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Lu Yan had a cleanliness obsession—he would never touch women from places like this. Besides, fake virginity was all too easy to manufacture these days. These nightclub girls would do anything just to fetch a better price.
“What? Old Lu, even someone this pure and clean you don’t want?” Qin Yichuan looked at him, clearly baffled.
“I don’t,” Lu Yan replied coldly, then got up and walked toward the bathroom.
“If you don’t want her, I’ll take her!” Qin Yichuan reached out and grabbed the girl’s arm, yanking her roughly into his embrace.
Startled, the girl trembled uncontrollably.
“Don’t be scared, baby. Be good tonight and I promise I’ll treat you well.” Qin Yichuan leered as he pinched the soft flesh of her waist, his alcohol-reeking lips puckering as he leaned in for a kiss.
But the girl suddenly let out a frightened cry and shoved him away. Her voice trembled with tears. “Don’t touch me!” she shouted before running out of the room.
…
Li Qingqing burst out of the private room and rushed into the bathroom. She could no longer hold back the humiliation and shame that had been suffocating her—she broke down in tears.
She had thought she could go through with it. But in the end, she had overestimated how far she could bury her pride.
She clenched her teeth, sobbing quietly, not even daring to cry out loud.
Working here as a server, she had seen scenes like this more than once. But every time, she had turned a blind eye, telling herself not to get involved. Now that it was happening to her, she finally understood the kind of mental torment it brought.
She had tried so hard to convince herself just now, but still—she couldn’t bring herself to lie in the arms of a complete stranger and let him do whatever he wanted. She had never even had a boyfriend—how could she possibly face something like this without breaking?
Li Qingqing curled up helplessly in the bathroom stall, quietly crying, struggling to calm herself down. She had no idea what she was supposed to do next.
Suddenly, her phone began to vibrate in her bag.
She pulled it out and saw the caller ID—Mom.
“Hello… Mom…”
Her voice was still hoarse from crying.
“You useless girl! Did you get the money or not? Didn’t you say you were going to find a way? Your little brother fainted again today! Hurry up and get the money together and bring it over! Ugh—are you trying to kill me? What’s the point of sending you to university if all you do is waste money? If your brother dies, I won’t let you live it down either!”
Li Qingqing’s younger brother, Xie Ze, had suffered another severe episode due to his heart condition. The hospital had provided two options: one was to pay a deposit of 150,000 yuan to be placed on the transplant waiting list, and once a suitable donor heart was found, the surgery would cost around 500,000 yuan. The second was to proceed immediately with an artificial heart transplant, but the total cost would be roughly one million yuan.
Li Qingqing had no choice—there was no way she could come up with a million. The only thing she could do was try to gather the 150,000 yuan for the initial deposit. That was why she had appeared in that private room full of second-generation rich heirs that night—she needed money. Desperately.
Hearing her mother’s harsh words on the phone, Li Qingqing felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over her. Her hand trembled as she held the phone. She had thought—just maybe—her mother would ask how she was doing. But there wasn’t even a trace of concern. The only thing her mother wanted was money.
Ever since Xie Ze had been diagnosed with a heart condition two years ago, Chen Suyun’s affections had completely shifted to him. Their family had always favored sons over daughters, but it wasn’t Li Qingqing’s fault that her brother was sick—so why did it feel like all the blame was being pushed onto her?
She was already doing everything she could to earn money. Even though she was still in university, she worked part-time every day just to buy her brother’s medicine.
Her stepfather, Xie Hongde, was a degenerate who spent all his time drinking, gambling, and whoring. Even when his own son was on the brink of death from heart failure, he didn’t show a shred of concern—as if he were born without a soul.
They had already borrowed from every relative they could. No one was willing to lend them money anymore, especially now that Xie Ze’s condition had worsened. The money that Chen Suyun had earned as a housekeeper had long been squandered by Xie Hongde.
But Li Qingqing couldn’t give up on Xie Ze—because to her, he was an angel.
When they were little, even though Chen Suyun always favored Xie Ze and bought good food only for her son, Xie Ze would always secretly share half with Li Qingqing. He never understood why, though they were both Chen Suyun’s children, they were treated so differently.
When Xie Hongde got drunk, he often beat and cursed at Li Qingqing. And every time, it was Xie Ze who would bravely step in to protect her—like a little hero.
He had told Li Qingqing countless times, with all the seriousness his small frame could muster, “When I grow up, I’ll protect you even better.”
But now, her little hero had been brought to his knees by a heart condition…
Thinking of this, Li Qingqing hung up the phone, sniffled, and wiped away her tears. She made up her mind to return to the private room and explain things to that wealthy young man.
Tonight, she was willing to stay with him. She just didn’t know if he’d still be willing to give her that chance…
Li Qingqing steadied her emotions and stepped out of the restroom. But just as she reached the door, she accidentally walked straight into a man—her tears and snot smearing all over his suit.
Flustered, she quickly lowered her head and apologized. “I’m so sorry, sir. I truly didn’t mean to—”
The man looked down at his now-stained custom-made suit, then glanced at the girl before him.
The corner of his lips curved into a playful smirk.
Wasn’t this the welcome gift Qin Yichuan had just tried to offer him?
Lu Yan couldn’t help but lower his gaze to take a good look at the girl.
Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying, and her slightly disheveled hair fell messily across her forehead. The once-flawless makeup had been washed away by tears, leaving her looking even more pure and innocent.
He hadn’t gotten a clear look at her face back in the private room—but now, seeing her up close, she unexpectedly struck right at his taste.
“They bullied you to tears?” the man asked coolly.
Li Qingqing looked up in surprise, only to realize that the man she had bumped into was the same one who had just rejected her in the private room. Her face flushed bright red in an instant.
She had been so nervous earlier that she hadn’t gotten a good look at him. But now, under the bright hallway lights, she could finally see him clearly.
He was incredibly handsome—sharply defined features, cold and striking eyes as dark as ink, as if they could see right through a person. His perfectly shaped lips carried a hint of arrogance. With his flawless complexion and clean, refined appearance, he exuded both aloofness and an irresistible allure.
Li Qingqing tightened her grip on the hem of her clothes, clearly flustered. “No… I was just… scared…” Her voice was soft, still hoarse from crying, with a trembling gentleness that made her sound even more fragile.
Lu Yan’s lips curled into a faintly mocking smile.
How timid could this woman be—crying over something like that?
It didn’t seem like she was crying because his friend had bullied her. Losing interest, Lu Yan said nothing more and turned to head back to the private room.
Li Qingqing stared at his retreating figure for a moment, then suddenly took two quick steps forward and grabbed the hem of his jacket.
Lu Yan turned, startled, and saw the woman clutching his sleeve with a pitiful expression—she looked even more aggrieved than before, like a wounded kitten begging for shelter.
“What is it?” he asked coldly.
Li Qingqing looked at the man before her, his voice frigid, his presence oppressive. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she wasn’t sure whether she’d made the right decision.
She tried to steady her breath, forcing herself to ignore the chill that ran down her spine from his overwhelming aura. He was far too intimidating, too distant.
Blushing, she took a deep breath, and with a stammer, finally said:
“Do… do you want me? I… I’m still a virgin…”