C15 She Had Her Own Determination

The private room was a dizzying spectacle of opulence, with lights flashing and an air of extravagance.

Xiong Miao entered, carrying a bottle of red wine, and made her way directly to the coffee table.

Arrayed on the sofa nearby, a line of handsome men were engaged in various activities—some playing cards, others on the phone.

Without much attention to her surroundings, Xiong Miao crouched by the coffee table and set down the wine.

Her every action radiated the vibrancy of youth.

Just as she was about to stand, a voice near her ear said, "Pour me a glass of wine, and this money is yours."

A tip was in the offing!

Xiong Miao's first thought was that she could now buy an extra bucket of milk powder for the little ones.

It wasn't that she was fond of money, but the pressures of life were immense, and she was determined to strive for a better life for her children.

Glancing up, she saw a stack of red bills on the coffee table—likely amounting to five hundred.

Pouring a glass of wine for five hundred seemed like a fair exchange.

Due to the industry's etiquette, when serving drinks to seated customers, servers had to bend over, as standing would suggest a sense of superiority.

Unbeknownst to her, the man who offered the tip had been fixating on her chest with a shifting gaze as she opened the bottle.

Oblivious, Xiong Miao finished pouring his wine, grabbed the money, and was about to walk away when he said, "Wait."

She paused.

The same man had placed another stack of bills on the coffee table, this time she estimated around two thousand, and said, "Pour for all my buddies."

Xiong Miao kept her smile intact.

Two thousand would secure the children's winter clothing.

She bent down and methodically poured wine for each of the men.

"Today's new server is quite attractive," someone remarked.

Xiong Miao remained silent. Working in a nightclub required a thick skin and a strong mental fortitude.

"Sir, your wine," she said, offering a glass to the man in the far corner. But upon seeing his face, her heart skipped a beat, and her smile became a rigid mask.

Zhan Yeling, of all people?

He was seated in the corner where the lighting was faint, the room bathed only in the intermittent glow of multicolored lights. That's why she hadn't noticed him upon entering.

Now, she found herself crouching at his feet, gazing up at his icy countenance.

His eyes, dark as ink, held a profound depth. As she offered him the wine cup, her hand grazed the air, stirring a subtle fragrance of magnolias—a scent she recognized.

And her distinctive voice—he had heard it just that day.

There was no way he couldn't recognize her.

Zhan Yeling's gaze was icy and intimidating, his slightly squinted eyes radiating boundless peril.

Xiong Miao felt a shiver run through her; her arm remained suspended in mid-air with the wine cup he refused to take. How would she claim the two thousand yuan now?

She had to endure. The winter clothes for the kids depended on it.

Straining to maintain a professional smile, she kept her hand extended with the wine, locking eyes with the man.

"Second Young Master Zhan prefers not to have women too close. Allow me," Lu Chenyu interjected, sensing the chill emanating from Zhan Yeling. He promptly recalled Second Young Master Zhan's preferences.

He took the wine from Xiong Miao's hand and passed it to Zhan Yeling.

Phew...

Xiong Miao exhaled in relief, grabbed the money from the coffee table, and stood up to leave.

"Ah!" Someone snagged her hand from behind, yanking her so forcefully that she tumbled onto the couch.

Then, her waist was encircled by an arm, the man's breath heavy with the scent of alcohol: "Miss, you're quite the looker. Spend the night with me, and I'll give you twenty thousand."

It was the same man who had tipped her earlier, now pulling her close.

In that instant, Xiong Miao felt as if she had been groped by a lecher, her skin crawling with revulsion.

"Excuse me, I'm only responsible for serving tea. If you're looking for company, I can call someone for you," Xiong Miao said calmly, attempting to extricate herself from his hold.

The man had his sights set on her. "I don't want anyone else. I want you."

"Show some respect!" Xiong Miao panicked, momentarily forgetting the adage that the customer is always right. She pinched the man's hand hard and stood up as he winced in pain.

"You dare to cross me? You're asking for trouble!" The man, now enraged, caught Xiong Miao as she tried to flee and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Let me go!" Xiong Miao was terrified and fought with all her might.

Her instincts warned her that men who prowled nightclubs were like ravenous wolves, predators without mercy toward women.

"Duan Hongjie, if you want to fool around with women, do it elsewhere. Aren't you aware that Second Young Master Zhan doesn't like to witness such scenes?" Lu Chenyu said with irritation.

Everyone was aware of Duan Hongjie's reputation. He strutted around with arrogance on a daily basis, treating women as nothing more than playthings.

This was clearly not the first time such a spectacle had unfolded.

"It's been a while since I've encountered someone with such a stunning figure, a beautiful face, and a fiery spirit. Excuse me, but I'll be taking her out now." Duan Hongjie gave Lu Chenyu a smile that brimmed with a conqueror's anticipation.

"Let me go!" The arm behind her felt like a shackle, and no matter how hard Xiong Miao struggled, she couldn't break free.

She was being pushed outside.

Despair washed over her; she knew exactly where this man intended to take her and what he planned to do.

Suddenly, the grip on her waist was forcefully torn away.

"Second Young Master Zhan..."

"Get lost!"

Xiong Miao, realizing she had been released, tried to make a run for it, but her arm was seized by a large hand, gripping her like a vice and pulling her away swiftly.

Through her tear-filled eyes, Xiong Miao saw that it was Zhan Yeling who was dragging her away.

Where he intended to take her and what he planned remained a mystery.

Zhan Yeling had taken a woman right out of Duan Hongjie's clutches!

This was sensational news.

The wealthy heirs in the private room exchanged looks of disbelief and shock.

Lu Chenyu's expression of incredulity was particularly priceless.

Duan Hongjie was frustrated but didn't dare to compete with Second Young Master Zhan for the woman's attention. He stood sullenly at the doorway, helplessly watching as Zhan Yeling escorted away the woman he had taken a fancy to.

Outside the nightclub, Zhan Yeling forcefully released Xiong Miao, causing her to stumble backward before she could steady herself. He gripped her chin again, causing her entire delicate face to contort in pain.

"You're desperate for men, aren't you?" he said through clenched teeth.

Rage seemed to blaze in his dark eyes, threatening to consume everything in its path. The neon lights danced across his striking face, blending with the fury in his gaze, casting a demonic reflection in Xiong Miao's eyes.

He was just like those men in the private room, shaming her.

Xiong Miao seized his hand, the one clenching her jaw, and tried to pry it off. "I earn my money through honest work; there's nothing wrong with that."

Zhan Yeling let out a scornful laugh. "Your 'honest work' is the work you do in bed, and your 'talent' is a bodily revolution. Woman, you've truly opened my eyes!"

How could he have become entangled with such a woman! He remembered her fondly from that night four years ago and had even planned to find her and take her home once the dust had settled.

Heh, how utterly naive he had been!