C12 His Cheeks Burned

"You! You bitch!" The man glared at Lee Bingqian with fury in his eyes, his hand reaching out to grab her hair.

In this bar, gender didn't matter; anyone could strike anyone else. No one intervened, and some even cheered on the violence.

Lee Bingqian was ready to sidestep the man's grasp, thinking to herself that just because the tiger doesn't show its might, they assume it's a sick cat. But before she could move, another hand shot out, deflecting the man's attack and swiftly striking his ribs.

"Ah!" The man yelped in pain, releasing his grip on Lee Bingqian's arm.

She was then pulled forcefully to the side.

Bang!

Lee Bingqian collided with a warm chest. As she steadied herself to offer thanks, a familiar voice sounded from above her, "I thought with your age and experience, you'd be wiser. But I was wrong. How can you be so naive, so foolish? Why would you come to a place like this?"

Lee Bingqian looked up sharply to see Huang Wenyu, the very man who had shown such blatant gender bias during their blind date.

"Why are you here?" Lee Bingqian demanded, her anger rising. "Wait, were you just calling me stupid? If you can be here at the bar, why can't I? What, suffering from terminal straight-man syndrome?"

Huang Wenyu ignored her questions. As a greasy-looking man swung a punch their way, he stepped in front of Lee Bingqian, catching the man's fist with his right hand. With a firm twist, he sent the man's features into a grimace of pain.

"Ahhh! My hand, my hand's going to break! Let go!" the greasy man pleaded.

The crowd around them erupted.

"Whoa, that's awesome!"

The onlookers were impressed as Huang Wenyu subdued the man with a single move, and they cheered him on.

"Beat it!"

"OK, OK, OK! I'm outta here!" The man scrambled away in haste.

With an impassive face, Huang Wenyu gripped Lee Bingqian's arm, intent on leading her out of the bar. She frowned and resisted, demanding, "Let go of me! What do you think you're doing?"

"Go back to your country right now. You shouldn't be here!"

"Who are you to me? What gives you the right to make decisions for me? Let go!" Lee Bingqian struggled fiercely, but Huang Wenyu's strength was overwhelming, and she was quickly pulled out of the bar.

The bartender glanced at the now shut door and gave a knowing look to the man beside him, who nodded and made his way to the back door.

Huang Wenyu forcefully pulled Lee Bingqian to the curb just as a taxi happened to drive by. He flagged it down and the taxi stopped.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" Lee Bingqian was so furious she felt like kicking him.

"Where's your hotel? I'll take you back. You're flying back to your country tomorrow. This isn't where you should be," Huang Wenyu said as he pushed Lee Bingqian into the taxi.

The driver, noticing that they were on the verge of a physical altercation in the backseat, quickly interjected, "Hey, please don't fight in my car. If you have something to say, talk it out."

Lee Bingqian suddenly had a realization and ceased her struggles. She looked at Huang Wenyu with agitation and demanded, "Why are you here? Did you come looking for my sister?"

"I have nothing to tell you. What hotel are you staying at? Tell me quickly, I don't have time to waste here with you," Huang Wenyu pressed.

"Not telling you, unless you first tell me if you came to Vushor to find my sister!"

The driver, exasperated by their continued bickering, remarked, "Come on, where to? If you're not going anywhere, please get out of the car. Don't hold up my time!"

At that moment, Huang Wenyu's face suddenly closed in on hers. As their noses were about to touch, Lee Bingqian reflexively tried to push him away.

But Huang Wenyu caught her hands firmly. She was so incensed she wanted to curse him out for being a scoundrel, yet Huang Wenyu made no further moves, their faces just inches apart.

The driver in the front seat caught a glimpse of their close encounter in the rearview mirror, whistled, and chuckled as if enjoying a juicy scene.

Huang Wenyu whispered in a hushed tone, "Don't move, we're being watched."

Lee Bingqian, recalling that she had been trailed all day, immediately froze in place.

Huang Wenyu shifted his gaze, and they locked eyes, the proximity making Lee Bingqian distinctly uncomfortable.

Perhaps it was his warm breath on her face, but Lee Bingqian could feel her cheeks growing hot.

Sensing her discomfort, Huang Wenyu murmured, "Relax, I'm not interested in older women. I won't take advantage of you."

There he went again, this petty man poking fun at her age! If they weren't under surveillance, Lee Bingqian would have given him a kick that he'd never forget.