Chapter 18 Only Worthy of Polishing Shoes Occasionally!

The two of them suddenly found their legs refusing to obey. Wang Xinyan still had her phoenix eyes half-closed, a flicker of something unusual passing through them. Lin Jie’er, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, looked at Chen Yu with a hint of bewilderment.

Bai Lang, after sobbing on the ground for a while, cautiously raised his head to glance at Chen Yu, only to find his gaze fixed on the pair behind him. Instantly, Bai Lang understood. Anger surged within him; if not for that shameless couple, he wouldn’t be here today, and thus wouldn’t have encountered Chen Yu. Without waiting for instructions, he simply ordered his men to bring them over.

Despite Fan Wenbin’s usual frivolous ways, he had grown up in a sheltered family and had never experienced such a scene. His legs had long since turned to jelly from terror. Now, he truly felt the dread that was Chen Yu. He didn’t need Chen Yu to utter a single word; he was already kneeling before him.

Fan Ling, even more so, trembled like a frightened quail and knelt as well.

"Bai Lang, they said I’m not even fit to carry your shoes. What do you think?" Chen Yu asked with a hint of amusement.

Bai Lang shuddered all over. "Those damned fools, not only did they offend Yu, but they dragged me down with them. How could I ever compare to Yu? Before him, I’m not even fit to carry his shoes. I can only occasionally wipe them!"

With that, he suddenly prostrated himself at Chen Yu’s feet, huffing and using his sleeve to wipe Chen Yu’s cheap tourist shoes.

Chen Yu merely smiled and allowed it.

Now, it was Lin Jie’er’s turn to stare in astonishment. Wang Xinyan’s lips twitched as well. The Bai Group was famous in River City; she’d certainly heard of them. Yet she never imagined the young master of Bai Group would kneel before Chen Yu in public and wipe his shoes with his sleeve. It was almost unfathomable.

Fan Wenbin wanted to die. He had desperately begged his cousin to help him climb the social ladder to Bai Group, hoping to restore his dignity. But he never expected his cousin to be so powerless before the Bai young master, and that the Bai young master would be like a dog before Chen Yu.

He finally understood the terror of Chen Yu, fear rooting deep in his bones. Chen Yu hadn’t spoken a word to him, but every glance sent chills down his spine.

Seeing Bai Lang wiping shoes, Fan Wenbin’s thoughts stirred and he mimicked Bai Lang, wiping the other shoe.

Bai Lang kicked him aside. "Get lost, damn it! You’re not even worthy to wipe Yu’s shoes!"

Wang Xinyan watched, suddenly feeling an urge to laugh, yet at the same time, a strange sense of unfamiliarity toward Chen Yu blossomed within her. Just how many surprises would this adopted brother bring her?

She stared at Chen Yu, pondering.

Lin Jie’er raised her eyebrows slightly. This man seemed so unremarkable—why could he command such submission?

With no shoes left to wipe, Fan Wenbin was at a loss. His gaze fell upon Fan Ling.

He gritted his teeth, his hatred growing. It was all this woman’s fault; if not for her, he wouldn’t have lost everything and suffered such humiliation. Without warning, he slapped her several times.

"You filthy woman! How dare you wrong Yu? Someone like him is beyond your reach! Beg him for mercy, ask him to spare us!" He struck her hard, showing no mercy.

Fan Ling, instead of being stunned, was awakened by the blows. The past days had felt like a fall from heaven to hell. She could have quietly lived her life as a wealthy wife, but her vanity had destroyed everything. She deeply regretted it, questioning herself relentlessly—why provoke Chen Yu? For what reason? She finally saw her own worthlessness, realizing she’d lost someone she never should have, all for a Chanel bag.

The head she once held so high before Chen Yu now hung low. "Chen Yu—no, Yu—I'm sorry. Please, spare us!"

Chen Yu shook his head slightly. Fan Wenbin and Fan Ling were despicable, but ultimately ordinary people, and had received their punishment. Besides, they hadn’t truly harmed him.

He said, "Go. Don’t let me see you again."

Fan Wenbin felt as if he’d been granted amnesty. He kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you, Yu! Thank you, Yu! Thank you, Yu!"

He then ran off, ignoring Fan Ling completely.

Fan Ling, as if soulless, left with a self-deprecating, miserable smile, stumbling away.

Bai Lang finished wiping the shoes. "Yu, do you want me to teach that couple another lesson?"

Chen Yu glanced at him coolly. "No need. You may rise."

Earlier, a crowd had gathered outside to watch the commotion, but Bai Lang’s bodyguards had quickly dispersed them. Chen Yu didn’t want things to get too out of hand. "Take your men and leave. When the time comes, I’ll find you," he said, referring to the heart-devouring energy within Bai Lang.

Bai Lang finally relaxed, stood, and bowed. "Then I won’t disturb your meal, Yu!"

He waved his hand, and his bodyguards hurried away.

"Chen Yu, what kind of methods did you use to make the Bai young master obey you like that?" Lin Jie’er asked curiously once everyone had left.

Chen Yu just smiled, unwilling to explain.

"Jie’er, I told you before—my adopted brother is very capable," Wang Xinyan said, blowing smoke rings with a half-smile.

At that moment, the restaurant manager, drenched and dripping, rushed over. He’d been thrown into the water earlier, but luckily was close to shore and unharmed, though thoroughly frightened. Once he regained his composure and assessed the situation, he hurried to apologize to Chen Yu.

"I deserve to die! I deserve to die!" He slapped himself repeatedly before Chen Yu.

Lin Jie’er rolled her eyes; after all the drama, her appetite was gone.

Wang Xinyan shook her head helplessly.

"To express my apologies, I have an old mountain ginseng. I acquired it by chance while sourcing medicinal cuisine for the restaurant. It’s said to be quite aged. Please accept it, Yu!" The manager produced a delicate long box, opened it before Chen Yu, revealing a large ginseng with beautifully shaped roots and a humanoid appearance. An exquisite fragrance filled the air.

"How beautiful!" Lin Jie’er couldn’t help but exclaim.

Wang Xinyan was moved as well. She’d seen many rare medicinal herbs in the Wang family, and had a keen eye; such a human-shaped ginseng surely had centuries of age.

"Chen Yu, this ginseng is decent. Though not extremely old, it’s about eight hundred years—should be of some benefit to you!"

At that moment, a lazy voice sounded from within Chen Yu—the Dragon King, offering a reluctant reminder. The ginseng hadn’t really caught its interest, and after speaking, it fell back asleep.

Chen Yu could feel the faint medicinal energy emanating from the ginseng. He nodded. "Very well, I’ll accept it."

The manager’s face lit up, and he handed the box to Chen Yu. "Whenever you come, Yu, I’ll always reserve this spot for you!"

Chen Yu smiled lightly. "No need for that. We’re done here."

Seeing that neither woman had touched their food, he was eager to return and see how to absorb the ginseng, which would also save Wang Xinyan the meal bill.

After leaving the floating restaurant, Wang Xinyan’s BMW X6 didn’t head toward the bar. She smiled, "Since the bar’s closed, we should really relax. Let’s go find somewhere fun!"

Lin Jie’er didn’t mind; she was new to River City and wanted to explore.

Chen Yu understood Wang Xinyan’s intentions, but pretended not to. "Sister Yan, I really can’t accompany you. I have things to do at home. Just drop me off here."

Wang Xinyan smiled as she gripped the steering wheel. "Xiao Yu, honestly, I still don’t know where you live. Why don’t we skip going out and visit your home instead?"

"Ah!" Chen Yu was caught off guard. "Sister Yan, it’s not that I don’t want to invite you, but my house is too shabby. Please don’t embarrass me." He certainly couldn’t take them to Shen Zhujun’s villa, so he made up an excuse.

Lin Jie’er pouted. "Who wants to go to your place, anyway? Even if you invited me, I wouldn’t go!"

Chen Yu smiled quietly, saying nothing.

Wang Xinyan teased, "Xiao Yu, looks like you don’t treat me as your sister. Are you hiding some beautiful woman at home, not wanting us to see?"

Chen Yu blushed. "Sister Yan, I really have things to do. Please, let me off. I’ll definitely make it up to you another day!"

Wang Xinyan spun the car beautifully, stopping by the roadside.

"Ah, Xiao Yu, you really wasted my good intentions. Looks like I’ll have to prepare another big gift for you someday!" She sighed once the car stopped.

Chen Yu smiled apologetically, said goodbye, and quickly slipped away at the intersection.

Wang Xinyan didn’t leave immediately. She lit a cigarette, lost in thought as she exhaled smoke.

"Cousin, why aren’t we leaving?" Lin Jie’er asked.

"Jie’er, what do you think of Xiao Yu?" Wang Xinyan replied with a question.

"He’s a bit different from most people, but that’s about it. Too fussy—not my type!"

Wang Xinyan chuckled softly. Images flashed in her mind of the day Chen Yu crippled Zhang Feilong—how boldly and ruthlessly he stepped forward, and how, throughout today’s events, he remained steady and commanding. Hardly the fussy type.

But she said nothing, stubbed out her cigarette, and pressed down hard on the accelerator...

Just as Chen Yu approached Shen Zhujun’s villa, he caught sight of a familiar figure. Upon seeing him, the figure scurried away like a frightened mouse.

Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, too lazy to give chase. In his eyes, that person was nothing more than a clown.