Chen Tianyang gave a wry smile. Then, he puffed out his chest and declared, "Are you kidding me? Ever since I was a kid, no matter if it was food, clothing, shelter, or transportation, I've always been self-reliant. How could I ever let a woman support me? That is the most ridiculous thing in the world!"
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step—oh wait, no, it begins with a good meal. Only when one is well-fed can one go on to achieve great things.
Chen Tianyang casually found a small snack shop on the street, intending to fill his stomach first.
The snack shop wasn't very big, but it was decorated in an antique style that was quite exquisite and very comfortable to sit in.
Just as Chen Tianyang was about to order, a surprised cry came from beside him, "Goodness! I thought I was seeing things. Is it really you?"
Chen Tianyang looked up and saw a girl standing before him. She wore a ponytail, looked exceptionally pure and pretty, and seemed very familiar.
At that moment, the girl was looking at him with a mixture of pleasant surprise and excitement.
Chen Tianyang suddenly understood. A smile crept onto the corner of his mouth as he said, "It's you."
This girl was none other than the one Chen Tianyang had rescued not long ago.
He hadn't expected to run into her again here.
Lin Yaoyao said excitedly, "After you saved me, I never got to thank you in person."
"Hey, it was just a piece of cake. Trash like that isn't even worth my attention. By the way, what are you doing here?" Chen Tianyang waved his hand quite cockily.
A look of even deeper adoration appeared in Lin Yaoyao's eyes, and she proceeded to introduce herself.
Only then did Chen Tianyang learn that this shop was run by Lin Yaoyao's aunt, and that she was here helping out.
When Lin Yaoyao's aunt discovered the commotion and came over, she learned the truth and showered Chen Tianyang with endless thanks.
Finally, under the insistence of the two women, Chen Tianyang "reluctantly" agreed to let them treat him to a meal.
"Brother Yang, have you lived in the mountains ever since you were little? That's so pitiful."
"Mm, it's not bad. Life in the mountains is actually quite interesting."
"Brother Yang, then you're all on your own now. Have you figured out where you're going to work?"
"I haven't thought about it yet."
"How about..." Lin Yaoyao noticed that Chen Tianyang's clothes were old, making it obvious that he had no one to rely on in the city. She plucked up her courage and said carefully, "How about you come help out here at my aunt's place, Brother Yang? Just treat it as a temporary transition, what do you think?"
Help out at a snack shop?
Chen Tianyang thought about it. He was currently strapped for cash and indeed needed to make money. Besides, this Lin Yaoyao chick looked pretty good, and they seemed to hit it off.
After a brief consideration, Chen Tianyang nodded with a smile, "Alright."
"Yay! That's wonderful!" Overwhelmed with joy, Lin Yaoyao jumped straight out of her seat, drawing the gazes of quite a few customers.
Realizing she had lost her composure, Lin Yaoyao cute-as-a-button stuck out her little tongue.
Tang Meilian, who was Lin Yaoyao's aunt, gave her a reproachful look, then turned to Chen Tianyang with a happy smile and said, "Xiaoyang, I'm truly glad you're willing to lower yourself to help out here. But those clothes of yours won't do. Hurry up and finish eating, and after the meal, I'll take you to the mall for some shopping."
"Yay, we get to go shopping! That's so great," Lin Yaoyao said happily, stealing a shy glance at Chen Tianyang.
After the meal, the snack shop closed up. Chen Tianyang got into Tang Meilian's BMW X6 and headed toward the building, with Lin Yaoyao sitting right beside him, chattering away nonstop.
A luxury car and beauties.
Even Chen Tianyang found it quite pleasing to the eyes.
When the three of them arrived at the trade building, Lin Yaoyao—pure and cute—already commanded an extremely high head-turning rate. Chen Tianyang, on the other hand, was dressed entirely in cheap street-stall clothes, making him look completely out of place. Yet the fact that they were walking together drew curious gazes from many passersby.
Chen Tianyang, however, didn't care at all; in fact, he looked quite smug.
Lin Yaoyao and Tang Meilian didn't have skin as thick as his, so they quickened their pace. They had Chen Tianyang's hair styled and picked out a few outfits for him.
I must admit, the two women had exceptional taste. Once Chen Tianyang changed into casual wear, his image and temperament instantly elevated by several notches. Under such a stark contrast, even Tang Meilian's eyes flashed with a hint of satisfaction, let alone Lin Yaoyao's.
The three of them originally intended to leave, but as they reached the entrance of the building, two muscular men walked toward them head-on. One of them had a blue dragon tattooed on his arm, while the other was bald and looked fierce and vicious—at a glance, they were clearly thugs from the streets.
When the two men saw Lin Yaoyao, looks of astonishment and barely concealed lust instantly appeared on their faces.
The tattooed man immediately grinned and said, "Hey there, Miss. Why are you walking so fast? You just bumped into the two of us. Do you really think you can just leave without compensating us?"
Chapter 9: Picking a Fight With Me, You're Overestimating Yourself
Lin Yaoyao was startled and instinctively shrank behind Chen Tianyang. Tang Meilian frowned and said, "Don't you go making false accusations! You claim we bumped into you—do you have any proof?"
"Proof? My word is proof!" The tattooed man burst into laughter and swaggered, "People on the streets call me Brother She. Go ask around—around these parts, nobody dares to cross us."
The bald man chimed in, "Brother She isn't someone you want to mess with. How about this? We'll cut you a break today and won't make you pay money. Why don't you come grab a drink with us brothers later to apologize? How about that?"
"As for this pretty boy next to you, you'd better clear out as fast as you can. Otherwise, if you piss me off, I'll cripple you on the spot."
As the two men spoke, they cast burning, unmasked glances at the chests of Tang Meilian and Lin Yaoyao, their eyes blazing with desire.
Tang Meilian and Lin Yaoyao were furious and anxious; facing such shameless people, they had no idea what to do.
Suddenly, a handsome man wearing gold-rimmed glasses stepped out from the side and said righteously, "Stop right there! Pulling stunts in broad daylight—watch out or I'll call the police."
"Call the police?" Brother She's expression turned cold as he exchanged a glance with the bald man.
The bespectacled man thought they had been intimidated by him. Imagining how he could show off in front of such stunning beauties—and perhaps even win the heart of a fair maiden in the process—he swelled with pride and raised his voice, "That's right! I'll give you three minutes. If you don't get lost—"
"Fuck your mother!" Before he could finish, the bald man suddenly kicked the bespectacled man to the ground, shattering his glasses.
Unsatisfied, the bald man rushed forward and landed a few more kicks, cursing, "Damn it! Wanting to play the hero saving the damsel in distress without even looking at what kind of piece of shit you are!"
The bespectacled man never expected them to resort to violence over a disagreement, and he wailed miserably as he was beaten. Many onlookers, terrified of getting dragged into trouble, didn't dare step forward.
Just then, the security guards rushed over. Before they could even speak, Brother She sneered immediately, "I roll with Brother Hu. If you don't want to die, get lost!"
"B-Brother Hu?"
The name "Brother Hu" seemed to possess some kind of magic. Fear flashed in the eyes of the security guards, and even their legs were trembling. They cast a guilt-ridden look at Lin Yaoyao, then turned and walked away.
Even the bespectacled man wore a look of shock. Brother Hu's full name was Jiang Tianhu, a figure who terrified the entire Guanghua City. Since Brother She was his underling, there was nothing he could do about taking this beating in vain.
Brother She laughed smugly, "Haha, beautiful, now that the eyesores are gone, why don't you come with us?"
As for Chen Tianyang, he had already been completely ignored by Brother She.
Tang Meilian's face turned livid. Her life and career had always sailed smoothly since she was a child; when had she ever suffered this kind of humiliation?
However, the performance of another person made her heart grow cold.
From beginning to end, Chen Tianyang hadn't stepped forward, clearly intimidated by Jiang Tianhu's reputation.
Disappointment and contempt welled up in Tang Meilian's heart, and she sighed secretly. *Yaoyao, oh Yaoyao, it looks like Chen Tianyang isn't as outstanding as you said. He's simply not suited for you.*
Many people in the surrounding crowd also cast looks of contempt at Chen Tianyang, secretly mocking him as a coward.
Only Lin Yaoyao remained filled with confidence in Chen Tianyang.
Tang Meilian took out her phone, preparing to make a call.
Brother She frowned slightly. He assumed Tang Meilian wanted to call the police; though he didn't care, he didn't want any unnecessary complications either, so he immediately stepped forward and snatched at the phone.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed Brother She's wrist.
"Right in front of me, you try to harass my friend and even snatch her things. Have you prepared yourselves to bear the brunt of my fury?"
Chen Tianyang still wore a harmless smile, but his gaze was cold—terrifyingly cold.
*Brother Yang looks so imposing,* Lin Yaoyao thought with a hint of adoration.
Compared to Brother She, Chen Tianyang's build appeared slightly slender, yet Brother She's wrist, held in his grip like an iron clamp, remained completely immovable.
Tang Meilian hesitated slightly and put the phone she had just picked back up.
"If you don't want to die, let go of me right now! I roll with Brother Hu—who the hell are you?" Brother She sneered.
"The man who's going to take your life!" Chen Tianyang sneered, a sharp glint seemingly flashing across his eyes.
"Damn it!" cursing loudly, Brother She threw a punch straight at Chen Tianyang's face.
Chen Tianyang took a slight step to the side, effortlessly dodging the attack while simultaneously delivering a fierce slap straight across Brother She's face. If he hadn't still been holding onto Brother She's wrist, that blow probably would have sent him flying.
The jaws of the onlookers dropped. They never expected this seemingly frail kid to throw such a ferocious punch.
The beaten bespectacled man climbed back up at that moment, a look of mockery surfacing in his eyes. Daring to fight Brother Hu's men was pure suicide! A wise man submits to circumstances; humbling oneself like he did was the right path!
"How dare you hit me? Baldy, finish him off!" Furious, Brother She raised his foot and kicked toward Chen Tianyang.
At the same time, the bald man thrust out a fist the size of a sandbag, aiming a vicious blow at the back of Chen Tianyang's head!
Caught in a pincer attack, Chen Tianyang was at a disadvantage in both physical size and numbers.
Chen Tianyang was bound to lose!
The surrounding crowd subconsciously made their judgment.
Even Tang Meilian's pretty face changed color.
Lin Yaoyao even covered her mouth and cried out in alarm, "Brother Yang, watch out!"
"Humph! Picking a fight with me, you're overestimating yourself!"
Chen Tianyang sneered. His gaze narrowed as two tiny silver needles appeared in his hand once again. With a flick of his finger, the silver light actually outpaced the attacks, flying into the bodies of Brother She and the bald man respectively.
Brother She and the bald man suddenly felt a numbness wash over their bodies. Their previously ferocious moves turned weak and limp halfway through, dropping down powerlessly to the point where they could barely stand steady.
Both of their expressions changed drastically. Brother She asked in shock, "What... what did you do to us?"
Chapter 10: Do You Submit or Not?
From the perspective of the surrounding crowd, it was a very strange sight.
Chen Tianyang was standing in the middle. Just as Brother She and the bald man were about to hit him, the two of them stopped dead in their tracks simultaneously, swaying unsteadily as if they were drunk.
Strange expressions immediately appeared on the faces of the onlookers.
The bespectacled man's jaw dropped even further, and he secretly suspected that Brother She and the bald man were deliberately pulling their punches.
Tang Meilian widened her eyes, her lovely eyes filled with curiosity.
Lin Yaoyao grew excited. She remembered very clearly that it was with just a few silver needles that Chen Tianyang had rescued her from the fugitive; now that Chen Tianyang was using the same trick again, she was filled with inexplicable excitement.
"Now, it's my turn."
Chen Tianyang's cold words reached them, and everyone turned their eyes toward him in unison.
Right under the gaze of everyone, Chen Tianyang extended his right hand—his hand was very fair, and his fingers were quite long—and said to Brother She, "This slap, I'm going to hit your right cheek to punish you for making false accusations and slandering my friend."
*Slap!*
Chen Tianyang swept his hand across. Brother She could barely stand steady, let alone dodge.
Brother She's right cheek instantly swelled up high and red.
Chen Tianyang still kept his right hand extended and said, "This slap, I'm going to hit your left cheek to punish you for speaking disrespectfully to my friend."
*Slap!*
Brother She was beaten dizzy, seeing stars.
"This slap is to punish you for your arrogance and your attempt to snatch my elder's phone!"
With a *slap*, Brother She was sent flying directly, crashing to the ground and unable to get back up.
The crowd was shocked in unison, and even Tang Meilian's eyes flashed with a hint of brilliance.
"Brother Yang is so awesome! Go get 'em," Lin Yaoyao cheered, hopping with joy.
The next moment, Chen Tianyang turned around, faced the bald man, broke into a smile, and walked toward him.
The bald man's expression changed drastically. His body was already weak and numb, and frightened by Chen Tianyang like this, he fell to the ground with a *thud*, sitting flat on his backside. Putting up a bold front while feeling terrified inside, he blurted out, "I'm one of Brother Hu's men! Haven't you heard of Jiang Tianhu? Brother Hu is known as the Number One Tiger of Guanghua! If you dare hit me, Brother Hu will never let you off!"
Chen Tianyang's expression remained calm. He walked up in front of the bald man, looked down at him sideways from his superior vantage point, and sneered, "In front of me, tigers must lie down and dragons must coil! I don't give a damn about your Brother Hu or Brother Cat—you lot have no room to act arrogant in front of me. Look closely, this kick of mine is going to crush your right hand to punish you for attacking me!"
Chen Tianyang slowly raised his foot.
The bald man's expression changed drastically, and he shouted in a harsh voice, "You wouldn't dare! Watch out or Brother Hu will wipe out your entire family—"
Chen Tianyang's expression didn't change as he brought his foot down viciously.
With a *crack*, the bald man's right hand suffered a direct compound fracture, and he let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.
The onlookers stared as if they had seen a ghost. *Holy crap, this kid attacks so ruthlessly! Is he really not afraid of Brother Hu's retaliation?*
The bespectacled man was even more exasperated. He had originally thought Chen Tianyang would end up beaten to a pulp just like him, but now that Chen Tianyang was displaying such might, didn't that just make him look like a total moron?
*Humph, it doesn't matter anyway. Brother She is Brother Hu's man; once you've offended Brother Hu, just wait to be tortured to death. The one who laughs last is the winner.*
The bespectacled man smiled insidiously.
Chen Tianyang kicked the bald man away, then walked leisurely up to Brother She, grabbed him by the hair, and sneered, "I've beaten the lot of you. Do you submit or not?"
"I submit, I submit, Big Brother! Just let me go," hatred flashed briefly across Brother She's eyes.
Chen Tianyang sneered, "Even if you submit outwardly but not inwardly, I couldn't care less. Remember this: my name is Chen Tianyang, and I'm a doctor—a highly skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor, at that. I've already planted hidden methods in your bodies. In three days, you'll find out what it means to wish you were dead. This is the real punishment for you."
With that, Chen Tianyang stopped paying attention to them. He walked over to Lin Yaoyao, took the shopping bags, and said with a cheeky grin, "Let's go. Time to head home."
"Mmm," Lin Yaoyao nodded heavily.
Tang Meilian took it all in and sighed softly to herself. As Lin Yaoyao's aunt, she could naturally tell that Lin Yaoyao had a favorable impression of Chen Tianyang. After this incident, that favorable impression would probably grow even deeper, and she might have already fallen for him.
However, Tang Meilian was also relatively open-minded. Chen Tianyang certainly had a sense of responsibility; though a bit poor, he was a stock with potential and didn't disgrace Yaoyao. It was just that getting past Yaoyao's parents would probably be tough—the two young lovers were bound to suffer quite a bit.
Thinking of Lin Yaoyao's parents, Tang Meilian gave a wry smile and walked outside together with the two of them.
In the eyes of the crowd, Chen Tianyang had already become like a demon king. The onlookers parted like the tide, retreating to both sides to clear a passageway.
"Wait, you two, please slow down."
A very pleasant voice came from behind.
Chen Tianyang turned his head and saw a very pretty, mature woman wearing a black professional suit, with a beauty mark at the corner of her lips. Far from hindering her charm, it added an extra touch of allure. Following right behind her was a beautiful secretary.
She was none other than Han Muqing, the manager of the Guanghua Trade Building. At only twenty-eight years old, she had already become the general manager of the trade building, and her future was boundless.
She had watched the entire process of Chen Tianyang teaching Brother She a lesson. At first, she hadn't paid much attention, but when Chen Tianyang used silver needles to paralyze Brother She, she was thoroughly shocked.
Generally, only traditional Chinese medicine doctors used silver needles, and anyone capable of locating acupoints as precisely as Chen Tianyang was definitely a master of the craft. Instantly, an idea took root in her mind.
Obviously, quite a few people in the surrounding crowd recognized her and had already started whispering among themselves.
Chen Tianyang wore a playful smile. He pointed at Brother She and said, "What? Are you planning to stand up for them?"
Chapter 11: Han Muqing
"No, no, no. You've misunderstood, sir," Han Muqing said with a polite smile. "I'm the person in charge here. Since the two of you were subjected to unprovoked harassment here, I want to express my deepest apologies."
After saying that, Han Muqing turned a serious gaze to her secretary behind her and said, "Xiao Liu, these two are distinguished guests of the trade building. From now on, whenever they shop here, all goods will be sold at a thirty percent discount. In addition, the security guards on duty today neglected their duties—fire them all."
"Understood, Sister Han." Secretary Xiao Liu was terribly shocked. A thirty percent discount on all goods was quite a massive gesture! Even to make amends, there was no need to bleed this much, was it?
The surrounding crowd was both shocked and envious.
The security guards on duty at the entrance instantly turned ashen, collapsed onto the ground, and wept without tears, "It's over, it's over. My rice bowl is gone."
Only a fool passes up a freebie. Chen Tianyang said with a cheeky smile, "You're a reasonable person after all. Thanks a lot for your kind intentions."
The next moment, Han Muqing turned to face Chen Tianyang. With a hint of respect, she handed over her business card and said, "Mr. Chen, although it's a bit abrupt, there is something I need to confirm."
"Alright, go ahead," Chen Tianyang said with curiosity.
"May I ask, are you really skilled in medicine?" Han Muqing asked, somewhat nervously.
"That's right."
"And your medical skills are very high?"
Chen Tianyang suddenly sized Han Muqing up, a playful smile appearing in his eyes as he said, "Your saliva has been a bit dry lately, and it tastes slightly bitter. You're irritable, suffer from insomnia and vivid dreams, and frequently dream of a vast expanse of dark water. Am I right?"
"How do you know that?" Han Muqing was completely stunned, because everything Chen Tianyang said was entirely accurate.
However, dry, bitter-tasting saliva and insomnia with vivid dreams could perhaps be diagnosed by a skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor through one's complexion, but even being able to see that she dreamt of dark water? This Chen Tianyang was simply too miraculous!
Chen Tianyang smiled. "Right now, it's the long summer, which corresponds to earth in the five elements. Looking at your complexion, which faintly shows a yellowish hue, it's obvious that your spleen and stomach qi are overly exuberant, leading to a slight deficiency in kidney qi. The kidneys correspond to water and the color black, so naturally, you would dream of dark water. In addition, you also show signs of impending irregular menstruation. Go home, eat two red dates every day to nourish your blood, and take some Liuwei Dihuang Pills, and you'll be fine."
Irregular menstruation?
Han Muqing's pretty face flushed a rare red, and she let out a silent scoff. Then, she said with pleasant surprise, "Mr. Chen is truly formidable! I happen to have a patient here who might need your help. I wonder if you'd be willing to help diagnose them? Of course, regardless of whether you can cure them or not, we will handsomely reward you."
Tang Meilian was secretly astonished. She hadn't expected that aside from knowing martial arts, Chen Tianyang actually understood medicine as well. However, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners got more experienced with age; since Chen Tianyang was so young, he was probably just talking big.