Chapter 171: Beginning of the End

The restaurant manager rushed to the scene, almost fainting when he saw Yang Chen stepping on Qi Kai, causing him to cough up blood!

"Sir, sir! Please, spare him! Show some mercy!" The manager, drenched in sweat, ran up to them. He deeply regretted not hiring security to save money—this wasn't just a fight; it was almost murder!

Yang Chen released his foot and stepped back, allowing the manager to help Qi Kai up. Qi Kai struggled to his feet. Despite his strong physique from his special forces training, Yang Chen's precise kick had made him spit out blood without causing any serious injury. However, it would take at least ten days to a couple of weeks for him to fully recover.

Wang Yue, who had been in shock, immediately ran to Qi Kai's side, pushing the restaurant manager aside to support Qi Kai. She cried, "Qiqi, are you okay? Are you alright?"

"Spitting blood, and you think I'm alright?!" Qi Kai yelled at Wang Yue, his mouth full of blood. But as soon as he shouted, he started coughing violently.

Yang Chen turned to Liu Mingyu and asked, "Do you still want to eat?"

Liu Mingyu, snapped back to reality by Yang Chen's sudden outburst, looked at him with concern and shook her head slightly, "No, he..."

"Don't worry about it, let's go." Yang Chen said as he headed towards the restaurant exit.

Qi Kai, seething with anger, couldn't bear the humiliation of being beaten and then having his attacker just walk away. He shouted, "You...you, stop right there!"

Yang Chen turned back with a mocking smile, "What? Looking for revenge?"

Qi Kai, feeling a sudden and inexplicable fear under Yang Chen's cold gaze, immediately abandoned any thought of attacking him. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'll call the police. You just wait and see!"

"Suit yourself."

Yang Chen didn't care at all. He knew that even if Qi Kai ended up seriously injured, the police wouldn't come after him. From the way Hua Yu had stepped in to resolve the situation last time, it was clear that the current stance of the Yanhuang Iron Brigade was to avoid action. At this stage, they were neither willing nor daring to move against him, which was exactly the situation Yang Chen wanted.

Seeing Yang Chen walking out without a care, Liu Mingyu quickly took out two one-hundred yuan notes and handed them to the restaurant manager before hurrying to follow him.

The guests who stayed in the restaurant were whispering and pointing at Qi Kai and Wang Yue, mostly gloating over Qi Kai's misfortune, and they were also curious about the identity of the man named Yang Chen who had just left the room so boldly and dared to hit someone in public.

Wang Yue, who always cherished her reputation, saw that Qi Kai's face remained ashen and he did nothing. She coquettishly said, "Qi Qi! That guy obviously looks down on you, how can you just swallow this insult? Call the police quickly. Didn't you tell me that Deputy Chief Lu from the West District Police Station is your father's friend? Get him to help and teach that adulterous couple a lesson!"

Provoked by Wang Yue, Qi Kai decided to put aside his concerns about Yang Chen. He snorted coldly, pulled out his phone, and made a call. Soon, a cheerful middle-aged voice came from the other end, "Haha, Qi Kai! I heard from your dad that you're back in Zhonghai? That's great, you even thought of calling Uncle Lu."

"Uncle Lu, don't even mention it, I've just come back and I've already been wronged!"

"What?! Who dared to wrong you? Uncle Lu will stand up for you!"

Qi Kai smiled smugly, "Uncle Lu, I was just eating at that Cantonese restaurant near your station when some guy accidentally kicked me. You have to deal with this."

"Who has the guts to make trouble in my territory! Don't worry, with Uncle Lu here, just give me that man's name and I'll check it out for you right away."

Qi Kai looked at Wang Yue beside him. Wang Yue had shaken hands with Yang Chen before and knew his name, so she quickly told Qi Kai. Qi Kai said, "His name is Yang Chen. He's with Yulei International. Uncle Lu, this is about the safety of us ordinary citizens. People like him should be locked up for ten years!"

Deputy Chief Lu responded cheerfully, but soon he suddenly uttered a surprised "Huh?" and then fell silent.

Qi Kai frowned, sensing that something was wrong. "Uncle Lu, Uncle Lu? Are you there? Why aren't you saying anything? Did you find out?"

"Qi Kai," Deputy Chief Lu's tone slowly changed after a long pause, "you just came back to Zhonghai, don't stir up trouble. Some things are better left alone if they're not serious. As a young man, you should learn to be more tolerant. Let's just let this matter go, okay?"

"Uncle Lu! You can't do this! Why are you suddenly telling me to drop it?!"

"Qi Kai, I have to go to a meeting. Take care and give my regards to your father. Goodbye, goodbye," Deputy Chief Lu quickly hung up the phone.

Qi Kai, filled with anger, threw his phone onto the tiled floor!

"Meeting, my ass! Who has a meeting after hours? What a bunch of lies!" Qi Kai gritted his teeth and muttered.

Wang Yue, seeing that things had not gone their way, sneered, "Looks like your connections aren't that solid after all. I thought your family was really influential."

"Smack!"

Kai slapped Wang Yue across the face so hard that it left her dumbfounded.

"Get lost! I don't want to see you anymore!" Kai cursed before leaving the restaurant quickly, leaving Wang Yue bewildered amidst the curious stares of the other patrons.

Meanwhile, Liu Mingyu rushed out of the restaurant and caught up with Yang Chen, who was already in his car. Liu Mingyu wore a worried expression as she exclaimed, "Yang Chen, you're too impulsive. Kai's family has official connections. He might actually call the cops on you!"

Yang Chen looked at Liu Mingyu with a mixture of amusement and tension. His face, usually so intellectual and charming, now showed signs of nervousness. "Mingyu, I feel relieved," he said.

"What?" Liu Mingyu was puzzled.

"I hit your boyfriend, yet you're only concerned about me. Shouldn't I celebrate?" Yang Chen joked.

Liu Mingyu lowered her head and sighed softly, "He's not my boyfriend. Just me, a foolish woman, making mistakes all these years."

A beautiful woman, since her university days, had dreamt of growing old with a man. Even when he abruptly enlisted in the military and only said he'd wait for her at the train station, she faithfully adhered to that simple agreement. Without any written words, paper documents, or even witnesses, she relied solely on her conscience and hope, silently waiting, enduring the loneliness of her best years.

But when that man reappeared without warning, he told her that her waiting was laughable. He had never sincerely wanted to reunite with her and even went as far as using malicious words to hurt her, all to absolve himself of responsibility.

Yang Chen felt that if it weren't for Liu Mingyu's rich social experience and her naturally generous nature, other women might have already thought of jumping off a building in despair.

"Mingyu, you're much stronger than I imagined," Yang Chen sincerely said.

Liu Mingyu smiled sadly, "Strong? Do you expect me to burst into tears? What's the use of crying? It would only provide fodder for others' amusement and make Wang Yue happy. I'm not that stupid. It's just seven or eight years of time; I can afford to lose it."

Although she spoke so much, crystal tears still trickled down her cheeks like dewdrops on a jade-like face.

Liu Mingyu took out a tissue to wipe them away and said with a broken smile, "To celebrate finally freeing myself from that boring shackle and to thank you for helping me kick him hard, I've decided to take you to the bar for a drink, Mr. Yang Chen."

Yang Chen nodded with a smile. At this moment, he had no reason to refuse this small request from a wounded woman.

After all these years of waiting, Liu Mingyu had hardly any friends. Although there were plenty of men lusting after her beauty, true male friends were almost nonexistent.

Yang Chen drove to the nearest large bar, and together with Liu Mingyu, entered the dimly lit interior. They chose a spot near the bar counter in a corner.

Liu Mingyu ordered four bottles of Chivas Regal and filled both Yang Chen's and her own glass to the brim. She then began to drink without hesitation, the amber-colored whisky flowing down her throat like water from her rosy lips.

Yang Chen didn't drink as much, partly fearing that his mind might become muddled, and partly knowing that what Liu Mingyu needed was just someone's company, to make her feel that she wasn't alone. As two bottles of Chivas Regal were already down, Liu Mingyu's watery eyes shimmered with captivating ripples, her alluring figure, hidden under her professional attire, revealing a soft and seductive charm, attracting the attention of many men in the bar.

Seeing Liu Mingyu gradually getting tipsy, Yang Chen didn't stop her. Giving her a satisfying night at this moment would be more effective than well-intentioned advice.

"Yang Chen," Liu Mingyu's voice became lazy and coquettish, tinged with a hint of drunkenness, sounding particularly charming and alluring.

"Yes?"

"Do you know why I always take you to that Cantonese restaurant?" Liu Mingyu slurred, tilting her head.

Yang Chen shook his head, genuinely unaware.

Liu Mingyu pursed her lips and smiled, "Because back in college, that person often took me there. It's where we first met."

The place that used to bring her the most joy had now become the source of her heartache.

Yang Chen picked up the bottle and refilled Liu Mingyu's glass, saying, "Starting there, ending there, it's fitting."

"Yeah, it's fitting," Liu Mingyu reached out to grab the glass, but her hand lacked strength, and the glass slipped from her grasp, falling to the ground with a crash.

There was a sharp sound of glass shattering.

Liu Mingyu stared blankly at the spilled alcohol on the floor for a moment, then collapsed onto the table, crying loudly.