Chapter 21: A Failed Attempt at Playing the Hero

Oh no!

Seeing Jin Peng, Lin Xi’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly pulled out her phone to call Ye Huan.

As the call connected, the sound of intense, pumping music and singing blared through the line! Lin Xi was momentarily stunned; did he really need such heavy music just to clap his hands?

"What do you want?" Ye Huan asked.

"Jin Peng is here. You need to come down immediately!" Lin Xi whispered.

"What did you say?"

"I said Jin Peng is here."

"What are you talking about? Speak up."

"I’ll text you!"

Lin Xi dared not speak loudly. If she did, she would be alerting Jin Peng to her exact location. She hung up and sent a text message: "Jin Feiyu’s younger brother, Jin Peng, is here with fifty men. Get down here now!"

After sending it, she put her phone away and watched Jin Peng approach with a composed expression.

"So it’s the Second Young Master. Your presence at my birthday party gives me immense honor," said Shen Huamei, the birthday girl, as she walked over to greet him with a smile.

*Slap!*

Jin Peng struck Shen Huamei, sending her sprawling to the floor. He spat on the ground and sneered, "Bah! Go look at yourself in a mirror. A bitch like you thinks you deserve my presence at your birthday? Get lost!"

He then delivered a vicious kick to her, causing Shen Huamei to let out a sharp cry of pain as she writhed on the ground.

Seeing this, everyone in the bar fell deathly silent. No one dared to utter a word, as they simply could not afford to offend Jin Peng. Beyond the Jin family’s underworld connections, their sheer wealth, influence, social standing, and connections were rivaled only by the Lin and Su families. But everyone was confused: why would Jin Peng suddenly show up here with such a massive force?

"Jin Peng, I am the one you are looking for. Why drag innocent people into this?" Lin Xi stepped out from the crowd, her voice cold. She was never the type to hide behind others and let them suffer for her.

Only then did Su Lei and the others realize that Jin Peng had come specifically for Lin Xi.

"So what if I drag innocent people into it?" Jin Peng’s attitude was incredibly arrogant. He glared at the crowd and barked, "Listen up, all of you! I am here for one person only: Lin Xi. This has nothing to do with any of you. If anyone is bored enough to meddle, I don’t mind beating a few more people."

He kicked Shen Huamei in the stomach twice more.

"You..."

Watching Shen Huamei curled up on the ground in agony, her body spasming, Lin Xi felt an urge to rush over and beat Jin Peng to death. But she didn't dare—she was no match for him, and he had dozens of thugs behind him. She could only anxiously hope that Ye Huan would descend from the second floor immediately. Once he was by her side, she would have the confidence to stand up to Jin Peng.

"What? Seeing me hit your good friend makes you angry? Seeing your friend lying on the ground in agony breaks your heart?" A twisted, hideous grin spread across Jin Peng’s face. He suddenly roared, "If you don't want to implicate anyone else, then be a good girl and come with me."

*Why isn't that damn scumbag coming down yet...* Lin Xi’s palms were sweating with anxiety.

"It seems you don't intend to come quietly. In that case, I’ll have to handle this myself!" Seeing Lin Xi standing her ground, Jin Peng waved his hand: "Take her!"

Two thugs immediately began walking toward Lin Xi. Panic surged through her. If she were taken by Jin Peng, Jin Jiu would likely skin her alive to avenge Jin Feiyu, even if he didn't kill her outright.

"Does the Second Young Master not see me?" Su Lei stepped in front of Lin Xi, looking at Jin Peng. "Second Young Master, I don't know how Lin Xi offended you, but please, for my sake, let her go. How about it?"

As he said this, Su Lei felt incredibly cool and heroic—never in his life had he felt so dashing. He was sure that by playing the hero at this critical moment, Lin Xi would be overwhelmed with gratitude and perhaps even fall in love with him.

"What kind of dog are you to think you carry any weight? Who the hell do you think you are to ask for favors from me?" Jin Peng cursed him without hesitation.

"You..." Su Lei was furious. Jin Peng showed him no respect at all, humiliating him in front of everyone. He turned to his bodyguard and whispered, "Can you take all these people?"

"No," the bodyguard replied honestly.

Su Lei: "..."

*The heroic rescue has failed!*

"Get lost! If you block me again, I’ll beat you to death!" Jin Peng walked up to Su Lei, slapped him across the face, and said coldly.

Su Lei stepped aside, his pride shattered. In that instant, he knew that because of his cowardice, he had lost any chance of winning Lin Xi’s heart.

"Lin Xi, are you going to come with me voluntarily, or should I have my brothers carry you out?" Jin Peng asked, staring coldly at her.

"If you want to take me, you’ll have to ask him if he agrees!" Lin Xi pointed toward the stairs leading to the second floor and smiled.

Jin Peng, Su Lei, and the others were momentarily confused, wondering what she meant. They followed her gaze. Even the fifty thugs stopped their assault on the bodyguards to look.

Ye Huan was walking down the stairs, unhurried, step by step. Xiang Yingxin followed right behind him.

"Hiss..."

Seeing Xiang Yingxin’s current state and the way she walked, everyone gasped. Her hair was a mess, she was panting, her face was pale, and sweat dripped from her chin. She gripped the handrail, moving her lower body with awkward, careful steps. With every movement, a look of agony crossed her face, as if she were enduring some indescribable pain.

They were all experienced adults!

It was easy to guess why Xiang Yingxin was in such pain! But! Ye Huan and Xiang Yingxin had only been in the private room for half an hour. What kind of intense activity could have tortured her like this in such a short time?

Every man at the party suddenly felt a sense of inferiority. In this department, they were no match for Ye Huan.

Many of the girls at the party looked at Ye Huan with strange expressions; some even had burning gazes, as if they were curious to experience that same "pain" themselves.

"Lin Xi, are you saying he can stop me from taking you?" Jin Peng shifted his focus from Ye Huan back to Lin Xi.

"That's right," Lin Xi nodded.

"Hahahaha..."

Jin Peng burst into laughter, doubling over as he mocked, "Lin Xi, are you trying to kill me with laughter? You actually think a pretty boy like that can take on my fifty brothers? Hahahaha..."