Chapter 12
"Excuse me, I went to the wrong place."
Shi Ru and Zhang Yuge frowned as they followed Zhu Yu, watching her push open the doors of each private room one by one, glance at them, apologize, and then close them again.
They were puzzled, but seeing that Zhu Yu was really insistent, they could only follow along and see what she was going to do.
"What did you hear?" I asked, seeing her stubbornly insisting on opening the door to the next private room even after being berated.
Zhang Yuge finally couldn't help but step in to stop her.
"I heard a girl screaming for help." Although the sound was brief, Zhu Yu's sixth sense told her that she was absolutely sure she hadn't misheard.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuge and Shi Ru exchanged a glance. Zhang Yuge was standing a little further away at the door, but Shi Ru stood with Zhu Yu the whole time.
Zhang Yuge then glanced at Shi Ru with a questioning look. Shi Ru pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head under the expectant gazes of Zhu Yu and Zhang Yuge.
"I didn't hear anything."
Seeing this, Zhu Yu's bright eyes dimmed, and she turned around to push open the next door.
"Wait a minute, ma'am!" The commotion was quite loud, and the waiter practically ran over, squeezing through the gap between Zhu Yu's hand and the doorknob.
"Madam, you are disturbing the other guests. Please do not do such offensive things again, or I will have to call security."
The waiter was a thin boy with a tender-looking face. When he stood in front of Zhu Yu, he was almost trembling.
After opening so many doors, Zhu Yu still hadn't found the owner of the voice, and was almost ready to give up.
She wasn't sure if she had misheard, since the sound was so brief, and out of the three people present, only she had heard it.
Perhaps it's because she's been practicing martial arts and riding horses lately, and she's too tired; she might be hallucinating.
Only after thinking this through did Zhu Yu finally convince herself, and the tension that had been building up inside her finally eased.
"We're sorry for the trouble. We'll leave now."
Seeing Zhu Yu dejectedly withdraw her outstretched hand, Shi Ru simply stepped forward, grabbed Zhu Yu, and turned to leave.
"Bang!"
The door behind the waiter suddenly made a clattering sound, startling him so much that he jumped.
His body unconsciously leaned back, so that the door was slightly exposed.
Most of the people who can afford to spend money here are either rich or powerful; the waiters are just low-educated, unskilled wage slaves who can only work here.
He couldn't afford to offend any of the guests here; if he angered a guest, the manager would definitely fire him.
He had to overcome numerous obstacles to get this job; he took the exams three times.
Once he's fired, he'll never find a better job.
Thinking of this, the waiter's face turned pale, and a crimson color quickly crept into his eyes. He trembled as he tried to remain calm, gripping the doorknob with both hands, praying that he could close the door before being discovered.
"Don't touch me!"
The waiter's misfortune went unnoticed by Shi Ru and his companions. After they had turned and taken a few steps, Zhu Yu heard a roar as mournful as a cuckoo's cry.
"Bang!"
Without thinking, Zhu Yu acted almost instinctively upon hearing the sound, triggering the command and nearly flying out of the air.
The KTV door was very heavy; even when Zhu Yu rammed into it, he could only barely open a crack the width of a palm.
Fearing that Zhu Yu might cause him harm, Shi Ru and Zhang Yuge quickly followed and pushed open the door.
This kind of door is easy to push open with gentle force, but if you try to ram or kick it, you'll only suffer the consequences.
As the door opened, the scene inside came into view.
Empty bottles were scattered everywhere—on the floor, on the table, and around a group of men and women, their clothes half-undressed, and...
—A girl, almost naked, kneeling on the ground, surrounded by people.
"Lingling! It's you? Are you alright?!"
Zhu Yu rushed forward and only realized upon seeing the girl's face that she was actually her roommate, Tan Lingling, whom she had met once before.
It was hot in the summer, and Zhu Yu and the others were all wearing only light clothing. Looking around, she couldn't find anything that could temporarily cover Tan Lingling's body.
He could only pull her tightly into his arms, trying his best to shield her with his own body.
Tan Lingling looked dazed, as if she had been scared out of her wits. She just kept clutching Zhu Yu's clothes as if she had grasped a lifeline.
"Oh, isn't this Young Master Zhang Yuge and Young Master Shi Ru? People like you come here to have fun?"
The speaker sat in the main seat, holding a glass of champagne. When the two people he addressed looked over, he raised his glass in a gesture of greeting.
However, the gesture was frivolous and casual, yet carried an unsettling contempt.
"So this person belongs to both of you~ But two people playing with one... isn't that a bit beneath you~" The man's eyes, like the forked tongue of a viper, lingered on Zhu Yu for a long time.
The blatant malice in his eyes made Zhu Yu glare at him fiercely, but to her surprise, the man seemed to have seen something amusing and actually laughed.
"May I have your name?"
This person was none other than Zhou Ye, who had tried to chat up Zhu Yu downstairs at the girls' dormitory and whom everyone avoided.
"Zhou Ye, what are you doing?"
Shi Ru subtly stepped forward, blocking Zhou Ye's gaze from Zhu Yu.
Such an obvious action did not escape Zhou Ye's eyes, but he was more concerned about Shi Ru's attitude than the woman in front of him.
This "good kid" in the elders' eyes was someone who once viewed pornography as a monstrous flood and even righteously denounced him.
Zhou Ye glanced between Zhu Yu and Shi Ru, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
"It's just a game, right, Lingling?"
As he spoke, he beckoned to Tan Lingling, his gesture as gentle as a kind person seeing a stray dog on the roadside: "The ground is cold, get up quickly."
Upon hearing this, Tan Lingling trembled almost instinctively. Zhu Yu noticed her fear and hugged her tightly. Just as he was about to speak, she suddenly broke free.
Zhu Yu, somewhat bewildered, sat down on the ground, staring at Tan Lingling who, despite being almost naked, obediently walked over and sat next to Zhou Ye.
"We were just playing truth or dare. What you just did was your punishment for losing the game, right, Lingling?"
Zhou Ye gestured with pity to the people standing in front of the table like wooden stakes to return the clothes in their hands to Tan Lingling.
Tan Lingling blankly took the clothes and put them on, clutching the hem of the clothes tightly. Finally, she raised her head as Zhou Ye's gaze gradually turned cold.
She looked at the girl who had been helped up, the girl who had always been luckier than her.
A bitter smile flickered across her lips without her even realizing it. She lowered her eyes, suppressing the jealousy that welled up within them.
"Yes, Ye Shao and I are playing games."
"What kind of game is this! They're bullying you!"
Zhu Yu was furious.
She was furious that these people didn't treat others like human beings, but she also felt sorry for Tan Lingling, who had been controlled by these people and turned them into puppets.
Zhou Ye was notorious at school, and everyone avoided him. Why would Tan Lingling still be with him?
Was it because of that drama?
Zhu Yu felt as if struck by lightning. When Tan Lingling learned that there were audition announcements at the school, she generously shared the news with her without any reservation.
But when she knew the show might be a bombshell, she didn't even think to warn Tan Lingling.
Therefore, she is one of the people behind Lingling's current predicament!
Upon reaching this conclusion, Zhu Yu's faith nearly crumbled. She took a half-step back, finding it hard to accept, but was supported by Zhang Yuge behind her.
"Tell them, are we bullying you?"
The word "bullying" is sharp and unpleasant, but Zhou Ye didn't care at all. He simply used his slender index finger to twirl a strand of Tan Lingling's hair and play with it on his fingertip.
When he looked at Zhu Yu, his gaze carried a blatant provocation, as if to say, "What can you do to me?"
"Yes, I did it voluntarily. It's a matter of mutual consent, so it doesn't count as bullying."
Tan Lingling kept her head down, but she tried to open her eyes wide. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zhu Yu retreat into the arms of the person behind her, looking seemingly fragile.
Zhang Yuge, who was destined to become a famous director.
Tan Lingling's jealousy intensified. She fiercely kneaded the hem of her clothes, as if she were pinching something else through the hem.
Hearing Tan Lingling's words, Zhou Ye smiled smugly. He shrugged at Shi Ru, looking innocent as if it had nothing to do with him.
Shi Ru didn't care whether Tan Lingling was willing or not; he hadn't even intended to enter the room.
At this moment, Zhu Yu was standing behind him. This was the person Zhu Yu wanted to save, but unfortunately, this person didn't seem to want to be saved.
Shi Ru did not turn around, but stood facing Zhou Ye in a stalemate. Seeing the atmosphere was stagnant, Zhang Yuge, who had been deliberately keeping his presence low since entering the room, slightly increased the pressure on Zhu Yu's shoulder.
The room was Zhu Yu's insistence, and the person was Zhu Yu's roommate. Now, whether to forcibly take the person away or let them leave, it is up to Zhu Yu to make this decision.
"Tan Lingling!" Zhu Yu felt extremely guilty, believing that her selfishness had led to Tan Lingling's current situation. She was unwilling to leave just like that, so she could only rely on the strength on her shoulder to force a smile and pretend to be normal: "It's almost curfew time, let's go back to the dormitory together?"
Please, come with me, at least not now!
Zhu Yu was extremely upset; she was almost overwhelmed by the despicable self she perceived herself to be.
Even now, as she tries to persuade Lingling to leave again, she is still thinking:
At the very least, the responsibility for Lingling's downfall cannot be placed solely on her.
"I'm not going back tonight, you can go now."
As she said this, Tan Lingling finally raised her head. The moment she met Zhu Yu's eyes, the person who had been looking down became Zhu Yu, who was being protected from both sides.
The intense hatred almost burned her.
"Then I'll leave you to continue." Shi Ru, having clearly seen the change in Tan Lingling's eyes, coldly withdrew his gaze and turned away.
The two men, one on each side, practically carried Zhu Yu out.
"Goodbye."
The door slammed shut behind him, shutting out the noise that had started up again inside.
Almost as soon as the familiar voice rang out, Zhu Yu tried to turn around and push the door open, but was firmly restrained by Shi Ru and Zhang Yuge.
"Calm down, she's already given up on herself, you can't save her!"
The Zhang family is not as powerful as Zhou Ye's, so they usually choose to avoid his sharp edge and not fight him.
But today, not only did they uncover this ancestor's dirty deeds, they also tried to snatch someone from him.
He has his parents protecting him, so Zhou Ye can at most cause him some minor trouble, but he can't really hurt him.
But Zhu Yu, he knew about her family situation, and it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot against Zhou Ye.
Who can protect her then?
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