Just as he was about to swing the club, someone gripped the club from the other end. He turned around in confusion. A well-dressed man appeared behind him with a smile.
“Brother Liu,” Zhou Rong held the club and asked, “What is making you so angry?”
The tanned man’s surname was Liu. He was the boss of An Ping Inn. He was also the chef. Zhou Rong had met his wife before. She was responsible for registering guests.
Seeing Zhou Rong, the man hesitated. However, he still didn’t put the club down. He huffed, “Brother Zhou, this has nothing to do with you. Leave it be.”
Just as everyone thought Zhou Rong would do more, he let go and nodded. “Alright.”
The woman was unceremoniously chased out. She cried like her world had ended. However, the boss didn’t cross the line since Zhou Rong intervened. At least he didn’t use the club to harm the woman. He only chased her out with words.
When most people’s attention was on the boss and the woman, Jiang Cheng was looking around. Chen Xiaomeng glared at him like she wanted to skin him alive. Chen Xiaomeng followed his gaze and noticed a table of customers. Different from the rest, that table of customers was very calm. They didn’t even glance at the commotion. They kept their heads low and focused on eating… like they were used to what was happening.
She pulled her gaze back. When she saw Jiang Cheng again, the latter seemed to sense something. He also looked back and slowly blinked at Chen Xiaomeng. Chen Xiaomeng’s eyes widened. She saw Jiang Cheng shimmying his body shyly, acting like a new bride with her husband. A spark coursed through her body, and Chen Xiaomeng felt like vomiting.
After the commotion, things soon returned to normal. The customers resumed eating. Boss Liu probably felt embarrassed. After chasing the woman away, he returned to the kitchen.
Zhou Rong thought about it and said, “Pick them all up. We’ll try to piece it back.” Half an hour ago, when Jiang Cheng first arrived, the floor was very clean. He was sure these paper pieces weren’t present then. Therefore, they probably had to do with the middle-aged woman.
The team ignored the other NPCs. After a quick sweep, they gathered around a table in the middle of the restaurant and pieced the pieces together. It was… a portrait. Since they were missing a few pieces, only a brief silhouette could be seen. But the subject in the portrait was definitely a man.
“Could this be the woman’s husband?” Jiang Zhongyi suggested, “He went missing for some reason. The woman came here with a portrait to find her husband.” Considering the conversation between the boss and the woman, that was totally possible.
“However… that doesn’t sound like something to chase someone out for.” Lee Lu shrunk her neck and glanced at the kitchen as if worried that the boss might hear her. “It’s one thing to chase her out, but why tear up her portrait?” Indeed, that was a bit much. The cavalierness of the other customers was unusual too.
Ben Fu looked at the two tables closest to them. Then, he hesitated, “Should we ask…”
“No.” Zhou Rong and the elder, Bei Qian, said at the same time. The two shared a look. In the end, it was Zhou Rong who explained, “The situation is too unclear for us to tip our hands.”
Yu Man smiled charmingly at him and said in a teasing tone, “Does Mr. Zhou wish for us to ignore this lead? Perhaps…” She curled a finger around her hair. “This is the real way to trigger the mission.”
Then, Zhou Rong took a step back and bowed, “Miss Yu, if that’s what you believe, go ahead.” His attitude was direct. If she didn’t believe him, she could take the risks. Yu Man instantly looked awkward. She shut up. She was not dumb. She knew the risks involved. She said those things only because Zhou Rong hadn’t given her face earlier. But… she was still stumped by Zhou Rong.
Thankfully, Bei Qian came forth and said a few words to smooth things over. Bei Qian suggested that they leave the inn and search for the clues outside. If the middle-aged woman were really looking for someone, she would have visited more places than An Ping Inn. They could use this angle, which was less risky. Everyone agreed. Only Jiang Cheng disagreed.
This handsome man was a unique presence. He stood in an unseriously manner. He leaned forward and stood on tip toe. His eyes were fixed on a spot and he looked rejuvenated.
Since Ben Fu stood across from him, he was the first to notice this. He followed Jiang Cheng’s gaze with confusion… until he saw Yu Man’s chest.
Yu Man probably came directly from the nightclub to the nightmare realm. She only wore a sheer wine-red dress. The tulle… barely hid her good figure.
“Do you like what you see?” A voice asked.
Ben Fu was so distracted that he nodded subconsciously and licked his lips. Just he felt his head chilled. As he pulled his eyes back, Jiang Cheng stood before him with an angry huff. Jiang Cheng grabbed his wig in his left hand and arched his right hand to smack Ben Fu right on the back of his head. This smack almost dazed Ben Fu.
“You pervert!” Jiang Cheng was taller than Ben Fu. He looked down on him quite literally, “How dare you salivate after the beautiful Miss Yu?”
“That’s enough.” Bei Qian sighed helplessly. “We better focus on the mission.”
Then, Jiang Cheng let go of Ben Fu.
After the group left An Ping Inn, they wandered around aimlessly. Ben Fu held the back of his head, probably scarred by Jiang Cheng and walked at the back of the group.
Jiang Cheng confiscated his wig. It hung lazily on the back of Jiang Cheng’s pants pocket. Apparently, it was punishment for his perversion.
Jiang Cheng used this opportunity to get close to Yu Man. He occasionally leaned forward to whisper into the woman’s ear. Yu Man chuckled happily. The two had a lot of fun.