The soundproofing of the second-floor private room at Ye Bar was excellent. Once the door closed, no music from outside could penetrate in, but if someone tried to escape or scream for help, their heart-wrenching cries would be drowned out by the deafening DJ remixes.
“Those who can’t handle the game have left. The ones staying are either all-in or just daring enough to play.”
The young man sitting sprawled on the private room sofa had long hair dyed golden at the tips. His narrow phoenix-shaped eyes held a drifting sense of amusement. In front of him lay colorful balloons, and under the sofa were scattered air pumps. He spoke slowly and casually, and with just one glance, his sidekick poured him two full glasses: “Come on, Yuan Yuan, let’s have a drink.”
Tao Sheng pushed a glass toward the girl in the white dress sitting beside him.
“I can’t drink anymore.”
He Yuan’s tone was as sweet and delicate as ever, but now it carried a faint nasal tone. Her eyes and nose tip were slightly red, making her look particularly pitiful.
But instead of eliciting sympathy, her act only stirred the sadistic impulses of those around her: “Can’t drink anymore? Then let’s try something else.”
No sooner had Tao Sheng finished speaking than his underlings handed He Yuan a balloon and an air canister.
Though these two were common enough toys, her expression twisted momentarily as she tried to refuse: “Grandpa forbids me to play with these.”
—In the Nation of Song, anti-drug enforcement was strict. Even the second generation rarely touched this red line. However, among their peers, there were always those returning from studying abroad who became addicted. Laughing Gas was one such substitute, skirting dangerously close to the line. Though selling it didn’t constitute drug trafficking, it was still a hazardous chemical, with strict official regulations governing its handling, sale, and use. Its intended purpose was never for recreational fun; excessive use for entertainment could cause irreversible bodily harm.
Everyone in this circle knew Tao Sheng’s brain was damaged from sniffing Laughing Gas—he wasn’t normal.
He Yuan never paid him any mind.
Yet, upon learning the truth about the He family’s fake and real daughters, Tao Sheng felt personally deceived by the Fake Daughter whom he had been a sycophant for so long. Too proud to swallow his humiliation and egged on by his useless friends, he schemed to teach her a lesson.
“Who’s this ‘Grandpa’ you mentioned? Surely not He Mingyi, right? What’s so great about his words?” Tao Sheng said with a smirk, nodding. “If you don’t want it, I won’t force you.”
Before He Yuan could breathe a sigh of relief, Tao Sheng bent down and opened the mini fridge beside the sofa.
Originally intended to keep drinks chilled for VIPs, they emptied out the drinks and placed a small metal cage inside.
Tao Sheng pulled out a small, soft Ragdoll cat from the cage.
The trembling cat didn’t dare to move when grabbed by the scruff of its neck and only meowed once upon seeing He Yuan.
“Snowball!”
He Yuan’s expression immediately changed: “Give Snowball back! I’ll drink it!”
“You still think you’re the He family’s eldest daughter? Now, things go by my rules. If you don’t want to blow up balloons, fine—then this little beast will do it. Your choice.”
Tao Sheng shook the tiny cat in his hand.
He Yuan clenched her fists so tightly that her delicate nails sank into her palms.
After a moment, she forced a trembling smile, snatched the Laughing Gas can from Tao Sheng’s sidekick, her hands shaking as she followed their steps to fit the balloon over the canister—
Click.
The door to the private room swung open, revealing a tall, young girl in a black dress.
He Yuan froze mid-motion, her eyes widening.
How could it be her?
Tao Sheng and the others also showed a brief look of confusion.
Who was this?
Because the girl was fairly attractive, the sidekicks couldn’t be sure if she was Tao Sheng’s ex-girlfriend or one of his conquests, so they didn’t rush to eject her.
Tao Sheng squinted: “Who are you looking for? Wrong door?”
“I’m here to take my sister home.”
The moment Song Tianyang saw the scene inside the private room, her heart sank heavily.
He Yuan must be involved with this stuff now!
When she had worked at some entertainment venues, she occasionally saw empty canisters scattered on the floor. At first, she thought people brought cream to sweeten the fruit sold in KTVs. Later, after talking with senior staff, she learned about Laughing Gas.
“Your sister? Who?”
Tao Sheng glanced around and kicked a pile of broken drink containers in the corner: “Hey, COCO, is she here for you?”
“…Yes.”
He Yuan answered.
“For you?” Tao Sheng was even more surprised: “Where’s your sister from?”
“She’s the real daughter the He family found and brought back.”
He Yuan’s words silenced everyone around.
Even Tao Sheng showed a trace of fear on his face.
Song Tianyang didn’t overplay her hand or attempt to bluff in front of these addicts. She simply nodded: “You all keep playing, but I’m taking her home.”
She walked directly to the sofa and pulled He Yuan up.
“W-Wait.”
“What’s wrong?”
Song Tianyang glared at her.
Words of persuasion were wasted on this damned ghost. If she dared say she didn’t want to go, Song Tianyang would dare to leave her right there!
Fortunately, He Yuan looked at her pleadingly: “Snowball is still in his hands…”
Only then did Song Tianyang notice the ragdoll cat in Tao Sheng’s hand. She reached out to take it, but Tao Sheng reacted just in time, pulling the cat back into his arms: “Snatching my cat is a bit rude, isn’t it? You say you’re the He family’s real daughter? Then why don’t I recognize you? I can’t stop you from leaving, but this cat is mine.”
—Song Tianyang’s identity was mostly believed by Tao Sheng now.
He didn’t dare detain He Yuan any longer but was unwilling to lose face. The cruel logic of abusing animals was the same as abusing people. Harming He Yuan’s cat would cause her fear and pain without drawing the He family’s attention.
He Yuan was anxious and desperate.
The private room fell silent as everyone’s eyes fixed on Song Tianyang.
The sharp smell of Laughing Gas, mixed with the bar’s unique incense and leather scent, made every breath she took cold.
Scenes like this were not unfamiliar to Song Tianyang.
Before university, she had often faced challenges to her boundaries and encroachments on her turf. Her life experience taught her that if someone dared invade her by an inch, she had to retaliate by a foot, so the lurking threats in the shadows would think twice before messing with her.
The lower the strata, the more primal the rules.
So Song Tianyang smiled: “Your cat, huh?”
Tao Sheng nodded calmly and chuckled, turning his head to light a cigarette.
At that very moment, Song Tianyang grabbed the beer bottle on the table and smashed it on his head.
As he recoiled in pain and loosened his grip, she snatched the ragdoll cat, grabbed He Yuan, and bolted!
“Ah?”
“Damn it!”
“Don’t let her escape!”
Song Tianyang was used to physical work. She carried He Yuan like a little chick, dragging her terrified companion as they ran. She even grabbed an ashtray off the table, which she used like brass knuckles to fend off the thugs armed with sticks and machetes hot on their heels: “Ashtrays for the rich really are sturdy.”
Though her 800-meter sprint wasn’t great, her close-quarters combat experience was extensive. Tao Sheng’s sidekicks looked fierce but were actually drained by alcohol, lust, and drugs, their steps faltering as they caught up: “Don’t you know I’ve watched every Jackie Chan movie? What a bunch of losers.”
The cat nestled quietly in her arms, occasionally meowing softly.
They pushed through the crowd and escaped the nightclub.
“There’s usually patrol police around this time; they probably won’t dare chase us out here…” Song Tianyang looked back and saw a group of grim-faced men gaining on them, their eyes fixed on her: “Shit, run!”
Xiangxi Road was labyrinthine, and He Yuan had never been here before. The dark surroundings all looked the same. She blindly followed Song Tianyang’s lead.
In a critical moment, Song Tianyang darted into the back kitchen of a hotpot restaurant, hiding in a blind spot.
The floor was sticky with accumulated grease, instantly dirtying He Yuan’s white dress. She looked utterly defeated, almost breaking down: “Are there rats here—”
“Meow.”
Song Tianyang pinched the scruff of the ragdoll cat and placed it in He Yuan’s arms, whispering:
“Shut up, and make sure it shuts up too.”
He Yuan covered her own mouth with one hand and the cat with the other, obediently nodding.
The two, large and small, bore an inexplicable resemblance, and Song Tianyang smiled slightly.
After a while, she glanced at her phone—
“All clear. They’ve dispersed.”
“How do you know?”
“All the bars and nightclubs on this street have friends I’ve worked with,” Song Tianyang helped her up from the floor. “Don’t underestimate the bonds between us working folk!”
When He Yuan stood up straight, her once-immaculate hairstyle was disheveled, her face smudged with grime, and her white dress a complete mess. The ragdoll cat she held had transformed from a princess into Cinderella.
She stared at Song Tianyang, somewhat at a loss.
Song Tianyang briefly recounted her early-night ordeal and mentioned that Gu Shangyang hadn’t come to rescue her: “I guess he thought I was lying to test him. Whether you believe that or not, whether you think I’m trying to sow discord between you two doesn’t matter…”
“I believe you.”
He Yuan cut her off.
“Oh, then believe it.”
Song Tianyang had nothing else to say.
The two shared an awkward silence before Song Tianyang went to greet the hotpot restaurant’s chef—she had served plates here before, and the chef even sliced two pieces of super sweet seedless watermelon for her, one of which she shared with He Yuan: “Let’s go.”
But no sooner had she taken two steps than her sleeve was grabbed.
Song Tianyang turned back.
“Don’t leave me alone.”
He Yuan looked up at her with watery eyes.
…
After Chi Zhiqing reported Tao Sheng and his gang to the police, he found his Little Emperor in a nearby park.
The Emperor was being held tightly by a girl in a dirty dress, looking helplessly at him.
Between them squeezed a small, helpless, and pitiful ragdoll cat.
When they saw a third person approach, the ragdoll cat meowed again.
Song Tianyang’s eyelids fluttered: “I just want to go home and sleep…”
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