While the Mouse Clone stayed with the ten little mice, Wen Xiancheng returned to the small restaurant he had visited before, ready to go inside and order.
But at the entrance, he spotted a somewhat familiar figure inside, asking the proprietress about something.
Wen Xiancheng's face darkened.
It was Xu Junfeng!
Most likely, he had come looking for him!
No one visited a temple without a reason.
Wen Xiancheng was about to turn around and leave.
But the proprietress had already spotted him. Pointing at him, she said, "Is that the person you mean? Look, here he is!"
Wen Xiancheng stopped helplessly, then steeled himself and walked over.
Sure enough, Xu Junfeng had come looking for him!
Was he here for Ice Cream or Xiao Xiao?
Either way, I won't give in today.
Following the proprietress's gesture, Xu Junfeng spotted Wen Xiancheng.
He hurried over and blocked Wen Xiancheng's path. "Hello. I assume you haven't forgotten who I am."
Wen Xiancheng gave Xu Junfeng an indifferent glance.
In truth, he still felt rather helpless.
Although this was another world, a rich second-generation heir like Xu Junfeng clearly had the advantage in every respect.
He was stuck on the back foot.
He hated being in this position.
But did I have a choice?
"I remember. So what do you want with me? I don't recall us being close." Wen Xiancheng continued toward the restaurant.
Xu Junfeng stopped him and pointed at a car parked outside. "My treat today. Let's go have a meal."
Seeing that Wen Xiancheng seemed about to refuse, Xu Junfeng added, "Just you and me today. You're not allowed to bring that little girl of yours, and I won't bring anyone else. Don't worry. Even with just the two of us, I won't take the opportunity to attack you. I like Xue Ruigao, and I intend to win her fair and square."
After a pause, Xu Junfeng said with absolute confidence, "Of all the women I've wanted, only Xue Ruigao has been a little difficult. The rest practically fell into my hands."
Remembering Gao Shiqi stealing Xue Ruigao's underwear, Wen Xiancheng sneered. "Really? If you're so confident, why get Gao Shiqi to do your dirty work? Stealing a girl's underwear-is that what you call confidence?"
"Ahem, that was only because I love Xue Ruigao so much," Xu Junfeng argued.
Wen Xiancheng shoved Xu Junfeng aside. "Shameless! Move. I'm going inside to eat!"
Xu Junfeng followed him. "I'm offering to treat you at a five-star hotel. You've never eaten anywhere like that in your life. Come broaden your horizons. Opportunities like this don't come often."
Wen Xiancheng didn't answer. He walked into the restaurant and told the proprietress, "Fish-fragrant shredded pork and duck blood vermicelli soup."
"Coming right up," the proprietress replied, hurrying into the kitchen.
Only after ordering did Wen Xiancheng find an empty seat and sit down.
Seeing this, Xu Junfeng eyed the seat opposite Wen Xiancheng with considerable distaste.
Holding a tissue, he wiped the stool and table over and over before saying, "Look at this place you've come to. Is this somewhere people should eat? It's like a pigsty. How can you bear to make a girl as beautiful as Xue Ruigao eat with you in a place like this?"
Wen Xiancheng glanced at Xu Junfeng and said coldly, "Sorry, but she's already spent nearly half her life eating with me in places like this."
Xu Junfeng said angrily, "So you've already held her back for half her life. That gives you even less right to hold her back for the rest of it! If you love her, you should want her to be happy, not possess her! 'If you are well, my skies are clear'-isn't that how it goes?"
Wen Xiancheng looked at Xu Junfeng as though he were an idiot. "I'll give those words right back to you. Ice Cream loves me. She can only be happy with me. Can't you see that? I really don't see how someone who hounds her relentlessly and uses every dirty trick in the book could make her happy."
Xu Junfeng tried to argue further, but Wen Xiancheng waved him off. "Don't talk to me. I have nothing to say to someone like you."
Seeing that nothing could get through to Wen Xiancheng, Xu Junfeng angrily slammed both hands on the table.
As though he hadn't noticed, Wen Xiancheng picked up his phone and browsed the news.
At last, the food arrived. Wen Xiancheng began eating, taking his attention off his phone.
Seizing the opportunity, Xu Junfeng once again began rambling about his feelings for Xue Ruigao, from their first meeting to the flutter in his heart whenever he saw how hardworking she was.
Just as he was warming to his subject, he noticed that Wen Xiancheng had picked up his phone again and was reading as he ate.
He was treating Xu Junfeng as though he were completely invisible.
Finally, Xu Junfeng lost his temper.
Slamming his right hand down on the table, Xu Junfeng roared, "You fucking loser! I'm talking to you about Xue Ruigao! Have you got any manners? All you do is stare at your phone and eat!"
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Wen Xiancheng had long been holding back a bellyful of rage. With one strike of his chopstick, he smashed the bowl and chopsticks, then said menacingly, "Why the hell would you need to discuss this with me? You're not my fucking son!"
Pointing his right hand at Xu Junfeng, Wen Xiancheng said, "I'll tell you one last time. Ice Cream is my wife. I've touched everything there is to touch and done everything there is to do. So what? Can't stand it? Jealous? Have your parents stuff you back into the womb and make you all over again. Try your luck in your next life!"
With that, Wen Xiancheng tossed down five low-grade spirit stones, turned, and left.
Xu Junfeng's face turned livid with rage.
The words "I've touched everything there is to touch and done everything there is to do," in particular, stabbed into his heart like a sharp blade.
Watching Wen Xiancheng walk away, Xu Junfeng roared, "You loser! You're fucking asking to die! I'll make you understand what it means to be damned beyond redemption for crossing me, Xu Junfeng!"
Yet Wen Xiancheng still gave no reply.
Xu Junfeng stormed outside and kicked the car door, shouting furiously, "You brought this on yourself! I gave you a chance, but nothing gets through to you!"
Wen Xiancheng returned to his new rental, seething with pent-up anger.
His mind was full of what Xu Junfeng had just said.
It left him agitated and restless, with an urge to roar.
Walking into the bathroom, Wen Xiancheng turned on the tap and let cold water wash over his body. Only then did he gradually calm down.
Inside the rental, the ten little mice had finally followed the Mouse Clone in and were hiding in a corner, eating.
When they saw Wen Xiancheng enter, all ten little mice bolted. In the blink of an eye, they vanished into the room, huddling in its dark corners, each looking terrified.
Speechless, the Mouse Clone went in, hoping to call them out.
But they refused to come out even if it killed them.
The Mouse Clone could only give up and let them stay there.
Without any idea how to communicate with them, he had no way to persuade them.
He was coming to appreciate more and more how important it was to master a way of communicating with mice.
Xiao Xiao walked in and entered the pitch-black room, staring motionlessly at the ten little mice in the darkness with two lifeless eyes.
The silver snakes in Xiao Xiao's eyes began flickering ever more frequently.
(End of chapter)
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