Chapter 15 Meeting
[Miss Lianyi QAQ, where did you go last night?]
[President Lian and his wife should have calmed down soon, please come back!!]
[Ms. Lianyi, please reply to this message. I'm really worried...]
A gentle notification came through the microphone. Lian Yi took off her blindfold, and as soon as she turned on her phone, several message notifications rang out.
Besides what Xu Qingyao sent, some of her cronies, having somehow gotten wind of it, came to gossip about whether Gu Yiyu was really getting engaged.
As for Lian's father and mother, they showed no intention of interfering.
From childhood to adulthood, Lian Yi's parents seemed to dote on her, but Lian Yi was not truly ignorant.
She had seen her parents' faces, devoid of any smiles, when they looked at her as an infant. She had also heard them sigh after a moment of silence and say it was a pity she was a daughter.
They never mistreated Lianyi financially, and in front of outsiders, the parents always maintained a good image.
That's enough.
She was destined to disappoint them, and this only accelerated the process. Their parental affection was reserved for their true daughter, who could bring them comfort and satisfaction. Lian Yi didn't care and didn't bother to compete for it.
However, Lian Yi was informed by the bank manager with great apology that all of her bank cards had been frozen for various reasons.
My cronies were quite loyal; besides gossiping, they also skillfully transferred money to me.
After all, who hasn't rebelled against their parents at some point? They knew Lian Yi's temperament best and immediately guessed that her card would be frozen, so they quickly provided support in a tacit manner.
Lian Yi didn't accept any of them; she looked down on these tiny ant legs.
The purpose of this trip to Hecheng to meet with Xiaohao is to sign a contract. According to Xiaohao's strategic plan for the elderly care program, establishing a company is only the first step.
Next, the first thing to do is to rely on your own experience and strength to make a quick buck in the stock market.
The current stock market is experiencing unprecedented prosperity and a bright future, but she vaguely senses a crisis lurking beneath this prosperity, like a castle in the air, on the verge of collapse.
For the past year or so, Xiaohao has focused her main efforts on analyzing information from all sides, and she is now more than half certain about the outcome of the bubble bursting.
That's enough.
Ambition, decisiveness, ruthlessness, strength, and patience—these factors determine whether a wolf can strike its prey with a single, decisive blow; none can be lacking.
She will invest in the company established by the alternate account under the guise of investment, ensuring her own interests while remaining invisible. When the outcome is achieved, she will be happily kicked out of the house, which will be the moment she begins her free life.
After leaving the airport, Lian Yi casually hailed a taxi and drove towards the bustling city center, finally stopping in a quaint urban village.
Lian Yi didn't even bring a suitcase. She was still wearing the designer clothes she wore to the banquet last night, walking into the street where the sunlight was mostly blocked by various buildings.
Lian Yi walked to the building where Xiao Hao rented a room, climbed a few floors, glanced at the corridor, and then took out the key from under the insole of her shoe.
This is what Xiaohao left when she went to school this morning. As is my habit, to save money, I had Xiaohao go to school to print out the contracts that I need to sign today.
After opening the door and entering the house, it must be said that even with the same consciousness, two different bodies have different feelings when in the same environment.
At least Lian Yi felt incredibly cramped and oppressed looking at the room in front of her, which was less than half the size of her bathroom but was almost her entire living space.
"Make money, make money! The big account lives the high life, but the small account can't suffer either."
Lian Yi scratched her head, her previously carefree mood suddenly turning serious and earnest, and then she yawned.
"Forget it... I'll take a shower and get some sleep first, then I'll urge my alt account to work harder when I wake up."
Last night, to avoid being dragged home by my parents, I randomly chose a hotel that wasn't under the Lian family's name or related to them and slept there for the night. I felt uncomfortable all over, and then I had to catch a flight early this morning.
Lian Yi was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open. She walked to the wardrobe by memory, grabbed a T-shirt at random, ran to the bathroom for a quick shower, and then collapsed onto the small bed and fell asleep instantly.
…
Inside the printing room, the mechanical sounds of the machines running were incessant.
Generally, only specially admitted students come here, either because they need to print something themselves or because they are running errands for others.
When Meng Er arrived, he attracted the attention of several students inside.
If we're talking about the most talked-about person at school these past few days, there's really no one else but her.
Students from both circles were incredibly curious about her. While she was high-profile, she was also elusive, with most people only hearing about her deeds and never even seeing her in person.
To say he was low-key is an understatement. Whether it was his sudden appearance and his ability to surpass a host of academic geniuses to become the representative of the senior high school students, or his frequent appearances with computer science whiz Xu Yitong.
And during the shooting course, according to rumors, she fired only one shot, which made the national team prospect who had participated in many youth shooting competitions, won awards, and was selected for the provincial team admit defeat and publicly say, "I am not as good as her."
The rumors were presented with great conviction, and since the person in question didn't deny them, many people had no choice but to believe them.
This made them even more interested and curious.
But regardless of which circle they were in, they subconsciously didn't consider Meng Er to be part of their own group.
Most of the students admitted through special admissions programs are the honest and diligent type who study hard. The more active ones mostly run errands for the privileged kids, such as doing homework for them, to earn some pocket money.
In their view, someone as high-profile and outstanding as Meng Er would not look up to them, the specially admitted students, and would disdain to associate with them.
The second generation, on the one hand, are unwilling to lower themselves, always feeling that bowing down to a special admission student would make their entire circle lose face.
On the other hand, they haven't yet witnessed the real battles between the top players and her, and they still hold the idea that 'you're showing off now just because our big shots don't bother with you.'
Therefore, in addition to a few confident but self-conscious boys who tried to flirt and show off their charm at the beginning, there were also a few others.
This created a rather strange situation: almost everyone was silently watching her every move and discussing it privately, but no one took the initiative to approach her.
Meng Er stared blankly at the printer as it kept printing paper, seemingly lost in thought.
I estimate I'll sleep until 2 or 3 pm, during which time I can still do two practice tests.
It must be said that in addition to receiving bonuses, coming to Jingyun also offers the benefit of enjoying their strong faculty.
The test papers specially prepared by the Jingyun teaching team are usually selectively distributed to students, rather than being given special tutoring to outstanding students in the eyes of the teachers.
These questions were created by the teaching team based on the question-setting styles of various question setters in previous years, and each question is extremely tricky.
Giving this to ordinary students will only affect their confidence and cause their energy to be misdirected and wasted.
After finishing her practice questions, she also needs to review the resumes she received on job recruitment apps. She should find some time in the next few days to rent an office space and start interviewing.
For the company's first project, Meng Er set his sights on music copyrights.
The world is in a stage of rapid development of science and technology and the Internet, but most people are still used to buying records and CDs. Although digital music has been developed, it is in a semi-dead state due to funding constraints.
The more successful ones are the music apps that come pre-installed on some smartphone brands, but if you want to listen to songs using these apps, you have to pay three to five yuan to download a single song.
If that's the case, why not choose a speaker with better sound quality to play CDs, or even a record player?
But Meng Er knew very well that this was just a mistake in their operating model.
But it doesn't matter, she likes these kinds of errors to happen, so that she can be the first to strike gold.
A person's energy is ultimately limited. Meng Er knew that she should be the one to deploy strategies and plan tactics, so she needed more people to carry out her will.
We're short of people and we're short of money.
Meng Er sighed, took out a portion of the printed paper, and waited for the last few pages to be printed.
Most importantly, after finishing all these things, I need to pack some food to take back to my rented room, lest I starve to death while taking a dump.
"Hello, Meng Er."
Suddenly, a warm voice greeted me from beside me.
Meng Er, who was still thinking about what food to bring for the baby, was forced to interrupt her thoughts and looked up in the direction of the sound.
The first glance at someone's appearance is undeniably striking.
With his tall and well-proportioned figure, the black and white school uniform suit he wore didn't make him look old; instead, it gave him a clean and refreshing look. His slightly narrow eyes held a gentle smile, and his thin lips curved into an exaggerated arc with his smile.
His features, framed by black hair, gave him a gentle and refined appearance, which softened the shrewd look that his narrow eyes conveyed.
He looked at Meng Er and introduced himself, "My name is Qin Duo, and I am the vice minister of the Student Union's Arts and Literature Department."
"Hello." Meng Er lowered her eyes, carefully placed the remaining dozen or so pages of the contract she had typed, picked it up and straightened it. "It seems you came here specifically to see me. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Qin Duo smiled and said, "It's like this, the final exams are coming up soon, so I wish you the best of luck in the exams."
"Our student council organizes a party after each final exam, which is supported by the school. We hope that every student can relax after the stressful exams."
Meng Er gave a noncommittal "hmm," looking at him with an indifferent and unchanged expression.
Sensing the unspoken urging, Qin Duo smiled and said, "Normally, each student representative has to put on a performance, so I came here this time to invite you, Meng Er, to the party and find out what kind of performance you plan to submit."
"..."
Having lived two lives and never performed on stage since childhood, Meng Er had no interest in performing on stage, even though she knew quite a few things.
This kind of time-wasting formalism will only elicit one response from her unless absolutely necessary.
"You said it under normal circumstances, right?" Meng Er said calmly.
Qin Duo seemed to have anticipated this, and advised, "Yes, before coming here I did consider that Meng Er might refuse, but I still came hoping that you would agree."
"It's a great honor for this party to have such an outstanding classmate as you as we can invite," he said with a warm smile. "Many classmates are very curious about you, and to be honest, I'd also like to persuade you to participate."
"After all, being able to successfully invite someone makes people think that I, as the deputy minister, am quite capable."
He spoke frankly about his purpose, his voice gentle and soothing as if he were telling a story, which actually made people feel less resistant.
Unfortunately, Meng Er had met far more eloquent think tank lobbyists than him, and compared to their persuasive abilities, the reason she was willing to listen to them say so much was simply because they were more capable of persuasion.
It was purely out of appreciation for his good looks that I had the patience.
"That's a real shame." Meng Er picked up the printed contract. "I'm too busy to attend."
Qin Duo looked slightly regretful and said with some remorse, "I understand. In that case, I won't bother you any longer."
"By the way, would it be convenient to add your contact information?"
He took out his phone and smiled, "You just transferred here, so you're probably still unfamiliar with Jingyun. If there's anything you want to know, feel free to contact me anytime."
After glancing at Qin Duo's sincere smile, Meng Er took out her phone from her pocket with one hand, unlocked it, nodded politely, and turned to leave the printing room without intending to continue the conversation.
In the middle of the morning and noon, Meng Er focused intently on completing her daily practice problem-solving plan.
One of the conditions Jingyun had when he specially recruited her was that she had to be ranked in the top three in all major school exams. She was human, not a god, and even though she was busy with her money-making plans, she did not slack off in her studies.
As for the person he met in the printing room that morning, Meng Er had already forgotten about them.
Because of being so engrossed in studying that one ignores the effects of hunger, it seems to strike instantly after finishing the practice problems and feeling a slight relaxation.
Meng Er lowered her head and rubbed her aching stomach, her pale face vaguely visible through her loose hair.
I glanced at the time; it was already almost one o'clock.
After packing the food and returning to my rented room, I figured I'd be awake by the time I needed to poop.
So Meng Er got up, tidied up the scattered papers and drafts on the table, put them in the storage area, and walked towards the cafeteria.
Jingyun's cafeteria is famous, famous for its delicious food.
Because the tuition includes room and board, there won't be situations where students can't afford to eat, or where someone orders lobster and abalone while someone else can only eat vegetables and plain rice porridge.
As it approached one o'clock, there were still quite a few students in the cafeteria, all looking listless from hunger.
With final exams approaching, most students feel immense pressure, studying so hard that they don't leave their seats to eat until almost afternoon class time.
Meng Er randomly found a window, ordered a few dishes, packed some to go, and ate the rest at a table.
As she ate her meal slowly and deliberately, the excited conversations in the bustling cafeteria caught her attention.
"Sigh, I really envy the people who got to perform on stage at this party. The student council is really rich. The gifts they prepared for the performers must have cost hundreds of thousands of yuan."
"Cough cough cough, are you serious? People who can perform on stage, do they really need money to buy things?"
"Besides, the student council has always been very particular about showing off, and they're not short of money anyway."
"...Sigh, I know, I just can't help feeling a little envious. I heard that their tech department is offering a computer worth over 30,000 yuan as a prize this year. I wish I could have one and play games all winter break. It would be so awesome!"
"..."
Meng Er paused in her chopsticks-picking motion, then slowly finished her meal and took her plate to the recycling area.
As she walked out carrying the takeout food, she thought for a moment, then took out her phone and sent a message to her newly added contact.
Are there any requirements for the performances at the gala?
When she arrived at the station, she caught the school bus heading off-campus. As she boarded the bus, the notification she received vibrated.
There are no specific requirements. As long as the program aligns with correct values and is entertaining and worth watching, it's acceptable.
Immediately afterwards, the other party sent another message.
[Does Meng Er have any plans to participate?]
If you'd like to participate, there's no need for an approval process. Just tell me what you want to perform, and I'll be able to create a program.
Meng Er paused for a moment, then tapped the screen a few times before sending the message, without immediately indicating that she wanted to participate.
Inside the Arts and Literature Department office in the Student Union building.
Qin Duo, with half-rimmed glasses and a stack of documents related to the gala beside him, glanced at the chat box on the screen in front of him, which displayed the words "typing in progress," and a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
A girl sat on the sofa opposite him; her beautiful hairstyle made her look delicate and charming.
Noticing the smile on Qin Duo's face, the girl hissed and couldn't help rubbing her arms. "Qin Duo, can you stop smiling like a fox? It's creepy. I really can't attend this party."
"You know which is more important, the provincial theater's exchange delegation or our school's gala."
"Um?"
Qin Duo paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Didn't I already agree when you first brought this up with me?"
"Then what are you laughing at here!" the girl asked suspiciously. "Aren't you secretly making a fuss about me, plotting how to make me regret my decision to stand you up, and then cling to your leg and cry my eyes out..."
The girl, who was getting more and more excited as she spoke, coughed lightly under the gaze of the other person's increasingly narrow and smiling eyes, and said, "Go on, go on."
Qin Duo smiled and noted down what the girl had just said, then shook his head and said, "It's personal privacy, so I can't tell you. But I can tell you that I've already found someone to replace you in this gala."
"oh--"
Although she was incredibly curious, the girl, knowing the true nature beneath his gentle and refined exterior, refrained from asking who he was.
Qin Duo typed on the keyboard to reply to the message.
They seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, with the girl nestled on the sofa, fiddling with the little braid that draped over her shoulder.
"Who is it?" I couldn't help but ask.
…
I heard that everyone who participates in the show receives a gift from the student council?
[...]
Yes, it's to express gratitude for the performers' hard work.
When Qin Duo saw the message from Meng Er, he was stunned for a few seconds, and then he was both amused and exasperated.
He had considered many reasons why Meng Er might refuse, as well as reasons why she might agree.
But to my surprise, the other party was attracted by the student council's most inconspicuous gift every year, which led to their idea of participating in the gala performance.
From the very beginning, Qin Duo never considered using material things as bargaining chips to persuade Meng Er.
This is probably what it means to first eliminate the correct option?
Okay, I'll participate.
Okay :) I'll register first, and I'll let you know the rehearsal time in advance.
Having received a definite answer, Meng Er put away her phone and watched the greenery on both sides of the road and the occasional student figures flash by until they disappeared from sight.
Even a small price tag is still a price for a computer costing over 30,000 yuan.
She's an entrepreneur, so she needs to be careful with her money.
As for why she suddenly had free time again, since Qin Duo didn't ask, she didn't need to come up with a reason.
Back in the self-built building where my rented room was located, I climbed the stairs step by step.
This is the first real meeting between the large and small accounts in eighteen years.
What does it feel like to look at yourself?
She has always been controlling her main account and alternate account, living different lives simultaneously. This feeling is like how people sometimes have completely different thoughts and emotions, but due to various factors, they can only express one of them.
While doing her homework, she looked out the window and said she really wanted to go out and play.
He could only sigh, lower his head, and continue writing furiously.
Yet, she could be quietly reading a foreign language novel under the night light, while simultaneously pouring all the wine in her glass onto the head of the scumbag who had cheated on her friends, all amidst deafeningly loud and stimulating music, and then watching with a mocking smile as she enjoyed the man's expression of anger that he dared not utter a word.
I took out my key and opened the door. In the single room, I could only occasionally hear footsteps and voices coming from upstairs and downstairs. The dark room seemed even more tranquil.
Meng Er fumbled to turn on the light, and the pale light instantly illuminated the small room.
The photo also clearly captured the unrestrained sleeping figure on the single bed. Meng Er is 173 cm tall, and Lian Yi is 160 cm tall. Meng Er's slightly loose T-shirt looked almost like a nightgown on Lian Yi.
She did the same thing because she wanted comfort.
Meng Er looked at herself, who was curled up in the blanket and sleeping soundly on the bed. Her fleshy thighs were covered with mosquito bites, and she slapped her forehead in exasperation.
Forget that large-sized buildings are naturally prone to attracting mosquitoes. Most self-built buildings are built close together, and the many alleys lead to a large number of mosquitoes, rats, and ants.
Helpless, Meng Er went downstairs to buy ointment for mosquito bites. When she came back, she put the ointment on the low table, pulled over a chair, and sat down facing the bed.
She woke up during her period.
On the bed, the sleepy-eyed girl was still instinctively clutching the blanket.
Bright lights fell on her head, flowing down her slightly wavy long hair as if a luster were flowing, making her slightly squinted amber eyes shine brightly, and the look of contentment from her afternoon nap was revealed on her fair face.
Before the bed, a girl with long, straight black hair stood with a cold expression. Her clear black and white eyes stared straight ahead, and her rosy lips were slightly pursed.
Her naturally icy demeanor, coupled with her emotionless gaze and expression, seemed to carry a scrutinizing quality, making the seemingly soft and obedient girl on the bed appear like an innocent and ignorant little animal, unaware of her own situation.
They looked at each other.
It's a rather strange feeling, like looking in a mirror, yet you can clearly perceive the differences between each other.
Lian Yi stretched and then jumped off the bed.
He caught himself.
"Let me touch it! Let me touch it!" Lian Yi excitedly touched the trumpet all over.
"Tsk, all my hard work at the gym really paid off. Look at those V-lines, those abs, my mini-Xiang Xiang..."
Normally, Meng Er doesn't feel anything about her well-trained body, but for Da Hao, it's quite a novel experience.
Lianyi's claws reached upwards, then suddenly stopped, and she sighed regretfully.
Touching it will cause trouble.
After playfully rubbing against the small sign for a while, Lian Yi was in a great mood.
Over the years, she has long been accustomed to separating these two states of mind; the other side of her has never had any worldly desires.
After satisfying the big one's interest, Lian Yi got off the small one after the sticking was finished.
Meng Er took the packed food to the microwave to heat it up for Da Hao, while Lian Yi sat on the only chair and quickly signed her name in the place that required it on the contract that Xiao Hao brought back.
After completing these tasks, the main burden of work still falls on Xiaohao.
Both plans were progressing smoothly. Lian Yi ate her food, which wasn't as delicious after being reheated, while smiling at Xiao Hao. She felt very safe.
…
The big guy flying to Hecheng only needs to sign his name.
However, Lian Yi did not plan to return to Yunhai so soon. On the one hand, her adoptive parents were still furious, and if she went back now, they would not calm down unless she honestly agreed to the engagement.
If you disobey, then you must disobey to the very end.
On the other hand, it's a waste of such a good opportunity if the two accounts finally get together and don't go out and have some fun.
Lian Yi, biting her chopsticks, tilted her head and asked, "Going shopping?"
"KTV?" Meng Er lowered his eyes and pondered.
"Hmm... a bar?"
Anyway, the probability of running into acquaintances in Hecheng is almost zero, and Xiaohao has even fewer friends. Thinking about Xiaohao's experience of causing trouble every time she went to a bar in Yunhai, she decided to go on a secret patrol!
Let's see what's so fun about bars that keeps those friends hanging out there all day.
After finalizing her plans for the evening, Lian Yi brushed her teeth and then curled up in bed to watch a show on her phone.
Meng Er turned off the glaring light and turned on the soft light of the desk lamp. She sat down at the table, organized and put away the large, signed contracts, and then took out her phone to check the day's performance of several stocks she was closely watching.
As she predicted, these tech stocks trended steadily with minimal fluctuations, a stark contrast to the extremely popular internet-related stocks.
Aside from some initial fluctuations in the morning followed by a rapid decline, many people are continuing to adopt a wait-and-see approach.
Meng Er carefully observed every change in the data and keenly sensed the signal that the crocodiles were about to hunt down their prey, which was almost exactly as she had predicted.
As the clock ticked away, amidst the occasional bizarre lines from a melodramatic love story echoing from the bed, Meng Er finalized the basic outline of her plan. She lowered her head, rubbed her slightly throbbing temples, and got up to take out some clothes from the wardrobe.
When buying clothes, Xiao Hao only considers quality and comfort. She casually picked out two sets of casual clothes, one set for Xiao Hao to change into and the other set for Da Hao to wear.
When it was time to leave, the two of them went out with only their phones in their hands.
Lian Yi was incredibly annoyed by the constant message notifications; even that idiot Gu Yiyu sent her a message asking where she was.
It's estimated that the news of Lian Yi running away from home in anger against a family marriage for love has already spread far and wide among Yunhai's second-generation circle.
Only Xie Ling remained completely silent.
This is the only comforting thing amidst all the troubles Lianyi has. As long as her retirement plan isn't affected, she can bear the troubles.
…
Jiaxing boasts a vibrant nightlife; 10 PM is merely the beginning of the city's bustling activity.
As the most upscale bar in Hecheng, Sx Bar has a row of sports cars parked on the street outside its door.
It was as if even luxury cars, if they were slightly taller, would be ridiculed for being old-fashioned. Only a few cars that looked more business-like were pitifully sandwiched among those cool-looking sports cars.
The men and women strolling around this area are dressed fashionably, and many have avant-garde styles.
At this time, a long queue had already formed outside Sx Bar to get inside.
The bar and the outside world are two completely different worlds.
The music, with its refreshing style and strong rhythm, flowed through the dimly lit space. It is said that a singer who used to be an underground musician and is now somewhat famous has been invited to perform tonight.
Here, the minimum spend is a set meal costing 1888.
Lian Yi and Meng Er sat in a booth, silent to each other. On the table in front of them were two cocktails and a fruit platter.
All the 1888 packages are here.
She sighed; after only a few minutes, she already felt very bored.
Large and small are merely two different modes of thinking within the same consciousness, but ultimately, all thoughts are shared.
Meng Er knows what Lian Yi is thinking immediately.
The reverse is also true.
There's no way she can have a proper conversation. Does she have to play Liar's Dice with herself?
"Don't waste it, listen to the song before you leave." Lian Yi looked at Meng Er and said to herself.
…
Thanks to its open-plan design, the second floor of the bar allows each private room to have a clear view of the scene below through one-way glass.
"I heard that a girl from your school has suddenly appeared out of nowhere and outshone you guys these past few days?"
The guy, lounging casually on the sofa, took a drag of his cigarette. "What does that girl look like? If she's pretty, I'll risk everything to seduce her, then dump her, leaving her heartbroken. How about that?"
"I guess this can be considered a roundabout way to achieve our goal!"
"He Si, I didn't come here today to listen to your nonsense."
The boy sitting opposite him frowned, his sharp features appearing somewhat somber in the dim lighting. He said coldly, "You don't need to put on this act in front of me. Have you grown your hair yet? Trying to act all high and mighty."
He Si choked on his cigarette smoke, coughed a few times with a grim expression, and after catching his breath, he chuckled coldly twice.
“Ji Ming, let me be frank. My good buddies are down there with their men. If you talk to me properly today, I’ll make sure you leave here unscathed.”
He touched his slightly thick nose and said fiercely, "Your Jingyun students are not learning good things, they come here to play cards, and my brother caught them. Their parents aren't worried, but you are, fine!"
"But you have to have the right attitude when you ask someone for help. As for them, now I can decide whether to release them or follow the rules, it all depends on how you behave."
"Here's what we'll do: you call that woman over. If she satisfies me, I'll give you, Young Master Ji, face."
Ji Ming's eyes were filled with gloom. He didn't even know who He Si was talking about. The other party's request was just a deliberate attempt to tease and mock him.
It wouldn't be difficult to mess with He Si; given the power of He Si's older brother, no one would dare to lay a hand on him.
But thinking of his friends who were still in the other party's hands, Ji Ming said in a deep voice, "Change your demands, don't be delusional."
"Heh." He Si opened his swollen eyes and chuckled strangely, "Alright, then I'll have to get my buddies up here so we can discuss this together."
He casually took out his phone and dialed a number.
Embarrassingly, the call never connected, even after the long wait for the connection to be established and the call automatically ended.
He Si squinted, feeling somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, and clicked his tongue. He immediately dialed a different number.
The same automatic disconnection.
At that moment, the music below abruptly stopped, and a cacophony of exclamations burst through the glass into the private room.
He Si frowned, quickly got up and walked to the window to look down.
"Grass!"
…
The uniquely designed stage was already occupied with performances, and the DJ was spinning records with great enthusiasm.
The atmosphere gradually warmed up, and the number of customers in the bar visibly increased.
Lian Yi was so bored that she lay on the tinted glass table. She thought it would be better to go back to her small room and lie in Xiao Hao's arms to watch a show.
"Why--"
"Little sister, if you don't drink, how will your brothers buy alcohol?"
At the same time as her sigh, a faint sound of laughter drifted from the melody of an R&B love song.
"If the brothers don't buy alcohol, where will your commission come from?"
The man's uniquely confident, greasy tone couldn't be masked even by the singer's deep, magnetic voice.
Hearing this, Lian Yi, who was lying on the cat-shaped table, couldn't help but frown. However, this kind of scene was very common in bars. Money was hard to earn and life was tough. There were always people who had to do this to make a living, and outsiders had no right to comment.
Lian Yi, who used to be known for causing trouble whenever she went to similar places, sighed in disappointment, thinking that such places could be really interesting.
Every now and then, stylish men dressed in designer brands would come over with drinks and strike up a conversation.
Young and beautiful women in such situations are like plump, fresh meat dropped from a wolf pack, attracting covetous eyes.
"Wearing knock-offs to pretend to be a rich young master and pick up girls?" Lian Yi didn't bother to look up, and didn't care whether the other person could hear her. "How much did you pay for that watch from a WeChat vendor? Be careful when you walk, or you might knock some parts off and hit someone in the face."
In any case, Meng Er saw that the person's face turned pale when he turned to leave.
As the singer on stage swayed his hips and sang the closing lines in a deep, emotional voice, a girl's voice, trembling with sobs, suddenly came from the booth next to him.
"I...I'm just selling alcohol, don't touch me!"
"You're not even an adult yet and you're already doing this, isn't it just to get a good price? Tonight I'm not just going to touch you, I'm going to fucking fuck you."
Meng Er's eyes suddenly darkened, turning as cold as if they were filled with ice.
Lian Yi, who had been languid just a second ago, suddenly perked up, a slight smile curving her lips.
The lights in the entire bar suddenly changed, with red and green lasers flashing. For a moment, the space was so quiet that only the sound of voices could be heard. A moment later, high-energy music started playing, followed by a scream that seemed to shatter the ceiling.
Lian Yi got up, walked past a few people, and came to the adjacent booth.
Several men in their early twenties to thirties sat in the semi-circular seating area, having dressed up meticulously like everyone else, with their hair sprayed with gel and styled.
Each of them was seated with one or two girls. Two of the girls looked at each other with disapproval on their faces, glancing diagonally across from them. The man was practically leaning half his body on the petite figure next to him.
When Lian Yi walked over, the eyes of the men in the booth lit up.
They glanced at her casual clothes, the brand of which was unidentifiable, and then looked at each other.
One of the men shouted, grinning, "Beautiful lady, looking for someone?"
Lian Yi didn't hear clearly, but it didn't matter; she had already seen the person she was looking for.
So she slightly raised her chin and nodded her arrogant little face at the man who was still saying, 'No? No means yes!'
Meng Er stood behind her, which made the men sit up straight.
Seeing that Lian Yi hadn't come to see him, he laughed and scolded the guy for being so lucky with women, while he couldn't help but sized up the tall girl behind her with a completely different temperament.
The person closest to the man slapped him hard. Feeling his good time had been interrupted, the man looked up angrily, only to see his companion smiling and gesturing to him while mouthing something.
A beautiful woman is looking for me.
"Um?"
The music was so loud it made your heart race. The man, not understanding why, loosened his grip on the girl slightly, turned his head to look outside the booth, and his eyes widened immediately.
He immediately switched to his signature suave smile, the one he'd been praised for his irresistible charm with women. He raised an eyebrow, leaned out, waved to Lian Yi, and called out in a high-pitched voice, "Hey beautiful, what's up?"
None of them were surprised that a man would be approached by a beautiful woman.
These guys look handsome and rich, don't they? The keys to their sports cars are all on the table, and they're all wearing luxury watches on their wrists.
Lian Yi tilted her head to look at him, then glanced at the girl behind him who was being held down by a hand. Her smile widened, her round eyes curving into a sweet and alluring expression.
She beckoned to him.
The man gave a knowing smile, straightened his clothes with a flourish, stood up and leaned forward, almost leaning his body over the edge of the amber glass table.
His companion, who had been pushed aside, looked disgusted and leaned into his female companion's arms, which drew a scolding slap.
Lian Yi reached out and lightly tapped the bottles of foreign liquor on the table with her fair fingertips.
He then chose the more expensive one and held the bottle with his hand behind his back.
"ah--"
"Fuck you—"
I could almost hear the shocked screams and angry shouts of my companions.
The man felt dizzy and only felt cool liquid sliding down his face, some of it flowing into his mouth. The spicy liquor he usually loved to drink now tasted metallic.
Lian Yi stepped aside and looked at the group of people who suddenly stood up in the booth.
They help those in need, depending on the situation.
There were also a few who rushed out and reached out as if they were about to attack or grab.
Lian Yi hummed a song with a completely different tune from the one on stage, giving Meng Er room to perform.
She didn't train until she was covered in bruises just so she wouldn't be powerless at this moment.
Pushing aside the terrified woman pressed against the leather chair in the booth, Lian Yi smiled at them and walked a few steps before reaching the girl huddled in the chair, her face streaked with tears and her makeup blurred.
Her eyes, though lacking a genuine smile, held a complex expression.
The girl was pulled rather roughly from the leather chair. She was clearly terrified and dared not resist. Her rough fingers, so different from her delicate makeup, barely touched the hand that was holding her arm.
"Come on, stand here and watch, so you don't get accidentally hurt later," Lian Yi whispered in her ear.
The girl sat trembling on the edge of the leather chair, her eyes filled with panic and helplessness, looking into the booth.
Only then did she realize who the girl, who looked slender and tall, was who had dislocated the joints of a man who reached out with a backhand.
"Sister Meng... Sister Meng'er?"
"yes."
Lian Yi smiled, meeting the girl's tearful and bewildered gaze, and curved her lips into a smile. "What happened, little sister? She's working part-time to support the children at your orphanage's education—"
"Shouldn't you have finished your evening self-study and gone back to your dorm to wash up by now?"
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