Chapter 360: Bai Xue's Doubt
Yang Haoran's expression shifted, but only for a fleeting moment, before he returned to normal.
"Everyone, this is the place. It's a bit small, but the atmosphere is good. Not as oppressive as before."
Yang Haoran chuckled a greeting and stepped into the bar. The snake demon followed closely beside him, her large eyes behind the mask revealing a hint of curiosity.
The other Night Watchers followed suit, entering the bar owned by Guan Hai under Yang Haoran's lead.
Upon entering the bar, Yang Haoran's gaze immediately went to the counter. Xiao Mo's busy figure was still as familiar as ever, but compared to before, her smile seemed a little different.
Busy with her tasks, Xiao Mo saw Yang Haoran appear at the entrance and a joyful smile immediately broke out on her face.
"Hey, Brother Yang, long time no see! " Her voice trailed off, and Xiao Mo, beaming, called out towards a booth: "Brother Guan Hai, Brother Yang's here!"
At that moment, Guan Hai was at a booth, drinking with friends. Hearing Xiao Mo's words, he replied with a hint of surprise: "Brother Yang? Really?"
"Really! Come quickly! " Xiao Mo waved frantically at Guan Hai.
Guan Hai offered an apologetic greeting to his friends, then raised his glass to toast everyone present, before hastily rushing towards the counter.
Seeing Yang Haoran indeed standing outside the counter, Guan Hai was delighted and immediately went up to embrace him.
"Holy crap! Took you long enough to finally spare a glance my way!"
"I've been busy lately. Not just brushing you off, I really have been swamped, so I haven't had time to come over and sit down. " Yang Haoran replied with a smile.
"You're pulling my leg! People always make time. But I don't blame you; I'm just happy you could make it tonight."
The Night Watchers behind him knew this was Yang Haoran's friend, so they naturally didn't mind Guan Hai's tone or demeanor. However, Guan Hai's handsome appearance made them pause in surprise.
"Damn, the boss's friend is really something else."
One Night Watcher glanced at Guan Hai, then at Bai Xue, the snake demon, by Yang Haoran's side, and couldn't help but sigh softly in admiration.
"You, a grown man, also like looking at handsome guys? You've got quite the taste! " Liao Xiaoyu couldn't help but tease, chuckling at his words.
"I'm just admiring, not *liking*! What are you thinking? " The Night Watcher rolled his eyes at Liao Xiaoyu, speaking with a helpless expression.
"I actually quite like him, but he's just an ordinary person. Nowadays, I don't have much interest in ordinary people; I'm mainly afraid of harming them, hehe. " Liao Xiaoyu whispered.
The Night Watchers' conversation behind them was hushed, but Bai Xue, the snake demon, reacted differently.
"Oh my, this handsome fellow is truly dashing! I've never seen such a handsome man before!"
Bai Xue laughed, her voice full of enchantment, causing Guan Hai to snap his mouth shut and turn his gaze to her.
"The lighting's so dim in here, yet you still have such sharp eyes, Big Sister! Truly impressive, I'm honored. " Guan Hai replied with a laugh, then shifted his gaze to Yang Haoran, giving a sly grin. He asked: "Brother Yang, your girlfriend?"
Hearing Guan Hai's words, the smile on Yang Haoran's face turned awkward. Before he could even explain, Bai Xue spoke up first.
"The lighting's so dim in here, yet you too have such sharp eyes, handsome! Truly impressive, I'm honored!"
Bai Xue responded with a charming smile. Thankfully, she was wearing a mask now; without it, the bar would have surely erupted into chaos tonight.
"They're all my friends. Could you arrange a place for us first? Standing here blocking the entrance, I'm afraid we'll affect your business. " Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"You don't need to tell me that; I already know. However, there are quite a few of you. Even our largest spot might be a tight squeeze. Whether you're willing or not, this is the only way. " Guan Hai said with a chuckle.
"Guess if I'm willing or not? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"Guess if I'll guess whether you're willing or not? " Guan Hai retorted.
As their words fell, both burst into hearty laughter in perfect unison. Then, Guan Hai smiled and led the way, with Yang Haoran and his group following closely behind.
"Huh, your bar's gotten a lot bigger, and the decor has changed too."
Earlier at the counter, Yang Haoran hadn't noticed this, but now, following Guan Hai away from it, he finally spotted the changes in the bar.
"I rented the adjacent storefront, so the bar's much larger now. The decor also underwent some changes based on the original design. " Guan Hai replied with a smile, leading the way.
Soon, Guan Hai settled Yang Haoran and his group into their spot. Guan Hai had said it would be a bit cramped, but it wasn't at all. If there had been a few more people, the situation might have been different.
Shortly after they sat down, drinks were brought to the table. Yang Haoran had no pretense, so the Night Watchers felt quite at ease.
Of course, if these Night Watchers had been a group of elderly individuals, or people of deep cunning, then even with Yang Haoran's complete lack of airs, they wouldn't have been able to relax.
"Guan Hai, check if your air conditioning is broken! Why is it so cold in here? !"
Guan Hai had just sat down beside Yang Haoran and hadn't even had a chance to share a drink with him when a man roared out.
"Brother Yang, have a seat for a moment. I'll go see what's happening."
The bar's air conditioning had always been on. The reason the temperature in the bar suddenly turned chilly was entirely due to the arrival of Yang Haoran and his group.
Every person in their group, save for Bai Xue, the snake demon, possessed remarkably dense Yin Qi. It was a certainty that the bar's temperature would drop because of it.
However, Yang Haoran didn't stop Guan Hai from leaving, as this was a matter of attitude. Since a customer had raised the issue, he had to go check it out regardless; it was a sign of respect for his patrons.
If he were to ignore it, pretending not to hear, what would the customers think?
Moreover, the man who voiced the complaint clearly knew Guan Hai; the two might even be friends, so he certainly couldn't just ignore it.
Guan Hai's bar wasn't large; even with the added storefront, it couldn't compare to bigger establishments. Thus, he couldn't act like a hands-off boss, as many large bar owners do, and had to handle many matters personally.
Ultimately, it was because he lacked money. If he had enough funds, he could fully staff the place and truly become a hands-off boss himself.
It was precisely because he had no money, and nothing else to do, that he would stay at the bar every night unless there was a special circumstance, handling everything from accompanying drinkers to odd jobs.
However, the bar's business had always been good precisely because of his presence. If he were absent any night, business would certainly drop significantly.
After Guan Hai left, Yang Haoran set up a barrier in their immediate area. This barrier wouldn't impede the movement of others but would prevent the Yin Qi they released from spreading.
With this barrier in place, the bar's temperature would quickly return to normal, but the area enveloped by the barrier would become even colder than before.
"Brother Emissary of Death, how long have you known this friend of yours? " Bai Xue, sitting beside Yang Haoran, raised a glass and clinked it with his, then asked.
Compared to her usual self, Bai Xue's tone now held less enchantment and more seriousness.
Yang Haoran noticed Bai Xue's unusual tone and felt a flicker of doubt. He asked, "Many years. Why? Is something wrong?"
Bai Xue shook her head, equally puzzled. She replied, "I just feel like something's off, but I can't quite pinpoint what it is. I don't know if it's because I've had too much to drink, and my senses are playing tricks on me."
Yang Haoran chuckled and said, "I've known him for many years. Apart from being truly too handsome, I haven't noticed anything unusual about him."
Hearing this, Bai Xue's face once again broke into that charming smile. Though the mask covered most of her face, her smiling mouth was equally captivating; even the slightest upward curve of her lips was utterly flawless.
"If you were half as handsome as him, you'd probably be a hot commodity."
Yang Haoran chuckled, saying, "What can I do? I'm helpless too, you know."
Speaking thus, Yang Haoran paused, then continued, "I don't think there's anything wrong with this friend of mine. However, there really is something off about his place tonight. Did you sense it?"
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