Chapter 462: How to Deal with a Literary Girl (8100 words)

That was a matter of a past life.

Chen Nuo remembered that it was around this time when he first went to a small tavern. He was taken there by a friend of a friend.

He had already forgotten that girl's name, and the details of the entire event were also very blurry.

What he could recall now was that when he drove to pick her up, she was dressed in a bohemian style, which allowed him—a country bumpkin who hadn't been abroad much at the time—to witness for the first time in reality what an urban literary youth was.

That night, after dinner, she took him to that small tavern which would later become very famous.

To be specific, as the saying goes, too much time had passed, and he couldn't remember it clearly anymore.

Chen Nuo only remembered that the shop's storefront was very small; if one wasn't careful, one wouldn't even notice it. The interior and exterior were painted pitch black. To a literary youth, this might be called personality, but to him, it had an uncomfortable, gloomy feeling. The walls inside were plastered with some garish paintings he couldn't understand, along with some old photographs. There was a very small stage; when he went, there was a person with long hair singing on it, and below was a group of young people dressed in garish, flamboyant clothes, crowded together, swaying along.

This was his first impression of the small tavern.

There were no seats, so they stood at the dark, narrow bar counter. The girl helped him order a drink; he had forgotten the name of the drink, but the taste was bitter and spicy, hard to swallow, just like the crowded and noisy environment—he didn't like it at all.

That night ended just like that. He stood there, finished that one drink, felt in a bad mood, and directly said goodbye and left.

As he walked out of the building, he looked back. Through the glass, he saw her already blended into that crowd of people who were shaking their heads and dancing wildly.

After that, he left and did not linger.

Later, he heard from his friend that the girl had married and moved to a place like Puerto Rico or Bolivia to pursue her freedom, and from then on, she never returned and there was no news of her.

Oh, right, back then in the small tavern, a drink cost about 25 or 30 yuan.

……

"I'll have a Flame Wild Rose."

"I'll have a Midnight Little Hunter."

"Alright~ please wait a moment." The young waitress said with a smile, then took the menu and went to the bar.

The heating in the bar was very strong, creating a large temperature difference from the outside. Gao Yuanyuan took off her scarf and removed the down jacket she was wearing on the outside, leaving only the wool newsboy cap on her head.

Under the dim, flickering lights of the room, the woman's eye contours were hidden under the brim of her hat; one could only see a pair of sparkling eyes reflecting a bit of golden light. Her nose and mouth were exposed, giving a hazy feeling, like an impressionist painting slowly emerging from the winter mist of the north.

Seeing her movements were crisp and graceful, Chen Nuo immediately prepared to follow suit and take off his mask, but he was stopped by Gao Yuanyuan reaching out.

"Don't, I've been here a few times before, the people here don't recognize me," she said in a low voice, with a smile, "but you... you'd better not, don't take it off."

Chen Nuo didn't insist either; he just took off his down jacket, smoothed out his hair that had been flattened by the down jacket's hood, and then pulled his mask down a little to reveal his nose and mouth, smiling at her: "Do you come here often?"

"Not often," Gao Yuanyuan said in a low voice. "This shop actually just opened, about a month or so. Before, this was a music water bar. Including today, I've been here... um, three times. I think the environment is nice, there are very few people, and I can come to listen to songs and have a drink to relax."

Chen Nuo nodded and looked up to examine the surrounding environment; he could indeed see some traces of renovation. The original counter had been converted into a bar, and the one mixing drinks behind it was the young waitress who had come to take their order earlier.

Gao Yuanyuan noticed his gaze and said a bit embarrassedly, "When I came a few days ago, it wasn't her mixing the drinks. I guess it's almost New Year's, so the original bartender is on vacation. If it doesn't taste good, don't force yourself to drink it. This time, it's my treat."

Chen Nuo laughed: "Alright, then it's your treat, thank you. Actually, even if it tastes good, I can't drink much."

Gao Yuanyuan also laughed: "Didn't I see you finish a bottle of champagne as soon as you appeared at the Golden Globe Awards?"

"A bottle?"

Gao Yuanyuan covered her mouth, "Sorry, I said it wrong, it was a glass."

Chen Nuo laughed: "Actually, during the rehearsal, the director originally wanted me to drink whiskey. I said if you want me to drink a glass of whiskey, I'll be lying on the floor asleep right then and there. As it turned out, those Americans have no sense of humor and were scared by it, so they said they'd pour me some juice to fake it. I said juice is too fake, let's go with champagne; one glass is just right."

"So you only drank one glass? But you seemed to say you drank three?"

"One glass, the three glasses thing was just a canned response." Chen Nuo glanced at her and smiled: "You watched it quite carefully, where did you watch it to remember all this?"

Gao Yuanyuan couldn't help but lower her head and smile: "I watched the original version once, and then watched it again after it was translated. I compared them and found that my English level is still a bit lacking; some jokes still need others to translate for me to understand."

"Weibo? Bilibili?"

"Weibo. There's a blogger called something like 'Plain Talk' who translates very well. Every time you have an interview abroad or appear on a show, he translates the clips. He has over a million followers, even more than me."

Chen Nuo smiled after hearing this, "Do you watch it often?"

Gao Yuanyuan looked like she wanted to avoid his gaze, but she still tried to stay calm and didn't lower her head.

Chen Nuo became more certain that this person was hiding something in her heart.

At this moment, the young waitress mixing the drinks came over with a tray, "Your Wild Rose, your Little Hunter."

The waitress placed a deep red cocktail in a triangular stemmed glass in front of Gao Yuanyuan, and placed a milky white one in front of him.

Sure enough, she didn't recognize Gao Yuanyuan; her eyes slid over Gao Yuanyuan's face without any reaction, and she smiled: "Please enjoy your drinks, you two."

"Thank you," Gao Yuanyuan said very politely.

Chen Nuo looked at the cocktail in front of him, a bit surprised by its color.

It's clearly called Midnight Little Hunter, so why is it milky white?

It doesn't fit the theme.

Unless, this... could it mean that? No way.

Once this thought occurred, Chen Nuo couldn't bring himself to drink it. Naturally, he took the glass in front of Gao Yuanyuan to his side, swapped the milky white Little Hunter over, and smiled at Gao Yuanyuan, "Let's swap, I like the color of yours." After saying that, he picked up the glass and took a sip.

It was icy cold, sour and sweet. Although there was an alcoholic taste and it wasn't exactly delicious, it was decent.

At this time, a deep male voice on the stage said: "The first song today, a song called 'Others', dedicated to the friends who came to the bar today."

Then a series of chords rang out, and a hoarse voice began to sing: "Others have cars, others have houses, others have large deposits in their accounts. Others are flowers, others are princesses, others cannot be wronged, eating bitterness with you..."

Hearing him say this, Gao Yuanyuan didn't say much else, picked up the glass, took a sip of the milky white Little Hunter, and frowned slightly.

Seeing her expression was a bit pained, Chen Nuo asked: "Does it taste bad?"

"A bit bitter."

After Gao Yuanyuan finished speaking, she took another light sip, savored it, and then said: "A bit bitter and a bit astringent, and there's a strange taste, but... um, actually it's okay."

As she spoke, she took another sip, this time a bit more, and a little bit of the wine leaked from the corner of her mouth. Gao Yuanyuan seemed to notice it too, stuck out her tongue, and licked the corner of her mouth.

"You didn't get it, a bit to the left," Chen Nuo reminded her.

Gao Yuanyuan's tongue moved a bit to the left, and the tip of her tongue hooked it; this time she licked up that drop of milky white wine.

Chen Nuo nodded, "There you go." Then he advised: "Drink slowly."

Gao Yuanyuan looked a bit embarrassed, "I don't know why, but the more I drink, the better it tastes."

"Then do you want to order another one?"

"Let's talk about it later."

That young man's hoarse singing voice was still echoing in the bar: "I am just a poor boy, life is as simple as a pebble, I am just a child who sings, as long as I can fill my stomach..."

At this moment, the door was pushed open, and a few young people walked in, looking like two couples. They looked around for a while and finally sat down near the entrance.

The atmosphere of the bar suddenly became lively; laughter, talking, and singing intertwined, breaking the previously slightly quiet atmosphere.

"Did you go to Shanghai when you came back this time?" Gao Yuanyuan asked.

Chen Nuo shook his head: "I probably don't have time this time, I'll have to wait until next time I come back."

"Is she... really being raised by Fan Bingbing herself?"

"Yes."

"When you told me in the hospital in Los Angeles last time, I didn't dare to believe it."

"Hehe."

"She should have been born in November, right? In the blink of an eye, she's over a year old. Fan, it's really not easy for her to raise the child by herself until now. But she's so busy usually, where does she find the time? Isn't she afraid of being discovered by media reporters?"

"Actually, it's not as complicated as you think. When working, I leave her with a nanny, just like a normal job. Moreover, our company has already greeted those newspaper media outlets, telling them not to keep staring at our people. Besides that, hiring more security and being careful when going in and out, it's basically no problem."

"Do you plan to keep raising her in the country? Not considering sending her abroad?"

"No."

Under the dim light, one couldn't see Gao Yuanyuan's expression clearly, but she clearly smiled, "Why?"

"No reason, where would a Chinese person be if not in China?"

Gao Yuanyuan smiled again, "Then... do you feel happy?"

"What?"

"Having a child."

Chen Nuo thought for a moment, his smile softened, and he nodded: "Quite happy."

Gao Yuanyuan took a sip of wine.

By this time, the people in the bar had gradually increased, and it was about half full.

She looked around, didn't continue the previous topic, and instead said with some surprise: "What's going on, why are there so many people today?"

"Maybe they came for the singer. He sings quite well," Chen Nuo said.

"Ah?"

Chen Nuo asked strangely: "You weren't listening?"

"...It's not that I wasn't listening, my attention was all on you."

"Isn't folk music your favorite? This guy's voice is actually quite good, very similar to mine, it's just that the songs aren't good."

Yes, Chen Nuo really felt the songs weren't good.

For example, the lyrics he sang, "Others have cars, others have houses, others have large deposits in their accounts," sounded to him like they were being sarcastic about him, which was very unpleasant to hear.

Gao Yuanyuan said "Oh," and said: "Then let's listen to the last song and leave."

"Alright."

"Come, cheers."

Chen Nuo felt that Gao Yuanyuan was really a bit abnormal today; he couldn't say what was wrong, but he just felt something was off. Thinking about it, he could only think that this woman might have had a flare-up of her literary youth sickness.

Holding the thought of caring for a patient, he picked up his glass and clinked it with hers.

It was icy cold, and it really did feel like it tasted better the more he drank. The Flame Wild Rose was cold, the Midnight Little Hunter was white, hehe. Interesting.

At this time, the male singer on the stage spoke: "I'd like to ask, are there any girls from the south here?"

For a moment, the whole place was silent; no one responded.

Chen Nuo smiled.

Gao Yuanyuan’s face was hidden in the shadows, but it felt as though she were constantly watching him. When he smiled, the woman immediately asked, "What are you smiling at?"

"I'm smiling at him," Chen Nuo said, lowering his voice. "There are only a few days left until the New Year; there’s no such thing as a 'Southern Girl' here. All the Southern girls have gone home for the New Year."

Just as his voice trailed off, a voice came from the entrance: "I am one. What about it?"

It was one of the girls from the second pair of couples who had entered besides them; she had raised her arm high at that moment.

"Giggle, giggle, giggle, hahaha..." Gao Yuanyuan laughed immediately, bending over and resting on the table, her face buried in the crook of her arm, her shoulders shaking incessantly.

Was it really that funny?

Chen Nuo rubbed his nose, feeling a bit awkward.

The singer on stage said at this moment: "Thank you for coming to our bar. The next song is called 'Southern Girl.' It’s a track from my album that I really like. Now, I dedicate this to you, this Southern girl."

After speaking, he strummed a chord and sang into the microphone: "A Southern girl lives in a Northern village; she always likes to stand by the road wearing a floral dress. She doesn't say much, but her smile is so calm and elegant. What is hidden in her delicate eyes? It is the sorrow of longing..."

A good song always has the power to accelerate time; the song ended very quickly.

During these few minutes, Gao Yuanyuan listened very intently. After it finished, she felt her eyes becoming a bit moist. Although she was a 100% Northern girl, in that singing just now, she felt as if she had become a Southern girl, experiencing her sweetness and sorrow.

When the song ended, she joined the other audience members in the bar and clapped vigorously for the singer on stage.

Afterwards, she heard a few tables nearby discussing the identity of the singer on stage.

This person seemed to really be a fairly well-known folk singer; words like "2011 new album" and "14th place in Happy Boys" drifted into her ears.

After listening for a while, she said: "So he really is a singer. It’s just this name—this is the first time I’ve heard it. Zhao Lei, Zhao Lei... How about we listen to one more song before we leave?"

Only after she finished speaking did she notice the expression of the person beside her.

The pulled-down mask covered his chin and his highly recognizable jawline, revealing only the features in the middle. His brows were furrowed, and he looked as if he were thinking about something.

Clearly, the song just now and the artistic conception within it had not been heard at all.

This caused her enthusiasm to dissipate by more than half. "...How about it?"

After she finished speaking, the other party finally came back to his senses, but there was still no expression on his face. He looked at her and nodded absentmindedly: "...Okay, let's listen for a while longer."

In the end, they listened to three more songs.

Gao Yuanyuan paid the bill, and the two walked out the door one after the other.

The night wind was bone-chillingly cold. Gao Yuanyuan suddenly felt a trace of indescribable loneliness in her heart. She raised her head, exhaled a puff of white air, and watched the mist slowly dissipate in the night, thinking wistfully:

Perhaps there aren't that many perfectly matched soulmates in the world; it’s just that amidst the coming and going of people, we occasionally meet one, and before we have time to truly understand them, we mistake them for being destined.

Chen Nuo did not notice the woman's emotions beside him.

He was still immersed in his own thoughts.

When leaving, he noticed that the poster by the door, which had originally been sagging, had been re-pasted by someone at some point. On it was the photo and name of the male singer on stage—

Zhao Lei.

The man in the photo was exactly the same as the one singing in the bar just now; his features were ordinary—not ugly, but definitely not handsome. To Chen Nuo, he was just a stranger.

But adding in the two familiar songs he had just heard—the first being "Southern Girl" and the second "Painting"—the possibility of them just sharing a name could basically be ruled out.

He had just been stirred by the scene and remembered the small tavern, and as a result, he had encountered the culprit who would later make that small tavern famous throughout the land right here in this bar?

This was truly too coincidental.

Was Zhao Lei famous at this time?

Probably not, otherwise he wouldn't be performing as a resident singer in such a small bar.

If it weren't for that "Southern Girl," he wouldn't have been able to react to who this was.

Chen Nuo felt a bit touched and had no interest in talking for the moment. He walked silently with Gao Yuanyuan for a while until the phone in his jacket pocket vibrated.

It was Ma Dong.

"Hello, Director Ma?"

Ma Dong's voice was very anxious, and he spoke very quickly: "Chen Zong, can you get online there? We have organized the new song list. I just sent it to your email. Could I trouble you to download it and listen as soon as possible? I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, but we really don't have time, so I have to trouble you."

Chen Nuo turned his head and asked: "Do you have a computer at home?"

Gao Yuanyuan nodded and said: "Yes."

Chen Nuo said into the phone: "Send it, I'll go back and check it now."

"Okay, okay, thank you, thank you."

Half an hour later, the two returned to Gao Yuanyuan's home. She opened her laptop, and Chen Nuo logged into his email, downloaded the songs sent by CCTV, and started playing them.

It had to be said that CCTV was CCTV; as long as they took things seriously, their efficiency and quality were absolutely up to standard.

In a short time, the three songs chosen were all quite good; the melodies were pleasant, and the lyrics were thoughtful. They were the kind of standard "mass-appeal" works.

Chen Nuo listened once, turned his head, and asked Gao Yuanyuan, who was sitting to the side: "What do you think?"

Gao Yuanyuan listened carefully and nodded: "Pretty good."

"Which one do you like best?"

"I can't say," Gao Yuanyuan said earnestly. "The most important thing about the song you sing is that you like it."

Chen Nuo noticed that the woman's mood was low, but he didn't ask much. He nodded and played the songs again. This time, he silently sang along in his heart. He didn't dare to open his mouth, fearing he would be laughed at.

After following along once, he was certain.

The songs were good, but they were still quite far from his requirements.

The "simplicity" he spoke of was like Yang Mi singing "You from the Same Desk." But the simplicity of Ma Dong and the others was like Han Hong singing "Jade."

This was simply not the same concept.

What was he to do?

Unless it was an absolute last resort, he didn't want his first collaboration with CCTV to end in nothing.

Moreover, if there were no other way, that would be one thing, but now—after thinking for a long time, he finally took out his phone and dialed Ma Dong.

After saying a few words, he got straight to the point: "I just went to a bar here in Tuanjiehu, Chaoyang District, and heard a singer perform. I think it's quite good, and it’s a bit suitable for me..."

As he said this, Chen Nuo was suddenly interrupted by a cry of surprise from beside him.

He turned to look and saw that Gao Yuanyuan had suddenly changed her expression, looking at him with a face full of surprise.

Chen Nuo really couldn't understand what these literary young women were up to all day, and he didn't know if Ma Dong on the other end of the phone had heard, but he didn't care and continued: "...Why don't you guys go take a look?"

Chen Nuo felt that this was the only way to say it.

"Suitable."

A subjective opinion that no one could pick apart.

He couldn't very well say that his level was at best about the same as Yang Mi's. When Yang Mi sang "Love's Offering" at the Mango TV New Year's Gala, it made the whole country roll on the floor laughing. As for him, if he didn't rely on lip-syncing at the Spring Festival Gala and sang those three songs live, the effect would probably be about the same; the whole country might spit out their New Year's Eve dinner.

Conversely, back in the day, in order to woo that literary beauty, he had put in a lot of hard work and practiced songs like "Chengdu," "Ideal," and "Southern Girl" until he was quite proficient.

"...They probably haven't finished their set yet. If you hurry, you might still be able to see them in person. However, I just don't know if it will be too much trouble for you?"

"No trouble, no trouble at all!" Ma Dong's tone sounded as if he were relieved of a heavy burden. "Chen Zong, please text me the address. I'll have Director Ha Wen take people over right now."

"Okay."

The call ended, and Chen Nuo was just about to ask Gao Yuanyuan for the address.

But he saw that the great beauty beside him had changed into a different person; the vague melancholy that had been there all night was now like snow under the sun, silently dissipating completely. Her whole person was radiant, her temperament as if she had just broken through some bottleneck and suddenly leveled up—if one had to use a metaphor, it was like a cultivator stepping past the Foundation Establishment stage, with spiritual energy overflowing and a hint of immortality appearing.

Those big eyes, which were ranked at least in the top three nationwide, were now so moist they seemed like they could drip water. Under the soft indoor lighting, they were like two pools of spring water, gazing at him with a shimmering light.

"I'll write it," Gao Yuanyuan said softly.

Chen Nuo handed over his phone. He saw the woman's ten fingers flying, and in less than a few seconds, she had edited the text message and sent it out. Then she slowly raised her head, looked at him, and asked: "Are you really planning to sing the song from the bar just now?"

"Ah, yes."

"Why?"

Chen Nuo looked at Gao Yuanyuan's appearance.

If he didn't understand at this moment, he might as well find a building to jump off of.

It was at this moment that some past events from his previous life in the small tavern suddenly became clear in his memory.

In the end, when he said he was leaving, that literary girl he had chased for two weeks—the one with the bohemian style and a head full of little braids—had originally wanted to leave with him, but he had turned cold and rejected her. In the end, that girl gripped his sleeve, her eyes turning red until she was sobbing as she watched him push the door open; it was comparable to a Qiong Yao drama. At the end, he even heard what sounded like a cup being smashed.

Later, going dancing and such was because he went to vent after his heart was broken.

Thinking of this, he also suddenly remembered how to deal with literary young women like Gao Yuanyuan.

The primary secret is that you must never be straightforward when talking to them.

If she leaves you confused, you must leave her shrouded in clouds and mist.

Every sentence must have room for interpretation, letting the other party fill in the blanks themselves; say half and leave half, stopping just at the right point. This is what is most attractive to literary women. In many cases, there is no need to waste words; they can move themselves. As long as you master this technique, this kind of woman is actually easier to deal with than a gold-digger, and it doesn't cost money.

So Chen Nuo smiled faintly and said nonchalantly: "Don't you like listening to it?"

Just that one sentence, nothing more.

Gao Yuanyuan was stunned, as if she had been electrocuted.

After a while, seeing that she didn't react, Chen Nuo gently touched her shoulder. He saw the woman lean in as if her body had no bones, hugging his waist, her head buried in the area just below his chest.

Chen Nuo took the opportunity to stroke the woman's long, soft, jet-black hair.

Gao Yuanyuan whispered: "I'm sorry, I thought before... that it was my problem, I..."

Chen Nuo didn't know what this woman was talking about, but it didn't matter if he didn't understand; he knew what he should say—this was the time for the "Three Hundred Best Lines for Picking Up Girls" to come in handy.

"It's okay. If there were no misunderstandings between people, life would be like a plain without any undulations; how boring that would be."

Gao Yuanyuan's voice suddenly became soft and sweet, feeling as if it could melt a person's bones. "That's so well said, I love that sentence. Did you think of it yourself?"

"Mm."

"You are really..." Gao Yuanyuan paused, seemingly weighing her words, and then said: "So talented."

Afterwards, she sighed and adjusted the position of her face, leaning in even closer. "I just can't think of things like that. Sometimes, I have a lot of things in my heart that I really want to say, but I just can't say them; I can only keep them bottled up, and I have no idea how to express them. It's very uncomfortable, but I don't know what to do either."

Chen Nuo quickly picked another line: "Actually, the person who truly understands you doesn't need you to say anything; they will just understand."

After hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan's breathing suddenly became somewhat heavy and rapid, the air pricking at Chen Nuo's stomach, making it itchy and numb, which suddenly made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

Gao Yuanyuan, who was within a hair's breadth, clearly sensed his discomfort immediately and adjusted her posture.

After a while, Chen Nuo let out a sound from his mouth.

This seemed to be some kind of encouragement, and Gao Yuanyuan became even more proactive.

After about ten minutes, Gao Yuanyuan lifted her head; her makeup was a bit smudged, and the lipstick on her lips was a complete mess. "Do you want to go take a shower?"

At this moment, Chen Nuo’s consciousness was a bit hazy.

His vision was also a bit blurry, and he couldn't see very clearly.

In his eyes, it seemed as if the two of them had returned to the bar.

Gao Yuanyuan once again held the long stem of the wine glass with her hand and took a large gulp of wine. This time, she drank too hastily, and some leaked out from the corner of her lips.

However, unlike last time, the woman did not need him to remind her; with a flick of her tongue, she accurately found the spot and swept that little bit of wine back into her mouth.

……

……

Which song of the night was this?

Zhao Lei couldn't quite remember anymore.

After that tall, stylish couple left, he had sung for a long time.

But for him, this was already a matter of habit.

Ever since he got his first guitar at 13, started busking in the underground passages of Jingcheng at 17, and later went to perform at bars, he seemed to have spent every night this way.

Once, for a daily wage of 80 yuan, he could sing as many as forty or fifty songs in a single night at his peak.

Later, at the age of 20, he went from Jingcheng to Linjiang, then to Chengdu, to Lijiang, and back to Jingcheng; it had been five years since then. Along the way, he seemed to be singing tirelessly forever.

He sang until he had grown up, sang until his most beloved had passed away, and sang until his home was bare and he was riddled with debt, yet he never stopped.

After finishing the last song from the album he had released himself with 600,000 yuan borrowed from friends, he saw his cousin Yingzi signal to him from the bar counter.

Zhao Lei understood immediately and said into the microphone, "Thank you all for coming here today. The New Year is almost here, so I wish you all a happy New Year in advance. This bar is run by my cousin; I hope you will all support it in the future. Thank you."

"Good~"

"No problem!"

Scattered responses came from the audience.

"So, for tonight, there is one last song. I finished writing this song not long ago, and tonight is the first time I am singing it in public. As the New Year festival is about to arrive, I dedicate it to everyone present here today..."

He was interrupted before he could finish speaking.

Because the bar door was suddenly pushed open forcefully from the outside, and a middle-aged woman with short hair and a rather refined air led the way, followed by four or five men and women filing in.

The commotion was not small, and it immediately drew the attention of everyone in the bar. Including Zhao Lei, everyone turned their heads to look.

The short-haired woman didn't care about the atmosphere in the room at all; she looked Zhao Lei up and down, and then, in a very uncomfortable tone, said condescendingly, "Are you the one who has been singing here all night?"

Before Zhao Lei could reply, Yingzi came over, holding her phone, and said with some vigilance, "Excuse me, we are about to close and are not accepting new guests. Is there something you need?"

"I have some business with him." The woman pointed at Zhao Lei on the stage. "You can stop here for tonight; the others can leave. I have something to discuss with him."

Yingzi frowned and said, "Who are you? If you don't make yourself clear, I'm calling the police."

Zhao Lei saw the woman curl the corner of her mouth, revealing a dismissive smile, and she leaned in to whisper something in Yingzi's ear.

Afterward, he saw Yingzi's eyes widen suddenly, her mouth agape, as if she had heard something unbelievable.

(End of chapter)