"Xun'er, I'm going out to take care of something."
Inside the private room, Xiao Ze suddenly set down the cup in his hand, stood up, and said to Xiao Xun'er.
"Mm-hmm, come back early, Brother Xiao Ze, lest Miss Ya Fei leaves before you get back, and you miss this good show." Xiao Xun'er narrowed her eyes and smiled.
"I'll be back as soon as possible!"
With those words, Xiao Ze left the private room, rubbing the black savings card in his right hand as he planned to go settle the bill first.
Looking at the tightly closed door, Xiao Xun'er spoke up. "Elder Ling, what do you suppose Brother Xiao Ze went to do?"
From a certain corner of the room came a slightly amused voice. "He probably went to settle the bill. Surely he didn't go looking for a chance to bump into Miss Ya Fei?"
"Elder Ling... what are you talking about!" Xiao Xun'er shot a sideways glance at the corner where the voice had come from.
"Hahaha, I'm just talking nonsense. Just now when Young Master Xiao Ze left, he was still feeling the savings card in his pocket, so he must have gone to pay." Elder Ling's voice turned much more serious.
Xiao Xun'er nodded and said, "Brother Xiao Ze was afraid of putting me to great expense, so he planned to go pay the bill himself. But I've already settled it long ago."
After a moment, the door quietly opened.
Xiao Ze poked his head in and saw Xiao Xun'er's light smile and the bill in her hand, instantly wearing a helpless expression.
"It seems you knew what I was up to all along... Xun'er, you already paid."
Xiao Ze walked over to Xiao Xun'er and gently stroked her hair. "You actually deposited a black savings card with a maximum balance at the counter—deducting whatever this meal costs! That's too extravagant!"
"Hehe, Xun'er said she would treat Brother Xiao Ze to a lavish meal, so naturally I wouldn't be stingy." Xiao Xun'er narrowed her eyes slightly, enjoying Xiao Ze's touch.
"But Brother Xiao Ze, didn't we agree that I would treat this time?"
"Yeah, you treat, and I pay. But my plan fell through." Xiao Ze sat back down, feeling rather helpless; he was utterly defeated by Xun'er's financial superpower.
"After all, this is our first time out on a date, and it has quite a commemorative significance, so I wanted to be the one to pay the bill this time."
"Alright, Brother Xiao Ze doesn't need to worry about such trivial matters. Mere two thousand gold coins is something Xun'er can easily afford." Xiao Xun'er grabbed Xiao Ze's hand and said earnestly.
"Besides, Brother Xiao Ze helped me master the Dou Technique Swallow Returning Strike, saving me a lot of time. Time is money, too! Taking everything into account, I've actually made a lot of gold coins!"
"You girl, who calculates accounts like that?"
As the two of them chatted and laughed, they suddenly caught sight of a figure walking down from the stairway.
"The good show is starting!"
"Brother Xiao Ze, let's go!"
Seeing Ya Fei appear, the two immediately stood up and prepared to head downstairs when Xiao Xun'er suddenly called out to Xiao Ze.
Xun'er flipped her wrist, and two black cloaks suddenly appeared in her hands.
Xiao Ze cast an envious glance at the Nairing on Xiao Xun'er's finger. Space rings were such rare things.
"Brother Xiao Ze, put on the cloak so it's easier to move around."
"Alright."
As the two walked down the corridor, the servers along the way were entirely unphased—not seeing a dozen or twenty such people a month would be unusual.
Those draped in cloaks might have all sorts of reasons: ugly appearances, wanted criminals, or lovers meeting in secret. None of this was any business of Shengde Restaurant. As long as you came to eat, didn't cause trouble, and paid honestly, the restaurant wouldn't bother you.
In fact, among the restaurants in Wutan City, there was even a subtle sense of competitive pride regarding this. If no one wearing a cloak to hide their identity came to consume at your restaurant, it must mean the restaurant lacked appeal and business wasn't very good. After all, if a restaurant had many such people, some might very well be wanted criminals. Yet they were willing to risk exposure just to come and have a meal at your restaurant—doesn't that just show how attractive your restaurant was?
Of course, this also carried many risks, and only powerfully backed restaurants were willing to host them frequently.
After the two went downstairs, Ya Fei had already walked out of the restaurant.The short, plump Young Master Ouba was sneaking along right behind Ya Fei.
Xiao Ze noticed that this stout young master actually had a Dou Zhe as a bodyguard.
The two of them followed closely behind Young Master Ouba, who wore a lecherous expression as he trailed after Ya Fei with his guard in tow.
"That Ouba Family young master is clearly drowning in excess, and he's undoubtedly committed plenty of wicked deeds around Wutan City."
"Instead of stopping him, the heads of the Ouba Family actually assigned him more guards, essentially enabling his atrocities!"
Xiao Ze whispered quietly to Xiao Xun'er.
Xiao Xun'er nodded in agreement. Seeming to have noticed something, she leaned in close to Xiao Ze and said,
"Brother Xiao Ze, don't you think the path we're taking is getting more and more secluded?"
"It seems so. It looks like Miss Ya Fei is trying to lure him to a deserted spot to teach that Young Master Ouba a lesson."
"Heh heh, that guy is just as Brother Xiao Ze said—blinded by lust. He hasn't even noticed such an obvious trap."
The two of them followed all the way, completely unconcerned about any danger.
Xiao Xun'er had Elder Ling protecting her, and Xiao Ze knew that she was guarded by a Dou Huang expert, so he felt entirely at ease.
In the entire Wutan City, where could possibly be safer than being right by Xun'er's side?
Finally.
Reaching a secluded alleyway, Young Master Ouba could finally hold back no longer, and with a wicked grin, he said,
"Miss Ya Fei, this is truly fate! For us to cross paths in a place as secluded as this—it must be arranged by the heavens. Just surrender to me."
Inside the alley, Ya Fei's expression remained calm, though a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
She had originally thought this Young Master Ouba would be a bit more patient and wait until they reached a completely deserted alley before making a move.
"It's not a match made in heaven, Young Master Ouba. I brought you here on purpose."
Ya Fei said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, her tone carrying a trace of chill.
Unfortunately, Young Master Ouba completely missed it, and the wicked grin on his face only grew more unbridled.
"Heh heh heh, so Miss Ya Fei fancies me too? Then I won't stand on ceremony."
With unsteady steps, Young Master Ouba dashed toward Ya Fei, the lust in his eyes nearly tangible.
Ya Fei felt a shiver of disgust. The man's gaze felt so palpable that it gave her goosebumps all over!
Bang!
A sudden fluctuation of Dou Qi erupted behind them, and Young Master Ouba whirled around in shock.
He saw that his Dou Zhe bodyguard was already sprawled on the ground, his head covered in blood, his fate unknown.
Standing beside him was a fierce-looking young man with the emblem of the Midel Auction House embroidered on his chest, instantly snapping Young Master Ouba back to his senses.
"N-No... You can't touch me! I am the young master of the Ouba Family. If you lay a hand on me, my father will never let you off!"
Seeing the fierce-looking youth approach him, Ouba tried to put up a bold front while trembling inside.
Bang!
If even a Dou Zhe was utterly helpless against this ferocious youth and killed in a single blow, how much more so for a mere Dou Zhi Qi cultivator?
Ya Fei, standing in the alley, also breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiao Ze and Xiao Xun'er, who had been watching this good show from the shadows, were just about to leave when the situation on the scene suddenly took a drastic turn.
"What is the meaning of this? Why did you kill him?!"
Ya Fei suddenly frowned, demanding an explanation from the ferocious youth.
The short, plump Young Master Ouba's skull was caved in, and blood continuously pooled out—he had zero chance of survival.
"Didn't I tell you just to teach him a lesson?!"
"Heh heh heh, that is indeed what you told me. What a pity—I have no desire to do that, Miss Ya Fei..."
The ferocious youth burst into laughter, stepping closer and closer to Ya Fei as the fierce expression on his face was rapidly replaced by a lecherous grin.
"I fancy you very much as well, Miss Ya Fei!"
Outside the alley, Xiao Ze and Xiao Xun'er exchanged glances, and Xiao Ze couldn't help crying out in his heart:
"There's an even higher-level player?!"