Mo Fang. It was one of Lin'an's most famous private clubs, a paradise for the wealthy. Grab any man at random, and he was likely to be one of the city's movers and shakers. Inside the VIP room, a crowd had gathered. Si Ning was there, too. She was lounging, hands laced behind her head, her posture more nonchalant than some of the men in the room. "Brother, did you drag me all the way here just so the great CEO Lu could read me the riot act?" As Si Ning spoke, she glanced at Lu Jingchi, and at Xia Yan seated beside him. Lu Jingchi leaned back against the sofa, his expression unreadable, legs crossed. The dim lighting caught only his chest, leaving his face shrouded in shadow and lending him an inscrutable air. Si Yang’s brow was tightly furrowed. He lowered his voice. “Just apologize to Miss Xia, and this will all be over, won’t it?” Si Ning scoffed. “Who the hell is she to demand an apology from me?” “Si Ning, stop messing around!” Everyone knew Xia Yan was the apple of Lu Jingchi’s eye. This girl was truly fearless, poking the bear like this. “I’m not messing around. I didn’t like her, so I hit her. So what? Hey, brother, you drink chicken soup, don’t you? I don’t see you apologizing to the chicken.” The moment the words left her mouth, the color drained from Xia Yan’s face. She shot to her feet, only to collapse back down as a sharp pain lanced through her ankle. “Don’t you go too far! Jingchi and I were together before he ever married that mute!” Si Ning shot her a sideways glance, then suddenly sat up straight, a wide grin spreading across her face. “If you want to play that game, they’ve lived together for over a decade. Where were you then?” “How is that the same? She’s just an orphan the Lu family took in out of pity, letting her—” Crash! Before Xia Yan could finish, the wine glass in Lu Jingchi’s hand slammed onto the table. The force of the impact shattered it, sending wine spilling across the surface and spreading in dark rivulets. Lu Jingchi leaned forward, his handsome face now cast in the light. It was terrifyingly grim. He turned his head toward Si Ning. “Apologize.” Si Ning arched an eyebrow, two words falling lightly from her lips. “I won’t.” Fang Qi spoke up sheepishly. “Come on, Lu, is it really worth getting this worked up over? We’ve all been friends for so long.” *Over a woman,* he thought, *it’s not worth it.* But he didn’t dare say that part aloud. Lu Jingchi’s gaze swept over him, and Fang Qi fell silent, shrinking back into his corner. Si Yang’s brow was creased in a deep frown. He sighed. “Let me apologize for her. You know what Si Ning is like. Getting her to say sorry would be harder than killing her.” Lu Jingchi pulled a few tissues from the dispenser, leaned back, and retreated once more into the shadows. He began meticulously wiping his fingers, his voice casual as he spoke. “You want to apologize for her? Fine. Drink every bottle on this table.” Si Yang froze. The table was covered in hard liquor—at least twenty bottles, if not more. Xia Yan was completely sidelined. She had only wanted to see Si Ning humiliated, but now Lu Jingchi was taking it out on Si Yang. She couldn't help but wonder if he was defending her honor, or simply venting his own rage. After a moment’s silence, Si Yang nodded. “Fine.” Si Ning shot to her feet. “Brother, are you insane? Why would you apologize to this woman? Is she even worthy?” “Shut your mouth!” Si Yang glared at her, his eyes warning her not to make things worse. He then reached for a bottle on the table. Si Ning lunged forward, snatched the bottle from his hand, and hurled it to the floor. The sound of shattering glass was deafening. “Drink what? I’m the one who hit her, what does it have to do with you? If you’ve got a problem, take it up with me! I’d like to see what you’re really made of, Lu Jingchi. If you have the guts, then kill me right here, right now!” The words had barely left her mouth when several powerfully built bodyguards burst in, packing the room wall to wall and blocking every exit. The color drained from Si Yang’s face. He started to speak, but Si Ning grabbed his wrist. She stared straight at Lu Jingchi. “Fine, Lu. You’re really something else. You ignore your own wife but treat this woman like a precious jewel. You’re pathetic.” Lu Jingchi merely watched her, his expression placid, saying nothing. “Jingchi, have you… lost your mind?” Si Yang wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. It seemed his love for Xia Yan truly ran bone-deep. He was willing to throw away years of friendship for her. He had gone mad. Si Ning knew Lu Jingchi wasn't bluffing. She looked at her brother’s pained expression and understood. He didn’t want to make an enemy of Lu Jingchi, but he also didn’t want to see her wronged. In the end, he would be the one to suffer. And she knew she couldn’t fight her way past these professional bodyguards. Si Ning’s fingers clenched into a fist. After taking a deep breath, she bent down and picked up an intact bottle. “Fine. An apology, is it? Don’t trouble yourself, CEO Lu. I slapped her once. I’ll pay it back in full right now, just to help Miss Xia feel better.” With that, she raised the bottle and brought it crashing down against her own head.