Chapter 17: Hurry, Throw Him Out!

“Someone, drive them out!”

At that moment, three people came up the stairs. One of them, a sharp-faced man in a suit, spoke with an arrogant air.

Following behind him were none other than Fan Wenbin and Fan Ling.

The instant they saw Chen Yuyi, both froze in surprise.

Fan Ling’s eyes darted back and forth between the two stunning women next to Chen Yuyi, her teeth biting her lip as a flicker of confusion flashed in her gaze.

Fan Wenbin’s expression was hard to read—he seemed unable to accept what he was seeing. The events of yesterday were still fresh in his mind, and now, by some twist of fate, Chen Yuyi was dining with two new beauties whose temperaments and styles were entirely different. He would have preferred to believe his own eyes were playing tricks on him.

But as he recalled the humiliation of the previous day, his fists clenched involuntarily, and a dark glint flashed in his eyes.

“This isn’t right!” The waitress’s face showed her dilemma. She knew that anyone able to dine here was either wealthy or influential—far beyond the reach of a lowly server like herself.

“What do you mean ‘not right’? Go get your manager!” The sharp-faced man shot her an impatient look, and she immediately scurried off to fetch the manager.

At this moment, Fan Wenbin leaned over and whispered something into the man’s ear, discreetly pointing at Chen Yuyi.

Upon hearing this, the man sneered and glanced over at Chen Yuyi. When his eyes fell upon Wang Xinyan and Lin Jie’er, they lit up.

He strode over, hands clasped behind his back.

“What do you want?” Lin Jie’er threw down her chopsticks and glared at him. She had, of course, overheard the earlier commotion.

Wang Xinyan, however, remained utterly indifferent.

Chen Yuyi continued to leisurely pick at a piece of fish, utterly unfazed by their presence.

“Ladies, there’s no need to be afraid. I’m only here to shoo away a pesky fly,” the sharp-faced man said with a sly grin.

Bang!

He slammed his palm on the table in front of Chen Yuyi, casting him a sidelong glance. “So, you’re that classmate of my cousin’s. I hear you were quite impressive yesterday.”

Only then did Chen Yuyi look up, his tone mild: “Leave.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it startled everyone present.

Wang Xinyan lit a slim cigarette, amusement flickering across her features.

Lin Jie’er eyed Chen Yuyi curiously. She was tempted to sneer at him but held her tongue in the end.

Fan Wenbin and Fan Ling, having both been frightened by Chen Yuyi the day before, instinctively stepped back, casting hopeful looks at the sharp-faced man—his cousin, Ding Jun.

Ding Jun’s face turned a sickly shade of green. He was used to being arrogant in the company of his young master and had never been spoken to like this before. He tugged at his sleeves in anger. “Kid, you’re just trying to show off in front of these two ladies, aren’t you? Are you aware of the situation? You dare tell me to leave? Who do you think you are?”

By now, the manager had arrived. The moment he saw Ding Jun, he bent at the waist and greeted him obsequiously. “So it’s Young Master Jun!”

Ding Jun, hands on his hips, pointed at Chen Yuyi. “Perfect timing. Young Master Bai will be here soon. Help me detain this man!”

The manager hesitated. He knew that Young Master Bai was not someone he could afford to offend, but this was a place of business—he had no wish to start trouble. He stepped between the two parties, trying to smooth things over. “Peace brings prosperity! Young Master Jun, please calm down. Since Young Master Bai wants this table, I’ll arrange it.”

He then turned to Chen Yuyi. “Sir, I’m terribly sorry. Would you mind letting us have this table? The meal will be on the house.”

“Why should we give up our seats? We were here first. Aren’t we guests, too?” Lin Jie’er snapped, her patience wearing thin.

The manager offered an apologetic smile. “I hope you’ll understand. The gentleman arriving is the eldest son of the Bai Group—a figure we simply cannot afford to offend…”

“Bai Group?” Chen Yuyi finally looked up, a faint smile curving his lips.

“You talk too much,” Ding Jun interrupted, pushing the manager aside. He flashed Wang Xinyan and Lin Jie’er a grin. “Don’t worry, ladies, you can stay.”

Then he turned a menacing face to Chen Yuyi. “As for you, I won’t settle accounts for what you did to my cousin just yet. Leave now, or I’ll feed you to the fish in the river!”

The manager shook his head in irritation. He was starting to resent Chen Yuyi—if Young Master Bai arrived and found fault, he’d be in serious trouble. He dropped all pretense of courtesy.

“Sir, I said I’d cover your bill. If you keep making trouble, I’ll call security!”

Chen Yuyi slowly put down his chopsticks, regarding the manager with a half-smile. “Are you certain you want me to leave?”

For some reason, the manager’s heart skipped a beat, but he pressed on, trying to sound firm. “Yes, please don’t interfere with our business!”

“Very well,” Chen Yuyi replied, to everyone’s surprise.

Bang!

This time, it was Lin Jie’er who couldn’t hold back. She slammed the table, casting Chen Yuyi a look of contempt. “You’re just going to give in because they told you to? Are you even a man? So it was all an act earlier!”

She stood, hands on her hips. “I don’t care who your so-called Young Master Bai is. I’m a guest here in River City for the first time, and I won’t be disturbed. All of you, get out!”

Ding Jun and his companions exchanged bewildered glances. The manager’s face was a thundercloud.

Fan Wenbin and Fan Ling, who had been silent all this time, were startled by Lin Jie’er’s outburst. Fan Ling finally stepped forward.

“Chen Yuyi, since you’ve agreed to leave, just do it. Don’t drag others down with you.” She herself was unsure how she felt—whether she was speaking up for him or simply waiting to see him humiliated.

Fan Wenbin glared at Chen Yuyi, hatred in his eyes. “Thanks to you, we spent last night washing dishes at the Golden Hotel. Only after my cousin returned did we get away. Introduce me to Young Master Bai! Don’t say I didn’t warn you—even if you’re a big shot at the Golden Hotel, you’re not fit to carry Young Master Bai’s shoes!”

Lin Jie’er shook her head at Chen Yuyi in disappointment. For all her cousin’s stories of his prowess, he showed no backbone in the face of such insults.

“I don’t care who your Young Master Bai is. If you don’t leave, I’ll make you crawl out of here!” she shouted, slamming the table once more, her anger boiling over.

“My, such a temper. I was being kind by not making you leave. Since that’s how you want it—Manager, you know what to do.” Ding Jun sneered, shaking his head.

The manager’s face was grim as he prepared to call security.

“Well, well, who is it that doesn’t take me, Bai Lang, seriously?”

A flurry of footsteps sounded on the stairs as a young master, surrounded by bodyguards, made his entrance.

At the sound of his voice, Ding Jun’s face lit up and he hurried to greet him, but the manager bowed even lower and rushed ahead.

Fan Wenbin glanced triumphantly at Chen Yuyi, as if to say, “Now you’re finished.” He and Fan Ling quickly joined the gathering crowd around the young master.

Lin Jie’er watched with disdain, her gaze flickering to Chen Yuyi, who still sat there, calm and unbothered, making her all the more annoyed.

So many people had arrived—there was bound to be a scuffle. She could easily handle it herself, but as a man, shouldn’t he at least show some spirit?

Her cousin, too, remained composed and aloof, leaving her speechless. She stepped forward.

“It was me!” she declared.

Bai Lang parted the crowd, and when he caught sight of Lin Jie’er’s figure, his sleepy eyes instantly lit up, unable to look away.

He’d spent a sleepless night in fear and was hoping to find some amusement to relax, which was why he’d gone out with a crowd of bodyguards.

Now, faced with such a beautiful, shapely girl, his true nature emerged.

“Miss, are you eating? Perfect. I’m hungry, too. Let’s eat together,” he said, moving toward Lin Jie’er.

His entourage automatically made way for him.

He took a few steps—then suddenly froze.

“Young Master Bai, what’s wrong?” Ding Jun asked, puzzled.

Everyone else was equally confused.

Lin Jie’er cocked her head, curious. She’d been poised to slap Bai Lang once he approached, but he simply stood there, unmoving. She was almost tempted to go over and slap him herself but found his behavior odd.

Bai Lang’s body began to tremble, and he wished he could vanish on the spot. But his legs refused to obey, for at last he had seen Chen Yuyi.

A crowd had surrounded him earlier, so he hadn’t noticed anything amiss, and his attention had been fixated on Lin Jie’er. Only when the others made way for him did his gaze shift from her to the table, where his eyes fell first on another strikingly poised beauty. His heart leapt—then met a cool, indifferent look from Chen Yuyi.

In that instant, he was petrified.

Ding Jun, following Bai Lang’s line of sight, spotted Chen Yuyi and frowned, blaming himself for not having gotten rid of him sooner. He assumed Bai Lang was just annoyed at the eyesore and was pondering what to do.

The manager was sweating profusely. The Bai family’s group controlled half the city’s economy—he couldn’t afford any misstep. Sharing Ding Jun’s thoughts, he strode over to Chen Yuyi. “Sir, if you don’t leave now, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

Ding Jun also stepped forward, emboldened by his association with Young Master Bai. He waved at Bai Lang’s bodyguards. “Throw this man out!”

But Bai Lang finally snapped out of his daze, and shrieked at Ding Jun, “Quick, throw him out!” Then he jabbed a finger at the manager. “Him, too!”

Everyone froze in shock.

The bodyguards, of course, obeyed Bai Lang. They immediately closed in on Ding Jun and the manager.

The two men, caught off guard, tried to dodge, but there was no escaping the bodyguards’ grasp.

“Young Master Bai! What’s the meaning of this?” they cried out in confusion as they struggled.

But with two heavy splashes, all resistance proved futile as the pair were tossed into the water.

Fan Wenbin and Fan Ling blanched with terror, shrinking back and casting furtive glances at Chen Yuyi.

Chen Yuyi watched it all with a serene detachment, never uttering a word.

At last, Bai Lang, shivering, collapsed to his knees at Chen Yuyi’s feet like a beaten dog.

“Brother Yu, I was wrong. Please forgive me!”

And with that, he began to sob.

Fan Wenbin and Fan Ling, seeing this, tried to slip away—only to find themselves pinned by that same cool, indifferent gaze…