At this moment, Candice's complexion turned somewhat livid, and Jin Muchen could even perceive a fiery intensity in her eyes, as if they were about to spew flames.
Helen, standing before her, resembled more of a victor, and at this juncture, extending greetings to her seemed akin to every victor deliberately flaunting their success in the face of a defeated competitor.
Candice's gaze remained fixed on the man behind Helen, and Helen, too, noticed this. Unexpectedly, she leaned back, snugly fitting herself into the man's embrace.
This action seemed to catch the man off guard, but he swiftly adjusted his posture to accommodate Helen's move.
"Hehe, Candice, forgot to mention to you, Matt is now my boyfriend. By the way, you haven't introduced the person beside you?" These two individuals' actions didn't escape Jin Muchen's eyes; they were clearly intentional provocations aimed at upsetting Candice. Although the man appeared somewhat surprised, he still complied with Helen's actions.
At this moment, he could feel Candice trembling slightly beside him. Though she hadn't mentioned anything to him, just by observing the current situation, he had already deduced the gist of it.
It seemed the two girls had become enemies over this man named Matt. While Helen was the current victor, her overtly aggressive behavior towards an old friend seemed somewhat excessive.
Unwilling to let these despicable individuals have their way, Jin Muchen reached out and wrapped his arm around Candice's shoulder. "Hello, I'm Muchen, Candice's new boyfriend. And you are?"
Jin Muchen's embrace caught Candice by surprise. If it were any other man, she might have slapped him already. However, for some reason, when she was enveloped by Jin Muchen's arm, she didn't feel uncomfortable. In fact, upon seeing the astonishment in Helen and Matt's eyes across from her, she felt a fleeting sense of satisfaction.
Candice remained silent, but her expression visibly improved. Jin Muchen then leaned in and whispered softly in her ear, "Don't worry, I've got your back."
Candice smiled, genuinely happy. The clouds that had previously loomed over her had now dissipated completely.
Observing the intimate scene between the two, followed by Candice's smile, which appeared genuine, Helen couldn't help but feel a bit surprised. Candice's maneuvers were quite impressive. Matt had just dumped her, yet she had quickly found another handsome man.
"Hello, I'm Helen, Candice's friend. Nice to meet you," Helen said.
"Hello..." As Helen finished speaking, she maintained a poised demeanor, refraining from extending her hand. So, Jin Muchen graciously reached out his hand.
"Oh! I remember now. So, you're Helen. My apologies for not introducing you earlier. Muchen forgot to inform you. Miss Helen and I have never been friends!"
As Helen, with a touch of reserve, reached out to shake hands with Jin Muchen, Candice suddenly spoke up. Her words carried a tone of mockery and even provocation as she glanced at Helen.
Helen's expression momentarily froze. What followed, however, left her even more bewildered. Upon hearing Candice's words, Jin Muchen abruptly withdrew his hand, as if in a casual motion, he took out a tissue and wiped it.
"So that's how it is! Candice, why didn't you say so earlier? I'm sorry for wasting so much time, not knowing who your friends were!" Jin Muchen's voice was low, audible only to those nearby. However, his action of wiping his hand was clearly disdainful. Moreover, while speaking, he didn't even spare a glance at Helen, treating her as if she were invisible.
Helen, blindsided by Candice's sudden attack, especially Jin Muchen's blatantly disrespectful behavior, felt her face flush with anger. No one had ever spoken to her like this before, and she felt her patience wearing thin.
As for Candice, she hadn't expected Jin Muchen to be so acerbic. However, seeing Helen's now-frustrated expression, she felt a sense of vindication.
Matt, who stood behind Helen, could no longer hold back. Seeing Jin Muchen standing beside Candice had already irritated him. Now, this guy dared to disrespect the beauty by his side?
When Helen's resentful gaze swept over him, Matt knew that if he didn't intervene, he'd have no chance with her in the future.
"Hey! What did you just say?" Matt stepped forward abruptly, towering over Jin Muchen. This guy was a solid six feet three inches tall, even taller than Jin Muchen, with a physique resembling that of a bull. As a star running back for the college football team, his stature was no coincidence.
At this moment, he stared intently, his nostrils flaring, as if ready to pounce at any moment and slam Jin Muchen to the ground.
Jin Muchen, however, didn't take the guy before him seriously. Instead, he turned to Candice. "Hey, dear, did you hear something just now?"
Caught off guard by Jin Muchen's question, Candice's heart jumped to her throat. She hadn't expected Jin Muchen to still have the mind to ask her questions at this moment.
The surrounding crowd, including both men and women, noticed that something seemed amiss in their little group. Especially when they saw the star running back of the school's football team standing in front of an Asian man, a sense of anticipation swept over many. Having consumed a fair amount of alcohol and with their heads already hot, these guys were eager for trouble. Not only did they quickly surround them, making it impossible for them to escape, but they also whistled incessantly and booed.
Jin Muchen's question caught Candice off guard. "What? I didn't hear anything."
"Yeah, I thought it was strange too. No one was talking just now, but why did I feel like I heard a dog barking?"
"Hush!!!!"
"H
ahaha..."
"Hey buddy, you're quite humorous!"
"Why is Matt still standing there dumbfounded? Why not beat him up?"
"Yeah, Matt, we're waiting to see you get your butt kicked by him..."
Jin Muchen's response was met with a chorus of whistles and strange noises from the crowd. The group of troublemakers, eager for chaos, couldn't wait for a boxing match between him and Matt.
Meanwhile, Candice was amused by Jin Muchen's response. As for Helen, she had quietly retreated into the crowd, watching the two men in the circle. However, there was no trace of frustration on her face at this moment. Instead, she seemed genuinely interested, her gaze mostly fixed on Jin Muchen, occasionally shifting to Candice, as if contemplating something.
Breathing heavily, Matt seemed as if he were about to confront Jin Muchen at any moment. After all, it seemed unmanly not to engage in a fight in such a situation. However, when his eyes swept over and caught sight of Helen standing in the crowd, especially the mocking smile on her lips, along with her interested gaze fixed on Jin Muchen, Matt suddenly snapped out of it. Pursuing Helen had been on his mind for some time, but she had never relented. Why would she suddenly admit to being his girlfriend in front of Candice? Was she trying to set him up for a confrontation with a stranger? Was it wise to get into a conflict with a stranger for the sake of such a woman?
With these thoughts in mind, Matt raised his hands and said, "Hey buddy, you're quite humorous. I may have had a bit too much to drink just now. If I offended you in any way, I apologize."
With that, he turned and walked towards Helen. That girl is trying to use me, not so easy!
Matt's behavior prompted a wave of booing from the surrounding crowd. They hadn't come to blows after all, which was disappointing. Nevertheless, it was for the best; if they had fought, they might have attracted campus security, which would have been troublesome, considering many of them were still not done partying.
Matt's retreat took Helen by surprise. She had intended to reprimand him, but quickly swallowed back her words. Instead, she greeted him warmly, engaging him in hushed conversation.
"Hey, Matt, what are you doing here? Everything okay?"
At this moment, two people suddenly approached Matt and Helen, greeting them. Matt's expression immediately changed upon seeing the pair beside him.
"Hey, Sean, why are you guys just arriving?"
Regardless of what had just transpired, Matt and Helen, this dazzling pair, had always been the focal point of this gathering. Every move they made attracted attention.
Jin Muchen, who had been engaged in the atmosphere, couldn't help but glance over at them and immediately changed his expression. For what he saw now was his ex-girlfriend, Marlene, hanging onto a blockheaded guy's arm, walking towards them.
The situation had taken a turn for the worse. He had thought he would never see her again in this lifetime, but unexpectedly, they crossed paths here.
Especially seeing Marlene with that blockhead, Jin Muchen's expression grew even more unpleasant.