"Night Cat" bar was situated in the bustling district of River City, where the volume of pedestrian traffic was enormous.
But with an increase in patrons, the inevitable consequence was that the entire bar became a mixed bag of characters.
Gu Xiyan, dressed in a black professional outfit, entered the bar, and although she wasn't wearing anything particularly eye-catching, she still exuded an overpowering presence that outshone everyone else.
She effortlessly eclipsed all the other women in the bar, drawing the undivided attention of the men there.
They were awed by Gu Xiyan's exceptionally charming looks and the formidable aura of a powerful woman, yet despite their admiration, none dared to approach her.
The men who frequented bars to pick up women were undoubtedly familiar with all sorts of luxury brands and could instantly tell that the bag Xiyan was carrying was worth more than a hundred thousand, something they could only afford after several years of saving.
Her business attire and the diamond necklace around her neck only intensified their sense of inferiority, deterring them from rashly intruding on the beautiful lady.
They could only hope that Gu Xiyan hadn't called friends to join her and that she was planning to get thoroughly drunk, in which case, they might have a sliver of a chance.
Gu Xiyan stepped into the bar and, listening to the cacophony of metal music and the fervent gazes cast her way, frowned, feeling somewhat out of place.
However, she was no stranger to such settings and simply ignored them, found a vacant seat, ordered several bottles of alcohol, and without any interest in dinner, began drinking heavily on her own!
A few confident men who believed they were elegant enough to win Gu Xiyan over approached her to invite her for a drink, but were sent away with just one word from her, "Scram!"
"You?!"
Angered and embarrassed by her blunt dismissal, they wanted to say more but were ultimately driven away by her commanding presence, leaving dejectedly.
The friends who had egged them on looked on at this scene and erupted in a chorus of hisses.
Gu Xiyan couldn't be bothered with these fools driven by lust, continuing to drink, one bottle after another…
In no time, she had finished three bottles.
Because she was drinking on an empty stomach, she was already quite drunk, her face flushed a brilliant red, which, when paired with her icy gaze, made her appear cold yet stunningly attractive.
The men who had been biding their time now looked intrigued; their lips curled into a sly smile as they sensed a bountiful harvest coming their way tonight.
Gu Xiyan's vision was beginning to blur from her drinking, but the discomfort and grievances in her heart weren't lessening despite the amount she had consumed.
She could still clearly remember her oppressive grandfather at the Gu Family, his threats and persuasions, her parents' weakness, her uncle's silence…
No one stood by her side to fight alongside her.
"Haha... family interests, sacrificing oneself..."
Gu Xiyan kept drinking, her expression somber. She murmured to herself and then suddenly thought of Mu Jinyu.
Although this man always managed to annoy her, he had nevertheless resolved the problems she asked him to help with every time, despite always refusing initially.
But surely, he must have done it for the sake of money, right?
Now that she was out of money, if she called him over, would he come?
Drunk, Gu Xiyan pondered this and decided to test it out. Without offering any financial incentive, she wanted to see if he would come to join her for a drink and protect her, or if he, like her relatives, would reveal his true colors once her value for exploitation was no longer as significant as the petty benefits they sought.
"Heh heh..."
Gu Xiyan chuckled to herself in her inebriated state, took out her phone, and dialed Mu Jinyu.
When the call ended, the outcome was somewhat unexpected.
Without mentioning money, Mu Jinyu didn't refuse her request and didn't even ask her to reimburse his travel expenses; he simply said he would be there soon and told her to stay safe.
"Heh heh..."
Gu Xiyan propped her cheek with one hand, her head tilted, as she chuckled drunkenly, not bothering to consider whether Mu Jinyu's previously harsh attitude toward her had been an act of playing hard to get.
Right now, she was extremely vulnerable; she didn't want to think about these matters, she just wanted to find someone to drink with and share the troubles weighing on her mind.
Gu Xiyan was strong-willed, and she hardly had any real friends, apart from Yu Linglong. It seemed that Mu Jinyu, someone she didn't find too irritating, could count as half a friend.
While waiting for Mu Jinyu to arrive, Gu Xiyan picked up her glass and took several more sips of alcohol.
Those who had been watching Gu Xiyan were considering the phone call she had just made; seeing her suddenly relax, they guessed she must have called a friend to come pick her up.
Even as their prey was about to fall into their mouths, they were unwilling to let go so easily.
However, they didn't hurry to act; knowing her friend was coming to pick her up, they figured they had some time. They decided to wait until Gu Xiyan drank even more, preferably until she blacked out. That way, they wouldn't have to lift a finger to easily drag her away.
"Bang!"
Ultimately, having drunk too quickly and too much, and after a few more sips, Gu Xiyan couldn't hold on any longer. Knowing that Mu Jinyu would soon arrive and thus less tense and cautious, her head tilted and she, holding the glass, sprawled over the bar table, her eyes drunkenly glazed, drifting off to sleep.
"The chance has come!"
A pack of wolves lying in wait, eager for their feed, saw that Gu Xiyan was blackout drunk, shouted in their hearts, and rushed towards her location.
They knew Gu Xiyan's friend would come for her soon; they had little time and needed to hurry to take care of any rivals in the bar, then carry Gu Xiyan away!
"Crash bang!"
The bar instantly erupted into chaos, with no one wanting to miss this opportunity.
In the end, a man in his thirties with a buzz cut, seeing the people lying on the floor, wore a smirk of triumph on his face, tossed away the half bottle in his hand, and strutted towards Gu Xiyan with his head raised and chest puffed out like a triumphant general.
"Babe, wake up, I'll take you home!"
The man lightly pushed Gu Xiyan on the shoulder and said those words; without waiting for a reaction from Gu Xiyan, he reached out to pick her up.
At that moment, someone suddenly patted his shoulder from behind.
"Hey!"
A very young man's voice.
"Get lost; don't disturb me," the man cursed without looking back, then ordered his minions, "Gouzi, Erdan, quickly get rid of this nuisance behind me. People will be arriving soon; hurry up!"
No one responded.
"Hey!"
The person behind him was still gently patting his shoulder.
"You motherf..."
The man, annoyed at the repeated interruptions and with a clenched fist, turned around to punch the person disrupting him!
"Slap!!"
But as he turned his face towards the person behind him, a palm struck him fiercely across the face!
The crisp and loud slap echoed throughout the noisy bar!
"Pff!!"
A few teeth and blood flew out.