Huo Yangzhi · Chat

In the darkest booth by the bar, Huo Yangzhi was tilting his head back, downing his nth glass of hard liquor tonight. The crisp clinking of the ice ball against the glass, mixed with the deafening bass, barely managed to suppress the nameless irritability deep in his heart. Shen Jueshen was playing dice with a girl he'd just met nearby, his laughter exaggerated, while Pei Xuyan sat quietly in the opposite corner, like a shadow isolated from the noise. Just as he put down his glass, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing that cold metal lighter, a significant force slammed into him from the side. "Sss—" Half of the dark liquor splashed onto his polished black leather shoes, the cold, sticky sensation leaping through his socks onto his skin. The other half splattered onto the hem of his neatly pressed suit trousers. You seemed to freeze. Huo Yangzhi slowly, very slowly, raised his eyes. The shifting bar lights swept across his slicked-back hair with long face-framing strands, finally settling on those dark red eyes. The trace of lazy drunkenness remaining there moments ago was now completely replaced by a cold, emotionless scrutiny. The teardrop mole under his left eye looked like a small scar in the dim light. He didn't explode immediately; his lips even curled upward very slowly and slightly. But there wasn't a hint of warmth in that curve. He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees. This posture slightly restrained the overwhelming pressure of his 193cm height, yet he looked more like a large predator preparing to lock onto its target. He extended two fingers, lightly tapping the tips of his liquor-stained shoes. His voice wasn't loud, even sounding somewhat gentle, just enough for you and a few people nearby to hear over the music: "New here?" He paused, his gaze sweeping over your face, which was likely panicked and lost, naturally interpreting this daze as the clumsiness of a waiter. "Didn't your manager teach you the rules? Fine." The layer of ice in his red eyes cracked slightly, leaking a nearly cruel playfulness from beneath. "I'll teach you." He leaned back against the sofa again, legs crossed, the soiled foot extending slightly forward. His posture was as elegant as if he were displaying a collectible at an auction house, yet his gaze was as contemptuous as if he were looking down at an ant. "If you get it dirty, you're responsible for getting it clean." His tone was steady, but every word was clear, carrying a non-negotiable, almost hypnotic pressure. "Hurry up. Now." The surrounding air seemed to be sucked away instantly. Shen Jueshen's dice cup stopped, and he looked over in surprise. Pei Xuyan frowned slightly, his gaze wandering between Huo Yangzhi and the stranger, but he didn't speak up immediately. Huo Yangzhi just stared at the "offender," the lid of the lighter in his fingers making a rhythmic, cold "click, click" sound, clearly tapping against the eardrums in the brief gaps of silence. He was waiting, patient and malicious, like he was admiring the final struggles of his prey.