CHAPTER 148: KNEEL DOWN

This Whisky Bar must be run by an American. It had the distinct ambiance of an American Godfather movie. The space itself had a strong textural feel, with all seating upholstered in signature velvet and waxed leather—materials that alone defined the environment. The aroma of cigars occasionally wafted through the air.

The man didn’t dare continue that topic. Instead, every time the female violinist walked past, he stared at her with leering eyes. On her last pass, he even reached out and groped her, eliciting a scream from the girl. He smirked with furtive delight. "The outside world is truly fascinating, much better than hanging around in those Gambling Cities. Thank goodness I escaped."

Xu Si took a sip of whisky. The woody aroma rolled down her throat, releasing a rich, intense flavor.

"Despicable."

She had her back to the man, but it was as if she had eyes there. Spreading lurid rumors, sexual harassment... it’s disgusting whether directed at men or women. The muscles beneath Xu Si’s eyes twitched. She pushed her chair back, stood up, and walked towards the source of the voice.

She stopped in front of a man covered in muscles and scars. The man wore a red sweater under a short motorcycle leather jacket. At first glance, the jacket appeared to be the same brand Xu Si usually favored.

Seeing a tall, fashionably dressed woman approaching him with clear intent, he muttered something slyly in his native tongue about his good fortune, then said with a smile in English, "Beautiful lady, shall I buy you a drink?"

Xu Si’s expression darkened. She glared at him grimly. Without warning, she swung her hand as high as it would go, then brought it down with all her might across his jaw, its muscles bulging.

SLAP!

The sound of the slap was exceptionally loud. Xu Si’s way of dealing with people like this was always swift and decisive, without a single wasted word, no beating around the bush.

The man clutched the waxed leather sofa, stunned. After staggering for a moment, he whirled around furiously and glared at Xu Si. "Crazy bitch! Fuck! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!"

Then, gripping the armrest, he tried to rise and retaliate.

Xu Si slammed her hand down on his shoulder, forcing him back. The tip of her high-heeled shoe pressed firmly onto his instep. Her expression was deceptively gentle as she looked at him, but her voice was ice-cold. "I didn’t want to get angry today. I’ve tolerated you for a long time, and I’ve finally confirmed it: you’re just a brazen stray dog—annoying and utterly useless."

The Leather Jacket Man didn’t understand Xu Si’s words, but judging by her demeanor, he figured they weren’t complimentary. Having come from the Octagonal Cage, he had enough sense to realize that.

"AH—!"

He sucked in a sharp breath of pain, trying to pull his left foot free while signaling his companions to drag the crazy woman off him. "Kill her! Now! Kill this outsider, quick!"

The man sitting with him quickly stood up and pulled out a handgun, aiming it at Xu Si.

"Damn it." Xu Si gripped the Leather Jacket Man’s face with her left hand, her fingernails digging in and drawing blood. With her right, she produced a bomb, pressed a point on it—CLICK—and then shoved it forcefully against his Adam’s apple. Her demeanor was calm and resolute as she spoke in English, "Thugs are so terrifying. I’m going to blow you all up."

The Leather Jacket Man froze. "!!"

"Oh! No! No, no, no!"

He was petrified, not daring to move a muscle. He instantly slumped back into the sofa, covering his face, utterly convinced he had provoked a madwoman.

His companions exchanged troubled glances, lowered their guns, and frowned. It seemed everyone had their own predicaments, so some were the first to flee. The entire Whisky Bar emptied in an instant, cleared out by the threat of an imminent explosion.

The Leather Jacket Man’s teeth chattered, whether from extreme fear or rage was unclear.

Xu Si’s slender eyebrows narrowed as she slapped him hard across the face again, nearly making it swell. "Shut your mouth."

Under threat of death, he became completely obedient to Xu Si. He even began slapping his own face frantically, confessing his mistakes—that he shouldn’t have made slanderous remarks out of jealousy, nor should he have touched the edge of a woman’s stocking.

Xu Si squinted, methodically slapping his face, seriously educating the scoundrel.

"If I lived like you, I’d have killed myself long ago. Honestly."

"Kneel. Apologize."

The Leather Jacket Man dropped to his knees, facing the direction where the violinist had disappeared. With gritted teeth, he painstakingly squeezed out, "Sorry."

When Xu Si tired of hitting him, she finally withdrew her hand. She sensed something, and her rationality snapped back in an instant. Her gaze unconsciously shifted to the flow of people outside the glass window.

The night had not yet reached its deepest, most intense darkness. The night breeze was completely stifled by the crowd, leaving only people and vehicles, neon signs, and the soft, golden glow of the city’s ambient lighting.

No familiar faces.

As if guided by an unseen hand, she turned her head, looking towards the deserted backstreet on the other side. Suddenly, her gaze locked with a pair of refined, grey eyes.

Pei Zhen stood under the dim streetlights, leaning casually against a silver luxury sedan. He held a jewelry shopping bag imprinted with a pearl necklace—very much like the one she had wanted to buy, but the store had claimed was "not for sale."

They looked at each other for a long moment through the mist-fogged glass.

Xu Si raised an eyebrow slightly.

Perhaps someone had already told him what had happened inside. That would explain why, upon seeing her so furiously slapping someone, there wasn’t the slightest surprise in his eyes. Instead, they held an inexplicable smile and a hint of happiness.

She kicked out, her heel connecting with the red-sweatered man’s midsection. She coldly ordered the man—whose face was now as red and swollen as a pig’s head—to get lost. Then, grabbing her handbag, she opened the Whisky Bar’s back door, stepped into the chill night air, and walked towards Pei Zhen, step by step.

He seemed far too certain about the kind of person I am, she thought. That’s why, even though I usually force myself to appear gentle, he doesn’t seem to find it discordant at all now that he’s witnessed my true nature.

The street where he stood was off-limits—desolate and uninhabited.

Xu Si walked up to him. Her meticulously styled hair was ruffled by the night breeze, revealing its texture. She tightened her coat, her palm red and bruised from the force of the slaps.

Though still seething with residual anger, her heart gradually calmed. This was a night she had thought would inevitably end in a major confrontation.

And on his way to find her, Pei Zhen had bought her favorite pearls.

He took her hand without a word and wrapped the pearl necklace twice around her slender, pale wrist. His cool fingertips gently caressed her hot, swollen palm, by extension soothing her raw, irritable soul.

Xu Si paused, then turned her head to look at his downcast eyes.

He was so close to her.

His skin was a cool, pale tone. Silver-white hair was combed back behind his ears, some strands falling forward. The discipline from his strict upbringing hadn’t vanished; it had merely softened, replaced by an air of relaxed, easy composure.

Xu Si’s breathing hitched, then seemed to follow the motion of his fingertips, rising and falling, difficult to control.

Emotions she had never paid much attention to before had been growing day and night; now, they were strong enough to stir her heart.

And her mother’s experiences in her youth served as a constant, sharp reminder: How dare you love? Loving someone is terrifying. You must be prepared for devastating blows.