Chapter 2: The Pinnacle of Ducks

The Black Night Elf Bar.

Deafening rock music filled the bar. In the center of the dance floor, groups of men and women twisted their bodies, the air filled with the mixed scent of alcohol and cigarettes. Occasionally, one could hear the lewd jokes of men, a mix of debauchery and decadence.

Jian Jinci sat at the bar, propping her head with one hand, the other hand holding a wine glass to her lips, draining the contents in one gulp.

Her cheeks were flushed, her head was dizzy. She finished the drink she had ordered and looked at the bartender: “Another ten drinks, whatever’s strongest.”

The bartender looked her up and down, seeing that she was wearing clothes that cost a few dozen yuan, he hesitated. After all, this bar was very expensive, he didn’t know if she could afford it. If she couldn’t, he would be implicated.

Jian Jinci realized his concerns. Was it just money? She took out a card and slapped it on the bar, slightly raising her chin: “Who do you think you’re looking down on? I have money.”

The bartender was caught, he lowered his head in embarrassment and made her ten drinks.

Jian Jinci drank silently. Actually, she rarely came to places like this. She had to save money for her brother Jian Xu’s tuition fees. The pressure of life didn’t allow her to spend money in such high-end places. But today, she was so miserable, she wanted to indulge herself.

She drained the glass in one gulp, her eyes hazy as she looked at the bartender: “Do you think I’m not pretty?”

“…”

The bartender was stunned, he stared at her for a few seconds: “You’re pretty.”

The kind of pretty that was much prettier than most people. As a bartender, he saw many girls, each with their own unique features.

But the girl in front of him was one of the few who was truly beautiful. Her features were delicate, her eyelashes were thick and long, her skin was smooth and fair, without a single flaw. She had a pair of extremely beautiful peach blossom eyes, with a tear mole under the corner of her eye, adding a touch of charm.

Especially her cold and aloof, unattainable aura, despite wearing cheap clothes.

Jian Jinci didn’t say anything else, she just drank silently. As she propped her head and looked to her right, she noticed someone had appeared beside her, at some point.

It was a man, a handsome man.

His face was sharp, his side profile was perfectly sculpted. He was wearing a tailored black suit, clean and sharp. The lights danced on him, adding a touch of danger and mystery, his aura was out of place in this bar.

His hand holding the glass was long and slender like bamboo, with distinct knuckles. He took a sip of wine, his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, as if it were a silent temptation.

Jian Jinci unconsciously swallowed, her intuition told her that this man was dangerous, she shouldn’t get close.

Perhaps her gaze was too intense, the man turned his head slightly and looked over.

Jian Jinci was stunned. This man was really handsome. His brow bones were high, his nose bridge was straight, and there were a few strands of loose hair on his forehead.

A pair of extremely beautiful, yet dangerous, phoenix eyes, with smooth and sharp contours, exuding a coldness. His thin lips were slightly pursed.

Jian Jinci’s lips parted slightly, she silently marveled in her heart, this is simply the pinnacle of ducks.

Jian Jinci unconsciously retracted her gaze, took a sip of wine, suppressing the inappropriate thoughts in her heart. She still felt that gaze on her, she stiffly turned her head to look, the man’s cold eyes were fixed on her.

She felt like she should say something, but what should she say? She awkwardly coughed twice: “That… how much do you charge for a night?”

After she finished speaking, she wanted to burrow into the ground. She was a good girl, even if she was heartbroken, she wouldn’t be so desperate. But this man had a handsome face, for her, who was a face-obsessed person, she could indeed have some inappropriate thoughts.

“I didn’t mean to call you a duck.” Jian Jinci waved her hand, explaining in a panic: “You don’t have that kind of aura either. Are you here to fish?”

After she finished speaking, the man’s face turned cold. She felt the temperature around her drop. She was five points drunk, her consciousness was still clear, but every word she said was unexpected.

The man’s face became even more gloomy, his thin lips were tightly pursed, the knuckles of his hand holding the wine glass were white. His voice was cold: “Looking for someone.”

“Oh.” Jian Jinci looked at him with hazy eyes: “Did you find them?”

The man didn’t speak, he just took a sip of wine. Jian Jinci thought he was acknowledging it.

Liquor emboldened the timid, Jian Jinci drank three glasses in a row, raised her eyebrows and looked at the man: “I’ll buy you a drink, will you have one?”

For a long time, the man didn’t speak. Jian Jinci thought he would refuse, but then his thin lips parted, and he uttered a single word: “Okay.”

Jian Jinci stared at him for a few seconds, secretly thinking, what a hypocrite. What looking for someone, he’s clearly here to fish.

She twitched her lips and looked at the bartender: “Another twenty glasses of whiskey, I’m buying this gentleman a drink!”

The bartender was a little hesitant, but seeing the gold card she placed on the table, he gave her twenty glasses of whiskey. Jian Jinci stood up, pulled the long chair towards the man, and sat down: “Duck… no, sir, have a drink.”

Jian Jinci patted her head, she almost exposed her true thoughts.

They were so close, so close that she could smell the woody fragrance of his cologne. This familiar scent, she felt like she had smelled it somewhere before, but she couldn’t remember.

She picked up her glass and clinked it against his. The glass clinked, making a crisp sound. She drained her glass in one gulp, the man didn’t touch his.

She propped her head and looked at him, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity. She asked, “Have we met somewhere before?”

A flicker of an imperceptible change flashed in his icy eyes, fleeting. He said calmly, “Your fishing method is too old-fashioned.”

Jian Jinci searched her memory carefully to see if she knew this dangerous character, but she had no recollection, yet she felt familiar.

Perhaps it was her delusion, she stopped thinking about it and drank silently. After a few drinks, her remaining sober consciousness was swallowed by alcohol.

She burped and burst into tears, starting to talk nonsense. She looked at the man beside her with tear-filled eyes, pouting with grievance: “Do you see anything on my head?”

The man glanced at her and said calmly, “No.”

Jian Jinci jumped off the bar stool and grabbed his arm: “Are you blind?”

She pointed to her head and even gestured with her hand: “You can’t see this big green hat?”

“I don’t even know how long I’ve been wearing this big green hat on my head.” She rubbed her tears and snot on the man’s suit.

The man’s brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t stop her, letting her cry and make a fuss.

The more she talked, the more aggrieved she became, the more aggrieved she cried, she even cried a snot bubble, which she wiped directly on the man’s suit.

Jian Jinci’s friends rarely invited her to drink. The reason was that she would go crazy when she was drunk, and it would be torture for anyone. Except for her best friend, that silly woman who wasn’t afraid.

The man’s assistant stepped forward, wearing a suit, his face serious as he tentatively called out: “Mr. Pei?”

The man’s voice was cold: “Nothing.”

The assistant was shocked. He had been following him for six years, countless women had tried to get close to him, but in these six years, he had never seen him take the initiative to approach a woman, and this woman was still so reckless. Could this be the person Mr. Pei was looking for?

Jian Jinci stood beside the man, her hair disheveled. She cried out: “Am I not pretty? Am I not in good shape? Why would you betray me? Why would you let me have a patch of green grass on my head? You’re all bad people!”

She leaned on the bar and looked at the bartender, her eyes glazed: “Tell me, did you really mean it when you said I was pretty?”

The bartender: “Yes.”

Jian Jinci beckoned him: “Then be my boyfriend.”

The bartender: “…”

The man’s face was gloomy, his eyes fixed on her figure, becoming colder and colder.

The bartender didn’t speak, Jian Jinci became even more heartbroken: “Why won’t you be my boyfriend if I’m pretty? Why doesn’t anyone want me? What the homewrecker said was right, I have no status at home, I can’t keep my boyfriend, I’m just a waste.”

She thought of something, she smacked her lips twice and stopped crying: “No, even if I’m a waste, I’m a beautiful little waste.”

She looked at the man with hazy eyes, suddenly reaching out to cup his face and smiled: “Don’t you think so?”

The man pulled her hand away, he didn’t answer her question, he asked: “Have you been happy these past few years?”

“Happy?” Jian Jinci murmured: “Not at all.”

Only when she was alone would she complain about the helplessness of life, the unfairness of fate.

She also wanted to live happily, but she was stuck in this kind of family.

She also wanted to escape, she didn’t want to face these realities, but she couldn’t. She had to support her brother. If she escaped, her brother would face the ugliness of humanity. He was still young, life should be beautiful and carefree.

The man pursed his lips and didn’t speak, he just looked down at her, his eyes complex, an emotion that was difficult to decipher.

Her makeup was smudged from crying, she wiped her tears haphazardly: “Check out.”

She gave her gold card to the cashier. After a while, the cashier came back: “Miss, insufficient funds.”

Jian Jinci giggled foolishly: “I forgot, this card has no money.”

The best policy is to run away. She picked up her bag, her body unsteady as she ran towards the bar exit: “You’ve already had your drinks, you can ask him for the money.”

A few staff members were about to chase after her, but the man stopped them.

She left the man and ran away, feeling guilty. It wasn’t easy for her to come to this kind of place, and she ended up not having enough money to pay. Thinking about it, he probably didn’t care about this little money. If she had the chance to meet him again, she would definitely pay him back, or treat him to a drink.