29. Starlight in the Deep Sea

The corridor of the Red Mill was somewhat crowded.

Lu Jincheng had to sidle along with Zhong Ruixi, barely making room for a group of heavily made-up beauties in short skirts and deep V-necks to pass by in succession.

"Good evening, VIP guests, and welcome to the Red Mill~"

Only then did Zhong Ruixi notice the door to the private room beside them open, and the beauties file in, all bowing in unison.

"What are they doing?"

The music was loud, so she leaned into Lu Jincheng's ear and asked curiously.

"Audition."

Lu Jincheng turned his head to answer, his cheek tickled by the girl's breathing.

She indeed had too much to drink, which made her breath notably heavier.

Along the corridor, from the packed private rooms on either side, one could faintly hear rhythmic sounds.

But it didn't seem like anyone was singing.

"Dear VIP guests, welcome to the Red Mill. I'm Da Fei, the marketing manager, and our first performance tonight is—Ants Climbing a Tree!"

The door to one of the private rooms was slightly ajar, revealing a slim gap.

Zhong Ruixi hadn't wanted to look, but the image of the beauties pouring into the room was too vivid.

She couldn't help but turn her head and peek through the crack.

Just one glance.

Her eyes, initially hazy, were at that moment shocked like fireworks set ablaze, pupils dilating slightly with an almost incredulous surprise. Her already flushed cheeks spread to her neck, blooming like the brilliant dawn of a brocade satin sunrise.

"Damn..."

Zhong Ruixi's lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something but could only emit a faint buzz, as if her voice was tightly gripped by something.

They... what are they doing?!

My God, is that how a girl's tongue is supposed to be used?

Her fingers entwined unconsciously, clenching the hem of her clothes, her body slightly stiff, eyes involuntarily shying away from the embarrassing scene, yet she couldn't help but sneak quick glances before hastily looking away again.

"What's the matter?"

Lu Jincheng tried to keep his facial expression in check, feigning ignorance.

"Nothing... nothing, let's go! Stop looking around."

Zhong Ruixi bit her lower lip, quickened her pace, and dragged Lu Jincheng away from the door.

She shook her head hard, trying to forget the scene that had just caught her eye, but her heart kept pounding in her chest like a drum.

"I'm going to the restroom."

She took a deep breath, attempting to calm her emotions, but the feelings of embarrassment and shock washed over her like a tide, leaving her no place to hide.

Watching Zhong Ruixi enter the restroom, Lu Jincheng leaned his back against the wash basin, lit his Yellow Crane Tower cigarette, and watched as the curling smoke eddied and scattered under the light.

The place was quieter compared to the private rooms, so the soft moans that began to echo were hard to ignore.

The cartoonish logo for the restroom shimmered with a faint blue light as sighs crept out from between the glowing lines, scurrying on the floor like ants.

Clearly, there were restrooms in the private rooms, yet someone chose to indulge in a public space—this was the Red Mill he knew.

Someone inside was getting intimate; this wasn't uncommon, nor did it affect Mr. Lu's mood.

So, he acted as if he heard nothing and continued to enjoy his cigarette.

The skirmish ended quickly.

In one minute, the muffled groans turned into a long nasal moan.

For those middle-aged men with alcohol buzzing in their heads, such a public environment was perhaps overly stimulating, leading to inevitable performance issues.

After a few more seconds, Zhong Ruixi walked out from the inside, head lowered and gaze fixed on the floor, cheeks red as blood.

For an eighteen-year-old, somewhat naïve, female college student, her visit to the Red Mill tonight had given her both thrills and scares, unquestionably like being struck powerfully in her understanding of the world with a World King Fist.

It was about time.

"Let's go get some fresh air, this place... seems to be a bit chaotic."

Lu Jincheng reached out and naturally drew Zhong Ruixi's graceful waist toward him.

She nodded and leaned toward Lu Jincheng's side, not refusing.

If she could just block out all her senses, then she wouldn't see or hear any of those things from just now...

Compared to those, being embraced around the waist by a boy is pretty normal, right?

After all, in a strange place like this, having a man by your side does give you an extra sense of safety.

Just after leaving the Red Mill, Zhong Ruixi leaned against the railing on the side of Xinzhu Road and took a deep breath.

Not far away, skewered meats were being roasted to a golden brown in a grill, while osmanthus trees on the side of the road swayed their twinkling leaves. The stall selling deliciously spicy duck neck had begun to pack up under the dim streetlights.

Facing the familiar sights and smells of the world, the evening breeze seemed to wake her up a bit.

"Good thing it was you who came out to escort me when I went to the restroom just now."

The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder, very close, with arms resting on the edge of the railing. A mere turn of her head would reveal that delicate beauty mark.

Tonight, Zhong Ruixi indeed looked so beautiful.

She was unlike her high school days when she wore no makeup, her black hair now fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her vintage dress covered her knees gracefully. She had on dark eyeshadow, eyeliner, and bright rose lipstick, giving her the air of a classical beauty, her neck long and swan-like.

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm starting to understand now," she continued, "those ladies... they must be the hostesses, right?"

Zhong Ruixi twirled a finger through her hair and paused for a few seconds.

"If you hadn't come out with me, I could have been mistaken for one of them, which would have been troublesome."

"You're right,"

Lu Jincheng nodded.

Many novels feature scenes in KTVs where the female protagonist is mistaken for a courtesan by a drunken antagonist, only to have the hero rescue her from peril and win her heart.

But in the real world, whether it's a business KTV or a luxury club, everyone is openly conducting honest business, with scores of hostesses on hand and waiting staff at the ready—where would such conflict arise?

The most outrageous move might just be an encounter in the restroom with your ideal type, and someone asking for your number.

That would be it.

"So, I've found that you're actually quite reliable."

Recalling Lu Jincheng's actions throughout the evening, Zhong Ruixi's eyes sparkled as if filled with the stars above.

"That's not necessarily true."

Lu Jincheng lit a cigarette in the wind, flicked his wrist, and shook his head with a smile.

"That's right, you even know such professional terms," Zhong Ruixi suddenly remembered something and continued, "How did you know what they call those try-outs?"

"I looked it up online before coming here to sing."

"Oh~ I've never realized how attentive you are before."

"I wouldn't be spending my entire evenings with you simply because I'm afraid you might get drunk and cause a scene."

"Eh? Have you ever seen me do that?"

"You're missing the point, aren't you?"

Lu Jincheng placed a hand on Zhong Ruixi's shoulder, their eyes meeting.

"Then... what's it for?"

The blush by Zhong Ruixi's ears had yet to fade, her slight stutter and hesitations in her tone cloaked in a hint of shyness.

Mr. Lu was very clear that every word he spoke now would greatly affect the distance between them.

"It's because I feel comfortable with you."

Lu Jincheng said lazily as he looked at the dazzling street scene of Xinzhu Road.

"There's no need for awkward conversations, no need for ingratiating smiles, without considering the past or the future... Just living in the moment is enough for me."

Zhong Ruixi's mouth fell open slightly, her hand clutching her dress turned white, and she said nothing.

But Lu Jincheng could hear her breathing become a bit heavier; his confession had worked, successfully stirring her emotions.

Of course, it worked, because Mr. Lu wasn't lying to her.

He was once a monster who lived in the dark depths of the ocean, but even he sometimes longed to rise to the surface and see the stars.

Zhong Ruixi was his starlight.