As Zheng Zheng sighed inwardly, Hong Qianxiu's expression also flashed with a hint of bitterness. The emotions dancing in her eyes were too complex, and in the end, all her words could only be condensed into a stiff smile as she said, “Zheng Zheng, long time no see. How have you been?”

Zheng Zheng's heart trembled slightly, but his expression quickly returned to normal. He walked up to her and said softly, “I’m doing well. What about you? How have you been?”

Under Zheng Zheng's deep gaze, Hong Qianxiu's voice turned a little bewildered as she replied, “Just like that, what else could it be?”

Zheng Zheng fell silent, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Seeing Zheng Zheng remain quiet, Hong Qianxiu's expression became somewhat dejected, feeling a bit flustered inside.

It felt like an awkward silence between two former lovers who had met again.

“Don’t just come in and stare at the beauties. You didn’t get penalized for that bottle, so you can’t go anywhere,” Lin Jie suddenly jumped over, pulling Zheng Zheng along with a grin of schadenfreude.

Zheng Zheng was pulled over to his friends and, looking at the empty bottles scattered on the coffee table, he felt a bit disinterested and said, “Is it alright if I don’t drink?”

Lin Jie chuckled, “Heh, you can skip the drinks, but don’t think you’ll get to talk to the long legs any more tonight.”

Zheng Zheng had deep experience with Lin Jie’s personality. His drinking capacity was limited—three bottles and he was drunk, four and he was out, five and he needed someone to carry him home. However, he couldn’t resist Lin Jie’s loud mouth, constantly stirring things up at the table. If he dared to defy Lin Jie’s wishes, it was certain that the whole table would turn hostile, their eyes gleaming with aggression, and he would become the target of their onslaught; the outcome could easily be imagined. Not to mention that this group of fools would do anything to show off in front of pretty girls, leading to actions that were both painful for friends and quick to provoke enemies.

“Alright, I know the rules,” Zheng Zheng could only compromise helplessly.

“Smart of you,” Lin Jie said triumphantly as he opened a bottle and handed it over.

At that moment, the door to the private room opened again, and three young men walked in.

These young men looked unfamiliar, dressed flamboyantly with a rebellious vibe, especially the tall, sturdy one in the middle, whose face was filled with a sullen expression.

Lin Jie glanced at Zheng Zheng and then at the few friends inside, seeing everyone’s confused expressions. At the same time, Hong Qianxiu’s singing also stopped, and she seemed somewhat surprised.

Lin Jie’s face darkened, and he asked the three young men, “Who are you guys, and what are you doing here?”

The others seemed to sense that something was off; they all put down their drinks and slowly gathered around. Among them, Ah Liang and Lao Ping were particularly quick, discreetly placing their hands behind their backs to grip the beer bottles, ready for any unexpected situation.

The tall and sturdy young man merely cast a disinterested glance, snorted disdainfully, and approached Hong Qianxiu. With a displeased expression, he said coldly, “Qianxiu, why didn’t you let me know you were coming here? Why didn’t you answer my calls?”

He then surveyed the private room, frowned, and continued, “The environment here is so poor, and the sound quality is terrible. If you really wanted to sing karaoke, we could have gone to Waterhead Tianma or Huhua and rented a room.”

Hong Qianxiu’s expression became a bit flustered. She casually tossed the microphone aside and huffed with a pout, “Su Liqiao, why do I have to inform you where I’m going? What are you to me?”

“You’re my woman; of course I need to know where you’re going. I wouldn’t want you mixing with a bunch of unimportant clowns.” After saying this, Su Liqiao glanced coldly at Lin Jie, Zheng Zheng, and the others.

Hong Qianxiu’s eyes glinted with frost as she retorted coldly, “Xu Liqiao, when did I agree to date you? Don’t be so shameless.”

Su Liqiao’s expression soured. A year ago, he had met Hong Qianxiu through friends and was immediately captivated. He then began a frenzied pursuit, calling her incessantly. However, Hong Qianxiu had no feelings for him. Soon after, she left with her sister to develop in Guangzhou, and the matter faded away. But today, upon hearing from a younger brother that the woman he had been pining for had returned and was meeting her old lover, he couldn’t sit still. He brought a few buddies along, planning to disrupt their reunion and give Zheng Zheng a lesson.

Su Liqiao arrogantly declared, “The women I set my sights on never escape my grasp.”

Yang Jie’s face darkened immediately. Having mixed in the underworld, he valued his reputation greatly. Today, Su Liqiao’s blatant remarks in front of friends were a naked slap to the face that he couldn’t tolerate. Just as he was about to confront him, he felt Zheng Zheng tightly grip his arm, shaking his head lightly.

Zheng Zheng had heard of Su Liqiao, a notorious thug from the neighboring town.

Shuitou Town was famous in the entire Wenshi for its strong economy, particularly in the leather manufacturing industry. Many people in the town made a fortune from this business and then expanded into coal, iron, and copper mining projects in places like Jin, Wei, and Jiang. They quickly became millionaires and even billionaires. As their fortunes were often intertwined with shady dealings, many of these wealthy individuals secretly funded a group of thugs to help them handle less savory matters.

Most of these thugs were extremely ruthless, recognizing neither reason nor individuals—only their boss. Most had criminal records at the police station for extortion, intimidation, fighting, and assault. Injuring people or even having murder charges wasn’t unusual, especially since these coal bosses had money and could wield their financial power, leading many officials to succumb to temptation and become protectors of their crimes.

This Su Liqiao was one of the thugs working for coal mine owner Wang Zhiqiang.

Zheng Zheng had learned about Wang Zhiqiang through an incidental encounter.

Two years ago, after returning from Taiyuan to Tengjiao, he was having a reunion dinner with a group of middle school classmates at the Peninsula Cafe in Shuitou. A dispute broke out between two groups, and both refused to back down, leading them to call for reinforcements. Su Liqiao soon made a strong entrance, not only beating one group up with the back of a knife but also forcibly demanding compensation and slapping the Peninsula manager who tried to mediate. He even smashed the bar’s cash register. The Peninsula Cafe was somewhat famous in Shuitou, and its owner had some background, but Su Liqiao showed no respect whatsoever. This showed just how domineering and lawless he was.

If this were the Zheng Zheng of the past, he might have been intimidated, but now he didn’t regard this thug at all. The reason he held back Lin Jie was to avoid escalating the situation and dragging his friends into trouble.

At this moment, Su Liqiao had already turned around, his fierce gaze sweeping across Zheng Zheng and the others before coldly asking, “Who is Zheng Zheng?”

“I am,” Zheng Zheng replied, slightly surprised. He released his grip on Lin Jie and stepped forward, responding calmly.

“You’re Zheng Zheng?” Su Liqiao sneered coldly as he walked over.

“Su Liqiao, what do you want?” Hong Qianxiu stood up from the sofa, her face pale with fear.