Two hours later, He Zhong returned to the private room with Quanzi and Big Xiong.
Seeing He Zhong and the other two, Zhao Lu immediately became more reserved, standing obediently to the side.
"Brother, sorry to keep you waiting. Come on, let me take you out to wash off that bad luck," He Zhong said with a broad smile. The gunshot wound on his arm seemed to have been treated, wrapped in bandages.
Soon, Bai Hao followed He Zhong out of Night Paris and into a luxury sedan.
Quanzi drove. After about half an hour, they stopped at a bathing center named "Imperial Dynasty Grand Bathhouse."
The Imperial Dynasty Grand Bathhouse was lavishly and grandly decorated, spanning three floors.
Bai Hao followed He Zhong directly to the third floor, entering a VIP room. Inside, everything was already prepared, with dedicated attendants—all of them quite beautiful.
In the bathing pool, Bai Hao and He Zhong soaked for over an hour, chatting, sipping red wine, and enjoying shoulder massages and back scrubs. For a country boy from the backwaters, this was a truly high-end experience.
Around noon, Bai Hao finally followed He Zhong out of the Imperial Dynasty Grand Bathhouse.
The bath had lasted over three hours, but every bit of grime had been expertly scrubbed away by the skilled attendants. The effects of this high-end bathing were indeed remarkable; Bai Hao felt much more comfortable than before. His body even carried a faint, pleasant fragrance, as if much of the rustic provincial air had been washed away.
They got back into the luxury sedan and drove off.
About ten minutes later, Quanzi parked the car in front of a restaurant called "River View Pavilion." Bai Hao, He Zhong, and Big Xiong got out first, while Quanzi went off to park the car.
River View Pavilion was an upscale restaurant with classical charm, five stories tall, built overlooking the river, exuding an air of refined elegance. The river nearby was the famous Nan Zhou River, a distinctive landmark of the city, with pleasure boats occasionally drifting past.
He Zhong led Bai Hao and Big Xiong straight into the restaurant.
The moment they entered, a hostess greeted them politely, "Welcome."
"Brother Chun, you're here! Please, come this way," a middle-aged man in a black suit immediately stepped forward, his face all smiles.
He Zhong nodded. "How's the private room?"
"Sister Su has already reserved it. Please follow me." The man made a welcoming gesture and led the way with a smile.
The interior of River View Pavilion was mostly wooden, elegantly designed with an antique aesthetic, quite distinctive.
Bai Hao followed closely behind He Zhong, inwardly marveling. 'Truly worthy of Nan Zhou City. Even a place to eat can be this luxurious. Compared to Planet S3, it's like heaven and earth.'
The middle-aged man led the three directly to the fourth floor, into a private room named "Northern Gaze." The room was uniformly classical in style, even the windows were designed in an antique fashion. Through them, one could see the Nan Zhou River in the distance, the scenery quite beautiful.
"Brother Chun, my apologies. The rooms on the fifth floor were booked early by those big families. This is the best available at the moment," the man said with a hint of regret.
He Zhong walked to the window, glanced out at the Nan Zhou River, and said indifferently, "It's fine. What about the food?"
"Sister Su has already placed the order," the man replied.
He Zhong nodded. "Good. You can go now if there's nothing else."
"Yes, sir." The man withdrew, gently closing the door behind him.
"Brother, come, take a look at the Nan Zhou River. What do you think?" He Zhong called to Bai Hao with a laugh.
Bai Hao made an affirming sound and walked to the window, gazing at the majestic Nan Zhou River not far away. The river was about two to three kilometers wide. Standing in the private room of River View Pavilion, the view was breathtaking.
He Zhong, Bai Hao, and the others didn't start eating immediately. They sipped tea, admired the river view, and chatted leisurely until Sister Su arrived. With her were two others Bai Hao recognized: the coldly handsome Bai Xiaohua and Zhao Lu.
They took their seats. Sister Su sat next to He Zhong, while Zhao Lu went straight to sit beside Bai Hao, secretly throwing him a seductive glance.
Soon, exquisite dishes were served one by one. Of course, alcohol was also present. To Bai Hao's slight chagrin, it was baijiu, a strong Chinese liquor. He knew his own tolerance all too well—three or four cans of beer could make him woozy. He rarely touched baijiu; it was too spicy and potent for his taste. However, he felt too embarrassed to refuse, seeing everyone at the table with a glass of the clear liquor. It would seem overly fussy.
Before even picking up their chopsticks, everyone at the table raised their glasses for a toast. Of course, not everyone drank theirs dry. Sister Su and Zhao Lu merely touched their lips to the liquid, while the others downed theirs in one go.
Bai Hao stole a glance with the corner of his eye. Gritting his teeth, he followed suit and drained his glass. After all, he was a real man; losing face over something like this was embarrassing.
Setting his glass down, Bai Hao hadn't even eaten two mouthfuls of food before He Zhong raised his glass toward him, grinning. "Brother, I owe my life to you. Thanks for that. This one, I'll finish first."
With a gulp, He Zhong emptied his glass.
Bai Hao inwardly sighed. Looks like this drink is unavoidable.So, he too knocked his back in one go.
Zhao Lu, sitting beside him, was attentive. With a light laugh, she promptly refilled Bai Hao's glass.
Two shots of strong liquor burned down his throat and into his stomach, setting them ablaze. His face began to feel warm, slightly flushed and prickly.
Bai Hao quickly grabbed a bite of food to soothe the fiery sensation in his mouth. But before he could even swallow, Sister Su, seated beside He Zhong, gave a faint smile and also raised her glass toward him.
"Bai Hao, right? Yichun owes his safety this time to your timely help. Come visit Night Paris more often when you have time. If you take a liking to any of the girls, just let Sister Su know. Heh, I heard from Lulu about your... situation. Seems I'm getting off track. I'll finish this one too." Sister Su smiled charmingly, pursed her red lips, and downed her drink.
Bai Hao swallowed the food in his mouth, an awkward expression on his face. "Thank you, Sister Su."
The third glass went down. The fiery sensation he had just subdued with food surged back with a vengeance. Dizziness began to cloud his head.
Bai Hao quickly shook his head and snatched another bite of food.
Aside from its unique riverside location and classical, antique design, River View Pavilion's greatest attraction was its cuisine, which was definitely top-tier in Nan Zhou City. Rumor had it the head chef in the kitchen held a five-star rating and the Empire's "Master Chef" title.
'So delicious!'After a couple of bites, Bai Hao couldn't help but marvel inwardly. He'd been too focused on quenching the fire in his mouth earlier to notice the flavors. Now, savoring it, it was truly exquisite.
"Brother Bai Hao, come on. I, Big Xiong, am not much with words, so I won't waste them. This glass, I toast to you," Big Xiong said boisterously.
With that, Big Xiong downed his drink in one go.
A flicker of helplessness crossed Bai Hao's face. He picked up his glass and drained it.
"Refreshing! Brother, another one!" Big Xiong laughed heartily and quickly poured himself another.
Bai Hao felt his head spinning. Too embarrassed to refuse, he steeled himself and drank another.
Then, Quanzi and Bai Xiaohua each took turns drinking a glass with Bai Hao.
After several glasses in quick succession, Bai Hao was completely out of it. His face was flushed red, and a ringing filled his ears.
"Little brother, come on. Sister will have a drink with you. May you... lose your virginity soon!" Zhao Lu had noticed Bai Hao's state, but with a mischievous glint, she decided to add fuel to the fire. Giggling, she raised her glass.
Bai Hao turned his head slightly, only to find Zhao Lu seemed to have sprouted three heads and six arms. He shook his head again, which cleared his vision a bit, but now two little white rabbits were bouncing before his eyes. He mumbled incoherently, "Two little white rabbits... little white rabbits... drink... drink..."
"Ah!" Zhao Lu let out a startled cry. Before she could even drink, Bai Hao slumped forward, his face planting squarely into her chest.
"Brother...!!!"