Clearly, the pride was for her boyfriend; the disdain was, of course, directed at the young master Zhou, who was already fuming with anger.
"I'm warning you, don't go too far!" Young Master Zhou stood up abruptly. "You slut! Come with me! Tonight, I'm going to have my way with you!" Young Master Zhou lowered his voice, but his rude words still reached Song Ying's ears clearly.
Song Ying also stood up abruptly. "You hypocrite! Having coffee with you was a mistake on my part! You're not even as good as the station director!"
After saying that, Song Ying turned and left.
"Bitch, you stop right there!" Zhou Shao rushed over rudely and grabbed Song Ying's hand. He gripped it so hard that Song Ying's wrist ached.
"Let go!" Song Ying shouted angrily.
"I'm not letting you go today! Without the Song family's protection, what tricks can you pull? Damn it, what kind of boyfriend do you have? If you dare show your face in front of me, I'll wipe him out in a minute!" Zhou Shao sneered.
"Pfft!" A cup of coffee was poured directly onto Zhou Shao's face! Song Ying threw the coffee cup down. "You should be glad you ordered hot coffee; if I had, you would be in a much worse situation!"
"You slut!" Young Master Zhou went berserk! He raised his hand to slap Song Ying!
At this very moment...
"Smack!"
A crisp slap rang out!
Uh, it wasn't Song Ying who got hit, it was... Young Master Zhou!
He was slapped so hard he spun around three times, his head spinning, and a red, swollen handprint was clearly visible on his left cheek!
"Huh? You hit me?" Zhou Shao was completely stunned! In all his life, he had never been hit by anyone before! Therefore, he wasn't angry, but rather very confused... What? Is this what it feels like to be slapped in the face? It stung!
Zhou Shao looked up, his eyes still blurry.
A handsome young man had already pulled Song Ying into his arms, his arm around her slender waist. Song Ying didn't resist at all; instead, her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, her face overflowing with tenderness and affection!
"We'll be there in 10 minutes, right?" Gao Jianfei chuckled and patted Song Ying's snowy buttocks.
Song Ying felt as if she had fallen into a cloud of mist. She felt as happy as a princess in a fairy tale!
"By the way, Xiaoying, it feels a bit inappropriate for you to be having coffee with a man in such a classy café behind my back." Gao Jianfei smiled lazily, a smile that was indescribably handsome. His tone, though slightly reproachful towards Song Ying, was joking. His gaze was coldly fixed on Zhou Shao. "What? Trying to hit on my girl? Are you out of your mind?"
Zhou Shao was on the verge of a breakdown... He had never been slapped in the face before, nor had anyone ever insulted him with such an arrogant attitude!
He was stunned!
"Darling, don't misunderstand!" Song Ying smiled gently. "I only came here for coffee with him to appease him. I never expected he to be such a beast! Hehe, darling," Song Ying's voice lowered. "Well, since you've given me such a big surprise, making me experience indescribable happiness, then as a reward, I'll grant your request... hehe!"
Chapter 371 The Target of Public Criticism
Chapter 371 The Target of Public Criticism
Song Ying never expected that Gao Jianfei would suddenly appear beside her! And at such a tense moment! A moment of crisis, a moment of helplessness!
At this moment, Song Ying was surrounded by enemies and completely isolated! Abandoned by her family, she was being pursued by various men using all sorts of means!
She felt really scared and exhausted!
But at this moment, her guardian angel, her only guardian angel, descended upon her like a flying general! He embraced her! He gave her an unparalleled sense of security!
Lying in Gao Jianfei's arms, Song Ying completely forgot everything around her! She forgot the not-so-quiet café environment, forgot the gazes of some other customers, and even ignored the furious Young Master Zhou! At this moment, Song Ying was truly willing to do anything for Gao Jianfei! Including what Gao Jianfei had just half-jokingly said—that he wanted Song Ying to use her mouth, or even eat it afterward—Song Ying had already lost her senses and was absolutely willing!
Gao Jianfei, oblivious to everyone else, held Song Ying tightly, glancing sideways at Zhou Shao. Although Gao Jianfei didn't understand what was going on, he rushed into the coffee shop and saw Zhou Shao and Song Ying struggling. Zhou Shao's eyes were filled with boundless lust, and Gao Jianfei immediately deduced the general outline of the whole thing... This bastard was trying to force and threaten Xiao Ying!
So, Gao Jianfei rushed over and, without thinking twice, slapped Zhou Shao hard across the face!
After the fight, Gao Jianfei finally took a good look at Zhou Shao's appearance and demeanor. Based on his current experience, Gao Jianfei immediately guessed that Zhou Shao must be someone with a powerful background! The unique, superior air about Zhou Shao wasn't possessed by ordinary show-offs, nor was it the air of a nouveau riche. It was an extraordinary aura cultivated from childhood by someone who had lived in a prominent family for a long time!
"This bastard, heh, he's not simple!" Gao Jianfei laughed. Even knowing the other party had connections, Gao Jianfei remained completely fearless! Someone who dared to lay a finger on his wife—he'd be dealt with without hesitation; there was nothing to be afraid of!
At this moment, Zhou Shao covered half his face, staring at Gao Jianfei and Song Ying with an extremely complex gaze. His gaze contained surprise, anger, hatred, resentment, and insane jealousy!
"You...you...you actually hit me? Damn it, do you know who I am? You actually hit me? In Beijing, you actually dared to hit me?" After a moment of shock, Zhou Shao immediately felt waves of pain on his face! With trembling hands, he pointed at Gao Jianfei, looking like a wounded wild beast... "You're dead! I guarantee you're dead!"
The other customers in the coffee shop all turned their attention to Gao Jianfei and his companion! At first, when Zhou Shao and Song Ying were pulling at each other, the customers assumed it was just a lovers' quarrel and didn't pay much attention. But then, Gao Jianfei rushed into the coffee shop and slapped Zhou Shao across the face! And Song Ying, at the opportune moment, threw herself into Gao Jianfei's arms, making it clear... she was Gao Jianfei's woman!
Thus, the story seemed to change again in the eyes of the guests… It turned out that Young Master Zhou was the third party! He wanted to steal the girl from this young man who had arrived later! And when this young man arrived, he slapped Young Master Zhou across the face, leaving him stunned!
It's said that Chinese people love a good spectacle, so when something like this happens, everyone eagerly watches and discusses it excitedly behind the scenes. Therefore, right now, all the customers in the coffee shop have spontaneously stood up, standing on tiptoe, watching the unfolding events with great enthusiasm!
"Huh? Isn't that Young Master Zhou? The young master of the Zhou family in Beijing? Oh my god! That beautiful woman is the host of the treasure appraisal program? And who is that young man? Wow! This is going to be a good show! I never expected this!"
"Yes, it's Young Master Zhou, that's right, it's Young Master Zhou! Tsk tsk, this is really going to be a good show! That young man actually dared to hit Young Master Zhou... really... really has a death wish!"
"I don't recognize that young man; I guess he's not a young master from our capital."
"Definitely not! Otherwise, why would he hit Young Master Zhou in front of everyone?"
"Haha, everyone watch now. I reckon if they beat up Young Master Zhou like this, this young man will be instantly killed!"
These whispers were very quiet, like hushed conversations. However, the coffee shop was so quiet that Gao Jianfei and Zhou Shao could clearly hear them!
Zhou Shao's face instantly turned red!
The surrounding comments were like a tidal wave of mockery and ridicule to Zhou Shao! He became increasingly agitated… “You’re really dead! Who are you?”
"Haha, looks like you're someone important. But daring to flirt with my girlfriend, well, I don't care who you are, I'll beat you up! As for who I am, you don't need to know. Alright, I'm leaving now, do you have anything else to say?" Gao Jianfei said disdainfully to Zhou Shao. He didn't intend to waste much time dawdling with this Zhou Shao; he had many private things to say to Song Ying, and some intimate matters to do with her.
Zhou Shao's mind raced. This time, to avoid a crowd spoiling the mood when he drove out to find Song Ying, he hadn't brought any bodyguards. Now, facing Gao Jianfei, he, a young master, certainly couldn't resort to violence directly. If he did, he figured he couldn't possibly defeat Gao Jianfei. Therefore, he planned to hold back, using his status and background to intimidate Gao Jianfei, and also to probe Gao Jianfei's capabilities before devising other ways to deal with him! In short, as long as Gao Jianfei was in Beijing, Zhou Shao could easily manipulate him afterwards! Even killing Gao Jianfei would be a piece of cake!
Thinking this way, his sense of superiority rose, and the pain and humiliation of being beaten gradually faded away. He was a very shrewd person, and he quickly regained his composure. Surprisingly, he put on an inscrutable smile and said to Gao Jianfei, "Very good. I will not pursue the matter of you hitting me just now. Please sit down and let's talk for a bit."
"Seriously? Why should I sit down and chat with you?" Gao Jianfei scoffed. "My time is precious."
Zhou Shao slowly picked up the cigarette case from the table, took out a cigarette, lit it, and started smoking. He said slowly and deliberately, "Sit down. You can be indifferent, you can be arrogant in front of me, but Miss Ying is ultimately from the Capital Television Station. With my methods, it would be easy for Miss Ying to lose this job. I can see that Miss Ying cares a lot about this job because she loves this industry. So... for Miss Ying's sake, let's sit down and talk!"
Gao Jianfei couldn't help but want to laugh.
Perhaps, to others, Zhou Shao's words carried a strong deterrent and coercive force, but to Gao Jianfei now, Zhou Shao was simply showing off! A clown, putting on airs!
"Haha, alright then, I'll chat with you for a bit!" Gao Jianfei sat down again, with a playful and teasing attitude. He let Song Ying sit on his lap. "What do you want to talk about?"
The surrounding audience had expected a dramatic clash of titans, but to their surprise, both sides acted as if nothing had happened and simply sat down!
"Tsk tsk, what does this mean? I'm a little confused?"
"Don't you understand? You guys are blind! Let me tell you, the calmer Young Master Zhou acts right now, the more serious the consequences will be! I bet that young man is finished!"
"Yes! Before a storm, it's usually extremely calm!"
...
The many guests started discussing it again.
The coffee shop owner, too, dares not get involved and can only watch from afar!
Of course, some soft-hearted viewers might think, "This young man is quite good-looking, handsome, and clever. I never expected his life to be ruined like this! Young Master Zhou is really ruthless. He wanted to steal someone's girlfriend and then try to murder him... Sigh."
Some thought... "This young man deserves it! He has no ability, yet he still tries to pursue a beautiful host like Song, isn't that just asking for trouble?"
At this moment, Zhou Shao had completely calmed down. However, the red and swollen handprint on his cheek still looked so shocking and ridiculous.
"Are you Miss Ying's boyfriend?" Zhou Shao asked calmly.
“Obviously.” Gao Jianfei held Song Ying tightly, not relaxing his grip at all. “Your question is a bit idiotic.”
Zhou Shao choked for a moment, then scrutinized Gao Jianfei… You see, while Gao Jianfei's attire was relatively fashionable, his clothes were mid-range in price, costing only a few thousand RMB. Zhou Shao, on the other hand, wore clothes from Italy, custom-made by a designer, with fabrics and styles representing the cutting edge of international fashion. Worth tens of thousands!
From the perspective of clothing, Zhou Shao immediately ruled out the possibility that Gao Jianfei had a prominent identity!
“You’re not from Beijing,” Zhou Shao said, exhaling a smoke ring.
"I don't deny that; this is my first time in the capital," Gao Jianfei said with a smile.
Zhou Shao already understood... Hmph! This guy is just a complete bumpkin! He probably doesn't know the consequences of hitting me, or the consequences of taking my prey for himself, right?
In the eyes of a wealthy young man like Zhou Shao from Beijing, all the cities in China other than Beijing are small cities!
"Fine, you just hit me, and I'm telling you, you'll pay the price. How high that price will be depends on you," Zhou Shao said coldly. "I can say with certainty that if I wanted to, you could disappear from this world at any time!"
He spoke of it casually, as if he were objectively describing a trivial matter.
"Oh? I believe that laws exist in this world. I'm not afraid of you," Gao Jianfei said, feigning ignorance.
"Pfft..." Zhou Shao burst out laughing. "Alright, you're such a naive and childish guy. Okay, let me give you some advice. Miss Song Ying is a stunning beauty. Many men in this world yearn for a woman like her! I'm no exception. However, a man who wants a woman like Miss Song Ying must possess sufficient strength! Right now, Miss Song Ying's situation is very precarious. If she wants to maintain her foothold in Beijing, she needs some powerful support, and these are things you can't give her. But I can easily do it! So... leave Miss Song Ying immediately, and I can give you a chance to completely change your life! To rise to the top! As for you hitting me just now, I only need to hit you back tenfold, and that'll be the end of it. Think about it. Also, you can inquire about the Zhou family's status in Beijing and throughout the entire country!"
"Sigh, I've listened to all your rambling, all you wanted was for me to leave Xiaoying, and then to tell me how awesome you are in the capital. Too bad... I've never been that kind of person!" Gao Jianfei pulled Song Ying to her feet. "Also, today, I hit you, and that's it. If you want revenge, then I advise you to give up that mentality as soon as possible! Otherwise, you'll get yourself into trouble."
After saying that, Gao Jianfei put his arm around Song Ying and left the coffee shop!
Zhou Shao stared intently at Gao Jianfei and Song Ying's retreating figures, particularly at Gao Jianfei's hand resting on Song Ying's shapely, snowy buttocks. The muscles around his eyes began to twitch wildly! The boundless resentment and hatred in his eyes completely distorted his features!
"You, come here!" Zhou Shao snapped his fingers at a coffee shop waiter not far away.
The waiter was terrified and didn't take a step forward for a moment.
"I called you here!" Zhou Shao said menacingly.
The waiter shuddered, but steeled himself and went over.
"Listen, you go out right now, take a taxi and keep an eye on Song Ying and that man! I'll come over tonight, and you can tell me where this man lives!" Zhou Shao pulled out a wad of hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and threw them on the coffee table.
The waiter dared not take the money, nor did he dare agree to it.
Zhou Shao smiled knowingly, "You don't need to be afraid. I can guarantee that the other party is just an insignificant piece of trash. You don't need to worry about him retaliating against you afterwards! Besides, do you think he'll have the chance to retaliate? He's offended me, do you think I'd give him that chance?"
Upon hearing Zhou Shao's promise, the waiter hurriedly collected the money on the coffee table, rushed out, hailed a taxi, and was followed by Gao Jianfei and Song Ying.
Gao Jianfei embraced Song Ying as they strolled through the streets of the capital, basking in the warm sunshine.
Song Ying lay tenderly in Gao Jianfei's arms, as if all the pressure and fatigue in her body had vanished, and happiness was flowing through every cell.
"Jianfei, why didn't you call ahead so I could pick you up when you got to the capital?" Song Ying murmured.
"I just wanted to give you a surprise." Gao Jianfei smiled. "By the way, Xiaoying, that guy just said your current situation is very bad. What happened? Is it related to your family?"
Gao Jianfei had long considered the current relationship between the Song family and Song Ying. His defeat of Chen Yifeng and the resulting falling out with the Song family would inevitably have some impact on Song Ying. Moreover, that young master Zhou had dared to pull Song Ying aside in front of everyone—something almost unthinkable under normal circumstances! The Song family was an international force; even if the powerful figures in Beijing weren't afraid of them, they wouldn't dare to humiliate a member of the Song family in such a public manner!
unless……
"Heh, Jianfei, you guessed right. The family has officially announced that they're severing all ties with me." Song Ying smiled faintly, her face showing little sadness. "Sigh, my apartment in Beijing and my car have both been confiscated by the family. My savings aren't even enough to repay their debts. The family used to send me to study in Europe and North America; I have to repay all of that now. Jianfei, I'm now a helpless, penniless woman. If you don't want me, I'll just have to die."
Hearing that Song Ying had gone from being a pampered princess to a penniless, indebted woman all because of Gao Jianfei, and that Song Ying had shown no resentment or regret, deeply moved Gao Jianfei.
"From now on, I'll take care of you." Gao Jianfei didn't say much more, he just hugged Song Ying tightly.
After a pause, Gao Jianfei changed the subject, "By the way, Xiaoying, you should have secured the hosting job for the competition in two months, right?"
Song Ying chuckled, "Jianfei, it's not that easy to win. I was fooled when I was in Japan. I was so naive back then. I thought that once I returned to China, the number one host position would be mine for sure. Unfortunately... Hehe, Jianfei, let me tell you, countless young and beautiful female anchors from all over the country flock to Beijing, each using their own methods. You've heard of unspoken rules, haven't you?"
Gao Jianfei understood.