Chapter 11: Show Mercy

Qiao Jiu hurried out of the private room, glancing left and right, but Lu Fengzhou was already nowhere to be seen.

She stood in the corridor, taking several deep breaths to compose herself. Just moments ago, she’d instinctively looked back at the sofa behind her—a man was sitting there, a hostess crouched between his knees, his hand pressing down on her head. Even though his body blocked most of what was happening, Qiao Jiu wasn’t foolish; she knew perfectly well what they were doing.

Several other men sat nearby, each with a woman in his arms, none of them paying the slightest attention. Everyone was preoccupied with their own sordid amusements.

Qiao Jiu felt as though her worldview had just been shattered. She hadn’t realized things could be taken this far.

Leaning against the wall, she watched as, a few seconds later, the elevator doors slid open and Guan Wei stepped out. She must have come looking for her—Guan Wei hurried over. “Lu Fengzhou didn’t give you any trouble, did he?”

Qiao Jiu shot her a sideways glance. “Just how powerful is your backing? Things are such a mess here—aren’t you afraid the place will get raided one day and you’ll all end up in jail?”

Guan Wei blinked. “What happened? Did you see something that burned your eyes?”

She didn’t take it to heart. “This? This is nothing, just small stuff.” Then she asked, “Where’s Lu Fengzhou?”

No sooner had she spoken than Lu Fengzhou appeared around the corner, wearing only a dress shirt with the collar unbuttoned and the sleeves rolled up.

Guan Wei tutted quietly, lowering her voice. “When you first set your sights on him, I was a little jealous. How did someone so good-looking end up with you first? But now I see—beautiful roses all have their thorns.”

Lu Fengzhou caught sight of Guan Wei. “So the boss herself is here. Worried I’d send your employee to the hospital too?”

Guan Wei didn’t dare mouth off to him. “I only heard you were here and wanted to come greet you.”

Lu Fengzhou turned to Qiao Jiu. “Trying to run away?”

“I’m not running,” Qiao Jiu replied. “If I don’t serve you well, I’ll lose my job.”

He stared at her a moment longer, then lifted his hand to push open the private room door.

Inside, the music had been turned up even louder—when the door opened, the booming sound was deafening. Lu Fengzhou paused, frowned, and closed the door again.

He looked back at Qiao Jiu. “Alright, your boss is here. You can go.”

Qiao Jiu was a little surprised. “I can leave now?”

Lu Fengzhou asked in return, “Don’t want to?”

Guan Wei quickly jumped in, “Go, go, go. Thank you, Mr. Lu, for your generosity. Tonight’s drinks are on me.”

Lu Fengzhou didn’t bother to be polite. “No need.”

That only made Guan Wei happier. She hurriedly took Qiao Jiu by the arm and steered her toward the elevators. “Mr. Lu, enjoy yourself. If you need anything, just say the word.”

At the elevator, Qiao Jiu glanced back to see Lu Fengzhou already re-entering the private room.

She couldn’t help but recall the scene she’d witnessed earlier. Now, with her gone, Lu Fengzhou would probably let himself go. She forced herself to clear her mind—the marriage was over. Dwelling on it would only bring her more misery.

They rode the elevator downstairs. Qiao Jiu didn’t return to the back of the house but instead left the bar with Guan Wei. The two of them leaned against a pillar to the left of the entrance, each lighting a cigarette and exhaling smoke in silence.

A few minutes later, Lu Fengzhou unexpectedly emerged from the bar, walking briskly toward a car parked by the curb.

Guan Wei blinked in surprise. “Hey, isn’t that Lu Fengzhou? He’s leaving too?”

Lu Fengzhou didn’t notice them. He got straight into the car, the window rolled down, phone in hand. Whether he was making or answering a call, they couldn’t tell, but he held it to his ear.

After two years of marriage, Qiao Jiu knew Lu Fengzhou well. Even though she couldn’t hear what he was saying, she could clearly see his expression soften.

It was, in fact, the first time she’d ever seen Lu Fengzhou show that kind of tenderness.

With a cigarette caught between her teeth, Qiao Jiu asked, “Do you know what Lu Fengzhou’s been up to lately?”

Guan Wei didn’t hesitate. “I heard he’s been backing some starlet in the entertainment industry—throwing a lot of money at her. He even visited the set not long ago.”

She stopped short, quickly amending, “But you know how those rumors are—half of them are just wild guesses, nothing you can rely on.”

Qiao Jiu smiled. In the car, Lu Fengzhou was smiling too. Whatever the person on the other end of the line said, the curve of his lips was unmistakable.