At eight p.m., two girls dressed in ostentatious clubbing wear entered the club. Yiren carried, rather uncomfortably, the sexy low frontline black dress with sparkling sequins, appropriately paired with six-inch glittery stilettos. With each step she took, she feared she would trip over and make a mess of herself. She shivered, feeling each single blast of the cold air-conditioning on her exposed skin.
Every minute in the club was agonising for her. She was like a fish out of water, not belonging to such a place. Brianna, however, was rather natural with her movements and desires. The beauty opted for a leather dress that made her appear more of the seductress, bold and unyielding. A pair of leather boots from her collection added to the huntress figure. Admiring her companion, she had only good words to describe her.
From a nemesis, Brianna had become an ally. One that Yiren needed tonight as her convoy.
She had utilised little effort in persuading the girl to accompany her. Just one sentence 'Guan Ziming might be there was ample to sway her towards her plan. With her ex-nemesis with her, at least she didn't feel forlorn. She took a few more steps, inhaling and exhaling to overcome the scariness that escorted her with every single tread.
Her eyes sauntered towards the stage. Zion Matthews, the hottest local rock singer, was performing a song from his latest album with his band. When the singer's eyes observed her as she neared the platform, she turned red and scurried as fast as she could, with a chuckling Brianna in tow.
"Girl, you've got to get out more," Brianna muttered in a loud whisper. Yiren covered her cheeks with her hands.
"Where… is Room Z509?" she almost shouted out in her panic. A passing server carrying a few glasses of wine immediately answered, "To your right, second room."
"Thank…you," she replied shyly, but the man had disappeared down the hallway. Brianna pulled on Yiren's hand, dragging her towards the room.
"You're not afraid?"
She knew she had asked a dumb question. Brianna had probably entered many clubs, so often that she couldn't even count all those times with the fingers of her hands. Instead of laughing at her, Brianna just tapped her lightly on her back.
"As I said, you need to get out more."
She compelled a step from her rigid feet.
"Come on now, girl. Let's give the men what they want!"
And what was it that men wanted? Even she didn't know what she wanted. Though she could admit, she highly missed the touch of those stiff lips on hers again. A kiss wouldn't hurt, right? For a man like him, it probably wasn't his first time when he kissed her in that room.
One. Two. Counting towards the second door, she jerked to a stop outside the room.
"Wait, Brianna! I'm not ready yet!"
Ignoring her, Brianna audaciously pushed her into the room. The door wasn't exactly a solid door, but an 'invisible' one. A curtain of silvery silk tassels covered the gap. It substituted what would have been a door if not for the open concept of the owner of the club.
Dong Xu and Ziming were in the room, chatting inaudibly over some tequila. An unopened bottle of red wine sat in a corner, appearing sad and untouched.
Was Dong Xu the type who kept the best stuff for later? The thought invaded her mind. Regardless, she was here to talk about the contract, not about his personality. She shouldn't overthink her one-sided infatuation with the man.
"I just recalled I have some unsettled business with the bartender," Ziming declared, loud enough for her to hear.
"Ziming! You owe me an explanation-"
Ziming turned a deaf ear to Dong Xu's shouts and left, followed by Brianna, wearing a foxy smile. Left with no choice, Dong Xu turned towards Yiren.
Coldly, he scrutinised her as if inspecting a gift he wasn't fond of.
"Mr Dong," she bowed politely.
"Feng Yiren, why have you come unannounced?"
He was mad at her? It didn't occur to her that she would see Dong Xu this way.
"Mr Dong, I apologise if my appearance has brought you some inconvenience."
"You don't get it, do you?" He penetrated her with an icy stare.
"What do you mean?" She responded with an innocent smile. "I'm here to discuss with you the contract."
Hearing her words transformed him slowly. He took a big step towards her, lunging towards her abruptly. She bit nervously on her lower lip.
"Mr Dong…"
"Xiao Feng, you've come to repay me, huh?"
The man before him didn't seem to exhibit Dong Xu's typical attitude. His voice sounded rather metallic, reminding her of the time he had told her about the 'payback' she owed him. She hadn't noticed it as she hadn't heeded it much attention, but this time, it was rather obvious.
He was in a trance like he was hypnotised!
Dong Xu leaned closer, running his fingers through her thick, dark hair. Yiren wasn't the type one would call gorgeous. She was beautiful but in her way. She hated sporting makeup, and this time, it was Brianna who had cajoled her into allowing her to 'paint' her face.
The foundation powder irritated her face initially, but observing her reflection in the rear mirror of the limousine earlier, her discomfort paid up. Dong Xu, in a trance or not, seemed deeply enticed by her. If not for that he was referring to her as Xiao Feng, she would have believed she was the one hypnotising him.
"Xiao Feng, why aren't you saying anything?" He stroked her hair again. She winced, swallowing her fear. Brianna had reminded her to be as natural as possible before meeting Dong Xu. She had told Brianna that she was going on a date with the man. Luckily, Brianna only had eyes for Guan Ziming, thanks to her unique taste.
"I… um, it's a great night."
She wasn't the type of person who used flattery or honeyed her words, no matter how destitute her family was. In times of need, she would rather depend on herself to bring in some extra money by taking on part-time jobs instead. She had a straightforward personality and preferred going straight to the point. But with Dong Xu, she obviously couldn't do that.
And the fact he was in a trance meant that even if he agreed blindly on her terms, she couldn't take his words for real yet. She had to be patient until he reverted to his right state of mind.
Ignoring her, he said, "Xiao Feng, these thousand years of reincarnation have been so tough on me."
Reincarnation again? He was indeed out of his mind by saying that!
He let go of her hair and gripped her tightly around her waist.
"What.. what do you want?" Yiren exclaimed with shaking legs.
"You," he said robotically, clamping his lips on hers forcefully. Her heart pounded. Dong Xu was kissing her! Her emotions took over, making her disregard whether he was in a trance. She willingly returned the kisses that were burning her all over, yielding to the heat of her desire. His free hand roamed her neck, finding delight in the soft skin beneath. She didn't make a sound even when his fingers reached lower.
What was happening to her? A small spark of heat was amplifying inside her. The uncertainty of what would happen next, coupled with her lack of experience, confounded her. As a teenager, her parents had kept her shielded away from what they deemed 'filthy'. She went to an all-girls school for her teen years, followed by an all-girls college. She was clueless.
His fingers paused just above the low neckline of her dress. Disconnecting from her lips, the man rolled into a messy heap at her feet unexpectedly.
When Dong Xu didn't wake up after her repeatedly shaking him, she screamed for help.