Chapter Twenty-Two: A Slap in the Face and Vigilance

Cheng Jiu was skilled enough that even facing four opponents at once posed no problem for him; he had nothing to fear. He and Xiao Shi understood the local dialect, so they knew exactly what insults were being hurled.

Xin Gan worried that things would escalate and bring trouble to Cheng Jiu. She was about to speak when Xiao Shi came over and said, "Miss Xin, it's fine. Leave this to Ninth Brother. Let's step outside."

He led Xin Gan out of the restaurant. Asongli, clueless about what had happened, stayed close to Xin Gan, not daring to wander. Xiao Shi looked after Xin Gan, while Cheng Jiu dealt with the men inside.

The proprietress, fearing a fight and damage to her establishment, hurried to smooth things over. Cheng Jiu, having kicked and broken the table, paid for it directly and stood his ground against the men.

Seeing Cheng Jiu's formidable presence, the group hesitated; they didn’t want trouble. After a few curses, they left without further words. As they exited, they cast several venomous glances at Xin Gan, clearly marking her in their minds.

After settling the bill, Cheng Jiu came out and said to Xin Gan, "Let's go. We'll find another place to eat."

He didn’t ask if she was alright, but since he had stood up for her, Xin Gan felt compelled to thank him.

"Thank you for earlier," she said, and the air between them shifted subtly.

Cheng Jiu looked up at her. "No need to be polite with me, but you still suffered. They didn’t apologize."

"It's alright," Xin Gan replied.

It was enough that he had defended her.

They found a quieter noodle shop. This time, things went smoothly; they ordered beef noodles and settled in. Cheng Jiu ate quickly, devouring everything in a flash. After finishing, he took out a cigarette, glanced at Xin Gan and Asongli—a woman and a child—and stood. "I'll smoke outside."

Xiao Shi nodded in agreement.

Once Cheng Jiu was at the door, Xiao Shi turned to Xin Gan and asked, "Miss Xin, just curious—are you Ninth Brother’s girlfriend?"

Xin Gan paused, then shook her head. "No."

"Then what’s your relationship?" Not a relative, not a girlfriend—what else could it be?

Xin Gan finished her last bite, though her bowl was still half full; she couldn’t eat any more. She took a sip from her water bottle, then said, "Soon, there won’t be any relationship at all."

Xiao Shi was one of Cheng Jiu’s people; Xin Gan had no reason to lie, and besides, Xiao Shi had helped her, which she appreciated. If anyone else had asked, she would not have answered a single word.

Asongli finished his noodles and asked, "Sister, how much longer until we get home?"

"Probably tomorrow night," Xiao Shi replied.

Cheng Jiu returned after his smoke and noticed Xin Gan’s bowl was still half full. He frowned and his voice dropped a notch. "We won’t reach the next stop until after nine tonight. That’s when food will be available again. I suggest you eat more and not waste food."

Xin Gan was silent for a moment before looking up at him. "I’m full."

In truth, she was nauseous and couldn’t stomach another bite.

"Suit yourself," Cheng Jiu said. "Just don’t complain about being hungry later. I won’t object."

Xin Gan sensed he actually did have an objection. After a few seconds of silence, she picked up her chopsticks again and forced herself to finish the noodles.

Suddenly, Cheng Jiu’s temper flared. He spoke coldly, "Don’t be stubborn with me. If you really don’t want to eat, then don’t."

Xin Gan ignored him, showing him only the crown of her head.

She was stuffed, her stomach swollen and uncomfortable.

Back in the car, Xin Gan didn’t look at him once; she felt as though she had contradicted herself. Clearly, she couldn’t afford to be too soft-hearted or too trusting.

Before getting into the car, Xiao Shi ran up to Cheng Jiu and whispered, "Ninth Brother, you’re too harsh with Miss Xin."