On the dance floor, Lin Rourou gave Ye Qian a mischievous smile and said, "What did you say just now? I didn't catch it. Could you say it again?"
"What? What did I say just now?" Ye Qian feigned ignorance. He knew exactly what Lin Rourou wanted him to repeat—that she was his girlfriend. However, he decided to tease her a bit.
"You know what!" Lin Rourou playfully scolded.
"I really don't know," Ye Qian responded, pretending to be clueless.
"You... are so annoying." Lin Rourou playfully punched Ye Qian in the chest.
Ye Qian then gently grabbed her hand, which was soft and smooth. He smiled softly and said, "Lin Rourou, you are my girlfriend, Ye Qian, and no one can take you away from me."
Lin Rourou smiled sweetly and buried her head in Ye Qian's chest. Meanwhile, Ouyang Tianming, watching this scene, huffed angrily. He wasn't jealous because he liked Lin Rourou; he simply couldn't stand losing to someone he deemed inferior like Ye Qian, which felt like a slap to his own face.
Ye Qian didn't care about these arrogant young masters. They were nothing but rich brats using their family's power to act high and mighty. What mattered to him was Lin Rourou.
While Ye Qian and Lin Rourou were enjoying their sweet moment, Xu Yaying came over and smiled slightly at Ye Qian, saying, "Rourou and I haven't seen each other for a long time, and we have a lot to talk about. Could you lend her to me for a few minutes?"
Ye Qian slightly frowned, disliking her untimely interruption, but he guessed Xu Yaying's intention. She probably didn't have anything real to say to Lin Rourou—it was just a ruse to get him away. Her motive was clear; those young masters probably wanted to cause trouble.
Lin Rourou, not as naïve as she appeared, likely guessed Xu Yaying's intention too and seemed reluctant. "Oh, so sweet, can't bear to be apart for even a moment? Maybe I should just glue you two together," Xu Yaying joked.
Ye Qian gave Lin Rourou a reassuring smile and said, "I'm fine, go ahead and chat with your classmate." Seeing Ye Qian's confident look, Lin Rourou nodded silently.
Returning to his seat, Ye Qian poured himself a drink and lounged back. "Kid, let me be straight with you. Ouyang Tianming has taken a liking to your girlfriend. It's best if you just step aside, understand?" Lin Jian glared at Ye Qian, speaking arrogantly.
"Sure," Ye Qian responded coolly.
His easy acquiescence surprised them; they had expected to need more forceful tactics. It seemed this guy was just a pushover without any backbone. "Hmph, at least you're sensible. Stick with Ouyang Tianming, and you'll see the benefits," Lin Jian boasted, pleased with himself.
"Sure, you tell him that I've taken a fancy to his mother, and he should send her to my bed, got it?" Ye Qian maintained his calm demeanor, speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"What the fuck did you just say? Damn, are you asking for a death wish?" Lin Jian couldn't wait for Ouyang Tianming to explode and furiously threw a beer bottle at Ye Qian.
At the bar, the beautiful bartender saw the commotion and covered her mouth nervously. She was used to seeing fights in the bar, but today was different—it involved the man she admired, and she couldn't help but worry. Meanwhile, at another part of the bar, Li Dong and his subordinates also witnessed the scene, feeling a chill recalling the events of the day. They secretly hoped Lin Jian wouldn't be foolish enough to seek death by provoking Ye Qian.
As the beer bottle neared Ye Qian's head, he swiftly dodged and retaliated by smashing a bottle on Lin Jian's head. Not holding back against these pretentious young masters, Ye Qian's strike was severe. Lin Jian's head was split open, blood gushing out instantly. Ye Qian then kicked him, sending him flying, and scoffed, "Playing tough? I was fighting when you were still sucking on your mother's teat."
Usually bolstered by his father's influence and Ouyang Tianming's connections, Lin Jian was accustomed to bullying others and had never been on the receiving end. The sight of his own blood terrified him, and he screamed in fear. "Ah... ah... blood, blood..." Lin Jian cried out in horror.
The others were also shocked, having not expected Ye Qian to act so violently. They froze momentarily. Especially Zhao Xie, a small-time government clerk, was used to people flattering him, not witnessing such violence. He trembled in fear.
The other young masters, after a moment of shock, rallied and rushed towards Ye Qian.
"What should we do, big brother?" a subordinate asked Li Dong from a distance. "Should we help?"
Li Dong glared at him, saying, "Do you think we need to help?"
The subordinate paused, then realized. Indeed, they had seen Ye Qian's prowess. How could these rich brats be a match for him? Although they bore grudges against Ye Qian, they didn't truly despise him. What comes around goes around, and they had only themselves to blame for underestimating him. Tonight, Li Dong had brought money to settle his debt with Ye Qian, but had stumbled upon this incident. Caught between a powerful Ye Qian and influential young masters, neither side was one he could afford to offend. Staying out of it was the best choice. Moreover, he no longer wanted any entanglements with Ye Qian. Settling the debt tonight meant they were square, and he hoped never to see Ye Qian again. As for revenge, he had abandoned such thoughts.
"Damn, who the hell dares to cause trouble in my bar? Looking for a death wish?" At that moment, an angry voice came through. The young masters paused briefly, but Ye Qian seized the opportunity to kick them all out. Taking advantage of their misfortune was a classic tactic. Although Ye Qian didn't need to resort to sneak attacks, doing so saved trouble when possible. Besides, he never considered himself a gentleman; dabbling in underhanded tactics against these arrogant young masters was somewhat enjoyable for him.