As time passed, the atmosphere in the booth gradually intensified, and a group of young people began to loosen up and started playing around with each other.
Although Qi Man was chatting with them, her gaze occasionally drifted to the side where Gu Bai was laughing and talking with Yi Yiyi.
"Qi Man, how about a drink with me?"
Deng Bo nearly had "I'm into you" written all over his face.
Hearing this, Qi Man raised her glass and clinked it with his, downing her drink in one go without any change in her expression. She must be a pro at drinking.
Deng Bo wanted to find a topic to chat about, but Qi Man stood up directly.
"I'm going to sit with Yiyi."
With that, she walked with small steps towards the sofa where Gu Bai sat.
Qi Man was well aware of Deng Bo's feelings. Without Gu Bai as the competition, she might have been mildly interested in this boy, especially knowing Deng Bo's family was well-off, with several properties in an international metropolis like Shanghai. But compared to Gu Bai, who practically wore the value of a luxury mansion in Shanghai on his wrist, Deng Bo clearly came up short.
Watching Qi Man sit next to Gu Bai, it wouldn't be realistic to say Deng Bo didn't feel any way about it, but when he thought of the gap between him and Gu Bai, he could accept it.
How could he argue when he wasn't as handsome or as wealthy?
Fortunately, he was quite philosophical about it and didn't dwell too long, instead joining Lou Xun and Wen Cunming as they aimed for the girls Hong Linli and Dong Ping.
Meanwhile.
"Yiyi, mind if I borrow your Gu Bai for a chat?"
"Chat! Chat as much as you want!"
Yi Yiyi was not the type to be shy easily. She just liked Gu Bai, so when Qi Man said Gu Bai was hers, Yiyi couldn't be happier.
Qi Man smiled charmingly.
She casually picked up two bottles of fruit beer from the table, handing one to Gu Bai.
"Gu Bai, you should be from Anhui Province, right?"
"How did you know?"
Gu Bai was a little puzzled.
"Deng Bo mentioned it to me on the way here."
Hearing it was Deng Bo who told her, Gu Bai wasn't surprised. That guy never could keep his mouth shut.
Gu Bai nodded, having nothing to hide.
Qi Man extended her bottle: "I spent some time in Anhui when I was young, so if you really think about it, we're kind of like half-hometown folks. Shall we toast to that?"
The bottles clinked with a crisp sound.
Unlike Yi Yiyi, who was the cute type, Qi Man was the kind of woman who made men want to possess her. To put it positively, she was enchanting and seductive; negatively, she could be called predatory.
From today's interactions, how could Gu Bai not know what Qi Man was thinking? By nature as a man, Gu Bai was indeed somewhat interested in seeing where things could go with her, but he was not someone who would sleep with just anyone. Comparatively, he preferred the simpler Yi Yiyi type.
As for Qi Man...
Though outrageously beautiful, as long as she remained interested, winning over such a girl would be straightforward.
For girls with strong ulterior motives like her, keeping her hanging for a while wasn't a bad idea.
If she could handle being kept on the hook, he'd eventually have her. If not, she could freely pursue other guys, which would also serve as a warning. Gu Bai did not want a suddenly complicated love life.
"Shall we play dice?"
Qi Man picked up the dice cup and gave it a shake.
"You guys go ahead; I'm going to chat with Yiyi."
Gu Bai directly turned her down.
Since he decided to leave her hanging, there was no need to waste effort.
Hearing this, Qi Man's eyes briefly dimmed, but she quickly returned to her cheerful self.
"Fine, I won't interrupt your private talk with Yiyi."
After saying that, she stood up and returned to her original seat without any hesitation.
"Oni-chan, what did you and Sister Man talk about?"
Being a curious girl, Yi Yiyi quickly asked after seeing Qi Man leave.
Raising his hand to gently touch her twin ponytails, Gu Bai smiled and said, "I said there's a fairy sitting next to me, and I can't be distracted to chat with anyone else."
"I didn't expect Oni-chan to know how to make people happy despite being such a straightforward guy!"
Yi Yiyi was very pleased with Gu Bai's gesture, showing no signs of displeasure. After all, Gu Bai hadn't shown her much warmth all day, but the turning point was when she wore black stockings tonight!
"Turns out he likes black stockings, I'll buy a few more pairs next time," Yi Yiyi thought to herself.
As for Gu Bai, his thoughts were simple.
If the sea would eventually bring in the Shanghai Theatre Academy's fish, why couldn't it be Yi Yiyi?
Sitting not far away, Deng Bo watched Gu Bai's actions, nearly fuming with envy.
He hooked up with the so-called goddess of the drama department, Zhai Li, in his freshman year, and now, at the beginning of sophomore year, he had top beauties Qi Man and Yi Yiyi throwing themselves at him.
Does being handsome give you special privileges?
Does having money mean you can do whatever you want?
Gu Bai was unaware of Deng Bo's envious and jealous gaze fixated on him, as he was teaching Yi Yiyi how to play dice hand in hand.
Although the atmosphere at their booth wasn't particularly lively, it appeared quite harmonious.
Gu Bai was fairly enjoying himself.
Meanwhile, at another booth not far from them, there was a different kind of atmosphere.
A young man was holding a selfie stick, shouting loudly into his phone's camera, "Thanks to Brother Wangqing for sending a rocket! Everyone, spam the chat to thank Brother Wangqing!"
The other men and women in the booth joined in the shout with the young man's voice.
Judging by the scene, it seemed like some live streamer was doing an outdoor stream at TAXX.
The young man's name was Jin Xiaojian, a live streamer on the Douyu platform specializing in outdoor streaming. He was quite famous in the outdoor section. Normally, his live stream content was about picking up girls in supercars or in nightclubs, which attracted a fan following.
Jin Xiaojian usually presented himself as a wealthy second generation (fuerdai), but he was actually not even close to that; he was a genuine "negative second generation" with considerable debt. The supercars he showcased were rented, but people loved watching him. In over a year of streaming, he not only cleared his debts but also managed to buy a Porsche 911 with the support of his loyal fans living on instant noodles.
In order to switch up his live content, he frequented major nightclubs around the country. The title of today's stream was changed to "Experience the Most Luxurious Bar in Shanghai with Me!"
"I wonder what Brother Wangqing wants to see?"
Immediately, Brother Wangqing's comment appeared on the screen.
"Of course, it's watching you pick up girls. What else are we watching, you breaking stones with your chest in a bar?"
Jin Xiaojian burst into laughter when he saw the comment. This Brother Wangqing was one of the major supporters of his stream, frequently rewarding him. Naturally, he had to fulfill his request.
"Since Brother Wangqing wants to see me pick up girls, I'll find a girl to flirt with for everyone to see. And everybody, send those gifts my way!"
Though regular viewers weren't as generous or wealthy as the major supporters, even a small mosquito is still meat, right?
Brother Wangqing's comment appeared again.
"Same old routine every day, already sick of watching it. Today, go flirt with a girl who has a male companion. If you dare, I'll immediately send you 5 Super Fires!"
Upon seeing the comment, Jin Xiaojian hesitated for only a few seconds before agreeing. Five Super Fires amounted to 10,000 yuan, a reward seldom seen in his streaming room. Though there was a risk of getting beaten up for causing trouble, it seemed insignificant compared to five Super Fires.
Jin Xiaojian then stepped out of the booth.
"First, I'll take you on a tour. Whichever girl you want to see the streamer flirt with, I'll flirt with her."
With that, he started wandering around the bar with his phone held up.
When he reached Gu Bai's booth, he happened to run into Qi Man and several girls who were just returning from the restroom.
The camera captured Qi Man's face, and the initially picky comments went wild.
"It's her!"
"If the streamer manages to flirt with her, I'll donate the last 500 yuan from my salary card!"
"Here are 200 fish balls! Streamer, get started!"
Jin Xiaojian, focused on the comments, didn't notice Qi Man as she passed by until the comments went haywire and only then looked around.
When he finally saw Qi Man's face, even someone as seasoned in the field as he couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
Compared to Qi Man, the girls he flirted with before didn't even hold a candle.
At that moment, a Super Fire effect flew across the screen.
Forget Love: "Xiaojian, go flirt with her. If you can get her contact info for me, I'll send you another 10 Super Fires."
In his heart, Jin Xiaojian thought, "If I could flirt with a girl of this caliber, would I even care about your few measly Super Fires?"
But his words were completely different, with a flattering smile on his face.
"Thanks to Brother Wangqing for the Super Rocket. Since Brother Wangqing has pointed her out, I'll give it a try. But honestly, that girl we just saw is the prettiest in our streaming room in a long time. It's not going to be easy, so I'll need all your support!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of gifts scrolled across the screen.
"Stop dawdling, get going!"
"Quit babbling, charge!"
Jin Xiaojian had become completely immune to these comments after nearly two years of streaming and continued to shout, "Type JGNB on the public screen! I'm charging in!"
"JGNB!"
"JGNB+2"
"JGNB (breaking voice!)"
Watching the comments, Jin Xiaojian, with his phone in hand and accompanied by his sidekicks, walked into Gu Bai's booth.
Having streamed for so long, his skin had become practically bulletproof, and he wasn't afraid of intruding on a booth.
Plus, he had spent enough time in various nightclubs to have developed his own set of tricks and tactics.
Even though he noticed there were quite a few guys in the booth, he didn't think much of it. Usually, in nightclubs, you shouldn't intrude on extra-large booths or VIP booths, since those are reserved for wealthy people or rich second-generation types, whom he couldn't afford to offend.
But for medium or small booths like this one, they're usually rented by ordinary young people looking for a good time, so he didn't expect any serious issues, which was why he could act so recklessly.
"Good evening, ladies, I'm from the booth next to yours. I've been watching you for a while. You don't seem like frequent club-goers; your vibe is a bit tame."
As he spoke, he completely dismissed Gu Bai and the other guys.
It had to be said, Jin Xiaojian indeed had a pleasing appearance, making it difficult for people to take an instant dislike to him.
Just as he was playing dice with Yi Yiyi, Gu Bai looked up when he heard this, with a teasing smile at the corner of his mouth.
Previously, at nightclubs, he was always well-protected by security, never having to worry about being disturbed. It was the first time he encountered such a situation, and as a fellow man, Gu Bai naturally knew what Jin Xiaojian was up to.