Having lived a life of indulgence, Guan Xing had never truly faced his own emotions seriously. Or rather, toward women, for a long time he had only acted out of physical need. Having bed partners never repulsed him, but loving someone—he had genuinely never considered that possibility.
Accepting Sun Yiran had been because they shared similar life experiences and understood what each other needed. As for Hua Ruobing, her pure and wholehearted devotion made Guan Xing feel that he simply lacked the ability to give her what she truly desired.
So in recent days, he himself had been wavering.
Cheng Yunya's words struck him deeply. Would rejection really hurt her for an entire lifetime?
Though he was a playboy, drifting through romantic encounters, he had never intended to harm any woman.
His mood grew heavy and subdued. Even when the beautiful female employees of Feiyang came over to chat and flirt, Guan Xing found himself completely uninterested. At this moment, all he felt toward Hua Ruobing was a sense of powerless guilt.
That afternoon, Guan Xing received a call from Du Juan. They hadn't been in touch for quite some time.
"Brother Guan, I want to ask you something. How are things developing between you and Manager Hua?" After greeting him, Du Juan's question surprised Guan Xing. He had just been scolded by Cheng Yunya in the morning—had the young girl heard something already?
Guan Xing forced a smile and asked, "What's this? Xiao Juan, are you also interested in Brother Guan's private life now?"
"I'm not interested at all," Du Juan quickly replied. "Manager Hua came to see me earlier and asked me some strange questions."
Du Juan couldn't quite understand it herself. She had only felt that Hua Ruobing looked dispirited, no longer as radiant as before. When she mentioned Guan Xing unintentionally, there was deep pain in her eyes.
With her sensitivity, Du Juan knew that an emotional setback must be related to Brother Guan.
Now Guan Xing really grew worried. "Du Juan, is Ruobing sick? Then why didn't she come to me?" His medical skills were certainly better than Du Juan's, and besides, the infirmary had enough equipment and medicine—there was no need to go to a hospital for minor issues.
"How could she ask you, a man, about something so private?" Du Juan hesitated. "Brother Guan, did you say something to Manager Hua? She… she—"
She hesitated for a long time, unable to say it.
Guan Xing grew anxious. "What's wrong with her? Say it! She's always been a workaholic. Now she's taken leave—something must be wrong. Tell me quickly."
Even if they couldn't be lovers, they were still friends. At this moment, Guan Xing truly cared about Hua Ruobing.
Du Juan blushed for a long time before finally gathering her courage. This kind of matter really made her feel awkward.
"Manager Hua came to me today and asked me to help her with a surgery. She… she doesn't want to be a virgin anymore."
Before Du Juan could finish, Guan Xing felt his mind go blank.
"I've only heard of people repairing the hymen. But Manager Hua—she said the man she likes doesn't like virgin women. Brother Guan… is that man you?"
Guan Xing was drenched in cold sweat, completely shocked.
"Where is she now?" Panic filled his heart. He had only said it casually—she couldn't have taken it seriously, could she? This was no joke.
Du Juan's voice sounded dazed as well. She herself was full of doubts. She was a girl too, and she secretly liked Brother Guan, though she never dared to say it aloud. Did Brother Guan really dislike virgins?
"I don't know. After I refused her, Manager Hua left. Ah—this is bad. Manager Hua wouldn't—"
Though Du Juan didn't finish her sentence, Guan Xing already understood. Hua Ruobing wouldn't casually find a man and give herself away… would she?
At that moment, Guan Xing wished he could slap himself several times. His regret was so deep it felt like his intestines had turned green.
He hung up the phone immediately. Without thinking, he rushed to Cheng Yunya's office and told her that Hua Ruobing might be in trouble, asking her to find Ruobing's address and the contact information of her friends.
Qin Yunlu was also called in. Upon hearing that something had happened to Hua Ruobing, her face turned pale as well. Although the two women fought fiercely at Feiyang, they secretly respected and cherished each other. What Guan Xing felt was her genuine concern.
"Guan Xing, Ruobing's phone is turned off, and no one is answering at her apartment," Cheng Yunya said after trying every possible way to contact her, all to no avail.
Qin Yunlu grew anxious too. "It's almost dark now. Doctor Guan, go check the bars and small shops near her place. We'll keep contacting her friends. Let's stay in touch."
Guan Xing's mind was in complete chaos. At this moment, he was overwhelmed with regret. He had never imagined that Hua Ruobing had truly fallen for him—and so deeply, so passionately, like a flood bursting from a dam. Just because of one careless remark from him about disliking virgins, she was actually thinking of abandoning her virginity.
If Hua Ruobing really gave herself to some random man, Guan Xing would never forgive himself for the rest of his life.
By the time he reached Hua Ruobing's residence, dusk had fallen. Darkness slowly enveloped the area, and neon lights along the streets had already lit up. It was a quiet residential community, seemingly newly built, consisting mostly of mid-rise buildings. The apartment sizes weren't large, perfectly suited for white-collar rentals.
Two bedrooms and a living room, around seventy to eighty square meters—affordable whether living alone or sharing. It was essentially a white-collar apartment complex.
Guan Xing arrived at Hua Ruobing's door. It was tightly shut. He knocked for a long time with no response. The opposite door opened instead, and a young couple told him that Hua Ruobing had gone out at noon and hadn't returned. The neighbors all got along quite well.
After thanking them, Guan Xing hurried downstairs, got into his car, and began searching along the streets. Every bar, every KTV, every dance club—any place meant for venting emotions—he checked them one by one. Unfortunately, each search ended in disappointment. There was no sign of Hua Ruobing.
His heart ached. He swore that if Hua Ruobing returned safely, he would accept her.
Only at this moment did he realize that deep in his heart, he already held a sense of tenderness, even love, for her.
Love Silent.
Love Silent was a very special bar.
Hua Ruobing had only heard of it from her subordinates. It was the most famous one-night-stand bar in the capital—a place of hunters and prey, men and women.
After leaving the hospital, she slowly walked inside. Neon lights, a spinning stage, and wild, restless desires danced together with decadent music, singing in ecstatic harmony.
She poured alcohol down her throat. Her slender, gentle figure never once lifted her head from the moment she entered. She drank, she numbed herself. She needed a one-night stand to rid herself of the identity she had once thought the purest—she was a virgin, a woman who had waited in pain for the man she loved.
Beautiful women were not lacking here. But pure as a lotus, standing alone with icy pride—there was only one Hua Ruobing.
Like prey, tonight in Love Silent, she was unique.
At least ten pairs of lust-filled eyes circled around her. Two white-collar men in suits had already flanked her, attentively pouring her glass again and again. They were all waiting—for the moment when this woman would become drunk and lose herself.
On the second floor, there was a private room overlooking the entire hall of Love Silent.
Inside were three men—blond-haired, blue-eyed Westerners, all tall and imposing, exuding dominance. The young man in the middle had long hair reaching his shoulders. A wicked glint shone in his eyes as he watched the woman who was desperately drinking below.
"What is it, Lanfo? Taken a liking to that girl?" the burly Western man on the left said with a teasing tone, raising his glass and slowly savoring the wine.
The one on the right, seemingly the youngest, quickly added, "You two, we're here on serious business this time. Women can wait until after the job is done. Oriental beauties will always be there. If we mess this up, the boss will skin us alive."
"Xiao Mi, don't be so nervous. Dealing with a small Yun Tian doesn't require much effort. That woman… she's tempted me." Lanfo was not a frivolous man, but the moment that woman walked into the bar, she caught his attention. One could say she was the most beautiful woman he had seen since coming to China.
And as someone well-versed in women, he could tell at a glance—this woman was untouched. Pure like fresh snow, so pure that he couldn't help but be drawn to her.