Chapter Text
Lanhua sits on the bed in her hotel room, unsure of what to do. Dongfang had not come by at all since their encounter the night before. Afterwards she had taken off to her room where she spent the night in misery, partly from anger at him and partly anger at herself. Why didn’t she stop him? Yes he is handsome and his kiss was like fire, melting her underneath him, but she should be stronger than this. And Lanhua will never, ever admit that she needed to give herself relief before falling into a fitful sleep, because she refuses to believe he has such an effect on her.
She had spent the day in her room, thinking that would annoy him, but she surprisingly found herself impatient with the lack of his concern. It wasn’t until the afternoon when Shangque arrived to give her a departure time to the benefit that she had spoken to anyone outside of room service. What was he doing all day? Obviously not thinking about her.
Not that she cares. Not that she wants him to, at all.
Several dresses had arrived for her to sort through, and Lanhua smiles when she picks one. Dongfang had been upset at her bikini yesterday, so she has a wicked sort of glee at wondering what he will think. A silver cocktail dress, it stops well short of her knee and leaves her back completely open. The halter collar leaves her shoulders and part of her chest exposed. It’s not something that she would ever wear on her own, but she is playing the girlfriend of a rich and powerful mobster, right? This has to be how they dress.
Her hair goes up into a sleek, modern ponytail and her makeup is smoky but simple. Shangque’s expression when they leave is all she needs to see to know she’s done the right thing. “You’re trying to get me fired, or worse,” he mutters.
Dongfang isn’t in the car either, and Lanhua drums her fingers impatiently against the leather seat. “Where are we going exactly?” she asks.
“There is a nightclub in the center of the city,” Shangque explains. “The mayor is hosting a fundraiser.”
Lanhua laughs humorlessly. “I see. And the rich and powerful bribe their way to more money and power?”
Shangque gives her a side glance. “You should be on your best behavior.”
“Don’t tell me how to—”
“This is for your own sake, miss,” he says sharply, but not unkindly. Shangque turns to give her a stern look. “There are many dangerous people in Haishi. Stay near the boss and don’t speak out of turn.”
She gives him a dark look. “I know how to handle myself.”
There is already a line outside of the nightclub despite it being barely 8:00. A valet opens her door and Lanhua steps out, blinking when a few cameras go off with flashing lights. Shangque is at her side in a second, arm around her waist to guide her to the entrance and his hand up to shield her face from the group of press and gawking onlookers.
Inside the place is dark, lit with colored lights that zigzag around the place in time with the music. Patrons dance and cheer wildly as the deejay plays a song with a thumping beat, the staff weaving through the crowds standing and dancing to bring drinks to customers. She pauses to look around before Shangque leads her to a set of stairs on the side that head up to the private rooms overlooking the club.
At the top of the steps there are two rooms that connect on the landing. Both are filled with people, but Shangque heads to the left so Lanhua follows. None of the faces are familiar, so she keeps close to him, suddenly nervous.
She spots Dongfang just as he spies her. He is sitting on the couch that spans the length of the wall, speaking to someone next to him when he stops mid-sentence to gape at her. Lanhua has a brief moment where she feels pinned, and remembers his expression as he stared down at her and stroked himself. He looked just like this, like she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, like she was a prize to be captured, and her knees go a bit weak.
Dongfang mutters something to his companion before standing and walking quickly to her side. “What are you wearing?” he whispers in her ear as he tugs her with him.
“Your people sent this to me.”
“My people are fired then.” They reach the private bar and he gently pushes her to sit in a stool. Dongfang catches sight of her bare back and groans. “You’re practically naked.”
Lanhua laughs. “Don’t be such a prude.”
“What do you call this?”
This is more familiar territory: annoyed Dongfang rather than adoring. A new burst of confidence that her plan worked has her sitting up straight as she turns to signal the bartender. “I’m playing the role of girlfriend to a mobster.”
“You’re playing with my emotions.”
The confession surprises her, and Lanhua glances up to see his expression is surprisingly not angry. “You’re one to talk,” she whispers back.
Dongfang sighs. His touch drags from her shoulder down her arm as the bartender arrives. “Water,” he orders, but Lanhua cuts him off. “Wine, please,” she says. “Anything white.”
“Careful drinking tonight,” Dongfang warns.
Lanhua sighs. “I already got a warning from Shangque. Believe it or not, I’ve been to a club before.”
“I know. But this is not your typical club.” He leans against the bar, one elbow perched on the counter. Lanhua looks him over as a glass is placed in front of her. He looks good in a suit, as always, the light gray matching her dress and the black shirt underneath left open at the top. They actually look like a couple, not that that was her intention.
“So why did you bring me here?” she asks.
Dongfang hesitates, as if contemplating the question. “I’m not sure,” he admits. “Just that I wanted you to be near me tonight.”
For some reason that feels satisfying, and Lanhua hides a smile as she takes a sip of her wine. She sets it down carefully before turning to him. ”Well, I'm here,“ she says.
They stare at each other for a long moment. Once again Lanhua feels pinned: a connection seems to pull at her chest, and she resists the urge to lean in towards him. She has to remind herself that he is her captor, that he has violated her freedom and her trust and her body, no matter how good it felt in the moment. She hates him. She has to hate him.
She feels her cheeks grow warm and his eyes dart down to her mouth. Lanhua freezes, knowing if he kisses her now she will kiss him back, and she'll hate herself for it. But before he can do anything, Shangque slides up next to him and mutters something in his ear.
Dongfang's demeanor instantly changes, his expression growing dark. ”What is she doing here?“ he snaps.
”She wishes to talk to you.“
He sighs heavily. ”She won't give up until I comply. Fine.“ Then he turns to Lanhua, looking apologetic. ”Can you stay here? Just sit here until I get back? There is a business associate I must see or she will cause me trouble.“
Lanhua nods. ”Of course.“
She watches them disappear into the crowd of people in the room, which has grown denser since she arrived. For a private room there seem to be a lot of guests, and Lanhua spends a few minutes sipping on her wine and people watching. It occurs to her that she's actually alone as Shangque is nowhere nearby, but she knows better than to try to make an escape. He probably has people posted at every exit, and maybe if she proves she won't run he'll give her back her phone.
That's the plan, anyway, until Lanhua leans over a bit to watch the dancing below. To her surprise she sees Dongfang walking down the steps, and after sliding a bit on her stool she spots the woman next to him. She is beautiful, almost regal, her smile soft as they walk downstairs together. Her arm is on his, and at the bottom they stop to say a word and she leans up to kiss him on the lips.
In shock, Lanhua sits back. Not that his business is hers, but what is all that about being in love with her? That she's the only thing he desires? Of course he could have had lovers this whole time... is that what he was doing today? She curses herself for caring, but then thinks, no. He's the one that brought her here, he's the one with the obsession, and it turns out it's been all a game.
Lanhua slides to her feet and finishes her wine. If Dongfang can see other women during this farce of a year, then why can't she do what she wants? Leaving is certainly out, but she can at least defy him by not staying put.
She half expects Shangque to appear, and when he doesn't by the time she is back downstairs Lanhua feels almost free. She heads straight into the crowd, bodies moving to the music as she slides around them, dancing on her own. Once in a while someone will step up to dance with her, and Lanhua will oblige for a minute or two before turning and moving on. Her anger at this entire situation, her humiliation and the guilt she feels for being so angry with him fuel her movements, and as the music turns up in intensity, she raises her arms to cheer.
A hand presses to her waist, and she turns, ready to argue with Dongfang. It's not him, to her surprise: a handsome man in an impeccable suit smiles down at her instead. ”You shouldn't dance alone,“ he says.
”Why not?“
He leans in, his lips brushing on her ear. ”There are devils around.“
It's such a silly statement, but it makes Lanhua shiver. As he slowly pulls back, she swallows as she takes him in. He really is gorgeous, and Lanhua wonders if he could be the key to getting her out of here. ”Can we go somewhere?“ she blurts out.
He chuckles and places his other hand on her waist. ”I'm here for a party. But I'll be leaving soon. You want to come with me?“
Lanhua glances around to make sure Dongfang and none of his men are nearby. ”Yes,“ she replies. ”I was hoping to make an escape of my own.“
”Mmm.“ He tugs her closer and together they start to move. ”What is your name?“
”Lanhua,“ she replies. ”And yours?“
”Ronghao.“
The name is familiar for some reason, but the idea this might actually work has made her giddy. ”Looks like I'm yours now, Ronghao,“ she says, wrapping her arms around his neck.
They dance for several minutes, and Lanhua keeps her eyes peeled for Dongfang. Surely he has noticed her absence by now, and she doesn't doubt that he will come looking for her as soon as he finds her stool is empty. When Ronghao begins to kiss her neck, she ignores him for the time being, turning away to check the side for any signs of Dongfang as his lips move down her throat. ”You are delicious,“ he whispers against her skin.
”Is it almost time to go?“ she asks in response.
Ranghao hums, the sound vibrating against her jaw. ”So eager,“ he murmurs. ”But don't worry. I can give you a preview instead.“
He takes her by the arm and pulls her along through the crowd. Lanhua follows willingly until she realizes he is taking her towards the stairs, not the door. ”Wait, aren't we leaving?“ she asks, struggling against him.
Ranghao ignores her question and continues to drag her along, and Lanhua nearly trips as he hauls her up the stairs. She looks wildly around for Dongfang or Shangque, knowing they must be up here. But where? Is he really still with that woman? Lanhua groans to herself, remembering it was some stupid jealousy that got her into this mess.
He takes her into the other private room opposite of the one she was in with Dongfang. This one is much less crowded, only a dozen or so men and women around drinking and talking and some getting even closer on the couches. This is where he leads her, and when Ranghao sits she hesitates, pulling against his grip. ”I don't want to sit.“
”You said you wanted to go.“
”To leave, I meant. Can we go to your place?“
”Not yet,“ he grins. ”This party is for me, I can't exactly leave yet.“ He spreads his knees slightly and rubs his hand against the front of his pants. ”Doesn't mean we can't have some fun until then.“
Lanhua's heart sinks into her stomach. ”No, I don't—“
She is yanked downwards, and Lanhua screams as she falls on the cushions. A hand covers her mouth as Ranghao climbs on top of her, pinning her with his body. ”Come here,“ he pants, his free hand pushing up her dress.
Suddenly Ranghao is yanked away, and Lanhua watches in shock as he crashes into the bar. The sound of glass breaking is harsh, making her wince. In the center of the room stands Dongfang, arms out as he holds two guns ready, one aimed at Ranghao and the other at the group watching in shock. Shangque stands next to him, also aiming a gun at Ranghao. ”How dare you touch my woman,“ Dongfang says.
”Dongfang Qingcang?“ Ranghao sputters. ”What the fuck are you doing?“
Two bodyguards rush in but Shangque takes aim at them as Dongfang walks towards Ranghao. He presses the barrel of the gun against his forehead, peering down at him in contempt. ”She is mine.”
Afraid he will kill him, Lanhua pushes herself up to sit. ”No! Dongfang, don't!“
He throws her a look of contempt, his jaw clenching before he looks back at Ranghao. Easing back, he holsters both of his guns as Ranghao pushes to his feet. But then Donghang reaches out and grabs him by the shirt before delivering a solid punch to his jaw, sending him flying over the bar and crashing to the ground below.
The bodyguards are shouting but more of their men arrive, and Shangque orders them to the side as Dongfang walks over to Lanhua. He pulls her to her feet without a word, and when the strength goes out in her he lifts her and carries her from the loft and down the steps. Lanhua is in a daze as they move through the club, the lights and music now pulsing painfully against her closed eyes.