Shen Fanyun's move not only caught Shen Ruyan off guard but also secretly impressed the guests present tonight, compelling them to take a second look at him.
"Don't be fooled by the fact that she just runs a bar. This woman has powerful connections."
"He even gave her his contact information. Isn't he afraid Shen Ruyan will seek revenge later?"
"Is he arrogant, or does he genuinely not take Shen Ruyan seriously?"
Shen Ruyan knelt on the ground, her face dripping blood. Stunned by Shen Fanyun's actions, it took her a very long time to come to her senses.
Since when did Hangcheng City have someone so audacious? Besides those rich heirs, who else would dare to be so domineering? And I know the faces of basically everyone in that top echelon, or at least recognize them. But compared to them, Shen Fanyun is a complete stranger.
"Fine, I'll take it," Shen Ruyan said through clenched teeth, securing the business card that held only a name and a phone number.
"Farewell."
Shen Fanyun smiled and left Houhai Bar with a group of classmates who were clearly still a beat behind.
Hong Tao and Liu Bing followed at the very back.
Once they were out the door, Liu Bing, who had finally grasped the situation, shouted, "You! If you're so capable, why didn't you act earlier? You made us worry for nothing.
"Don't think everyone will be grateful just because you intervened. At least I, Liu Bing, won't be."
Is she blaming Shen Fanyun?
The crowd frowned deeply, finding it hard to listen anymore. Isn't Liu Bing just being completely unreasonable? Not only did Shen Fanyun generously save everyone, but Liu Bing was the one who caused this mess in the first place. Instead of thanking him, she's blaming him for acting too slowly?
"Ruoshui, are you alright?
"What I did earlier was a last resort! Otherwise, how could I bear to let you jump into the wolf's den? Sigh, as long as you're okay. That's all that matters.
"It's all Shen Fanyun's fault for not intervening in time.
"My telling you to go with that Yuan fellow was just a temporary measure. I actually had other plans!" Liu Bing murmured, seemingly without the slightest guilt for her behavior in the bar. Instead, she shifted all the blame onto Shen Fanyun in one fell swoop.
Li Ruoshui instinctively pushed away Liu Bing's hand and put some distance between them.
Liu Bing, dissatisfied, was about to lose her temper when she heard Shen Fanyun's cool reminder, "Stay away from people with no moral principles in the future."
"Mhm," Li Ruoshui nodded obediently.
Liu Bing, who understood the implication, was immediately disgruntled. Is he mocking me? Saying I have no morals or principles?
"Shen Fanyun, what do you mean by that?" Liu Bing turned, glaring at him angrily.
She thought she could leverage her assertiveness and their history as classmates and old acquaintances to put Shen Fanyun in his place.
But to her surprise, Shen Fanyun broke into a wicked grin. "Can't you tell I'm no saint?"
Liu Bing flinched. The image of Shen Fanyun brutalizing Shen Ruyan until her skin was split open flashed through her mind, and her breathing grew rapid.
That's right. Shen Fanyun is definitely no saint. He even dared to beat Shen Ruyan, let alone a powerless nobody like me. Confronting him would be asking for a beating.
Instantly, Liu Bing swallowed hard, not daring to utter another word.
"Liu Bing, let's not contact each other again," Li Ruoshui stated, decisively cutting ties with her.
Liu Bing wanted to retort, but with Shen Fanyun present, she could only remain silent.
Then, Li Ruoshui turned to Hong Tao. "That goes for you too.
"Stop saying my business is your business. For one, I don't want to trouble you, and I don't want to have anything to do with you.
"Furthermore, after tonight's events, your guarantees only disgust me when I think back on them."
Hong Tao's face flushed, and he stood frozen in utter embarrassment. He boasted and bragged when things were calm, but turned into a coward cowering in his shell the moment real trouble appeared. Faced with such behavior, Hong Tao had no room for excuses.
"It's still early, and Fanyun hasn't been back for so many years. Why don't we hang out some more? My treat, we can go for a late-night snack. What do you think?" Li Ruoshui, who had been quiet all evening, took the initiative to invite them.
"Since the lovely Li is treating, it would be rude not to go, right? I'm actually a bit hungry," Zhao Jian was the first to agree.
"What about you?" Li Ruoshui asked Shen Fanyun eagerly.
Hong Tao watched Li Ruoshui's enthusiastic and excited attitude toward Shen Fanyun, a sour feeling welling up in his heart. So it was true... simps never win. For so many years, he had sought every opportunity to win her over, but how had she responded? Always with a direct rejection or a cold reply. Even up to this point, he was still trying to console himself, thinking it was just her personality, that she was like this with all men. Now? Now Hong Tao finally saw the truth. The goddess he yearned for truly didn't care for him. And the way she acted toward Shen Fanyun... it was exactly how he had always fawned over her.
"I'm actually pretty hungry. Let's go get a late-night snack," Liu Bing chimed in.
Li Ruoshui turned her head quickly, her eyes colder than ever. "Ah? I wasn't planning on treating you and Hong Tao."
Liu Bing was speechless.
Hong Tao was at a loss for words.
"Let's go. The get-together is the important thing," Li Ruoshui said with a smile, hailing a taxi and getting in with Shen Fanyun and a few others.
The rest hailed their own cabs and followed.
Liu Bing and Hong Tao were left standing there, isolated, able only to watch the others leave.
"That bitch! How dare she give me that attitude? Even if she invited me, I wouldn't have deigned to go," Liu Bing muttered, her face dark with humiliation.
Hong Tao clenched his fists, his heart a turmoil of emotions. He said to Liu Bing, "Don't worry. Han Feng has specifically named Shen Fanyun as a target. He won't last long in Hangcheng City. If Li Ruoshui gets too close to him, nothing good will come of it."
「Ten minutes later.」
Everyone arrived at their destination.
Freed from the passive-aggressive presence of Liu Bing and Hong Tao, the atmosphere immediately became lively, and everyone could finally relax.
Li Ruoshui unabashedly sat next to Shen Fanyun, picked up a menu, and reminisced, "I still remember that you loved dumplings the most, always with plenty of scallions and garlic. You wouldn't even eat them without vinegar."
"Back then, everyone would tease you, saying you ate more vinegar in a week than the rest of us did all year."
It was a flood of beautiful memories from the past.
But with these words coming from Li Ruoshui, which of the classmates present wasn't sharp enough to instantly sense the ambiguous, romantic air between them?
"Fanyun, it's so good to see you again," Li Ruoshui said sentimentally, having in a rare move opened a bottle of fruit beer for a toast.
"Why don't you two link arms and drink?" old classmate Zhao Jian teased.
In that instant, Li Ruoshui's face turned beet red.
She downed most of her drink in one go, her face growing even more flushed. It was hard to tell if it was from the alcohol or from shyness over Zhao Jian's comment.