Yuan Ye's brutality shocked everyone present.
Even Hong Tao was stunned for a long time before he realized what had just happened. A glance at Yuan Ye revealed a bald head, muscular arms wrapped in a black tank top, and a large tattoo covering his back. This was definitely not someone to mess with!
Liu Bing also realized she had provoked the wrong person and quickly turned to Hong Tao for help. In the entire bar, Hong Tao was likely the only one with the influence and resources to contend with Yuan Ye. As for the others? They looked as if they'd never seen anything like this before; such a sudden incident had probably frightened them witless.
"Brother, brother, this is all just a misunderstanding," Hong Tao said, raising a glass of wine and trying his best to mediate. "Let's talk this over. How about this? I'll offer you a drink first as an apology for Liu Bing's earlier offense."
Yuan Ye didn't even bother to look at him. His predatory gaze was fixed with great interest on Li Ruoshui. In that moment, she was like a little lamb ready for slaughter. The atmosphere turned eerie, and no one dared to breathe too loudly.
"If you want to settle this, fine," Yuan Ye finally said, raising his hand and pointing at Li Ruoshui. "Let this lady spend the night with me. As long as she serves me well, we'll call it even."
This was an explicit demand for Li Ruoshui to keep him company, and no one present was foolish enough to misunderstand what kind of company he meant.
"This...?" Hong Tao hesitated. This whole mess had nothing to do with Li Ruoshui. Besides, she was the goddess he had admired for so long; how could he just hand her over to someone else? Moreover, he had just boldly declared that he would handle any trouble Li Ruoshui encountered. To boast one second and send her into the lion's den the next… This was no different from slapping his own face.
"Isn't that the heavy hitter, Yuan Ye? What's going on?"
"I heard these young kids hit one of his men."
"Are they asking for trouble? In Hangcheng City, hardly anyone dares to provoke Yuan Ye. He's a tough nut to crack, a man who fought and killed his way to the top!"
Many spectators commented, feeling pity for Hong Tao and his classmates. Provoking Yuan Ye meant you'd be skinned alive, if you weren't killed outright.
"Lady, when I, Yuan Ye, take an interest in a woman, there's only one outcome: you can't escape, even if you grow wings," Yuan Ye said, ignoring Hong Tao and beckoning to Li Ruoshui with his finger. "I don't want to get rough, so be smart and come with me quietly."
Li Ruoshui's gaze remained cold. She didn't retaliate, but she didn't stand up either.
"Uh, Mr. Yuan, right? To be honest, I'm a former classmate of Young Master Han," Hong Tao tried, attempting to use Han Feng's name to defuse the situation. "Perhaps you could… for his sake, let this slide?"
Yuan Ye was indeed momentarily stunned. In Hangcheng City, Han Feng's name was legendary. After all, the Han Family was on the verge of becoming the city's wealthiest. As the only son of the prominent businessman, Han Feng's name carried a lot of weight in Hangcheng City.
Hong Tao let out a sigh of relief, sensing a possible turnaround.
"Heh." Yuan Ye suddenly sneered and slapped Hong Tao across the face. "Is Young Master Han's name something that scum like you are worthy of mentioning?"
The slap was even heavier than the last. Blood trickled from Hong Tao's nose and mouth as he staggered, nearly collapsing. In truth, Hong Tao knew better than anyone that he and Han Feng were worlds apart, not to mention they had no contact since graduation. If things really blew up, Han Feng was far more likely to give face to Yuan Ye than to a nobody like him. What now…
Liu Bing, covering her own face and seeing that Hong Tao was no help, turned to Li Ruoshui with pleading eyes. "Ruoshui, maybe you should just agree… I don't think this man is a bad guy. He just wants some company; it's not like you'll lose a piece of your flesh. Who knows, he might see how sensible you are and take you to greater heights from now on!"
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Zhao Jian exploded with fury. "You caused this mess, and you want Ruoshui to take the fall for you? How dare you even say that? Have you no shame?"
At this point, even Hong Tao considered cutting his losses. After all, abandoning Li Ruoshui to get through this crisis safely wasn't necessarily a bad trade. The only shame was that he had never gotten a taste of such a beautiful woman before some brute like Yuan Ye defiled her. The thought of the corpulent Yuan Ye pressing down on Li Ruoshui's delicate body was so nauseating that Hong Tao nearly threw up last night's dinner. What a waste!
Just then, a flirtatiously dressed woman emanating a strong scent of rouge entered the scene.
"Brother Yuan, what's gotten you so worked up? My humble little bar can't handle your fury!" the woman cooed, continuously batting her eyes at him.
Shen Fanyun learned from the whispers of other patrons that this woman was Shen Ruyan, the proprietress of Houhai Bar.
"I've taken a liking to a girl, but she's being a little disobedient," Yuan Ye said in his coarse voice.
Shen Ruyan glanced at Li Ruoshui. At first, she was stunned by the girl's heavenly beauty. A moment later, a meaningful smile spread across her face.
"Proprietress, this is my classmate. Could you possibly make an exception?" Hong Tao, his conscience still somewhat intact, tried to negotiate one last time.
"Hehe," Shen Ruyan sneered. "Once you step into my Houhai Bar, you are one of my people. Since Brother Yuan fancies her, he can take her. I, Shen Ruyan, still have some say in Hangcheng City after all these years! Brother Yuan, if this girl dares to resist, I'll deal with her for you!"
So, once you're in the bar, you become the bar's property, to be disposed of at their whim? You lose your personal freedom just by having a drink?
Shen Fanyun had to sarcastically applaud Shen Ruyan for her bandit-like logic. He looked up, his gaze quietly landing on her. "People who speak with such certainty often invite divine retribution. Moreover, my classmate is neither your employee nor your subordinate. With just a few words, you're going to arrange for her to accompany… oh, this Brother Yuan?"
"Looking for trouble?" Shen Ruyan squinted.
"Don't throw accusations around. Isn't it obvious who's looking for trouble?" Shen Fanyun corrected her. "Besides, this bootlicking of yours is what I find truly repulsive."
"Young man, causing a scene in my Houhai Bar is not a wise choice," Shen Ruyan said, a bitter laugh escaping her as she lit a slim cigarette.
Shen Fanyun stood up. At 1.8 meters, he wasn't particularly bulky, but an invisible, powerful aura radiated from him, making both Shen Ruyan and Yuan Ye feel uneasy.
"You… what do you think you're doing? Wasn't this resolved? Are you trying to drag it out?"
"Shen Fanyun, shut your mouth! Stop making a scene!" Liu Bing, worried about further complications, actually began to scold Shen Fanyun. "Do you want to drag us all down with you if this gets any worse?"