Pirate Ship Bar

“So that means each boat only takes two people?” Su Yang asked.

“Not exactly. There are also boats for four, six, or eight people. But no matter which one you choose, they only accept couples. If you go alone, you can find a single woman nearby and team up with her. There are lots of women here who came alone looking for someone to pair up with. They just won’t let a single person board.”

“They allow that? So a few friends of the same sex can’t go together?”

“That’s right. People of the same sex aren’t allowed on, unless they’re gay, of course.”

“Wow, this is the first bar I’ve ever heard of with rules like that. No one gets in unless they’re a couple. Wait, that doesn’t make sense either. If you find some random stranger, the two of you aren’t actually a couple.”

“Heh heh, you just pretend to be one. Most of the singles there are pretty open-minded, and an unspoken understanding has already formed. Everyone knows what’s really going on. You get it~” The young man winked at Su Yang with a mischievous smile.

“Fine, fine. You foreigners really know how to have fun.”

“Foreigners?”

“Oh, right. I’m the foreigner now. Hahaha.”

Su Yang smiled and turned to look at Li Yuanying behind him.

“What did he say?” Li Yuanying asked as she walked over.

Without embellishing anything, Su Yang repeated the young man’s words to her exactly.

“How about we skip the boat? There are plenty of bars along the riverbank too. We could find a quieter one, sit for a while, and enjoy the river view. What do you think?” Su Yang asked, looking at Li Yuanying, who was deep in thought.

She looked up and considered it for a moment. “But I still want to have a drink on the boat. How about we just pretend to be a couple? No one knows us anyway.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. What’s there to be afraid of? Come on, where is the place?”

“I’ll ask.”

Su Yang turned to the young man. “Hey, handsome, which way is that pirate-ship bar you mentioned?”

“Just follow the riverbank to the right for about three hundred meters. You’ll see it,” the young man said, stepping forward and pointing into the distance.

Su Yang turned to look. “Got it. Thanks.”

“No problem.” The young man nodded with a smile before returning to his conversation with the girls.

Su Yang turned and patted Li Yuanying on the shoulder. “Let’s go. It’s to the right.”

“Okay.”

The two of them headed up onto the riverbank and continued along the path to the right. Besides the bars, there were also several food carts nearby selling coffee, drinks, snacks, and the like.

There were plenty of people strolling or jogging along the river, as well as many couples cuddling on the benches by the water.

After walking about three hundred meters, they saw numerous boats moored by a pier not far ahead.

Across from the pier, on the opposite bank, stood a building that served as the ticket office for the pirate-ship bar. A large number of long-legged women were standing nearby.

‘This place is pretty interesting. If you came alone, it’d be like opening a mystery box,’ Su Yang thought as he looked around.

“There are so many people,” Li Yuanying said, having noticed the crowd about ten meters ahead.

“I’m guessing these are the singles that guy mentioned, waiting for their destined partners.”

“With this kind of random matching, neither side knows anything about the other. Some of them might even be scammers.”

“You’re right. They might not just be after your money—they could harvest your kidneys too.” Su Yang laughed.

“What does ‘harvest your kidneys’ mean?” Li Yuanying asked, turning to him.

“They use their looks to lure inexperienced young men onto the boat for drinks. Once the guy gets drunk and his head starts spinning, the girl invites him to get a hotel room together. After a few drinks, most men can’t resist. Once he follows her there, a gang waiting at the hotel might drug him and cut out his kidneys.”

“Ah?!!! Really?” Su Yang made the story sound so convincing that goosebumps rose all over Li Yuanying’s body.

“I’m just speculating. It may not be true, but it’s better not to do something like this. You can’t be too careful.”

“Exactly, exactly. You’re right. That sounds terrifying.”

As they talked, they arrived at the entrance of the pirate-ship bar. Before boarding, they had to buy tickets inside the bar on the riverbank.

Su Yang didn’t rush in. He first asked a man nearby to confirm that this really was a place where people went to drink, then led Li Yuanying toward the bar entrance on the right.

At that moment, two security guards stood by the entrance, along with several couples waiting in line. Of course, they weren’t necessarily real couples; some of them might have just found partners on the spot.

Su Yang and Li Yuanying joined the line at the back. While waiting, Su Yang figured out the bar’s rules.

Before entering, visitors had to confirm that they were a couple. Only then could they go inside and purchase tickets. After buying their tickets, they had to come back out and board the boats at the pier directly opposite.

The bar on shore also served drinks. Those who didn’t want to go on a boat could simply stay inside.

However, everyone who came here was there for the boats, so the bar on shore was practically empty, with only a few scattered tables occupied.

Five minutes later, it was Su Yang and Li Yuanying’s turn.

One of the security guards looked them over. “Good evening, and welcome to the Pirate Ship Couples’ Bar. I need to confirm your relationship. Are you two a couple?”

Su Yang smiled and spread his hands. “Isn’t it obvious? One man and one woman.”

“But I suspect you aren’t actually a couple. You may need to prove it.”

“What the f—? You need proof? Hold on, what makes you think we’re not a couple?” Su Yang stared at the burly security guard in front of him.

“You two aren’t intimate enough. Look at everyone else—they’re holding hands or the guys have their arms around the girls. You two…” The guard hesitated. “Sorry, buddy. I’m not trying to make things difficult for you. Those are just the bar’s rules. You need to prove it.”

Hearing that, Su Yang turned to look at the people behind them. Sure enough, all the men and women were holding hands or acting intimately.

He and Li Yuanying were the only ones who didn’t look like a couple.

“What is he saying?” Li Yuanying asked.

“He thinks we’re not a couple and wants us to prove it.”

“How are we supposed to prove that?” Li Yuanying asked, stunned.

“I can’t believe this. We came here for a drink, and they’re taking it so seriously. Let me ask him.”

Su Yang looked at the guard. “So, handsome, how do we prove it?”

“You two just need to kiss.”

“What?” Su Yang stepped forward. “Didn’t you say holding hands was enough?”

“That works for everyone else, but you two don’t look much like a couple. So you need to kiss to prove it. If you’re really a couple, a kiss should be perfectly normal, right?”

“Kiss… We can kiss, but with so many people watching, how are we supposed to do that?”

Before the guard could answer, Su Yang continued, “Look, buddy, we’re both Asian, and people from our country tend to be more reserved and introverted. Girls especially don’t like kissing in front of strangers. Would holding hands be enough?”

The security guard wasn’t stubborn enough to insist that Su Yang and Li Yuanying kiss, especially with so many people still waiting behind them.

After thinking it over, he nodded. “Fine, fine. That’ll do.”

Seeing that the guard had agreed, Su Yang returned to Li Yuanying’s side.

“Yuanying, looks like we need to hold hands, or they won’t let us in.”

“Hold hands? Sure!”