Fang Ning said, "Didn't I get in there? Look at that Zhou guy's shoulder. Wasn't that my handiwork? And didn't I leave those marks on his face?"
"You used tools. If you're so tough, fight for real. I swelled both their faces up with my fists." When it came to how strong and capable he was, Ji Xiangchen refused to give an inch. Absolutely refused. He wouldn't budge even if it killed him.
"Only an idiot leaves a sword unused. Didn't I make him bleed with that bottle? Still better than you..."
"..."
Sitting across from them, Zhou Lu felt insulted. "..."
"..."
The other man felt insulted too. Seriously, you two, is it really okay to discuss fighting so openly in a police station?
Officer Li didn't know what to do with these two sneaky troublemakers either. He had asked them to explain why they had fought, not brag about how capable they were!
So angry that he launched straight into scolding them, Officer Li said, "I asked you to explain what happened! Not brag about your battle records! You two can shut up now!"
After Officer Li shouted at them, Fang Ning and Ji Xiangchen curled their lips and obediently shut their mouths.
Officer Li tapped the desk, his tone stern. "Quiet. Now tell me why you were fighting. What couldn't you resolve without coming to blows?"
At those words, Zhou Lu's expression instantly changed again. If he actually answered that question, he would be at a disadvantage. "Officer, what else is there to say? The fact is, they hit me!"
Hearing that, Ji Xiangchen's face immediately darkened, his voice devoid of warmth. "Then why don't you spell it out? What exactly did you say before I hit you?"
He was usually easygoing, never one to fuss over things or impulsively get into fights. Zhou Lu had provoked him to his face every day before, and he hadn't bothered responding. But Zhou Lu just had to be disgusting and foul-mouthed.
If Zhou Lu had spread rumors about him and anyone else today, he wouldn't have been so angry. But he just had to talk about him and Fang Ning. Who was Fang Ning? His sister-in-law!
Who could hear such filthy talk and remain calm and unmoved? Maybe other people could, but he couldn't.
"Zhou Lu, why don't you mention the rumors you spread about me and Fang Ning? Why aren't you saying anything about your filthy mouth? You just keep going on about us hitting you."
With those words from Ji Xiangchen, the whole story became clear. Anyone with any sense could see that Fang Ning and Ji Xiangchen were about the same age and put the pieces together to work out what had happened.
Ji Xiangchen stole a glance at Fang Ning, expecting her to fly into a rage, to get angry, or at least say something.
After all, when she had chewed out his manager before, she had unleashed her full presence and biting sarcasm, taking the approach that as long as her insults didn't kill someone, she would keep going for the kill.
But now she showed little reaction. Her eyes were cool, yet a faint smile rested on her face. She merely looked Zhou Lu up and down before asking unhurriedly, "Ji Xiangchen, it's all right. You can be a little more explicit. Let our officer hear just how foul-mouthed Zhou Lu was."
Understanding what Fang Ning meant, Ji Xiangchen said slowly, "Zhou Lu ran his filthy mouth and said you and I were having an affair!"
At those words, Fang Ning seemed to gain confidence and did something none of them had expected. Right in front of Officer Li, she casually picked up the water the police had given her and splashed it at Zhou Lu across from her.
Water couldn't do much damage, but the somewhat scalding water, with its brown tea stains, left Zhou Lu looking bedraggled. His face, which he painstakingly maintained every day, now looked even more dreadful.
Not only had he been beaten, but someone had splashed water on him too. Zhou Lu's good-tempered persona was all an act, and now he could no longer control himself. Pointing at Fang Ning, he cursed, "You bitch! What the fuck gives you the right to splash water on me?"
There wasn't a trace of warmth in Fang Ning's eyes, and her voice even held regret. "So I splashed you. Did I need to pick an auspicious day? What a shame. This wasn't boiling water, just warm water."
After insulting him, Fang Ning turned to Ji Xiangchen and explained in an instructive tone, "Ji Xiangchen, watch. I'll only demonstrate this once. You should use a tool when you hit scumbags. Usually, though, it's best to use something heavier. A beer bottle is best. Water won't do. It doesn't do much damage. Understand?"
Ji Xiangchen nodded solemnly, seeing nothing wrong with this. With someone backing him up now, he was brimming with confidence. "Understood. I'll use something heavier when I hit scumbags from now on."
Beaten and now mocked as well, Zhou Lu could no longer control his emotions and tore off his false mask. "Look! Was I fucking spreading rumors? The way you two are, never mind having something going on! You've got everything going on! Fuck! What the fuck gives you the right to hit me?"
Fang Ning had moved too quickly when she had struck him just now, so he hadn't even had time to react. Unable to take it anymore, Zhou Lu shouted and screamed, even getting to his feet to try to fight again.
Seeing that things were about to escalate, Officer Li stood and pushed the furious Zhou Lu back down, loudly reprimanding them. "Enough! All four of you! Zhou Lu, you too. Why would you run your mouth and spread rumors about people for no reason? That's against the law, do you know that?"
"And you other two young people, too. Why couldn't you sit down and resolve things instead of resorting to violence? No matter how serious the issue is, sit down and work it out properly. Don't be impulsive."
It would have been better if he hadn't said anything. At this, Ji Xiangchen's nerves were struck again, and his anger flared. "What do you know? Fang Ning is my sister-in-law!"
That revelation was simply too explosive.
Officer Li suddenly shut his mouth.
Zhou Lu, who had been raging just a moment ago, fell silent too, his face turning dark and then pale. Fuck! How could this be? How could she be his brother's wife? Something this huge! How had I never heard about it?
There hadn't been any talk of this in the industry either!