Chapter 115: Into the Fragrance of Flowers

He suddenly remembered what his sister had told him yesterday: not to go out wandering around on a whim.

A taut tension hung over Blossom Fragrance Bar.

At that very moment, Mu Qingxi was sprinting down the road while talking on the phone. In a panic, she said, “Old Hou, you have to find Qingyang. Chen Yadong took him away.”

Then she hung up and kept running, holding her breath as she muttered, “Damn it, it’s usually so easy to get a cab, and now, when it’s this urgent, there isn’t one.”

As the bar street drew nearer and nearer, she grew even more anxious. Drawing a deep breath, she rushed toward it.

The wind lashed at her face like a blade. From the strain of running and the force of the wind, her cheeks were flushed red, and she looked as though she had been drinking, dashing forward in a near frenzy.

Just as Mu Qingxi was about to cross the street, the light turned green at the perfect moment. Cars on both sides surged forward, and she stopped at the curb.

But she could not afford to wait; time felt unbearably long.

Ten seconds.

She could bear it no longer. Lifting her foot, she seized the chance and darted across to the other side.

She dodged left and right, retreating one step and advancing another; each danger skimmed past her by a hair.

Each time she slipped past a car, she patted her chest and thought, “My God, that was close.”

But every time she had that thought, the passing driver would lean out and shout, “Are you out of your mind?”

Some cursed, “Hey, if you want to die, don’t drag me into it!”

Others said, “Miss, are you drunk? Let me take you home.”

There were even a few unusually kind drivers who pulled out their phones and called, “Hello? This is Bar Street. There’s a young lady here who’s drunk and making quite a scene. Please send someone.”

Yet none of it mattered to her now. All she wanted was to find her younger brother.

At last, amidst her weaving and the drivers’ shouting, she crossed the road. Without even pausing to catch her breath, she charged straight into the alley behind the bars.

Dodging the crowds of passersby, Mu Qingxi had no choice but to slow down and work her way inward step by step. But everyone in the alley was heading toward the back, all of them looking excited.

“Hurry up, it sounds like the fight is really bad,” one bystander said.

“Yeah, and I think they’ve got knives,” said another.

“Come on, take a quick look and then we can go. I wonder if anyone’s called the police yet,” the first one said.

Hearing this, Mu Qingxi’s eyes widened. A bad feeling rose in her chest. She hurriedly shoved past the people in front of her and ran on.

By the entrance to Blossom Fragrance Bar, a large crowd had gathered. Mu Qingxi tried desperately to squeeze her way in, but the people in front would not move aside and kept cursing, “What are you pushing for? Can’t you see it’s already packed?”

Mu Qingxi clenched her teeth. In the end, she hardened her heart, raised her hand, and with a swift, forceful shove flung aside the person directly in front of her. That person felt themselves lifted off the ground for an instant, then staggered back several steps before regaining their balance.

The person stared coldly at the scene before them, shook their head, and looked in surprise at the one who had tossed them aside.

Mu Qingxi paid them no mind. Seeing the entrance packed tight with people, she shouted, “The police are here! Run!”

At once, the people at the doorway parted like water. More than a few turned and bolted outside.

Taking the chance, Mu Qingxi lowered her head and forced her way in. Only after getting inside did she realize that, in the dim light, she could hardly see anything at all. She had no choice but to rely on instinct, pushing toward the densest knot of people. Luckily, there were far fewer people inside than there had been at the door, so progress was not nearly so difficult.

After turning several corners, she heard the sounds of jeering and shouting.