Cruel Romance Chapter 4.1

“Er Ye, Ying Shao sent someone to inform you, that tonight, Director Qian and Boss Feng are all playing cards, drinking at Bai Le Men and to invite you over.” Tang Hai said to Zuo Zhen who was buried in all the accounting records.

“I’m not free.” Zuo Zhen impatiently raised his head, “There is so much trouble at the docks, and the collection of debts by the s.h.i.+pyard is a mess, where do I have the time and patience to entertain them?” He slammed the accounts on the table, “I’m feeding a bunch of wastrels, can’t even collect debts properly yet have the nerve to put these before my eyes.”

Uncle Jian who was right beside adjusted his spectacles, fearfully shaking his head at Tang Hai. These two days, Er Ye was in a bad mood, obviously flighty and impetuous, he was typically inexpressive, always distant and cold, even when driven to anger, he would smile even more warmly. What exactly had happened, to cause Er Ye to be so restless that even his underlings could see his unhappiness.

“Tang Hai, get the car ready!” Zuo Zhen could also sensed his own impetuosity, his heart felt dark and vexed, it had been like this for the past few days, feeling strange all over and seemingly dissatisfied with everything. “I’m going to Pujiang s.h.i.+pyard for a bit. Ask s.h.i.+ Hao and Shao Hui to come along.”

“Yes!” Tang Hai answered loudly, and carefully added, “Er Ye, Brother Hui has gone to receive the s.h.i.+p, you see….”

Zuo Zhen hesitated, that’s right, on behalf of big brother he was smuggling a batch of steel materials to the pier and he had personally sent Shao Hui to handle this matter, just that the s.h.i.+p had not arrived. How could he have forgotten about this?

What was it that caused him constant disruptions?

Bai Le Men night club.

At around ten o’clock at night, it was when there were most number of customers, most of the banquets were coming to an end, amidst all the drinking, the gambling den and dance floor were overcrowded with people. Jin Xiu was in the arms of a balding man with a paunch, instead of calling it dancing, it was more accurate to say he was taking advantage of her.

What was worse was that she was wearing a maroon velvet gown, it was loose at the bottom and that customer’s hand actually lifted up her dress and reached in with his hand. “Woo, soft and smooth…” He closed his eyes, intoxicated, “Truly, a body of smooth skin that is so rare.”

Jin Xiu panicked, her smile disappeared in a second. Zuo Zhen had once said, when a customer got too touchy, she definitely could not retaliate, or else she would be smas.h.i.+ng her own rice bowl, and ruin the reputation of Bai Le Men. But…she could not longer tolerate this! That sweaty, sticky dirty hand, was crawling like a snake over her body, to the point where just a little more and it would be crawling into her dress. “Mr Zhang!” Jin Xiu suddenly pushed him away, her face turning red and white all at once, “Please show some respect.”

Mr Zhang glared at her in shock, “What did you say, respect? You mean my respect for you?”

Jin Xiu bit her tongue and didn’t make a sound, her breathing quickened.

“This is such a huge joke, I spend money, you give me your company, you should be respecting me shouldn’t you? I’ve never heard of going to a night club to find some fun yet having to show respect to a dancer girl.”

“I’m here to dance with you, not to sell myself, what right do you have to act this way?” Jin Xiu retorted, “This is a dance hall not a brothel!” In the midst of her anger, she forgot her status, to argue with a customer here, she would definitely be on the losing end. Bai Le Men’s rules, they were all at the back of her mind now, and the surrounding people were starting to pay attention to this commotion.

“Look at this, this is truly something new!” Mr Zhang pointed at Jin Xiu’s nose as he scolded, ” Want to be prost.i.tute, want to have popularity, why pretend to be lofty? Is Bai Le Men a night club or a church?”

The team leader had already heard the commotion and rushed over, “Sorry, sorry,”, extending her humble apologies, “Have a drink to appease your anger, she is new and ignorant. Jin Xiu, hurry up and apologise!”

Seeing how the situation had worsened, even if Jin Xiu was unwilling, she had to bear with it. The waiter had already brought liquor over, she personally poured a cup and offered Mr Zhang, “I’m sorry.”

“Just a sorry and everything will be alright? I have been all over but have never been so embarra.s.sed before, to let a prost.i.tute humiliate me, how am I to face others in future?”

Jin Xiu bit her tongue, tears threatened to flow from her eyes as she tried hard not to try. To be humiliated and scolded in front of so many eyes, this was the first.

“You have now two options, choose one for yourself, either finish drinking this entire bottle as an apology or in front of everyone kneel down and lick my show clean. Or else I’m going to really deal with you!”

Jin Xiu was shaking with anger, leaving the cup behind, she left without looking back. This crazy dog, even if she could not antagonize him, she could at least hide away.

“Thinking of running?” Mr Zhang grabbed hold of Jin Xiu’s hair and dragged her back, “If I don’t teach you a lesson, you probably don’t even know how Zhang is written!”

“Pak!” Jin Xiu’s face was fire hot with the slap that landed, before she regained her senses, a bottle of liquor had already been poured down her throat. Jin Xiu’s hair was being pulled, her limbs flailing, and was choking from the liquor causing it to go all over her face and body.

“Let go!” a cool voice rang out, the place quietened in a moment. Mr Zhang was stunned, raising his head he saw a handsome face, on a faintest trace of a cold smile. This wasn’t…this was…him?!

“She can’t drink, if it’s a must, let me do it.” Zuo Zhen smiled calmly, “Is it alright?”

s.h.i.+ Hao and Tang Hai looked at each other, worried. They had worked many years for Er Ye and knew his temper, under his calm polite smile, was a boiling rage of anger. For such a small irrelevant matter, was it worth it for Er Ye to barge in? Just a dancer girl who got bullied, that was all, which girl in Bai Le Men hadn’t been taken advantage of by a customer before, it was such a common occurrence.