I wasn't particularly interested in nightlife venues like the nightclub. The main reason I didn't refuse Liu Jiangmin's invitation was my curiosity about Liu Zaixi.
When I say curiosity, I don't mean romantic interest. Rather, I found the jade pendant she wore around her neck to be unusual.
As a treasure appraiser, antique objects are the easiest things to catch my attention, no matter where I am.
After all, those things are etched into my very bones; I can't shake them off.
It's entirely a matter of subconscious instinct.
Why do I say the jade pendant around her neck is unusual?
Because it was a Chi Jade.
In ancient times, the Chi was considered a type of dragon by our ancestors. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, many imperial items were carved with Chi to signify the prosperity of the royal family.
Chi Jade is not of low value. Take the Chi Jade Liu Zaixi was wearing, for instance; it could fetch nearly ten million.
It was quite thought-provoking for a woman of the night to be wearing such a precious antique jade.
To my knowledge, during the late Qing Dynasty, Chi Jade was considered a heirloom by prominent families. Typically, such Chi Jade would be passed down to the direct descendants.
Could it be that this Liu Zaixi is the child of a prominent family?
I found it unlikely. If she were truly a descendant of a prominent family, her household wouldn't allow her to work in a pleasure establishment.
Therefore, I was very curious about the origin of her Chi Jade.
We entered a private room, and Liu Zaixi personally attended to us. She also ordered some foreign liquors that I had never even seen before.
After a few rounds of drinks, Liu Jiangmin and I started chatting. I learned that he met Wu Tingxi through the Chinese furniture business.
Many people in Guangbei are involved in the furniture trade, and Liu Jiangmin owns two factories there. Most of the furniture in Wu Tingxi's hotel was sourced from him.
He and Wu Tingxi had known each other for several years.
“Mr. Xiang, since you're in Guangbei, consider this your home. Eat well and have fun. That way, I can report back to Ms. Wu,” Liu Jiangmin said, clearly tipsy, raising his glass. "I'll finish this one first; please, help yourself."
I smiled, picked up my glass, and took a small sip before setting it down.
Although I have a decent tolerance for alcohol, I have a habit of not drinking too much in unfamiliar places.
Fatty, on the other hand, was different. After singing a few songs, he started downing those foreign liquors as if they were soda, gulping them down noisily.
Before anyone could even toast him, he had already drunk himself into a state.
He kept bragging to a girl sitting next to him, rehashing his old stories about how he missed out on millions at Panjiayuan.
I was used to it by now, so I let him be.
“Mr. Xiang, you seem preoccupied?”
A voice sounded beside me. I turned to find Liu Zaixi had sat next to me at some point.
“It’s nothing. Perhaps I’m just tired from the journey. Thank you for your concern, Ms. Liu,” I replied with a smile.
“Look at my memory, I almost forgot. Mr. Xiang, you just arrived in Guangbei today, correct?” Liu Zaixi smiled. “How about this, shall I take you somewhere to relax later?”
“Relax?” I was taken aback.
She chuckled, “Our bathhouses are quite famous here. A bath and a good massage will surely have Mr. Xiang feeling refreshed tomorrow.”
“I think I’ll pass on the massage…” I said.
“What’s wrong? Mr. Xiang isn’t interested?” Liu Zaixi said, leaning closer to me.
I could feel the warm breath escaping her lips. I instinctively leaned back, and she covered her mouth, giggling, “What are you afraid of, Mr. Xiang? Do you think I’ll eat you?”
I gave an awkward smile and replied, “It’s just that Ms. Liu is so beautiful that it makes me a little… wary.”
“Mr. Xiang is truly skilled with words,” Liu Zaixi winked at me before raising her glass, “Let me toast you, Mr. Xiang.”
I raised my glass, clinked it with hers, and finished the remaining wine.
As soon as I put down my glass, Liu Zaixi linked her arm through mine, claiming she was a bit overwhelmed by the alcohol and needed me to accompany her to the restroom.
I couldn’t very well refuse, so I stood up and accompanied her to the restroom.
Although there was a restroom in the private room, she insisted on going to the one outside.
As we exited the room, we walked through the corridor. All the servers we passed greeted Liu Zaixi respectfully.
Upon reaching the restroom outside, she asked me to wait by the door and went inside.
After a considerable while, she still hadn’t come out, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to call for her from the women's restroom.
After a few more moments, seeing she still hadn’t emerged, I stood by the door and called out, “Ms. Liu?”
There was no response from inside. I wondered if she had fainted inside due to drinking too much.
I thought about finding a server to check on her, but as I looked around, there was no one in sight.
Each private room had its own restroom; this outside restroom was hardly used by anyone.
After a moment of hesitation, I pushed the door open and went inside.
The restrooms inside were all individual cubicles. Just as I was about to call out for Liu Zaixi, I heard a faint sound of sobbing.
The sobbing came from the first cubicle. I went over and gently knocked on the door, “Ms. Liu?”
A moment later, the door opened, and Liu Zaixi, with a smile on her face, apologized, “Mr. Xiang, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
Although she was smiling, there were still tear streaks near her eyes, clearly indicating that the crying I heard from inside was hers.
I was somewhat puzzled, wondering what was going on with this woman, to suddenly start crying.
I noticed she was holding a mobile phone, looking as if she had just finished a call.
“I was worried something might have happened, so I came to check,” I said. “Are you alright? Did you drink too much?”
She shook her head with a smile. “Thank you for your concern. Shall we go back?”
Upon returning to the private room, Liu Zaixi’s mood was noticeably more subdued than before, and she drank her alcohol without any reservation.
Liu Jiangmin was also quite drunk. Fueled by the alcohol, he told me that he had spent a considerable amount of money to have Liu Zaixi accompany us and urged me to have a good time.
It was only later that I learned Liu Zaixi’s appearance fee was not low; for her to personally attend to us, Liu Jiangmin had truly spared no expense.
This meant Wu Tingxi must have given him specific instructions.
Liu Jiangmin and Fatty were getting along famously. Both of them were drunk and were hugging each other, calling each other brothers. They even said they wanted to share a room for the night.
In the time it took me to go to the restroom, they had both vanished, leaving only Liu Zaixi sitting on the sofa.
She was sitting with her legs crossed, leaning back on the sofa, one hand on her chest, the other supporting her forehead, her eyes half-closed.
I walked over and asked, “Ms. Liu, are you alright?”
Liu Zaixi looked up at me with a tipsy gaze and said with a smile, “I’m fine…”
As she spoke, she tried to stand up but ended up sinking back down. If I hadn’t quickly supported her, she probably would have fallen to the floor.
She was so drunk, yet she claimed to be fine. Truly remarkable.
I asked her if she wanted me to take her home. She hesitated for a moment before nodding, giving me an address, and then completely succumbed to her intoxication.
I carried her out of the nightclub on my back, hailed a taxi, and gave the driver the address she had provided.
I had intended to drop her off and then go find Fatty, but as soon as we arrived at her place, I was stunned…