Chapter 28: Enemies Meet Again

Lin Aoxue’s words sent a jolt of panic through Ye Xuan. He knew he had gone too far and wanted to explain, but she had already turned and walked away.

Watching her retreating figure, an inexplicable sense of frustration washed over him. He lashed out, kicking a trash can by the side of the road. The brand-new metal crumpled instantly under the force.

He hadn’t meant for things to end up like this. Hearing Lin Aoxue confess her feelings to him had actually made him incredibly happy. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, those cruel words had spilled from his mouth anyway.

Plagued by frustration, he wandered aimlessly until he found himself at a bar. Given his special identity, he had no business binge drinking, but tonight, all he wanted was to get dead drunk. Before long, a neat row of empty liquor bottles lined his table.

Ye Xuan was an incredibly handsome man. Coupled with the expensive tailored outfit Yang Bingyu had picked out for him, it didn’t take long for the bar’s gold diggers to set their sights on him.

A scantily clad woman with heavy makeup swayed her hips as she approached, sliding into the empty seat beside him. Her arms coiled around his shoulders like water snakes.

"Hey there, handsome. Drinking all alone is so boring. Why don’t I keep you company?" Without waiting for an answer, she reached for his glass.

Though slightly tipsy, Ye Xuan’s mind remained razor-sharp. He shot her a cold, sidelong glance and snapped, "Get your hands off me."

His gaze was as icy as frost, making the woman feel as though she had been plunged into a freezing cellar. Her body stiffened, and she hastily snatched her hand back, her smile turning incredibly rigid. Still, she refused to give up. Pouring herself a glass of liquor, she coaxed, "Why so cold, handsome? I just wanted to share a drink with you."

She clinked her glass against his and tipped her head back, downing the drink in one gulp.

Ye Xuan pursed his lips in silence. A flash of pure disgust crossed his eyes as he set his glass aside. He grabbed a fresh one and continued to drink alone.

Such blatant rejection and disgust made it impossible for the woman to maintain her smile. The other gold diggers in the bar, seeing her hit a wall, wore expressions of unabashed mockery.

One woman, dressed in a falsely innocent style with her hair in a ponytail, sneered. "Well, Sister Moli, how does it feel to strike out for the first time? If you ask me, you’d better use what little capital you have left to hook a rich husband and get married quick. Don’t blame us girls for not warning you when you’re old and washed up in a few years."

Moli’s pupils contracted sharply. Her facade completely crumbled, and just as it looked like she was about to throw a punch, a somewhat familiar voice drifted into Ye Xuan’s ears.

"Moli, Henna, what are you two up to?"

He hadn’t expected to run into an old acquaintance here of all places—Long Tian.

Seeing Long Tian approach, the surrounding crowd consciously stepped back, giving them a wide berth. Upon hearing his voice, both Moli and Henna instantly masked their hostility and squeezed out sweet smiles.

"Brother Long, how did you find the time to visit today?"

"I was just joking around with Sister Moli. It’s nothing serious."

Both women spoke in a fawning, overly flattering tone. Long Tian naturally wrapped an arm around each of their waists, pulling them into his embrace.

"I’ve been busy with some company matters these past few days. But the moment I had some free time, didn’t I come straight to see you two?" he said, planting a kiss on each of their cheeks.

Moli and Henna were both old flames of Long Tian. In front of him, they pretended to be the best of friends, but behind his back, they were constantly at each other’s throats, both desperately trying to outdo the other.

Henna caught sight of Ye Xuan, who was still drinking alone with his head lowered, and a malicious idea sprang to mind. She snuggled closer into Long Tian’s chest and said in a passive-aggressive tone, "Brother Long, Sister Moli has been so lonely while you were away. In fact, she was just offering to share a drink with that man over there."

Hearing this, Moli felt the blood drain from her face. Her entire body went stiff.

Long Tian was notoriously generous with the women he dated, spending lavishly and treating them with gentle affection. However, his one absolute taboo was a woman who was with him but had her eyes on someone else. Even if they were just casual flings, he absolutely refused to tolerate it.

Sure enough, Long Tian’s expression darkened instantly, and he withdrew the arm wrapped around Moli.

Moli began to tremble uncontrollably, bracing herself for his inevitable fury. Beside her, Henna wore a gloating smile, secretly thrilled at having finally eliminated her rival.

"I didn’t expect to run into you here. I’ve been searching high and low for you, yet here you are, practically delivering yourself to my doorstep."

To the utter shock of both women, Long Tian didn’t even spare Moli a glance. Instead, his venomous gaze was fixed entirely on Ye Xuan.

Did they know each other?

The onlookers murmured, speculating about the relationship between the two men. From Long Tian’s tone, it sounded like this young man had offended him deeply.

"Piss off!" Hearing the noise, Ye Xuan glanced up at Long Tian. A flash of deep irritation crossed his eyes as he barked the curse. Then, ignoring the man completely, he tipped his head back and downed another glass of liquor.

His blatant disrespect caused the surrounding crowd to gasp in shock.

Was this young man suicidal? To tell Long Tian to piss off... it seemed he wouldn’t be walking out of this bar alive tonight.

"You’ve got some nerve, Ye Xuan! Death is staring you in the face, yet you still talk tough. I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!"

Fuelled by new and old grievances, Long Tian instantly lost his mind. Spotting a fruit knife resting on the table, he snatched it up and lunged, aiming the blade straight for Ye Xuan’s chest.

The more timid women in the bar let out piercing screams, covering their eyes so they wouldn’t have to witness the impending bloodshed.

Given the Long Family’s immense power and influence in Jianghai City, even if Ye Xuan was killed tonight, Long Tian wouldn’t suffer any real consequences. At most, he’d just have to throw some money around to make the problem disappear.

This young man’s luck was truly atrocious.

Ye Xuan hadn’t even finished his drink before he saw the sharp blade thrusting toward him. He furrowed his brows. Without even setting down his glass, his free hand shot out, intercepting Long Tian’s strike mid-air.

He gripped Long Tian’s wrist with one hand and applied a sudden, violent twist, snapping the bone. The knife clattered onto the table with a crisp CLANG, followed immediately by Long Tian’s agonizing, pig-like squeals.

It all happened so fast that the crowd didn’t even register Ye Xuan’s movements. They could only stare in dumbfounded silence at the scene unfolding before them.

"I told you to piss off. Are you deaf?" Ye Xuan drained the last drop of liquor from his glass and slammed it down heavily onto the table. His voice was freezing as he addressed Long Tian.

"Motherfucker! Ye Xuan! I’m going to kill you!"

With one arm broken, Long Tian showed zero signs of backing down. Instead, his fury only intensified. Screaming bloody murder, he snatched the fruit knife off the table with his uninjured hand.

This time, Ye Xuan was truly annoyed. With a swift grab and a brutal backhand motion, he commandeered the knife and ruthlessly slashed Long Tian’s wrist, severing his tendons.

Crimson blood sprayed into the air as Long Tian let out a bloodcurdling shriek that nearly shattered everyone’s eardrums.