50. Humiliation

"Come on, come on! The lamb chops are ready!" Cheng Yun and Heroine Yin came over, each carrying two plates of grilled lamb chops, and set them in the middle of the table.

"Why did you bring so much? Can you finish all that?" Cheng Yan frowned at the four full plates they'd brought over. "Didn't you say you were only getting one plate?"

"I was already there, so I figured I might as well. We can take our time!" Cheng Yun said. He picked up a lamb chop and placed it on her plate, then grabbed another for Yu Dian. "These are really popular. Hurry and try some!"

"Yeah, we had to wait in line for ages to get them!" Heroine Yin chimed in.

"Thank you." Yu Dian blushed and nodded.

"I don't see how you're going to finish all that!" Cheng Yan said, then ignored them. She picked up a slice of sashimi and elegantly put it in her mouth while checking the information in the Yizhou University history department's freshman group she'd just joined.

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

Yu Dian was much more refined by comparison. She held one end of a lamb chop with her chopsticks and carefully pinched the other end between her left thumb and index finger, nibbling at it in small bites. Whenever she had a moment, she also put meat on the grill. She arranged the evenly marbled slices of pork belly in neat rows, turning them as they gradually browned to a golden color.

"Ah... this is so satisfying!" Heroine Yin's fair hands were covered in grease, and her face was beaming.

The lamb chops at this restaurant were always a specialty. They had plenty of meat and just the right amount of fat. One bite left your mouth slick with grease, but they never became too rich. Grilled until crisp on the outside and tender within, then sprinkled with cumin, they were a treat—not just for Heroine Yin, but for Cheng Yun, too.

Cheng Yun quickly finished one chop and grabbed another, then looked at Heroine Yin. "Want something to drink?"

"No!" Heroine Yin immediately shook her head.

"Why?" Cheng Yun asked, momentarily stunned. "Aren't people from the jianghu supposed to drink by the bowl and eat meat by the mouthful?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Heroine Yin rolled her eyes at him. "Drink too much, and your mind gets dull. The most obvious thing is that your reflexes slow down. Maybe retired seniors can get away with it, but young people who drink are asking to get themselves killed. As for eating meat..."

"Keep dreaming!" Heroine Yin scoffed.

"Exactly." Cheng Yan nodded in agreement, shooting Cheng Yun a cold look before turning to Heroine Yin. "Don't let this guy fool you. No matter who asks you to drink, don't agree. If you get drunk, you'll ruin your hard-earned reputation in the jianghu."

Heroine Yin froze at that and blinked at Cheng Yun, suddenly at a loss.

Does the Station Master's sister know, too?

But then she hesitated. I don't have any reputation in the jianghu to speak of in the first place...

As Heroine Yin wavered, one of the aunties at the next table finished choosing food and came back with a huge pile.

"Hm? Why does it feel like we're missing something?" one of the aunties asked, puzzled as she looked at the table.

"What are we missing? Drinks, of course!" A richly dressed aunty smiled. "I'll go get some. What would you all like?"

"Wait! Where are our lamb chops?" One of the aunties finally realized something was wrong!

"What? The lamb chops?" The others were taken aback. They scanned the table and saw that the four plates of lamb chops they'd waited so long—and cut in line—to get were gone. They all flew into a rage—

"Which no-good bastard took our lamb chops?!" The richly dressed aunty was the first to step forward, hands on her hips, yelling in a booming voice. "If you want some, go get them from the counter yourself! What a shameless thing to do!"

The other aunties weren't about to be outdone. They joined in, each of their voices rumbling like thunder.

"That's right! Which little bastard did it? Come out here!"

"We waited in line for ages, and the second we brought them back, some little bastard swiped them! Can you believe that?"

"Let me tell you, we spat in every single plate! Go ahead, eat up!"

As the aunties kept yelling, Heroine Yin's brow furrowed, then her face slowly turned red. Just as she clenched her fists and was about to lose her temper, Cheng Yun stopped her. "Don't do anything rash. That's exactly what they want!"

Heroine Yin gritted her teeth, fists clenched tight. She nodded and sat down, repeating to herself, Don't lose your temper. You'll have to pay for damages. You'll have to pay for damages...

"Whew..."

She felt her anger ebb away almost at once.

Just then, one of the aunties spotted the four plates of lamb chops on their table and tugged at her companion's sleeve.

Every aunty turned to look at them.

"So it was you two little bastards! I knew you were giving us a hard time when you were getting food earlier... and now you're enjoying those chops, huh?" One aunty glared at Cheng Yun's table. "You must've..."

"Bang!"

Before she could finish, Heroine Yin slammed her palm down on the table in a burst of fury. The sound was like an explosion—

They hadn't named anyone before, but now they were pointing right at her and cursing her to her face. How could she possibly put up with that?

Everyone nearby felt their eardrums ache, as if the ceiling had crashed down onto the floor!

The restaurant fell silent in an instant!

Heroine Yin rose to her feet, her little face full of fury. Murderous intent poured from her, making even the scar on her face look more menacing. She stared straight at the aunty. "If you've got the nerve, say that to this heroine's face again!"

The only sound left in the huge restaurant came from the girl wearing headphones as she played her guzheng, lost in the music. Its notes rang through the air. You could even hear the hot pot bubbling and the fine droplets of fat popping on the grill. The aunty who had spoken was completely stunned. Heroine Yin's murderous intent had locked onto her, and she felt a chill run through her entire body!

A moment later, even the guzheng fell silent.

The aunty's face had gone pale, and cold sweat streamed down her. Her weak voice echoed through the restaurant. "You must... you must not be the ones. Right, that's it. You were behind us in line, so after we got the lamb chops, it was your turn. You didn't—didn't need to come and take ours. That's what I meant. You probably misunderstood."

"Hmph!" Heroine Yin snorted and finally sat back down. She also reined in her murderous intent, and everyone in the restaurant felt they could breathe more easily.

Cheng Yun was a little dumbfounded, too. Heroine Yin's temper had flared up so suddenly that he hadn't even had time to react.

Cheng Yan was still holding a crab as she worked on peeling it. When she came to her senses, she squeezed too hard, and a piece of shell flew off, revealing a piece of tender white crab meat.

"Ah... the meat's burning!" Yu Dian hurriedly turned it over, flustered.

"Sorry to have caused a scene! Eat up, eat up, carry on!" Heroine Yin hurriedly called out. She grabbed two more lamb chops and handed them to Cheng Yun. "Here, Station Master, eat! These aren't nearly as good once they get cold!"

About an hour later—

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

"Hm?" Cheng Yun frowned and pointed at the hairy crabs on the table. "You haven't finished those!"

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

"You've only had two!"

"I'm full, so you keep eating. Don't waste them." Cheng Yan wiped her hands and picked up another hairy crab to peel. "I'll do the peeling for you. You're not allowed to leave any!"

"I'm not eating them either!"

"..." Cheng Yan quickly put the crab meat, with its shell removed, onto the plate in front of him and continued cracking open the large claw.

Before long, Yu Dian also put down her chopsticks and said softly, "I'm full, too."

"You're full, too?"

"Mm. I'll grill some meat for you." The young Yu Dian had tried her best to eat more, but she simply couldn't manage much.

After finishing two hairy crabs, Cheng Yun slumped in his seat for a while. He took out his phone to direct a guest to the rooftop laundry area, then went back to eating the tender beef Yu Dian had grilled for him.

Heroine Yin was still clutching a steak and gnawing away at it. Her stomach had long since bulged.

Before long, Cheng Yun couldn't go on, either.

Heroine Yin was the only one still fighting.

The aunties at the next table had left without eating much. A different group had taken their place, and they seemed to be reaching the end of their meal, sprawled in their seats and playing on their phones.

The three of them silently watched Heroine Yin keep shoveling food into her mouth. Once she finished, she took her plate and went to get more.

Only when she could barely walk properly did she finally stop. She sat down, sipping Sprite in tiny mouthfuls, looking both dejected and satisfied.

Seeing her, Cheng Yun asked, "Is everyone full?"

"I still haven't had enough," Heroine Yin wheezed. Then she tipped her head to the side. "I don't want to leave. I want more meat... Station Master, go get me another plate of those big chunks of beef."

"You're still eating? You'll burst if you eat any more!" Cheng Yun rolled his eyes. "Are you trying to end up like Du Fu?"

"Who's Du Fu?"

"Never mind!" Cheng Yun glanced at his watch. "Let's rest for a bit, then head back."

"Then get me some butcher paper, Station Master. I want to take a packet of beef back to eat tomorrow morning." Heroine Yin sprawled in her seat, still dreaming of beef.

"No takeout."

"What? You're not even allowed to take food home? Get the boss and the waiter over here!"

Cheng Yun ignored her and turned to Yu Dian. "What about you? Did you like the food here?"

"I'm full, too. The food was delicious, and there was so much of it." Yu Dian blushed and spoke softly. Although this was only a buffet, she had probably never eaten a meal this expensive or abundant in her life. Before this, her idea of a buffet had been the hot pot places by the roadside that charged a little over thirty yuan per person.

In the end, she lowered her head and added, "Besides, it's been a long time since I've... sat down and eaten with everyone like this."

Cheng Yan fell silent for a moment at her words, feeling that she understood.

She knew Yu Dian had lost both her parents, and that they had died even earlier than Cheng Yan and Cheng Yun's. Yu Dian had practically been an orphan, and she'd endured hardship since childhood. At least Cheng Yan had grown up with loving parents and a doting older brother. Even though both her parents had passed away recently, she still wasn't alone.

Thinking this, she glanced at Cheng Yun.

At least she still had family she could rely on in this world. Yu Dian had no one at all but herself.

It was just past eight when they got back to the hotel. Cheng Yun reopened the two rooms with women's beds on the booking site. Cheng Yan also told him to list the suite she was staying in. Cheng Yun looked completely unconvinced. "Rooms this upscale are usually booked in advance. It's already so late—who's going to book one now?"

But to his utter surprise, it was booked less than an hour after he listed it!

Talk about getting proven wrong!