Chapter 201 - 199: Catching Strays

Ye Xuan didn’t quite know what to say in the face of the old Wang family matriarch’s sheer sincerity.

If you asked him to fight, kill, or handle official business, Ye Xuan would remain absolutely calm and composed, doing exactly what needed to be done. Back when he was just starting to make a name for himself, people even called him an "iceberg."

"I don’t have any requests for now. We can talk about it later," Ye Xuan said, scratching his head in an awkward spot.

"Mom, it’s so late. You all probably haven’t eaten yet, right?" Fortunately, Song Ling’er noticed Ye Xuan’s predicament and thoughtfully stepped forward to bail him out. "Siming and I haven’t eaten either. How about we find a place to chat over dinner?"

The old lady’s attention was instantly diverted by Song Ling’er’s suggestion. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, let’s find a place to eat and sit down for a proper chat."

Seeing that the old lady had agreed, Song Ling’er carried her young daughter into the car. The group then headed out, eventually arriving at the most famous restaurant in Jingcheng—Xinyue Hotel.

Although the power of the Song family and the Wang family in Jingcheng couldn’t quite compare to the Xiao family, they were still prominent Noble Families. As soon as they arrived at the entrance of Xinyue Hotel, a dedicated staff member hurried up to greet them.

"Young Master Wang, Madam Wang, and Old Madam, what brings you here today?" The waiter bowed and nodded respectfully to Wang Siming and the rest of the group.

"Go tell your manager to get me the best private room, then serve a table of your hotel’s most premium dishes." Wang Siming stuffed a few crisp hundred-yuan bills into the waiter’s shirt pocket as a tip, a trace of arrogance resting on his features.

Upon seeing the red bills, the waiter grinned from ear to ear. He nodded profusely, flattering Wang Siming the entire way inside with incredibly sweet words.

The waiter led Ye Xuan and the others further into the hotel. Just as they turned a corner, they ran head-on into another group of people. Wang Siming and his family clearly knew this group, as both he and Song Ling’er noticeably stiffened the moment they laid eyes on them. Strangely, however, they didn’t even exchange greetings. Instead, they pretended not to know each other and simply attempted to walk past.

While brushing past, someone accidentally bumped shoulders with Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan frowned but didn’t say anything. However, the man opposite him suddenly lashed out, aggressively grabbing Ye Xuan’s arm and shouting, "Who the hell are you? You don’t even know how to apologize after bumping into me!"

Looking at the rat-faced man yelling right at him, Ye Xuan simply brushed off the spot on his jacket where he had been bumped.

"Guo Xiang, this is my guest. Please show some respect!" Wang Siming said coldly, glaring at the rat-faced man.

"So what if he’s your guest? He bumped into me, so he needs to apologize!" Unexpectedly, the man named Guo Xiang completely ignored Wang Siming’s warning. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and deliberately threw out the provocation.

Wang Siming was about to blow up on the spot, but Song Ling’er quickly reached out and held him back.

"It was just a minor collision. Besides, the bump was mutual, so there’s no need to point fingers, right?" Song Ling’er said to Guo Xiang, her tone neither haughty nor humble. "We still have business to discuss, so we won’t waste any more time with you here. Excuse us."

She then tugged forcefully at Wang Siming’s arm, pulling him toward the private rooms. Although Wang Siming’s face was extremely ugly, his wife had spoken, leaving him with no choice but to swallow his anger. He allowed his wife to drag him away.

"Hold on! Did I say you could leave? You think you can just walk away?"

They had barely taken two steps when Guo Xiang blocked their path once more. Pointing right at Ye Xuan’s nose, he sneered, "If this punk doesn’t apologize to me today, none of you are leaving this hotel."

Upon hearing his threat, Wang Siming and Song Ling’er’s faces darkened completely. Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding the situation. He realized he had just been caught in the crossfire.

Clearly, this man named Guo Xiang had a history with Wang Siming, and the two were already at each other’s throats. Running into each other today merely gave Guo Xiang an excuse to make a scene.

"Guo Xiang! Don’t go too far! Don’t think you can be so arrogant just because you have backing!" Wang Siming was absolutely furious. He wrenched his hand free from his wife’s grasp, pointed at Guo Xiang’s face, and cursed.

"Heh, so I’m arrogant. What are you going to do about it? You think the Wang family is a big deal? In front of me, you still have to cower like a beaten dog! Three years ago, with what happened to your sister, you couldn’t do anything to me. And three years later, you still can’t do a damn thing."

Guo Xiang was simply begging for a beating. He lit a cigarette, took a drag, and blew the smoke directly into Wang Siming’s face.

When Wang Siming heard him bring up the incident from three years ago, his entire aura shifted. His eyes locked onto Guo Xiang with a ferocious glare, looking as if he wanted to eat the man alive. His teeth ground together with a harsh creak. His fists clenched tightly, his muscles went taut, and the veins bulged on his forehead.

"Oh, ho? We haven’t seen each other for a few months, and you’ve grown a temper? Are you mad? Then go ahead and hit me! Come on, hit me right here!" Guo Xiang patted his own cheek as he spoke, continuing to verbally provoke Wang Siming.

Damn, Ye Xuan had truly never met someone so arrogant, nor had he ever heard such a masochistic request. To actually demand that someone hit him.

Since that was the case, he might as well oblige.

SLAP!

A crisp smack rang through the air. A clear, five-fingered handprint suddenly appeared on the face of the wildly arrogant Guo Xiang.

Wang Siming’s hand hovered mid-air. Astonished, he turned to look at Ye Xuan, who was currently gripping his wrist. As it turned out, the slap had been delivered by Ye Xuan using Wang Siming’s hand.

"Since you asked so nicely, I figured I’d grant your wish. Is one slap enough? If not, I don’t mind doing it a few more times." Ye Xuan released Wang Siming’s hand. Sneering at the bewildered Guo Xiang, he delivered the words with complete composure.

"Fuck! You really have the balls to do it, you little shit!"

"Damn it, do you have any idea who Young Master Guo is? How dare you lay a hand on him! Punk, don’t even think about walking out of this restaurant on your own two feet today!"

"I’ll make you taste my wrath today!"

Those standing by Guo Xiang erupted in an uproar upon seeing him get hit. They immediately swarmed forward, completely surrounding Ye Xuan and his group. Their ferocious and menacing demeanor terrified Song Ling’er’s young daughter, causing her to burst into tears.

"Good girl, Nannan. Don’t cry. Grandma is here." Old Madam Wang pulled Nannan into her embrace, calmly patting the little girl’s back and coaxing her in a gentle voice.

Guo Xiang finally snapped out of his daze. He spat fiercely onto the ground and rubbed his stinging cheek, his eyes full of malice.

"Alright, kid, you’re pretty fucking tough! Don’t think you’re invincible just because you clung onto the Wang family. Today, I’m absolutely going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!"