Xiao Rui and Ning Zhe both stared at Gu Jun, stunned.
Then they reacted at the same time.
"Who are you? How dare you touch her?"
"Let her go!"
Gu Jun replied with a smirk, "Oh? Seeing how intimate we are, shouldn't it be obvious what our relationship is? But since you two are a bit slow, I'll spell it out for you: I'm her naughty fox, and she's my little bunny."
Xiao Rui and Ning Zhe nearly spat blood.
Gu Jun then noticed that Bai Yue was about to resist.
She was trying to break free, struggling to escape his grip on her waist.
Gu Jun quickly leaned in close to her ear and whispered,
"Listen, what I'm doing right now is for your own good. Don't you get annoyed with all the people constantly trying to woo you? Think of me as a shield—this will keep them at bay. Blink twice if you agree. Actually, even if you don't agree, you'll have to go along with it. Otherwise, I'll kiss you. Right now. A long, wet kiss. Trust me, I will. And your noble status won't stop me."
Bai Yue looked at Gu Jun, breathing hot and angry.
She remembered the quiet, rural boy from the train.
How did he change so much in such a short time?
Although she was genuinely furious, to everyone else, it looked like a flirtatious stare.
Seeing that her fiery glare had no effect, she finally blinked twice, helplessly.
In her mind, she was now cursing all of Gu Jun's ancestors.
"Don't be so angry. I'll explain everything to you later, okay?" he added playfully.
Gu Jun knew there were many Dark Stage warriors around who could overhear them, so he used a sound-isolation tool to block the conversation.
Almost everyone in the room was now glaring at Gu Jun with anger.
But Gu Jun only found amusement in the faces of Xiao Rui and Ning Zhe.
Why?
Because they desperately wanted to curse him with the vilest words possible, but couldn't.
They had to maintain their image. If they lost their cool now, their chances with Bai Yue would vanish for good.
After a while, Bai Yue composed herself and turned toward Xiao Rui and Ning Zhe.
She spoke calmly,
"I'm taking everyone out of here. Any objections?"
Xiao Rui and Ning Zhe were still glaring at Gu Jun with vicious eyes as they bitterly said,
"Fine. No problem."
After that, all the guests, including Xiao Rui and Ning Zhe, left the nightclub.
Once the place was almost empty, and only a few people remained outside, Bai Yue finally pulled herself out of Gu Jun's grasp.
She turned to him and said coldly,
"I'm going home. And don't forget — you owe me an explanation."
It was nearly 10 PM.
Bai Yue was on her way home.
She didn't actually live in the Bai family residence.
Not because of any issues with her father — she simply preferred living alone for privacy.
Tonight, Bai Xue and Rong Xi had also decided to stay with her at her private residence.
As their car neared the house, a vehicle suddenly emerged from the shadows and blocked their path.
Everyone in Bai Yue's car grew tense. The bodyguards immediately prepared to act.
Moments later, a slender leg stepped out of the mysterious car — clad in sleek leather pants.
A woman walked straight toward Bai Yue's vehicle.
Bai Yue's bodyguards quickly got out and confronted her.
But the woman calmly said,
"I want to speak with Miss Bai."
At that moment, the car windows rolled down.
The woman repeated,
"Miss Bai, someone wants to meet with you."
Bai Yue said nothing.
But Rong Xi, hot-tempered as always, snapped,
"Why should Sister Bai go with you?"
In response, the woman removed her mask and sunglasses.
Bai Yue's eyes narrowed slightly in surprise.
This woman was stunning, no less beautiful than Bai Yue herself.
Bai Yue responded firmly,
"You do realize it's almost midnight, and I don't even know who you are. Why would I go with you?"
The woman gave a calm smile.
"Miss Bai, come on now. You're the daughter of the Bai family. More importantly, you're the daughter of the second-in-command of ShenFeng sect— and the granddaughter of a central leader."
"You shouldn't have much to fear in the whole of China. But if someone like you is afraid of a harmless girl like me, then I can only say… sorry."
Then she pulled out a badge.
"You should recognize this."
Bai Yue looked at the badge with a flicker of surprise.
She thought to herself,
"Who wants to see me at this hour? And why?"
The woman answered coolly,
"Sorry, that's not for me to say. He will tell you himself."
Bai Yue had no real hesitation.
She knew that badge well — it belonged to the Red Guards, elite central government agents tasked with protecting VIPs.
They only guarded people connected to national security.
Besides, Bai Yue had her own powerful Huajin-level tool for protection.
Still, although she wasn't afraid, she did feel uncomfortable around this woman.
There was no killing intent, but there was a strange hostility — something cold beneath her beauty.
The woman then turned to the others.
"You two can go back. The person only wants to see Miss Bai. And Miss Bai — your bodyguards can come with you."
Bai Yue nodded.
"Bai Xue, Rong Xi — you two head back."
The woman added with a faint smile,
"Yes, I'll return Miss Bai in one piece. You don't need to worry."
The two girls replied in unison,
"Alright, Sister — come back soon. Tonight was exciting, and the ending is… kinda weird."
The woman in leather pants didn't respond with words — just chuckled softly.
Then she gestured toward the darkened street.
Two more cars slowly emerged from the shadows.
Bai Yue's eyes narrowed as she recognized one of them.
This car… she thought.
It was one of the highest-security vehicles in the country — built from a classified metal alloy used in top-tier fighter jets and submarines.
Her grandfather and mother had access to such a vehicle; even her father didn't.
After Bai Yue and the leather-pants woman got in the car, the convoy began moving.
The last car was for Bai Yue's bodyguards.
The journey was incredibly smooth.
With the Red Guards' escort vehicle in front, all other traffic made way without delay.
Bai Yue tried to guess their destination from the direction of the roads.
She didn't have to wait long — the trip was short.
And when they arrived… Bai Yue was surprised.
It wasn't a hidden or secret location.
In fact, it was one of the most iconic landmarks in Tianhai — the tallest building in the city.
The headquarters of the Eastern Bank's Tianhai branch.
Bai Yue pondered again,
"Who wants to see me? I don't have any connection to the Eastern Bank…"
They entered the elevator.
It took nearly two minutes before it reached the top floor.
Bai Yue looked around.
It was clearly the highest floor — likely the chairman's office or that of one of the top executives.
Through the glass walls, she could see the beautiful night view of the seductive, glowing Tianhai City.
The woman in leather pants walked ahead and opened a door, but it wasn't an office.
It was a luxurious private suite.
"Alright, she's here. Tell her whatever you want to say. I'll wait outside."
"Thank you, Di Yan."
The only response from Di Yan was a light snort.
Then a familiar voice rang out:
"Hello, wife. We meet again."
Yes — it was Gu Jun, sitting comfortably on the sofa, a wine glass in hand.
This time, Bai Yue was truly shocked.
So shocked, in fact, that she couldn't speak for a long while.
Her mind went back to the quiet village boy from the train — the one Rong Xi had half-jokingly accepted as a junior brother.
Now… if she still couldn't see that Gu Jun was no ordinary person, then she didn't deserve her reputation as the "academic bully" of Tianhai.
She finally asked,
"What's your relationship with the Eastern Bank?"
Due to her status, she knew a bit about the Thirty-Three Great Influences.
And even among them, no one dared to provoke the Eastern Bank lightly.
Gu Jun didn't answer directly.
Instead, he said,
"I told you I'd give you an explanation."
"I'm listening."
"From now on, you'll be my girlfriend — at least in front of others.
Whether we become a real couple… well, that depends on the future."
"Why do you think I would agree to that?"
"Because I believe you're in a dangerous position right now.
Many powerful people are watching you, and most of them don't have good intentions.
You might think your mother is secure in her position, but the truth is… she's walking a fine line.
Her situation isn't as stable as it seems."
"What do you mean?"
"Although your mother is the top candidate to become the next Sect Master of the Shenfeng Sect, her biggest weakness is her cultivation level.
Even though she's the most talented among the contenders, cultivation strength is a decisive factor.
And right now… she's falling behind."
"Also, your grandfather — he's in a difficult position. The Han family is eyeing him closely. If they get the chance, they'll drag him down from his pedestal.
And then there's the Bai family. You know the Xiao family is becoming more and more aggressive in their attempt to control Tianhai City. They could strike at any time."
"But do you know what the worst-case scenario is?
All your enemies are joining forces and attacking at once.
Although it may be almost impossible, if that happens… you could lose everything in a matter of hours."
"Now, I can help you in this situation.
If you agree to act as my girlfriend, I promise the Eastern Bank will back you in all three situations."
"I'll also shield you from those annoying suitors who keep pestering you."