Chapter 185 Xu Ruoshui's initiative!
The restaurant manager said in surprise, his voice filled with exaggerated admiration:
"Isn't he your brother-in-law? He is apologizing for you, paying your bills, and compensating one million yuan without blinking! Even if he's not your brother-in-law yet, he's almost your brother-in-law! Any blind man can see it!"
Then, he waved his hand dismissively at Xu Ping'an.
"Forget it, I'm not talking to a hooligan like you. I need to go to the hospital immediately. I was probably beaten so badly that I have internal injuries. My chest hurts... I don't know if there will be lasting effects. Oh, my poor family..."
The shills arranged by Shen Anyu around them—dressed as elite businessmen and fashionable ladies—also started chattering, their voices raised just enough to be heard clearly.
"This must be the brother-in-law. A perfect gentleman saving a disastrous family member."
"Yes, look at them. The man is handsome and noble, the woman is beautiful and elegant. They are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. I think they are very well-suited! Like a couple from a drama."
"Hehe, I'm shipping this CP! They look so good standing together."
"It's just a pity that there's a hooligan brother-in-law. A rotten apple in the basket. Who knows how much trouble he'll cause in the future? The poor sister must be exhausted."
"…"
Listening to the discussions of the crowd around him, Xu Ping'an became furious. His face turned purple.
He shouted, his voice cracking:
"He's not my brother-in-law! He really isn't! Shut up! All of you shut up!"
Meanwhile, a deep blush appeared on Xu Ruoshui's exquisite and beautiful face. Her heart skipped a beat at the crowd's words.
Brother-in-law? A match made in heaven? Very well-suited?
Her beautiful eyes looked at Shen Anyu strangely, shyly. She didn't refute them. In fact, a secret sweetness bloomed in her chest.
Shen Anyu felt Xu Ping'an's fury radiating like heat waves and Xu Ruoshui's greatly increased favorability like a cool breeze.
He was pleased. The stage was set for the final blow.
He walked towards Xu Ping'an with a smile, his demeanor magnanimous and forgiving.
"Ping'an," he said gently, like an elder brother speaking to a rebellious child. "Your sister and I are having dinner. We just started eating. Would you like to join us? We can put this behind us."
It was the ultimate insult disguised as kindness. Inviting the enemy to watch him date his sister.
Xu Ping'an looked at Shen Anyu angrily. He saw through the mask (or thought he did).
He said unhappily, pointing a trembling finger:
"Shen Anyu! Don't pretend to be such a good person in front of me! I know what you are!"
"You despicable and shameless scoundrel! Don't think about deceiving my sister! You are just a wolf in sheep's clothing! You want to—"
"Enough!"
Xu Ping'an's words were cut short by a cold, sharp voice.
It was Xu Ruoshui.
She walked quickly towards them, her high heels clicking on the floor like the gavel of a judge. Her beautiful eyes looked at Xu Ping'an not with love, but with deep disappointment and anger.
"Xu Ping'an! How could you be like this?"
"An'yu helped you! He cleaned up your mess! He apologized for you! He compensated one million yuan for you out of his own pocket!"
"And how dare you still insult him? How dare you call him names?"
"Is this how Mom and Dad and I raised you? To be an ungrateful wretch?"
"You've disappointed me too much! I don't recognize you anymore!"
Xu Ping'an felt so suffocated that he was about to explode. His chest heaved. He felt wronged. He felt betrayed.
His face flushed, and he said to Xu Ruoshui anxiously, desperation clawing at his throat:
"Sister! You don't understand! This Shen Anyu is really not a good person! He's just a scumbag! He has other women! I saw him! I'm telling you the truth!"
"Shut up!"
Xu Ruoshui's beautiful eyes turned cold as ice.
She raised her fair hand, about to slap Xu Ping'an's face.
She, who was usually gentle as water, who had never hit Xu Ping'an before in twenty years, was now trembling with rage. The anger in her heart was unbearable.
Shen Anyu clearly helped Xu Ping'an clean up the mess, acting as a noble benefactor, yet Xu Ping'an was still insulting him like a mad dog. It was simply outrageous! A white-eyed wolf who didn't know a good person's heart!
She had to discipline him.
Swish!
Her hand swung down with force.
However, just as Xu Ruoshui's hand was about to slap Xu Ping'an's face—just inches away from his skin—a large, strong hand suddenly grabbed her slender white wrist.
It was Shen Anyu.
He stopped the slap.
Shen Anyu looked at Xu Ruoshui with gentle eyes, his expression full of tenderness and understanding.
He said softly:
"Ruoshui, stop. Don't do it."
"Don't let there be a conflict between you and your brother because of me. I wouldn't be able to bear it. I don't want to be the cause of your family's discord."
"Perhaps Ping'an has some misunderstanding about me. Maybe he heard rumors. But I don't care what he thinks."
He stepped closer, gazing deeply into her eyes.
"As long as you don't have any misunderstanding about me... that's enough for me."
Being held by Shen Anyu's hand, feeling his strength and restraint, and looking at the gentle and affectionate eyes on his handsome face...
Xu Ruoshui felt her anger melt away, replaced by a surge of overwhelming emotion.
"An'yu... you are so good! You are too good for this world!"
[Ding! Detected that destined heroine Xu Ruoshui's favorability +5, plundered +15,000 destiny value!]
Unknowingly, the total favorability had reached eighty-eight. The threshold of deep love.
Shen Anyu's lips curved up imperceptibly. He felt playful.
Just kidding. He wasn't stopping her out of kindness.
He definitely couldn't let Xu Ruoshui slap Xu Ping'an. Why?
Because Xu Ping'an had the [Damage Reflection Aura]!
If Xu Ruoshui slapped him with force, the damage would be reflected back to her instantly. She would feel the pain on her own face, or worse, break her hand.
Shen Anyu now regarded Xu Ruoshui as his woman. His property. How could he just watch her suffer a loss or get hurt?
Furthermore, if the damage was reflected and Xu Ping'an's ability was exposed... Xu Ruoshui might realize something was wrong. She might realize her brother had a "superpower." That would complicate things.
Shen Anyu naturally had to nip it in the bud before everything started. He had to be the hero and the strategist.
Xu Ping'an was originally startled when he saw Xu Ruoshui's slap coming. He flinched, closing his eyes.
He was actually worried that Xu Ruoshui would be hurt by the reflected damage. He knew his aura was active.
When he saw Xu Ruoshui's hand being held by Shen Anyu, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
But then, seeing Shen Anyu touching her... holding her wrist so intimately... anger surged again.
"Shen! Let go of my sister's hand! Right now!"
"You scumbag! Don't take advantage of my sister! Get your dirty hands off her!"
Before Shen Anyu could speak, Xu Ruoshui turned to Xu Ping'an. Her eyes were blazing.
She said word by word, her voice trembling with emotion:
"I'm willing!"
"I'm willing to let him take advantage! In fact..."
Immediately after, Xu Ruoshui made a move that shocked everyone.
She stood on tiptoe. She leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
And she actively gave Shen Anyu a light, lingering kiss on the cheek.
Chu.
The sound was soft, but to Xu Ping'an, it sounded like a nuclear explosion.
Xu Ping'an was dumbfounded.
He stared blankly at this scene, his mouth agape. His heart suffered a heavy, crushing blow!
Crack.
He could almost hear his heart shattering.
In his impression, his sister Xu Ruoshui was a refined young lady from a prominent family. She was always elegant, gentle, conservative, and reserved. She was a pure white lotus.
She had never made any improper gestures. Despite having many admirers, she still didn't have a boyfriend. She kept a polite distance from all men.
But now?
She actually kissed Shen Anyu? In public? In front of him?
And she said she was willing to let him take advantage?
Shen Anyu also showed a look of surprise—though feigned perfectly. He looked at Xu Ruoshui, whose pretty face was flushed crimson, with great interest and a hint of possessiveness.
He hadn't expected that this gentle and reserved eldest daughter of the Xu Family, this beautiful CEO, would be so bold as to kiss him in front of everyone. It seemed the stimulation was effective.
Xu Ruoshui, making such a bold move for the first time in her life, felt her cheeks burning hot. She felt dizzy.
She took a few deep breaths before she could barely calm down. Her beautiful eyes dared not look at Shen Anyu immediately. She was afraid he would think she was loose.
She turned to the stunned, petrified Xu Ping'an and said softly, her voice cold with finality:
"Xu Ping'an. Go home."
"From now on... you're on your own. I won't care about you anymore! I am done cleaning up your messes."
After saying that, Xu Ruoshui didn't wait for a response.
She took Shen Anyu's hand—interlacing her fingers with his—and walked out of the restaurant without looking back.
"Sister…"
Xu Ping'an stretched out his right hand futilely towards her receding figure.
He wanted to stop her. He wanted to scream.
But his voice was stuck in his throat.
His face was full of pain, twisted into a mask of despair. He watched helplessly as Xu Ruoshui led Shen Anyu away by the hand, their silhouettes merging in the doorway.
How did things turn out like this?
He originally wanted to expose Shen Anyu's true colors. He wanted to be the hero who saved his sister from the scumbag.
He wanted to expose that Shen Anyu was juggling multiple women, having relationships with Su Hongmian, Jiang Linlin, Liu Mi... so that his sister Xu Ruoshui would see through Shen Anyu's true colors and part ways with him in disgust.
But now...
Xu Ruoshui was even more disappointed in him. She hated him.
And she clearly had deep affection for Shen Anyu. She kissed him!
Could it be that his sister Xu Ruoshui... was going to be taken by this scoundrel Shen Anyu? Was she going to be... bedded by him?
"No... no... not this kind of thing…"
Xu Ping'an was in a daze, like a walking corpse. He slumped against the wall.
He had already obtained the Golden Finger, the [Damage Reflection Aura]. He was supposed to be the protagonist! He should have risen in a counterattack, slapping faces and winning hearts!
How come he was suffering setbacks again and again now? Why was he losing everything?
"No! I won't admit defeat!"
"Shen! I'm not done with you! You stole my life, you stole my family, and now you steal my sister!"
"I will definitely expose your true colors! I will find proof! Only I can protect my sister! She belongs to me!"
Xu Ping'an clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth, tears of rage and humiliation streaming down his face.
He refused to accept it!
…
On the other side.
[Location: Outside the Restaurant - Corridor]
Xu Ruoshui's cheeks were burning hot, her pretty face flushed like a ripe apple. She walked forward with Shen Anyu's hand in hers, flustered, her heart racing so fast she felt dizzy.
She almost bumped into a wall in her distraction.
Shen Anyu's lips curved up, amused. He gently pulled her back, saving her from the collision.
He suddenly took a big step forward, cornering her against the wall in a semi-private alcove.
He looked down at her, his eyes dark and hungry.
"Ruoshui... you were very brave just now."
[Akarin Note:
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