C14 Then to the Bar

At that moment, he looked down at her with an air of superiority.

The scene between the two of them inexplicably overlapped, and it was hard to tell if it was Soong Qian or Tao Ningmo. Suddenly, the weight pressing down on her was gone, and Soong Qian could finally breathe.

She sat up in a daze, feeling the dampness behind her. She wasn't sure if it was her own cold sweat or water from the bed, but she felt chilled to the bone.

Sunn Yuanhann had risen from her, no longer restraining her. He turned and lazily sat on the couch, glancing at the basin he had carelessly tossed on the floor. His voice was particularly indifferent: "I don't make a habit of bullying women, and you..." Yuanhann lazily lifted his gaze, a flicker of light in his eyes, "won't make me break that rule."

Soong Qian was stunned, her chin still marked by the red imprint of his grip. Now, he had let her go, and he told her he had no interest in laying a hand on her. So who had just grabbed her?

Her teeth released her lip, and she lowered her head, a bitter smile forming at the corner of her mouth. She exuded an air of pitifulness, much like the feeling Tao Ningmo had left Sunn Yuanhann with before she left, stirring that same discomfort in him once more.

Sunn Yuanhann narrowed his eyes, looking Soong Qian up and down with a slight smile playing at his lips. "Considering what happened today and how you served me yesterday, I'll write you a check. It's enough to ensure you live comfortably for the rest of your life, but I have one condition."

Soong Qian looked up, her eyes devoid of hope or pleading, filled with a complexity even she couldn't decipher. Yet, Yuanhann clearly saw anger within them.

Anger? Yuanhann let out a low, amused chuckle, his voice rough yet alluring. "Oh, Soong Qian, my condition is that you never let me see you in the West District again. Otherwise, you know the consequences."

This statement indicated Yuanhann's willingness to let Soong Qian off the hook, just because her face bore a striking resemblance to Tao Ningmo's, and her overall pitiful demeanor mirrored the last impression Ningmo left on him.

Besides, avoiding Yuanhann in the West District seemed manageable. The area was vast, with many places to go. How likely was it for an ordinary person like Soong Qian to run into someone like Yuanhann, who only frequented upscale venues?

Yet, his tone, as if bestowing a favor, made Soong Qian's heart skip a beat, leaving her with an uncomfortable feeling.

Her eyes no longer appeared pitiful or soft; instead, they grew strong and resolute.

Suddenly, she sprang up from the bed, her eyes fixed intently on Sunn Yuanhann. She studied his cold, handsome face, while Yuanhann allowed her gaze to linger. Their eyes locked, neither willing to back down, each step calculated and deliberate.

In the end, Soong Qian was the first to falter under Yuanhann's intense stare. Her small hands clenched into fists at her sides, the knuckles turning pale. Her lips parted slightly, and she spoke, each word carefully enunciated: "I don't care about your filthy money, and you don't need to use it to insult me."

"Oh, really?" Yuanhann's eyes suddenly deepened, his voice low and resonant, like a drumbeat echoing in Soong Qian's heart.