"Ruyu!"
After everyone had exited, Yan Yan looked at Bai Ru and shook her head helplessly, smiling as she said, "It's been a long time, and you're still so full of personality! Alright, put the gun away. I should have come to greet you personally when I knew you were here!"
Bai Ru skillfully tucked the gun back into the holster at her waist and covered it with her clothing, looking at Yan Yan and saying淡淡地说道:"Everything has changed, so it doesn't matter whether I'm welcomed or not!"
"Why speak so coldly? After all, we were friends back in the day!" Yan Yan said with a bitter smile, then looked at the few people beside Bai Ru and said, "This isn't the place for reminiscing. Let's go to my bar, it's just ahead. What do you think?"
"Sure, I do have some questions for you!" Bai Ru thought for a moment, then nodded. She turned to Cao Mei and the others and said, "You all go shopping by yourselves. I'll have a chat with her and then come back!"
"Wouldn't it be better for you to go alone?" Cao Mei frowned and asked hesitantly.
"It's okay, if something happens to me, no one here will survive." Bai Ru smiled confidently, ignoring Yan Yan's surprised look, turned around and walked out of the clothing store proudly.
Yan Yan's bar is indeed very close to the clothing store. It takes less than half a minute to walk there. Of course, this bar is not a bar in the strict sense. The decoration can't be simpler. The tables, chairs and benches placed inside are also miscellaneous. However, there are still lights and speakers, which are probably powered by diesel generators. Because the voltage is not stable, the lighting bulbs appear to flicker.
Yan Yan pushed back a group of men and women who had been following her, and led Bai Ru into her bar alone. However, as soon as they entered the bar, they saw a very dirty scene.
The speakers in the bar were turned up deafeningly, and few guests could see it, but in the center of the main hall, two lean young men were pressing several women directly on the wine table and vigorously shaking their lower bodies. Everyone, both men and women, took off their clothes. The men were laughing wildly while drinking wine in their hands. It was poured on the faces and mouths of the women, and the women screamed with excitement. Their legs hooked the men's waists very actively, and their snow-white bodies showed large blushes. The blushing screams even overshadowed the violent music, making the whole scene look very lustful and depraved.
"Where are the people? Are they all dead? Break the legs of all this garbage and throw it out. If anyone dares to do these shameless things in my bar again, don't blame me for taking your life." Yan Yan roared angrily, and several men rushed out from behind the big bar, kicking and dragging all the excited men and women out. Just a few seconds later, there were bursts of screams outside the door.
Yan Yan frowned and walked behind the bar in person, turned down the music and changed to a soothing song. She walked back to Bai Ru with an ugly face and said apologetically, "I'm sorry for making you laugh."
"It's okay, I've seen things even more disgusting than this." Bai Ru shrugged indifferently, and sat on a very soft sofa in the corner under Yan Yan's guidance.
Yan Yan did not choose to drink, but asked someone to make a cup of fragrant coffee for each of them. Yan Yan lowered her head and gently stirred the brown liquid in the cup. After a moment of silence, she raised her head and looked at Bai Ru and said, "You followed the man named Jack, right?"
"Yeah" Bai Ru nodded sincerely, took a small sip of coffee, looked at Yan Yan and asked, "Do you know him too?"
"You know I've been following Master Hu, how could I not know him? Last night, Master Hu came back so angry that he even killed someone!" Yan Yan smiled faintly and asked, "So, how is it? With your conditions, you should be quite favored in front of him, right? I guess no woman can compete with you!"
"It's not about being favored or not!" Bai Ru also smiled and said slowly, "We're not in a physical transaction relationship; it's more like a normal romantic relationship. If it weren't for the fact that the civil affairs bureau is closed now, I would have probably been pestering him to marry me already!"
"Really? You actually want to get married proactively?" Yan Yan looked at Bai Ru in surprise and thought for a moment before asking, "Jade, I saw Jack training Ryan's people at noon. Although he looks quite manly, I think he pales in comparison to Marcus. At least Marcus has a kind of dominance that he lacks!"
"So what if Marcus is full of dominance?" Bai Ru glanced at Yan Yan and said very calmly, "I'm looking for a husband, not a boss. As long as I like him and he likes me, that's enough!"
"Then can you really forget about Marcus? Are you willing to marry an ordinary man?" Yan Yan asked reluctantly.
"That question should be directed at you, right? Besides, how do you know my husband is an ordinary man? I'm not bragging, but my man is at least as good as Marcus, if not better. At least he is a man who dares to take responsibility, unlike Marcus. Would he dare to bring up your relationship with me openly?" Bai Ru's tone suddenly rose, and there was a hint of disdain in her eyes.
"So you knew all along!" Yan Yan looked at Bai Ru and forced a smile, feeling weak as she slumped onto the sofa. She gently shook her head and said in a very lonely voice, "Do you think I'm the third party? But do you know that I've known Marcus for a year longer than you? Even my first time was for him, but who told me my charm isn't as strong as yours? He always treats me as a dispensable lover, even making love to me feels like charity. After each time, he wouldn't even hold me for a moment. But what can I do? I'm just cheap; I like him. As long as he doesn't leave me, I don't care how he treats me, even if it means I have to personally prepare the wedding for you two, I wouldn't mind…"
"Did you leave without saying goodbye because you found out about this?" Yan Yan suddenly raised her head, seemingly eager to know the answer.
"No!" Bai Ru gently shook her head, slowly turning the coffee cup in her hand, and then said softly, "Actually, I learned about you and him from a friend six months ago, but I didn't pay much attention to it because he's a man. Normal men need to vent. If he didn't have women outside, I would find it strange, so your existence isn't a problem!"
"Then what was the reason? Don't you know that when you threw down the ring and ran away, Marcus mobilized everyone to look for you like crazy? Didn't you feel heartbroken?" Yan Yan asked eagerly, clenching her fists.
"I am no longer called Bai Ruyu; I have returned to my original name, Bai Ru. Therefore, the one who will marry him is the former Bai Ruyu, not me, Bai Ru. I have restored my original name to bring closure to him and to give myself a new beginning. I no longer want to deal with the past and its entanglements!"
As she spoke, Bai Ru let out a gentle sigh and slowly leaned back against the sofa. She gazed blankly at the table and softly said, "I used to think I loved him, but it wasn't until last night when I gave my first time to Jack that I realized my feelings for Marcus Chao Ran were not love at all, but rather a choice made out of a lack of options. He is indeed excellent, having quickly risen from nothing to a position that many dream of, but what does that mean for me? I don't lack money; what I want is not a money-making machine, but a man who treats me well and can care for me at all times. You might not know this, but when I was with Marcus Chao Ran, I often didn't know what to say. Most of the time, he talked while I listened. We had no common interests or topics; he always spoke about his business—business, endless business...
Bai Ru smiled bitterly and shook her head as she continued, "Yes, Marcus Chao Ran treats me very well. Whatever I want, he will find a way to get it for me. But that is precisely the difference between him and Jack. Jack also treats me well, but he cares more about my feelings. He doesn't just indulge me; he chooses to communicate with me and even teaches me how to survive, rather than just helping me survive. I can talk a lot with him; I feel like I talk more with him in one night than I have in my entire life. It was only with Jack that I realized what true love is and understood the taste of loving someone. As for Marcus Chao Ran... I can only say that I chose him passively when I had no better options!"
"Huh..." After Bai Ru finished speaking, Yan Yan let out a heavy sigh. She stared blankly at Bai Ru across from her and suddenly said with a bitter smile, "I always thought I was foolish, but it turns out Chao Ran is just as foolish. He once believed he was your best partner, that only he was worthy of you. But who knew your heart was never with him? Hehe~ Chao Ran, you really misunderstood me!"
"What do you mean by that?" Bai Ru was taken aback and asked curiously.
"Do you know? When doomsday came, Chao Ran ran away with me. One day, I simply said, 'You don't deserve his kindness; you're a heartless woman.' But who knew he got so angry that he slapped me and kicked me out of the car, saying it was definitely because you found out about my relationship with him that you left him!"
Yan Yan sighed deeply, her expression complex as she said, "When he left me all alone on the road, I really hated him. After all those years of being his servant, he just threw me away like that. Are you really that good? So good that I can't even say a word against you? At that moment, if I could have caught up with Marcus Chao Ran, I would have wanted to die with him. But now that I know your true feelings, I really think he is pitifully foolish!"
"Those who are pitiful must have their faults. I find it no surprise that Marcus Chao Ran could abandon you. He is indeed the kind of man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. I have come to terms with this, which is why I didn't cling to him. What he lacks is the sense of responsibility that Jack values most, and a man without responsibility is truly terrifying!" Looking at the dazed Yan Yan, Bai Ru shook her head and said, "Alright, let's not talk about him anymore. He is a man we both should forget. Look at you now, having left Marcus Chao Ran, aren't you doing just fine?"
"Am I doing fine? Some things are better left unexamined if you don't know the truth!" Yan Yan forced a bitter smile, her face revealing a complex expression of pain and numbness as she slowly said, "I was picked up by Tiger's men on the road. Fortunately, they thought I looked decent and didn't assault me, but instead brought me to Tiger. In this gathering place, Tiger is the most powerful person. At first, I thought I had finally found a protector and tried every means to win his favor. But who knew that was just another naive thought of mine? Following Tiger, I simply fell from one hell into another. You see... this is what Tiger has brought me!"
As Yan Yan spoke, she slowly unbuttoned her black lace blouse, revealing her impressive curves wrapped in a matching bra. Yan Yan's bra was the kind that opened in the front, and in front of Bai Ru's shocked gaze, she boldly pulled it open, completely exposing her chest without reservation.
Yan Yan's curves were not only fair but also very full. However, the peaks that should have been enticing were covered in numerous dark purple bite marks and fresh scars. Those wounds were almost shocking, encompassing every part of Yan Yan's curves, and even the two most enticing points were each missing half, clearly bitten off by someone.
"Yan Yan, you..." Bai Ru was almost dumbfounded as she looked at the dense scars on Yan Yan's body. Countless words she wanted to comfort or condemn were accumulated in her throat and could not be spit out. Even the right hand she stretched out to touch was suspended in mid-air, her face turned pale.
"Haha~ You see, this is the price I pay for my glory." Yan Yan forced a sad smile on her face. She gently put on her bra and said numbly, "I won't show you the scars on my lower body. He has tortured me so much that I don't even dare to recognize myself. Not only did he bite off a lot of flesh from me, but he also used it as an ashtray. It is very difficult for me to relieve myself or urinate now, and the pain is heartbreaking when I exert force... Mr. Hu is a complete pervert. He has never regarded me as a human being since the first time he had sex with me. In fact, my injuries are relatively minor among his women. I have seen with my own eyes no less than dozens of women who were killed by him. If I hadn't been able to give him some advice, my end would have been the same as those women."
"How could you endure it?" Bai Ru clenched her fists in sympathy. Seeing an acquaintance from the past being tortured like this, Bai Ru's whole body was almost trembling with anger.
"Just get used to it." Yan Yan fastened the last button and said with a free and easy smile, "Isn't that what we women are like? If you are good at it, you are a sister-in-law, and if you are not good at it, you are a bitch. Moreover, Mr. Hu's physical strength is not good, and he has so many women, so he will definitely not torture me every day. He only comes to me once or twice a month at most. Most of the time, he still takes a fancy to my ability. After all, he has so many people to manage, and I can give him advice."
"Why can't you just kill him with one knife?" Bai Ru slammed the table and shouted angrily.
"Kill him? If I had the courage, I would have chosen to commit suicide when I first arrived at this gathering place. Can I still live like a dog like this?"
Yan Yan's smile was very sad, and her pretty face was full of endless sorrow. She sighed helplessly and said, "I was almost starving to death when I was picked up by them. For a piece of ham, I even licked Master Hu's vagina after he had finished having sex, and from then on... I have told myself since the beginning of the day that since I don't dare to die, I will work hard to live. If you can afford dignity, you can let it go. Besides, my dignity has long been trampled down by that detached bastard named Marcus."
"Yan Yan... If you can't, just come with us. We won't stay in this gathering place for too long. I'll beg Jack and he will definitely take you with him." Bai Ru also felt compassion and looked at Yan Yan anxiously.
Yan Yan took a deep breath, but still shook her head and said, "Ruyu, thank you for your kindness, but I can't cause you any trouble. Mr. Hu is a very face-conscious person. If I leave with you, he will definitely send people to chase me. It's not worth it to go to hell for a woman like me."
"But it's not an option if you continue like this, isn't it? It's too dangerous for you to be with a pervert like William Hucheng who kills without blinking an eye." Bai Ru's tone softened, but she still couldn't bear it.
"Damn it, who is talking bad about my boss behind my back? Do they want to die..."
Before Yan Yan could finish her words, a loud and boisterous voice came from the entrance of the bar. The two women who were talking turned in surprise to look, only to see a burly black man leading a group of rough-looking individuals striding in. The black man immediately spotted the strikingly beautiful Bai Ru on the sofa, his eyes lit up with a lewd glint as he walked straight over, grinning lewdly at Bai Ru and saying, "Yo~ isn't this someone's woman? I was wondering who had the guts to speak ill of my boss. Little girl, you've got some guts!"
"Shan Gou, Yu is not speaking ill of Tiger Ye; you must have misheard!" Yan Yan frowned slightly as she looked at Shan Gou, instinctively crossing her arms and leaning back. But this small movement was enough to show that she was actually quite wary of Shan Gou.
"Sister-in-law, saying that is like turning your elbow outwards. Is it just my ears that are faulty, or are all my men's ears faulty too?" Shan Gou sneered, placing his foot on the coffee table in front of them, and without turning his head, he asked the people behind him, "Did you all hear what this woman just said?"
"She was speaking ill of Tiger Ye…"
"Right, I heard it too. She said Tiger Ye is a cold-blooded killer…"
The people behind Shan Gou chimed in, their expressions gleeful yet filled with righteous indignation.