The Booth's Cast of Characters and the "Female Water Ghost"

The booths were dimly lit, with light scattering from the dance floor below and the laser matrix overhead, casting ever-changing patches of color on the dark glass tabletops, crystal glasses, and people's faces. Deafening music was a constant background roar, forcing conversations to be conducted at a high volume or by simply sitting very close together.

Lü Yi was nudged by Kong Xiang's elbow, snapping him out of his reverie of admiring the blonde on the dance floor. He turned to look at Kong Xiang, still savoring the sight of the beautiful woman, and asked, "What's up, Xiangzi?"

Kong Xiang didn't answer immediately. He first picked up the decanter and refilled Lü Yi's half-empty glass with amber-colored whiskey, then poured some for himself as well. He leaned closer to Lü Yi and, against the backdrop of deafening music, almost shouted, "Brother Lü, listen to me, stay away from that woman who bumped into you earlier."

"Huh?" Lü Yi was taken aback for a moment, then realized that it referred to the Asian girl who had spilled wine and had a fierce look in her eyes. He tilted his head and glanced at the booth that had become lively again not far away. Jenny was sitting with an Asian girl who looked more demure and was wearing a plain dress. The two seemed to be very close, talking with their heads close together.

"Why? It was just a bump, and I already apologized." Lü Yi was a little confused; he hadn't taken the JPMorgan Chase incident seriously at all.

Seeing the blank look on Lü Yi's face, Kong Xiang suddenly realized something and tentatively asked, "Brother Lü, didn't you understand when that woman cursed at you?"

"She insulted me?" Lü Yi's eyes widened, and his voice suddenly rose. "She insulted me? What did she say?" His English wasn't good, but he was very sensitive to malice. However, Jenny's speaking speed and expression just now made him mistakenly think it was just an impatient complaint.

Helpless, Kong Xiang could only lower his voice and repeat as clearly as possible, "She said you're a 'country bumpkin'."

"Damn it!!!" Upon hearing this, Lü Yi instantly exploded. He jumped up from the sofa, the movement so forceful it nearly knocked over the wine glass on the table. The arrogant smile on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by a surge of anger born from humiliation. "Damn it! She's asking for it! It was wrong of me to bump into her, but what kind of trash is she to curse at me? I'll tear that lousy mouth of hers off!"

As he spoke, he was about to rush out of the booth, his target being the booth where Jenny was.

"Hey! Brother Lü! Don't be impulsive!" Kong Xiang was startled and quickly reached out to pull him back. K, who was next to him, also moved at the same time. He didn't get up, but simply stretched out his right hand, which was wearing a black leather glove, and pressed it firmly on Lü Yi's forearm like an iron clamp. The force was not strong, but it carried an undeniable sense of resistance.

"Sit down." K's voice wasn't loud, barely even raising its volume, but amidst the noisy music, it carried a strange penetrating power and coldness, like a fine needle piercing into Lü Yi's boiling anger. "The boss is here."

Lü Yi struggled, but couldn't break free from K's grip. Hearing the word "boss" again felt like being doused with cold water. He turned to look at Lin Feng deep inside the sofa.

Lin Feng remained seated on the sofa, the wine glass in his hand resting on his lips. His gaze seemed to be fixed on the changing lights and shadows of the dance floor below. He didn't even lift his eyelids at the small commotion in the booth, as if it were all irrelevant to him.

But this silence itself is an attitude.

Lü Yi's chest heaved violently twice, but in the end, he was suppressed by the strength in K's hand and that silence. He sulked and plopped back down on the sofa, grabbed the glass on the table, tilted his head back, and gulped down more than half of the whiskey he had just poured. The spicy liquid burned his throat, but it also temporarily suppressed the anger in his heart. He slammed the glass down with a dull thud.

"Damn it, that woman got off easy!" he cursed, panting heavily, his eyes still glaring fiercely in the direction of Jenny's booth.

Seeing that he had calmed down, Kong Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, picked up his own glass and clinked it with his, then took a big gulp to calm himself. He leaned closer to Lü Yi again, this time with a more serious tone. "Brother Lü, listen to me, staying away from her is definitely the right thing to do. I'm not saying this because she insulted you," he glanced in Lin Feng's direction, lowering his voice even further to make sure only Lü Yi and K nearby could hear him, "That woman is a 'female water ghost,' getting involved with her will leave you covered in stench, she's no good."

"A female water ghost?" Lü Yi frowned. He'd never heard this term before, but it didn't sound good. "What does that mean? Someone who retrieves corpses?"

"Not that 'water ghost'." Kong Xiang shook his head, organizing his thoughts, and tried to explain in simple and straightforward terms amidst the deafening music, "It's slang in our overseas student circle. It doesn't mean all girls who go to nightclubs and like to party are like that, it specifically refers to a small group who are completely hooked, and..." He paused, finding a more vivid word, "And they'll drag others down with them."

"How exactly do you drag people down with you?" Lü Yi's curiosity was piqued, and he temporarily forgot his anger from before.

Kong Xiang took a sip of his drink, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions he'd seen it all before. He slowly said, "Let me put it this way. These kinds of people, firstly, hang out in places like this," he gestured with his chin towards the lavish surroundings, "Not here to have fun, but to 'work.' They try every possible way to sneak into VIP booths, freeload drinks, freeload parties, even paying out of their own pockets or... paying out of their own pockets, to curry favor with those seemingly wealthy and powerful foreigners, or the so-called 'sugar daddies' among the Chinese. Just to stay in this glitz and glamour circle, or to gain some tangible benefits."

"Secondly," Kong Xiang's tone turned serious, "The exchange of money for sex is commonplace. They'll sell anything for tuition, rent, luxury bags, or even a green card. Some have clearly marked prices, while others use the guise of 'dating' or 'being kept'."

Lü Yi clicked his tongue, his expression somewhat disdainful, but he didn't interrupt.

"Thirdly, and most disgustingly," Kong Xiang's voice was filled with obvious disgust, "Not content with being mired in their own mess, they actively drag others down with them. Best friends, fellow villagers, even acquaintances, using excuses like 'showing you the world' or 'introducing connections,' they lure people to these kinds of places, ply them with alcohol, drug them, arrange dates, brainwash them... trying every possible way to drag others into this shady deal. Some are in it for the commission, others are simply psychologically twisted and can't stand seeing others clean."

"Fourth," Kong Xiang continued, "In this kind of circle, gambling, prostitution, and drugs are inseparable. Date rape drugs and various party drugs are too common. In order to please the 'sugar daddies' or maintain that illusory 'high-end' persona, many people get involved themselves, or even help distribute drugs and act as intermediaries. They walk on the edge of the law, or even break the law directly."

"Finally," he concluded, "This kind of person's studies are ruined long ago. Skipping classes, failing courses, and delaying graduation are the norm. Their lives revolve entirely around nightclubs and sugar daddies, they've basically cut off the truth from their families back home, and are isolated from normal social circles. Even if they return to China later, they'll try to package themselves as 'overseas returnee elites' and hide their messy past to the fullest extent."

After saying that, Kong Xiang looked at Lü Yi and said, "That's why they're called 'female water ghosts.' First, like water ghosts looking for substitutes, they desperately drag people on the shore into the dirty water; second, once they fall in, it's very difficult for them to climb back up. If they're caught doing something wrong, become addicted to drugs, and their reputation is completely ruined, they're basically destroyed."

Lü Yi frowned deeply. Although he was a reckless scoundrel, he had his own simple sense of right and wrong and particularly despised this kind of behavior that dragged others down. "Damn, that's vicious?"

"That's how ruthless she is," Kong Xiang affirmed, then gestured with his chin, indicating that Lü Yi should look at Jenny's booth again. "See that girl next to her? The one who looks quite quiet and reserved, that's her new 'stand-in.' Probably someone who just arrived recently, or a rather naive international student."

Lü Yi followed his gaze. Sure enough, Jenny was affectionately putting her arm around the shoulder of the quiet girl (Xiaoyu), her face very close, whispering something in her ear, her expression lively, sometimes giggling.

Xiaoyu seemed a little shy and uncomfortable in this kind of setting and with such intimacy. She wore a forced smile, nodded occasionally, sipped her drink, and had a somewhat unfocused gaze. She would glance at the crazy surroundings from time to time, and her fingers would unconsciously twist the hem of her skirt.

"He looks pretty damn unwilling," Lü Yi commented.

"Soon you won't be so reluctant anymore," Kong Xiang said coldly. "Look, the spirit medium has arrived."

Jenny waved towards the bar. Soon, two stylishly dressed young white men with meticulously styled hair and nonchalant expressions strolled over, carrying glasses of alcohol.

Both men were in good shape; one was taller and more muscular (Brandon), while the other was relatively thinner but had more lively eyes (Alex). They wore shirts that looked expensive but were slightly flamboyant, and shiny watches on their wrists.

Jenny immediately transformed, her face beaming with an almost fawning smile. She stood up, greeting the two with exaggerated gestures, then turned and pulled the somewhat bewildered Xiaoyu along, introducing her to the two young white men. She spoke quickly, gesturing with her fingers, and seemed to whisper something in Xiaoyu's ear.

Xiaoyu was clearly stunned. Looking at the two strange men in front of her, she became even more uncomfortable, but she still managed to force a smile. Urged by Jenny, she stood up stiffly, quickly shook hands with the two men, and then pulled her hands back as if she had been burned. When she sat down again, she almost shrank into the corner of the sofa.

The two young white men exchanged a smile and sat down without any ceremony. The burly one (Brandon) plopped down next to Jenny, his arm naturally wrapping around Jenny waist and pulling her closer to him, while his other hand seemed to make a rather unsettling move under the table.

Jenny didn't resist at all; instead, she leaned into his arms, tilted her head back, giggled, and said something. She even lightly punched his chest, which seemed more like flirting.

The other, relatively thinner one (Alex), tried to sit next to Xiaoyu. Like a startled rabbit, Xiaoyu shrank back to the other side of the sofa, avoiding his outstretched hand that was about to put his arm around her shoulder. Her smile vanished completely, replaced by obvious panic and resistance. She clasped her hands tightly together on her knees.

Alex's hand missed its target, and a hint of displeasure flashed across his face, but he quickly masked it. Seeing this, Jenny quickly leaned out of Brandon's arms, picked up a glass of wine, handed it to Alex, and said something with a smile, probably trying to smooth things over.

Alex took the drink, his gaze lingering for a moment on Xiaoyu's tense profile, a cryptic smile playing on his lips, before tilting his head back and taking a sip.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Brandon and Jenny were flirting, their actions becoming increasingly explicit. Alex, holding a wine glass, was making small talk with Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu kept her head down, offering very few responses, only occasionally nodding or shaking her head; her body language screamed "I want to leave."

"Damn it..." Lü Yi frowned, "That pretty boy (Alex) is up to no good. And that woman (Jenny) isn't any better; she let a wolf into the house."

"It's more than just inviting a wolf into the house," Kong Xiang sneered. "She personally delivered the 'stand-in' to the wolf's mouth and even helped hold it down."

At this moment, Brandon seemed to sense something, raised his eyes, and scanned the area, his gaze meeting that of Lü Yi and Kong Xiang, who were observing them. He frowned, clearly displeased by their undisguised stares. He whispered something to Jenny in his arms and gestured with his eyes in Lü Yi and Kong Xiang's direction.

Jenny also looked over, recognized Lü Yi, and immediately showed undisguised contempt and disgust on her face, as if she had seen something dirty.

She immediately leaned close to Brandon's ear and whispered urgently, while secretly pointing with her finger towards Lin Feng's booth, her expression carrying a hint of accusation and disclaiming responsibility.

Upon hearing this, Brandon's anger intensified. He slammed down his glass and stood up, seemingly intending to cause trouble. His imposing physique gave him a rather imposing presence.

At the booth, when Lü Yi saw the other person approaching, instead of being afraid, she excitedly licked her lips and rubbed her hands together, as if the anger she had just suppressed was rising again.

However, Brandon had only gotten halfway up when Jenny grabbed his arm tightly. Jenny looked anxious and leaned close to his ear, speaking even faster. This time, her eyes, besides offering advice, seemed to carry a hint of... fear?

Her gaze seemed to pass over Lü Yi, subtly sweeping over Lin Feng's calm profile deep within the sofa, and K sitting beside him like Rock.

Brandon was pulled along by her and listened for a few more minutes. The anger and impulsiveness on his face were slowly replaced by a look of surprise and uncertainty. He slowly sat back down, but his eyes remained fixed on Lü Yi with a gloomy gaze, like a wild beast that had been temporarily restrained but still held a grudge. He picked up his wine glass, took a big gulp, and then slammed it heavily on the table.

"Damn, chickened out?" Lü Yi scoffed, not satisfied. He slowly raised his right hand towards Brandon, and then, under Brandon's almost fiery gaze, slowly and clearly made the middle finger. After making the gesture, he grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his demeanor brimming with provocation.

Kong Xiang watched from the side, not stopping Lü Yi's childish provocation. Instead, he leisurely raised his glass, offered a respectful toast to Brandon and Jenny from afar, and took a sip with a half-smile on his face.

Brandon's face instantly turned ashen, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked. Alex, standing beside him, also looked over, his eyes cold. Jenny, on the other hand, looked anxious and hurriedly reached for Brandon's arm, whispering words of reassurance.

Kong Xiang put down his wine glass, leaned close to Lü Yi's ear, and spoke in a tone that drowned out the music, with a certain, prophetic air:

"See, Brother Lü. That girl (Xiaoyu) is finished. They've got their eyes on her. Tonight, this 'prey' probably won't escape their grasp."

His gaze fell on Xiaoyu, who was sitting on pins and needles and had a pale face, in a booth in the distance, and he shook his head slightly.