking guys settled comfortably on their sofa, shouting boisterously, "Hey, how about we all have some fun together?"
Zhao Binlin and the others exchanged glances.
Xi Gaoyuan, having heard from Lin Ru about what had just happened, was furious. In a fit of anger, he grabbed a glass of wine nearby and splashed it onto the slicked-back man's face. "Who do you think you're messing with?"
The man paused for a moment, his expression shifting as he fell silent for two seconds.
Suddenly, the table was overturned with a loud crash, and shards of broken glass scattered everywhere.
Gasping for breath, Xi Gaoyuan struggled against the two people holding him down by his shoulders, cursing loudly, "Let go of me, you idiots!"
In the distance, commotion erupted. Tongtong hurriedly pulled Feng Ning away from her conversation with someone else. "Ningzi, something's wrong!"
Feng Ning rushed over and, aided by the dim light around them, recognized one of the troublemakers as someone she knew.
Axin slapped Xi Gaoyuan across the face. "You little brat, acting all tough now."
The people at the nearby table were unsure of what was happening but instinctively began to disperse at the sight of the escalating situation. Some watched with interest while others pulled out their phones.
Axin pointed around and shouted loudly, "Let's see who dares to film this!"
As chaos unfolded, the waitstaff came and went. After a while, the place was cleared out; the once lively bar fell into an eerie silence where even breathing felt too loud.
Axin calmly played with a fruit knife, causing Tongtong to feel weak in the knees as she quietly asked Zhao Huiyun, "Should we call the police?"
Zhao Huiyun crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "Calling the police won't help. These people have committed who knows how many crimes and are ready to run at any moment. Let's not provoke them; otherwise, we'll have more trouble later."
Feng Ning stood in front of Axin alone. "Brother Xin, these are my classmates. Can you let them go?"
"Let them go? What about the bill for the drink you splashed on me?" Axin sized her up. "I know you; you're Meng Hanmo's sister, right? Do you know them?"
Feng Ning nodded. "Yes, but tonight's incident has nothing to do with my brother; I'll take responsibility."
Axin leaned back, crossing his arms nonchalantly. "You’ll take responsibility? How do you plan to do that? How many people are you willing to take on? Do you know the rules?"
"Four of them."
Axin looked at her and considered for two seconds. "Alright, I'll give Meng Hanmo some face today. That'll be three times the amount—twelve drinks. How does that sound?"
Feng Ning paused for a moment. "That works."
Axin instructed his men, "Go pick out the drinks."
Tongtong followed along. She intended to choose some low-alcohol fruit beer to mix in, but one of the men shot her a knowing glance and said with a smirk, "Sister, are you trying to use beer to appease beggars?"
Tongtong felt a bead of sweat on her forehead and dared not make any more small moves.
Soon, the table was filled with an array of yellow, white, and red drinks, completely covered.
Feng Ning glanced roughly at the drinks and picked up one of the cups. "Is this enough?"
Axin nodded slightly. "Almost."
Without waiting for anyone else to respond, she tilted her head back and gulped down the drink in one go.
Tongtong watched as Feng Ning seemed oblivious, downing cup after cup.
She thought of the girl who had just been pampered by her boyfriend with warm wine, her heart twisting in pain.
The suffocating feeling rose to her throat, and Jiang Wen was also being held back. He struggled a couple of times but couldn't break free, sweat pouring down his back. "Let me go! Don't let her drink anymore!"
Lin Ru had never seen such a scene; she was crying and sobbing uncontrollably.
Feng Ning acted as if she hadn't heard anything, continuing to focus straight ahead. Once she finished, she reached for another cup.
Jiang Wen felt someone pressing down on his head, struggling to breathe and feeling powerless. "Stop drinking."
The twelfth cup was almost empty.
A few people nearby were so shocked they couldn't speak; some turned their eyes away, lacking the courage to watch any longer. Axin slowly dropped her teasing demeanor.
The dim light and shadows intertwined, and all other sounds faded away. Feng Ning heard nothing until someone next to her snatched the cup from her hand. "That's enough, stop drinking."
She paused, wiped the wine from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, and tried to steady her voice. "Is this over?"
When Axin finally nodded, Feng Ning seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She leaned on something and staggered out, swaying as she took two steps before stumbling through the door.
The person restraining Jiang Wen was caught off guard and pushed away. Before he could utter a curse, he turned and chased after him outside the bar.
Feng Ning, drunk, leaned against a tree trunk and vomited, leaving a puddle of what she had expelled, white with streaks of red.
Her legs weakened, unable to support her, so she squatted down.
Jiang Wen awkwardly reached out, wanting to touch her but hesitating. He clumsily patted her back.
She continued to retch until her throat slightly spasmed, unable to bring anything else up. With a heavy tongue, Feng Ning forced a bitter smile, "Sigh, indeed, being a heroine is not that easy."
After finally catching her breath, she struggled to rise but fell backward.
Jiang Wen instinctively lowered his head and wrapped his arm around her waist to prevent her from sliding down further.
Feng Ning had completely lost her strength and weakly allowed Jiang Wen to hold her in his arms.
In a hazy daze, he looked disheveled, his eyes filled with panic. Even in her foggy state, she could still feel the overwhelming force of his grip.
"Hey, you're holding me really tightly..." Feng Ning's whole body trembled slightly as she continued to laugh.
Before losing consciousness, she heard someone beside her repeatedly saying sorry.
The night had turned cold, and the wind howled down the street. Finally, a taxi was hailed, and as the door swung open, the driver was startled. "What's wrong?"
"To the hospital!" Zhao Binlin shouted.
"Calm down, young man." Feng Ning reeked of alcohol, and the driver caught a whiff of it as he turned on the meter. "How much have you had to drink?"
Feng Ning's collar was soaked with liquor, her pale lips looked fragile enough to break.
Zhao Binlin sat in the car, turning to glance at the back seat. From his angle, he could only see her being tightly held against someone's chest.
His gaze shifted to Jiang Wen's face; he paused for a moment before realizing what was happening. Silently, he turned to look out the window.
By the time Jiang Yuyun arrived at the hospital, it was already late.
A group of kids sat outside in a row, each wearing a look of dejection and guilt etched on their faces.
Seeing her arrive, Zhao Binlin stood up in a fluster and called out, "Sister!"
Jiang Yuyun's heart sank. "What happened? Where's Xiao Wen?"
Xi Gaoyuan looked like he was about to cry as he recounted what had happened that day.
"Who the hell bullied my brother? Which bar was it?"
Jiang Yuyun was furious, her teeth clenched. She made a phone call. "Help me track down a few people. If I don't take down those thugs tomorrow, I won't carry the Jiang name!"
Seeing her lose her temper, several bodyguards stood quietly, no one daring to speak.
After finishing the call, Jiang Yuyun handed her phone to her assistant and took a moment to calm her breathing. "How's your classmate? Is everything alright?"
Zhao Binlin shook his head nervously. "They had their stomach pumped and are still lying inside."
Standing at the door of the hospital room, Jiang Yuyun slightly tilted her head to take a look inside.
Her younger brother sat by the bed, leaning forward with great patience, using a wet towel to wipe someone else's hands, from the knuckles to the back of the hand.
The person on the bed mumbled something in a daze.
Jiang Wen adjusted his posture to accommodate her height, his hair falling forward as he leaned in closer to listen to what she was saying.
With a soft click, the door gently opened, and Jiang Yuyun paused for a moment.
The room was filled with the smell of disinfectant and medicine.
Jiang Wen sat by the bed, his gaze fixed on Feng Ning. He remained motionless like a statue, ignoring any other sounds around him.
She opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing, closing the door behind her.
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