"Doctor, Doctor! How's my dad? How is he?"

The operation room light was still on. Gu Xiaoluo and her mother anxiously waited at the door. Seeing a doctor emerge, they hurriedly rushed up to ask.

The doctor took off his light blue mask, his brows slightly furrowed. "The situation is not too optimistic at the moment, but we will do our best." With that, the doctor quickly walked away.

Mrs Gu's body went limp, supported by Gu Xiaoluo to prevent her from collapsing to the ground.

"Why did it have to be like this? Why? Why did he have to commit suicide by slashing his wrist alone? Why didn't he take me with him? Xiaoluo, what do we do? How do we deal with this? If anything happens to him, I won't be able to go on." Mrs Gu's voice quivered, her body went weak, overwhelmed by sorrow.

Under the cold light, Gu Xiaoluo's clear eyes were wet with tears. Her willowy eyebrows knitted tightly, her thick eyelashes hung low. She looked delicate and haggard, her neck was slender and exquisite, more so when she lowered her head.

But in this moment, she had to put away all her fears and grief, firmly holding Mrs Gu's hand. "Mom, you must not think this way. You still have me. Dad will be okay, as will the company."

"It will not be alright. We're definitely in trouble. The person your dad offended this time is Rong Yu, that Rong Yanwang. Everyone who offends him in the business world is ruined! Your dad didn't listen to my advice, insisted on confronting him, and now it's our turn... we're finished, we're going to die." Mrs Gu bit her teeth in nervousness, sweating, her gaze scattered and frightened.

Gu Xiaoluo forced herself to calm down. "Rong Yu! Mom, don't worry, I'll go find him now! I'll beg him to spare us."

Mrs Gu looked terrified. "It's useless, he won't let us go."

"Then we'll die together!" Gu Xiaoluo clenched her teeth. She glanced at the closed door of the operation room. She knew that her dad was truly crushed this time. The Gu family was only one step away from ruin. If Rong Yanwang really wouldn't grant them mercy, then their whole family truly had only one path left — death!

Saying this, she pulled her hand out of Mrs Gu's, decisively stood up, and faced a trial she had to attempt, even if it meant a slim glimmer of hope.

......

Outside the hospital.

Gu Xiaoluo pulled out his mobile phone, and dialed a number.

"Hey, Yanyan, it's me. I heard you saying that Rong Yu will be at the DiHao Club tonight. Is it true?"

The Yanyan on the other end of the phone is her high school classmate who usually works part-time as a waitress at the DiHao Club. Last time, she casually mentioned that Rong Yu is a regular customer at the DiHao, and he nearly visits the Supreme VIP Room every Friday.

And today just happens to be Friday.

"Yeah." Yanyan on the phone was a bit curious, "Xiaoluo, why are you asking about this?"

"Nothing much, just curious. Okay, I have something else to do, let's chat another time."

Gu Xiaoluo hung up the phone in a daze, her bright eyes sparkling like tranquil autumn water, yet they shimmered with a cold and lonely light.

As time ticked towards the evening, along with the fall of the night, wild clouds began to surge in the sky.

It was going to rain, and it looked like a heavy storm was coming.

With this awful weather, she wasn't sure if Rong Yu would still show up.

Dressed in a white sleeveless shirt and an ultra-short A-line skirt, Gu Xiaoluo stood in the dressing room of the DiHao Club, gazing out at the rolling leaden clouds and the wind-blown treetops in a trance.

A black tassel belt tightened around her slender waist, and the super-high heels of her black stilettos perfectly accentuated her long, straight legs.

The other 'princesses' by her side eyed Gu Xiaoluo and couldn't help whispering to each other.

"Who is she?"

"New girl, perhaps?"

"She's got a nice figure though, thin waist and long legs, it's quite trendy these days."

"What's nice about her? Flat from front and back? Which man likes a stick-like figure?"

"But her face is beautiful. She has good skin, and she seems so young and fresh."

"I wonder if she's even of age. She seems only seventeen or eighteen, don’t you think?"

"Hmph, what's so great about her?" mocked a tall 'princess.' "Anyway, Young Master Yu will soon arrive. Let's see if she can catch his eye!"

"Hehehe, you must be joking. Would Young Master Yu even spare her a glance? She's like a little chick that hasn’t even grown feathers!"

"Hahaha, exactly! Young Master Yu has high standards. I've never heard of him being interested in any woman!"

"What about men?"

"Hush! Are you begging for death, daring to joke about Young Master Yu?"

"Shush… I said nothing, I said nothing…"

Gu Xiaoluo didn't care about what these women were saying. She came here tonight, determined to stake everything. As long as she could get in contact with that man, Rong Yu, she was ready to risk everything...

Mama Sang came in, beckoning all the girls in the makeup room to follow her.

Gu Xiaoluo was the last to leave. Mama Sang led them to the VIP room. As soon as she walked in, Gu Xiaoluo felt a sudden darkness before her eyes.

Two men seated on a burgundy sofa instantly caught her attention.

One of the men, wearing a fashionable blue shirt, had a hint of drunkenness on his face. There were already two girls sitting next to him. He whispered something to them from time to time, sometimes making the girls giggle and act coyly.

In contrast, the other man appeared much more low-key and mysterious.

His position was unilluminated by any light, his sharp and handsome profile faintly visible. His deep and enchanting eyes lied under thick eyebrows, exuding a compelling allure that is hard to resist.

His lean, graceful figure was shrouded in a half-light shadow that was hard to scrutinize yet forbade people to come closer.

To be exact, there were two girls by his side. However, they were too terrified to approach him, only daring to sit two steps away from him, looking at him with a mixture of anticipation and dread.

Gu Xiaolu's hand clenched imperceptibly. If she guessed correctly, this man would be Rong Yu.

"Rong Yu, Zhang, we've brought all the prettiest girls, ranging from plump to slender, from all sorts of tastes, everything you could ask for! Come, come, stand properly, let Rong Yu and Zhang have a good look!"

The girls lined up in a row, with Gu Xiaolu standing on the far right, where the light was dimmest.

Gu Xiaolu could feel two pairs of eyes on her. One of them gave her a few looks, then moved onto the other girls.

The other gaze, however, lingered on her for a long time until she raised her head and made eye contact with the person hiding in the dim light. Suddenly, she felt her heart skip a beat!

It was Rong Yu's gaze – deep, bright, and scorching, carrying a hint of charm and dominance that was inescapable and undeniable.

So, it was indeed the man known as King Rong.

Gu Xiaolu quickly lowered her head, trying to calm her breathing and heartbeat silently.

She couldn't be too nervous, everything was just beginning. What was coming next was a tough battle!

But, what if Rong Yu doesn't fancy her?

What if Rong Yu chooses someone else and asks her to leave?