The skin was whiter than snow, crystal clear, like a delicate ice sculpture doll, perfect and flawless. A head of dense hair spread across the pillow like seaweed, a cloud resting on the pillow, further highlighting the skin that outshone frost and snow. Long eyelashes like butterfly wings trembled slightly, revealing a curtain of a dark ink-like starry sky. The girl slowly opened her eyes, her gaze slightly confused. Just then, a chubby cat climbed onto the bed and stretched out its tongue to lick the girl’s cheek. The girl, feeling ticklish, laughed, "Giggle giggle." "Ah Jiu, don’t mess around." She said, grabbing the fat cat’s ear and placing it on her body, raising her hand to gently stroke its soft fur. Ah Jiu quietly lay on her, silently. "Miss, are you awake? Young Master Ning is waiting for you downstairs." The respectful voice of the maid sounded from outside the door. "I know, I’ll come down right away." Releasing Ah Jiu, the girl lifted the quilt and got out of bed. After washing up, she wore a white dress. While looking in the mirror, she turned sideways, her gaze brightening slightly as she looked at the curves in the mirror. A hand fell on the flower bud at her chest, a smile tugging at her lips. She had grown up, eighteen years old. Thinking of that person made her heart leap with joy, but very quickly, a wave of bleakness washed over her, extinguishing the joy that had just risen. The bright light in her eyes gradually dimmed, her whole being becoming like an ancient well, gloomy and cold. Smoothing her skirt, she got up and walked out, Ah Jiu following closely by her side. His chubby body waddled like a white dough ball dragging across the floor, looking very cute and comical. Seeing the girl walking down from upstairs, Ning Zihuan abruptly stood up, his eyes flooding with an obsessive glow, mumbling her name. "Zihuan." Although she smiled, the smile did not reach her eyes. Even though she was right in front of him, he felt a sense of her being unattainable. This feeling made him anxious, as if no matter what, he couldn’t grasp her. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ n̷o̷v̷e̷l̷f̷i̷r̷e̷.net "I thought I would have to wait longer, but you woke up early today." Ning Zihuan said with a light smile on his handsome face. The girl sat down opposite him, "What’s the matter? That made you rush here so early in the morning." Ning Zihuan frowned tightly, glanced around, and said in a low voice, "There is news." Ji Yunya squinted, a dark color flashing in her eyes like a firework that vanished in an instant. As night fell, neon lights flashed, darkness covering the chaos and mad desires, bodies and souls sinking into an endless abyss. The back street of the bar was the most chaotic place in Jiangzhou. Hidden behind the bustling and lascivious scenes, the smell of alcohol suffused the air, with drunkards lying everywhere, eager couples, and fighting hooligans. The stench of alcohol drifted far, nauseatingly. A group of hooligans started another round of fighting, swinging wooden sticks and knives, blood splattering, moonlight casting a faint glow, far illuminating the ground. The scent of blood drifted far, some fell, some crawled up, gritting their teeth and roaring as they re-entered the fray. One group gradually fell behind, their brothers knocked to the ground. A bucktoothed man with dyed green hair stepped on the leader’s head, sneering disdainfully, "Little punks, dare to mess with your grandpa, I’ll show you what death means today." He ordered his lackeys, "Beat them to death." "Yes, Brother Lin." A group of people rushed up, beating the defenseless men to death. All that could be heard were the "thump thump" of fists on flesh and suppressed painful screams, drifting far into the quiet corridor like ghostly wails, like wind howling. The leader was beaten until almost unrecognizable, lying on the ground, barely alive. The bucktoothed man sneered, walked up, and stomped on the man’s face, grinding down as if crushing an ant, his eyes flashing with cold cruelty and overwhelming pleasure. The man was numb with pain, his last sound turning into a broken bellows-like moan, pitifully sobbing, teardrops splattering. "In Jiangzhou, who doesn’t know my name, Brother Lin? You dare to mess with my woman, if I don’t kill you, I’ll take your surname." The man laughed sinisterly, extending his hand. His subordinates immediately handed him a dagger, the man playing with the dagger before suddenly stabbing it into the fallen man’s hand.