Chapter 23 - A Punishment Long Overdue

The atmosphere in this prestigious restaurant at the edge of Xiehe was extremely heavy. It was so heavy that you could slice it clean with a butter knife. The funny thing is that no one had said a word yet but the tension was stretched taut like a bowstring.

Not willing to be outdone Zhang Ci stood up with his chest puffed up like a gorilla but he was soon forced to sit down at the wave of Rui Yewan's hand. A black shadow pressed him down to his seat as Rui Li drew her sabre and stabbed it into the table.

"Stay," she said pointing at him before she smiled gleefully and continued to say, "gooood boooy!" deliberately dragging the words.

That 'good boy' angered Zhang Ci so much that he struggled to stand up with his hands slamming the table. Meanwhile, the host raised his finger to say something but before he could say anything Rui Li passed him a bag of gold coins instantly shutting him up. Since any damage as a result of this confrontation was paid for he didn't seem to care about it anymore. They could beat each other to death for all he cared.

The people around Zhang Ci began to cuss them out wanting to pick a fight which meant this little confrontation was escalating at an exponential rate. But just as they approached boiling point, the silent Rui Fei suddenly interfered.

"Let's talk," he said as he casually sat opposite the fuming Zhang Ci seeming indifferent to his anger.

Zhang Ci's ego had taken a jab and he wanted to put up a fight but meeting Rui Fei's menacing gaze his anger simmered down as he responded, "We have nothing to discuss."

The host brought over some alcohol just in time reeling in these aggressive teenagers as the saying goes 'most disputes are resolved over drinks'. The opposing side became a little amicable.

Rui Fei blankly stared at the cup of wine before turning to look at the host. The host naturally understood and scurried away to get something else.

"It seems this young master can't handle liquor hahaha... so what the fuck are you here for when you barely out of diapers?" said one of the boys taunting Rui Fei before the rest of them broke into mocking laughter.

Rui Fei didn't say anything gazing intently at Zhang Ci with a slight tilt of his head. He was sitting with one of his legs on the bench while casually resting his arm on his knee as he asked, "Are you familiar with the crew members of the Red Bane?" As he asked this he took away the wine cup in Ru Li's hand without even looking at her.

Ru Li who was just about to take a sip, "..."

Dissatisfied she glared at him with a slight pout of her lips that is before she eyeballed Ru Yewan whose cup of wine hadn't been confiscated. Ru Yewan didn't want the wine either but there was no way he was going to give it to Ru Li for two reasons.

One, she was too young and two she was crazy enough when sober what more when she's wasted? Neither of the two brothers wanted to deal with that mess so they stopped that train before it even left the station.

Ru Yewan ignored the daggers being sent his way like a professional actor. His gaze was more focused on this rowdy group of spoilt brats.

"Mn..... but what's it to you?" asked Zhang Ci sizing up the tall youth in front of him. It was then that he felt a gaze boring into his skin from a distance. That chilling gaze sent a slight shiver down his spine so he raised his spikes like a porcupine seeking out the person where the killing intent was coming from.

His sight landed on a corner table upstairs where a person whose face was covered in a dark veil was looking down in his direction. He couldn't see the person's eyes but he could easily tell that person was glaring at him.

Vexed, his eyes travelled down the person's frame and his heart jolted. He suddenly thought of Ji Yao in that gorgeous blue dress resulting in a drastic change in his facial expression. His hand heated up at the thought of what he touched that day.

The drastic change in expression had Rui Fei furrowing his brows so much that he turned his head following Zhang Ci's gaze. He also saw the person wearing the veil and the green-haired girl but he was disinterested in this man's love interest so he looked back at Zhang Ci while Rui Li slapped the table drawing the love-struck boy's attention.

"Hey, hey, over here lover boy," she said in a disrespectful tone that one would think she was Zhang Ci's elder.

Zhang Ci came back to himself and took a sip of the wine before giving a perfunctory response. He just wanted these people gone so he could unveil whatever treasure was hidden underneath that black veil.

"Ask what you want to ask and get the hell out of my sight," he said licking his lower lip as he struggled not to stare at the person upstairs again. If he kept staring he might give himself away scaring the rabbit back into its rabbit hole.

"Are you familiar with all the women aboard Red Bane?" asked Rui Fei in a serious tone conveying the significance of this question. 

That question had Zhang Ci choking on his wine as he coughed violently. His friend patted his back as the others laughed recalling the incident with Ji Yao. Their laughter had Ji Yao who had excellent hearing clench his fist in anger.

The sense of uneasiness he felt earlier for some unknown reason had vanished replaced by a raging storm threatening to wreak havoc.

Zhang Ci raised his head after regaining his composure and said, "No, not until recently.....," but before he could chase them out a portrait was suddenly slid in his direction.

He reached out to pick it up but Rui Li removed her sabre from the table and pointed its tip at him and said, "You can look but you can't touch." Even she wasn't allowed to touch it so why would this pervert be allowed to?

Zhang Ci sneered but before he could cuss her out he saw those familiar enchanting eyes and his heartbeat instantly quickened. The rest of the face was covered with a face veil but he knew who this person was.. He gulped with his Adam's apple bobbing up and down like a thirsty beast before feigning calmness.