In a place like a bar, a lone woman easily attracts male attention, and a beautiful lone woman even more so, stirring up desire… Ye Ye, who was initially dancing alone, now found herself surrounded by various young men trying to get close to the enchantingly dancing figure, yet she skillfully kept her distance… When Nangong Xun and Ximen Xi entered the bar, they saw Ye Ye dancing wildly on a circular platform in the middle of the dance floor, with a circle of men around her, cheering and trying to win her favor. The two helplessly shook their heads, beginning to understand why Dean mostly indulged her. She was like a cat; if you went along with her, she would be obedient, but if you opposed her, she would show her claws! And now, she was angry, so… it was best not to provoke her! With this mutual understanding, they didn’t intervene but chose a good vantage point to sit and drink… their gaze, however, never left Ye Ye’s safety… Brrr, brrr, brrr, brrr, brrr — the phone began to vibrate. Nangong Xun picked it up, saw it was Dean, glanced at Ximen Xu, and answered, “What’s up?” “Why isn’t Ye Ye in her room?” Dean arrived at the suite on the 50th floor but didn’t see Ye Ye. “Oh, you’re here… We’re at the bar on the 8th floor… Come over.” Nangong Xun said casually. “Hmm!” “Has Dean arrived?” Ximen Xu asked, looking at Nangong Xun who had hung up. “Yes. He’ll be here soon.” “Come on, Xun, let’s toast to our imminent exit!” Ximen Xu raised his glass with a hint of self-mockery. “Yes, once Dean comes, we’ll have to leave… Cheers!” Nangong Xun couldn’t hide the loneliness in his heart. The two raised their heads and drank… “When did it start for you?” Ximen Xu asked. “The first day at the villa, when she called me sister… I was moved… It’s laughable, isn’t it? But it’s true, even though I tried to keep my distance… it was no use.” Nangong Xun set down her glass, openly sharing her feelings without reservation, as there was no need to hide anything among brothers… She refilled their glasses. “For me, it was at first sight at the ET bar, watching her play the drums and sing Beyond’s ‘Cold Rainy Night.’ I never thought such a delicate girl could have such wild energy… I had never heard a girl interpret the song so differently… Later, she calmly faced a harasser with a gun, not showing any fear… I think that’s when I fell for her… But she belongs to Dean! What could I do?” Ximen Xu recalled his first encounter with Ye Ye, his eyes filled with self-mockery and complexity. “A girl like this, even Dean, unknowingly, has been moved by her; who wouldn’t be? Heh… let’s have another drink, Dean will be here soon! From now on, let’s bury these feelings deep in our hearts!” Nangong Xun patted his brother’s shoulder, and the two men, sharing the same mood, raised their glasses again. When they looked up, their once melancholic and self-mocking faces had regained their composure and self-control… They were brothers, they were men, so what must be let go, must be let go! What shouldn’t be thought of, must not be thought of!
“Miss, let’s be friends?” Under the changing, dazzling lights, Ye Ye was interrupted from her dance by a young, wealthy-looking man standing before her, asking loudly in English with what he thought was a charming smile. “No, miss, be friends with me! My father is the president of XXX Corporation! I can take you to any high-end place in Rome!” From another side, a somewhat handsome young man also tried to capture Ye Ye’s attention. Ye Ye stopped dancing but remained on the small round stage, looking at the two young, handsome men to her left and right, a mischievous smile spreading across her face — she wasn’t unwanted, was she? “What should I do, you two… How about you fight each other, and whoever wins, I’ll consider being friends with him!” Ye Ye said mischievously, needing to affirm her own existence and value through others, and to vent her suppressed restlessness with such mischief! The two men were clearly stunned… momentarily forgetting to react… Ximen Xu and Nangong Xun also witnessed the scene. Although they couldn’t hear Ye Ye’s conversation with them, seeing the devilish smile on Ye Ye’s face, they knew — the little wildcat was up to no good! In unison, they rubbed their temples — damn, was the elevator broken? Why hadn’t Dean arrived yet! Ye Ye blinked, “What’s wrong? Too afraid to fight?” She curled her lips in contempt. “Of course not!” one man shouted. “Let’s do it!” The other, not wanting to lose face in front of the beauty, especially with his friends watching nearby, started to posture for a fight… The crowd stirred… The music continued… Apparently, in a nightclub, such scuffles wouldn’t attract security’s attention unless they escalated… [From Passion to Burning Passion: Eighty-Five, The Helplessness of Foreknowledge 2 (Two in One)] Ye Ye coldly observed, still standing on the small stage, her smile bitter, yet enchanting… Laughing, and crying… like a wounded elf, trembling in the night… This wasn’t what she wanted… Ximen Xu and Nangong Xun watched the two men, clumsily exchanging punches and kicks, contemplating whether to intervene, but seeing Ye Ye was unharmed, they understood she wanted to distract herself from her sadness, so they didn’t get up but kept a close watch on her safety — let it be! As long as she’s happy… “Stop!” The music abruptly ceased… The crowd also stopped, all looking at Ye Ye and the two bloodied men… Ximen Xu and Nangong Xun didn’t need to turn around to know it was Jones’s voice… and the man behind him was Dean! Dean strode through the crowd, frowning at Ye Ye, who was crying and laughing, standing straight with a thin line of blood seeping through her black wristband from her left arm — and she didn’t even know… Ignoring the onlookers’ gaze and surprise, he scooped her off the stage: “Fooling around!” he scolded, but with concern. Ye Ye pouted, leaning into Dean’s embrace, he had come, really come… her heart melted like autumn water… so soft she wanted to cry out loud… feeling wronged… and unwilling… “Jones, give them medical expenses!” Dean, holding Ye Ye, instructed the two stunned men. “Yes!” Jones responded promptly. Dean glanced at Ximen Xu and Nangong Xun not far away, a sharp look flashing in his eyes, then gracefully left with Ye Ye in his arms. Behind them, there were murmurs of awe and admiration — Oh my God, it’s Duke Verken! … So handsome… so noble!…
Dean and Ye Ye returned to the room on the 50th floor. He had her sit on the sofa, took out the first aid kit, and personally changed her bandage, which must have reopened from her vigorous dancing! Dean’s eyes were cold as he helped her stop the bleeding and gently applied a clean bandage. Ye Ye remained silent, the air quiet as if it had been vacuum-sealed…
