When Chen Pingchuan questioned her, the young girl seemed greatly frightened. Waving her hands in a panic, she hastily explained, "No, no, it's not because I didn't have enough to drink."

Chen Pingchuan lightly raised an eyebrow. He seemed to have some idea of the girl's intentions, but he wasn't certain.

"Then please hurry up. I'm about to get off work. As you can see, I've mixed many drinks for you all today, and I'm quite tired. If there's nothing else, I'm heading out."

The indifferent male voice carried a hint of impatience. Chen Pingchuan was always a master at controlling the pace of a conversation. He was accustomed to using probing words to pressure others, forcing them to reveal their hidden thoughts.

Upon hearing his words, the girl dared not hesitate any longer. Her gentle voice was as quiet as a mosquito's hum.

"I'm sorry, I drank one of your cocktails without paying. I saw the prices for your drinks, and if the one I had, Dream City, costs the same as Heart of the Ocean, I'm afraid I don't have enough money to pay you."

As she spoke, she noticed Chen Pingchuan's strange gaze, which made her blush and lower her head even further.

"I'm definitely not saying your cocktails aren't worth the price, it's just that my savings are truly limited. But don't worry, I promise to pay you back slowly. I would never drink something for free and not pay."

After uttering the last sentence with difficulty, the girl seemed to have lifted a great weight from her shoulders and let out a long sigh of relief.

She raised her head, only to be shocked to see that Chen Pingchuan, who had been posturing as if to leave, had taken out his bartending tools again.

After a dazzling display of fluid, skillful movements, a new drink, as black as ink, appeared before the girl.

"It doesn't matter if you can't pay," Chen Pingchuan said calmly. "Just drink this, and we'll be even." He didn't mention the group of people who had left without paying; they would naturally face a fitting punishment.

"Huh?"

The girl was filled with confusion, completely at a loss. She couldn't understand his logic. Not only was he not asking for money, but he was mixing another drink for her. What on earth does this handsome bartender mean?

Just then, Chen Pingchuan's voice sounded once more, as if he could read her mind.

"Don't overthink it. I call this drink 'Twisted Jungle.' You should have already experienced the wonders of my creations. A name can be misspoken, but a name is never given by mistake. And I suspect you won't want to experience the effects of this drink firsthand."

Chen Pingchuan's tone shifted as he continued, "However, if you wish to pay me back but are short on cash, then you can help me by assessing the effects of this drink. Just drink it, and our debt will be cleared. After all, I've never tried it myself. Once you're done, just tell me how it feels."

His claim of never having tried it was true, but that didn't mean he knew nothing about the cocktail; he had, after all, appraised it with his own sharp perception.

Of course, the drink wasn't as dreadful as Chen Pingchuan made it out to be. It was actually a special "antidote" cocktail, specifically designed to counter the 'Dreamy Radiance' effect.

Only through painful distortion can the fantasy be shattered.

Zhu Qingqing stared at the cocktail before her. Its appearance alone seemed distorted and strange. Her slender fingers trembled slightly, and her heart seemed to skip a beat.

Although she had promised to pay him back slowly, given her meager allowance, it would likely take her several years to repay the debt. But if I drink this black cocktail...

When a person hesitates, it often means their heart has already leaned toward a particular choice.

"This... it won't kill me, will it?" Zhu Qingqing asked, still fraught with anxiety.

"No. It will merely let you feel a hint of pain."

Chen Pingchuan keenly noticed the girl's hesitation. Perhaps that small, unerased shred of conscience in her heart was at play. He knew that if the girl drank this cocktail, the terrifying nightmare would no longer be able to harm her. Conversely, if she harbored the same greedy intentions as the others, the price she would have to pay would be endless, agonizing torment. I suppose this is my special reward for an honest person.

"Alright, I'll drink it!"

Zhu Qingqing gritted her teeth. So what if it's uncomfortable for a while? It's just a cocktail. A little discomfort is better than being in debt for years. Besides, I did enjoy his creation for free. A small punishment is understandable.

Zhu Qingqing was unaware that it was precisely her simple and upright values that had, in the shadows, saved her life.

GULP. GULP...

To avoid prolonged mental anguish, Zhu Qingqing steeled herself and decided to down the drink in one go. With a contraction of her throat, the thick, ink-like liquor slid down her esophagus and into her stomach.

In an instant, an unprecedented, strange sensation surged like a tidal wave, quickly taking over her entire mind. It was as if she had been plunged into the depths of a sinister jungle. An extreme darkness enveloped her, emanating a terrifying aura and a twisted force that gradually consumed the dreamlike sensation she had experienced earlier.

Filled with terror, she tried to escape the horrifying illusion, only to find her body completely unresponsive, unable to move.

Just before Zhu Qingqing fell into complete despair, a sudden loud snap brought her back to reality.

"Wake up!"

"Miss, it's time for you to go home."

Zhu Qingqing had never imagined a human voice could carry such potent hope. It was like an arrow that shot straight through the dark, twisted thicket, waking her from the endless gloom.

Chen Pingchuan gazed at the girl across from him, who was still in shock. The corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile as he said softly, "You did well. You passed the test. You can tell me what you just experienced. Consider it payment for the previous drink."

Hearing this, the lingering fear in Zhu Qingqing's heart had yet to dissipate. Nevertheless, she recounted her terrifying experience of being trapped in a dark jungle, describing it in great detail.

By the time she finished speaking, it felt as though a significant amount of time had passed in a daze. Zhu Qingqing dragged her slightly shuffling feet as she slowly left the Ability User Bar.

Watching the girl's departing figure, Chen Pingchuan gently shook his head.

「On the way home from work.」

Chen Pingchuan and Wei Xi were walking side-by-side. He was the first to speak.

"I'm leaving."

Wei Xi's hand on his arm stiffened, and she instinctively squeezed it harder.

"Is it because of what happened this afternoon? If it is, we can just stop doing it from now on."

Chen Pingchuan affectionately stroked Wei Xi's soft hair and gently squeezed her cat-like ears. His tone was placid as he said, "I truly planned on taking care of you for the rest of our lives, to live a quiet life with you forever."

"But I realized I was wrong!"

He paused. Just as Wei Xi looked up at him with a curious gaze...

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