Chapter 165: Joint Examination (2)

Jiang City was a obscure, third-tier small town. At ten o'clock at night, most of the storefronts on the street were already closed. The pitch-black night sky was devoid of stars, and only a few aging, disrepair-ridden street lamps cast a dim orange glow along the road.

Two figures were stretched out very long, casting distorted shadows onto the wall that somehow looked rather eerie.

"Stop right there!" an aggressively arrogant voice rang out from behind.

"I said, damn it, stop right where you are!"

Two men slowly turned around. One of them wore a floral shirt and black shorts, with dyed yellow hair.

The other wore a white casual outfit with short black hair. He had a refined, scholarly, and exceptionally handsome appearance.

The redhead had a wooden club propped on his shoulder, and one of his underlings stepped forward to light a cigarette for him.

Dongfang Cheng touched his yellow hair, bumped the arm of the man in white beside him, and let out a low chuckle.

"Brother Gu, who do you think is more stylish, him or me?"

A trace of playful amusement flickered across Gu Ting's eyes. He looked at the redhead opposite them, his thin lips parting slightly. "Six of one, half a dozen of the other."

Dongfang Cheng: ......

And here I was waiting for you to compliment me!

Seeing the two whispering to each other, the redhead's face darkened. Did they think he didn't exist?

"Damn it! If you know what's good for you, leave your money here!" The redhead spat his cigarette onto the ground with a ferocious expression.

These two out-of-towners looked quite well-off; they were prime fat sheep.

"Hahaha..." Dongfang Cheng burst out laughing. A robbery?

A fire of resentment burned in the redhead's heart. Were they looking down on him?

Then he would beat them until they cried for their daddies!

"Damn it! Boys, beat them till even their own parents won't recognize them!"

Dongfang Cheng pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. "Brother Gu, shall we take them together?"

A sneer played on Gu Ting's lips, and just as he was about to make a move, a crisp and melodic voice rang out from behind.

"So noisy."

Dongfang Cheng's eyes lit up. Judging by the voice alone, this was undoubtedly a beauty!

Beneath the street lamp, a young man and woman walked over slowly. The girl possessed exquisitely sculpted facial features with a small, delicate, palm-sized face. She wore a simple white t-shirt, and beneath her denim shorts were remarkably long, beautiful legs. She walked with a light, brisk grace, her long hair streaming backward past her shoulders. Her expression and eyes were cool and detached, making her look like a celestial fairy who had fallen into the mortal realm.

The teenage boy trailing behind her was a head shorter, with refined features, though a trace of unruly edge lurged between his brows.

"Oho! This chick is a stunner!" The eyes of the redhead and his gang went wide and fixed.

Gu Ting frowned. These people were utterly filthy.

"Little sister, this—?" Dongfang Cheng hadn't even finished his sentence when the girl had already charged forward.

"My sister isn't saving you; you guys are simply too noisy here." The boy appeared by Dongfang Cheng's side out of nowhere.

He glanced at Dongfang Cheng and couldn't help rolling his eyes—garishly dressed and hopelessly flamboyant.

Gu Ting's gaze landed on the girl. Her movements were clean, crisp, and entirely unhesitating, each punch striking precisely at the opponents' weak points. Within a few moments, the little hoodlums were sprawled haphazardly across the ground.

"Get lost." The girl loosened her wrist bones, her gaze sharp and fierce.

The redhead didn't dare to linger for even a second, scrambling away on all fours.

"Zhong Yi, let's go." She glanced in the direction where the boy was standing, her eyes locking briefly with Gu Ting's.

This man had been staring at her from the very beginning. She found it somewhat displeasing.

A brilliant smile bloomed on Zhong Yi's face as he trotted over briskly.

"Little fairy, thank you so much!" Dongfang Cheng followed close behind.

Shen Qing glanced at him. His yellow hair was wildly conspicuous, and his peach-blossom eyes were long and narrow, currently narrowed into a squint that made him look thoroughly like a scoundrel.

"No need."

"Can I add your WeChat?" Dongfang Cheng blocked their path, his smile gentle and courteous.

"No."

"Then I'll walk you back." Dongfang Cheng persisted relentlessly.

Zhong Yi cast a sideways glance at him, looking at him as if he were a complete fool.

With a sister whose combat prowess was this insanely awesome, did she need anyone to walk her back?

"Let's go together. That way we can protect... us." Gu Ting stepped forward, standing right beside Shen Qing. Lowering his head slightly, he saw the thick shadow cast by the girl's long eyelashes upon the bridge of her nose.

Dongfang Cheng was somewhat startled, looking at Gu Ting with sheer disbelief.

He was actually taking the initiative to strike up a conversation with a girl? Had the iron tree finally bloomed?

Shen Qing shifted her gaze. The man beside her was dressed in a very ordinary white athletic outfit, wearing a pair of brand-new sneakers on his feet. His skin was very fair, and his features were handsome without being effeminate.

"As you like." Shen Qing raised her eyes and reached out to tug at the hem of Zhong Yi's shirt. Before anyone could react, she had already taken a step forward.

"Are you guys from Jiang City?" Dongfang Cheng asked.

"Mn." Zhong Yi nodded.

"Brother Gu and I are here to travel. Do you have any recommendations?"

"None."

Dongfang Cheng: ......

He then let out a dry laugh. "Hahaha, this little kid is quite aloof."

Gu Ting walked on Shen Qing's left side. Being slightly closer allowed him to catch the faint, subtle fragrance emanating from the girl.

"Something the matter?" Shen Qing glanced at her sleeve, which was nearly brushing against Gu Ting's, a slight frown of disdain creasing her brow.

Gu Ting took note of the girl's subtle micro-expressions, his gaze pausing for a fraction of a second.

"How about adding me on WeChat? We're newcomers here and things are bound to be inconvenient." Gu Ting paused for a single second before tacking on that final sentence.

Dongfang Cheng clicked his tongue in amazement. Was this really Gu Ting, the fellow he knew who was well-versed in every form of eating, drinking, and gambling?

Zhong Yi curled his lip in contempt. What a pathetic excuse for asking for WeChat!

Shen Qing glanced at him and ignored him.

Perhaps because the man's gaze was much too burning, Shen Qing grew thoroughly impatient with being stared at along the way.

She reached into the pocket of her denim shorts and pulled out an exceptionally thick smartphone of an unrecognizable brand. Her hands were aesthetically pleasing with distinct knuckles and slender fingers.

"I'll scan you, just stop following me." The moment Shen Qing finished speaking, Gu Ting extended his QR code with a smiling expression in his eyes.

Shen Qing gave a tiny, silent sneer. That was fast.

"Add me too." Dongfang Cheng also pulled out his phone and opened WeChat.

"Sis, let's hurry." Zhong Yi put the phone away for Shen Qing and pulled her along, walking ahead.

Dongfang Cheng: ......

That little brat did that completely on purpose!

Gu Ting clicked accept on the friend request. The other person's profile picture was a yellow Chinese rural dog baring its teeth at the camera.

"Brother Gu, give me the little fairy's WeChat ID too." Dongfang Cheng sidled up to him with a cheeky grin.

"I begged for this through my own skill. Why should I give it to you?"

"You've changed, doggie. Wuwuwu..."

"Get lost!"

*

The August sun was scorching enough to make people feel dizzy.

"Sis, the bus is here."

Watching the bus pull to a stop, Zhong Yi fished out some loose change, dropped the fare for two into the box, and boarded to find a pair of seats by the window.

As soon as he sat down, Shen Qing opened a mobile game, while Zhong Yi pulled a palm-sized book from his backpack. Shen Qing glanced at it briefly and said nothing.

Shen Qing and Zhong Yi rode the bus for half the morning before finally arriving at the Jiang City High-Speed Railway Station. Zhong Yi used his ID card to collect the two tickets, grabbed a hurried lunch, and finally arrived at Fancheng by six in the evening.

Stepping out of the station exit, Shen Qing immediately spotted the placard held by the Yu family's representative.

"Young Miss?" The middle-aged man looked at Shen Qing's stunning face with a hint of uncertainty. She didn't look much like the master of the house at all.

"Mn." Shen Qing nodded.

Confirming her identity, the butler He Zhong let out a long breath of relief.

"Greetings, Young Miss. I am the butler sent by the master to pick you up. The master has a business dinner tonight and couldn't get away."

"It's fine. Let's go." Whether Yu Fei came or not was of no concern to Shen Qing.

"And your luggage?" He Zhong looked at Shen Qing, who didn't even have a single handbag on her, and only then noticed a teenage boy trailing behind her.

"No luggage. This is my neighbor, Zhong Yi." Shen Qing briefly introduced Zhong Yi's identity.

He Zhong was momentarily stunned. A neighbor had followed them all the way to Fancheng as well?

Still, a kind smile quickly returned to his face. "Young Miss, please follow me."

He Zhong led the two of them to a black sedan, opened the back door for Shen Qing, and—considering that Zhong Yi was a young man of considerable age—directed him to sit in the front passenger seat.