It wasn't until Xu Feng mentioned 'many mouths to feed' that Ling Ling's grip really slackened. Whatever fantasy she had, of Xu Zeng—or even Xu Feng in his place—taking care of her, was clearly misguided. Xu Feng wasn't going to play along.
"I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken," Xu Feng said, finally freeing his hand. "I don't know what you think my cousin owes you, but he's not here."
Ling Ling hesitated, her eyes narrowing as if trying to figure out her next move. The men behind her shifted, clearly unhappy with how things were playing out. The scowling woman beside Ling Ling muttered something under her breath, "Trying to hop beds again…" too low for Ling Ling to catch, but he and Yujie had clearly heard.
Yujie stepped forward slightly, her posture relaxed but ready. "It sounds like a misunderstanding. We're just passing through." She didn't want to be involved in whatever this was either.
