How could she still be alive?

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Amidst the dazzling lights and intoxicating allure, flesh glistened with an oily sheen, the undulating body swaying rhythmically to the music, clad only in a scant piece of fabric barely covering the most intimate part.

Shi Jue wore a pair of night-vision sunglasses and trailed behind Ruan Li from three to four meters away. The ambient lighting flickered in hues of blue and purple, casting a hazy, mysterious excitement over the scene. Men and women moved their bodies on the dance floor.

Shi Jue’s brows furrowed deeply, his face filled with disdain. “Don’t touch me!” he pushed away a female beastman who lunged at him, then compulsively slapped the skin on his arm that had been touched, his expression one of utter disgust.

The female snarled, “We’re all here at the club! What’s with the act? You shameless playboy, unfaithful to your mate!”

Shi Jue ignored her insults, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Ruan Li, unwilling to look away. When some shameless male beastman tried to pester Ruan Li, he stepped forward with commanding presence, grabbing the audacious beastman and coldly warning, “Try laying a hand on my female and see what happens.”

Most beastmen here sought thrills, not trouble, but there were always those arrogant males who abused their family influence to act recklessly.

Qu Yi was a single noble beastman, 23 years old. Through some family maneuvers, he had avoided the star network’s match-making system for mates. Tonight, like always, he came to the Nightshade Bar with his rowdy friends. While his friends found companions, he sat alone at the bar, his carefully styled, slightly long hair streaked with bright yellow. He held a glass between his fingers, his gaze melancholically sweeping over the dancers on the floor until it settled upon Ruan Li, clad in a pink dress.

His eyes lingered, the wine in his glass trembling slightly as a look of admiration flashed within them.

In this place of indulgence and chaos, her simple long dress, waist-length hair, and pure, delicate face, bathed in blue-purple light, appeared like an innocent spirit mistakenly wandering into hell.

He raised the glass and drank the red wine in one gulp, then purposefully approached her.

As for the strange beastman wearing sunglasses, Qu Yi assumed he was a bodyguard.

“Beautiful lady, may I have the honor of knowing you?” Qu Yi stood before Ruan Li, tilting his head slightly to look at the petite female in front of him.

“Sorry, I’m busy. Please move aside,” Ruan Li replied without looking up.

“People come here either to drink or to find someone. Maybe I can help you.” Qu Yi was not one to miss an opportunity; he had observed Ruan Li at the bar for a while and sensed she was searching for someone.

Only then did Ruan Li raise her head, her pale face showing some urgency. “Do you know how to get to private room 1004?”

She hadn’t noticed any waitstaff. Apart from a large, conspicuous dance floor, she hadn’t found a single private room.

A flicker of surprise passed through Qu Yi’s eyes, his smile deepening at the corner of his mouth.

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Unexpectedly, this seemingly innocent young female was quite the player behind the scenes.

“I can take you there.”

Ruan Li followed him, winding through corridors until they arrived at a dark door.

Behind it lay a dazzlingly opulent area.

“This is the private room section. First-timers often get lost without a guide.”

“Oh, by the way, I’m Qu Yi, 23, unmarried male beastman. Can I add you on the neural network?” Qu Yi lightly raised an eyebrow, his smile gentle, eyes radiating the full charm of a confident male.

Ruan Li was pondering how to politely refuse the person who had just helped her.

Suddenly, she was jerked into a warm, solid embrace.

Her chest trembled slightly.

“She’s my female, and she doesn’t add contact info from strange males,” Shi Jue said coldly, his tone unfriendly toward the man whose intentions were unclear.

Qu Yi shrugged. “Alright, but if your beastmate ever makes you angry, you can always come find me.”

“I wouldn’t mind~”

Hearing “wouldn’t mind,” Shi Jue couldn’t help but snap, “That day will never come!”

If not for Ruan Li pulling him back and telling him not to make a scene, he would have made that shameless beastman understand why the moon shone so brightly tonight.

“Enough, Shi Jue. Didn’t we agree you’d just stay behind me? Why are you suddenly barging in?” Ruan Li tugged at the front of his chest, initially worried he might clash with some unknown beastman, now speaking softly against his chest in a whisper.

Shi Jue felt a warm breath against his cheek, blinked rapidly, and explained, “I saw you were in danger, so I came to help.”

Ruan Li didn’t press further. She gently patted Shi Jue’s shoulder. “I was about to refuse him anyway. Once I’m inside the room, just follow our plan.”

Shi Jue looked doubtful. “Ruan Li, that message is clearly suspicious. Could it be a scam?”

Leaning close to his ear, Ruan Li whispered, “Don’t worry. I already know what to do. If you sense anything off, just barge in.”

Shi Jue hesitated but finally nodded.

Ruan Li stood on tiptoe and tousled his curly golden hair firmly twice. “I know you’re worried about me, but I’m completely confident.”

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The curls flattened under Ruan Li’s hands, making the handsome face look somewhat comical.

Shi Jue was almost flustered by her ruffling his hair in such a way, lost in the moment.

Blushing, he came back to his senses just as Ruan Li headed toward the door.

The door to the room opened.

The blue-purple lighting blurred the features inside, but Ruan Li recognized the person immediately.

Just as she expected.

Ruan Jiao, currently the most likely heir to the Ruan family.

She was lounging on the sofa, arm draped around companions, holding a cigar between her fingers, exhaling smoke with a look of indulgence.

The moment the door opened, a harsh light shot into the room.

Ruan Jiao frowned at the silhouetted figure standing in the doorway.

“Tsk, you’re late. Seems you don’t really care about your mother’s condition,” Ruan Jiao sneered, wearing a black leather miniskirt and heavy smoky makeup, a stark contrast to the woman she was at the mall yesterday.

“What’s wrong with her?” Ruan Li asked calmly and steadily.

Ruan Jiao narrowed her eyes, disgusted by Ruan Li’s detached and composed demeanor. She beckoned with a finger.

“You’re not surprised to see me? After so long without meeting, don’t you miss me, my dear little sister?” Her voice was thin and sharp, like Satan tasting the fruit of desire, flicking out a slender, serpentine tongue.

“We just met yesterday. There’s nothing to miss.”

Seeing Ruan Li’s pure face reminded Ruan Jiao of yesterday’s disgraceful incident.

As a proud female, she had humbled herself to please the prince, but he not only refused her favor but publicly humiliated her in front of Ruan Li!

This was utterly intolerable to Ruan Jiao!

Moreover... how could she still be alive?