Chapter 174: A Provocation?

Jiang City was a third-tier, sleepy little town. At ten o'clock at night, most of the storefronts on the street were already shuttered. The pitch-black sky was devoid of stars, and the road was illuminated only by the orange glow of a few aging, flickering streetlights.

Two figures cast elongated shadows stretching across the wall, looking somewhat bizarre no matter how one looked at it.

"Stop right there!" a deeply arrogant voice rang out from behind.

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

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

The other wore a pristine white casual outfit, with short black hair, looking refined and strikingly handsome.

The red-haired man rested a wooden stick on his shoulder, and one of his lackeys 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 chuckled softly.

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

A flicker of playful amusement crossed Gu Ting's eyes as he glanced at the red-haired man opposite them, his thin lips parting slightly. "Six of one, half a dozen of the other."

Dongfang Cheng was left speechless.

And here I was waiting for a compliment!

The red-haired man watched the two whispering to each other, his face darkening. Were they treating him like air?

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

These two outsiders looked loaded; they were a pair of fat sheep ripe for the shearing.

"Hahaha..." Dongfang Cheng burst out laughing. A stick-up?

Furious, the red-haired man felt his pride stinging. Were they looking down on him?

Then he'd beat them until they called him daddy!

"Damn it! Brothers, beat them until 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. Just by the sound of that voice, she was undoubtedly a beauty!

Under the streetlight, a young man and a woman walked slowly toward them. The girl's facial features were exceptionally striking; her palm-sized face was small and delicate. Dressed in a simple white T-shirt, her denim shorts revealed a pair of long, slender, and shapely legs. She moved with a breeze, her long hair streaming backward past her shoulders, and her brows and eyes carried a chilling detachment, making her look like a celestial fairy who had fallen into the mortal realm.

The young boy walking behind her was a head shorter than the girl, with refined features and a hint of sullen hostility between his brows.

"Oho! This chick is an absolute stunner!" The red-haired man and his gang stared with wide, unblinking eyes.

Gu Ting frowned. These people were utterly filthy.

"Little sister, this...?" Before Dongfang Cheng could finish his sentence, the girl had already dashed forward.

"My sister isn't saving you guys; you were just being way too noisy here." The boy appeared beside Dongfang Cheng at some point.

He glanced at Dongfang Cheng and couldn't help rolling his eyes—all flash and dazzle, a total peacock.

Gu Ting's gaze landed on the girl. Her movements were clean, crisp, and entirely devoid of hesitation. Every punch struck the weak spots of those thugs, and within moments, the punks were sprawled all over the ground in disarray.

"Get lost." The girl relaxed her wrists, her gaze sharp and fierce.

The red-haired man didn't dare to linger for a single second, scrambling away in a panic.

"Zhong Yi, let's go." She glanced toward the direction where the boy was standing, her gaze meeting Gu Ting's.

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

A broad smile bloomed on Zhong Yi's face as he trotted over on quick, light steps.

"Little fairy, thank you!" Dongfang Cheng hurried after them.

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

"No need to thank me."

"Can I add you on WeChat?" Dongfang Cheng blocked their path, his smile gentle and polite.

"No."

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

Zhong Yi cast a sideways glance at him, looking as though he were gazing at an utter fool.

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

"Let's go together. At least we can protect... ourselves." Gu Ting stepped forward, coming to a halt beside Shen Qing. Lowering his gaze slightly, he noticed the heavy shadows cast by the girl's eyelashes upon the bridge of her nose.

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

He was actually initiating a conversation with a girl? Had the iron tree finally bloomed?

Shen Qing shifted her gaze. The man beside her wore a very ordinary white athletic outfit, stepped in a brand-new pair of DL sneakers. His skin was remarkably fair, and his features were handsome without lacking masculinity.

"As you like." Shen Qing lifted 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 from Jiang City?" Dongfang Cheng asked.

"Mn." Zhong Yi nodded.

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

"None."

Dongfang Cheng was left speechless.

Then he let out a dry laugh. "Hahaha, this little kid is quite aloof."

Gu Ting walked on Shen Qing's left side, close enough that he could 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 furrowing her brow.

Gu Ting took in the girl's subtle micro-expressions, his gaze pausing momentarily.

"How about we add each other on WeChat? Since we're newcomers here, things can be a bit inconvenient." Gu Ting added the latter half of the sentence after a second's pause.

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

Zhong Yi curled his lip in scorn. That was a pathetically lame excuse to ask for WeChat!

Shen Qing shot him a sidelong glance and ignored him.

Perhaps the man's gaze was simply too scorching, because all the way there, Shen Qing grew irritated by the constant staring.

She reached into the pocket of her denim shorts and pulled out an extremely thick smartphone. The brand was unrecognizable, but her hands were undeniably striking—knuckle-defined and long-fingered.

"I'll scan you, just stop following me." As soon as Shen Qing finished speaking, Gu Ting immediately extended his QR code, his eyes brimming with a smile.

Shen Qing curled her lip slightly. He was fast.

"Add me too, won't you?" Dongfang Cheng also pulled out his phone and opened WeChat.

"Sis, let's go." Zhong Yi retrieved the phone for Shen Qing and pulled her along, taking the lead.

Dongfang Cheng was left speechless.

That little brat did it 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, hand over the little fairy's WeChat ID for me, won't you?" Dongfang Cheng sidled up to him with a grin.

"I begged for it through my own hard work, why should I give it to you?"

"You've changed, doggy. Sob, sob, sob..."

"Get lost!"

*

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

"Sis, the bus is here."

Watching the bus pull to a stop, Zhong Yi fished out some loose change, paid the fare for two, and boarded to find a seat by the window.

The moment she sat down, Shen Qing fired up a 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 their ID cards to collect the two tickets, grabbed a hasty lunch, and finally arrived at Fancheng by six in the evening.

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

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

"Mn." Shen Qing nodded.

Confirming her identity, the housekeeper He Zhong let out a long sigh of relief.

"Hello, Miss. I am the housekeeper 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 wasn't even carrying a bag, and only then noticed a young boy following closely 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 tagged along to Fancheng as well?

Nevertheless, a kindly smile remained plastered across his face. "Miss, please follow me."

He Zhong led the two of them to a black sedan. He opened the rear door for Shen Qing, but considering that Zhong Yi was a young man and no longer a child, he gestured for him to sit in the front passenger seat.