Su Li: Lu Jue? Can we talk?

Chen Hong's face flushed slightly upon hearing the gossip. Feeling that Lu Jue had embarrassed his side, he leaned closer to Lu Jue and lectured him with the tone of an experienced elder, "Lu Jue, did you hear that? You really need to watch your image in these situations. The girls are all watching."

Just then, the private room door was pushed open again, and a wave of perfume preceded the person.

All eyes were instantly drawn to the entrance.

Zeng Qian had finally arrived.

She had clearly dressed up for the occasion. A striking red dress made her fair skin glow, her makeup was exquisite, and her hair was perfectly styled, making her radiate glamour and immediately become the center of attention.

Liu Ga's face broke into a surprised smile, and he stood up, ready to greet her.

However, the smile on his face froze the very next second.

Zhang Yang, who had been playing host, had already stepped forward and, with extreme familiarity, reached out to put his arm around Zeng Qian's waist.

Zeng Qian didn't resist at all. Instead, she turned her head towards him with a radiant smile and said something, their posture incredibly intimate.

Liu Ga felt rooted to the spot, his outstretched hand frozen in mid-air. The color drained from his face at a visible rate, leaving only disbelief and shock.

Lu Jue swallowed the last piece of jerky and glanced at the frozen Liu Ga, then at the intimately posed couple. He silently picked up a tissue and wiped his hands.

"Everyone!"

Zeng Qian raised the wine glass handed to her by a friend, her voice clear and pleasant, with a well-measured smile. "Thank you all for helping me gather a lot of votes. I invited you here today, first to thank you, and second, to let you get to know each other. Who knows, maybe some connections will be made."

Her gaze swept lightly across the room. The moment her eyes met Liu Ga's, she didn't linger at all, as if he were just an insignificant decoration in the corner. She quickly and naturally shifted her focus back to Zhang Yang beside her, her smile growing even sweeter.

Beside her, Zhang Yang naturally noticed Liu Ga as well. The corner of his mouth curved into a faint, almost imperceptible arc – the kind of disdain that belongs to a victor.

He didn't take Liu Ga seriously. He simply kept his arm around Zeng Qian and calmly walked towards the main seat. "Qianqian is right. Everyone, have fun. All expenses are on me!"

This statement immediately drew a chorus of deliberately flattering cheers, and the atmosphere in the private room instantly reached its peak.

Yet, amidst the clamor, Liu Ga, still standing stiffly, appeared exceptionally out of place.

His rigid body swayed slightly, and the hand that had been hanging in the air for a long time finally fell powerlessly to his side, clenched tightly into a fist.

Lu Jue accurately tossed the used tissue into a distant trash can. He stood up, no longer looking at the couple who had become the center of attention, but walked directly to Liu Ga's side, his voice still calm and unruffled. "Hey, let's go!"

But clearly, he had underestimated Liu Ga's stubbornness.

"Zeng Zeng Qian!"

Liu Ga suddenly looked up, his voice hoarse and distorted with emotion, managing to cut through the surrounding noise. "Didn't you say on Feixin that you weren't dating anyone right now and wanted to focus on preparing for the Martial Arts Examination!?"

This abrupt question was like a cold stone thrown into a pot of boiling oil.

Instantly, all the cheers and laughter ceased.

The entire private room fell into dead silence.

All eyes, filled with surprise and undisguised schadenfreude, focused squarely on Liu Ga, whose face was flushed red.

Zhang Yang tightened his grip on Zeng Qian's waist, signaling her not to speak.

Then, he turned and looked down at Liu Ga as if he were watching a clown seeking attention.

"Hey, have you had too much to drink? Don't you know your place? You're just a commoner. Is Zeng Qian someone like you can associate with?"

Liu Ga's face instantly turned from red to white. His chest heaved violently. His mouth opened and closed, but he found himself unable to utter a single word under that cold, arrogant gaze.

"However, who is it... since you were invited by Qianqian, I'll give you some face."

With that, Zhang Yang pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and, in front of everyone, threw it at Liu Ga's feet.

"Here's a chance for you. This is two thousand yuan. Go buy a box of balloons from outside the school. Make sure they're super thin. The rest is your tip, how about it? Hahaha!"

As soon as he said this, Zeng Qian immediately pouted and lightly punched Zhang Yang's chest with her small fists, playfully scolding, "You're so annoying! What are you talking about!"

The smiles on the faces of the people around them quickly faded. They were also commoners, and seeing this scene, they felt a sense of shared sorrow.

But soon, upon seeing Liu Ga's somewhat comical expression of rage.

They naturally distanced themselves from Liu Ga, as if their mere presence there meant they were no longer in the same class as him, and they began to laugh without restraint.

This was the most realistic and cruel depiction of this world.

Everyone hated the privileged ones who stood high above, yet everyone yearned to become them.

However, just as everyone thought Liu Ga would break down under this extreme humiliation and leave dejectedly—

Liu Ga's suppressed rage finally broke through the dam of reason.

This usually timid young man's neck veins bulged, and his entire face turned purple with fury.

He suddenly looked up, his scarlet eyes fixed on Zhang Yang, and roared with all his might:

"I'll buy your mother's ass!"

This roar seemed to momentarily silence the entire private room.

The mockery on Zhang Yang's face vanished instantly, replaced by enraged offense.

He clearly hadn't expected this seemingly meek commoner to dare to talk back to him so brazenly.

"You're asking for death!"

Zhang Yang's face darkened. He let out an angry roar, took a fierce step forward, and raised his right hand high. A sharp gust of wind accompanied it as he swung directly at Liu Ga's face!

The palm strike was both fast and vicious. Liu Ga, still lost in grief, froze in place, completely unable to react.

Just as the palm was about to connect squarely with Liu Ga's face, a hand suddenly shot out from the side, precisely and powerfully gripping Zhang Yang's wrist, forcefully halting its downward momentum.

Lu Jue had appeared in front of Liu Ga at some unknown point. His gaze was as cold as ice as he stared directly at Zhang Yang, saying, "That's enough!"

Zhang Yang's expression turned ugly. He yanked his hand back as if he had touched something filthy. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the spot where he had been grabbed with extreme disgust.

"And who are you? Trying to stick up for him?"

From the crowd, Jin Nan blurted out, "He's Lu Jue from Fist Arts Class 6!"

Zhang Yang's wiping motion paused slightly, a flicker of realization crossing his face. However, his contempt remained undiminished. "Oh? Lu Jue? I know you. The one who beat Zhang Tie a couple of days ago?"

"Heh, you've got some skill, but is that why you dare to step up? You're just a commoner. No matter how talented, you're still just a laborer!"

He spoke lightly, but he knew the other party was not someone to be trifled with. He took two steps back and, at the same time, pulled Zeng Qian tighter into his embrace, as if this could add to his sense of ostentation.

"What? You came here today too? Don't tell me you're also a toad wanting to eat swan meat, looking for a girlfriend?"

A few deliberately flattering snickers came from the crowd.

"Young Master Zhang, look at his shabby appearance. Who would be interested in him?"

"Pfft, exactly. His training clothes are faded and washed out. He's a pauper. What's the use of being strong if you're poor? Can strength buy you food?"

Just then, the private room door was suddenly pushed open, and an unexpected figure burst in.

Su Li!

Unlike the elaborately dressed girls in the room, she was wearing only a clean and neat white training outfit. Her face was bare of makeup, and a few strands of hair clung tightly to her smooth forehead from her haste.

Yet, with such a simple outfit, the moment she stepped into the room, she seemed to exude a cool aura, instantly overshadowing the bevy of beauties and the fragrant perfume filling the room.

Zhang Yang's expression changed drastically. He subconsciously pushed Zeng Qian away and quickly tidied his hair. He plastered on what he thought was a polite smile and quickly stepped forward to inquire, "Su Li? Please, come in, come in! It's such a rare occasion..."

However, Su Li didn't even glance at him.

Her gaze quickly swept across the room, finally landing precisely on Lu Jue.

Under the astonished gazes of countless people, she walked directly towards Lu Jue, her voice clear and calm, "Lu Jue? Could you come out for a chat?"