38: What Happened?

Shen Yifei opened the car door, smiling, "Cai'er, get in."

This was the first time a man had addressed her with such tender familiarity. As she met the handsome man's smiling gaze, Lin Cai'er’s budding heart fluttered.

Lin Cai'er softly murmured, "Mm," and immediately got into the car.

Around six o'clock, Hua Hai City’s Bar Street was ablaze with lights, teeming with a surging crowd.

The Bar Street, located in a bustling commercial district downtown, was lined with neon-drenched entertainment venues. A kaleidoscope of young men and women moved in and out, and it wasn't uncommon to spot provocatively dressed women.

The Audi pulled up outside the Dream Fate Bar.

Lin Cai'er rarely frequented such places, having only visited once or twice for company dinners. However, the ambiance here seemed quite pleasant.

Unlike the usual noisy, vulgar establishments, this bar boasted exquisite interior design, placing it in a distinctly higher class. Yet, the vibrant bar atmosphere remained palpable, and the DJ music still thundered.

The two found a spot and sat down.

Lin Cai'er, finding the experience quite novel, smiled and asked, "Lang, do you... come to places like this often?"

Shen Yifei replied, "I used to come to bars when I felt troubled, but it’s been a long time since I last visited."

"I'm sorry," Lin Cai'er said, a little flustered, "Did I... did I make you feel troubled?"

"What nonsense are you thinking?" Shen Yifei shook his head with a smile. "A beautiful woman asks me out for dinner; I couldn't be happier."

Lin Cai'er, a blush creeping up her cheeks, lowered her head and, mustering her courage, asked, "Lang, do you have a girlfriend?"

Shen Yifei answered without hesitation, "No."

He certainly didn't have a girlfriend, though he did have a *pretend* fiancée.

Lin Cai'er's heart leaped with joy. Shen Yifei had no girlfriend, which meant she still had a chance.

Watching Lin Cai'er's dreamy expression, Shen Yifei picked up the menu and smiled, "What would you like to eat?"

"Whatever," Lin Cai'er replied, her lips curving into a pretty arc. It should have been her asking, but Lin Cai'er enjoyed the feeling of Shen Yifei taking the initiative.

Shen Yifei had given her a new lease on life. Though she had only just escaped Lin Xifu’s entanglement, Lin Cai'er felt like a bird breaking free from its cage—unfettered, her spirits soaring.

"Waiter, two plates of spaghetti and two Tequila Frost Margaritas," Shen Yifei hailed, placing their order.

Soon, the pasta and cocktails were served.

Lin Cai'er and Shen Yifei ate, chatting easily between bites.

Halfway through their meal, Shen Yifei’s phone suddenly rang.

He took out his phone and saw a familiar number.

"Excuse me, Cai'er," Shen Yifei apologized to Lin Cai'er, "I need to step outside to take a call."

"Mm, no problem," Lin Cai'er smiled.

Shen Yifei quickly walked out of the bar and pressed to answer.

"Hello, Junior Sister (a formal and respectful term for a female martial arts or cultivation apprentice who joined a school or sect after oneself), what's up?"

"Senior Brother (a formal and respectful term for a male martial arts or cultivation apprentice who joined a school or sect before oneself), I've looked into Luo Tianyao, the person you asked me to investigate last time. His background is indeed not simple. His grandfather is a Lieutenant General and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Hua Hai Military Region, and he has two Five-star martial artists (highly skilled practitioners ranked by a five-star system) under him." Yi Lian's cold voice came from the other end of the line.

Shen Yifei frowned slightly. He hadn't expected Su Muqing’s former fiancé to have such a formidable background. This would certainly make things difficult.

"Alright, I understand. Thank you for helping me find this out," Shen Yifei said gratefully.

"Why are you being so polite with me, Senior Brother! Luo Tianyao is still in Mexico, negotiating with drug lords. If you find him troublesome, I can take him out for you."

"Don't be impulsive!" Shen Yifei said in a deep voice. "Given his military background, if you kill him, it'll be difficult to account for it to Long Teng (Dragon's Rise, likely a powerful, perhaps government-affiliated, organization). Leave this matter to me."

"Alright. By the way, Lang, what are you doing right now? Why did it take you so long to answer the phone?" Yi Lian asked.

"Dining with a beautiful woman," Shen Yifei answered honestly.

Yi Lian quirked an eyebrow, teasing, "Senior Brother, isn't your usual style to just take beautiful women straight to a hotel room? I'm surprised you have the patience to actually dine with someone."

Shen Yifei choked, coughing. "Where did you get that idea? Do I look like such a promiscuous person?"

"Well, when you *do* let loose, you’re anything but a saint," Yi Lian retorted, her tone teasing.

The two continued chatting on the phone.

Suddenly, Shen Yifei saw Lin Cai'er rush out of the Dream Fate Bar’s entrance, her expression panicked, as if she had run into some serious trouble.

"You little hussy! You're really ungrateful, aren't you? How dare you cross Brother Fei (a respectful or intimidating term for a gang leader or superior)! Stop right there!"

Two burly men in black vests, their faces set in malevolent expressions, pursued Lin Cai'er.

Shen Yifei frowned, hastily saying into his phone, "Lian, I'll call you back later. Something seems to have come up on my end."

With that, Shen Yifei hung up and ran towards Lin Cai'er.

"Cai'er, what happened?" Shen Yifei urgently asked.

"Lang, please go! Don't worry about me," Lin Cai'er shook her head desperately.

Lin Cai'er was about to run, but Shen Yifei caught her arm. "Cai'er, not telling me anything won't solve the problem."

No sooner had he spoken than Shen Yifei saw a man in a coffee-colored suit storm out of the bar, covered in red wine, his forehead bleeding. He roared furiously at Lin Cai'er, "You little bitch! Still trying to run? This whole place is crawling with my people!"

The man was around six feet three inches tall with a burly build, his eyes gleaming with a cold sharpness. Standing there, flanked by a group of thugs, he looked every inch a gang boss, his aura quite intimidating.

Shen Yifei glanced at the man. With his life experience, he had already pieced most of it together.

The wound on the man’s head, he surmised, was likely from Lin Cai'er striking him with a wine bottle. The reason, of course, was self-evident.

The man in the suit was named Li Fei, the third-in-command of the Hua Long Gang (Glorious Dragon Gang, a powerful underworld syndicate) in Hua Hai City. He managed seven or eight entertainment venues on the Bar Street, with Dream Fate Bar being one of his properties.

When Li Fei came to inspect Dream Fate Bar that evening, he chanced upon Lin Cai'er, whose pure, innocent appearance immediately caught his eye.

Accustomed to flashy, seductive women, Li Fei’s interest was suddenly piqued. He asked Lin Cai'er to drink with him, but she refused.

Li Fei was already in a bad mood, so he forcefully dragged Lin Cai'er to drink, intending to get her drunk.

Under duress, tears welling in her eyes, Lin Cai'er drank a bottle of red wine.

Seeing Lin Cai'er’s vulnerable and easily intimidated demeanor, Li Fei immediately harbored malicious intent. Just as he was about to pin her down on the sofa, Lin Cai'er, finding courage from some unknown wellspring, grabbed a wine bottle and smashed it onto Li Fei's forehead.

Then, she ran out in a panic.

Li Fei, naturally, flew into a furious rage. He prided himself on having conquered countless women, even dallied with second and third-rate celebrities, and he couldn't believe Lin Cai'er was so unappreciative!

"Lang, run!" Lin Cai'er's expression was utterly panicked.

"Don't worry, follow me."

Shen Yifei grabbed Lin Cai'er's small hand, glanced at their pursuers, and immediately bolted towards the parking lot on their right.

Shen Yifei had already pieced most of the situation together. With his abilities, there was no real need to run; he simply wanted to find a quieter place to deal with these thugs.

The bar was too crowded, too many eyes and ears—definitely not suitable.

Upon reaching the parking lot, Shen Yifei opened the door of the Audi A3.

"What are you waiting for? Get in!" Shen Yifei urged.

Lin Cai'er's face had turned pale. She didn't want to bring trouble upon Shen Yifei because of herself, but with things as they were, she couldn’t overthink it. She quickly took the passenger seat.

Shen Yifei got into the driver’s seat, glanced at their pursuers, then quickly shifted gears and floored the accelerator. The Audi shot forward.

Weaving the steering wheel left and right, the Audi A3 moved as if it had eyes, exiting the densely packed parking lot in mere moments.

"Catch that bastard!" Li Fei roared.

A group of thugs scrambled into their cars, pursuing Shen Yifei’s Audi.

Li Fei went to the parking lot, pulled out his beloved Porsche 911, and gave chase furiously.

Shen Yifei wasn't driving particularly fast. Seeing the white Porsche 911 in his rearview mirror, he knew they would definitely be caught.

Shen Yifei’s driving skills were impeccable; he simply wanted to lure these people to a more secluded spot to deal with them properly.