The good die young, but villains live forever

Ji Yunhuai chuckled. "All right, then. Come have a couple of drinks with me."

Lu Xiaoxiao: "?"

Three words slipped out of Lu Xiaoxiao's mouth on reflex. "Why should I?"

Ji Yunhuai glanced at her, perfectly composed. "Because I'm a customer."

With that, he strode off on his long legs without waiting for her response.

He seemed utterly unconcerned about whether Lu Xiaoxiao would follow him. And in fact, she really didn't dare refuse.

Who was Ji Yunhuai? He was the most notorious hellraiser among the younger generation of the Imperial Capital's elite, notoriously unpredictable and prone to acting on every whim.

If you offended Gu Sipei, at least he wouldn't deign to drag things out with you. He could crush you with a single finger and give you a quick end. Offending Ji Yunhuai was nowhere near that straightforward. He loved using all kinds of tricks to mess with people's heads, offering hope one moment and plunging them into despair the next. His sense of humor was downright twisted.

He might have been smiling at Lu Xiaoxiao now, as though he was merely teasing an acquaintance he'd bumped into, but who knew whether he would turn on her the very next second?

Lu Xiaoxiao cursed inwardly, but still quickened her pace to follow him.

Ji Yunhuai led her to a private room. As he pushed the door open, they heard singing from inside-off-key, but brimming with emotion.

On the singing platform in the center of the room, a man clutched a microphone and sang with total abandon. A circle of beautiful women surrounded him, gazing at him with stars in their eyes as though they were genuinely intoxicated by his voice.

When the song ended, the women cheered excitedly, an endless stream of compliments pouring from their mouths.

"Aaah, Young Master Lei, your voice is so moving! There's so much emotion in it, I'm almost moved to tears!"

"Oh, those contestants on those Voice of Whatever shows can't hold a candle to our Young Master Lei! Now this is what it means to hear heavenly music and feel your ears come alive!"

"Young Master Lei~ Could you let me record your next song? I want to make your voice my ringtone so I can hear it every day. Pretty please, Young Master Lei~"

Lu Xiaoxiao's mouth twitched as she listened. This had to be the most shamelessly fake flattery she'd ever heard in her life.

Had this bunch of blatant liars ever heard actual music?

Just as Lu Xiaoxiao began wondering whether these beauties had lost their minds, the man they called Young Master Lei burst out laughing, pulled a thick handful of red banknotes from his coat pocket, and tossed them into their midst.

The women instantly descended into chaos, all reaching to grab the money. Some became so desperate that they even yanked the hair of the women in front of them. For a moment, the scene was an utter mess.

The scattered banknotes fluttered through the air, making Lu Xiaoxiao's eyes light up again and again.

Ahem. I take back what I just thought about Young Master Lei.

He's paying for it. Buying a little emotional gratification isn't exactly unreasonable.

If Ji Yunhuai hadn't been watching beside her, she would have wanted to rush over and snatch a couple herself.

Noticing how eager Lu Xiaoxiao looked, Ji Yunhuai said, "Keep the customers happy, and naturally you'll get tips. If you're jealous, you can think about how to put some effort into pleasing me later."

Hmm? Was he hinting that he'd be dropping some gold coins later?

Delighted, Lu Xiaoxiao hurriedly murmured, "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm," and gave Ji Yunhuai a genuinely pleasant look for once.

I'm already here. It'd be a waste not to make a little money. I can hold a grudge against anyone, but there's no reason to hold one against money.

Besides, Phantom was a legitimate entertainment venue. The staff only had to drink with customers, not sell their bodies. As for being worked like a mule... she'd been quite good at that before transmigrating into this novel.

Apart from Young Master Lei, there were two other men in the room, both with distinctive features. One wore conspicuous diamond studs, while the other sported a flamboyant head of red hair. Their clothes were all clearly expensive.

Several beautiful women sat beside those two as well. The man with the diamond studs had it particularly good: one woman on his left massaged his shoulders, another on his right rubbed his legs, and a third peeled grapes and fed them into his mouth. His own hands might as well have been decorative.

Red Hair was the first to spot Ji Yunhuai coming in and greeted him with a grin. "Yun Huai, why are you so late today? Come sit down!"

Noticing Lu Xiaoxiao behind him, Red Hair raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, "Huh? You even brought a woman today?"

He'd known Ji Yunhuai for quite a while. As far as he remembered, although Ji Yunhuai sought out all sorts of amusement, he'd never taken an interest in women. Compared with the rest of them, he was remarkably restrained in that department.

Today's development was rather unusual.

Hearing Red Hair's remark, Diamond Studs looked over too, then laughed. "Seriously, Yunhuai? So you're into little bean sprouts?"

The body's original owner hadn't had a curvy figure. Even though Lu Xiaoxiao's current dress leaned toward the sexy side, she could hardly be described as a knockout. And now that she'd removed her heavy makeup, her face looked especially fresh and unadorned compared with the other women around her. By Lip Stud's standards, she was utterly bland.

Lu Xiaoxiao didn't exactly agree with the "little bean sprout" description, but anyone who hung out with Ji Yunhuai was bound to be rich or powerful. She couldn't afford to offend them, so she didn't openly show her displeasure. She merely added a silent entry to her mental ledger.

"I'm not." Arms folded, Ji Yunhuai lounged on the sofa and crossed his long legs, looking every inch the lord of the manor. His voice was unhurried. "She's an old acquaintance. I happened to run into her, so I brought her along to broaden her horizons."

Then he tipped up his chin and ordered Lu Xiaoxiao, "Pour me a glass of red wine."

Without a moment's hesitation, Lu Xiaoxiao obediently poured a glass and placed it within his reach. Then she stared at him without looking away for a long time.

After taking a sip, Ji Yunhuai noticed that Lu Xiaoxiao was still gazing at him expectantly. He put on a look of sudden realization, then pulled from his pocket... a coin.

He placed the coin in Lu Xiaoxiao's palm and explained in a tone that suggested great generosity, "Your tip."

Lu Xiaoxiao: "?"

Staring at the coin in her palm, Lu Xiaoxiao wondered whether she'd somehow approached this all wrong.

She blinked hard. Once she confirmed that it really was a one-yuan coin, her face fell completely.

One of the women near Young Master Lei saw what had happened and couldn't even hold back a snort of laughter, making Lu Xiaoxiao feel even more crushed.

Happiness really is all about comparison, huh.

Ji! Yun! Huai! You! Colossal! Cheapskate!

She took a deep breath and couldn't help asking the system inwardly, "When does Ji Yunhuai get killed off in the original novel?"

The system quickly replied, "He doesn't get killed off in the original novel. He stays alive and well right through the ending."

Lu Xiaoxiao: "..."

Is this just how the world works? The good die young, but villains live forever!