"You know shit!" Yuan Xiaoyu seized the opportunity and loudly said, "My brother is a high achiever from Northern University. Compared to his school, your third-rate institution doesn't count for anything!"
Northern University, a school that consistently ranks within the top five in the country, boasts a reputation and strength that are both world-class. It's such that in all of Jiuchuan County, you might not find someone who gets into Northern University every few years. A student from this university is definitely considered a high achiever!
All the girls were stunned, staring at Ye Qing blankly. Northern University, they had never imagined that Ye Qing had such an identity!
Ye Qing sighed softly. Since Yuan Xiaoyu had said it, he couldn't stop her.
"When I was in school, I worked with a professor on a survey, one of which was about the fake alcohol at Romantic Manor. So, I've done quite a bit of research on this," Ye Qing pushed the wine bottle back towards Huang Yi and continued, "In order to sell at a high price, they've adulterated it with chemicals to enhance the taste. Therefore, drinking this isn't beneficial. Let's not switch drinks. Continue with the clear stuff."
Ye Qing took the baijiu and this time didn't fill the cups to the brim; he only poured about two-three quarters. He said, "My alcohol tolerance is limited, I really can't handle a full cup anymore. Let's drink this amount, I'll toast to you!"
Ye Qing raised his glass to his lips and downed it in one go, while Huang Yi was still stunned. It was the girls beside him who urged him to drink.
After downing the drink, Ye Qing's body swayed slightly, but he seemed much better than Chen Kun and Zhou Buliang, showing no signs of being drunk.
"Brother, so you can really hold your liquor!" Yuan Xiaoyu exclaimed excitedly.
Ye Qing: "I attended university in the North, where you have no choice but to drink."
"I see that Ye isn't drunk at all, so he could probably handle two more bottles under these circumstances, right?" a girl said excitedly.
"No more drinking!" Ye Qing waved his hand and said, "This is my limit, I shouldn't drink any more, or there will be trouble!"
"What trouble?" a girl sitting next to Ye Qing leaned in, her tone teasing, "Could it be that you might lose control after drinking?"
The group of girls burst into laughter, leaving Ye Qing feeling a bit embarrassed, and he lowered his head without speaking.
It was Yuan Xiaoyu who came to his rescue; meanwhile, Huang Yi, whether due to despondency or his lack of drinking capacity, had become silent.
After a few drinks, the girls were even more interested in Ye Qing, with nearly all the topics revolving around him.
Yuan Xiaoyu was also visibly proud; her brother was making quite the impression that night. Thinking about how she used to treat Ye Qing indifferently, she felt quite guilty. Thus, she was even nicer to Ye Qing, continuously serving him food.
While everyone was enjoying themselves, the private room door was suddenly flung open, and five or six men walked in.
The leader was a burly man who scanned the room before his gaze settled on Yuan Xiaoyu, a sneer crossing his face.
"Oh, so you are indeed here!" The man walked over slowly and said, "Quite lively, isn't it? It seems the rumors are true, you've been promoted!"
Yuan Xiaoyu's expression was cold as she shouted, "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? What's our relationship?" the man asked. "I'm your boyfriend, shouldn't I come to congratulate you on your promotion?"
"Who's your girlfriend? We broke up a long time ago!" Yuan Xiaoyu snapped back.
"So we're strangers just because you say so? They say a couple shares a hundred days of grace for every night they spend together. We've been together for over a hundred nights, haven't we? By that count, how much grace would there be? Did you think you could just dump me after getting a promotion?"
As he spoke, the man had already reached Yuan Xiaoyu's side, reaching out to stroke her hair, smiling, "You seem even more radiant since I last saw you a few days ago!"
"Poison Wolf, that's enough!" A girl stood up and said, "Have you forgotten how you treated Xiao Yu back then? For that slut, you threw Xiao Yu down from the building yourself. Xiao Yu was hospitalized for over a month; did you ever visit her? Now that the slut is broke and Xiao Yu has gotten a promotion, you come back. What do you take Xiao Yu for?"
"Shut your mouth!" Poison Wolf glared, and a man immediately went to grab the girl by the hair and pulled her up.
"Damn it, when is it your turn to speak about my affairs!" Poison Wolf spat and turned towards Ye Qing, frowning, "What's this, you found a new lover so quickly? That's not right, you know, our business isn't settled yet. You want to change partners just because you've got a promotion? Fine, you want to switch, I won't stop you, but doing it this way hurts my reputation in front of my brothers. Do you know how much my face is worth?"
"He's my brother!" Yuan Xiaoyu shouted loudly.
"Brother?" Poison Wolf glanced at Ye Qing and sneered, "Isn't your brother that loser, Yuan Dagang? How did it become this guy—hey, what kind of get-up is this? A costume party?"
Poison Wolf gave a sarcastic once-over to Ye Qing's military uniform, while Ye Qing's expression remained indifferent, his voice calm but firm, "My friend, please show some respect!"
"Respect? Fuck, what makes you think you deserve my respect?" Poison Wolf retorted, then suddenly grabbed Yuan Xiaoyu by the hair and yanked her up.
Yuan Xiaoyu screamed out loud, struggling violently but unable to break free.
Ye Qing didn't move from his seat, but his eyes grew colder.
"My friend, I've been drinking tonight and I don't want to start a fight. If you leave now, I can pretend this never happened," Ye Qing said coldly.
"What did you say?" Poison Wolf burst out laughing, "Man, I've seen braggarts, but I've never seen anyone as full of hot air as you. You don't want to start a fight? Why don't you ask if I want to start one? What, you think you can beat me?"
"Poison Wolf, you better scram, or my brother won't let you off!" Yuan Xiaoyu yelled.
"Ye, hit him quick!" a girl urged.
"Yeah, Ye, he has been bullying Xiao Yu more than once or twice. You're Xiao Yu's brother; you gotta stand up for her!"
"Ye, he's always bullying us girls, you can't let him off!"
A group of girls were chattering, all urging Ye Qing to take action. After all, Ye Qing was a retired Special Forces soldier with certain martial arts prowess. They mainly hoped to witness Ye Qing's skills in action.
Ye Qing remained seated, quietly looking at Poison Wolf, and said, "I've already told you, I advise you to leave quickly. Don't force me to take action."
"Is your brother brain-dead?" Poison Wolf grabbed Yuan Xiaoyu's hair and said, "All talk and no action, earning your keep with your mouth, huh?"
"Brother!" Yuan Xiaoyu looked at Ye Qing, unsure why he still hadn't taken action. Based on what she learned when she returned to the song hall in the afternoon, Ye Qing was quite skilled at fighting. At the very least, he should have no problem dealing with these few guys, right?
Ye Qing sighed softly, slowly stood up, and said in a low voice, "I drank alcohol, and originally didn't want to fight. Because once I start fighting after drinking, it's very easy to go too far."
"Bullshit, what the hell are you talking about?" Poison Wolf sneered at Ye Qing and said, "If you know what's good for you, get the hell out of here now, and I might pretend you don't exist!"
Ye Qing didn't leave. He turned to a girl beside him and asked, "Could I borrow your jacket for a moment?"
The girl was taken aback, then hurriedly passed over her jacket.
Ye Qing took the jacket and wrapped his right hand in layer after layer of it. The jacket was thick, and once wrapped, Ye Qing's fist looked like a big steamed bun. It appeared soft and flimsy, seemingly lacking any lethality!
Everyone watched Ye Qing in surprise, wondering what he was up to.
After wrapping his fist, Ye Qing then looked at Poison Wolf and said softly, "Let her go, and I'll fight you."
"Fuck, do you really think you're something special?" Poison Wolf curled his lip and ordered, "Break his legs first!"
Two minions immediately rushed over, one picking up a nearby wine bottle and smashing it toward Ye Qing's head.
Ye Qing stood still as if he hadn't seen any of it.
The group of girls were stunned, and some even turned their heads away, thinking Ye Qing was too drunk to dodge.
Yuan Xiaoyu was anxious and yelled loudly, "Brother, watch out!"
The bottle came down, but didn't hit Ye Qing because he stepped forward at the last moment, causing the bottle to miss its mark.
However, Ye Qing's fist did not miss, landing solidly on the chest of the man holding the wine bottle.
There was a crisp crack, and the man fell to the ground, spitting out blood incessantly. He hugged his chest, his face turning the color of soy sauce as Ye Qing's punch had broken his ribcage!
Yet, Ye Qing's punch had been cushioned by the layers of the jacket, which should have reduced its force greatly. How could it still have had such a powerful effect?
Ye Qing shook his head; he knew his own strength best. Although this time he wrapped his hand even thicker than when he used Lin Mengjie's scarf, his punch was actually stronger than last time. Because he had been drinking, it was difficult to control his force while slightly inebriated!
The other man paused for a moment, then aimed a kick at Ye Qing's chest.
Ye Qing's right arm came crashing down, and with another crack, the man's leg broke under Ye Qing's blow.
The man screamed and writhed on the ground, holding his broken leg, as his agonizing cries sent chills down the spines of the onlookers.
The girls on the scene were momentarily stunned before bursting into wild cheering. They knew Ye Qing was skilled, but who could have expected him to be so fiercely dominant!
These men had bullied them often, but as girls, they had no means of revenge. Today, by beating these two guys, Ye Qing had avenged them as well.
With education, genteel manners, a high-achieving graduate from Northern University, knowledgeable and skilled, good tolerance for alcohol, and such extraordinary martial prowess, Ye Qing had completely captivated the group of girls already.
Moreover, Ye Qing looked quite good. Though not the type of pretty boy, his standard military flathead and his well-defined features still exuded a masculine charisma.
Clearly, after today, Ye Qing would inevitably become the new White Horse Prince in these girls' hearts!
Yuan Xiaoyu was also extraordinarily excited. Ye Qing had finally taken action, and the impact was so stunning. She felt a level of safety she had never experienced before, a sense of security only a family member could provide!
Only Poison Wolf and his men were terrified. Poison Wolf looked at his minions, then at Ye Qing, and trembled, "You… don't come any closer…"
"I told you to leave, but you didn't go," Ye Qing stepped forward and said softly, "Now that I've taken action, there's no need for you to leave anymore!"