"What's the matter?" Chen asked.
"It must be that Xiao Jianzhong! That asshole must have gone home and snitched us out to father! Father wants me to take you to him now!" Xiaoyao replied.
"Ugh... Can I not go?" Chen was troubled. Although he had a good impression of Murong Tian, he knew that nothing good will come of this meeting. Especially since that asshole Xiao Jianzhong is involved!
"You idiot! You're my pretend boyfriend, remember? If you don't show, everyone will figure it out!" Xiaoyao said sternly.
"Hold up, I was just pretending to be your boyfriend! Are you telling me that I have to do this for life?" Chen retorted.
"I don't care! You are already part of this charade, so you'll have to continue pretending, even if you don't want to! And besides, when father says he wants to see someone, there's no one he cannot see!"
"Ugh..." Chen's brow twitched. As much as he hated admitting it now, no one in Green Vine City can deny Murong Tian if he wants to see them personally.
"Ok fine... I'll go with you. But I have a plan! Here's what we're going to do..." Chen quickly explained his plan. And when he finished, Xiaoyao's eyes were wide with bewilderment as she stared at him as if he was the most cunning man on the planet!
North Mountain Residences. Three men were seated in the living room of the Murong Villa. Murong Tian was seated in the main seat in the middle, calmly meditating with his sandalwood rosary in his hand. Even while not doing anything, the biggest boss of Green Vine's underworld still exuded an aura of overflowing dominance and superiority. The other two men were a younger and older duo, who seemed rather impatient, and were seated on the sofa to the left. The younger man's cheeks were terribly swollen. He was no other than Xiao Jianzhong. The middle-aged man seated next to him was his father, Xiao Zhe.
"Master Tian, both our families are life-long allies, and my father had helped you in your greatest time of need. I demand justice for what happened to my son today!" Xiao Zhe said in a serious and forceful tone.
"Don't worry Brother Xiao, I have just instructed Xiaoyao to return home with Chen Chen. We will find out what happened soon enough." Murong Tian calmly replied.
"What's there to find out? Look at my face! This is proof, right here! What else is there to it? I will have my vengeance! I want to slap that piece of sh*t's face until it is disfigured with my own hands!" Xiao Jianzhong scolded through his teeth.
Murong Tian glanced at him with a hint of anger in his eyes. "I've met Chen Chen in person before, and he did not strike me as a rash young man. I will give him a chance to explain himself." Since becoming the most powerful man of the city's underworld, he had never let anyone get away with such disrespectful behavior. But right now, he was contemplating teaching the young man some manners.
"What else is there to ask? He's not one of us! Did you forget how grandpa helped you and saved your gang? Or are you really going to be ungrateful simply because of an outsider?" Xiao Jianzhong said while staring back at him.
Murong Tian heard him, and gently set the rosary down aside. He turned and glared at the young man, exuding an aura of superiority and dominance. "I, Murong Tian, have been walking the path of Jianghu for twenty years. I always pay my debts. I have never let anybody dictate what do and how I should deal with my matters, and most especially, not by someone like you!" He said in a calm voice. His words may be simple, but they carried the full weight of his authority in every letter. Xiao Jianzhong froze where he was, a feeling of regret and impending doom creeping up on him. His father, however, was much experienced in situations like these and was not as deeply affected as his son. But he too knew that Murong Tian was furious.
"You moron! How dare you speak up to Uncle Murong like that?" Xiao Zhe slapped his son on the back of his head before turning to face Murong Tian. "Master Tian, I apologize for my useless son's rash behavior. Please let him off this once on account of my father." He said politely.
Murong Tian picked up his rosary and said, "Very well, I will not take this to heart. As for the matter this evening, if the fault really lies with Chen, I will not stop your son from getting his revenge!"
"Well said! This is good enough!" Xiao Zhe said and looked at his son, both father and son had a vengeful look in their eyes. Just as this was happening, unnoticed by everyone in the room, the pocket in Xiao Jianzhong's jacket mysteriously moved.
Meanwhile, just outside the villa gates, Murong Xiaoyao was standing alone and waiting. Chen had run off to do his "business" in the woods near the villa. But he had been gone for a while and there were no signs of him returning yet.
"Sorry. Did you wait long?" Chen suddenly popped out from the bushes nearby.
"I'm starting to think that you're not right in the head. There are so many washrooms in my house just over these gates, but you had to go use the woods. What a weirdo..." Xiaoyao then quickly ushered him into the premises.
Before they entered the front door, Chen stopped her and asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yes, I'm ready!" Xiaoyao Nodded.
"No, this won't do, you don't even look the slightest bit vexed! This is totally amateurish!" Chen pouted.
"Then, what do you want me to do? I've already told you that I'm not a good actor, but you still insisted that I can..." She retorted.
"I know! We can use some "props"! Don't move..." Chen licked his fingers and wet the edges of Xiaoyao's eyes.
"Ewww! What are you doing? That's disgusting!" Xiaoyao was surprised. This sleazebag is actually rubbing saliva on her face! That's so disgusting!
"No! Don't you dare wipe them off!" Chen said in a serious manner. "This makes you look like you've been crying, and your acting will become much more believable! Now let's get inside quick, before they dry up."
With that said, they both pushed open the front doors and entered, and the three men already seated and waiting inside turned to look at them. "Go..." Chen gave her back a light push.
"Boo-hoo-hoo... Dad! You must help me..." Xiaoyao cried out as she ran over to her father and wrapped herself around his arm. She squinted her eyes and pouted her lips, and together with Chen's saliva still wet on her face, she really seemed like she was crying like a damsel in distress.
"Xiaoyao? What's the matter? Come, tell me!" Murong Tian frowned. For as long as he could remember, his little girl has always been the kind to act tough in front of him. But what could have happened to make her cry so much right now? Xiao Zhe and his son's faces twitched.
"Xiaoyao my dear, just tell daddy what happened. Even if the sky is falling down, daddy will hold it up for you!" Murong Tian's expressions and tone changed into that of a doting parent.
"Boo-hoo-hoo..." Xiaoyao sniffled and pointed at Xiao Jianzhong. "This pervert molested me! He's horrible! Boo-hoo-hoo..."
"Pffttt..." Hearing that, Xiao Zhe and Xiao Jiangzhong both almost fell off their seat. Chen secretly gave Xiaoyao the thumbs up. They have been rehearsing this over and over again on the way here, but he was still worried that her acting might not be good enough and easily seen through. But what he did not expect was that this girl's performance was absolutely perfect! Absolutely Oscar perfect!
"What! Molest? Xiao Jianzhong! What is the meaning of this!" Murong Tian bellowed and slammed his rosary onto the table. Xiao Jianzhong shivered as he felt an overwhelming and murderous chill creep up around him.