She placed the bag in the corner and sat in the car for a while. The venue seemed to be quite a distance from the city center. She saw that they were entering a vast parking lot.
The parking space was basically full. She looked over and couldn't see any empty spaces. They drove farther and finally found a vacant parking space. When they got out of the car, Shuishui saw a circular building. Cheng Le walked to Shuishui's side. "Please, I'll take you with me. You don't have to be afraid. Although it's a dangerous place, public safety and security are guaranteed."
"I'm just curious." Shuishui felt that the place gave off a very gloomy feeling. There were also people getting off the car in front of them. Clearly, they also intended to watch the match.
Cheng Le was curious about Qian Shuishui. It was rare for a young girl to be so brave and confident in herself. She seemed mysterious to him. It made him want to get to know her better. Her entire demeanor piqued his curiosity.
They entered the hall. The lights were dim, and Shuishui noticed some strange sounds.
When they walked in, they heard someone growling by the side. Shuishui wanted to turn her head to look, but Cheng Le blocked Shuishui's head with one hand. In a low voice, he said, "Don't look."
"Uh." Shuishui felt that her head was forcefully blocked. She even knocked her forehead against his palm. "What's the situation?"
"You should not see such things. Be careful of the eye of the needle," Cheng Le warned her.
Shuishui was speechless. She knew what was going on. It was a public place. How could such a thing happen? However, she still caught a glimpse of the scene from the corner of her eye. "Interesting," she muttered.
When Cheng Le heard her, he was speechless. 'Why does she think it's interesting?' he thought.
As they walked farther, Shuishui heard a man roar in pain. She looked around. The place was actually so big. It had three large arenas. Shuishui looked at the surrounding audience seats and asked, "There are also different seat levels?"
"There are three levels. One's seat depends on the weight of the bet. The higher the bet, the better the seat. One's financial capacity is the main factor. Don't worry. We can sit in the front with fruits and snacks," Cheng Le said with a smile "We came a little early. Let's sit over there first."
A waiter saw their sign. He walked up to Cheng Le and Shuishui and accompanied them to a table. Shuishui was handed a menu as she sat down. "So expensive," she said as she browsed through the menu.
"It's okay. It's my treat." Cheng Le looked at Shuishui very gentlemanly. "You're underage and can't drink alcohol. You can order anything else."
Shuishui looked at the menu. "I won't hesitate to order then," she said casually.
Cheng Le knew that he would definitely earn money if he worked with Shuishui. Meanwhile, Shuishui ordered her preferred dishes. She also understood French. She pointed at the pictures on the menu and ordered.
She ordered fruit platter, roast beef, fresh fruit juice, and more.
Cheng Le's eyes twitched slightly. "Do you have the appetite to eat?"
Cheng Le worried that Shuishui would lose her appetite since the match would be a little violent. He couldn't imagine himself eating while watching a bloody fight. There were some, however, who had strong guts and strong appetites. Although there was a menu and food available, very few people would bother ordering food because they would lose their appetite as soon as the match would start. Most people would just order drinks.
"Hmm. How many grams do they consider as one serving? I think it isn't much." Shuishui didn't intent to eat too much, although she had ordered quite a lot.
"Hmm. You should be careful. Don't get too close to the arena to avoid being knocked down. That's not a joke. Previously, two audience members were arguing during the match and they ended up fighting. One of them accidentally got too close to the arena. Actually, he drank too much and wanted to see the match up close. In the heat of the match, the boxers didn't notice that one of the audience members was already in the arena. They were oblivious of their surroundings and naturally continued to beat each other up. The man who accidentally got into the arena ended up being injured as well. It often happens here."
Shuishui nodded to express that she understood. "If you're aware that the arean is dangerous, you should treat cautiously, of course, and not go near it. It's true that you can't blame the boxers. After all, the audience members have been warned. If they can't comply, that's no longer the concern of the management or the organizers."
"Yes. Anyway, if you need to go to the washroom, it's just ahead of us," Cheng Le said to Shuishui, in case she did not know how to get there.
"Okay. I got it." She sat down quietly. It was interesting. There were more and more people arriving. Cheng Le stood up to greet a few of his acquaintances. She did not know anyone. The fruit platter was served, and she ate by herself. She was oblivious of what was happening around her, but she noticed that there was an Asian woman sitting in front of her and seriously watching her. "Hello. My name is Linda. Are you a friend of Brother Cheng's?"
"Yes." Shuishui continued to eat, only glancing at the woman. "Well, I'm sorry. I'm eating," she said casually.
She didn't plan to have a deep conversation with the woman.
"When did you and Brother Cheng meet? Why haven't I seen you before? How old are you this year?" The woman didn't understand what Qian Shuishui meant and continued to pester her.
Shuishui was eating a sweet cherry. "What?" she asked in confusion.
"What's your relationship with Brother Cheng?" Linda sounded displeased, but she knew she couldn't act rashly until she had a clear understanding of the situation.
The woman's family and Cheng Le's family had arranged for them to get married, and she was determined to make Cheng Le hers. She had to be vigilant and take precautions if she saw him with any other woman. She became extra cautious when she saw that the girl had a beautiful face.
Shuishui put down her fork. "Miss, I'm eating right now, and I don't know you. Don't you know what relationship I have with Mr. Cheng? Why do you have to disturb my meal? This doesn't seem right."
She secretly ridiculed Linda for being rude, but Linda couldn't understand her. "What do you mean by that?" she asked Shuishui.
"Nothing. It's fine if you don't understand. I don't mind that you want to ask about me, but I can decide whether I will answer your questions or not." Shuishui found the young woman very arrogant. She felt that no one could have a good impression of the woman. Shuishui wasn't there to get to know her, so she chose to ignore her. She just wanted to eat in peace.
The place became increasingly noisy. Shuishui was still quietly eating her fruit. The waiter soon served the other dishes. Linda looked at Shuishui with disdain. "Where did this country bumpkin come from? How can she eat so much in this place?" she muttered.
Shuishui heard what she said. She asked, "What does it have to do with you that I eat so much?"
"You—"
Cheng Le saw Linda when he returned to his seat. "Why are you here?"
"Cheng Le, I came to look for you. Then I saw this woman and chatted with her for a while." Linda was a little embarrassed. She worried that Cheng Le would misunderstand her.
Cheng Le sat beside Shuishui and looked at the food on the table. His eyes twinkled. "Take your time and eat," he said to Shuishui.
"Thank you for your hospitality," Shuishui answered. It was Cheng Le's treat, so it was only right for her to thank him.
Linda looked at Qian Shuishui and said, "How can a girl eat so much and not care about her weight at all?"
"I really haven't thought about it," Shuishui replied casually.
Cheng Le couldn't help but laugh. Qian Shuishui had a cold personality. He said, "You can eat more while you're young. You can order more if you aren't satisfied."
Shuishui didn't hesitate. "Hmm. Then let's have another fruit platter."
Linda sat beside Cheng Le and said, "Cheng Le, I'm sorry. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. When you are free, can we talk again?"
Cheng Le was annoyed. Linda's presence gave him a headache. He said, "You go home now. You shouldn't be here." Linda always pestered him. She would act like his girlfriend and constantly follow him around. He said, "Did you come to this place alone? Don't do that next time. It's not safe."
"But you're here. How can I not be safe with you?" Linda wanted to hold Cheng Le's arm, but Cheng Le pulled it back. Cheng Le frowned and said, "Don't touch me." He was a neat freak himself, and he didn't like getting too close to others. Moreover, he wasn't interested in Linda at all. He said, "I won't tell your parents about what happened today, but the next time you act on your own, I'll call Uncle and Auntie."
"Brother Cheng, don't tell my parents. If my father finds out, I'll be grounded. I won't be able to see you then." She pouted and looked at Cheng Le, feeling wronged.
Shuishui ate the beef. "Wow," she muttered.
She took a sip of the juice and said, "I'm sorry. This meat is a little hard."
"It's about to start. Linda, be quiet. I'll get the driver to send you back home later." It was impossible to send her back at that moment because the match had already started.
"Okay." She was contented that she would get to stay.
Linda continued to watch Shuishui eat. She felt uncomfortable. "It's already started, yet you're still eating."
Shuishui smiled. "Why can't I eat? Were you the one who opened this place? Did you set the rules? Can't I eat?"
Shuishui was annoyed. Linda was really pestering her. "Also, can you stop meddling in my affairs? Do I know you very well? I won't talk to you anymore."
How annoying. Earlier, Linda had been polite and courteous with her. Her attitude suddenly changed. Shuishui felt that she had a problem.
"Take your time. This has nothing to do with anyone else." Cheng Le nodded. He knew that people like Linda liked to meddle in other people's business. He turned to Linda and said, "All right, Linda. What Miss Qian eats has nothing to do with you. It's not like she's eating your food."
Linda looked at Cheng Le willfully. "Brother Cheng! Why are you speaking up for her?"
Cheng Le's expression immediately changed. "Do you want to go home now?"
"No." Linda suddenly stopped talking.
Shuishui smiled and shook her head. Linda was already an *****, but she still behaved immaturely. Shuishui couldn't tell if she was spoiled too much by her parents or if she really wasn't intelligent at all.
The referee, who was also the host, got up on the stage and warned everyone in clear English not to get too close to the stage. He said that there were still five minutes left before the start of the match and that interested audience members could still place their bets. They wouldn't be able to place their bets once the match started.
Shuishui wasn't interested in it. The boxers got up on stage. The first boxer was a strong African man, and the second was tall and muscular European man. They glared at each other. Shuishui eagerly waited for them to fight. Even when she was watching the match, she continued to eat.
She accidentally ate a piece of hard meat. Shuishui could not help but be annoyed. 'Their meat pieces are badly cooked. The fruit is okay,' she thought.
Shuishui ordered a salad and juice. While waiting for the food, she stood up and walked to the bathroom.
There were many people in the bathroom. She spent a little more time in the comfort room. On her way out, she walked past Linda. Linda walked beside Shuishui. She scoffed and said, "Stay away from Brother Cheng."
"Crazy." Shuishui strode forward and ignored Linda. Linda was furious. Looking at Qian Shuishui's back, she gritted her teeth and quickly ran over, pushing Shuishui's back from behind. Shuishui didn't notice that there were people in front of her. She was pushed hard, and she swiftly turned before she realized that something was wrong. She was already sitting in the ring. It was very dangerous.
Someone shouted, "Be careful!"
Shuishui was at her wit's end. She felt a black shadow hover over her. The audience was shocked because Qian Shuishui pinned down Linda with one hand.
Shuishui felt that she was being held back, and she was also anxious because she did not want to get hurt.
Cheng Le glared at her and hurriedly ran over. Didn't he tell her not to get close to the arena?
Cheng Le saw Linda gloating. It seemed that she was ready for a fight. Cheng Le shouted, "Qian Shuishui, don't bother about it. Just get out."
Shuishui knew she had to just walk away, but Linda suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm. She was not ready to give it up. The other audience members who saw what was happening was booing. They looked at the shameless little Asian girl and booed to express their disapproval of her rash behavior.
Shuishui realized that she was in danger. She remembered what she had learned from Teacher Li. She pushed back Linda with one of her elbows. With a kick of her feet, she got away from Linda. She did not want to get hurt.
Everyone was shocked because they originally thought that Linda would be able to hit Shuishui. However, Shuishui's elbow hit Linda's chin. Linda squirmed and held her chin in pain. Shuishui suddenly jumped up and turned to get away from the scene.
Cheng Le was stunned. "Uh."
Shuishui patted her clothes. "I almost got hit."
A foreign man pulled Shuishui up. Shuishui thanked him. "Thank you."
"No need to thank me. You were in grave danger because you got close to the ring. If you kept hitting her, she might have had a concussion." The foreigner was angry with Linda's behavior. He felt that if Shuishui hadn't stopped, Linda would have been in trouble.
Shuishui shook her head. "It's my fault because I accidentally leaned too far and got too close to the ring. Thank you. I'll go back first."
When she returned to her seat, she saw Linda. "Seeing that I'm fine, do you feel angry?"
"What?" Linda looked at the ground guiltily.
Shuishui was very angry. "Fortunately, nothing happened to me. If something had happened to me, would you be responsible for it? Your parents didn't teach you basic etiquette. That's no longer my concern. All I can say is you are not a nice person. I won't resort to legal matters because I'm not injured. After all, I'm leaving in a few days. I don't want to be entangled in your affairs. If you do something like that again to me, I will sue you."
Cheng Le looked at Linda coldly. "I'll tell Auntie and Uncle about this. If I continue to indulge you, are you going to kill someone next time?"