Chapter 47 : Villain 2
Chapter 47: Villain 2
A cloying floral fragrance drifted in the air.
It was the classic scent of Dior J’adore, etched into memory thanks to Charlize Theron’s noble and luxurious commercial.
Yet now, it had already become one of the most recognizable—and most uninspired—street fragrances of the city’s nightlife.
A slightly overweight middle-aged man wobbled over to the bar, a thick wallet tucked under his arm.
His eyes burned as he stared at Bai Lengci’s busy silhouette. The moment she paused,
he impatiently slapped a wad of red bills down on the counter with a crisp “pa” and pushed it forward.
The thickness of the bills was impressive. At a glance, it was at least ten thousand.
“Beauty, give me some face, have a few drinks with me. This—all yours.”
In the nightlife scene, slapping cash directly on the table usually carried implications beyond simply buying drinks.
If this were a KTV, the next step would probably be negotiating an appearance fee.
But Bai Lengci was not a veteran of such establishments. She only worked part-time in the bar to make ends meet, and knew next to nothing about such unspoken rules and tricks.
Bai Lengci glanced over the wad of bills, then back at the middle-aged man’s face.
“Sorry, I only mix drinks. I don’t drink with customers.”
This wasn’t the first time Bai Lengci had encountered such situations.
Some customers always tried to make her bend the rules—offering business cards, giving gifts, or, like this, shoving cash at her.
This was the largest amount so far. But Bai Lengci’s thinking wasn’t based on morality—it was based on weighing pros and cons.
Pocketing this windfall might solve an immediate problem, but it would brand her as someone who could be bought.
It would shatter the untouchable sense of distance behind the bar, causing her to lose the long-term patrons who truly came for her skill and style.
Without a doubt, that would be trading the greater for the lesser.
Such a losing deal, she would never make.
The middle-aged man hadn’t expected such a straightforward refusal. The smug smile on his face froze.
He seemed to think it wasn’t enough money—or maybe his pride couldn’t take it—and he stiffened his neck to raise the stakes.
“Too little? As long as you sit down and drink with me, name your price!”
Bai Lengci shook her head lightly.
She turned, picked up an old-fashioned glass, and began placing in a large ice ball. Her voice remained calm.
“This gentleman, I’ll send you a Godfather in a moment. The sweetness of amaretto wrapped around the strength of whiskey—steady, and full of power. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”
She measured out the liquor smoothly as she spoke, never looking at the man.
“As a bartender, what I hope is that the drinks I make can help people feel relaxed and happy. Not myself.”
She slid the finished drink toward him. The deep amber liquid swirled gently around the ice sphere.
“Please enjoy. And I hope you won’t bring up what you just said again.”
The moment Bai Lengci finished speaking, scattered applause rang out nearby from those eager to watch the scene.
Her words were clear, yet also left the man some dignity.
She had made her principles known, without utterly humiliating the customer.
After speaking, Bai Lengci no longer looked at him. She turned to handle other orders, leaving the middle-aged man frozen in place.
“Uncle, excuse me.”
Xiao Ran had somehow appeared by then. She tapped the man’s arm with her finger, signaling him to move aside.
Her tone wasn’t exactly polite, but her bright smile made it hard to truly get angry.
The middle-aged man was already embarrassed. Muttering, he snatched the wad of cash from the counter, grabbed his Godfather, and slunk away.
Xiao Ran looked at Bai Lengci, who was preparing the next order behind the bar.
“Aria, please open a bottle of Louis XIII Rare Cask.”
The moment she said that, several nearby patrons who had been eavesdropping couldn’t help but gasp.
Louis XIII Rare Cask!
In this lounge bar, that was absolutely the pinnacle of luxury.
Priced at 88,888, opening a single bottle was worth several months of an ordinary person’s salary!
Bai Lengci said, “Alright.”
But Xiao Ran seemed not to notice the crowd’s reaction.
She leaned her elbow on the bar, chin resting in her hand, her expression uncharacteristically serious—even a little… uneasy?
Her voice dropped slightly.
“Um… Aria, last week… I think… I said some not-so-nice things to you, and my attitude was bad. I thought it over carefully later—it was me being too impatient, I misunderstood you.”
Her inner thoughts: Ahhh what am I even saying!
So awkward!
Isn’t it too abrupt to apologize like this?
Will she think I’m weird?
But that day I really was mean and suspicious of her… She helped, yet I snapped at her…
Ugh… but I have to apologize somehow!
Also, she looks so cool when she’s mixing drinks!
And up close, that face is way too perfect!
How can her skin be this good?
Her fingers are so long!
No, no, Xiao Ran, you’re not gay!
Calm down! Focus—apologize, apologize!
Inside, Xiao Ran’s mind was already a barrage of exploding thoughts, a chaotic mess of emotions.
On the surface, though, she tried to maintain composure, only showing a slightly embarrassed expression—unconsciously even straightening her chest a little,
as if that would give her more confidence and persuasiveness.
Of course, with her striking figure, the gesture only made her more eye-catching.
When she finished, she blinked her big eyes, a trace of nervousness hidden within them, watching Bai Lengci’s reaction.
Bai Lengci quietly listened.
Her gaze lingered two seconds on Xiao Ran’s pretty face, which tried so hard to appear sincere,
yet still betrayed countless little flusters in her eyes.
She shook her head slightly.
“It’s alright. As a bartender, being able to witness customers’ emotions, tolerate occasional lapses, even… forgive some unintended lies—that’s all part of the job.”
With that, she turned to fetch the bottle.
If last week’s flustered, unreasonable Xiao Ran had made Bai Lengci think she was just another big-chested, empty-headed rich girl,
then the Xiao Ran now—willing to apologize so directly—suddenly transformed into the image of a beautiful, kind, and reasonable older sister.
Of course, if she tipped a little, Bai Lengci wouldn’t mind calling her “sister.”
Bai Lengci returned with the crystal bottle, opened it, and the rich fragrance of cognac spread out slowly.
She placed the bottle and tulip glasses before Xiao Ran.
“Would you like me to pour it now?” Bai Lengci asked.
“Mhm!”
Xiao Ran nodded. Then, as if remembering something, she took out a card from her handbag, along with a wad of bills placed on a tray, and handed it to Bai Lengci.
“May I buy you a drink?”
Bai Lengci accepted the card and glanced at the stack of bills on the tray.
She lifted her eyes to Xiao Ran’s radiant, delicately glowing face and said,
“Drinking together isn’t possible. But treating me to a drink, of course you can… What would you like?”
“A White Lady. I’ll have a White Lady.”