Chapter 78: What an Unexpected Surprise! So Cool!
At this moment, Situ Yueying's alluring and beautiful face was frozen into a mask of congealed ice. Her moist, usually playful eyes looked coldly at Shen Anyu, devoid of any warmth.
She was no longer the captivating beauty who mixed drinks with a smile. She was like a witch emerging from the shadows, extremely dangerous and volatile.
As an [Innate Peak] expert and the Dragon King Mr. Han's right-hand woman, Situ Yueying was not just a bar owner. She was the unseen controller of this bustling commercial street, the queen of the night.
This cocktail, [Dream Night], was her pride. It was her soul poured into a glass.
If he dared to trample on her hard work like this—calling it "garbage" in front of her staff and customers—and couldn't give a satisfactory reason... Situ Yueying swore she would break the legs of the handsome man in front of her and throw him into the garbage heap behind the bar herself.
The might of an [Innate Peak] warrior surged forth, creating an invisible pressure that made the air heavy.
Liu Mi, being a young girl with no martial arts skills, instantly felt the drop in temperature. Her face turned pale, and her delicate body trembled slightly. She felt a deep sense of unease, as if a fierce beast from the mountains was standing before her, ready to pounce.
Just then, a warm, large hand grasped her cold small hand.
Liu Mi was startled. She looked up and saw Shen Anyu's warm, reassuring smile. He didn't look worried at all.
"With me here, you'll be fine."
"Mm."
Liu Mi softly hummed in agreement. Her beautiful eyes gazed obsessively at the man beside her. With him there, it was as if he had propped up the sky for her, shielding her from the storm. She no longer needed to worry about anything.
Her favorability increased again, cementing her reliance on him.
And then, Shen Anyu's gaze turned back to Situ Yueying, who was poised like a tigress ready to strike. He smiled faintly, unfazed by her killing intent.
"Your [Dream Night] cocktail uses two hundred milliliters of Wiborowa vodka, sixty milliliters of Midori melon liqueur, fifty-five milliliters of Crown sweet wine, twenty grams of fresh-squeezed Changbai Mountain wild ginseng, five slices of Ganoderma lucidum, and exactly three ice cubes..."
"The ingredients alone are quite valuable. Top tier."
"Your bartending skills are also pretty good. The technique is flawless."
Situ Yueying's expression softened a bit, the murderous intent receding slightly. She looked at Shen Anyu with some surprise. She hadn't expected this handsome Young Master to be able to identify the ingredients she used just by tasting it once.
That required a refined palate.
However, a hint of coldness remained in her eyes. Because Shen Anyu was still missing the most crucial ingredient. And merely based on the list of ingredients, could he trample on her hard work and call her masterpiece rubbish?
Shen Anyu looked at Situ Yueying with a smile, his eyes gleaming with insight. He leisurely said:
"But... you were too clever for your own good."
"For the dream-like atmosphere, you added datura fruit—a real blunder, a true blunder!"
Situ Yueying stiffened.
"Although datura fruit has a mild hallucinogenic effect, allowing people to feel ethereal and dream-like after drinking this cocktail... creating the illusion of a 'Dream Night'..."
"However, this also makes the wine impure. Its color is slightly turbid, its taste slightly bitter, and its lingering charm insufficient! It ruins the balance."
"Does a truly top-tier cocktail need datura fruit to induce a dream? Does true art rely on cheap tricks?"
"Absolutely not!"
"You took a wrong turn to enhance that dream-like effect. This is a desecration of fine wine. Is it not rubbish?"
The silence in the booth was deafening. Situ Yueying stared at him, her lips parted in shock.
At this moment, a commotion erupted near the entrance.
"Who dares cause trouble here?!"
Situ Yueying's younger brother, Situ Yuehe, heard that someone was causing trouble and claiming his sister's wine was rubbish. He arrived furiously with a group of burly subordinates, glaring menacingly at Shen Anyu.
These men, each robust and powerfully built, with fierce expressions and tattoos peeking out from their collars, were all top-tier enforcers. They were elite thugs who had carved out a name for themselves in the underworld of the Demon City!
The surrounding customers fell silent as cicadas in winter, looking at Shen Anyu with sympathy and pity. To dare cause trouble in Dream Bar... he clearly didn't want to live. Who didn't know that Dream Bar had powerful backing?
Liu Mi's delicate body trembled, and she tightly hugged Shen Anyu's arm, burying her face in his shoulder. Only then did she feel some sense of security, though she was still deeply worried.
Shen Anyu, however, wore a faint smile. He didn't even look at the thugs. He didn't care about any of this.
His gaze was fixed on Situ Yueying, and he leisurely said:
"Boss lady... am I right?"
"Kid, you..."
Situ Yuehe was angered by his arrogance. His fist, as big as a sandbag, was raised, about to strike.
However, just then, Situ Yueying extended a hand, stopping her younger brother in his tracks.
She looked at Shen Anyu with a complex gaze—a mixture of shock, realization, and a strange excitement.
Tap, tap, tap!
She walked in her high heels, her enchanting body swaying like a cat, a remarkably fluid and proud curve. She stopped right in front of Shen Anyu, invading his personal space.
Situ Yueying looked down at Shen Anyu, her cold beautiful eyes and superior [Aura] like a fierce beast looking at its prey. Or perhaps, a predator acknowledging another.
"Handsome... you're very bold. Aren't you afraid?"
Shen Anyu looked up, an amused expression on his face. His gaze swept over the snowy smoothness of her skin, the fresh red lips, the delicate and captivating pretty face, finally resting on Situ Yueying's cold, beautiful eyes.
"Why should I be afraid?"
"I believe, Boss Lady, not only will you not touch me... but you'll also be very happy to have found a kindred spirit."
Shen Anyu found it amusing in his heart. With his strength, he could crush everyone in front of him with a single finger. Why would he be afraid?
Whether in terms of status, position, or strength, he was completely dominant!
Looking at the enchanting and cold, yet infinitely charming Dream Bar owner Situ Yueying, Shen Anyu immediately found himself greatly interested.
Such a woman... was worth conquering and collecting.
"A kindred spirit?"
As Shen Anyu's words fell, everyone around was stunned, not understanding what he meant.
Could degrading Situ Yueying's meticulously prepared [Dream Night] cocktail as rubbish—and even spilling it on the floor—make Situ Yueying happy?
Was this handsome Young Master out of his mind?
Everyone looked at Shen Anyu with strange expressions.
But, Situ Yueying's subsequent reaction left them dumbfounded and speechless.
"Haha..."
Situ Yueying laughed. Her shoulders shook, her chest heaving.
Then, the frost on her pretty face melted away like snow in the sun. Spring blossomed in her expression. She returned to her enchanting, charming self, but with a genuine warmth that hadn't been there before.
Her beautiful eyes, like water, looked at Shen Anyu. She parted her red lips, her breath like orchids:
"A kindred spirit... indeed a kindred spirit! Handsome, you've made me interested!"
[Ding! Detected destined heroine Situ Yueying favorability +40, plundering +120,000 Destiny Points!]
Listening to Situ Yueying's words and watching her reaction, not only the surrounding customers but even her younger brother, Situ Yuehe, widened his eyes. They found it unbelievable.
Although Situ Yueying usually carried herself with alluring charm, she had never been intimate with other men. She kept a distance. Let alone speaking words of admiration and kinship to a stranger who just insulted her drink.
Especially Situ Yuehe... he knew that his sister's beloved man was that low-key and patient live-in son-in-law of the Liu family, Dragon King Mr. Han.
How could this be?
Shen Anyu also raised an eyebrow, not expecting Situ Yueying's favorability to increase by forty points so suddenly. It was a massive jump.
Although he had learned from previous information that Situ Yueying was extremely fond of bartending and fine wine, it seemed the extent was underestimated. She was obsessed.
At this moment, Situ Yueying, seeing everyone's confusion, leisurely explained, her voice filled with a mix of pride and self-deprecation:
"I've been bartending for over ten years. And [Dream Night] has always been my proudest creation!"
"However, the original [Dream Night] was rarely appreciated. Few people slowly savored its unique charm. They found it bland."
"It wasn't until later, when I gave up and added datura fruit to force the effect, that it surprisingly gained countless admirers! Everyone praised it as magical!"
"How ridiculous!" She laughed bitterly.
"The current [Dream Night]... is indeed rubbish! It's a lie in a glass."
As these words fell, everyone suddenly understood. They looked at Shen Anyu in shock, not expecting him to be able to discern this hidden truth.
Over so many years, Shen Anyu was the first to see it. The first to understand her artistic compromise. No wonder Situ Yueying considered him a kindred spirit.
Since even Situ Yueying herself called it rubbish, she naturally wouldn't be angry.
Situ Yueying's enchanting and alluring pretty face now looked seriously at Shen Anyu. She leaned in, her voice soft and promising:
"Handsome, your consumption today is completely free. And I will refund your previous expenses."
"Furthermore, from now on... whenever you come to Dream Night Bar, everything will be free! You are a VIP among VIPs."
As these words fell, everyone was instantly astonished. They looked at Shen Anyu with envy and jealousy burning in their eyes.
This was too good to be true! Everything free at Dream Bar from now on?!
Dream Bar was the most top-tier bar in the Demon City, with extremely high consumption. It was a veritable money pit. It had never offered free service before; even important figures only received discounts at most.
But now, Shen Anyu was enjoying the privilege of everything being free from now on!
And that wasn't all!
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