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Tang Manni reached out her hand in confusion. Before she could react, Qi Shenzhi lightly tapped the burning cigarette in his hand just an inch away from her skin.
The scorching ash fell directly onto her hand.
“Ah—!” Tang Manni instinctively pulled her hand back in pain.
Qi Shenzhi’s expression darkened. “Don’t move!”
The aura of someone used to being in power exploded in that instant. Startled, Tang Manni hesitated, but under his intense gaze, she tremblingly extended her hand once more.
She looked up, eyes brimming with tears, pitifully pleading for some mercy from him.
But the ruthless man paid her no attention. Instead, he glanced mockingly at Jin Qiong. “So this is all your old man has taught you over the years? Very well. I’ll make sure to visit him sometime and have a proper discussion.”
Jin Qiong paled instantly.
His blood seemed to drain away, and his heart sank into an icy abyss.
His entire body trembled uncontrollably.
It was over.
He had come seeking help, yet instead of receiving aid, he had managed to offend the very person he feared most.
No wonder people always said that Mr. Qi was unpredictable and difficult to deal with. Even getting to see him in person was considered a rare fortune, and no one dared to provoke him further.
With people like him, you could never tell what might set them off—but once you did, it was a death sentence.
And right now, it seemed like he… had just been sentenced.
Tang Manni had initially looked to Jin Qiong for help, but when she saw him frozen in fear, looking as lifeless as a corpse, her own face turned even paler.
Ash continued to fall onto her hand with each drag Qi Shenzhi took from his cigarette.
But this time, despite the searing pain, she bit her lip hard and didn’t dare to make a sound.
The group of trainee girls standing nearby had already been scared stiff.
At this moment, they felt an overwhelming sense of relief—thank goodness they hadn’t stepped forward earlier. Otherwise, it would have been them kneeling there, suffering this cruel fate.
The repeated drops of burning ash on the same spot grew increasingly unbearable. Tang Manni’s hand trembled uncontrollably.
Qi Shenzhi’s voice remained indifferent. “Hold it properly. If even a single bit falls to the ground, you’ll lick it clean for me.”
Tang Manni: “……”
Despair washed over her entirely.
She didn’t dare to lift her head and meet his pitch-black eyes. She knew he was capable of anything.
This man was an untamed wolf—no one could predict his thoughts.
At this moment, she deeply regretted ever getting involved with him.
But it was too late.
Tang Manni gritted her teeth and used every ounce of her strength to hold onto the cigarette ash.
She didn’t even dare to imagine what punishment awaited her if she let it drop.
Sweat trickled down her forehead, blending with her tears.
Fear and helplessness consumed her.
Qin Zihe, watching from the side, shook his head at the sight of the beauty in distress.
What a pity.
She had used her charms in the wrong place and had willingly walked into her own doom.
The man before her had no sympathy for beauty.
Tang Manni kneeling at his feet was probably no more significant to him than a mere stone.
Just as the suffocating tension in the private room reached its peak, a knock sounded at the door.
Qin Zihe smirked, full of schadenfreude, and turned toward the entrance.
Who was the unfortunate soul arriving at such a time, voluntarily walking into their own misery?
The next second, the door swung open—
The door was pushed open, and a familiar face came into view.
Qin Zihe’s amusement was abruptly cut short.
Why was this little ancestor here today?
With a smile, he greeted her, “Baili, what brings you here to grace my humble establishment today?”
Su Baili rolled her eyes. “Oh, cut the Versailles act. If Lanting is just a ‘small shop,’ then what are the other private clubs in B City supposed to think?”
Qin Zihe shrugged with a playful grin and started winking at her.
Su Baili: “?”
She swept her gaze around the room and quickly understood—Qin Zihe was expecting some entertainment at her expense.
Her expression darkened.
This guy was seriously asking for a beating!
She shot him an annoyed glare before shifting her attention to Tang Manni, who was still kneeling on the floor.
Seeing her in such a miserable state, Su Baili felt both anger and satisfaction.
She was angry at Tang Manni’s audacity—how dare she try to seduce her boyfriend?
But she was also satisfied—her dear boyfriend had unknowingly avenged her. Well done!
She had always felt a deep connection with her man, and now, even without knowing the details, he had handled things exactly as she would have wanted.
But wait… what was that?
Su Baili narrowed her eyes and walked forward with a sharp gaze.
She reached out and snatched the cigarette from Qi Shenzhi’s hand before tossing it forcefully to the ground.
“You’re smoking again!”
The accusatory tone and bold action sent a jolt through everyone in the room.
Who was this girl?
Was she tired of living?
Tang Manni, on the other hand, felt a flicker of hope.
Finally, someone had arrived who could shift Qi Shenzhi’s attention. The more outrageous she acted, the better—maybe she could even absorb all of his anger.
Tang Manni cautiously lifted her head, only to freeze when she recognized the face before her.
It really was her…
The moment she first saw this girl, she had instinctively assumed she was another trainee brought in by Mr. Jin.
With that obedient, pure look, she was exactly the type that certain wealthy men favored. Tang Manni hadn’t been sure she could compete, so she had tried using sharp words earlier to make her retreat.
Now, it turned out that the girl hadn’t left—and she was nothing more than a brainless vase.
How dare she speak to the financial backer like that on their first meeting?
Tang Manni had bent over backward trying to please him, and yet this was the outcome she got. Surely this girl was doomed.
For a brief moment, Tang Manni even felt a twisted sense of schadenfreude.
But she had overlooked something—Qin Zihe had personally greeted Su Baili.
Oh, wait.
Actually, she had arrived too late to realize that Qin Zihe wasn’t just some insignificant guest brought by Qi Shenzhi or Jin Qiong.
He was the owner of Lanting.
A light chuckle suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts.
Tang Manni froze.
The drama she had anticipated didn’t happen.
Instead, the man who had been lounging lazily on the sofa reached out and pulled Su Baili into his arms.
Tang Manni secretly glanced over and saw Qi Shenzhi removing his gloves before gently touching Su Baili’s face.
“You’re calling me out? Didn’t you sneak some snacks again?”
Su Baili looked at the milk stain on Qi Shenzhi’s fingertip and suddenly felt a little guilty.
But then, Su Baili quickly realized something was off—wasn’t this a classic case of a thief crying “Stop, thief”?
With a sharp slap, she smacked Qi Shenzhi’s hand away and said sternly, “That’s a completely different matter! Don’t try to twist the argument.”
Qi Shenzhi looked down at his reddened hand and immediately surrendered. “Yes, yes, it’s my fault. But it was Jin Qiong who insisted on offering me a cigarette. Considering the connection between his father and the old master, I couldn’t outright refuse, so I just took a few puffs.”
“Really?” Su Baili’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“Really.” Qi Shenzhi nodded solemnly.
But Su Baili wasn’t convinced. She turned her sharp gaze toward Qin Zihe. “You say it.”
Out of her sight, Qi Shenzhi shot a piercing glare at Qin Zihe—one that clearly said, If you dare tell the truth, you’re dead.
Qin Zihe was speechless.
How had he suddenly become part of this couple’s little play?
Faced with the murderous intent in his childhood friend’s eyes, Qin Zihe obviously didn’t dare to spill the truth. He remained calm, not even blinking as he smoothly fabricated a lie. “Shenzhi is telling the truth. From what I saw, it was all Jin Qiong’s fault. He kept using the old master’s name to pressure him.”
Qi Shenzhi took the opportunity to wrap an arm around Su Baili’s waist from behind, lowering his voice in a way that sounded almost pitiful. “See? I really had no choice.”