Chapter 26: Bar part 1
The bar was massive. Chu Yang and Zhou Ningyu had only been at the bar counter initially, but when Zhou Ningyu mentioned she wanted to see a show, a waiter led them to a set of doors. The moment they opened, it was like stepping into another worldâboisterous, lively, and incredibly lavish.
A massive chandelier hung overhead, and the corridors of the second floor were visible from below. The spiral staircases and railings were exquisitely crafted, with guards posted at the base of the stairs; clearly, one needed a certain status to head up there.
Zhou Ningyu grabbed Chu Yangâs wrist and pulled him through the crowd. As the shifting lights washed over them, Chu Yang shifted his weight to block people trying to crowd them as they made their way toward the brightest area of the room.
Looking up, they saw a performer holding two long bottles, putting on a fire-breathing show. As the flames roared upward, the crowd below erupted in cheers.
Zhou Ningyu smiled and turned to Chu Yang. “People say the performances here are great. What do you think?”
“Itâs cool,” he replied.
They looked around for a bit. Zhou Ningyu was somewhat interested in a game where people caught playing cards with their mouths, but seeing that mostly men were playing that round, she decided against it.
The two then headed toward the center of the dance floor. Because they were exceptionally good-looking and moved with a relaxed pace, they didn’t look like wide-eyed newcomers.
The dance floor was packed. Zhou Ningyu moved skillfully to the music, but Chu Yangâs mind wasn’t on the dancing; his attention was entirely on the men nearby. Every time he saw a guy try to press against Zhou Ningyu, he pulled her back.
It made the men feel a bit awkward. With the music blaring, Zhou Ningyu leaned in and laughed against Chu Yangâs ear. “This is normal, itâs just grinding. If someone gets handsy, Iâll snap their wrists.”
“Their eyes are handsy,” Chu Yang muttered.
Zhou Ningyu draped her arm over him. “You can actually tell? I find that hard to believe.”
She had heard all about Chu Yangâs “obliviousness journals” from Chu Yuanzhou.
“However… the fact that they still want to press against me when I clearly have a male companion with me means their motives are indeed impure. Best to stay away from them.”
The two moved away, finding themselves pushed toward the middle of the dance floor by the crowd. Chu Yang was tall, and a spotlight happened to shine directly down on him.
In that instant, the breath hitched in the throats of everyone nearby. He was too beautifulâbeautiful to the point of being striking. He clearly didn’t know how to dance, simply following Zhou Ningyuâs movements.
His limbs were a bit stiff as he swayed casually, his face expressionless and his lashes lowered as he looked at the crowd with a tired, listless air.
With his height and long legs, his slender waistline was visible even through his loose clothing. As he moved, the hem of his shirt rode up slightly, drawing every eye.
Unbeknownst to him, his silky black hair clung to his neck, and his skin was so fair it seemed to glow. His hands and feet occasionally lacked coordination, which was actually quite cute, especially when heâd occasionally stare seriously down at his own feet.
He ignored his surroundings and seemed entirely out of place, yet people couldn’t stop their gazes from being drawn to him.
In an instant, the area became even more crowded as everyone surged toward him.
Two people began dancing right against him. Chu Yangâs brow furrowed. He restrained himself from pushing them away directly, but he turned his body, prepared to slip away.
Zhou Ningyu pulled him out of the huddle and made a “heâs mine” gesture to the crowd.
But not everyone followed the rules. Some men, taking advantage of being taller than Chu Yang, crowded him even more obviously.
First, someone squeezed his arm, and then a hand tried to slide toward his waist… Chu Yangâs gaze sharpened. He spun around, seized the hand, and twisted it with a sudden burst of force, causing the man to let out two sharp cries of pain.
“Keep your hands to yourself,” Chu Yang said coldly.
His eyes were as dark as ink, his brows lowered with a lack of emotion. His voice was frigid, but paired with that extraordinarily beautiful face, his icy indifference only made people’s hearts race with more desire.
The sound of several people swallowing hard could be heard over the music.
Chu Yang shoved the man’s hand away. He turned to say something to Zhou Ningyu, but his eyes locked with someone on the second floor. It was an acquaintance, though he didn’t know how long the person had been standing there watching.
It was Pei Xilin.
Chu Yang raised an eyebrow at him. Then, he leaned down and whispered something to Zhou Ningyu, and the two left the dance floor to head back toward the original bar counter.
They were planning to go to a private room.
Pei Xilin had indeed been watching Chu Yang for a long while. He had stepped out for some air and, as if by instinct, his gaze had settled on Chu Yang the moment he looked down.
He hadn’t noticed Zhou Ningyu at first and had intended to go straight down to find him, wondering why Chu Yang would come to a place like this. It wasn’t until he saw Chu Yang blocking people for Zhou Ningyu that he realized they were together.
Pei Xilin had been very busy lately, wanting to finish all his business as soon as possible so he could officially ask Chu Yang out. His schedule was packed, and before bed, he could only scroll through photos of Chu Yang. He hadn’t checked the school forum for a long time, so he was unaware of many recent events.
Was that woman… Chu Yangâs girlfriend?
The two were very close. Chu Yang was smiling while talking to her and even learning to dance from her. He clearly hadn’t been to a bar before; was he willing to come to such a place just to accompany a girlfriend?
Pei Xilinâs heart and eyes felt a dull ache. He watched the crowd around Chu Yang being drawn to him. In the dim, suggestive lighting, a person as fair as him was no different from “Tang Sanzang” surrounded by “demons”!
Pei Xilin almost wanted to rush down and shove everyone away from him!
He thought Chu Yangâs dancing was adorable, especially when heâd look down at his own legs with a cold, focused expression when he lost his rhythm. It was too cute.
Even when the spotlight wasn’t on Chu Yang, Pei Xilin only had eyes for him.
The floor below was like a giant music box, and Chu Yang was the only doll inside, spinning with the music while everyone else wanted to pull him into their arms.
As soon as Chu Yang and Zhou Ningyu stepped out, Pei Xilin immediately went downstairs to follow. The main area had become lively, and many people were staring at Chu Yang. The waiter at the front was even more obvious, smiling while introducing everything in a clear attempt to curry favor.
Zhou Ningyu was hesitating. Chu Yang felt a bit helpless as he listened to her ask about male hosts to provide company and singing, but drinking with just the two of them was admittedly a bit boring.
The waiter looked like he wanted to go in and sing for them himself, but the division of labor here was clear; he was stuck at the front desk tonight.
Before they could decide, someone suddenly approached from the side. “What a coincidence.”
Chu Yang turned and saw that Pei Xilin had caught up to them. “What a coincidence. You’re here to play?”
Pei Xilin immediately denied it. “No. I’m here on business. I don’t usually come to places like this. I’m leaving as soon as the deal is done.”
Chu Yang hadn’t expected such a serious explanation. “Oh.”
Zhou Ningyu, sensing something was off, turned around. She looked Pei Xilin over and frowned. “And this is?”
The man’s build and aura didn’t seem to match Chu Yang at all; he didn’t look like a good person.
“A friend,” Chu Yang replied. He didn’t say Pei Xilinâs name, not wanting Pei Xilinâs mess to involve Zhou Ningyu.
Pei Xilin also looked at Zhou Ningyu, waiting for an introduction. Before Chu Yang could speak, Zhou Ningyu said, “I’m also a friend of Chu Yangâs. Zhou Ningyu.”
Whether she meant “friend” or “girlfriend” was for Pei Xilin to figure out for himself.
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