Zeng Keqin didn't explain. She sent the same message to Liu Ying and Fang Yu.
On the way, she also bought some self-defense items.
Turning into one alley after another, she finally saw a sign glowing with pink lights—Meise KTV.
Two boys in black T-shirts stood at the entrance, around twenty, each with a cigarette in their mouths.
When they saw Zeng Keqin approaching, one looked up and gave her a once-over, smiling unpleasantly.
"Pretty lady, looking for someone?"
"Room 1688."
Zeng Keqin tried to make herself look calm.
The two boys exchanged a glance. The one smoking jerked his chin inside. "Go straight in, turn left."
The corridor was dimly lit, the red carpet stained blackish-brown, with greasy marks at the edges.
Doors on both sides were closed, with out-of-tune singing faintly audible inside.
Zeng Keqin clutched her canvas bag, walking step by step, her heart pounding.
Finally, she turned left and saw Room 1688 with golden numbers.
The door wasn't fully closed, leaving a gap. Inside were flirtatious male-female voices and a heavy smell of smoke and alcohol.
Zeng Keqin took a deep breath, raised her hand, and knocked.
"Come in."
The lighting in the room was even dimmer than the corridor. The coffee table was covered in alcohol bottles and fruit plates, and an old song played on the screen.
Three men sat on the sofa, ranging from early twenties to thirties, wearing flashy shirts. Two of them had heavily made-up girls in their arms.
Jiang Shiyu leaned in the farthest corner, head down, motionless.
"Oh, you're the little quail?"
The man in the middle looked up, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with coarse yellow hair and a thick silver chain around his neck.
He first looked Zeng Keqin over, his gaze sliding from her face to her blouse collar to her jeans.
Zeng Keqin suppressed her inner tension and forced herself to meet his eyes. "What happened to Jiang Shiyu?"
"He drank too much. Who knew this tough-looking guy had such a low tolerance? A few drinks and he was out. We tried to contact his family, but his phone had no contacts, so we called everyone until you answered."
Zeng Keqin glanced at the empty bottles on the table, then at Jiang Shiyu's flushed face, judging the truth of his words.
"Who are you to him?"
The yellow-haired man smiled. "Friends. We've hung out before."
"What kind of friends?"
"Hey girl, checking household registration?"
A man with green-tipped hair beside him said impatiently.
The yellow-haired man glanced at him, then patted the spot next to him. "Come sit and chat."
Zeng Keqin didn't move, but her hand stayed in her pants pocket, where she had her pepper spray.
"Little sis, don't be scared. We're not bad people. Just want to make friends with you."
"Sorry, I'm only here to pick up Jiang Shiyu."
The yellow-haired man raised an eyebrow. "You think your small frame can carry him?"
Zeng Keqin bit her lip. "Could you help me carry him out?"
Suddenly, laughter erupted around them.
"This little sis is interesting. No wonder she's a college student—so innocent."
The other two girls covered their mouths, snickering.
Zeng Keqin's cheeks burned. She looked down at her watch—twelve minutes left.
The yellow-haired man stood up from the sofa and slowly walked in front of her, reeking of alcohol and smoke.
"I called you all the way here, and you won't even sit down. Aren't you being too disrespectful?"
Zeng Keqin lowered her head. "I'm in a hurry."
The smile on the yellow-haired man's face gradually faded.
"Do you know who I am?"
"No, and I don't want to."
The yellow-haired man paused. "Hey, this girl has some guts. You want to take him away? Fine. Your friend owes me ten thousand yuan. Pay up and you can leave."
Zeng Keqin's heart sank.
He was lying.
If he really owed money, he would have said so from the start, not waited until now. It was clearly a makeshift excuse, but she couldn't call his bluff.