Chapter 439: Apologize to My Master
"Well..."
Zhang Rui didn’t refuse. She just looked up to check Jiang Xinghai’s expression.
"How many of your classmates will be there?" Jiang Xinghai asked. He didn’t want a large crowd.
"Just five or six of them," Zhang Rui said.
"Then we can just share a table," Jiang Xinghai said with a nod, turning to see the eager looks on Shen Lingyin and Mu Jianni’s faces.
The group walked ahead together and entered Xiaofeiyang Hot Pot City.
「Meanwhile.」
The decor was elegant in one of the private booths set against the wall.
The private room was moderately sized, with just enough space for two tables.
Right now, the table was surrounded by people.
A group of young men and women were chatting boisterously, their laughter and banter filling the room with lively energy.
The young women wore trendy clothes and shoes, their faces adorned with exquisite makeup.
The young men, too, each tried to look more elite than the last.
The group was deep in spirited conversation when they suddenly saw Zhang Rui walk in.
Just as they were about to call her over to sit down, they saw a man enter with a woman on each arm.
Everyone was taken aback.
One after another, they couldn’t help but look up and size up the man on Shen Lingyin and Mu Jianni’s arms.
The man was tall and strikingly handsome, with a transcendent air about him.
He had tanned skin, sharp, sword-like brows, and eyes that shone like stars.
The corners of his lips, in particular, were turned up in a half-smile that hinted at a devil-may-care roguishness.
And yet, this man was dressed in a camouflage tank top and shorts, a look completely at odds with his elegant bearing.
The man, however, seemed entirely used to the attention, ignoring their stares.
He casually scanned the room.
Finally, his eyes settled on a few empty seats. "Lingyin, Jianni, let’s sit here."
Shen Lingyin and Mu Jianni exchanged a smile and sat down.
Just as Zhang Rui was about to explain, a young man with glasses asked, "Are you three in the wrong private room?"
"No, no, no. *He’s* in the wrong room. The beautiful ladies, on the other hand, are right where they belong."
"That’s right. We only welcome beauties here. As for this hick... Heh."
Given Jiang Xinghai’s camouflage attire, it wasn’t surprising that they mistook him for a manual laborer.
"What are you talking about? This is Jiang Xinghai! He’s my... my Master!" Zhang Rui said, her cheeks puffed out in anger.
"Jiang Xinghai? Your *master*?"
"Zhang Rui, has a fever addled your brain or something?"
Their expressions changed drastically at her words. Zhang Rui was a Martial Arts practitioner—the only daughter of the head of the Zhang Martial Arts Hall!
’How could she suddenly have a "Master" for no reason?’
Jiang Xinghai’s lips curved into a bright, warm smile. "Zhang Rui, it seems your classmates don’t welcome my presence. You all go ahead with your gathering. We’ll be leaving."
"You can go, but these two young ladies are staying," one of the young men with a cigarette dangling from his lips said, voicing his thoughts directly.
"That’s right. Get lost if you know what’s good for you. Don’t make us throw you out."
As they spoke, one of the other guys opened the door while others stood up, their intentions clearly threatening.
They were all students at a sports university and had embarked on the path of Martial Arts. However, their strength was merely at the Great Martial Artist level; not a single one had reached the rank of Grandmaster.
The same was true for the other young women.
Furthermore, they wore looks of disgust and pulled Zhang Rui over to their side.
"Zhang Rui, what kind of friend is this? Make him leave. Just looking at him makes me sick. I’ve completely lost my appetite," said a flashily dressed girl, who had been pinching her nose the entire time.
It was as if Jiang Xinghai’s appearance in his camouflage outfit had brought a foul stench into the room.
"SLAP!"
But to everyone’s surprise, Zhang Rui shot out a backhand and slapped the girl across the face. "Is my Master someone *you’re* qualified to look down on? I’m the one who organized this gathering. If you don’t like it, then get the hell out!"
Everyone was stunned into silence.
"Zhang Rui, you... you hit me? For some lousy guy?"
A red, five-fingered handprint instantly swelled on the flashy woman’s cheek, and two streams of tears rolled down her face.
"You got off easy!"
Zhang Rui rarely lost her temper in front of her classmates.
Especially now, blowing up at a female classmate she was normally on good terms with. "Kneel and apologize! Beg for my Master’s forgiveness. Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind throwing you from the third floor!"
"Zhang Rui, you...!"
"SLAP!"
Zhang Rui slapped her again, stunning the girl who was about to argue back. "Of course, I could just throw you out right now. You’re nowhere near my level. And that includes—"
She looked up at the young men who had provoked Jiang Xinghai. "—all of you. Get on your knees and apologize to my Master. Now!"
"Zhang Rui, have you lost your mind?!"
"Who the hell is he? Is he really worth you shouting at us like this?"
"This isn’t just shouting anymore, it’s a threat! She’s threatening us!"
The rest of the young men and women all stood up, confronting Zhang Rui as a group.
"I’ve had enough of you bastards’ barking."
Shen Lingyin suddenly rose and made her move. "I’ve wanted to throw you scumbags out since we first walked in."
Mu Jianni rose at the same time. The two of them struck in unison, actually throwing the entire group of young men and women out the window.
It was clean, swift, and decisive!
Absolutely no wasted motion.