Chapter 14

On Saturday night, Ruan Ning pulled herself together and set out again.

Tonight, Bu Chen had booked out the entire venue—every booth was filled with his friends and acquaintances.

Ruan Ning had deliberately changed into a bolder, more provocative black slip dress, her hair pinned up, silver hoop earrings, and smoky eye makeup. Even her instructor would barely have recognized her.

Her already striking features now seemed even more radiant, like a red velvet rose dusted with dew. The moment she walked in, the men collectively wolf-whistled.

Ruan Ning's stunning looks were like an all-access pass, letting her slip effortlessly into the booth closest to Bu Chen.

Everyone there knew that Bu Chen's booth was off-limits without an invitation, but strangely enough, a man who never turned away a pretty woman hadn't been inviting anyone lately. So Ruan Ning settled for the nearest spot she could find and watched him covertly.

Bu Chen spent most of the evening chatting with friends, occasionally getting up to take a call or swing by another booth to say hello.

His shirt hung open at the chest, revealing a sharp, sexy collarbone. His deep, sculpted profile looked effortlessly dashing and alluring under the nightclub's kaleidoscopic lights.

Every so often, a beautiful woman would come over to toast him. Bu Chen would slowly swirl his whiskey glass and offer an apologetic smile: "Not tonight, unfortunately. I'll make it up to you with a proper drink another time."

The women would beam, flattered: "Oh, Bu-gongzi, don't say that—you go on with your business. But you'd better make it up to us sisters next time."

His refusals were gentle and gentlemanly, leaving no room for offense. The women, though a little disappointed, could only carry their glasses back the way they'd come.

Ruan Ning was stunned. Was this really the Bu Chen she knew? Had the playboy prince actually changed his ways?

She got so lost in watching him that she nearly forgot she was supposed to be playing games with her booth mates.

Although they called it a game, it was really just a means to get the girls drunk so the wealthy men could grope them at their leisure. By now, most of the women at the same table had been plied into a drowsy stupor, the whole booth reeking of alcohol—except Ruan Ning, who hadn't touched a single drop.

A half-drunk rich heir spotted this and yanked her out from the crowd, scolding, "Hey, hey, hey—this beauty here hasn't had a single sip all night. Did any of you see her drink anything?"

The rest shook their heads. Discontent swept over the crowd like a cloud of dust.

"How can you come to a bar and not drink? You have to drink! It's just not right otherwise."

Ruan Ning forced a smile. "But I haven't lost any rounds, so I don't owe anyone a drink."

"Rules? What rules? What I say goes!" The rich heir hiccuped, and the others chimed in.

In the eyes of the wealthy, games and flirting were just formalities—the real goal was always to get the girls drunk and take them home. Most of the women played along willingly enough, so someone like Ruan Ning stood out like a sore thumb and became everyone's target.

A noisy crowd surged around her.

"You have to drink this! We're here to have fun, so loosen up—stop being so prissy!"

The rich heir shoved a glass of liquor in front of Ruan Ning, then, not satisfied, wobbled upright and grabbed a bottle to pour more in, spilling it over the rim and onto the table.

"You drink this and we'll call it even. Big brother here will forgive you. Urp..."

Ruan Ning was speechless. Whether it was dice or cards, she hadn't lost a single round since walking in—what did she owe them? Besides, she was here on a mission tonight. There was no way she was getting drunk at the hands of some roadside obstacle.

"But big brother, I'm not feeling well today. I really don't want to drink. Please let me off the hook, okay?"

Ruan Ning swayed her shoulders and pleaded coyly, but her kittenish gesture only stoked the playboys' predatory instincts. More and more people gathered, jeering and pressuring her to drink. Some busybody even fetched empty glasses and poured extra rounds.

"Sweetheart, forget the games—just have one drink with us brothers, yeah?" They grinned at her, reaching out to touch her face.

Ruan Ning nearly lost her composure. Once these degenerates turned on the sleaze, they were utterly lawless. If not for the System forcing her hand, she would never have set foot in such a filthy place in her life!

"No, no, and no. I didn't lose, so I'm not drinking. No matter who shows up, I'm not drinking."

Ruan Ning had made up her mind. No matter how they coaxed or pressured her, she sat firm in her seat without budging an inch.

"Oh, come on, little miss, don't be so difficult. Tonight's Bu-gongzi's show—if you don't drink, you're disrespecting Brother Chen."

Just as more drunks were closing in, trying to force her to drink, Ruan Ning stood up to make an excuse and leave. But then a magnetic, measured voice cut through the crowd: "You lot ganging up on one girl—aren't you ashamed?"

The crowd turned to see Bu Chen leaning lazily against a pillar, a glass of whiskey in hand, almond-shaped eyes tilted up ever so slightly—the very picture of roguish charm.

Ruan Ning was overwhelmed with relief. She steadied her trembling voice and gave a small nod.

The crowd parted to let the most honored young master take a seat, all of them complaining, "Brother Chen, who's bullying her? She comes to Seductive Summer and still plays the innocent—don't you think that's a buzzkill?"

Only then did Bu Chen's gaze fall on Ruan Ning. He studied her quietly for a moment, a haze gathering in his eyes, his gaze turning deep.

He asked, "Is this miss your first time at Seductive Summer?"

Ruan Ning's heart skipped a beat. She didn't understand why he'd ask, but after a moment's hesitation, she answered firmly, "Yes."

"I see..." Bu Chen looked thoughtful, then turned to the crowd with a smile. "It's her first time, so she can't be expected to know the ropes. Don't scare the girl."

The rich heir was too drunk to keep his eyes open, but he wasn't about to let it go. He hiccuped and swore, "No way, Brother Chen. You can't bend the rules just because she's pretty. Even if the emperor himself showed up, she'd still have to drink."

The others joined the protest, voices rising higher and higher until the whole dance floor echoed with "Drink!" "Drink!" "Drink!"

Ruan Ning was terrified. She'd never felt so isolated and helpless—like she was surrounded by a pack of wolves that would tear her apart the moment they let their guard down.

At a loss, she cast a pleading look at Bu Chen. He'd saved her once before—maybe he'd do it again!

Bu Chen curled his lips into a teasing smile. "You see, my friends feel pretty strongly about this. But it's true that coming to Seductive Summer without a drink just isn't right. What do you think?"

Ruan Ning's brows knit tighter, but she said nothing.

"How about we play a few rounds instead? If you win, you call the shots. If you lose..."

Bu Chen chuckled softly, looking at the overflowing glass on the table—clear ice cubes glinting like crystal in the amber liquor.

Ruan Ning breathed a sigh of relief and agreed readily: "No problem. Dice, cards, rock-paper-scissors—pick any one. If I lose, I'll accept the consequences."

So close to being scared out of her wits, but it seemed the Bu Chen playboy persona was intact—he never made things too hard on a girl.

Ruan Ning's eyes sparkled with mirth. It wasn't arrogance; when it came to games, no one at that table could match her.

She might look sweet and reserved, but in private, she was a grandmaster-level gaming girl. She was skilled at mahjong, dominoes, dice, and rock-paper-scissors alike, and on top of that, she'd done extra training before coming. As long as no one cheated, there were hardly a handful of people in the whole place who could make her raise a glass.

"This young lady looks very confident," Bu Chen said, his tone warm and amiable. "Dice and cards don't interest me. How about something simpler?"

Ruan Ning tilted her head slightly, curious about what he had in mind. The crowd around them also leaned in, eager to see what trick Young Master Bu had up his sleeve.

"Name Three Things."

A disappointed sigh rippled through the crowd.

Ruan Ning smirked. She'd braced herself for a real challenge, and all he came up with was a kid's game. The rules of Name Three Things were simple: one person asks what's inside some category, and the rest answer in turn, with each person giving one item. Anyone who can't answer loses.

She wouldn't claim to be a walking encyclopedia, but how hard could it be to out-vocabulary someone?

For the first few rounds, Bu Chen's questions were easy—things like "What's in a social media app?" and "What's in a bar?"

Ruan Ning answered with ease, graceful and composed throughout.

Bu Chen gave her a tolerant, indulgent look, then a sly glint flickered in his eyes. "What's in a sex shop?"

Huh? What?

Ruan Ning felt her legs abruptly knocked out from under her, like she'd just dropped to her knees.

The whole venue burst into lewd, raucous laughter. Only then did she snap back to reality—she'd been played by Bu Chen.

This—this was completely unsportsmanlike! How was she supposed to answer a question like that?

But the people in their seats were already shouting over each other.

"Candles!"

"Whips!"

"Fishnets!"

...

Ruan Ning's neck turned red all the way to her ears. The crowd exploded into waves of suggestive, vulgar laughter. This really had her stumped—it was a question she couldn't answer even if her life depended on it. Bu Chen must have planned this deliberately just to corner her.

Why would he do that?