The man tugged at his tie, eyeing An Yubei's delicate face with ill intent.
"With a face that pretty, isn't it dangerous for you to come to a bar?"
As he spoke, he reached out to touch An Yubei's cheek.
"How about letting big brother protect you?"
By now, fear had sobered An Yubei up somewhat. He slapped the man's hand away and said, "Get out."
"Fuck off. Don't touch me."
Rather than getting angry at An Yubei's insults, the man grinned even wider.
"Feisty. I like that."
The man bent down slightly and seized An Yubei's wrists. "Come on, let big brother teach you what pleasure is for a man."
With both hands restrained, An Yubei struggled fiercely with his legs. "Get lost! Get the hell away from me!"
But the man was too strong. He was no match for him.
Just as the man leaned in to kiss him, the door behind the man opened from outside. A moment later, someone grabbed the loathsome man by the collar and threw him to the floor.
The man's screams echoed through the small restroom, even drowning out the deafening music.
An Yubei opened his tearful eyes and saw Lu Jinsheng beating the man.
Lu Jinsheng struck hard, aiming for the man's vulnerable spots with every blow.
An Yubei scrambled to his feet and hurriedly wrapped his arms around Lu Jinsheng's waist. "Stop hitting him! Any more and something terrible will happen."
An Yubei did not know why Lu Jinsheng was here, but there was one thing he was certain of: nothing could happen to Lu Jinsheng.
"Let's go!" An Yubei was on the verge of tears.
An Yubei had always been a child from an ordinary family. He knew the law was merely a means of restraining the poor and meant little to the rich and powerful.
The man howling on the floor was clearly a second-generation rich kid who coasted through life on his family's money, not someone to cross.
Lu Jinsheng had not even started university yet. Being taken to the police station now would have a bad impact on him.
He still had his mother to look after. He could not afford to get into trouble.
Lu Jinsheng's chest heaved, and his kicks showed no sign of letting up.
"Xiao Bei, let go of me. I'm going to kill him today."
The man wailed on the floor. "Do you know who I am? You dare hit me? I'll never let you get away with this!"
The man shouted defiantly, and Lu Jinsheng kicked him in the crotch. "Fine. Don't think you're leaving here alive today, either."
Seeing Lu Jinsheng like this, An Yubei was truly frightened.
He tightened his arms around Lu Jinsheng and dragged him back with all his strength. "Lu Jinsheng, stop hitting him. I'm scared."
"I'm scared. Stop hitting him. Let's go!"
An Yubei cried, his tears soaking Lu Jinsheng's shirt.
Lu Jinsheng instantly calmed down and wrapped his arms around An Yubei.
"It's all right now. Don't be scared, Xiao Bei."
An Yubei nestled in Lu Jinsheng's arms and cried for a while before pulling him toward the exit.
"Let's go. Leave that bastard alone."
But before they could leave the bar, the manager stopped them.
"Lu Jinsheng, where are you going?"
He glanced at the time. "Your overtime shift isn't over yet!"
Only then did Lu Jinsheng snap back to reality. He was here to work. While delivering drinks to a customer earlier, he had happened to see the man taking An Yubei into the restroom.
Sensing the man had bad intentions, he had followed them, and sure enough, his suspicions had been right.
Lu Jinsheng squeezed An Yubei's palm. "Xiao Bei, I'm still working. Go home first!"
"Don't leave alone. You'd better call your family and ask them to pick you up."
Lu Jinsheng knew An Yubei's family was wealthy, and the older brother he had met last time doted on An Yubei, too.
An Yubei held on to Lu Jinsheng's sleeve and shook his head. "I'm not leaving. I'll wait for you."
An Yubei was afraid the man would cause trouble for Lu Jinsheng. He wanted to stay with him so they could look out for each other.
The manager did not know what had happened. Noticing the injury on Lu Jinsheng's wrist, he reminded him, "Go get that treated, then hurry back out to serve drinks."
The manager's words alerted not only Lu Jinsheng, but An Yubei as well.
Only then did he notice that Lu Jinsheng was hurt. Everything had been too chaotic earlier for him to notice.
Now, seeing blood seeping from Lu Jinsheng's injured wrist, An Yubei's eyes grew wet again.
An Yubei accompanied Lu Jinsheng to the break room and helped treat his wound.
He took an alcohol swab and snapped off one end, letting the disinfectant alcohol flow down the tube into the cotton tip.
An Yubei carefully held Lu Jinsheng's wrist and gently applied the alcohol.
"Does it hurt?" An Yubei's tears would not stop falling, and even his voice trembled.
He had been terrified when it happened. It was his first time encountering anything like this.
An Yubei had always been an honest, well-behaved child and had never encountered a thug.
This time, he had truly been frightened. Fortunately, Lu Jinsheng had appeared in time.
Lu Jinsheng rubbed An Yubei's head and comforted him. "It doesn't hurt. It really doesn't hurt at all."
An Yubei sniffled, feeling even guiltier.
Lu Jinsheng was the one who had been hurt, yet he was patiently comforting him.
An Yubei wiped away his tears, sniffled, and bent down to blow on Lu Jinsheng's wound.
"Blowing on it will make it stop hurting!" An Yubei blew on it a few more times.
Lu Jinsheng nodded earnestly. "Mm, it really doesn't hurt anymore. You're amazing, Xiao Bei."
An Yubei picked up the gauze beside him and bandaged Lu Jinsheng's wrist. "Why are you working again? Didn't my brother give you financial support?"
Lu Jinsheng looked quietly at An Yubei and said, "Your brother is very kind, and so are you, but I can't just do nothing."
"My mother is getting treatment, and there's a caregiver looking after her. I don't have much to do, so I thought I'd earn some money."
An Yubei gave a soft "Oh." Only after tying a bow for Lu Jinsheng did he say, "Thank you, Lu Jinsheng. Thank you for saving me."
Without Lu Jinsheng, something terrible might have happened to him.
The mere thought of being kissed by that man, or having something even worse done to him, sent a chill of revulsion through An Yubei.
"What are you thanking me for? Of course I should help you!"
Lu Jinsheng affectionately brushed a finger over the tip of An Yubei's nose and said lightly, "Remember, no one gets to bully you. I won't allow it."
The tip of An Yubei's nose tickled slightly. He blinked his misty eyes and met Lu Jinsheng's gaze.
Lu Jinsheng had been so serious when he said those words, as though he were making a vow to the whole world.
For a moment, An Yubei felt protected and cherished.
His heart beat faster and faster, and his ears quietly flushed red.
An Yubei wanted to thank him again, but before he could speak, the break room door opened and the bar manager walked in.
"Lu Jinsheng, what trouble have you caused? The police are looking for you."
As he spoke, the police officers behind him entered. Looking at Lu Jinsheng, one asked, "You're Lu Jinsheng?"
Lu Jinsheng nodded.
"Take him away."
An Yubei panicked at once. He stepped in front of Lu Jinsheng and asked, "Why are you taking him away?"
An officer said, "Someone reported him for assault."
An Yubei laughed in anger. "That bastard actually had the nerve to call the police?"