The Overlord’s Beloved Cries Tenderly (5)

"Ninth Master!" Hua Mi spotted him immediately. Her tears vanished in an instant, and she scurried over with quick, pattering footsteps.

She moved with such speed and suddenness that no one else had time to react. Or rather, it never occurred to anyone that someone would dare to do such a thing. It wasn't until she plopped down beside Yan Jiu, clinging to his arm and pressing her entire body against him, that the others finally snapped out of their shock.

The man who had first called out to her turned pale and barked, "Where did they find this woman? Doesn't she know the rules?"

That was Ninth Master. Who would dare get so close to him? The others turned equally pale. There had been women before who thought themselves clever enough to seduce the Ninth Master, only for their bodies to be hauled away on the spot. Everyone braced themselves for blood to be spilled, inwardly cursing Hua Mi for her stupidity. If she angered the Ninth Master and implicated them, none of them would escape unscathed.

But what they expected did not happen. The man simply sat there steadily, even allowing the girl to press against him.

"Here to pour drinks, hmm?" Yan Jiu remarked with an ambiguous tone.

Hua Mi clung to him, tears falling drop by drop, yet her complaint was perfectly clear: "The manager insisted I come. He even threatened that if I didn't, he wouldn't pay my wages. Wuwuwu."

As she spoke, she seemed to grow truly saddened, wiping her tears onto the man’s clothes. The private room fell into a heavy silence, with only the sound of the girl's sobbing echoing in the air.

Yan Jiu looked down at her. "Do you want to wash another shirt for me?"

Hua Mi quickly raised her head and shook it. "I really have no money."

The man let out a scoff and tapped his fingertip against the wine on the table. "Weren't you here to pour drinks? Drink it."

Hua Mi blinked, looking at him. Seeing he was serious, she wiped away her tears and obediently reached for the wine. Everyone in the room watched her every move. She held the glass up to his lips. "For you."

Yan Jiu pushed the glass away, pressing it against her lips instead. The meaning was clear: he wanted her to drink it.

Hua Mi frowned, her expression one of utter disdain. "I don't want to drink."

The man would not indulge her. He grabbed the glass and forced it against her lips, the potent alcohol flowing into her mouth as she was compelled to open them.

"Mmph..."

The spicy sting instantly filled her mouth, the liquor like a trail of fire snaking down her esophagus, igniting everything in its path with a searing, burning sensation.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"So spicy, it tastes awful!"

"No more, mph."

"Ugh."

"Wuwuwu."

Choked by the alcohol, Hua Mi coughed until tears streamed down her face. Her crimson tongue poked out slightly, carrying an indescribable, bitter heat. Yan Jiu gripped her chin, savoring the sight of her tear-streaked, spicy-stung face. His dark eyes narrowed, a flash of hidden pleasure flickering within them. Seeing the girl recover slightly, he forced another glass of wine down her throat.

"No, I won't drink anymore, wuwuwu." Hua Mi struggled; she hated the taste. The spiciness was a form of pain, and she didn't like it; her tongue hurt so much.

She pushed away the hand he had forcibly pressed against her again. The glass slipped from his grip, hitting the floor with a crisp shatter. Glass shards flew, and the atmosphere plummeted into a chilling freeze. Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound. It was impossible to tell if Yan Jiu was angry or not.

Ignoring the debris on the floor, Hua Mi wiped the tears from her face, stood up, and swayed as she tried to walk away. She had barely taken a step before the man yanked her back. She fell into Yan Jiu's lap. He hovered one hand by her waist while the other gripped her chin. "Did I say you could leave?"

The tears were gone from the girl's face. She turned her head away, refusing to look at him, genuinely displeased. "I don't want to drink anymore. I don't like it."

Yan Jiu did not like her current expression. He frowned and remained silent. Hua Mi stayed silent as well. The others dared not speak at all. The air in the room seemed to congeal into something solid, so heavy it was hard to breathe.

It was unclear how much time passed before the atmosphere was broken.

"If you don't like it, don't drink." He stopped looking at her and swept his dark, heavy gaze across the people in the room—a signal for them to get out.

The others immediately and wisely swarmed out, their expressions appearing almost relieved. Soon, only the two of them were left in the room.

Yan Jiu's words were like a key breaking through the ice. Hua Mi turned her head back to look at him. He had let go of her chin and poured himself a glass of wine, drinking it casually, his gaze no longer falling upon her.

After a while, Hua Mi leaned in again, cautiously hooking her arms around his neck. When he didn't push her away, she began to stare at him openly. The man drank completely differently than she did; the pale yellow liquid disappeared in two gulps. Seeing him swallow, Hua Mi couldn't help but wrinkle her little face.

The man’s eyes suddenly shifted to her.

Hua Mi jumped, startled, and immediately shook her head as if all her fur had bristled at once. "I won't drink, I won't drink! Don't bully me anymore, wuwuwu."

The young girl began to whimper again, returning to her usual self. A dark look crossed the man’s eyes, and his palm dropped to firmly clasp her waist. "You have the nerve to throw a temper tantrum when I ask you to drink? Is this how you pour drinks for people?"

Hua Mi shivered as his hand tightened on her waist. At this, she pursed her little mouth in grievance, tears falling drop by drop. "But I don't like it! My tongue is so spicy and it hurts, it must be all swollen. If you don't believe me, look, Ninth Master!"

As she spoke, the girl poked out the tip of her tongue. With her head tilted slightly