Around noon, Jiang Nan Chen sent a message saying he was outside the residential complex.
Quan Jiu hurried downstairs. By the time she retrieved the gifts for Mimi and Tu Tu, the children had already returned home with lunch.
Time flew by once she entered her work mode. Quan Jiu ate lunch with the children, cleared the dishes, and then retreated to her study. As for Mimi and Tu Tu, considering she had plans for the evening, she sent them to the neighbor's.
She remained busy until five in the afternoon. Quan Jiu sent a message to the two children, informing them she had to go out and would be back late, instructing them to stay at Grandpa's house and not go out at night.
Then, she messaged the grandfather next door, expressing her gratitude, and hurried out.
Chu Rong looked at his phone, his brow furrowing unconsciously. He asked Mimi, "Did Mom say where she was going?"
Mimi shook her head. "She didn't say. But Mom usually tells us if she's going to see someone." If she didn't say, it meant the person she was going to see was unusual.
Chu Rong could only suppress the restlessness in his heart for the time being.
...
Mi Lai Qing Bar was a well-known upscale, relaxed bar in City A. The interior was decorated with a literary flair, and there was a folk singer performing on stage. The soothing music was more relaxing than that of noisy bars. Due to its expensive consumption, the clientele was limited to wealthy, artistic types.
At six in the afternoon, it was when customers were gradually increasing.
Quan Jiu presented the entry tickets that He Miao had booked in advance and walked into the bar with the crowd.
Fortunately, the bar had a large interior space, divided into two floors. The center of the first floor featured a circular stage surrounded by orderly seating. The second floor was a circular structure, allowing guests to view the performance downstairs.
Quan Jiu went up to the second floor, chose a spot with a good view, and sat down. She then sent a message to He Miao, informing her she had arrived and her table number.
He Miao asked her to wait a moment, saying she was parking.
Quan Jiu put down her phone and propped her chin on her hand, watching the performance downstairs. The soothing music, paired with the singer's distinctive husky voice, was like a wanderer in the desert, conveying a tenacious resistance to fate amidst loneliness.
Quan Jiu was engrossed in listening. It was only after the waiter called her name several times that she heard him. She turned and smiled, "Hm? What is it?"
The waiter's face showed surprise, clearly taken aback by the person's stunning beauty. After a moment of stunned silence, he asked again, "Does madam require ordering?" He handed her a menu.
"Okay, thank you. I'll take a look first. You can go ahead," Quan Jiu said with a smile, taking the menu.
The waiter, however, seemed reluctant to leave. He flashed a standard smile showing eight teeth and said, "It's alright, madam. Take your time looking, no rush." His attitude was a complete 180-degree turn.
Quan Jiu smiled. Alright, she asked, "What are your signature dishes here?"
The waiter listed several dish and drink names. Quan Jiu was too lazy to look at the menu and asked the waiter to place the order directly.
Soon, the cocktail named Marilyn Monroe, which she had ordered, was served first.
Quan Jiu took a sip. It tasted quite good, so she set it aside.
"Miss, you're so beautiful, why are you sitting alone? It must be lonely. Come, brothers will keep you company."
A rough-looking man sat down at the table opposite her. He was broad-shouldered and muscular, with a bald head and two large tattooed arms. His face was full of flesh, forming deep creases, making him seem out of place in the bar's atmosphere.
Quan Jiu pushed the drink in front of her away and lazily propped her chin on her hand. "Then you can pay my bill first."
The tattooed man clearly paused, then chuckled and patted his chest. "That's easy. Go, pay the bill."
A subordinate hurried away and returned shortly with a bill.
The tattooed man, who had a proud expression, suddenly deflated upon seeing the amount on the bill. One, ten, hundred, thousand... it was thirty-six thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine?
The tattooed man became agitated, stammering, "That... what did you order? This... is it just this one drink?" Was this some immortal brew from Yaochi to be so expensive?
Quan Jiu's gaze returned to the performance downstairs. She said nonchalantly, "The items aren't all here yet. What's the rush?"
The tattooed man's lips twitched. He slapped his fleshy hand down and angrily shouted, "You shameless bitch, give me my money back."
Quan Jiu looked at him with feigned innocence. "What did I do?"
The tattooed man slapped the bill onto the table in front of Quan Jiu. "Thirty-seven thousand. Give it back."
Quan Jiu chuckled. "You paid the bill yourself. What does it have to do with me?"
"You..." The tattooed man choked, not knowing what to say. He then resorted to intimidation. "If you don't pay me back, then consider me having bought you. Come, accompany me for a month, and I won't ask you for the money. Looking at your delicate skin, I'm even making a profit."
As he spoke, he lunged towards Quan Jiu, and his two subordinates blocked her path from either side.
Everyone around looked over, but facing such thugs, no one dared to step forward. Some even started recording videos with their phones, addicted to the drama. One subordinate grabbed a bottle from the next table and threatened to smash it. "What are you filming? Keep filming, and I'll smash it."
The person filming got scared and backed away repeatedly. Once the distance was sufficient, he continued filming. The other onlookers also retreated, and some shouted about calling the police.
Just as the tattooed man's fleshy hand was about to grab Quan Jiu's shoulder, a hand shot out from the side, seizing his wrist and twisting it. The tattooed man cried out in pain.
"Ouch, ouch, let go! You're breaking it."
"Bullying people in broad daylight, do you want to go to jail?" a stern voice rang out. As the rotating lights shifted, the crowd gradually saw the hero who had come to rescue the beauty.
The man had exquisite features, sharp as if cut by a knife, a face like peach petals, and eyes like autumn waves. Especially with his snow-white suit, he looked like a prince charming from a fairy tale.
"So handsome," the ladies in the crowd had forgotten the tense atmosphere and were captivated by the man's beautiful appearance.
The tattooed man, in pain and anger, waved his hand and roared, "What are you standing around for? Beat him!"
The two subordinates grabbed wine bottles, smashed them on the table, shattering the bases into pieces. The bottles in their hands immediately became sharp weapons, and they lunged at the handsome man.
Seeing that they were really going to fight, the onlookers finally became scared. Some had already run downstairs, while others, still addicted to the spectacle, hid in corners to record.
Someone, perhaps, shouted "They're fighting!" twice, drawing the attention of everyone in the bar.
The bar staff hurried downstairs to call security, while the manager frantically called the police. The scene descended into chaos.
But what was more spectacular was the scene of the incident itself.
The handsome man delivered a back kick, sending one subordinate flying far away. He crashed into a table, groaning in pain.
Then, with a reverse chop, he struck the other subordinate's wrist with his hand. The man cried out in pain, dropped the bottle, and retreated, clutching his numb arm.
Finally, the handsome man kicked the tattooed man's fleshy stomach.
The tattooed man fell to the ground, clutching his stomach and rolling in pain.
The blows were impactful, and the movements were fluid and seamless. In just over ten seconds, he had taken down three people. The surrounding crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.
The handsome man elegantly made a shushing gesture, "Shhh~" causing the ladies around to let out involuntary screams.
"Are you alright?" The handsome man extended his hand to Quan Jiu, as if he were about to have a rose in his mouth.