Chapter 83: Chapter 83 Do Not Provoke Trouble
The voice was so cloying it gave Xia Liang goosebumps.
"Dear, have you taken care of my job for me?"
A smug smile spread across the man’s face. "Of course. Just head directly to the HR department later. I had to pull some strings with my dad to get you that job, so you better reward me properly tonight."
"Sure, my dear~" Han Juan cooed, giving a shy smile as she pulled the man, ready to leave.
This is surprising, Xia Liang thought. Under normal circumstances, shouldn’t she be proudly showing off her boyfriend? Why are they leaving already?
Truthfully, Han Juan would have flaunted her boyfriend in front of anyone else, but she didn’t dare do so with Xi Yiqian.
I can’t admit it, she thought, but my looks can’t even begin to compare to Xi Yiqian’s. I’m not an idiot. What if my boyfriend takes a fancy to her and dumps me? Wouldn’t that be shooting myself in the foot?
It had to be said, Han Juan was quite clever. But alas, fate had other plans.
The man had been about to leave, but just as he turned, Xi Yiqian inadvertently looked up. He caught a glimpse of her and was instantly captivated. He had assumed Han Juan would introduce him, but to his surprise, she was trying to pull him away.
That won’t do, he thought.
The man stood his ground, his gaze burning as it fixed on Xi Yiqian. "I just saw you two chatting, so you must know each other, right? Xiao Juan, aren’t you going to introduce me?"
Han Juan’s expression froze. It’s obvious. He’s fallen for Xi Yiqian. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do but force a smile.
"Oh, look at me, I completely forgot to introduce you. This is my classmate, Xi Yiqian. She’s also here for an interview. The one next to her is Xia Liang; he came with Yiqian."
"Oh!" When the man heard they were there for an interview, his eyes lit up. He extended a hand toward Xi Yiqian with a lecherous expression. "Hello, my name is Zhu Hao. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I can even help you out during your interview later," he added with a smug grin.
Xi Yiqian had clearly never encountered such a situation. Flustered, she shrank back, trying to hide beside Xia Liang.
Xia Liang, on the other hand, rubbed his nose. Am I being ignored? Did I buy this cheap suit and this twelve-Yuan watch for nothing? This guy has no discernment at all.
He pulled Xi Yiqian behind him and said coolly, "Yiqian doesn’t like shaking hands with strangers, nor does she want to get to know you. So, forget it."
Zhu Hao’s expression soured. "I’m talking to Yiqian. What’s it to you?"
"What’s it to me?" A smile touched Xia Liang’s lips as he raised the hand he was using to hold Yiqian’s. "What do you think?"
"Heh."
Xi Yiqian had expected him to back down, but she had severely underestimated how shameless he was.
With a look of pure disdain, he sneered, "So what? I’m telling you, stay away from Yiqian. Some people you can’t afford to offend."
PFFT! What the hell! Hearing the all-too-familiar line, Xia Liang felt a vein throb in his forehead. Why do I keep running into this crap? First with Qin Shiya, now with Xi Yiqian! Do I really look that unlike a rich person? My outfit cost over ten Yuan! In the past, that would have been tens of millions. I’m seriously starting to wonder if I bought fakes.
Beside Zhu Hao, Han Juan’s eyes went wide. "Brother Hao, what are you doing?"
If Zhu Hao had once enjoyed her fawning, now all he felt was disgust. He violently flung her hand away. "Aren’t you supposed to be reporting to the HR department? Get going!" he ordered, glaring at her.
"You! Hmph!" Han Juan wanted to snap at him, but she couldn’t bear to lose the job. With an angry stomp of her foot, she turned and left.
Xia Liang shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and looked at Zhu Hao with utter disdain. "Listen, kid. Don’t go flashing the allowance your daddy gives you. The last guy who tried this was more generous. And stop calling her ’Yiqian.’ You’re not that familiar with her."
At these words, Zhu Hao felt he had lost face. His gaze turned hostile as he pointed a finger at Xia Liang’s nose. "You’re just some guy who came with Yiqian to her interview..."
Before he could finish, Xia Liang grabbed his hand and gave it a sharp twist.
"AAAAHHH!" Zhu Hao let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.
"Didn’t your mother teach you not to point at people when you speak?" With that, Teacher Xia casually tossed him aside, and Zhu Hao crumpled to the floor.
As a five-star hotel, the security was naturally impeccable. The moment the altercation started, a nearby security guard rushed over. "What happened?"
Seeing the guard approach, Zhu Hao scrambled to his feet, his face twisted with malice. He started to point at Xia Liang, but immediately retracted his hand, wincing from the pain. "It was him! He hit me!"
Hearing this, the security guard’s expression turned grave. Fighting was strictly forbidden in the Qingyun Hotel. Regardless of the reason, the person who threw the first punch would have their legs broken and be tossed out. Because the Qingyun Grand Hotel’s backers were incredibly powerful, no one had ever dared to test this rule. But today, this reckless fool actually dared to get violent.
"You’re dead meat!" Zhu Hao’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Seeing the security personnel starting to surround them, he began to taunt Xia Liang. "Acting tough, are we? Keep it up! Do you have any idea where you are? This is the Qingyun Grand Hotel! I dare you, try it again! I’m standing right here. If you’ve got the guts, hit me! Come on, hit me!"
SLAP!
Another sharp slap echoed through the lobby, silencing the entire hall.
If the first move could be dismissed as a reckless mistake made in ignorance, this second slap was different. It didn’t just land on Zhu Hao’s face; it was a slap in the face to every major shareholder of the Qingyun Grand Hotel. The onlookers couldn’t help but feel a flicker of pity for the reckless young man.
But Xia Liang didn’t care at all. He swept his gaze over the crowd. "You all saw it. He asked for it himself."
He shrugged, then gave Xi Yiqian’s hand a little squeeze. "I’ve never heard such a pathetic request in my entire life. Am I right?"
"Oh, uh, yes," Xi Yiqian nodded dazedly.
Seeing that Xia Liang was still utterly fearless, the security chief waved his hand, and dozens of guards converged on them.
Xi Yiqian tugged at Xia Liang’s sleeve.
"What’s wrong?" Xia Liang turned to her. "Are you scared?"
She shook her head, whispering nervously, "There are so many of them... Should we make a run for it?"
"Hahaha!" Her expression made him laugh out loud. He patted her head and said with overwhelming confidence, "Since you’re my girl now, you don’t have to be afraid of anything. Even if the sky falls, I’ll be there to hold it up for you."
After he spoke, Xi Yiqian looked at him, and it was as if he had transformed into the sun itself, radiating a brilliant light.
Alas, there’s always someone who feels the need to jump in and steal the spotlight.