"My apologies, but I cannot yield." Xiang Ri sat motionless, his face devoid of any expression.
Although he admired beauty, he found no reason to appreciate women who disregarded men as if they were invisible. Such women, he believed, were often afflicted with a certain pathology—yes, a pathology!
The ice-cold beauty's gaze grew even frostier, her eyes as sharp as freshly honed blades. Her lips moved slightly, as if she intended to speak, but she swallowed her words, her face etched with disdain. Finally, she retrieved her phone and dialed a number.
"Hello, Security Office? This is Number 58. Please send someone over immediately—there's a stranger causing trouble at my house. Thank you." With that, the ice-cold beauty ended the call and sat on a nearby sofa, her lips curling into a cold sneer.
Xiang Ri's expression remained unchanged, but behind him, Hao Meng poked him lightly with her finger. "Teacher, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault for dragging you into this."
Turning to face her, Xiang Ri saw the mixture of worry and fear on her face. He reassured her, "This has nothing to do with you. It's your idiotic sister who doesn't know how to handle the situation." His voice was loud, his intent unmistakable.
As expected, the ice-cold beauty trembled with rage, her voice icy and deliberate: "Are you calling me an idiot?"
"So what if I am?" Xiang Ri shot to his feet, the pretense of civility abandoned. "I've never met such a twisted woman in my life! You look like a decent person but lack even the slightest sense of what it means to be a woman. Look at your sister—how terrified she is because of you. She's just a child! Do you really need to treat her as if she's maimed or crippled? So she touched a few of your belongings—big deal! Even if she took something, don't forget who you are to her! And what have I done to you to deserve this treatment? Acting as if I've violated you or something! Damn it, if it weren't out of respect for your mother, I'd have called people to deal with you right now—and I'd be the first in line!"
The tirade was so cathartic that Xiang Ri felt an almost physical relief, akin to releasing pent-up tension after a long struggle. It was a sensation so liberating he nearly moaned with satisfaction.
The ice-cold beauty was utterly stunned. Never in her life had she been so humiliated. Tears streamed down her cheeks, though she bit her lip tightly to suppress any sound of crying. Her gaze, now filled with fury, bore into Xiang Ri, while her small hands clenched into fists so tightly that they turned pale, as though she might pounce at any moment to fight him to the death.
Hao Meng was equally dumbfounded by the outrageous words of her beastly teacher. The fear that had been etched on her delicate face was replaced by deep astonishment. She glanced at him, then at her sister, before finally lowering her head, lost in thought.
At that moment, the doorbell rang. The ice-cold beauty immediately wiped away her tears, adjusted her attire, and went to answer the door.
Several tall, burly men entered, all dressed in uniform blue suits. Their fierce demeanor and the unmistakable aura of blood and steel radiated from them.
The leader, a man with a scar about a centimeter long on his left cheek, saluted the hostess respectfully before asking how they could assist her.
The ice-cold beauty pointed furiously at the man sitting leisurely in the living room. "It's him! I want him out of my house immediately!"
"Understood, Miss." The scar-faced man nodded and led his men toward the living room.
Xiang Ri, however, showed no awareness of the looming eviction. He continued speaking softly to the little girl, unfazed.
"Sir, I believe you've already heard the hostess's request, haven't you?" The scar-faced man stopped nearby, refraining from violence despite feeling he could effortlessly remove the seemingly frail young man before him—his injured right hand only adding to the impression.
"I heard. She wants me to leave, correct?" Xiang Ri replied nonchalantly.
"Precisely. I hope you won't make this difficult for us." Though his words were polite, his tone left no room for negotiation.
"And what if I do make things difficult for you?" Xiang Ri asked with a faint smile.
"I trust someone as intelligent as you wouldn't do such a thing," the scar-faced man replied calmly. Yet, his gaze carried a clear threat. The unspoken warning was evident: if you complicate things for us, don't blame us for returning the favor—and the method of retaliation would certainly involve less-than-gentle persuasion.
Xiang Ri studied him for a moment before speaking. "Fine, I'll leave on my own. No need to make this harder for you." In truth, Xiang Ri could easily dismiss their threats, but this was his father-in-law's territory, and he felt obligated to save some face for Chu Chu.
The scar-faced man nodded in satisfaction. At least the man knew when to back down. Otherwise, they might have had to resort to force—something the boss had specifically instructed them to avoid unless absolutely necessary to prevent unnecessary trouble in the villa district.
The little girl looked at her beastly teacher with deep reluctance, wanting to say something. But her sister shot her a sharp glare, silencing her instantly. All she could do was lower her head and tug gently at his sleeve.
Xiang Ri patted her small head, his opinion of her undergoing a significant transformation. Though she had a sly streak and had played pranks on him, she was far better than her almost inhuman sister.
As he was about to leave, Xiang Ri passed by the ice-cold beauty, who said coldly, "I warn you—don't ever step foot in my house again."
He paused mid-step and cast her a meaningful glance. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you have the authority to say that. If your mother were to tell me, I might consider it. But you? Unless you call security every single time..." He left the sentence unfinished, replacing words with a chuckle that conveyed his meaning all too clearly.
The ice-cold beauty trembled with rage, her teeth grinding audibly as she slammed the door shut with a resounding "bang."
"Hey, brother, what made you think it was a good idea to provoke that woman?" The scar-faced man, pleased with how cooperative Xiang Ri had been, struck up a casual conversation as they stepped outside.
Xiang Ri gave him a curious glance, a thought crossing his mind. "Why not?"
"You really don't know, do you?" The scar-faced man's expression turned even stranger.
"Do I look like someone who does?" Xiang Ri countered.
"You must be new around here. That's the only explanation. So let me give you some advice—there's one woman in this district you absolutely shouldn't mess with," the scar-faced man said with great seriousness.
"You're talking about her?"
"Exactly. Word has it she went through a traumatic experience in the past—some man deceived her. I heard..." He paused and let out a knowing laugh, his expression one that only men would understand. Then, lowering his voice conspiratorially, he added, "They say she's into women now. Brother, trying to pursue her is like digging your own grave. And do you know this is the 17th time she's called us this month? That means you're the 17th man we've had to kick out of her house."
Xiang Ri neither confirmed nor denied his words, merely rubbing his nose out of habit. "Seems I have pretty bad luck."
The scar-faced man nodded in agreement and, unable to resist gossiping further, exclaimed, "But I have to hand it to you, brother—you've got guts to speak to her like that. Even I, Lao Ba, can't help but admire you. You know she has a lover, right? Someone with an even worse temper than hers. If her lover finds out, I can't guarantee you'll still be standing here."
"A lover?" A female one? Unbidden, Xiang Ri's mind conjured an image of two pale, delicate bodies intertwined. The thought was almost too overwhelming.
"That's right. You'd better be careful—this is no joke. There was once a man who offended her with a careless remark. When her lover found out, guess what happened to him?"
"Don't tell me he ended up crippled?" Xiang Ri guessed.
"Close—almost. If someone hadn't intervened in time, it could've turned into a real tragedy." The scar-faced man suddenly fell silent, his eyes fixed on a point straight ahead. After a moment, he snapped back to reality and muttered, "Brother, you should run. If I'm not mistaken, the person heading this way is her lover!"