The bar was alive with energy, laughter, clinking glasses, and smooth jazz playing over the speakers. Orm moved easily behind the counter, pouring drinks, flipping bottles, and flashing her usual smirk at the wealthy customers who couldn't resist trying to flirt with her.

But tonight, everything felt lighter.

For once, she wasn't just tolerating work. The lingering warmth from last night's conversation with Ying still sat in her chest.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She didn't even have to look to know who it was. And damn, that realization made her smile.

"You're scaring me," Sonya muttered as she wiped a glass beside her. "Why are you smiling like that?"

Orm rolled her eyes. "Can't a girl be happy?"

"No," Sonya said immediately. "Not you. You come to work every night looking like a prisoner on death row."

Orm chuckled. "Well, maybe I finally found a reason to enjoy myself."

Sonya narrowed her eyes. "Wait. No way. Is this about Ying?"

Orm didn't answer, just turned away to grab another bottle.

Sonya gasped. "Oh my god, it is!"

Orm sighed. "Would you lower your voice?"

"No! This is historical!" Sonya slammed her towel onto the counter. "You, you have a soft spot for someone? And it's her? Your schoolgirl fantasy??"

Orm groaned. "It's not a fantasy—"

Sonya wiggled her eyebrows. "So you're saying it's real?"

Before Orm could smack her with a napkin, she felt it. That familiar, suffocating presence. Like a storm cloud had just rolled in.

She didn't need to look. She already knew. Lingling.

Sitting at her usual table, legs crossed, drink in hand, watching her with that unreadable expression.

The playfulness drained from Orm's face.

Sonya nudged her. "Uh-oh. She's here."

"I see that."

"And she's staring."

Orm turned, forcing a smirk as she walked toward Lingling's table.

"You miss me that much?" Orm teased, placing a napkin down in front of her.

Lingling didn't blink. "You're in a good mood tonight."

Orm shrugged. "Maybe I just decided to enjoy life."

Lingling's gaze sharpened. "Or maybe someone special put you in a good mood."

Orm's smirk didn't falter, but inside, her stomach twisted. Did Lingling know?

Orm leaned forward, resting her hands on the table. "Why? Jealous?"

Lingling took a slow sip of her drink, then smirked. "Should I be?"

Orm tilted her head, voice teasing. "That depends... Do you want to be?"

Lingling chuckled, but there was something dangerous in the way she did it. She leaned in, voice smooth and low.

"Careful, bartender," she murmured. "You're playing a dangerous game."

Orm winked. "I like games."

Lingling didn't answer immediately. Instead, she studied Orm. Like she was trying to figure her out.

It sent an uncomfortable chill down Orm's spine.

Finally, Lingling leaned back, exhaling. "I'll take another drink."

Orm nodded, taking her glass and heading back to the bar.

Sonya pounced the second she returned.

"Okay. What the hell was that?" she hissed.

Orm rolled her eyes. "Nothing."

"That didn't look like nothing."

Orm sighed. "She's just... being Lingling."

Sonya narrowed her eyes. "You think she knows?"

Orm hesitated. Did she? Before she could answer, movement caught her eye.

Lingling had stood up.

And not alone.

A woman, slim, long legs, expensive dress was holding onto Lingling's arm. Laughing. Pressing against her like she already knew where the night was going.

Orm's stomach dropped. She didn't even know why. She shouldn't care.

But the way Lingling smirked at the woman, the way she whispered something in her ear, the way her hand settled on her lower back—

It made something ugly churn in Orm's chest.

Lingling's eyes flickered toward Orm right before she disappeared into the private room with the woman.

And that's when Orm realized.

Lingling had done that on purpose. She wanted Orm to see.

Orm scoffed, grabbing a glass and wiping it roughly. "What a joke."

Sonya watched her carefully. "You good?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Orm said flatly.

Sonya smirked. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because the scary mafia lady just took a woman into a room and—"

Orm slammed the glass down. Sonya jumped.

"Okay. Damn."

Orm exhaled sharply. "I don't care."

Sonya raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. So why do you look like you wanna punch something?"

Orm didn't answer. Because she didn't know. She had no reason to be mad. No reason to feel this disgusted by it.

Lingling was a womanizer. A shameless one.Orm had known that from the start.

So why did it bother her now?

Whatever. It didn't matter. Lingling could do whatever the hell she wanted. And Orm would do the same.

She pulled out her phone and opened her messages.

    Orm: Still awake?

It took less than a minute for a reply.

    Ying: You're the one texting me this time? Shocking.

Orm smirked.

    Orm: What can I say? I missed you.

She hit send. And for the first time that night, She felt better.

Orm kept her focus on her phone, waiting for Ying's reply. She needed something to distract her from the disgusting feeling twisting in her gut.

From the image of Lingling's hand on that woman's back.

From the fact that she was in that private room right now, doing exactly what Orm knew she did best.

    Ying: Wow, first you ignore me for years, now you miss me?

Orm smirked at her phone.

    Orm: That's how it works, babe. Keep them waiting, keep them interested.

    Ying: So you're saying you've been interested in me all this time?

Orm's fingers hovered over the screen.

She should type something flirty back. Make a joke. Keep it light. But before she could, the door to the private room swung open.

The entire energy of the bar shifted.

Conversations lowered, eyes subtly flickering toward the source of the disturbance.

Lingling.

She didn't even know why she was looking. But she was And what she saw made her sick.

Lingling strolled out of the private room like a queen leaving her throne. Her hair was slightly tousled. Her red lipstick was smudged.

And her face—

She looked satisfied. Like she had just done exactly what Orm knew she had done.

Like she was fully aware that Orm was watching.

The woman she had taken inside followed a few steps behind, adjusting the straps of her dress, looking dazed and pleased.

Orm gripped the counter. She hated this. She hated her.

And then—

Lingling walked straight past the bar. Not even a glance in Orm's direction. Didn't smirk. Didn't make a comment. Didn't even acknowledge her.

Just walked out the door like she hadn't even existed in the first place.

And that?

That pissed Orm off more than anything else. Her chest burned with something she refused to name.

It wasn't jealousy. It wasn't. She refused to let it be.

She exhaled sharply, turning back to her phone.

    Orm: Let's hang out soon. I wanna see you.

She hit send before she could overthink it.

Because right now?

She just needed something, someone, to focus on.

And it sure as hell wasn't going to be Lingling.