Slapping the Face

Chapter 50: A Slap in the Face

"Come, come! Let's eat the roasted lamb chops!" Cheng Yun and Heroine Yin walked over, each carrying two plates of roasted lamb chops, and placed them in the middle of the table.

"Why did you get so much! Can you finish it?" Cheng Yan frowned as she looked at the four large plates they brought over. "Didn't you say you were only getting one plate?"

"It was just convenient, eat slowly!" Cheng Yun said, grabbing a lamb chop and placing it on the plate in front of her. He then gave one to Yu Dian and said, "These are very popular, try some quickly!"

"Yeah, we worked hard... waited in line for a long time to get them!" Heroine Yin chimed in.

"Thank you." Yu Dian nodded, her face flushed.

"I'll see how you can finish them!" Cheng Yan said, then ignored them. She picked up a piece of sashimi and elegantly put it in her mouth, while simultaneously looking at her mobile phone for information in the newly added freshman group for Yizhou University's history department.

Soon, Cheng Yun and Heroine Yin were each happily gnawing on a lamb chop.

Compared to them, Yu Dian was much more refined. She held one end of the lamb chop with her chopsticks, carefully pinching the other end with her index finger and thumb of her left hand, and nibbled on it in small bites. In between, she placed slices of pork belly on the baking paper. The evenly marbled pork belly was arranged neatly, gradually turning golden brown as she flipped it.

"Ah... this is so satisfying!" Heroine Yin's fair hands were covered in oil, and her face was full of contentment.

The lamb chops at this restaurant were always exceptional. Not only were there plenty of meat, but the fat-to-lean ratio was just right. One bite filled the mouth with oil, yet it wasn't greasy. Roasted until the outside was crispy and the inside tender, then sprinkled with cumin, it was satisfying not just for Heroine Yin, but for Cheng Yun as well.

Cheng Yun quickly finished one chop and reached for another. He then looked at Heroine Yin and asked, "Heroine, would you like some wine?"

"No!" Heroine Yin quickly shook her head.

"Why?" Cheng Yun was slightly taken aback. "Don't you people of the martial world drink wine from large bowls and eat meat with gusto?"

"You're talking nonsense!" Heroine Yin rolled her eyes at him. "Drinking too much makes your mind sluggish, and the most obvious symptom is a slower reaction time. It's more for retired seniors. Isn't drinking for young people asking for death? As for eating meat..."

"Dream on!" Heroine Yin scoffed.

"That's right, exactly," Cheng Yan agreed from the side, while giving Cheng Yun a cold glance. She continued to Heroine Yin, "Don't let this guy fool you. No matter who it is, if they offer you wine, don't agree. If you drink too much, your lifelong reputation in the martial world could be ruined."

Hearing this, Heroine Yin was stunned. She blinked and looked at Cheng Yun, suddenly feeling a bit confused.

Did the Station Master's sister know too?

But then she hesitated: I don't have any reputation in the martial world to begin with...

While Heroine Yin was hesitating, a group of aunties at the next table, after much deliberation, returned with a large pile of food.

"Hmm? Why do I feel like something is missing?" one auntie looked at the table in confusion.

"What's missing? The drinks!" another elegantly dressed auntie smiled. "I'll go get the drinks. What do you guys want?"

"Wait! Where are our roasted lamb chops?" the auntie finally noticed something was wrong!

"What? Lamb chops!" The other aunties were startled. They scanned the table and indeed found that the four plates of lamb chops they had managed to get by cutting in line were gone. They immediately became angry—

"Which damned soul stole our roasted lamb chops!?" the elegantly dressed auntie took the lead, hands on her hips, and started yelling. Her voice was incredibly loud. "If you want to eat something, can't you get it yourself from the counter! What a scoundrel!"

The remaining aunties were not to be outdone and also started yelling, their voices like thunder.

"Yeah, which bastard is it? Stand up!"

"We waited in line for ages, and as soon as we turned around, you bastard stole them. Isn't that infuriating!"

"Let me tell you, we spat in every single one of those plates! Eat them, eat them!"

Hearing their incessant scolding, Heroine Yin's expression gradually turned red from her initial frown. Just as she clenched her fist, ready to get angry, Cheng Yun stopped her. "Don't be impulsive. If you get impulsive, you'll fall into their trap!"

Heroine Yin gritted her teeth, clenched her fists tightly, and nodded, sitting down. She kept telling herself, "Don't be impulsive, I'll have to pay money, I'll have to pay money..."

"Phew~"

She instantly felt her anger subside considerably.

At this moment, a sharp-eyed auntie spotted the four plates of lamb chops on their table and tugged at her companion's clothes.

Instantly, all the aunties turned their gaze towards them.

"Good! I knew you two bastards were giving us trouble when you were getting food... and now you're eating so happily!" one auntie stared intently at Cheng Yun's table. "It must be..."

"Bang!"

Before she could finish speaking, Heroine Yin angrily slammed her palm on the table, making an explosive sound.

Before, they hadn't been named directly, but now that someone was pointing fingers and cursing at her, how could she tolerate it!

The surrounding people only felt a sharp pain in their eardrums, as if the ceiling had fallen and hit the ground!

The restaurant suddenly fell silent!

Then Heroine Yin stood up, her small face full of rage, radiating a strong killing intent, making the scar on her face even more ferocious. She stared directly at the auntie and said, "If you have the guts, say that again to this Heroine!"

The vast restaurant was now only filled with the sound of a young girl wearing headphones, playing the guzheng with abandon. The notes tinkled and flowed, and one could even hear the bubbling of the hot pot and the popping of the fine oil sizzling from the meat on the grill. The auntie who had spoken earlier was completely stunned. Locked by Heroine Yin's killing intent, she felt a chill run down her spine!

A moment later, the guzheng music also abruptly stopped.

The auntie's face turned pale, and cold sweat dripped down her forehead. Her weak voice echoed in the restaurant, "It must... it must not be you guys. Yes, that's right. You guys were right behind us. After we got the lamb chops, it was your turn. You didn't, didn't need to take ours... That's what I meant. You might have misunderstood."

"Hmph!" Heroine Yin snorted coldly, then sat down, retracting her killing intent. Everyone in the restaurant felt like they could breathe much more easily.

Cheng Yun was also a bit bewildered. Heroine Yin's temper had erupted too suddenly; he hadn't even had time to react.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yan was still in the process of peeling a crab. When she finally reacted, she applied too much force, and a piece of crab shell flew out, revealing a piece of tender white crab meat.

"Ah... the barbecue is burnt," Yu Dian quickly flipped the meat, her movements a little flustered.

"I apologize for the spectacle! Eat, eat, eat, keep eating!" Heroine Yin quickly urged, then grabbed two lamb chops and handed them to Cheng Yun. "Here, Station Master, eat! This stuff isn't as good cold!"

About an hour later—

Cheng Yan finished a glass of orange juice, pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth, and said calmly, "I'm full."

"Huh?" Cheng Yun frowned, pointing at the hairy crabs on the table. "You haven't finished yet!"

"Who told you to take so many lamb chops?"

"You only ate two!"

"Anyway, I'm full. You keep eating, don't waste it," Cheng Yan said, wiping her hands. She then picked up a hairy crab and started to peel it. "I'll peel it for you, you have to eat it!"

"I'm not eating it either!"

"..." Cheng Yan quickly placed the peeled crab meat on his plate and continued to pry open the large claws.

Not long after, Yu Dian also put down her chopsticks and said softly, "I'm full too."

"You're full too?"

"Yeah, I'll grill some meat for you." The young girl Yu Dian had tried her best to eat more meat, but her appetite was simply not cooperating.

After Cheng Yun finished two hairy crabs, he lingered at his seat for a while, then took out his mobile phone to direct a guest to the location on the rooftop where clothes were hung to dry, before continuing to eat the tender beef that the young girl Yu Dian had grilled.

Meanwhile, Heroine Yin was gnawing on a steak, her stomach already bulging.

Before long, Cheng Yun also couldn't hold on any longer.

The only one still fighting was Heroine Yin.

The auntie at the next table had left after not eating much. Now it was a different group of people. They also seemed to be nearing the end of their meal, each slumped in their seats playing on their mobile phones.

The three of them silently watched Heroine Yin continuously stuff food into her mouth. After finishing, she would take her plate to get more.

Only when her posture had become distorted did she finally stop, sitting at her seat and sipping Sprite in small sips, a look of dejection and satisfaction on her face.

Seeing this, Cheng Yun asked, "Is everyone done eating?"

"Not enough," Heroine Yin said weakly, then tilted her head. "I don't want to leave, I want to eat more meat... Station Master, go get me another plate of those big pieces of beef."

"Still eating! Eat any more and you'll burst!" Cheng Yun rolled his eyes. "Do you want to be like Du Fu?"

"Who's Du Fu?"

"Never mind!" Cheng Yun said, glancing at his watch. "Let's rest for a bit, we should head back."

"Then Station Master, find me a piece of parchment paper. I want to take a bag of beef back to eat tomorrow morning," Heroine Yin said, slumping in her seat, still thinking about the beef.

"No packing to go."

"What? You won't even let me pack? Call the boss and the waiter over!"

Cheng Yun ignored her directly and turned to Yu Dian. "What about you? Does the food here suit your taste?"

"I'm done eating too. This place has great food, and it's very abundant," Yu Dian said softly, blushing. Even though this was just a buffet restaurant, she had undoubtedly never eaten such an expensive and lavish meal in her life. Before this, her impression of buffets was still at the level of roadside all-you-can-eat hot pot for over thirty yuan per person.

Finally, she lowered her head and added, "And, I haven't... eaten together like this with everyone in a long time."

Cheng Yan fell silent upon hearing this, feeling a sense of empathy.

She knew that Yu Dian's parents were also deceased, and they had died even earlier than Cheng Yun's and her own parents. Yu Dian was practically an orphan and had lived a life of hardship since childhood. She, on the other hand, had at least grown up cherished by her parents and doted on by her brother. Even though her parents had passed away recently, she wasn't alone.

Thinking this, she looked at Cheng Yun.

At least she had a relative in this world she could rely on, whereas Yu Dian had no one but herself.

It was only eight o'clock when they returned to the hotel. Cheng Yun reopened the two dormitory rooms for women on the website. Cheng Yan also asked him to list the suite she was staying in. Cheng Yun responded with disdain: "Most of these high-end rooms are booked in advance. It's so late, how could anyone possibly book them!"

Little did they know, less than an hour after listing it, someone booked it!

Talk about a slap in the face!