Almost simultaneously, Lawyer Zeng stepped forward, positioning himself squarely between Chu Lintian and the man reeking of alcohol.
The atmosphere instantly turned tense.
The polite, businesslike smile had vanished from Lawyer Zeng’s face, replaced by a cold, professional detachment. His voice dropped three degrees as he said,
"General Manager Li, I suggest you show some respect to my friend."
The man addressed as General Manager Li had a greasy, flushed face, his eyes bloodshot and unfocused from drink. He blinked in surprise, struggling to fix his gaze on Lawyer Zeng, clearly taken aback by the sharp reaction.
"Friend?" General Manager Li let out a drunken scoff, his lecherous gaze sliding past Lawyer Zeng to land on Chu Lintian again.
"What kind of friend is so precious? Lawyer Zeng, you’re being stingy—introducing a woman with such a stunning figure should be a priority."
Chu Lintian ignored the drunk, her gaze drifting past Lawyer Zeng’s shoulder as she remarked in an indifferent tone,
"Lawyer Zeng, it seems you’re occupied. We won’t disturb you further."
Only then did her cool eyes settle on General Manager Li, her lips curling into the faintest smirk as she added, lightly,
"Sir, between alcohol tolerance and basic decency, at least one should be present."
The words were soft as a feather, but they landed like a boulder in General Manager Li’s ears.
Provoked, his face darkened to an ugly purple, and he exploded,
"What the hell do you mean, you bitch? You dare lecture me? I’ll make you regret this!"
With that, he lunged, his meaty hand reaching for Chu Lintian’s hair.
But Lawyer Zeng was faster. His arm shot up like an unyielding wall, intercepting General Manager Li’s grab.
There was no trace of courtesy left in Lawyer Zeng’s voice now—only icy warning.
"General Manager Li, you should understand—Ms. Chu is not someone you can afford to provoke."
It was both a warning and a reminder.
But for a drunk man devoid of reason, it only poured fuel on the fire.
"Go to hell!" General Manager Li snarled, swinging his arm with all his strength—
Slap!
The sharp crack echoed through the quiet hallway.
"Who the hell can’t I provoke? Not even the gods could stop me!" he roared, spittle flying.
Lawyer Zeng staggered from the blow, his cheek already swelling with a vivid handprint. He pressed a hand to his face, stepping back as he glared at General Manager Li, fury simmering in his eyes.
Yet he held back his anger, still blocking the drunkard from reaching Chu Lintian.
Just as tensions peaked, a figure suddenly darted in from behind—
A swift, brutal side kick slammed into General Manager Li’s ribs.
The heavy thud sent his bulky body flying like a sack of garbage, crashing into a decorative wall painting. The glass frame shattered on impact.
Before he could even groan, a white sneaker stomped down on the back of his head, grinding his face into the plush, expensive carpet.
The hallway fell dead silent.
Lawyer Zeng stood frozen, still clutching his cheek.
Chu Lintian’s expression finally flickered with something unreadable as she studied the newcomer’s straight-backed figure.
Auntie Zheng covered her mouth in shock.
Lin Mo stood impassively, his foot planted on General Manager Li’s skull, even giving it a slight twist for good measure. He leaned down, his voice quiet but razor-clear.
"Didn’t your mother teach you to apologize when you insult someone?
Today was going just fine..."
Drunken fools like this were easy to handle.
It wouldn’t take long for the restaurant staff to arrive.
And sure enough, people from General Manager Li’s private room began pouring into the hallway.
Lawyer Zeng was competent, but not yet at the level of a full law firm partner. Tonight’s dinner had been arranged by one such senior partner—a man now stepping forward.
His hair was streaked with gray, but his bearing was sharp. His gaze swept the scene, quickly landing on Chu Lintian’s unassuming figure—and recognizing her instantly.
He approached with deference, extending a hand.
"Ms. Chu, it’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well?"
Chu Lintian accepted the handshake with polite grace.
"Likewise, Lawyer Xu. Is this man your client?"
Lawyer Xu nodded—then shook his head.
"A recently concluded case." His eyes flicked to Lawyer Zeng’s bruised face.
"Though it seems we may have grounds for a new one."
Beneath Lin Mo’s foot, General Manager Li writhed, drunkenly trying to break free.
But the pressure on his skull didn’t budge.
When he flailed an arm, Lin Mo simply stomped on his hand.
The restaurant manager hurried over, his face tense as he addressed Chu Lintian.
"Ms. Chu, our deepest apologies. Should we call the police?"
The manager was shrewd—his delayed arrival had been spent reviewing security footage. His offer was clear: if needed, the restaurant would testify.
Chu Lintian turned to Zheng Yuan.
"Yuan-jie, why don’t you take the children home first? Lin Mo and I may need to visit the police station."
Zheng Yuan hesitated, eyeing Lin Mo’s still-pinned victim. "Will... will they be alright? Lin Mo, he—"
Chu Lintian smiled reassuringly. "It’s fine. With Lawyer Zeng and Lawyer Xu here, there won’t be any trouble."
Lin Mo grinned and waved at Zheng Yuan.
"Auntie Zheng, don’t worry. Take Yuling and Miaomiao back. It’s not my first time at the station—feels like home."
"Enough of that talk," Zheng Yuan chided, glancing at Chu Lintian.
"Really, it’s nothing to worry about," Chu Lintian repeated.
Still uneasy, Zheng Yuan finally nodded, weaving through the crowd toward their original private room.
At the doorway, the two girls stood watching Lin Mo’s back from a distance.
"No need to fret. Let’s head back," Zheng Yuan urged.
To her surprise, the girls exchanged a glance, then nodded calmly.
"Alright, let’s go."
Zheng Yuan blinked. "You’re not worried?"
Chu Miaomiao shook her head. Xie Yuling shrugged.
"Why worry? We’ve got the upper hand!"
Though something felt off about their confidence, Zheng Yuan decided to escort them home first.
Meanwhile, the restaurant had already called the police.
The manager bowed apologetically to Chu Lintian.
"Ms. Chu, this reflects poorly on our service. Please allow us to cover your meal tonight."
Lin Mo cut in abruptly.
"Don’t comp us—charge him!"
His foot pressed down slightly, making General Manager Li yelp.
A female secretary, who had been hiding by the private room door too afraid to intervene, immediately dialed a number.
"Hello, cousin, your husband just got beaten up."
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
