Chapter 97: The Married Beta’s Bar Battlefield (Chasing Wife 1.0)

Chapter 97: The Married Beta's Bar Battlefield (Wooing the Wife 1.0)

Situ Jing stepped into the club's exclusive VIP room, where the lighting was dim and six or seven bottles of liquor already adorned the table.

Ye Liuzheng, half a glass of wine in hand, was listening to Chen Xun's casual chatter about business.

Chen Xun flicked ash into the ashtray, then looked up, noticing a fresh mark on Situ Jing's handsome profile—a faint scratch.

Given Situ Jing's usual haughty demeanor, no one would have dared to lay a finger on his face. The scratch practically screamed of intimacy.

Chen Xun boldly speculated there might have been a slap mark too, but it had likely faded quickly, now invisible.

He narrowed his eyes and smirked. "What happened? Who dared to scratch the perpetually busy Mr. Situ?"

Situ Jing cast a cold glance at Chen Xun, then settled onto the sofa, crossing his long legs. "A feisty little cat."

Ye Liuzheng had also caught wind of the recent rumors in Yunjing and was surprised that Situ Jing would publicly confront a foreign alpha over a lover.

Exchanging a knowing look with Chen Xun, he immediately guessed the source of the scratch.

"If the little cat is too feisty, why not just declaw it? Lock it up, and show no mercy even if it resists."

As someone deeply involved in the BDSM scene, Ye Liuzheng had a repertoire of training methods and suggestions, which he now offered to Situ Jing.

Situ Jing had considered it but had been reining in his overwhelming possessiveness, refraining from acting on it.

After inhaling Bai Yu's familiar scent and releasing his long-suppressed desires, he felt much more at ease and paid little mind to the scratch.

Once he finished his business here, he would return immediately to deal with the person properly.

"He's timid. Frightening him would be counterproductive."

Chen Xun tsk'd lightly. "You really spoil your 'little cat.'"

Ye Liuzheng shook his head, teasingly. "Falling hard, aren't we?"

Situ Jing wasn't sure if it was "falling hard," but he certainly had an obsession with Bai Yu, like an addiction.

His self-control was no longer enough to prevent Bai Yu from becoming increasingly important to him.

Before meeting Bai Yu, he would never have believed he could develop such a profound connection with a beta.

Situ Jing handed a business card to Ye Liuzheng. "Do you know this lawyer?"

Ye Liuzheng took the card and glanced at the name. "Yes, I've encountered him in court a few times. Why?"

A cold glint flashed in Situ Jing's eyes as he traced his thin lips and spoke slowly. "That blue-eyed dog once hired this lawyer to handle visa issues. The last time was in August two years ago, very close to the time he married Bai Yu."

Ye Liuzheng immediately grasped Situ Jing's implication. Law firms' client information is confidential, so his investigation must have hit a dead end there.

But Situ Jing wanted to uncover any irregularities, or perhaps create some, to have the other party deported.

Ye Liuzheng toyed with the business card between his fingers and smiled. "You're ruthless."

Situ Jing let out a cold laugh, his tone icy. "If it weren't for his connection to Duke Luke, I would have acted sooner and faster. How could I allow him to provoke me to my face?"

Knowing how deeply Situ Jing cared about Bai Yu, Ye Liuzheng and Chen Xun said nothing more.

An odd silence settled over the room, broken only by the sound of amber liquor pouring into glasses, clinking against ice, and the soft exhalation of smoke.

Ye Liuzheng glanced at Chen Xun. "How come you didn't bring any omegas tonight? It's unusually quiet."

Chen Xun looked up from his phone and grinned. "What about you? You usually wake up at 5 a.m. every day to exercise, living a disciplined life. Why do you have such prominent dark circles?"

Ye Liuzheng rubbed his temples. "The law firm is busy, and there are family matters too. Juggling both, I haven't slept well lately."

Ye Liuzheng rarely spoke of his family, so this seemed a bit unusual.

Situ Jing rested his head on his hand and asked, "What's going on at home?"

Ye Liuzheng picked up the bottle and refilled Situ Jing's glass. "My new boyfriend just got out of the hospital the day before yesterday."

Situ Jing: "Whipped too hard?"

Ye Liuzheng shook his head. "Electroplay."

Chen Xun's eyes widened. "That's a bit extreme, isn't it? Aren't you afraid of accidents?"

Although Chen Xun also enjoyed some kinky activities, he never went to such extremes. He didn't believe pain brought pleasure.

"It's the first time something went wrong. I didn't control the voltage well." A hint of regret flashed across Ye Liuzheng's face, but he quickly masked it. He covered his mouth and looked at Chen Xun. "He wanted to try it. Believe it or not?"

Chen Xun pursed his lips. "I don't believe it."

Situ Jing lightly tapped the rim of his glass with his fingertip. "What was the outcome?"

Ye Liuzheng: "No major issues. He's recovered now. This is the desire of people like us—we're chasing the ultimate high, but you have to know your limits."

Chen Xun flicked ash into the crystal ashtray and sighed with a smile. "Don't understand it, but I respect it."

Situ Jing asked, "When did you realize you were a dom?"

Ye Liuzheng stroked his chin, as if searching his memory for the answer, and spoke slowly. "The first time I had a wet dream in middle school."

Chen Xun smiled meaningfully. "Who did you dream about?"

Ye Liuzheng said, "I dreamed my English teacher kept me after school to recite texts. I tied him up, and when I woke up, I'd had a wet dream."

Knowing Ye Liuzheng, Situ Jing wasn't surprised. "You didn't track him down?"

Ye Liuzheng said, "I did. He's lying in my house right now."

Chen Xun slapped his thigh and cursed. "You're really twisted."

Ye Liuzheng smiled. "I admit it."

Chen Xun noticed Situ Jing unusually didn't use a lighter to smoke tonight and handed him a cigar.

Situ Jing didn't take it. "I've quit."

"Quit?" Chen Xun repeated the words in his mind, his lips twitching, and put the cigar away.

Just then, Situ Jing received a call from Secretary Zhou.

"Boss, Bai Yu has run away."

Situ Jing's face darkened instantly. "Do you know what the punishment is?"

Secretary Zhou paused for two seconds. "Understood—300 push-ups, pull-ups, and squats, with video check-in."

Situ Jing hung up the phone and put down his glass.

Chen Xun asked, "What's wrong?"

Situ Jing lifted his gaze. "How about we go somewhere else for a drink?"

"Where?"

"W Bar."

After Bai Yu went into hiding, Situ Jing had someone investigate and found out that he and He Lele were living in a suburban apartment complex. They gathered all of He Lele's information—which university he attended, where he worked selling drinks, even which men's health clinic he visited.

To avoid pushing Bai Yu too far, Situ Jing hadn't gone after him immediately.

But Bai Yu seemed to take his patience as an invitation to be bold.

*

As soon as Bai Yu got home, he rushed to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and scrubbed the kiss marks left on his body.

In the steamy, confined space, the man's desire-laden voice echoed in his ears, the words suddenly flooding back:

"Does your body miss me too?"

"Let your ex-husband hear how you beg and cry in my arms."

"Out of energy? Hold onto my waist tighter."

...

After half a year, Bai Yu's body had once again been taken by that man. It was as if his body had developed a memory—the physical responses that grew fiercely intense at midnight had unexpectedly switched to the enemy's side. His will resisted, but his body had already laid down its arms, even enjoying the feeling.

It was like being marked by some invisible, dark magic. Whenever Situ Jing drew near, the mark would involuntarily activate, awakening the deepest desires within him, connecting them together as tightly as interlaced fingers, whether he willed it or not.

This filled him with shame and anger. If things continued like this, he would never be able to erase the marks of submission Situ Jing had left on him.

Bai Yu lifted his face to the shower spray, letting the warm water wash away the filthy language that had been forced upon him, clearing his mind.

Ten minutes later, Bai Yu stepped out of the bathroom, his wet hair drooping over his forehead, his skin flushed and pink.

To save time, he didn't dry his hair and hurried into the bedroom to pack. He put Babao in his cat carrier, planning to book the earliest flight to Country S to find his sister.

While searching for flights, Bai Yu suddenly realized that as long as he used his ID to purchase a ticket, Situ Jing would be able to track him no matter where he went.

He needed a fake identification.

Biting his lower lip, Bai Yu searched online for a while but found the black market ads unreliable. He decided to call He Lele and ask if he had any connections.

Coincidentally, He Lele's call came through at that moment.

Bai Yu answered immediately, "Lele, I'm in a bit of trouble. Do you know where I can get a fake identification?"

The background noise on the other end was chaotic. He Lele sounded panicked as he asked, "Fake ID? Hold on, I'm in trouble too. Can you lend me some money?"

Bai Yu frowned. "What happened?"

He Lele's voice trembled with tears. "I broke a bottle of collector's edition Louis XIII Black Pearl that a customer ordered. It's 300,000 yuan! My family's home in the countryside was washed away in a flood. The money I earned from my part-time job went to tuition, and the rest I sent to my dad. I really don't have the money to cover this."

Bai Yu was stunned. He Lele wasn't new to working as a bartender—how could he have broken such an expensive bottle?

"How did it happen?"

He Lele tried to explain, but the background noise was too loud. Bai Yu couldn't make out the details, only hearing him repeat, "Can you help me? I really don't know what to do!"

Bai Yu looked at his packed bags and Babao, thinking for a few seconds. "Where are you?"

He Lele sobbed, "W Bar."

"I'll come find you right away."

Just then, Alex called.

Bai Yu hesitated but didn't answer, letting the call end automatically. He let Babao out of the cat carrier, put on a baseball cap, and hurried out.

As he left the residential area, Bai Yu was trying to hail a cab when he suddenly noticed Alex's car parked nearby.

The moment their eyes met, Alex got out and walked toward him. "I'm sorry, something unexpected came up this evening, and I missed your call."

Bai Yu shook his head, stepping back two steps. "It's fine."

Alex could clearly sense Bai Yu's distance. He took two steps closer. "Let me explain. After I called you, I wanted to prepare a surprise and rushed out to get things ready. But while I was walking, someone riding an electric bike going the wrong way almost hit me. My phone fell into a drain and was washed away."

"Look, I was worried you'd try to reach me, so I bought a new phone. The electronic receipt is still here—I haven't even had time to set up my accounts. It's still on the factory default settings."

Alex showed Bai Yu the phone. The screen displayed a colorful wallpaper with only a few basic apps—clearly a new device.

Bai Yu nodded. "I see."

Alex noticed Bai Yu's slightly swollen eyes, as if he'd been crying, and felt concerned. "After I got a new SIM card and turned on the phone, I saw all your missed calls. What happened?"

Bai Yu's eyes darted away. He instinctively pushed his hair over the back of his neck, covering the Barrier Patch, and took half a step back.

"Nothing. I have something urgent to take care of. I need to go out."

"What's so urgent? I'll drive you."

Alex reached for Bai Yu's hand, but Bai Yu jumped back like a startled rabbit.

"No need."

Alex's movement froze. He slowly withdrew his hand and asked gently, "What's really going on?"

Bai Yu looked up into Alex's bright blue eyes. "Let's just be friends."

Even if Alex hadn't intentionally ignored his calls, Bai Yu couldn't move forward with him now.

Situ Jing's threats were only part of the reason.

The more important reason was that when Bai Yu had called Alex for help and received no response, he'd felt the same disappointment he'd experienced two years ago.

The sudden plunge from joy to despair was much more disheartening than a relationship that had never brought happiness at all.

Alex paused, running his fingers through his silver hair. "I see. You think I stood you up, don't you?"

Bai Yu didn't deny it. "Yes."

Alex put both hands on Bai Yu's shoulders, looking into his eyes. "I really didn't mean to. It was only one hour that I missed your call."

"Yes, only one hour."

It takes less than half an hour for a person to drown, and from the sound of a gunshot to hitting someone's heart, it's only a matter of seconds. Whether someone shows up at a critical moment makes all the difference.

Perhaps rejecting Alex over this one incident is a bit harsh on him, but it's not the first time.

Bai Yu doesn't know if such moments where he fails to show up will happen again in the future. If they remain just friends, without placing too many expectations on Alex, there will be no disappointment.

Bai Yu's eyelashes trembled as he brushed Alex's hand off. "I have to go."

Bai Yu's warmth left Alex's hand, and even his scent faded away.

Alex felt a pain in his chest, so sharp it nearly made him cramp up.

Bai Yu's words had undoubtedly been the final nail in the coffin. The rift between them would be difficult to mend.

Yet, he had no idea what had happened during that one hour or why Bai Yu's attitude had changed all of a sudden.

Alex watched Bai Yu slide into a white car, then fired up his own car and followed.

*

Half an hour later, Bai Yu got out at the entrance of W Bar and ducked inside.

The powerful, rhythmic beats of music drowned everything else out, and the hazy, intoxicating purple neon lights enveloped the entire dim space.

Tonight, W Bar was packed. Bai Yu pushed through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd and found the VIP booth He Lele had mentioned.

As soon as he pushed the door open, Bai Yu saw He Lele standing by the sofa with his head bowed, facing several guests, his legs trembling. The Store Manager was nearby, bowing and scraping.

The shattered bottle of Louis XIII Black Pearl on the floor had not yet been cleaned up, and the air was thick with the rich smell of expensive booze.

When He Lele turned and saw Bai Yu enter, it was as if he had seen a lifesaver. He called out: "You're here, Bai Yu."

As He Lele turned, Bai Yu's eyes met those of the man sprawled on the leather sofa with his long legs crossed.

Situ Jing's deep, penetrating eyes fixed on him, a shit-eating grin curling his lips.

A scratch was visible on his cheek, and the top two buttons of his black shirt were undone, revealing fresh scratches on his chest.

Bai Yu's expression went stock-still in shock, and his body stiffened instantly.

Besides Situ Jing, Chen Xun and Ye Liuzheng were also there, along with several beefy bodyguards.

The eyes of everyone in the room turned toward him.

Bai Yu's stomach dropped.

This is bad. It's a trap.

He had walked right into the lions' den!

But clearly, it was too late to run now.

Bai Yu took a deep breath, stood beside He Lele, and ignoring the penetrating gaze from the main seat, looked at Chen Xun: "I'm sorry, I'm his friend. He's in promo work and definitely didn't break the bottle on purpose. What's the damages? We might not be able to cover it all right now."

Chen Xun glanced at Situ Jing, then turned back to Bai Yu.

Isn't it simple?

Situ Jing knew full well that He Lele was Bai Yu's friend, and breaking the bottle wasn't about the money.

If Bai Yu would just lower his head, sweet-talk him, admit he was with Situ Jing, everything would be fine.

This was just Situ Jing's power play to make Bai Yu return to him, docile and dependent, as he once was.

Why was Bai Yu pretending not to know Situ Jing and asking Chen Xun instead?

Chen Xun smirked, amused, but didn't respond.

Situ Jing's expression grew darker, his voice frosty: "No money to pay, is that it?"

Bai Yu kept his eyes fixed on the booze and fruit spread on the table, avoiding his gaze: "Yes, I can only give you part of it now. For the rest, could you write us a payment plan? We'll pay you back as soon as possible within the timeframe."

"What if I say no?"

The atmosphere in the room froze. Bai Yu looked up and saw Situ Jing glaring at him fiercely, his eyes murderous.

The tension between them was a far cry from just two hours earlier, when they had been in bed together.

He Lele's heart was hammering in his chest, terrified that he and Bai Yu would get their asses kicked by these VIP guests.

Just then, Bai Yu heard a familiar, bright voice: "I'll pay for him."

Bai Yu turned in surprise and saw Alex entering the room.

"So this is the emergency you mentioned. Don't worry, I can help you," Alex said as he walked to Bai Yu's side, naturally cutting between Bai Yu and Situ Jing.

Bai Yu whispered: "You shouldn't have come here."

Alex tossed his silver hair back and smiled: "Why not?"

Yes, this was W Bar. Anyone could come. But Alex, didn't we agree at the neighborhood entrance that we would just be friends?

Why are you here to help me out again?

Bai Yu looked at Alex but ultimately said nothing.

Alex's eyes were confident and resolute, as if there were no rift between them at all, as if the tense standoff at the neighborhood entrance had never happened. He would treat Bai Yu just as he always had, now and in the future.

He Lele tugged at Bai Yu's sleeve: "Are we saved? When did you meet this foreign hottie?"

Bai Yu: "...I'll explain later."

Alex pointed to the shattered bottle on the floor and looked at Situ Jing: "Mr. Situ, it was just an accident. Why make things difficult for them? It's on me."

Situ Jing white-knuckled his glass, his tone cold: "Sorry, last time, my aunt specifically called to ask me to apologize to you. Unfortunately, it slipped my mind."

Alex raised an eyebrow: "I don't care. I was the one who wanted to hit you anyway."

Chen Xun and Ye Liuzheng exchanged glances, silently impressed by Alex's balls to provoke Situ Jing like this.

He Lele's eyes darted between Alex and Situ Jing. So they're enemies?

This was looking bad.

Situ Jing traced the rim of his glass, his deep eyes glinting coldly: "Since you're here, talking about money is too cheap. How about we play a different game?"

Alex grinned, easy, flashing a row of perfect white teeth: "Sure, what are we playing?"

Chen Xun flagged down a server and asked for a deck of black and gold cards, along with a limited edition bottle of Clase Azul tequila, which was placed on the table.

Situ Jing leaned forward slightly, glanced at the poker cards and the liquor on the table, and said leisurely, "One round of poker to decide it all. If you win, your tab for the broken bottle is cleared, and I'll throw in an extra bottle of tequila on top."

"If I win..." Situ Jing paused, his gaze sweeping over Bai Yu's tense face. He pressed down on the mouth of the tequila bottle and lowered his voice, "He has to finish this entire bottle."

Bai Yu's face turned pale, his nerves were on edge—there was no way he could finish a whole bottle of tequila.

Situ Jing knew this well; he was doing this to punish him on purpose.

He Lele stepped forward, "Wait, I was the one who broke the bottle. Shouldn't I be the one who has to drink it?"

Situ Jing folded his hands, assuming a condescending, in-control posture. "That bottle belongs to me, so I have the right to set the rules. Understand?"

"Or, you could ask him if he's willing to let this Alex take over the bet."

He Lele looked at Bai Yu, "What do you think?"

Bai Yu didn't know if Alex was any good at poker, but both he and He Lele were terrible at it—playing against Situ Jing was a guaranteed loss.

Alex said softly to reassure Bai Yu, "Don't be afraid, I'll win."

Bai Yu nodded. "Mm."

Whether Alex won or lost, Bai Yu was thankful he'd stepped in to help.

If Alex won, he'd have a chance to get out of this. If he lost, Bai Yu wouldn't complain.

Situ Jing watched as Bai Yu turned to Alex for help, the veins on the back of his hand bulged as he gripped the glass. With a sharp crack, the glass shattered into two pieces.

Alcohol and glass shards spilled to the ground with a crisp sound.

Bai Yu looked up at Situ Jing. The manager quickly handed him a clean towel to wipe his hands.

Situ Jing wiped his hands and tossed the towel aside, his voice slightly cold, "So this is the quality of glasses you serve here."

The manager was busy apologizing, cautiously watching Situ Jing's expression and subtly shooting He Lele a look that said he needed to fix this.

He Lele glanced at Bai Yu beside him, thinking that the situation seemed to have taken a weird turn—it was no longer about whether he could handle it or not.

Chen Xun opened the deck of poker cards, expertly shuffling and dealing the cards.

Situ Jing sat facing Alex, radiating a chill, arrogant confidence that suggested he was in complete control. He barely glanced at his own hand, instead intently watching Alex's subtle expressions and movements.

At one point, Alex was ahead with his hand, a smug, triumphant look on his face.

Bai Yu let out a quiet sigh of relief, but the moment his eyes met Situ Jing's, his hand trembled slightly.

Situ Jing's gaze was deep, filled with possessiveness and smoldering anger, even more unsettling to Bai Yu than when they had met in the bathroom at Lakeside Tower.

After the river card was dealt, Situ Jing kept a straight face, making no major moves.

Alex glanced at the strong hand in his hand, then at Situ Jing's inscrutable expression. After a moment of thought, he gritted his teeth and went ahead and played his cards.

Situ Jing slowly turned over his cards—a royal flush (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 of spades).

A low murmur of surprise went around the private room. Not only Chen Xun and Ye Liuzheng, but even the bodyguards watching and the manager were astonished that Situ Jing could so calmly produce such an unbeatable hand.

One game to decide the outcome—Alex had lost.

Alex stared at the cards on the table in disbelief, flooded with confusion, shock, and dismay, unable to recover for a long time.

Situ Jing sank back into the sofa, a mocking smile on his thin lips, and looked leisurely at Bai Yu. "Backing the wrong person has consequences."

Alex found these words a dig, and glared up at Situ Jing.

Situ Jing ignored Alex and pointed at the bottle of tequila gleaming amber under the lights. "Drink it."

His voice was icy and brooked no argument.

Bai Yu slowly walked to the table, looking at the strong tequila. Even before drinking it, he already felt dizzy.

Chen Xun, pretending to gather the cards, quietly moved to Bai Yu's side and whispered, "Wouldn't it be easier to just apologize to him?"

Situ Jing watched Bai Yu's reaction closely. The master who had been so cool and in control at the poker table now seemed like an ordinary man, his mood tense and anxious.

If Bai Yu were willing to say he belonged to him, or even just give him a pleading look, the punishment of this bet would not fall on him.

He Lele, observing the unusual expressions of the guests, felt inexplicably that the tension in the room had suddenly spiked, making even breathing require caution.

Bai Yu said, "I'll honor the bet."

Chen Xun shook his head and walked away.

Alex stood up. "I'll drink it for you!"

Situ Jing coldly watched Alex's movement. "I never said you could drink for him."

Bai Yu stepped forward and picked up the bottle himself, as if ready to face death. "No need."

The liquor slowly poured into his mouth, carrying notes of grass and the caramel aroma of roasted agave. The taste wasn't too spicy, like the tequila he'd had with Situ Jing in Singapore.

But this time, it was an entire bottle, not just a glass.

Bai Yu tilted his head back, continuously pouring the alcohol into his mouth, exposing his slender, pale neck, his Adam's apple moving slowly.

Gradually, a light flush crept into his cheeks.

Situ Jing watched Bai Yu with a cold expression, but his hand, resting at his side, tightened into a fist.

Alex watched as Bai Yu finished half the bottle of tequila and couldn't help stepping forward to grab the bottle away from him. "He's toying with you! Do you really believe your friend accidentally broke that bottle?!"

Bai Yu staggered slightly. "I'm fine. This is the bet. Give me back the bottle."

Alex steadied him by the waist. "Stop drinking."

Seeing Alex's action, Situ Jing, who should have remained calm, instantly snapped. He stood up abruptly, grabbed Alex by the collar, and snarled, "He's mine. It's not your place to protect him."

Alex pushed Situ Jing's hand away and glared at him. "Yours?"

Situ Jing narrowed his eyes. "Did you see the barrier patch on the back of his neck?"

Bai Yu, dizzy from drinking, swayed as he looked at them, barely able to stand steady. "Yes, I'm carrying his scent."

Situ Jing sneered. "Hear that?"

"But in two days, once the scent fades, I won't be his anymore," Bai Yu added from behind.

Situ Jing's expression grew extremely dark, his thin lips pressed into a tight line. The anger that had begun to subside now flared up even more fiercely, and an oppressive, dark aura radiated from him.

Chen Xun thought to himself, Bai Yu has quite the nerve to say something like that.

This was playing with fire.

After thinking for a moment about Bai Yu's words, Alex realized what had happened during that hour when he missed the call.

Situ Jing and Bai Yu were together at the time, and Bai Yu had tried to get his help, but he hadn't answered the phone.

"You bastard!" Alex swung a punch at Situ Jing.

Situ Jing blocked Alex's fist. Several bodyguards started to step in, but he raised a hand to stop them, then swiftly landed a punch on Alex's cheek. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Playing cards scattered across the table, bottles, glasses, and fruit plates crashed to the floor, and the sofa creaked under the force of their struggle.

Alex kicked at Situ Jing, "You arrogant asshole! If you weren't part of the Situ family, would you still be this arrogant?"

Situ Jing blocked the kick firmly and threw Alex to the ground. "I'd still be this arrogant."

He didn't deny that his family had provided him with excellent resources for growth, but since adulthood, it had been his own strength and strategic thinking that kept the Situ family's business empire unbeatable.

It was no longer Situ Jing who brought glory to the Situ family—it was the Situ family that gained its glory because of him.

Situ Jing grabbed Alex by the throat, punching him repeatedly in the face. "If you weren't Duke Luke's illegitimate son, I wouldn't let you show your face in front of me again!"

Blood streaming down his face, Alex laughed. "I know why you're doing all this—because aside from these tactics, you have no other way to keep Bai Yu."

Situ Jing retorted, "And how clean are your methods? How did the two of you get married two years ago?"

Alex's smile faded, a fierce glint appearing in his eyes as he swung his fist at Situ Jing again.

The two men wrestled like savage animals, their expensive custom-made shirts wrinkled and stained, blood dripping onto the floor.

On Situ Jing's orders, no one dared to intervene. Everyone backed against the walls, clearing space for the two to fight.

The VIP room was in chaos, as if a storm had swept through. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and blood, mixed with the aggressive pheromone scent of two S-class Alphas.

Chen Xun and Ye Liuzheng could still withstand it, but the manager and waitstaff, unable to endure the pheromone assault, had already left the room.

He Lele was completely shocked. He had initially thought the tension between Bai Yu and the two Alphas was due to some enmity, but now he wondered if both of them had a relationship with Bai Yu...

"Bai Yu, you and these VIP guests... are you...?"

Bai Yu fought to stay awake, watching the absurd scene unfold before him, remaining silent for a long time.

Situ Jing, still in the midst of the fight, glanced at him—his deep eyes filled with an almost overwhelming possessiveness and madness.

Alex wiped the blood from his nose and, not backing down, threw another punch at Situ Jing. The two seemed blinded by rage, determined to fight to the death.

Bai Yu knew he had to leave immediately. While everyone's attention was focused on the two men, he grabbed He Lele, pulled open the heavy door of the VIP room, and rushed out without looking back.

"Forget them, let's go!"

As they ran, He Lele asked, "That tequila is really strong—I can't even drink half a bottle. Since when did your tolerance for alcohol get so good?"

"Not really, I'm drunk too—I'm just hanging on by a thread." As they ran, Bai Yu felt his stomach churning. He covered his mouth and rushed toward the restroom.

Inside the restroom, Bai Yu threw up violently. After wiping his mouth with a tissue, he staggered out and ran with He Lele toward the exit of the bar.

Back in the VIP room, Situ Jing heard the door open and close and keenly sensed that Bai Yu had fled. He threw Alex to the ground and stopped fighting.

His hair was disheveled, falling over his forehead. The fury in his eyes had been replaced by a deeper darkness. Blood dripped from his clenched fists, and his wrinkled clothes were stained with alcohol. He stormed out, pulled open the VIP room door, and chased after them.

Perhaps because they had never seen Situ Jing so enraged, the bodyguards hesitated for a few seconds.

Chen Xun cursed, "What are you standing around for? Go help your boss chase after his treasure! If you catch him, do you think there won't be rewards?"

The bodyguards hurried out. Chen Xun and Ye Liuzheng followed, and the room fell silent almost instantly, leaving only the sound of the empty Clase Azul tequila bottle rolling on the floor.

Alex, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, propped himself against the wall and struggled to stand. He watched Situ Jing and his men chase after Bai Yu, his eyes filled with resentment and increasing worry for Bai Yu.

Just as he was about to follow, Alex suddenly received a call from his company's boss.

Alex had to pull himself together and answer the call. "Hi, Moran?"

"Our design studio is in trouble. There's an issue with the Yin family's custom wedding dress. You should know how serious this is."

The Yin family is one of the top wealthy families in Mando, their assets right behind the Situ family. They are also key VIP clients of the company.

The wedding dress for the second daughter of the Yin family had become the studio's top priority. Due to its unique materials and craftsmanship, any mistake would not only take time and effort to fix but also damage the client's trust in the brand.

Alex frowned heavily. "I still have something to handle in Yunjing. I can send my assistant and team back first."

The boss said sharply, "You've been in Yunjing long enough. You must return to Mando immediately to handle this. If this incident affects the Yin family's wedding, combined with the negative publicity from your last fight with Situ Jing, it could make you lose the board's support. You know how hard you've worked to get where you are today."

Alex closed his eyes, considering it. "Give me one day."

"I said immediately, Alex."

The boss hung up.

Alex lifted his injured, blood-stained hand and pushed back his sweaty silver hair. The blood on his fingers smeared across his hair.

He was torn between his career and Bai Yu.

Was this Situ Jing's doing?

Alex paced back and forth in the VIP room, his anger building with nowhere to go.

"Damn it!"

With a loud crash, the tequila bottle smashed against the wall, shattering into pieces.