“Finished talking? If you’re done, then get lost.”
Cheng Fangqiu lazily lifted her eyelids, her eyes full of ridicule. But in Zhao Yanchen’s eyes, that fleeting glance carried a mesmerizing charm, delicate and moving. He coughed lightly, touched his burning earlobe, and shook his head.
“I haven’t told you my name yet. My name is Zhao Yanchen—”
Before he could finish speaking, she furrowed her brows and directly interrupted him coldly, “What the hell does that have to do with me?!”
Her tone was impatient, not giving him even a shred of face. Yet, Zhao Yanchen’s smile only deepened. He nodded repeatedly, “You’re right, it has nothing to do with you. I just want to be friends with you.”
Is this guy insane?!
Cheng Fangqiu had never seen someone so clingy before. She was so exasperated that she laughed in disbelief. “I don’t want to be friends with you. I’m already married. Please keep your distance and stay far away from me.”
“Alright, alright, alright. I’ll shut up, okay?” Zhao Yanchen was still grinning, clearly not taking her words seriously. But at least he finally stopped talking.
Cheng Fangqiu found his face truly nauseating to look at, so she grabbed her bag and changed seats. This time, Zhao Yanchen didn’t follow her. Instead, he remained where he was, resting his chin on his hand, gazing at her in a casual, roguish manner.
To be honest, Zhao Yanchen wasn’t ugly. He was even a little handsome—fair-skinned with delicate features. But Cheng Fangqiu disliked this type of man. Coupled with his behavior, she could say without hesitation that she found him repulsive.
Being stared at by him felt like being watched by a sewer rat. A shiver ran down her spine. She wanted to turn and leave, but she had already paid for that bowl of plain noodle soup. She wasn’t the disgusting one here—why should she leave? The one who should leave was Zhao Yanchen.
With that thought, Cheng Fangqiu turned to look outside the window. Gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, the frustration in her heart slowly dissipated.
Before long, the waiter brought over her noodles.
The bowl was even bigger than her face, and the portion was generous. The white noodles were topped with a poached egg and sprinkled with green scallions. The warm white broth had a few shimmering rings of melted pork fat floating on top, creating a stark contrast in colors that successfully reignited her appetite.
Since it was fresh out of the pot and still hot, Cheng Fangqiu didn’t rush to take a bite. Instead, she picked up a strand of noodles with her chopsticks, brought it to her lips, and blew on it gently before eating—a habitual gesture when she had noodles.
Good food could soothe anything. After finishing the bowl, Cheng Fangqiu’s expression softened with a slight smile. She set down her chopsticks and, without thinking, glanced outside the window. Just then, she spotted a familiar figure rapidly approaching on a bicycle downstairs. Her eyes brightened, and she grabbed her bag, preparing to leave.
Good-looking people were pleasing to the eye no matter what they did. She had eaten for as long as Zhao Yanchen had watched her. His own bowl of plain noodles remained mostly untouched. Just as he was staring at her in a daze, she suddenly stood up—it seemed she was leaving.
Zhao Yanchen hurriedly chased after her, the wooden chair scraping against the floor with an ear-piercing sound.
“Hey, I still don’t know your name.” He followed closely beside her, maintaining a mere fist’s distance between them. This overly intimate proximity made Cheng Fangqiu abruptly stop in her tracks.
“If you keep harassing me, I’ll go to the Public Security Bureau and report you!”
The good mood she had just recovered was completely ruined by this persistent nuisance. Cheng Fangqiu gritted her teeth, fury igniting in her eyes, and she couldn’t help but raise her voice.
They had already caused a commotion earlier, and now their argument was drawing even more attention. This time, the number of onlookers had significantly increased. Zhao Yanchen felt somewhat embarrassed, but when faced with a beauty, he still managed to maintain his patience.
“I’ve already apologized to you once. Can’t you just forgive me and give me a chance?”
“No.” Cheng Fangqiu’s delicate brows knitted tightly. She spat out the word without hesitation and attempted to sidestep him and head downstairs. However, before she could, he grabbed her arm.
“Why the hell are you so impossible to deal with? I—”
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp, bone-piercing pain shot through his wrist. Instinctively, he let go of her. Immediately after, a heavy punch landed squarely on his face. The force sent him staggering back two steps, nearly causing him to fall to the ground.
The sudden turn of events sent a ripple of commotion through the crowd. At first, people stepped back, but their curiosity quickly won over, and they leaned in closer, eager to see what had happened.
People from the first and third floors all crowded onto the staircase, while those on the second floor huddled in the corners. In an instant, only three people remained in the center of the scene.
“Zhou Yinghuai!”
Cheng Fangqiu gasped in surprise, looking at the newcomer. His expression was terrifyingly dark, his entire body taut with tension. The oppressive aura he emitted was enough to make people feel as if they had fallen into an icy abyss, sending involuntary shivers down their spines.
The gentle black eyes that always looked at her with warmth now held an unmistakable ruthlessness, as sharp as a blade poised to pierce through Zhao Yanchen.
For some reason, she suddenly recalled the time in Pingle Village when he had beaten Li Jianping—he had worn the exact same expression.
“Who the hell are you?” Zhao Yanchen had never been hit in front of so many people before. Usually, he was the one doing the hitting. Now, with so many eyes on him, he felt both humiliated and enraged. Realizing what had happened, he immediately retaliated, swinging a punch at the other man.
However, to his shock, he didn’t even manage to touch the hem of Zhou Yinghuai’s clothes. Instead, his own arm was caught.
Crack!
A chilling sound rang out, followed by an unbearable pain surging from his bones. Zhao Yanchen’s face instantly turned ashen, a buzzing noise filling his ears. His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees.
Kneeling at the feet of that man.
Zhao Yanchen’s eyes reddened. He struggled to get up, but a polished leather shoe pressed firmly against his knee, pinning him in place. He couldn’t move an inch. Even breathing became difficult. Within moments, his face flushed a deep shade of purple.
“Who gave you permission to touch my wife?” Zhou Yinghuai seized Zhao Yanchen’s jaw, forcing him to meet his gaze.
His eyelids lowered slightly, his nose bridge high and defined, his thin lips pale in color. Though he had an aristocratic and imposing appearance, at this moment, a roguish air clung to him, making him all the more terrifying. A chill crept through the crowd, sending a wave of unease through them.
A violent shudder ran through Zhao Yanchen’s body. Only now did he realize that he had provoked an absolute menace.
“I… I didn’t know. I thought she was just playing hard to get…” The words slipped out of his mouth instinctively. But the next moment, he suddenly remembered—she had told him she was married. From beginning to end, she had shown nothing but resistance to his advances.
But he had dismissed her words as an excuse, assuming she was just brushing him off. That was why he had insisted on clinging to her. After all, persistent men often won over reluctant women. This tactic had worked for him countless times before—why would she be any different?
But he had never expected that everything she said was true—that she really didn’t fancy him.
Of course, with him around, it would be a miracle if she did fancy him.
Cheng Fangqiu was afraid that Zhou Yinghuai would believe Zhao Yanchen’s nonsense. Just as she was about to explain, she heard a mocking chuckle from Zhou Yinghuai.
“You didn’t know? Playing hard to get? Save that excuse for the Public Security Bureau.”
His words made it clear—he didn’t believe a single word Zhao Yanchen said.
A warmth bloomed in Cheng Fangqiu’s heart. But before she could say anything, she saw Zhou Yinghuai raising his hand again, about to strike Zhao Yanchen in the face. She widened her eyes and hurriedly called out to stop him.
“Husband!”
That one word successfully made Zhou Yinghuai pause mid-action.
“My hand hurts. Come take a look.” She shook the wrist that Zhao Yanchen had grabbed earlier, her peach blossom eyes misty with unshed tears. Pouting her lips, she called out to him in a delicate, spoiled tone.
Without hesitation, Zhou Yinghuai immediately turned around and walked up to her, carefully holding her hand to examine it. Her fair, slender wrist was smooth and unblemished—just by looking, there wasn’t a single visible injury.
After checking it over, he finally realized—she was faking it.
“If you hit him again, it’ll be too much. Let’s take him to the Public Security Bureau and let them handle it, alright?” Cheng Fangqiu tugged at his sleeve, her long eyelashes fluttering as she spoke softly in a coquettish tone.
Zhou Yinghuai pressed his lips together. The fury in his eyes gradually faded under her gentle coaxing, but his expression remained ice-cold. He knew she was right, but there was still a suffocating anger lodged in his chest—one that he couldn’t release nor swallow down.
Without a word, he took a step back.
And with perfect accuracy, his heel landed directly on Zhao Yanchen’s fingers.
A bloodcurdling scream rang throughout the entire second floor.
“What’s wrong with him?” Cheng Fangqiu hid behind Zhou Yinghuai, slightly startled. Did he really break something just now?
Zhou Yinghuai patted the back of her hand, reassuring her. Then, he turned and grabbed Zhao Yanchen by the collar, ready to drag him downstairs.
“To the Public Security Bureau.”
The Public Security Bureau?! That was not a place he could afford to go!
Zhao Yanchen’s brain finally cleared up, and the gravity of the situation dawned on him. He had caused a huge mess today. If he went with them to the Public Security Bureau, just the charge of publicly harassing a married female comrade in a state-owned restaurant would be enough to keep him there for a long talk.
More importantly, the moment he set foot inside, his father would hear about it. And then, the old man would rush over and skin him alive!
He could not go to the Public Security Bureau!
“Wait!” Zhao Yanchen didn’t care about his so-called dignity anymore. He hurriedly clasped his hands together and pleaded, “It was my fault! I had no eyes and offended this female comrade. I sincerely apologize. Name a price—can we settle this privately?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Zhou Yinghuai and Cheng Fangqiu didn’t even pause. They continued heading downstairs as if they hadn’t heard him.
Desperate, Zhao Yanchen gritted his teeth and grabbed onto the stair railing, refusing to budge. “I’m not going! I’d rather die than go!”
His shameless display left the crowd utterly dumbfounded.
“Look at him, all dressed up like a proper man, but the moment he has to face the consequences, he’s nothing but a cowardly turtle hiding in its shell!”
“Exactly! He was all bold and persistent when he was pestering that female comrade, but the moment her husband showed up, he suddenly doesn’t have the guts anymore!”
“You guys keep an eye on him. I’ll go get the Public Security Bureau officers myself. Let’s see if he still dares to act shamelessly when they get here!”
One of the onlookers volunteered. Zhou Yinghuai immediately nodded in thanks.
As the person dashed off, disappearing from sight, Zhao Yanchen’s heart sank to rock bottom. Just as he was about to resign himself to his fate and follow them to the Public Security Bureau, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from above.
“Yanchen!”
A moment later, a middle-aged woman pushed through the crowd and strode forward. When she saw Zhao Yanchen’s disheveled state, her expression darkened.
Today, she had finally managed to arrange a meal for her son with Deputy Director Huang’s daughter. But barely after taking a few bites, this ungrateful brat had thrown a tantrum and stormed off. She couldn’t very well leave the young lady behind, so she had no choice but to sit through the rest of the meal with a stiff smile.
Fortunately, Huang Mifang was a reasonable person. She didn’t take offense at what had happened, and the two of them finished their meal in a pleasant atmosphere. As they were preparing to leave, they heard the sounds of a dispute downstairs and noticed that the stairway entrance was packed with people. Since they were both women, they didn’t want to push their way through, so they decided to wait and listen.
During that time, they overheard snippets of conversation from the bystanders and quickly pieced together the cause of the commotion.
They even discussed the matter briefly, both expressing their disdain and contempt for such inappropriate, shameless behavior in public.
But as they continued listening, something felt off.
Why did the voice of that disgraceful man sound so familiar?
A sudden panic surged in Zhao’s mother’s heart. She pushed forward for a better look, and the sight nearly made her faint on the spot.