Ni Anqi, ever the troublemaker, said nonchalantly, *"If you're really that tough, then ask Andrew. If he agrees to let me go with you, I'll leave with you without another word—do whatever you want!"
Song Dongyang, thinking the girl just needed to see his dominance before she'd follow him, didn't hesitate. He turned and patted my cheek provocatively. "You don't mind if I take this girl out for some fun, do you?"
Ni Anqi was Ba's sister. If I let Song Dongyang take her away tonight and something happened, Ba would come after me first.
Besides, I'd had enough of this guy. I stared at him and said, "I don't care who you flirt with, but… you shouldn't have used me to show off!"The last part came out in a furious roar. Before Song Dongyang could react, I grabbed a plate from the table and smashed it straight into his face.
CRACK! The plate shattered. Song Dongyang screamed and stumbled backward. His three lackeys, seeing their boss get hit, immediately cursed and grabbed stools to attack me. But Big Luo and Little Luo were faster—they smashed two beer bottles against the table and brandished the jagged edges like weapons, roaring, "Move and I'll gut you!"
Standing nearly six feet tall and built like tanks, the Luo brothers looked like wrathful guardian deities, instantly intimidating Song Dongyang's lackeys. I yanked Song Dongyang up from the ground and slapped him twice, snarling, "Calling you 'Brother Rooster' was just to be polite. You really think you're something? One compliment and you start strutting around. Try showing off in front of me again, and I'll still wreck you!" With that, I kicked him back down.
Ni Anqi, the instigator of all this, had finished eating by now. She sauntered over and giggled at the fallen Song Dongyang. "Hehe, seems like Brother Chen is the tougher one. I think I'll stick with him." Then, just to twist the knife, she deliberately wrapped her arms around mine, putting on an intimate display that made Song Dongyang's eyes burn with hatred. One look at his expression told me I'd just made a new enemy.
After settling the bill, we left under the stares and whispers of the other diners. On the way back, Big Luo and Little Luo scolded me for being too impulsive—Song Dongyang was Zheng Zhantao's lackey, and beating him up meant trouble with Zheng.
"Not my fault,"I grumbled. "Ni Anqi was deliberately stirring the pot, and that Rooster guy was way too full of himself."
Ni Anqi was still clinging to my arm, her softness pressing against me. When the Luo brothers weren't looking, I gave her butt a sharp pinch as punishment for causing trouble.
"Ah!" She yelped like a stepped-on cat, instantly letting go and jumping away, her face flushed with embarrassment and anger. Big Luo and Little Luo asked what happened.
Too embarrassed to admit I'd pinched her, she muttered, "I stepped on something and almost fell."
Laughing and chatting, we headed back toward the school. As we passed a nightclub called "Green Ivy" on Fuhua Road, I suddenly caught sight of a familiar tall figure—a woman in a soft white dress, high heels, and carrying an LV handbag. It was Linda.
Ni Anqi and the Luo brothers hadn't noticed her entering the nightclub. When I stopped dead in my tracks, they asked, *"Andrew, what's wrong?"
"N-Nothing," I stammered. *"I just remembered I need to buy something. You guys go ahead. I'll catch up later."
Big Luo, ever the helpful one, asked, *"What do you need? Want us to carry it for you?"*
"No, no, I got it."
After some final warnings to be careful, the three of them continued on to school.
Once they were gone, my expression darkened. Suspicious, I stared at the nightclub's gaudy entrance, flanked by rows of cheongsam-clad hostesses greeting customers. What's Linda doing here alone? Meeting a man?
The thought made my stomach twist, reminding me of the condom I'd found in her bag. A suffocating anger rose in my chest.
"No way. I have to find out what's going on."
I checked my wallet—only about a hundred yuan left for the month. Gritting my teeth, I marched toward the nightclub entrance.
Two suited bouncers stopped me. Expecting them to say minors weren't allowed, I was surprised when one simply held out a hand and said, "Green Ivy charges a 30-yuan entrance fee for men. Ladies enter free."
*Thirty yuan just to step inside?* Normally, I'd have turned right around. But tonight, I needed to know what Linda was doing in there. Reluctantly, I paid and went in.
The moment I entered, the thumping bass of DJ music assaulted my ears. The main hall was packed, dimly lit with strobe lights flashing overhead. People writhed on the dance floor, lost in the rhythm.
A bar stood at the front, surrounded by lounge tables and private VIP rooms. Overwhelmed by the crowd, I panicked. *How the hell am I supposed to find Linda in this mess?*
With no better plan, I started searching section by section. Since Linda had come alone, I checked the bar first. Most solo drinkers sat on stools, sipping cocktails.
No sign of her.
Next, I combed through the lounge areas. If she wasn't there, she must've booked a private room—and barging into those wasn't an option.
Luckily, just as I was about to give up, I spotted her in a secluded corner booth. Unlike the secret rendezvous I'd imagined, she was alone. The table held only a complimentary fruit platter and a dozen cans of Jinwei beer.
Not daring to approach directly, I grabbed a soda from the bar and took a seat where I could watch her from a distance.
Linda clearly wasn't in a good mood. At first, I thought she was waiting for someone. But as time passed, she kept drinking alone, polishing off half the beers. Her movements grew sluggish, her eyes glazed. No one ever showed up.
What's she doing here, drowning her sorrows alone?
Then it hit me—ever since our fight last weekend, she'd seemed down all week, even looking a little haggard. Is she here because of me?
As I wrestled with the thought, a drunk middle-aged man in a cheap suit sidled up to her, leering. "Hey, beautiful. Drinking alone? Need some company?"
Normally, Linda could hold her liquor. But tonight, her bad mood had weakened her tolerance. She squinted at the pockmarked man and slurred, "Do you know how ugly you are? Get lost."
The man's friends at a nearby table burst out laughing. "Wu Zhipeng, you failed! Pay up—100 yuan each!"
Turns out, this Wu Zhipeng had bet his friends he could pick her up.
Humiliated and emboldened by alcohol, he ignored her rejection and plopped down beside her. *"Aw, come on, sweetheart. You look sad. Why don't you tell big brother all about it?"*
As he spoke, his hand snaked toward her waist—typical nightclub behavior. A drunk woman was fair game.
But before his fingers could touch her, a strong hand clamped around his wrist. He looked up in shock to see my furious face.
"Get lost," I growled through clenched teeth.
Wu Zhipeng initially flinched, but when he realized I was just a kid, his bravado returned. "Who the hell are you?!"
"I'm her husband."
I glanced at Linda—only to find she'd already passed out, face-down on the table.