Chapter 58 You're Courting Death

Seeming to notice Li Mu’s probing gaze, the woman simply offered a faint smile.

What does it mean for a single smile to possess a hundred charms?

It was vividly and thoroughly embodied by the woman sitting right across from him!

"Beauty, you seem to have taken the wrong seat. Do we know each other?"

A subtle dimpled smile bloomed on the woman's face once again.

"We don't know each other yet, but aren't we getting acquainted right now? Sir, might I sit in your space for a little while?"

Li Mu instantly grew interested. He slowly straightened up, the corners of his lips curling into an arc.

"Sitting here is not a problem at all. I never turn down someone as beautiful as you!"

He had taken her for a modest and demure woman, never expecting her to be so glib-tongued.

"What? Did what I say displease you?"

"Men who come to places like this are truly all the same!"

The woman sighed with a hint of vexation and made to stand up and leave.

However, Li Mu reached out, caught her by the arm, and pulled her back down onto the sofa.

"You haven't even looked closely at me yet, so how can you know that I'm like all the other men? What if I happen to possess some extraordinary qualities?"

A blush instantly spread across the woman's face, though she also began to size up the man before her with a playful glint in her eyes.

"You've just had me sit right here on your sofa—don't you intend to treat me to a drink?"

Before long, the commotion drew the attention of a waiter, who hurried over to inquire.

The two of them each ordered a glass of alcohol.

Once the drinks were served, Li Mu picked up his glass first.

"Shall we make a toast to this unusual encounter of ours?"

The woman did not gulp down her drink; instead, she merely brought it to her lips and took a delicate sip.

The liquid left a thin layer of moisture over her glossy lipstick, making those lips appear even more alluring.

This woman must have encountered some trouble; otherwise, she would never have casually seated herself beside a complete stranger in such a noisy environment.

Moreover, her peach-blossom eyes occasionally betrayed a look of profound grievance.

"You look as though you have something on your mind. I happen to be a very sympathetic person. Would you care to share it with me?"

"Hasn't any girl ever told you that your gaze makes people extremely uncomfortable? Besides, prying into a stranger's secrets on a first meeting is hardly polite!"

"Plenty of women have told me I'm impolite, but you're the first one to be this gentle about it. If you have anything weighing on your mind, you can tell me."

The woman turned her head slightly, fixing her peach-blossom eyes in a deep, intense stare at Li Mu.

The dark depths of Li Mu’s eyes were filled entirely with sincerity.

***

"Seeing that you're so sincere, I suppose I can tell you."

The woman then recounted her story in exceptionally brief terms.

She had a lovely younger sister who had unfortunately strayed from the righteous path and been utterly ruined by a pack of scumbags.

Driven to despair, her sister had later attempted to end her life by jumping from a building. Miraculously, she survived, but was left permanently disabled.

"Sir, if your sister were to encounter such a tragedy, what would you do?"

Li Mu sighed softly.

He never expected that the two of them would share such a strikingly similar past!

"If it were me, I would personally eliminate that pack of scumbags with my own hands!"

"Yet the background of those people is far beyond anything I could ever hope to challenge. If I want to avenge my sister, the only way is life for a life!"

Hearing this, Li Mu could not help but frown.

If trading his own life could bring his sister back, he would willingly do it too!

"If I were to ask you to deliver this letter to my sister, would you be willing to do me this favor?"

Looking at the envelope bearing an address, Li Mu suddenly thought of his own sister for reasons unknown.

"Why don't you deliver it into her hands yourself? I'm sure your sister would be overjoyed to see you!"

"Because I cannot be certain whether I will still be around to see tomorrow morning's sun."

Their gazes locked, and each read the inner thoughts of the other directly from their eyes.

"I shall thank you in advance, sir!"

She asked no further questions, and he offered no further words. The two of them were like lifelong friends facing life and death together, understanding each other's intentions through nothing more than a glance.

Li Mu had no intention of extending a helping hand.

After all, everyone had their own destiny; he was hardly a savior!

Without speaking further, the two of them silently finished the drinks in their hands.

As more and more people flooded into the bar, the noise grew increasingly deafening.

Li Mu drained the last of his drink in a single gulp.

Just as he prepared to stand up and leave, a loud crash echoed from the entrance.

A young nobleman strode into the bar, flanked by a retinue of bodyguards.

The young aristocrat wore a grim, cruel smile as he looked back at a woman who was already dead drunk following behind them!

Attracted by the commotion, Li Mu caught sight of the nobleman, and a flash of murderous intent surfaced in his eyes.

He had thought he wouldn't run into this fellow tonight!

Chen Dabao had finally appeared.

***

Chen Dabao remained oblivious to Li Mu's piercing gaze, instead speaking a few words with a chuckle to the two bodyguards trailing behind him.

Those two bodyguards immediately escorted the intoxicated girl toward a private booth.

Chen Dabao, however, was in no rush to follow; he simply chose the largest booth in the main hall and dropped heavily onto the sofa.

The surrounding patrons seemed already familiar with his identity, their eyes filled with undisguised terror.

Quite a few people even instinctively backed away, terrified of having the slightest contact with Chen Dabao.

Li Mu slammed his wine glass onto the table with force and rose to his feet, ready to move. Beside him, the woman also picked up her glass and drained it in one go.

"Thank you for being willing to listen to my story. I believe you are not nearly as dissolute and unconstrained as you appear on the surface."

With those words, she departed first. A deep frown creased Li Mu's brow as he sensed something amiss.

Watching her lonely and fragile figure retreat, he suddenly guessed her target.

Such an exquisite beauty instantly drew the gazes of everyone nearby the moment she moved through the bar.

The cold, aloof expression on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by an alluring charm.

That appearance made her look all the more breathtaking and soul-stirring.

Click-clacking softly in her high heels, she strolled slowly over toward Chen Dabao.

Whether intentional or a genuine misstep, she stumbled and lunged forward directly in Chen Dabao's direction.

At the very instant before contact, a fierce glint flashed through the woman's eyes.

Instead of hitting the floor, she crashed directly into the arms of the man before her.

As she lifted her gaze, her eyes shimmered like rippling water, and her rosy lips parted slightly.

"Pardon me, handsome. Did I crush you?"

While speaking, a pair of delicate hands fluttered across Chen Dabao's chest as if checking him over.

Chen Dabao swallowed hard, his face bursting into a broad grin.

"Well now, beauty, you certainly didn't crush me. But I wonder if you might grace me with the honor of sitting down for a drink?"

A flicker of hesitation crossed the woman's face.

"I am Chen Dabao, young master of the Chen family!"

The moment that name was dropped, the woman covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh.

"So it is Young Master Chen! Had you told me sooner, I wouldn't have stood up just now. Still, it is truly my privilege to share a drink with you."

With those words, swaying her waist gracefully, she stepped forward and seated herself right beside Chen Dabao.

Chen Dabao's eyes widened in appreciation, a wide smile still plastered across his face!