Zhang Su’er covered her mouth. The lifeless look in her eyes gave way to utter disbelief. The tears that had flowed like streams suddenly stopped. Her mind went completely blank. No matter how she guessed, she never imagined this person would step forward. She stood there stunned, staring blankly at the youth who appeared with his hands in his pockets, carrying a casual and unrestrained air.
Su Rong noticed Zhang Su’er’s strange reaction and turned her head in confusion. When she saw the scene before her, she too was lost for words. Her beautiful eyes fixed on the youth she had previously ignored, the one once notorious throughout Yao City. He walked slowly toward them. His steps were not fast but extremely steady. Each one made Su Rong’s heart tremble slightly.
The surroundings remained deathly silent. No one noticed the change on this side. Pang Shao’s roar had left them too afraid to speak, or even breathe aloud. The atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme.
The youth’s pace was unhurried, yet both Zhang Su’er and Su Rong’s gazes were locked on him. Their pure hearts trembled with each of his steps. The lifelessness within them quietly bloomed with a few sparks of vitality.
“Fat Pang! You have already caused enough trouble in Yunlong City, and now you come to Yao City to cause more? Be careful someone cuts off that thing of yours!”
In the suffocating silence where even breathing felt difficult, under a sky heavy with dark clouds, a mocking laugh suddenly rang out. The voice was not loud, yet in this hushed environment it exploded like thunder in everyone’s ears.
“Who the hell dares…” Pang Shao was furious. He hated most being called fat. In the past, someone had dared call him fat without knowing their place. He had their tongue cut out alive. But before his furious words could finish, he turned and saw the familiar figure. He swallowed the rest of his sentence. Staring at Ye Chu in disbelief, he never imagined he would encounter this disaster in Yao City.
All eyes instantly turned to Ye Chu. Like Zhang Su’er, none of them believed Ye Chu would step forward for her. Their minds could not process it! But after a moment of silence, the crowd finally reacted. Sneers rose in their hearts.
“Seeking death! He actually dares step forward!”
“Hah, the scumbag has changed his ways! Now playing hero to save the beauty!”
“Probably lust clouding his mind! Offending Fat Shao will only make him die even more thoroughly!”
“…”
Their inner mockery made them forget how they had just suppressed their breathing under Pang Shao’s pressure, not daring to make a sound.
Liang Shan watched Ye Chu walk into the centre. His mouth fell open. His fairly handsome face turned deathly pale. He never imagined Ye Chu would step forward to stop Fat Shao. The plump youth before them held such status that dealing with Ye Chu would take only a wave of his hand to tear him apart.
“It’s over!” That was the only thought left in Liang Shan’s mind. He looked toward Fang Xinyuan and the others. Sure enough, they wore smiles, clearly waiting to watch the show. Fang Xinhu was especially excited. Ye Chu had blocked Pang Shao, drawing his attention. Zhang Su’er was safe for now, and at the same time this annoying brat would be finished by Pang Shao!
Everyone waited for Ye Chu to be slapped dead by Pang Shao. But that scene never came. What Fang Xinyuan and the others saw was something entirely different, something that challenged their very hearts. Their hearts pounded like a young wife meeting her lover. Every one of them stared wide-eyed, pupils contracting as they sucked in cold breaths at the sight before them.
Ye Chu, who had walked into the centre, suddenly kicked out. His foot landed squarely on Pang Shao’s fat backside. “Try cursing me again!”
Liang Shan felt as if he would faint in that moment. He pinched himself hard, desperately trying to stay awake. He braced himself against a nearby table to keep from collapsing. He blinked several times forcefully. Confirming the scene was real, he stood frozen, his mind holding only one thought: “Ye Chu has gone mad!”
Including Su Rong, everyone stared at the footprint on Pang Shao’s fat backside and shared the same thought. This was a figure even the king treated with respect. In Yao City, who did not show him utmost deference? Yet someone dared kick him. Let alone Pang Shao refusing to let Ye Chu off, those in Yao City eager to curry favour with Pang Shao would surely act on his behalf.
Even if Ye Chu had not been expelled from the Ye family, it was uncertain whether they could protect him now.
Fang Xinyuan and the others, who had not dared speak a word earlier, now found a target for their frustration. They roared at Ye Chu. “How dare you! Fang Xinhu, seize him!”
Fang Xinhu was thrilled. He rushed forward to grab Ye Chu. But as his eagle-claw hand reached for Ye Chu’s shoulder, his movement froze abruptly.
Pang Shao, who had been kicked, turned around. He did not even pat the footprint off his fat backside. Instead, he slapped Ye Chu’s shoulder hard. “Bloody hell! How are you here too, you disaster?”
Their familiar exchange, combined with Pang Shao’s words, caused the group that had been about to attack Ye Chu to halt mid-motion. Their poses froze in mid-air, as if time itself had stopped in that instant.
Ye Chu had been equally stunned to see Pang Shao. He never expected to encounter an old acquaintance here. A year ago, while travelling the continent, he had met Pang Shao in the imperial capital. Together they had done several mad things. He never thought that a year later, today, he would meet him again in Yao City.
“I knew you were up to no good! So I came to stop you!” Ye Chu shrugged. “After all, I am a person with a conscience!”
Liang Shan nearly spat when he heard that. The fear from moments ago vanished completely after Ye Chu’s words. With Ye Chu’s reputation in Yao City, he still dared declare in public that he had a conscience. That was the kind of statement that invited heavenly lightning!
Pang Shao had long known this man’s shamelessness. It was not the first time he belittled others to elevate himself, so Ye Chu’s words did not surprise him at all. “If I had known you, you disaster, were here, I would never have come even if beaten to death! Seeing you is too disgusting!”
Pang Shao felt he must have forgotten to burn incense before leaving the house. Otherwise, how could he encounter this disaster in a small kingdom like Yao? He remembered this disaster all too well. He had been schemed against by him repeatedly, suffering terribly yet unable to voice his grievances.
A year ago in Yunlong City of the imperial capital, he had met him. Seeing him as a newcomer, he thought him easy to bully. But he never expected that as the tyrant of Yunlong City, he would be schemed against time and again, tormented half to death. He hated it so much he gnashed his teeth, yet could do nothing.
Still, though this disaster tormented them half to death, he also led them into several particularly mad and hot-blooded adventures. They hated him, yet could not help feeling drawn to him!
“Ye Chu knows Pang Shao!”
Everyone understood now. They looked at Ye Chu strangely. Shock filled their hearts. They could not comprehend how Yao City’s infamous scumbag could know such a major figure from the imperial capital.
Liang Shan found it even more unbelievable. Watching Ye Chu chat and laugh with Pang Shao, he felt a daze.
What exactly had happened to Ye Chu in these three years? To know even someone like Pang Shao! This was the heir of one of the empire’s ancient noble families! Every ancient family was shrouded in mystery. Their heirs were naturally extraordinary. Ordinary people could rarely have any connection with them.
From the fact that Ye Chu could kick him without provoking anger, the two were clearly close to a certain degree.
Fang Xinyuan and the others stood dumbfounded. No one had expected such an outcome. Their gazes fixed on Ye Chu and Pang Shao, full of confusion and curiosity about their relationship.
Su Rong and Zhang Su’er could not help clenching their delicate fists, hoping Ye Chu could change Pang Shao’s mind. Their beautiful eyes stared straight at Ye Chu. This was treatment Ye Chu had never received before!