CHAPTER 251: THE PRICE OF DEFIANCE

Andrade clapped his hands and said several "good"s. "I like strong-willed Chinese women. Girl, come over and drink."

Wen Nuan replied in English, "I don’t drink."

Yu Peng said, "Miss Wen, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. You can’t afford to offend anyone here."

He gestured, instructing the three women to join for drinks. Ou Beitang put down his glass and pointed at Zhuo Bingbing. "You, come here."

Zhuo Bingbing bit her lip and stood still. Yu Peng cursed her for being ungrateful and pushed her. Wen Nuan couldn’t hold Zhuo Bingbing back and watched anxiously as she was pulled towards Ou Beitang.

Zhuo Bingbing was pulled to Ou Beitang’s side. The man looked up at her, frowned. A woman next to him reluctantly got up and gave her seat to Zhuo Bingbing.

Zhuo Bingbing didn’t know what to do and looked at Ou Beitang in a panic. His lips curled into a half-smile. Two other men at the table recognized Zhuo Bingbing and laughed, saying, "Mr. Ou, don’t you hate women from the entertainment industry the most? This woman looks good. Why not let her drink a few with our brothers?"

Ou Beitang turned his head to glance at Zhuo Bingbing and said nonchalantly, "Let her drink a few with me first, then she can go with you."

Wen Nuan was being forcefully pulled towards Andrade. She struggled anxiously. Cai Xiaojing pushed away the man in black and pulled Wen Nuan behind her. She smiled at Andrade and said in fluent American English, "Mr. Andrade, if you want someone to drink, how about I accompany you?"

Cai Xiaojing stepped forward, standing in front of Wen Nuan, shielding her. In that moment, she was Wen Nuan’s warrior, so tall, so passionate. Wen Nuan’s eyes welled up, and her heart pounded.

Cai Xiaojing walked to the table, poured a glass of wine, and with a confident smile, raised her glass to Andrade. "Andrade, I toast you."

With that, she tilted her head back and downed the drink.

She was powerful, magnificent.

The men at the table cheered. Andrade seemed quite pleased, but whether he had seen Wen Nuan in an advertisement or something else, he insisted on her company for drinks. Wen Nuan gritted her teeth.

The door was guarded; they couldn’t leave, nor could they call the police. She was no longer the impulsive Wen Nuan she once was. Even if unwilling, sometimes one had to compromise with powerful forces.

Settling accounts later was not too late.

Wen Nuan walked over, poured a glass of wine, and stood beside Andrade, smiling slightly. "Mr. Andrade, I toast you."

Andrade’s eyes lit up. He smiled and clinked glasses with Wen Nuan. Cai Xiaojing watched him nervously. Just as she expected, as soon as Wen Nuan drank the wine, Andrade stretched out his long arm, his hand gripping Wen Nuan’s waist and pulling her towards him. Wen Nuan gasped as she was lifted horizontally into his arms.

Wen Nuan was furious, her eyes wide. Andrade said, "The angrier she gets, the more beautiful she is. Perfect."

With that, he leaned in to kiss her. Wen Nuan struggled angrily, pushing against his chest with both hands. Andrade grew angry. Cai Xiaojing rushed over and pulled Wen Nuan up. Wen Nuan was still shaken, breathing heavily.

Andrade slapped the table, standing up. Ou Beitang frowned, scanning the men in black behind him. They had been eager to act but were suppressed. Yu Peng scurried over, fawning with a smile. "Mr. Andrade, please don’t be angry... This woman doesn’t know what’s good for her. A lesson is all she needs; no need to get upset."

Cai Xiaojing frowned, not even glancing at Yu Peng. She pushed him aside with a hand. She walked in front of Andrade, calmly raising her head, instantly exuding an intimidating aura that no ordinary woman could match. "Mr. Andrade, what do you take Anning International’s artists for? Women from the entertainment district? You want them to drink with you just because you feel like it? Weigh your options carefully: can you afford to deal with Young Master Ye Second’s woman?"

Ou Beitang raised an eyebrow, glancing at Wen Nuan with a slight surprise. Zhuo Bingbing, standing nearby, deeply admired Cai Xiaojing’s courage and domineering presence. She truly lived up to her reputation as Anning’s top agent.

That assertive stance, chest puffed out, was something few women dared to compare to.

The atmosphere instantly became tense. Andrade was no easy person to deal with, and it was rare for anyone to dare to speak to him like this. He was enraged. He raised his hand, intending to strike Cai Xiaojing, but Wen Nuan pulled Cai Xiaojing back, dodging the blow.

Yu Peng was also stunned by Cai Xiaojing’s words about "Young Master Ye Second’s woman."

For a moment, his face turned ashen with fear.

Andrade, enraged, ordered his men to tie up Cai Xiaojing. Ou Beitang calmly said, "Andrade, don’t stoop to a woman’s level. If they’re unwilling, let them go. Don’t cause trouble. We can have more girls sent over later."

They were international people and not from the same industry, but they had heard of Young Master Ye Second to some extent. In A City, no one dared to ignore those three words. Regardless of whether Cai Xiaojing was bluffing or telling the truth, Ou Beitang didn’t want to cause trouble at this moment.

The Black man beside Andrade laughed and said, "Who is this Young Master Ye Second that scares you like this? Is there any woman we can’t have? Hey, miss, drink this bottle of wine, and you can leave."

He opened a bottle of whiskey and placed it on the table.

Cai Xiaojing still wanted to speak, but Wen Nuan stopped her. "We have a saying, ’Words must be kept.’ I hope you can abide by it."

"Wen Nuan!"

"Wen Nuan..."

Cai Xiaojing and Zhuo Bingbing looked at her worriedly. Wen Nuan took the bottle and chugged it.

Her tolerance for alcohol was not good, and the liquor was too strong. A whole bottle of whiskey was enough to make Wen Nuan suffer. Her head spun, she couldn’t tell north from south, and her abdomen ached and burned, as if knives were cutting her intestinal walls, the pain unbearable.

Much of the wine spilled out, staining her clothes. Wen Nuan was so uncomfortable that tears welled up, but she stubbornly forced it down. When she finished, she slammed the bottle heavily onto the table.

"Can we... leave now?" Wen Nuan asked in a deep voice.

Andrade, who had been furious, saw her courage, and his anger subsided. He couldn’t help but clap his hands, repeatedly saying "good." The Black man also no longer troubled them.

Zhuo Bingbing came over and helped Cai Xiaojing support Wen Nuan as they left.

Yu Peng asked, "Are you just letting them go?"

"I like strong-willed Oriental women," Andrade laughed heartily.

Ou Beitang glanced towards the door, his lips curving upwards. Yu Peng still wanted to say something, but Ou Beitang said indifferently, "Don’t cause trouble. Anning supports her so much; do you think it’s a coincidence? Not to mention Young Master Ye Second, this woman also has a good relationship with Young Madam Tang. No need to offend people."

"Mr. Ou, you heard that woman talking nonsense. Young Master Ye Second and Han Bi were perfectly paired at the film festival. How could he fancy Wen Nuan? That woman was just bluffing."

"Whether she’s bluffing or telling the truth, in any case, don’t complicate things," Ou Beitang said.

As soon as Wen Nuan stepped out of the private room, she rushed to the restroom, vomiting until bile came out, almost fainting in the process. Wen Nuan was extremely uncomfortable; she stuck her finger down her throat, forcing herself to throw up.