Flipping the Table in Anger

Lin Mo and Jiang Yunlu had left earlier.

By the time they finished eating, Wang Yiping's group was still wrapping up.

The results of the Guangba singles matches were quite promising—over half of the players stayed for the second round.

Those eliminated in the morning either went straight home or stayed for the meal before leaving.

At the table, Wang Yiping took the time to console each of them.

He had watched everyone's matches, especially the losses.

"If you lack skill, just focus on training. Don’t overthink it—there’s still time."

Generally, G1 students still had opportunities to develop.

For G2, however, those who weren’t cut out for it wouldn’t receive much further attention.

Of course, there were still a few promising talents in G2, ensuring the school team wouldn’t suffer a major skill gap.

But strictly speaking, Wang Yiping had higher hopes for this year’s G1 students.

The group was large enough to split across two tables.

They didn’t leave the restaurant until they were fully satisfied.

Since the meal was reimbursable—albeit with a spending limit—Wang Yiping ordered dishes right up to the cap.

Though he didn’t let them overindulge, everyone left content.

As they stepped outside, the team spotted Jiang Yunlu and Lin Mo across the street, sipping milk tea.

The most popular drink at the time was cheese foam tea—a modern classic that had become the new standard.

Even the once-trending Heytea had risen from this very trend.

At its peak, the tea brand’s parent company reached a market value of 60 billion, landing it among the nation’s top 500 enterprises.

But now, it was just a small chain with a dozen or so stores.

Still, Jiang Yunlu loved the cheese foam tea.

"The cheese is rich, but the tea balances it out. It’s perfect—too bad there’s no store near school."

She sighed.

The tea shops around campus mostly used tea bags and flavored powder for their drinks.

"They’re coming out. Let’s go over."

The two approached the group.

"What are you two doing here?" Xu Congjun asked curiously as they walked up.

Lin Mo shrugged.

"If we didn’t stick with you, we might not get into the sports center later. So we waited here."

It made sense—the venue was reserved for the competition today and wasn’t usually open to the public.

None of the badminton team members found it suspicious.

Just like that, the two seamlessly blended into the group.

Jiang Yunlu and Lin Mo lingered at the back.

Xu Congjun and Wang Senling—the one who’d caused Jiang Yunlu’s sprained ankle—walked ahead.

After her fall, Wang Senling had needed over a month to recover before returning to the court.

Lin Mo wasn’t a murderer; he’d just given her a small lesson.

At least she never bothered Jiang Yunlu again after that.

As long as the two avoided interaction, there’d be no further issues.

If Wang Senling kept her wits about her, her career would continue smoothly.

The restaurant wasn’t far from the sports center—just a ten-minute walk.

As they reached the parking lot entrance, Jiang Yunlu stiffened slightly and whispered, "Oh no. My dad."

But she quickly realized why Lin Mo had insisted on rejoining the group after their meal.

Was this the reason?

Lin Mo smiled faintly and reassured her in a gentle voice, "Don’t worry. It’ll be fine."

Jiang Yunlu nodded firmly, then sped through the crowd toward the Rolls-Royce Cullinan parked at the entrance.

The distinct license plate and the car’s appearance left no doubt—it was her father’s.

Seeing the girl approach, a strikingly handsome middle-aged man stepped out of the vehicle.

Lin Mo had known Jiang Chengshan was here.

The old fox had arrived long ago but only called to check in.

Had Lin Mo and Jiang Yunlu returned directly, they would’ve run into him.

But then, another young man emerged from the other side of the Cullinan.

Xia Yusheng stepped out, smiling warmly at the girl.

"Long time no see, Yunlu. Do you remember me?"

Jiang Chengshan’s expression tightened briefly at the familiar address but quickly smoothed over.

Jiang Yunlu studied Xia Yusheng, struggling to place him at first. Then it clicked.

"Yusheng... brother?"

Xia Yusheng beamed. "So you do remember me! I just got back from abroad and ran into Uncle Jiang at dinner. That’s how I found out you were competing today."

Jiang Chengshan glanced at Xia Yusheng but stayed silent.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo, still within the crowd, couldn’t help but grin.

So many hypocrites in this world.

He stepped forward and called out cheerfully, "That’s not quite accurate. I saw you watching Jiang Yunlu several times today."

Jiang Chengshan’s expression darkened further at the sight of Lin Mo—the boy who’d "stolen" his daughter.

But he remained silent, leaving Xia Yusheng to handle the situation.

Xia Yusheng feigned helplessness.

"I wasn’t sure if it was her. It’s been so long—I didn’t want to embarrass myself by mistaking someone else for her."

Lin Mo shook his head.

"Uncertain? You were very certain. Jiang Yunlu’s looks aren’t just one in a thousand—they’re unmistakable. If you were unsure, why did you call her father and ask him to come?"

He turned to Jiang Chengshan with a knowing smile.

"I’m not wrong, am I? Your call logs should show the conversation—around noon, right?"

Playing coy? Putting on an act? Acting like a scheming green tea?

Well, Lin Mo wasn’t having it. Time to flip the table!

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Jiang Yunlu froze, then glared at Xia Yusheng and her father. Her face darkened.

"Dad, you lied to me?"

Jiang Chengshan hadn’t expected the boy to expose everything.

Denying it would only make Jiang Yunlu demand to see his call history. Now he had no choice but to throw Xia Yusheng under the bus.

Gritting his teeth, he admitted, "Xia Yusheng told me a boy had taken you away from the badminton court. That’s why I came."

Lin Mo let out an amused "Oh" and moved to stand beside Jiang Yunlu.

"And that boy would be me. Allow me to introduce myself—I’m Lin Mo, Jiang Yunlu’s classmate at Guangba and her personal coach."

Xia Yusheng seized on what he thought was a loophole.

"You claim to be her classmate and coach, yet I didn’t see you compete today!"

Recently obsessed with Chicken Brother’s new song—"Deadman."

It’s got that soulful R&B vibe. I’ve always loved soul music, and before I knew it, I’d become a Chicken Brother fan.