Chapter 8: The Staged Rescue and a Daughter’s Suspicion

However, no sooner had Xia Zhiquiu spoken than the men slammed their glasses onto the bar, one of them, a buck-toothed man with a flushed neck, leeringly propositioned her.

“Beauty, it’s such a pity for you to be merely mixing drinks here,” he slurred. “Why not join us brothers for a few rounds? We’ll ensure you’ll live a life of absolute ease and pleasure!”

As he spoke, the buck-toothed man brazenly reached out with a lecherous hand, intending to caress Xia Zhiquiu’s face.

As an ability user, Xia Zhiquiu was certainly not one to be easily touched; she swiftly evaded his grasp, her voice tinged with a faint chill.

“I apologize,” she stated, “but my duties here do not extend to accompanying patrons for drinks.”

However, these men were mere puppets, already under Bai Hao’s control, and thus, they were not about to back down gracefully.

Bai Hao’s sole motivation for this charade was to stage a classic ‘hero saving the beauty’ scenario. Though undeniably cliché, it was a case of ‘Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai’, with both sides playing their parts willingly.

(TL Note: ‘周瑜打黄盖’ – ‘Zhōu Yú dǎ Huáng Gài,’ a Chinese idiom referring to a situation where both parties are willing participants, one willing to suffer, the other willing to inflict)

He was convinced this woman would fall right into his trap…

With this thought, the young man’s mind stirred, and the other men beside the buck-toothed one instantly erupted into a drunken frenzy, seizing several bottles from the bar counter and smashing them onto the floor.

In an instant, the bar plunged into chaos. A security guard, attempting to intervene, was promptly ‘dealt with’ by two hooligans and sent sprawling to the floor, their ‘acting’ truly Oscar-worthy.

“Listen, little lady,” one of them snarled, “Buck-tooth Bro is showing you respect by asking you to drink with him! Don’t you dare be ungrateful.”

Witnessing this spectacle, Xia Zhiquiu’s expression truly turned frigid.

While it was true that official regulations explicitly forbade ability users from harming ordinary citizens, and her current role was merely that of a bartender, she was no pushover.

She was no ‘soft persimmon’ (TL Note: ‘软柿子’ – ‘ruǎn shì zi,’ a Chinese idiom referring to someone easily bullied); if these hooligans genuinely intended to resort to violence, she wouldn’t hesitate to ‘show them a little color’.

Naturally, this was not the outcome Bai Hao desired. Thus, the very instant one of the men lunged with a punch, he deftly seized their wrist.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” Bai Hao interjected, “didn’t you hear her say she’s unwilling?!”

Seeing this, the other men immediately swarmed around him, their faces contorted with fury.

“You stinking brat, who the hell are you to meddle in our affairs?”

Bai Hao, while subtly manipulating the men before him, also kept his own side of the act perfectly maintained, effortlessly juggling both tasks with remarkable finesse.

The moment Bai Hao intervened, Xia Zhiquiu suddenly grasped the situation, though she presumed these men were merely actors deliberately brought in by the young man.

She scoffed at such transparent theatrics. Yet, the thought of having to feign being his girlfriend later crossed her mind. Would she also have to pretend to be deeply moved by his ‘heroics’?

With that thought, Xia Zhiquiu crossed her arms over her chest, leaning her graceful form against the bar, ready to observe the unfolding drama.

What she hadn’t anticipated, however, was that Bai Hao’s ‘actors’ were actually randomly chosen ‘lucky’ individuals from the crowd, and they weren’t even being paid for their involuntary performance.

Predictably, the ensuing events unfolded exactly as Xia Zhiquiu had imagined. The young man, still gripping the other’s wrist, tightened his hold by a noticeable degree.

The man’s face instantly contorted, a grimace of pain spreading across his features.

“Hiss, ouch, ouch, ouch! You damn bastard, let go of me!”

Bai Hao, his expression utterly unperturbed, casually kicked the man to the ground a short distance away, then spoke with a faint smile.

“Do any of you gentlemen still wish to test your luck?”

The man known as Buck-tooth Bro shot a venomous glare at the young man, then, muttering curses, led his companions out of the bar.

However, they had barely stepped outside when their bodies stiffened, their consciousness slowly returning. Then, they all stared at each other with wide, bewildered eyes, utterly confused.

“Wait, why am I even here?”

“Hiss, who kicked me? My stomach aches terribly, and my hand…”

***

Meanwhile, having watched the entire spectacle unfold, Xia Zhiquiu couldn’t help but wonder if these ‘actors’ were surprisingly dedicated.

“Elder Sister, are you alright?”

At that moment, the young man approached her, his face etched with concern as he inquired.

Xia Zhiquiu knew it was her cue to perform. She feigned a look of utter shock, patting her chest as she spoke.

“I’m fine, little brother,” she said, “thank you for your help today.”

Upon hearing her, Bai Hao averted his gaze, then, seizing the opportunity, he pressed on.

“Oh, it was nothing at all, merely a small gesture,” he replied smoothly. “However, if Elder Sister truly insists on showing her gratitude, might you consider joining me for a late-night snack?”

Hearing the young man’s proposition, Xia Zhiquiu inwardly rolled her eyes. ‘Does this kid even know how to flirt?’ she mused. ‘Who makes such a forward request right off the bat?’

Nevertheless, to ensure this persistent young man would soon leave her daughter alone, she decided to play along with the act.

“That’s only proper,” she conceded. “Then, I’ll treat you once my shift ends.”

The young man nodded, his seemingly guileless eyes, however, glinting with a fox-like cunning.

For this mature siren had already taken his bait…

***

For the subsequent cleanup, the boss himself arrived, promptly sending Xia Zhiquiu home early and firing the bar’s security guard, intending to hire a new one.

Thus, Xia Zhiquiu found herself with no choice but to accompany the young man for the ‘late-night snack.’ During their time together, both harbored their own ulterior motives, and their ‘relationship’ rapidly intensified…

***

In the early hours of the morning, as Xia Zhiquiu returned home, she saw a message from the young man.

[Uncle Xia, things are progressing very smoothly on my end. I’ve already added Auntie’s WeChat, and it’s all thanks to the intelligence you provided.]

Xia Zhiquiu couldn’t help but inwardly chuckle at the message. The young man likely remained blissfully unaware that the WeChat account he had added was merely her secondary one.

And to use this opportunity to playfully tease the little rascal… she found the idea rather appealing.

With that thought, Xia Zhiquiu sent a brief reply, then added a firm emphasis.

[It’s agreed, once you’ve successfully ‘courted’ her, you are to leave my daughter alone.]

She swiftly received the young man’s response.

[OK, Uncle Xia, rest assured, I am a man of my word.]

Xia Zhiquiu, however, remained deeply skeptical.

***

In the subsequent days, Bai Hao diligently followed the ‘preferences’ provided by ‘Uncle Xia,’ continuing his ‘conquest’ of ‘Auntie Xia,’ whom he had only recently met.

With Xia Zhiquiu’s deliberate cooperation, the two swiftly entered a period of manufactured ambiguity and flirtation.

What left Xia Zhiquiu utterly speechless, however, was the sheer annoyance of the young man. Not only did he pester her relentlessly at night, but he also bombarded her with WeChat messages throughout the day.

Crucially, she was now obligated to maintain their ‘ambiguous’ relationship, forcing her to send perfunctory replies periodically.

Xia Wei watched her own ‘Dad’ eat while replying to messages with a worried expression, then narrowed her eyes, stating meaningfully,

“Dad, you said you weren’t trying to find me a mom? Who are you chatting with so happily?”

Hearing this, Xia Zhiquiu froze, immediately putting down her phone, a hint of guilt in her voice.

“What do you mean? I’m just replying to work-related matters.”

Besides, which eye of this girl saw her looking happy?

The young girl, however, remained unconvinced, complaining with a touch of resentment,

“Dad, that’s no fun. I wouldn’t object to you finding a girlfriend; I wouldn’t cause any trouble.”

Xia Zhiquiu felt a pang of awkwardness at her words. Speaking of which, did what she was doing now count as having an illicit relationship with her daughter’s boyfriend?

No sooner had the thought arisen than she quickly dismissed it.

‘What in the world am I thinking?’ she chided herself. ‘I just want that guy to leave my daughter alone; that’s why I’m playing along with him…’

With that, Xia Zhiquiu composed herself, adopting the stern demeanor of a ‘father.’

“Why are you eating so little today? Go get another bowl of rice.”

Xia Wei’s expression froze at the command, and she immediately wailed,

“Dad, I really can’t eat any more.”