1 Chapter 1 Honey, I'm Back~_1

"Relax a bit."

The air was filled with a strong, piercing smell of alcohol as the man lifted his head, revealing a face that could be considered universally infuriating.

Tong Tong curled up in his embrace, like a newborn cub, her eyes rimmed with glistening pink, yet her gaze was utterly bewildered.

"Uncle, it hurts."

The slightly tearful voice assaulted his eardrums, and the man finally lost control, sealing their lips with a kiss and together they surged into the tumultuous sea of desire.

...

Several days later, in the largest shopping mall in Huaicheng.

Tong Tong picked up her incessantly ringing cellphone.

"Hello? Miss Tong, your grandmother's hospital fees have been overdue for two months now, we've been under pressure to give you extra time."

"If you still can't pay today, we'll have to stop treatment and force you to leave the hospital."

The voice on the other end of the phone jabbed at her eardrums.

It had been several days since the incident with the stranger.

It was during the birthday party of her class leader; she had been plied with drinks until she was completely intoxicated, and upon waking up, she had found herself in bed with a man she didn't know.

The hangover, compounded by the pain in her body, made her want to find the person responsible. But by the time she looked, the bed was empty, save for a belt left behind.

Who was the man from that day?

After dealing with the hospital call, the pawnshop clerk immediately spoke up.

"Miss, you've been consulting for so long, are you going to sell this belt or not?"

"How about this, I'll add another three thousand for a total of fifty thousand. Think about it, miss, our shop is definitely the fairest in the whole of Huaicheng!"

Upon hearing the clerk offer more money, Tong Tong placed the belt on the counter.

The medical fees for her grandmother could not be delayed any longer.

That scumbag took advantage of her when she was vulnerable and ran off without intending to take responsibility, so now selling his belt for money seemed only fair.

"Deal."

The pawnshop clerk's eyes crinkled with a smile, leading Tong Tong towards the back.

She didn't notice that the whole transaction had been recorded by someone.

...

After completing the transaction, Tong Tong immediately went to the hospital. The weather was beautiful that day, but her heart was in complete disarray.

She had barely managed to pay off her grandmother's outstanding treatment fees with the money from the belt sale, but what about the follow-up surgery and therapy?

She was in dire need of money now.

Her phone buzzed, it was a call from her best friend Fang Yue.

Only then did she remember that Fang Yue was suffering from painful menstruation and she had promised to help cover her shift at the restaurant.

As soon as the call went through, a weak voice came from the other end, "Tong Tong, I just saw the news, there's a tough big shot coming to the restaurant today. Try to hide in the kitchen tonight, I'll have someone cover for you."

A big shot?

Tong Tong said she understood, then hurried over, changed into her work clothes, and started preparing the tableware with her team leader.

The team leader clapped his hands and reminded everyone again and again, "Be extra careful today, especially when passing by the Four Seasons private room. The people in there are ones you can't afford to offend in your entire life! If anyone makes that guest unhappy today, they can forget about working in Huaicheng ever again!"

Everyone quickly started bustling about; it seemed that due to the arrival of the mysterious big shot, many people looking to network were present, and all the private rooms were filled.

Everyone was busy beyond measure, and even Tong Tong, who had been loafing around in the kitchen, got dragged out to serve meals.

Tong Tong pushed the food cart into a private room.

Before she could get past the screen, she heard the noisy voices inside.

"That bitch Tong Tong, acting all high and mighty in front of me, but behind the scenes, she's been kept by some old man!"

"Li Huan, calm down, man. So what are you going to do about it?"

"Do about it?" The man sneered, and before he could say more, a woman's moan suddenly came through.

"Ah, Li Huan, that hurts〜"

Tong Tong froze on the spot. This familiar voice… was she really running into her fiancé, Li Huan, here?

What was he talking about just now, someone being kept?

Tong Tong had no fond feelings for her nominal fiancé and was just about to leave when a fellow server pushed her into the room.

"What are you doing standing around? It's so busy outside; we have other tables to serve!"

As soon as Tong Tong appeared, the voices inside fell silent.

She looked up and saw that each man present had a woman by his side, especially Li Huan, who was holding a woman with his entire hand around her.

The moment Li Huan saw her, his face, previously smiling, instantly turned glum.

"Why are you here!"

Tong Tong's face remained indifferent, but she felt utterly disgusted inside.

Their marriage had been arranged by their families, and they didn't have any feelings for each other. She didn't respond, instead beginning to serve the dishes with her head down.

As soon as she placed a dish on the table, someone suddenly spoke up, "Brother Li, the dish that sister-in-law brings is just different!"

The man leaned in to sniff it, then said with a snicker, "It has a certain... saucy smell."

Tong Tong's face darkened. Seeing the man trying to touch her hand, she immediately stepped back to avoid him.

But Li Huan suddenly appeared behind her, forcibly grabbing her hand.

"You've always been avoiding me, and I thought you were some pure and demure little flower. Turns out you've been played out already, huh!"

Tong Tong couldn't break free and was pushed by Li Huan against the table behind her.

"What are you doing! Let go of me!"

Li Huan chuckled ominously as he unbuckled his belt, "What do you think I can do? Of course, I'm going to take good care of you!"

The people around them suddenly boiled with excitement.

"Brother Li is mighty!"

"Show this little slut a lesson!"

"Brother Li, give us a chance with this cheap woman too!"

Li Huan sneered coldly, "What's the big deal? You can play however you like!"

The chaotic scene stunned the waitstaff that had come in together.

The hand grasping her arm felt slimy, and Tong Tong nearly threw up.

Just as Li Huan leaned in to kiss her, Tong Tong, in desperation, grabbed a bowl from beside her and smashed it onto Li Huan's head.

"Ah!"

Taking advantage of Li Huan's pain, Tong Tong quickly ran away.

"You damn bitch, how dare you hit me!"

Seeing everyone crowd around her, Tong Tong's palms were sweaty.

She wanted to run, but the door was already guarded.

She had known Li Huan was no good, but she never expected him to be this shameless!

If they caught her, the consequences would be unimaginable...

"Since you all know I'm kept by someone, aren't you curious who that person is?"

Tong Tong suddenly spoke, her face also showing a cold smirk.

She didn't know why they claimed she was kept by someone, but right now, she could only continue with that narrative to fight for a way out for herself.

Li Huan, covering his head: "What, an old man gives you the nerve to stand up to me?"

Tong Tong: "Who said he's an old man."

She straightened her clothes with her hand, "You might want to ask if I'm really a waitress here."

"It's just a little lover's fun. He's right in the next private room. If you don't let me go now, my husband will start to get anxious."

Hearing this, Li Huan's face turned green. This Tong Tong, she actually dared to call another man her husband in front of him!

He was about to speak when a lackey suddenly pulled him aside, "Brother Li, it seems like that person is sitting in the next private room."

Li Huan's face turned stern, and his look towards Tong Tong grew more suspicious.

Tong Tong's face didn't show it, but her palms were sweating profusely.

She didn't know who the big shot next door was, but now, he was her only escape.

She walked towards the door, her confident demeanor making the doorkeepers hesitate.

And in that instant, Tong Tong had already stepped out of the private room.

She strode toward the Seasonal private room next door, with all of Li Huan's lackeys behind her. If she dared to run, the people behind her would immediately rush up.

Tong Tong stood at the door of the Seasonal private room, which was a signature feature of the restaurant. Allegedly, no more than ten people in Huaicheng were worthy of entering.

She placed her hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and hoped... the person inside was someone who could be reasoned with.

As the door opened, she saw a traditional Chinese landscape decor and a man in a black suit sitting inside.

He was too far for Tong Tong to see his face, but she could distinctly feel a collective gasp of fear from behind her.

Li Huan was clearly afraid of the person inside.

Taking a deep breath, Tong Tong braced herself for a gamble and forced out her voice.

"Honey, I'm back~"