Qin Yi was in a terrible mood, and being harassed by such a pest, she couldn't hold back and splashed her drink in the man's face.
"Young Master Feng!" The men who had been drinking with Guan Xuefeng immediately jumped to their feet.
Guan Xuefeng waved his hand, signaling them to stay put. He wiped the alcohol from his face, not looking angry but instead wearing a faint smile. "Beautiful, I just wanted to get to know you. No need to be so worked up, right?"
Qin Yi had calmed down a bit by then. She truly hadn't been able to control her emotions earlier. Feeling the hostile glares from several directions, she began to regret her actions. She shouldn't have come to a place like this alone so late at night.
"I'm sorry. I'm in a bad mood and lost control just now," Qin Yi apologized to the man.
"I accept your apology," Guan Xuefeng replied with a smile, then snapped his fingers. "Bring me mytreasured Lafite."
Soon, a waiter arrived with a bottle of premium Lafite wine.
Qin Yi frowned. Though she had wanted to drown her sorrows, she hadn't planned to drink too much in such a setting. She'd only intended to enjoy the atmosphere, have a few drinks, and leave. But now that Guan Xuefeng had called for wine, leaving wouldn't be easy.
"Sorry, I've had enough. I should go."
Even though she knew the man wouldn't let her leave so easily, Qin Yi still wanted to try.
Guan Xuefeng maintained his insincere smile. While Qin Yi spoke, he had already poured two glasses of Lafite and handed one to her with a smile. "You splashed alcohol in my face. I'll consider us even if you drink this one glass with me. Fair enough?"
"Just this one glass?" Qin Yi asked skeptically.
Guan Xuefeng nodded slightly. "Just one!"
"Fine!" Qin Yi didn't hesitate further. She picked up the glass and looked at Guan Xuefeng. "I acted impulsively earlier. Consider this glass my apology!"
As she raised the glass to drink, a figure suddenly appeared beside her, gripping her wrist.
Qin Yi followed the arm and saw a dark-skinned face—clearly a foreigner.
"You can't drink this!" The black man spoke in fluent Mandarin.
Guan Xuefeng narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The black man ignored him and said to Qin Yi, "This wine has been drugged."
"What?" Qin Yi instinctively let go of the glass. With a *clang*, it shattered on the floor.
She glared at Guan Xuefeng in fury. "You're so despicable!"
Guan Xuefeng remained unruffled, smiling faintly. "Just because he says it's drugged, does that make it true?"
Qin Yi was angry but couldn't tell who was lying.
"My name is Simba. Mr. Yang sent me to protect you," the black man suddenly said.
The black man was none other than the boxing champion from the Black Nation. After witnessing Yang Chen's strength, he had sworn loyalty to him without hesitation.
Earlier, the call Yang Chen had made was to him. Qin Yi had left home late at night, and there was no guarantee of her safety.
Hearing the name "Mr. Yang," Qin Yi felt a surge of joy but remained cautious. "Which Mr. Yang are you talking about?"
"Yang Chen," Simba replied. "If you don't believe me, Miss Qin, you can call Mr. Yang to confirm."
Once she was certain Simba had been sent by Yang Chen to protect her, Qin Yi's mood brightened instantly, and a sweet warmth filled her heart.
Seeing Qin Yi's reaction, Guan Xuefeng realized the black man truly was here to protect her.
"Do you really think you can take her away alone?" Guan Xuefeng leaned back slightly, resting his arms on the sofa's backrest. The top two buttons of his checkered shirt were undone, giving him a carefree, unruly air.
As soon as he spoke, seven or eight burly men rushed over, their cold gazes fixed on the black man.
Strangely, after learning that Simba was a skilled fighter sent by Yang Chen to protect her, Qin Yi felt no fear despite the crowd of men surrounding them. Instead, she felt a thrill of excitement.
Simba swept a cold glance over the men encircling them and said, "Miss Qin, stay behind me."
"Okay!" Qin Yi suddenly felt a surge of adrenaline.
Guan Xuefeng watched the scene unfold with narrowed eyes, lighting a cigar as someone held a flame to it.
Simba took a step forward, like a beast unleashed, and growled, "Move!"
"Get him!" the leader of the men shouted, and the group charged at Simba simultaneously.
Simba remained expressionless, as if he saw nothing, and continued walking forward.
The first man lunged at him, and Simba threw a punch.
*Bam!*
A burly figure flew through the air, followed by a cacophony of crashing sounds as the man toppled several tables, sending bottles shattering and alcohol splashing everywhere.
After all, Simba was the Black Nation's boxing champion. How could a bunch of bar thugs compare?
His pace never faltered. With each punch, another man fell. In less than a minute, no one stood in his way.
"Daring to cause trouble in my Guan family's territory? You've got a death wish!" Guan Xuefeng's eyes burned with fury as he watched Simba leave. He barked an order: "Find out who this 'Yang Chen' is—the man behind that black guy!"
"Are you really sent by Yang Chen to protect me?"
"What's your relationship with Yang Chen?"
"Do you know what Yang Chen used to do?"
...
Qin Yi was like an inquisitive child, firing off questions nonstop on the way home. Simba patiently answered each one, but his response was always the same: "I don't know."
He wasn't lying. He truly didn't know. The only reason he'd chosen to follow Yang Chen was because of his strength—nothing more.
Meanwhile, the couple chatting in their room suddenly heard the sound of the neighboring door opening.
"Xiao Yi's back!" Qin Xi said, her heart finally settling after being on edge.
Just then, Yang Chen's phone buzzed with a message: *Brother-in-law, I'm home safe. Don't worry, you and Sis can rest easy!*
"Xiao Yi's message?" Qin Xi asked suddenly.
Yang Chen paused but didn't hide it. He nodded slightly. "Xiao Yi said she's home and not to worry."
"Oh." Qin Xi didn't press further, though she felt a slight discomfort in her chest.
Yang Chen checked the time and stood up. "Since Xiao Yi's back, you can rest easy. I'll head over now. Goodnight!"
"Yang Chen!" Qin Xi suddenly called out.
Yang Chen, already at the door, turned back. "Hmm?"
"From now on, you should sleep in this room too," Qin Xi said, mustering her courage.
Yang Chen was stunned. As he stared at Qin Xi's back, his shock slowly melted into happiness.
After a long silence with no response, Qin Yi bit her lip. "Forget it if you don't want to."
"I do! I do want to!" Yang Chen quickly replied.
Only then did Qin Xi crack a smile, though she said with a touch of pride, "Don't overthink it. I just don't want our daughter crying when she wakes up and can't find her dad."