"Uncle, Auntie, please don't blame Xining. It was just me being useless."
Hearing what Zhou Shang said, Lin Yuemei immediately panicked. This golden bachelor was right in front of them; how could she possibly let him get away?
She slammed the table and shouted angrily, "Xining, if you don't show Zhou Shang this respect today, I will cut ties with you as mother and daughter. I don't want a daughter who is so ungrateful!"
"Mom—" Bai Xining was stunned as well.
"Just drink it," Bai Shan said with a dark face.
Though he felt sorry for his daughter, the most important goal today was to play matchmaker between the two of them.
If things were to become a fait accompli, it might not be a bad thing for Bai Xining at all.
Zhou Shang was wealthy, powerful, and treated Bai Xining well. He was a thoroughly decent match—many times better than Xiao Zining!
Seeing her parents acting like this, Bai Xining gritted her teeth and drank the remaining two glasses down little by little. Her throat felt burning hot, and the alcohol rushing to her head made her feel a bit dizzy.
Seeing this, Zhou Shang smiled smugly and smoothly wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Xining, are you alright?"
Bai Xining shook him off. "I'm fine. Please respect yourself."
Lin Yuemei also seemed to sense that Bai Xining had drunk a bit too much, and she chimed in, "Zhou Shang, Xining is already quite drunk. Why don't you help her go and rest for a bit?"
The hint was already crystal clear.
"Alright, alright, alright!"
With permission granted, a smile spread across the corners of Zhou Shang's mouth. "I'll make sure to take good care of Xining!"
With that, he directly helped Bai Xining to her feet, his eyes burning with desire. Today, he was finally going to conquer this woman he had coveted for so long!
So what if you are arrogant?
Aren't you still going to submit beneath this Young Master's feet!
"Let's go," he supported Bai Xining as they walked away, his mind already wandering.
Right at that moment, Xiao Zining pushed the door open. Seeing this scene, his heart gave a violent twitch, and his gaze instantly turned icy. "Let her go!"
"You—"
Seeing Xiao Zining appear, a trace of disdain flashed in Zhou Shang's eyes.
"You stray dog, how dare you show your face here?"
"Get lost!"
"Xining is my woman. You aren't worthy of her!"
Xiao Zining's tone was terrifyingly cold. "I'll warn you one last time: take your filthy hands off her."
"Audacious!"
Lin Yuemei slammed the table and stood up, shouting angrily, "Xiao Zining, it's not your turn to speak here. Get lost!"
Bai Shan wore an unkind expression. "Get out immediately—"
Bai Hao chimed in even more coldly, "What are you sticking your nose in for? My sister and Young Master Zhou are a match made in heaven. Young Master Zhou is talented, handsome, and utterly devoted to my sister. What kind of piece of trash are you, a convicted rapist? If you don't get lost right now, I'll make you pay!"
Hearing this, Zhou Shang also offered a provocative smile. "Xiao Zining, you loser, see that? What do you have to compare with me? Everyone is on my side!"
He raised his middle finger, a provocative smile on his face. "In front of this Young Master, you are nothing more than a pile of dog shit!"
Chapter 32: Disagreement!
"This Young Master has wealth, power, education, and I'm a member of the Zhou family, while you are nothing more than the stray dog of a bankrupt family."
"Are you worthy of her?"
"Soon, your woman will belong to me."
"And you can only watch!"
He laughed wildly and even reached out to stroke Bai Xining's pretty face.
"You're courting death." Seeing Zhou Shang's toying gesture, a cold light flashed in Xiao Zining's eyes. With a flash of his figure, in the next instant, Zhou Shang's finger was snapped straight off.
"Ah!!!"
A miserable scream echoed out.
Xiao Zining grabbed Zhou Shang by the throat and lifted his entire body right into the air.
A suffocating sensation washed over him, causing Zhou Shang to struggle frantically in midair, his face turning a horrifying, pale blue. This scene frightened everyone in the private room out of their wits.
Bai Xining's drunkenness vanished in an instant. "Xiao Zining, what—what are you doing?"
"Touch my woman, and you die." Murderous intent erupted from Xiao Zining's entire body.
"Are you insane?!"
Bai Xining roared, "He's a member of the Zhou family! He's far more powerful than you in Fengcheng. If you touch him, do you think you can get away with it?"
"Let him go right now."
"What, are you not even going to listen to me?"
Her tone was filled with disappointment.
Xiao Zining let out a dark sigh, forced down his anger, and released his grip.
"Young Master Zhou!"
Bai Xining hurriedly helped Zhou Shang up. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! He didn't mean it! Please don't lower yourself to his level..."
Seeing Bai Xining shield Xiao Zining like this, Zhou Shang was consumed by an even greater wave of jealousy.
"Spit!"
"How dare you lay a hand on this Young Master? I'm going to finish him today! Xining, don't try to stop me! Otherwise, I guarantee his end will be even more miserable..."
Hearing this, Bai Xining's face turned pale.
How could the current Xiao Zining possibly stand a chance against Zhou Shang?
"Young Master Zhou, what will it take for you to let this matter go?"
Zhou Shang sneered viciously. "You want me to spare him? Fine! Slap him a few times, make him kneel and apologize, and I'll consider letting him walk away with his life."
"Otherwise... with a single word from me, I'll have men finish him off in minutes!"
"You're courting death." When had Xiao Zining ever suffered such humiliation? Since when was some stinky fish and rotten shrimp like this worthy of making him kneel and apologize?
He genuinely felt the intent to kill.
"Xining, step aside. I'm not afraid of him..."
Before he could finish his sentence...
Slap!
A crisp, loud sound of a slap echoed clearly in everyone's ears.
He froze in shock.
"You... you hit me for this guy?!" Xiao Zining stared at Bai Xining with a heart-wrenching gaze.
"Xiao Zining, I'm begging you to wake up and look at reality, will you?!"
"Do you think you're still that wealthy young master from the past?"
"Apologize right now, and Young Master Zhou might still spare you. Otherwise—"
"Otherwise what?" Xiao Zining asked through gritted teeth, suppressing a monumental rage.
The slap just now had landed on his face, but it hurt in his heart!
"You—" Bai Xining was driven even madder with anger. She was trying to help him; couldn't he tell?
"You are simply unreasonable and ungrateful!"
"The moment I walked in, I saw him hugging you, and you didn't even resist..." A heart-wrenching pain pierced through Xiao Zining's chest, his fists clenched tightly. "And now you actually hit me for this guy..."
"Sorry for disturbing you both. I'm leaving."
Suppressing a massive wave of fury, he turned and walked away.
"Xiao Zining, you..." Bai Xining never expected that he would actually get angry and storm off directly.
Well, if he wanted to leave, let him leave!
How could this guy be so reckless and still dare to lose his temper at her?
She was only doing it for his own good!
Whose bad temper was she supposed to pamper?
Seeing the two of them quarrel, Zhou Shang's smug smile grew even thicker. He smoothly wrapped an arm around Bai Xining's waist. "Let's continue. Pay no attention to him."
Bai Xining brushed his hand away directly. "Young Master Zhou, please respect yourself and don't touch me."
It was precisely because of this guy just now that Xiao Zining had misunderstood her...
Was she a bit too harsh just now?
After all, Xiao Zining was still a grown man, and she had slapped him like that in public...
Yet she had only done it to make Zhou Shang let him go; what did she do wrong...
The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt.
And the more chaotic her heart became.
She grabbed her bag and walked right out...
"Xining!"
"Xining!"
The people behind her shouted, but she turned a deaf ear, not even looking back...
As soon as she stepped outside, she frantically looked around in all directions, searching for Xiao Zining's figure, her face filled with a few more shades of anxiety and worry.
Unknowingly, this man had already occupied a significant place in her heart, pulling at her every nerve and emotion!
Fuming with suppressed anger, Xiao Zining returned to his car and lit a cigarette.
His gaze was wistful.
A dull ache still lingered in his chest...
The moment he received the news, he had rushed right over.
Never had he expected to witness such an intimate scene between Bai Xining and another man...
Even more importantly!
Bai Xining had actually struck him a blow because of the other party!
That was why he had left in a huff.
"Lord Xiao, I have a feeling Madam isn't that kind of person," Xiao Feng said cautiously.
Xiao Zining didn't speak. He hoped she wasn't either, but the moment the facts were laid out right before his eyes, his heart still ached—ached deeply...
Right at that moment, a familiar voice rang out in his ear.
"Xiao Zining—"
A woman stood by the roadside, flustered and frantic, looking around for something.
Who else could it be besides Bai Xining?
His heart gave a twitch. This foolish woman had actually followed him out?
He immediately opened the car door and stepped outside.
Bai Xining searched everywhere for Xiao Zining, her mind a complete mess...
Had he really gotten angry and left?
Was she really too much...
Right at that moment, a mocking female voice came from behind her. "Yo, isn't this Bai Xining? You shameless, cheap woman, you've already been driven out of our Bai family, yet you still dare to show your face in a high-end place like this? I spit on you! Are you worthy?"
Bai Xining turned her head and saw a man and a woman walking toward her with an arrogant swagger.
Chapter 33: Pick It Up! Apologize!
"Bai Yuexin?" Bai Xining glanced at the newcomer, her brow furrowing slightly.
This was her cousin, Bai Yuexin, who had made things difficult for her in every possible way back in the Bai family. After they were driven out of the family, Bai Yuexin and the others even took joy in mocking and oppressing them.
"Heh—"
"How come you're here too?" Bai Yuexin sashayed over, looking at Bai Xining with utter arrogance. "You poor ghost, do you even have the qualifications to come here?"
Wuhu Residence was a high-end consumption venue; what right did a fallen nobody like Bai Xining have to be here and hurt her eyes?
"None of your business." Bai Xining didn't want to deal with her at all, turning around to leave.
"Stop right there!"
Bai Yuexin flew into a rage on the spot, reaching out to yank Bai Xining's bag away. "I'm lecturing you, where do you think you're going!"
"Ugh, what a piece of trash bag, it dirtied this young lady's hands!"
She threw Bai Xining's bag onto the ground and stomped on it fiercely a few times.
"What are you doing?!" Panicking, Bai Xining pushed her away directly.
"How dare you hit me?" Bai Yuexin flew into a furious rage. "I'm going to skin you alive!"
"Slap!" She landed a resounding slap right across Bai Xining's pretty face.
"A cheap slut who committed adultery with some wild man and gave birth to a bastard, and you dare hit me?"
She raised her foot to kick Bai Xining!
"Slap!"
An even louder slap echoed out. Bai Yuexin took a blow to the face, instantly spinning from dizziness before crashing heavily to the ground.
"Who gave you the dog's courage to touch her?" Xiao Zining arrived just in time, shielding Bai Xining behind him.
"Who are you?" Wei Xiaofeng's heart trembled. "Damn it, hitting my woman, tired of living, are you? Today this Young Master is going to teach you a proper lesson!"
He raised his fist and smashed it fiercely toward Xiao Zining, wanting to crush him in a single move!
However...
Xiao Zining closed his five fingers and twisted his hand abruptly...
"Ah!! It hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts..." Wei Xiaofeng's arm was twisted. With just a slight application of force, Xiao Zining pressed him down until he knelt on the ground!
If he didn't kneel, his arm would snap!
"Pick up the bag for me, wipe it clean, present it with both hands, and apologize!"
Xiao Zining looked coldly at Bai Yuexin.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Of course, Bai Yuexin refused.
Xiao Zining planted a foot on her shoulder, pressing her down.
"I'll only give you one chance!"
That indifferent gaze made both Bai Yuexin and Wei Xiaofeng shudder.
They knew they were definitely no match for Ling Xiao; a wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him!
With a face full of reluctance, Bai Yuexin picked up the bag, wiped it clean, placed it back into Bai Xining's hands, and bowed in apology. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
The grievance in her heart was suffocating!
Why?
Was this cheap woman really worthy of making her lower her head?
She was the eldest miss of the Bai family now; what kind of thing was the woman in front of her!
"Get lost—"
Ling Xiao kicked Wei Xiaofeng, who was beneath his feet, away.
The two of them brushed the dust off their disheveled bodies, glaring hatefully at Xiao Zining and Bai Xining.
Wei Xiaofeng shouted arrogantly, "Who are you? If you have the guts, leave your name behind. This Young Master will come back for your life!"
"I am her man, and the father of her children!" Xiao Zining said flatly.
"Next time I see you bullying my woman, it will never end as simply as it does today. Remember that, or... bear the consequences!"
"I was wondering who it was, turns out it's you, the fallen dog of the Xiao family! Heh, Bai Xining, you really do have cheap bones!"
"Back when the Xiao family was rich and powerful, you refused to let those two bastards acknowledge their ancestors. Now that the Xiao family has gone bankrupt, you've gone crawling back to shack up with this rapist?"
"Bah! Bitch!"
"Courting death." Seeing her humiliate Bai Xining and the two children like this, a fierce murderous intent surged within Xiao Zining.
"Don't do it." Knowing how heavy-handed Xiao Zining could be, Bai Xining quickly pulled him back. "No matter what, she's still my family. Don't hit her too hard."
"They bullied you to such an extreme extent, and you're still speaking up for her?"
"If I were to do that, how would I be any different from them?" Bai Xining sighed softly. "Just ignore them, it doesn't matter."
Bai Yuexin sneered coldly, "Xiao Zining, do you think knowing a few martial arts moves makes you amazing? You're still nothing more than a loser!"
"Now your Xiao family has gone bankrupt! Even your company was snatched away by your fiancee, heh... You don't even have the qualifications to enter Wuhu Residence!"
"What right do you have to yell in front of the two of us?!"
"Only trash at the very bottom of society resort to brute force."
"Just like right now, we can walk into a high-end restaurant like this to enjoy ourselves, while the two of you poor ghosts can only stand at the door and watch!!"
"Is that so?" Xiao Zining sneered. "Believe it or not, with a single word from me, I can stop you from ever setting foot inside the doors of Wuhu Residence?"
Hearing this, the two of them froze for a moment, and then burst into wild, uproarious laughter.
Chapter 34: Throw Them Out!
"Believe it! I believe your ghost!" Wei Xiaofeng said smugly, "My aunt is the deputy manager here. I can even eat here for free without spending a dime!"
"And you...!"
"Heh, if you have the guts, come in. If I don't have you thrown out like dogs, my name isn't Wei Xiaofeng. Do you dare come in and try?"
With that, Wei Xiaofeng walked inside, smugly hooking his finger at them with a face full of provocation.
"Young Master Wei!"
"Young Master Wei!"
Seeing Wei Xiaofeng walk in, the waiters and waitresses all bowed in greeting.
Wei Xiaofeng nodded with a pretentious air, waved his hand, and said coldly, "Later, when that poor piece of trash comes in, all of you throw him straight out!"
"Yes!" Hearing this, everyone looked threateningly at Xiao Zining and Bai Xining.
It was as if the moment they took a single step forward, they would be tossed out immediately!
Seeing this array, Bai Xining tugged at Xiao Zining's hand and advised, "Forget it, don't lower yourself to their level."
"Besides, if you try to fight them head-on right now, wouldn't you just be humiliating yourself?"
Bai Xining certainly didn't want to be thrown out like that—how shameful would it be?
"Don't worry, give me ten minutes."
Xiao Zining gestured, and Xiao Feng immediately understood, stepping forward. Xiao Zining lowered his voice and said, "Take over this restaurant for me, and have everyone inside stand on high alert to welcome Miss Xining as our distinguished guest."
"Also..."
"Throw them out!"
Hearing Xiao Zining's murmurs, Xiao Feng nodded. For them, taking over this restaurant was merely a trivial matter accomplished with a flick of the hand.
Five minutes was more than enough to get everything ready.
"What did you just say to Xiao Feng?" Bai Xining asked, her face full of doubt.
"Asked her to contact someone."
Xiao Zining replied calmly, and he wasn't lying—he really was going to contact someone.
"Loser, weren't you being very arrogant just now? Go on, try taking half a step in here now?" Wei Xiaofeng stood inside, baring his teeth as he mocked Xiao Zining.
"Tsk tsk, seeing you two standing outside like a pair of stray dogs looking in, those pitiful expressions of yours really break my heart..."
Bai Yuexin laughed so hard tears were almost coming out of her eyes.
Bai Xining felt utterly mortified.
She felt that continuing to stand here foolishly was the height of self-humiliation.
"Xiao Zining, are you leaving or not? If you're not going, I am!"
She really couldn't afford to lose face like this.
"Consider that you have some self-awareness." Bai Yuexin grinned. "Hurry up and get lost. Face reality and stop humiliating yourself."
Bai Xining's ears burned red with embarrassment; this was just too awkward!
Right as Bai Yuexin and Wei Xiaofeng were mocking them frantically...
Thud, thud, thud!
A flurry of hurried footsteps sounded, and a group of men and women in tailored suits strode out of the elevator, all of them looking hurried and intensely nervous.
"Auntie!"
Seeing one of the middle-aged women among them, Wei Xiaofeng's eyes instantly lit up.
That woman glanced at him with a dark, gloomy expression and a somewhat complicated look in her eyes.
Wei Xiaofeng hurried forward to greet her.
Leading the group was a middle-aged man; even Wei Xiaofeng's aunt could only stand respectfully behind him, not daring to utter a sound.
"Who is Wei Xiaofeng? Who is Bai Yuexin?" The middle-aged man asked in a deep voice.
"It's me." Being called out by name, Wei Xiaofeng felt an overwhelming surge of pride.
"I am Wei Xiaofeng!"
"I am Bai Yuexin, the legitimate young miss of the Bai family!" Bai Yuexin also puffed out her chest.
Filled with immense pride!
"You two are them?" The middle-aged man reconfirmed.
"That's right." Wei Xiaofeng nodded arrogantly. "We're frequent spenders here. Although we can be considered VIP guests of Wuhu Residence, you really didn't need to come out and welcome us like this..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the middle-aged man immediately darkened his face and waved his hand dismissively. "Men! Throw them out immediately! As of today... neither of them is permitted to step foot into my Wuhu Residence ever again!"
"Th—this..."
The two of them were completely dumbfounded.
"What is the meaning of this! We are—"
Before he could finish, the waiters who had just been treating them with utmost respect directly grabbed them by their limbs and tossed them right out the door. "Young Master Wei, Miss Bai, we are sorry. We have no choice but to follow the general manager's orders. No hard feelings..."
Thud! Thud!
The two of them crashed heavily onto the ground like dead dogs!
Their rears felt as though they were about to split open...
The surrounding gazes of surprise and mockery made them even more unable to find a place to hide their faces!
Until this very moment, they still couldn't understand what on earth...
Was going on?!
Bai Xining was also stunned dumb by this scene.
Bai Yuexin and her companion, who had been full of swagger just a moment ago, were actually thrown out just like that?
"Excuse me, which one is Miss Bai Xining?"