By the window on the right sat a man and a woman. The man was portly, appearing to weigh at least two hundred pounds, his face a mass of fat. He wore a smile that he clearly thought was roguish and charming.
It was truly disgusting to behold.
He held a woman in his arms, his hands roaming all over her.
Though the woman's eyes were full of impatience, she forced herself to maintain a smile.
Shen Qingqing chuckled and sauntered over, "Oh, look who I've found."
Shen Yaoyao's face paled dramatically upon seeing her. She sprang up, breaking free from the fatty's lecherous grasp, "You, how are you here?"
"Tsk tsk tsk," Shen Qingqing stroked her chin, glancing at the fat man, then at her. "It seems you're tired of the loneliness of your chamber, but your taste is truly abysmal."
The sarcasm in her eyes made Shen Yaoyao's face flush with shame. "Don't talk nonsense!"
Mr. Ye, standing behind her, rose and leered at Shen Qingqing, "Who is this? Yaoyao, aren't you going to introduce us?"
Shen Yaoyao, nearly gagging from the touch of his fatty flesh, used the pretense of reaching for Shen Qingqing's arm to distance herself from Mr. Ye. "Mr. Ye, allow me to introduce my sister. I'll just speak with her for a moment."
She clutched Shen Qingqing tightly and whispered a fierce warning in her ear.
"You'd best keep your mouth shut. If you dare to breathe a word of what happened today, I won't let you off!"
Shen Qingqing smiled enigmatically. "And what if I don't?"
A flash of cruelty crossed Shen Yaoyao's eyes. She pressed Shen Qingqing's shoulder and gestured towards the entrance. "Look there. Those are Mr. Ye's bodyguards. If you're not sensible, you won't be leaving here today."
She waved her hand, and the burly, fierce-looking bodyguards approached.
Shen Qingqing's eyes flickered. She feigned nervousness and took a step back, her small face taut. "Even if I don't say anything, do you think this place, with its many eyes and ears, will allow this to remain perfectly hidden?"
Shen Yaoyao seethed inwardly. She had indeed intended to conceal her true self when she came, but Mr. Ye had refused. This was a lingering worry for her.
Her mind was in a turmoil, and she failed to notice the cold, clear gaze Shen Qingqing cast her.
"I do have a solution, one that guarantees that even if this matter spreads, no one will call you wanton or shameless. I can help you curry favor with Mr. Ye while simultaneously distancing yourself from this incident."
"It could even garner you sympathy."
Shen Yaoyao's head snapped up, her eyes darting. "What solution?"
Shen Qingqing glanced at the bodyguards.
Shen Yaoyao waved them away and, glancing at the increasingly impatient Mr. Ye, whispered, "Hurry and tell me, what is this solution?"
Shen Qingqing said slowly, "All you need is proof that you were forced."
Forced?
Mr. Ye was certainly out of the question. Her maternal grandfather and mother were also impossible. The person who forced her had to be someone who held a grudge against her, and also...
Her gaze suddenly fell on Shen Qingqing.
What if it was her...
Shen Qingqing checked her watch. "Alright, I've given you the solution. I need to leave."
"Sister, you can't leave yet," Shen Yaoyao smiled faintly, a sense of triumph bubbling within her. "Since you've offered such a brilliant idea, no one can execute it better than you. This villainous role can only be played by you, sister."
Shen Qingqing looked at her in disbelief. "What do you mean?"
Shen Yaoyao sneered. She had a bodyguard fetch a phone to record, and to throw off suspicion, she chose the secluded restroom. Her acting skills were superb; she didn't need to work up any emotion. Tears streamed down her face.
"Sister, I'll do as you say. I'll go accompany Mr. Ye. Please don't bully me anymore."
Shen Qingqing narrowed her eyes and slapped her across the face!
Shen Yaoyao stood there, stunned, the force of the blow having knocked the sense out of her.
The bodyguards were all taken aback.
"This isn't convincing enough," Shen Qingqing explained before Shen Yaoyao could erupt in anger. "See, if I'm coercing you, there needs to be something to threaten you into obedience. Me hitting you makes me seem vicious, and you, the pitiful victim, can then garner sympathy."
Shen Yaoyao clutched her cheek, her ears ringing. The slap had been quite substantial.
However, she couldn't deny the logic in Shen Qingqing's words. The more pitiful she appeared now, the more sympathy she would receive when the truth eventually came out.
So, she endured it.
At worst, she'd get revenge later!
She took a deep breath and continued to rehearse her lines, but before she could speak, another slap landed, this time on her right cheek. She spun around, clutching her face, and managed to brace herself against a table to stay upright.
"Why did you hit me again?!"
Shen Qingqing smiled slightly and looked at her slightly numb palm. "It's not symmetrical. Let's have one on the left."
With that, another slap flew!
This made it symmetrical. Shen Yaoyao clutched her face, stars dancing before her eyes. Then, her mind suddenly cleared, and she realized, "Shen Qingqing, you tricked me!"
From the very beginning, the solution she offered was a trap!
Shen Qingqing chuckled. "You're only just realizing that?"
Shen Yaoyao was about to lose her mind. She screamed hysterically, "Hold her down! Hold her down! I want to fight back! I'll tear this bitch's face apart!"
The bodyguards, snapping out of their stupor, lunged forward. But just then, the restroom door was kicked open. Lu Junze strolled in, hands in his pockets, followed by the club's assistant manager.
Seeing the bodyguards about to act, the playful demeanor vanished from Lu Junze's face. "Who gave you the nerve to cause trouble here?"
Shen Yaoyao's cheeks were swollen, and she could barely speak clearly. Seeing the assistant manager, she complained, "Look at the kind of people you have in your club! They beat me like this, you must give me an explanation."
The assistant manager wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "This..."
"You must kick her out! And she's never allowed here again!" Shen Yaoyao knew the standing of this club in City A. Everyone who frequented it was influential.
If she were to be unceremoniously thrown out, she would be the laughingstock the next day.
The assistant manager was hesitant. He didn't recognize Shen Qingqing, but seeing their boss standing protectively beside her, he dared not have her removed.
"Miss Shen, perhaps it's best to let today's matter slide. Making a scene will not be good for either party."
"No!" Shen Yaoyao glared fiercely at Shen Qingqing. "This isn't over today!"
Lu Junze raised an eyebrow and sneered. "It seems someone is ungrateful."
"And who are you?" Shen Yaoyao, incensed, spoke with a slight lisp. "What right do you have to speak here?"
The assistant manager's expression changed. He abandoned his earlier conciliatory tone. "Miss Shen, allow me to introduce you. This is our club's boss, Young Master Lu."